TYLER AUSTIN IS BACK!

Y’all remember Tyler Austin, right? Yeah — that Tyler Austin. A certified stud and a not-so-small part of the early heartbeat of Bleeding Yankee Blue. 

Back when Bleeding Yankee Blue was building and grinding, trying to carve out a voice, guys like Tyler, Ty Hensley, CC Sabathia, Brendan Ryan and David Robertson didn’t big-time us. They showed love. They backed us. And that stuff? You don’t forget it.

We’ve always respected the hell out of those guys, and we’ll always keep tabs on them here. Loyalty matters. Especially when it was real from the jump.

So yeah — Tyler Austin is back in the news.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Chicago Cubs just signed Austin to a one-year, $1.25 million deal. Not bad at all for a guy who took the long road and made it work.

Austin, now 34, spent the last six seasons in Japan absolutely mashing — slashing .293/.377/.568 with 85 homers and 236 RBI over 1,491 plate appearances. That’s not “hanging on.” That’s thriving.

We met Tyler and his mom, Kim, about 11 years ago when he was still climbing the ladder — minors to majors, dream very much in progress. With the Yankees, he showed legit pop, including 17 home runs in 2018, and he always felt like a guy who could’ve stuck if the breaks fell differently. Personally, I wanted him around longer. But instead of fading, he bet on himself, reinvented his game, and leveled up overseas. I respect the hell out of that.

So here’s a tip of the cap to Tyler Austin — always. Keep raking. Keep proving people wrong.

And hey Kim — hope you’re doing great.

Like this? Read This:

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TYLER AUSTIN... WONDERBOY

TYLER AUSTIN IS STILL THE ABSOLUTE MAN WEARING 'USA' ACROSS HIS CHEST

Quick note... Tyler Austin has still got it and I just wanted to share this piece of video because it's awesome!

Former Yankee Tyler Austin flexin in Tokyo pic.twitter.com/wr5XdlY5vL

— Pinstripe Strong (@PinstripeStrong) July 30, 2021

Now we love this guy, we always have. We interviewed Tyler and his mom Kim a while back here at BYB. Read  EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TYLER AUSTIN... WONDERBOY.

I always called Tyler Wonderboy because I was always just so impressed by the way he handled the pressure and game, despite the travels he's made in baseball. He always lands on his feet.

I love this bomb... I just needed to share it.

THE JOY OF BEING A WONDERBOY FAN!

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

I just needed to share this, because it's these types of moments that you have to appreciate... especially because I've been following this guy and all he's been through over the years in New York.

Photo: Getty Images

It's just a good look for him to make it, stay there, prove his worth.  Why? Because he believed it all along.

Unfortunately in baseball though, sometimes you get the shaft from a team you really want to perform for because quite frankly... there's no room.



The Twins have room... and Tyler Austin will be a significant part of this team and that's exciting.

This happened yesterday...

Tyler Austin launches his first home run in a @Twins uniform!

Watch on #FOXSportsGO: https://t.co/lG3f6nBQls pic.twitter.com/AfIVaYa1ju

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) August 11, 2018

Well, I got chills. I sent a note to Kim, his mom, someone that I have been in communication with off and on ever since she and Austin did their interview with Bleeding Yankee Blue (Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TYLER AUSTIN... WONDERBOY).

You know I’m loving this @austinmom03

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) August 12, 2018

When you believe... you will succeed.

Keep going Tyler, we still love you over here at BYB!

EVEN GOOD JOURNALISTS MAKE MISTAKES

Bleeding Yankee Blue has been in existence since 2010.  If we were "poor" journalists, as David Cone says, we would not be here today. He apologized for overreacting, we appreciate it... but I need to get this off my chest.

Thanks for the correction. Sorry if I overreacted

— David Cone (@dcone36) May 16, 2018

If you read BYB, you know I HATE, hate on Twitter. You know I hate misinformation here at BYB.  As Bleeding Yankee Blue Chief, I am happy to call out mistakes and BS.  Today we wrote a story and one of my top writers made a simple mistake.  In fact, in life, we BYB writers are constantly running around like crazy, work schedules, crazy kid schedules, dinner, homework with the kids, events and who knows what else.  And then... and then if we're lucky, us fans with our FAN site BleedingYankeeBlue.com... try to watch a few innings of a Yankee game, hoping to form some type of opinion, or get a nice idea to write about for the many fans we have. Almost 6 million clicks since our beginning. Not too bad.

Last night, we did made a mistake.  What happened next was unnecessary.

David Cone, we at BYB apologize for the misinformation in a world of fake news and bologna with no fact checking every single day.  But one thing you cannot do is call Bleeding Yankee Blue that poor journalism. It was borderline bullying. My opinion. We made a simple mistake.

I know these people that write on our pages. I know them well. They work hard to give our fans interesting stories, valid opinion and yes... disagreements with even the top dogs at the YES Network. Debate... Conversation IS what makes fan be fans. No hate... just disagreements.

Updated post & humbly apologize for the miscue; my son & I watched game but tuned in late; this was the 3rd time we heard that Austin was in a slump over the last couple of games yet he has had little playing time- honored you read us & caught this.; sorry for attributing to you

— Suzanne (@suzieprof) May 16, 2018

While we misquoted you and apologized, let me remind you that my writers are smart, hardworking and reliable.  They are good journalists. They are also not perfect, but neither are you. 

We've been on the fields getting the story over the years. We've interviewed your peers, gave credit where credit is due. Applaud great players, blast bad ones. And you know what else we do? We make mistakes sometimes.  Good Journalists do that sometimes.  Poor Journalists fade away.  Sorry... poor journalists ain't us.

But there's more to it.  The story wasn't ever about David Cone. He made it about David Cone.  It was actually a story about Tyler Austin. And that's where our fandom comes alive here.

Photo: NJ.com

Bleeding Yankee Blue loves Tyler Austin. We have been on his journey since day 1.  We want him there. We don't want to see him get sent down.  That is the crux of the story. That was always the crux. That was what Suzie Pinstripe was trying to portray.  I give a helluva lot of credit to Kim Austin who came out swinging earlier.  She's momma bear.  She didn't do anything wrong.  I'm glad she tweeted what she tweeted.

First of all, I was only tagged in this, secondly, I have no idea who was broadcasting because we can’t get the game on tv here in GA, and third don’t accuse me of being salty when I support every player whether they are hitting or not.

— Kim Austin/ Kimberly N. Dean (@austinmom03) May 16, 2018

My bad, I misunderstood your response. I thought it was directed at me. My deepest apologies.
I agree with Mr. Cone also. I am an author and I will not upload without fact checking.

— Kim Austin/ Kimberly N. Dean (@austinmom03) May 16, 2018

But let's keep it real. While we appreciate honesty, we aren't fans of what appears to be bashing of Tyler Austin in GENERAL.  It could be Cone, Kay, Leiter, random Yankee fans or Tony Gallucci from Fran's Auto Body down the street from me.  We reacted... and yes, we got the voice wrong last night.  But I have to wonder if it would have really escalated if Coney didn't say what he said to us about poor journalism... and sure it wouldn't even have been "a thing" if we got the quote right in the first place.

Furthermore, It's strange to me that some BYB fans that have read us since day one, know us well, know what we're all about suddenly have chosen sides because the "great David Cone" bashed a fan site.  Wrong. You know who you are.  Bottom line, thanks for your loyalty.  Not cool.

We are sorry to Coney. We love YES. We love all those peeps. We listen to them most nights, tweet with them. Enjoy them. We enjoy Bob and Jack and Flash and Love Nancy and Meredith and Paulie and Kay and Kenny.  We've interviewed many of them here.  It's our family. We appreciate you guys.  Love you guys.  BUT... we fans... and good journalists... and we blew this one. We regret that but we seriously need to move on.

Sorry for the misquote. Sorry it escalated. And Coney, thanks for apologizing. 

Let's move forward.  OK?

--Robert Casey
BYB Founder & Chief
Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TYLER AUSTIN... WONDERBOY

(In photo: Tyler & Kim Austin)
I appreciate the Yankee farm system.  I appreciate kids who have a mission... getting to the big leagues and pushing hard to get there.  It's a life lesson as well.  You work hard, you fight for a role and you run with that role, never giving up! There should be no complacency in life. If you become complacent, someone will always pass you by and take the role that was meant for you. Hold on and never let go... that's the way you should live your life.

Enter Tyler Austin. A Yankee farm hand that I've always liked hearing about and watching play.  I've got to know Kim Austin, his mom over the past few months and I became curious about how the Austin family operates.  So when I asked Kim and Tyler to do an interview with me and they accepted, let's just say I was happy about it.

So, here it is, our interview with Tyler Austin and his mother Kim... I've nicknamed Tyler "Wonderboy", after the bat in the Natural.

Wonder... Dream... Execute and anything is possible. I know Tyler will be doing some pretty great things in the Bigs one day soon... so, we asked them all about getting to where he is today... it starts at home you know...

BYB: Tyler, let's start with the Thunder. Who are the guys you find yourself closest with on Trenton's club and why?

Tyler Austin: There is really not any 1 player that I’ve latched onto because we are all very close as an organization.  We all are real tight.  We genuinely care about each other, so I can't say one guy or another.

(In Photo: A young Tyler Austin, ironically in a Yankee uniform)
BYB: Kim, when did you know that Tyler enjoyed the game of baseball? What was it that convinced you? 

Kim Austin: Tyler played baseball as young as 4 years old. We could see that he had athletic promise. For instance, he was riding a 2 wheel bike at 3.  He made All-Star teams starting at 4.  He kept asking to play.  Eventually, he played year round and wanted to learn.  At home he would hit balls off the tee for hours. You could just see it. 

BYB: Tyler, have you ever been star struck by a baseball player? Who was it and why were you star struck? 

Tyler Austin: My All-time favorite player is Derek Jeter and I got to meet him in Spring Training.  I idolized him since I was a little boy and patterned my life on and off the field after Mr. Jeter.  I went to shake his hand and finally got to meet him and I couldn’t even get his name out because I was so nervous.

BYB: So I guess I know the answer to this one: Who do you admire on the Yankees right now and why?  

Tyler Austin: Derek Jeter is the one I admired since I was small for sure.  I want to take in any advice he would offer me.  It would be an honor for me just to be on the same field with him and to share the clubhouse with a man such as he.

BYB: Kim, where were you when Tyler collected his first hit for the Trenton Thunder?

Kim Austin: Oh man, we were home! It was last year in the playoffs. We’re superstitious my husband and I and we don’t listen or watch, so we were looking at Twitter feeds and that’s when we found out.  It was really exciting!

BYB: Well then Kim, here’s a follow up at that.  Will you be at Yankee Stadium when he makes his debut there? Especially because you're superstitious and all... 

Kim Austin: Oh yeah. Of course. That’s the big show so we will go to Yankee stadium.

BYB: Describe the scene when Tyler was drafted in the 2010 amateur draft. Where were you guys and was the Yankees the team he wanted to go to? Take us through that journey that day.

Kim Austin: We were watching on the computer. Day 2 is not televised. Tyler was projected high in the draft. The rounds kept coming and going and I was feeling sick to my stomach and I was heartbroken for him because his name just wasn’t coming. He was nervous and finally he said, “I’m leaving.”  My husband and I kept watching and we were having a conversation when Tyler’s name was finally called. They called “Christopher Austin” and we weren’t sure if we heard it correctly. Then we realized and were shocked!  Tears were rolling down my face and we called him and I said “Tyler, you’re a Yankee.”  That day was exciting. It was a big party. 

BYB: Tyler, you can have dinner with 3 baseball players living or deceased.  Who would they be and what would be the 1 question you would ask each of them?

Tyler Austin: Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris would be 2 for sure. I would ask them each how things were physically and mentally during the race to break Babe Ruth's record in 1961.  My third pick would have to be Derek Jeter. I would ask him how difficult is it to be the Captain, the face of the Yankees and being one of the Core 4.

BYB: Tyler, do you collect baseball cards?  

Tyler Austin: I have collected cards and some memorabilia. I am a big Georgia Tech and Yankee fan. I was never that guy who would go out and seek an autograph though.  

BYB: My son plays Little League all year round. He's a lefty. He's developed a habit where he pulls everything, and I mean everything down the 1st base line and usually always foul.  If you’re his coach, what are you telling him to do to adjust to hit up the middle? 

Tyler Austin: I would advise him to shift his hands and always think left center.

BYB: Kim, how did you keep Tyler focused on hard work and believing in himself as a kid on the baseball diamond? Explain to the audience the parallels between baseball and life.

Kim Austin: We have taught our children that hard work is key. To be successful, you need to be positive and you have to work at everything you do. We taught that you have to have a good work ethic. You have to have confidence and the “want” to accomplish something.  If you’re not happy in your job, it’s going to reflect. We wanted them to put forth the effort to be excellent and that goes for all three of my boys.  

They didn’t play with trucks and Legos growing up, they played baseball, but it was something that they loved. When you have passion, it’s not work. Believe in yourself, and then everything can be accomplished.

BYB: Tyler, what do you tell kids who want to quit Little League after a frustrating at bat, or season?

Tyler Austin: Hang in there.  I’ve had frustrating seasons and I’ve played a year ahead. Those years, my numbers went down, everything seemed to. I struggled and I realized that I needed to work alittle harder and I can’t get down on myself.  



I like to watch the Legend of Bagger Vance. In it, there’s an important lesson:  Everybody has their own authentic swing. Once you find yours, there is nothing you can’t accomplish.

(In Photo: Our friend, Ty Hensley)
BYB: Do you read Bleeding Yankee Blue? If so, what do you think?  

Kim Austin: I’ve enjoyed it and I’ve read the interviews with Dante and Mariana Bichette, Marci and Ty Hensley, and I recently read the post about the Gifts to Mariano Rivera, but I read the interviews. The honest truth is I was given good advice by someone in baseball who told me NOT to read.  So... I try not to read a lot. 

BYB: Tyler, anything else you’d like to say to BYB and our readers?

Tyler Austin: Thank you for allowing me and my mom to do this interview with Bleeding Yankee Blue!  It has been our pleasure to do it!

A special thanks to Tyler and Kim for taking the time to chat with us.  Tyler, Dante, Ty Hensley... these guys are our future ladies and gentlemen... and it's exciting.  We Yankee fans need to embrace them and root them on.  It's a beautiful thing... and I look forward to their futures in pinstripes.