WHY MANY WONDER IF SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH MARTIN

Since Russell Martin joined the Yankees for the 2011 season, he has had varied measures of success.  If you recall, he had a bad hip that had to heal in the offseason and he started very well for us. This year so far, he has not performed as well as we are used to.  The numbers below are for April of each year in pinstripes.

As you can see, his April numbers this year do not match what he did last year.  But remember, Russell started out hot last year and then cooled off the rest of the year.  His slash line for all of 2011 was .237/.324/.408 which is somewhere north of this year’s start but still south of last year’s start.

My point is that Russell’s bat is a bonus at his position.  He is an above average defensive catcher. His caught stealing percentage is frequently above the league average.  He calls a very good game and communicates well with his pitchers. His fierce determination is a great motivator and is also a quality in the long tradition of gritty hard working Yankee catchers.

During the off season, the Yankees tried to negotiate with Russell to extend his contract.  They dangled $20M for 3 years in front of him but he did not bite. That deal may not have sounded good to him but if his hitting does not improve this season, the team might not consider going that high at the end of the season.  Plus the team has the added burden of wanting to stay below $189M in payroll for 2014.  If they really want to do that, they have some serious math to figure out.  Robinson Cano & Curtis Granderson are the likely top priorities as they should be.  Russell might already be gone by then.

Overall the Yankees hitting is feast or famine this year. We just dropped 2 to the O’s with nary a runner past first base in the second loss.  If Russell the Muscle and his pinstriped brethren want to be better than 4th best in the AL East, they better wake the bats up soon.  And don’t get me started on the starting pitching.  That’s another saga for another time.  Good night Yankee fans.



--Joseph Saucedo, BYB Guest Writer



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WHY THE NEW MARLINS BALLPARK IS THE REAL DEAL

I was lucky enough to attend the first Major League Baseball game at the new Marlins Park the other day, the New York Yankees beat the Miami Marlins, 10-8. Read HERE. I got to watch most of the action from very good seats and there definitely was a lot to see.

We arrived at the ballpark later than we wanted to so we got stuck in some traffic. We had excellent parking on an on-site lot for a very reasonable price. I recommend you pay in advance online and park in one of the surface lots if you can. The local residents will generally charge you $35 and up to park on their lawn. The decision was made to close the retractable roof so it was shut by 11am. By the time we arrived it was almost chilly inside.

Our Captain, Derek Jeter laced the first pitch of the game to the right field corner to start things off. Starting pitcher, CC Sabathia, started out a little shaky but eventually settled down. Yankee hero, Mariano Rivera, gave up one run, the first Spring Training run he has given up in 4 years. The highlights were plentiful but we really wanted to check out the ballpark and walked around quite a bit. Walking around the ballpark assured me that almost any lower level seat gave you a great view.

Concessions were plentiful, pricey and extremely crowded. The usual ballpark fare was available but you could also get a shrimp sandwich or some sushi if you wanted. The workers seemed overwhelmed by the crowd but they should get better with time & experience. I was able to get some snapshots of our favorite players from the bar that is beyond the outfield.

And speaking of the outfield, the Marlins did not utilize their home run feature on the Gaby Sanchez tater. Either you love it or hate it but it was a no show for today folks.

The crowd was capped at 25,000 even though the ballpark can hold 37,000. They have an interesting feature called The Bobblehead Museum. There are many bobbleheads of players from all around baseball (including many prominent Yankees)that everybody seemed to enjoy.

Overall, it was a lot of fun today and I would definitely go back. There were almost as many Yankee jerseys as Marlins jerseys. Having been to a baseball game at Pro Player/Joe Robbie/Dolphin/Sun Life Stadium, I can say that Marlins Park is a million times better and I hope to see the Miami Marlins do well, but not against our Yankees.

Marlins Park Report Card
Concessions: C+ (First day mayhem will improve)
Parking: A (if you act fast)
View from Seats: A (Lower deck is great even from the outfield)



--Joseph Saucedo, BYB Guest Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @JD_Sauce70

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DOES A UNIFORM NUMBER REALLY MATTER?

Since 1929, the New York Yankees put numbers on the back of their players’ uniforms and they were the first team to regularly do so. We are in the day and age where most teams have players’ names on the back of their jerseys along with several alternate jerseys to choose from. You almost don’t know what team is playing half the time.

The Yankees have retired 15 uniform numbers in their illustrious history and will undoubtedly be retiring a few more in the coming years. There are some uniform numbers in recent history that are not retired, but are not being regularly used as a tribute to important former players and a manager. For instance:

• #6: Joe Torre. This number hasn't been worn since Joe left in 2007.

• #21: Paul O’Neill. Paulie's number was only used 1 time since he retired in 2001, briefly by LaTroy Hawkins in 2008.
• #51: Bernie Williams. No one has worn #51 since Bernie left the Yankees in 2006.

• #55: Hideki Matsui. Matsui was beloved and wore #55 for 7 years. No one wore it in 2010, but now Russell Martin wears it because it was his number in Los Angeles.

My concern is reserved for #35. This number was used by notable Yankees such as Manager Ralph Houk, Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, and John Wetteland. Mike “Moose” Mussina wore #35 for 8 seasons as a New York Yankee too. There is a lot to be said for what kind of pitcher Moose was for the Yankees. To me, he was a fierce and determined competitor. He walked very few batters and was also a very good fielder. Moose was sometimes on pitching staffs where he was the second or third best starting pitcher. But when your starting rotation has the likes of Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte or Orlando Hernandez, there is no shame in that distinction.

Here is what Mike Mussina did for the Yankees in his 8 years in pinstripes:

W-L: 123-72, W-L%: .631, ERA: 3.88, ERA+: 115, IP: 1553.0, K: 1278, BB: 318, WHIP: 1.212, K/9: 7.4, BB/9: 1.8, 3 Gold Gloves

He came within 1 out from pitching a perfect game against the Boston Red Sox in 2001 AND who can forget his performance in his only relief appearance in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.

I was pleased to see the Yankees sign Michael Pineda in spite of us giving up Jesus Montero for him. He is a young workhorse that should give us a lot of innings. He has added a change-up to his repertoire and gets more comfortable with it every day. I figured since AJ Burnett was dealt to the Pirates, that Pineda could be given his old #34. I was wrong. #35 has been out of circulation for 3 seasons and is now being issued to Pineda for the 2012 season. Pineda showed up to Spring Training several pounds overweight and he has not totally recovered the usual speed on his fastball...yet. I hope that is not a factor once the regular season begins, but history has shown us what happens when pitchers show up out of shape. You can just ask Phil Hughes.

I always liked Moose so I guess it is a personal thing for me but I don’t like his uniform number being used so quickly after his retirement. I am sure to be questioned harshly by some when I suggest that Mike Mussina is a serious Hall of Fame candidate. Many would disagree and that's fine, you have your opinions and I'm allowed mine. I also know there is a difference in some fans’ minds about Yankee players who once played for other teams. In the meantime, I will hope for the best out of Pineda and see if he will earn that number the way Mussina did. Hopefully he too will make us proud like Moose did.




--Joseph Saucedo, BYB Guest Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @JD_Sauce70

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MY LUNCH WITH ROY WHITE

As a native New Yorker (shout out to my Long Island peeps!!), I was able to bask in the glow of Yankees baseball constantly. Even though the team wasn’t so hot after ’81, I stayed ever faithful. Fast forward to 1990 and my family & I relocated to sunny Central Florida. I still shout my Yankees love from the rooftops, and even though there are a lot of fans down here, it does not compare to NY.

My bride & I made a pilgrimage to the NYC last September and did the usual tourist thing. My wife located some great Stadium tour tickets for the day that we were going to the game. The tour was to be given by a “Yankee Legend” and it included lunch at the stadium’s Hard Rock Café.
September 23, 2011 was a very rainy day and from the beginning, I could tell that there was serious doubt as to whether I would get to see my mighty Yankees wallop the dreaded Red Sox that evening. It did not matter at the moment, because a quick ride on the 4 train brought us to the 161st Street, Yankee Stadium station. It was my first visit to the hallowed ground of YS3 and it was very impressive. It was love at first sight.We got there very early, many places weren't opened up yet. After walking around in the drizzle and buying some souvenirs, it was time to go to the tour. My wife was curious who the Yankee legend could be and after standing around a little bit I saw a lean figure in blue jeans & a dark jacket and realized…. HOLY CRAP, that’s Roy White!!!

For those of you that haven’t read it, Bleeding Yankee Blue posted an interview with Roy White last year, conviniently titled EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ROY WHITE and it was a fine piece. It talked about his experiences and talked about what a nice man he was. Roy White had a 15 year MLB career, all with the New York Yankees. From Mickey Mantle to Thurman Munson, his list of teammates is wide & varied. One of my favorite Roy White pieces of trivia is that he was on base along with Chris Chambliss when Bucky Dent hit his one game playoff home run in 1978. A day in Yankees history none of us will ever forget.I can assure you with the utmost certainty that you would be hard pressed to find a more pleasant former player. Roy walked and talked with the group, signed many autographs and took many pictures.

When it was time to eat lunch, Roy took the time to sit with each group. I actually got to talk with him for a good 15 minutes about baseball and other things. He asked about our trip and when asked, gave strong opinions about the many topics in baseball that fans constantly discuss. I was like a kid in a candy store.The game was eventually rained out and rescheduled for after we returned to Florida. However it still was an unforgettable day. If you ever get the chance to take this tour, I am sure the “Yankee Legend” chosen will be great, but it would be difficult to imagine a better tour than the one given by Yankee Legend, #6, Mr. Roy White.



--Joseph Saucedo, BYB Guest Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @JD_Sauce70

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and look for the hashtag #BYB. Also, join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

CONTEST WINNER: WHY MARIANO WILL BE AT HIS BEST IN 2012

If you remember our contest HERE, we wanted to reach out to readers and see if anyone would be interested in writing for Bleeding Yankee Blue. We had 28 entries... that's the most ironic part of the whole thing. 28 entries... Quest for 28... are you kidding me? It just seems right, doesn't it? Anyway, out of the 28, all were terrific, but there is 1 that I really enjoyed. And so, the winner of the BYB writing contest is Joseph Saucedo. Not only did he express his passion like a fan, but he did his piece the BYB way and for that, I congratulate you Joe. Good work. Now ladies and gentlemen, I bring you our BYB guest writer and contest winner... Joseph Saucedo.

--Casey

At the age of 42, Mariano Rivera is the 4th oldest player in the AL. In spite of that,I strongly feel that Mo will be at the top of his game in 2012, if it's possible to be better than he already is. His phenomenal conditioning and his fluid delivery make his age an interesting fact and nothing more.

Here is a summary of what Mo accomplished in 2011 it's important because chock full of important facts, some you know, some you don't.

• 11th season with a sub 2.00 ERA.
  
• 8th season with at least 40 saves.
  
• 9th season with a sub 1.00 WHIP.
  
• He has also worked more than 60 innings a year for the past 10 years.
  

Let's also not forget him surpassing Trevor Hoffman for the all-time career saves record. Only with Mo can you list that at the end of his accomplishments so casually. Everybody knows that Mo had off-season surgery on his vocal chords but his voice sounds fine and he is expected to have no ill effects from this. Mo has been utilized by Girardi in the past 4 years in a way that has preserved his arm and our sanity, and for that we thank you Joe.

Due to their abbreviated 2011 playoff schedule, The New York Yankees and Mariano Rivera have had a long off-season with which to return refreshed and ready for serious AL East competition. With 2 new arms to strengthen our starting rotation in Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, we should continue to expect plenty of chances for Mo to add to his career saves total. Batters only had a .215 BA against Mo in 2011 and he converted 90% of his save opportunities. His Average Leverage Index (aLI) for the past 2 years have been over 2. Basically he is inserted in games where there is a lot more at stake, which makes perfect sense. Girardi uses him when he really needs him.

There has been some speculation as to whether Mariano will sign another contract or if 2012 will be his last season of a Hall of Fame career. I expect Mo to make some kind of announcement during the year so the Yankees can plan for the heir apparent (paging Dr. Robertson AKA Houdini). Though he is not much for fanfare that's not team related, Mo will gracefully allow baseball to honor his last season. What he has done and continues to do is special and must be acknowledged as such. I personally would love to see him pitch in 2013 but if he decides to hang them up, here is how he leaves Major League Baseball.

• 603, most career regular season saves
• 42, most career post-season saves
• 883, most career games finished
• 206 career ERA+, 1st all-time
• 0.70 career Postseason ERA, 1st all-time
• 1,042 most career appearance with a single team
• 12, most All-Star selections as a reliever

I am excluding another 20 or so MLB & Yankee records to save some space, plus he has the 2nd highest WHIP (0.998) of all-time too. This level of consistency will reap benefits for the Yankees and he will add to these already impressive numbers in 2012.

If this is the Sandman's swan song, then look for me in Cooperstown in July 2018...Picture it. I'll be the one wearing a Yankee hat and a #42 New York Yankees jersey of the best relief pitcher to ever play the game.



--Joseph Saucedo, BYB Guest Writer & Contest Winner




By the way, check out Yankees Fans Unite's newest piece HERE.

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