WHEN THE BYB YANKEE FAMILY SPEAKS

Plenty of reaction to my post BEING A FAN WHEN YOU HAVE NO FAITH over the past 24 hours. I did not expect that. 

I'm fine. I'm not suicidal... I'm frustrated and I've lost the heart for my team right now.  Will BYB end? I've seriously considered it. There's only so many different ways you can write that the Yankees leadership has failed us fans.  You gotta appreciate Suzie Pinstripe's post today titled: YANKEES WIN NEW AWARDS... read it. It's about being a true Yankee fan and her mom's perfect words.  That mindset is beautiful.  

But fandom is really an individual thing and the idea of me writing about frustration for my team every day just seems manic and painful.  What's the point?  I did get some advice from many readers saying "See how the season plays out" and "this space won't be the same if you're gone" and that's fair and nice of everyone. I mean, I'll always be a "fan", I just wouldn't be presenting my heart's true feelings for my team every day.  

I did have one reader on Facebook write "It's OK to go away."  Trust me, you don't hurt my feelings with your 200 friends, pal.  You don't stick around in cyberspace since September 2010 if you weren't relevant.  Bleeding Yankee Blue is still here cause we have alot to say and we don't hold back... you still have those 200 friends. Have fun with that.  

But look, ultimately it comes down to the Yankees, right? We're all annoyed, frustrated, happy, concerned, hopeful... insert the word here.  I've always had the approach that it it's how I feel that moment and write about it. That is where I am and have been for months. the Yankees front office and leadership is awful.  They lie to the fans; they don't make true significant changes and a lot needs to change but won't.  We've all been fooled once again.  

And so yea, my problem is I feel this way every day when it comes to my team... that's just me.  But look, I am thankful for the notes and comments and rally cry to keep Bleeding Yankee Blue going.  I haven't truly decided yet.  We will see.  

In the meantime, I wanted to share this heartfelt fan's email.  His name is Rob, and he is a Yankee fan true and true and wrote this to me. I asked him to share it with our audience and he said sure... so here it is.  Thanks Rob

Hey Folks:

I'm not saying you're wrong about Marcus Stroman, but I am saying you might be.

Free agency has upset old notions of team loyalty, and the age of social media magnifies a lot of stuff. Like the NBA or a fight, there's a lot of hype on social media that should be taken with a grain of salt. One could even say that Stroman's brashness will help him in Da' Bronx. (It did wonders for Reggie Jackson, who never loved the Yankees but loved being the straw...)

I might remind you that some very significant Yankees in their day used to lambaste the team. Roger Clemens hated the Yankees–until he came to love them. Ditto Wade Boggs, Johnny Damon, Graig Nettles, and David Cone to name a few others.

There are, of course, players who came to town that hated it and did better elsewhere: Kevin Brown, Ed Whitson, Kyle Farnsworth, Sonny Gray, A. J. Burnett, Carl Pavano, Rick Cerone, Don Baylor. Jacoby Ellsbury never really fit in either and I sincerely wonder about Carlos Rodon.

But agents, GMs, and money talk these days. Jordan Montgomery prefers to stay in Texas, but do you think he'd love the Yankees again if they made him an offer that he & Scott Boras couldn't refuse?

For the record, I've never been a huge fan of Stroman, but if you ask me if I think he'll be better than Rodon or Schmidt, yeah, I do. I also think Cashman has worn out his welcome.

But if Hal's money was mine, I'd make that can't-refuse-offer to Montgomery. That's WAY better than dumping out the minors for Dylan Cease.


Cheers,
Rob


P.S. My MA residency notwithstanding, I've been a Yankees fan since the days of Mickey Mantle.

Sometimes you need an outside perspective to make you understand where we've been and where we need to go. Everything Rob said came back to me like a rush. He's right. He's right in many examples. Let's hope stuff like this can reset my mind and refresh me as we are walking into spring training. Great letter, Rob.... we appreciate you here at BYB.


Happy Sunday everyone. Make today great. Keep truckin'.

--Robert Casey
Bleeding Yankee Blue Chief
Twitter: @bleednyankeeblu

UM. HAVE YOU SEEN KYLE FARNSWORTH LATELY?

The story is not new, but it was new to me. 

Quick note because it's eye opening and all of that. Kyle Farnsworth is a professional bodybuilder and it's awesome.

Everything Farnsworth does is 1000 percent. I've always said that. He has been a true competitor with baseball and even football for a short time. I was a Farnsworth guy when he was with the Yankees. But he played ball for a long time. 

16 years in the Major Leagues. I loved his toughness on the field and the fact that he always wanted the ball. But after he retired, like many ball players, they need to find something else to do. Some guys consult with teams, some join their front offices, many coach or manage.  Farnsworth went rogue, and it kind of fits how his personality might be.  He decided to go into body building. He didn't want to slow down.  I was recently reading a Sports Illustrated article about his latest endeavor from back in 2022 and it's great. Check this out:

"The worst part about bodybuilding, Kyle Farnsworth says, is how appealing Oreos look when you’re not allowed to eat them. By the time Farnsworth took the stage in Orlando last month for the National Physique Committee Southern USA Championships, he was about ready to withdraw and Double Stuf his face. But after 16 years as a major league reliever, playing for nine teams, including, notably, the Cubs and Yankees, he knows something about patience. So he strode out into the spotlight … and found its glow familiar.

“Everybody’s looking at you,” he says. “You’re all by yourself. The only difference is: In baseball, you have your uniform. In bodybuilding, you’re in your underwear.”

Farnsworth doesn't shy away from competition even now, which I applaud. I realized that he was a semi-finalist in what is known as Mr. Health & Fitness, and it appears you can vote for Farnsworth to win.  And so, hey, here's BYB raising our hand saying "Hey, take a moment, vote for Kyle!"

If you click HERE, you can help Farnsworth and help support Homes for Wounded Warriors. The mission is simple, the money goes toward building and remodeling homes for injured U.S. military vets, an amazing cause.  With July 4th right around the corner, it's the right thing to do.

So do the right thing and support the troops and of course support musclehead Kyle Farnsworth.  Gotta love it.

WHY IT'S A SPRING TRAINING I'LL NEVER FORGET

This piece was released originally on February 15, 2012.  I was very popular then and it's also timeless because it's about a father and son.  This was Steve Skinner's first piece with Bleeding Yankee Blue and I'm happy to say, 1 year later, he's given us some terrific material.  Well, because we're still in the final days of Spring Training, I found it fitting to re-post this great story... enjoy. -Casey

In a matter of hours... Spring will be upon us – pitchers and catchers will report to their respective clubs and begin routines for the start of the Major League Baseball season. For a little more than a month, baseball teams will play their “season before the season” in an effort to tweak rosters and fine-tune lineups and rotations. It’s an exciting time of year when every team has new hope and, new prospects. Fans and the media will begin their speculations and fantasy teams will be drafted. For me, it brings back one of the greatest memories of my life.

In 2006 my son Matt was in his final year of elementary school. The following year he’d be moving into the middle school of our small city in upstate New York and, with the new school would come new challenges, new faces and a new schedule of things to do.

That year, Matt had a foreign language teacher who knew him to be a dedicated baseball fan – in particular – a dedicated Yankee fan. As luck would have it, that teacher held tickets for the Yankees spring training schedule, because he spent spring breaks in Florida, and the week of Matt’s spring break, he could not make his regular trip south. So, he asked Matt if he would like a couple of his tickets to Yankee games and, Matt came home excited about the possibility of seeing his baseball heroes in action. Knowing that he and I might never have the opportunity again, I quickly cleared my schedule and made reservations in Florida.

Our first game that week pitted the Yankees against the Cardinals. The weather was perfect... 80 degrees, partly sunny. The “Big Unit”, Randy Johnson was the scheduled pitcher for the home team and Legends field (later renamed to George M. Steinbrenner park) was full.

As we walked from the parking lot to the stadium, on our left we could see the field where the Yanks practiced and stretched before games and, as we entered the stadium grounds, to our right, was an area with three mounds on which Mariano Rivera, Randy Johnson and Scott Proctor were beginning their daily routines. You could hear the "pops" of the ball to the mitt and you knew it was baseball was here. A crowd gathered along the fence of the practice field as fans tried to catch glimpses of their favorite players stretching and jogging around the perimeter of the outfield.
Matt and I squeezed ourselves in hoping to see Jorge Posada – Matt’s favorite player. Our efforts went unrewarded and we made our way into the ballpark and to our seats. Regardless of whether or not we saw our favorite players, we were in the ballpark on a perfect day and about to watch our favorite team play. Life doesn’t get any better.
The game began and for the first three innings Randy Johnson and Sidney Ponson, the Cardinal pitcher, matched scoreless frames. In the bottom of the 4th, a promising young second baseman for the Yanks, Robinson Cano, drilled a Ponson fastball over the opposite field wall and, the crowd went wild.

In the 5th inning, Johnson would run into trouble and the Cardinals would get two runs to take the lead. The “Big Unit” would be relieved by Rivera in the sixth and, even though it was still just spring, we would be fortunate enough to see his greatness in full splendor as he struck out two of the three batters he faced. The remainder of the game we saw appearances by the likes of Kyle Farnsworth and Tanyon Sturtze and, the Yankees would lose the game 4 – 3.

In spite of the result, our experience lost none of its luster. Matt and I spent a day watching our Yankees and even though our heroes like Jeter, Posada and ARod did not participate in the game that day, others by the names of Cano, Giambi, Sheffield and Rivera more than made up for it.

Following the game we exited the stadium and headed to the gift shop. On the way, we passed an old-style ragtime band playing songs like “Take me out to the ball game”. It only added to the overall atmosphere of the day and I knew at that moment that I was making memories of a lifetime.

That is the beauty of spring training for fans – there is no pressure or stress. It is merely baseball in its purest form played in cozy, throwback stadiums full of sights, sounds and the smells of a promising new season. I cannot think of a better experience for a father and son and, I will cherish the moments at Legends field forever.



--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer

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.

WHY IT'S A SPRING TRAINING I'LL NEVER FORGET

I thought it would be fun to write about Spring Training but I wanted another perspective instead of mine all the time, so here's a story I know you'll enjoy and it brings you back to 2006. A very special Spring Training for a father and his son... my friend Steve Skinner wrote this... enjoy it.

-Casey

In a matter of hours... Spring will be upon us – pitchers and catchers will report to their respective clubs and begin routines for the start of the Major League Baseball season. For a little more than a month, baseball teams will play their “season before the season” in an effort to tweak rosters and fine-tune lineups and rotations. It’s an exciting time of year when every team has new hope and, new prospects. Fans and the media will begin their speculations and fantasy teams will be drafted. For me, it brings back one of the greatest memories of my life.

In 2006 my son Matt was in his final year of elementary school. The following year he’d be moving into the middle school of our small city in upstate New York and, with the new school would come new challenges, new faces and a new schedule of things to do.

That year, Matt had a foreign language teacher who knew him to be a dedicated baseball fan – in particular – a dedicated Yankee fan. As luck would have it, that teacher held tickets for the Yankees spring training schedule, because he spent spring breaks in Florida, and the week of Matt’s spring break, he could not make his regular trip south. So, he asked Matt if he would like a couple of his tickets to Yankee games and, Matt came home excited about the possibility of seeing his baseball heroes in action. Knowing that he and I might never have the opportunity again, I quickly cleared my schedule and made reservations in Florida.Our first game that week pitted the Yankees against the Cardinals. The weather was perfect... 80 degrees, partly sunny. The “Big Unit”, Randy Johnson was the scheduled pitcher for the home team and Legends field (later renamed to George M. Steinbrenner park) was full.

As we walked from the parking lot to the stadium, on our left we could see the field where the Yanks practiced and stretched before games and, as we entered the stadium grounds, to our right, was an area with three mounds on which Mariano Rivera, Randy Johnson and Scott Proctor were beginning their daily routines. You could hear the "pops" of the ball to the mitt and you knew it was baseball was here. A crowd gathered along the fence of the practice field as fans tried to catch glimpses of their favorite players stretching and jogging around the perimeter of the outfield.
Matt and I squeezed ourselves in hoping to see Jorge Posada – Matt’s favorite player. Our efforts went unrewarded and we made our way into the ballpark and to our seats. Regardless of whether or not we saw our favorite players, we were in the ballpark on a perfect day and about to watch our favorite team play. Life doesn’t get any better.
The game began and for the first three innings Randy Johnson and Sidney Ponson, the Cardinal pitcher, matched scoreless frames. In the bottom of the 4th, a promising young second baseman for the Yanks, Robinson Cano, drilled a Ponson fastball over the opposite field wall and, the crowd went wild.

In the 5th inning, Johnson would run into trouble and the Cardinals would get two runs to take the lead. The “Big Unit” would be relieved by Rivera in the sixth and, even though it was still just spring, we would be fortunate enough to see his greatness in full splendor as he struck out two of the three batters he faced. The remainder of the game we saw appearances by the likes of Kyle Farnsworth and Tanyon Sturtze and, the Yankees would lose the game 4 – 3.

In spite of the result, our experience lost none of its luster. Matt and I spent a day watching our Yankees and even though our heroes like Jeter, Posada and ARod did not participate in the game that day, others by the names of Cano, Giambi, Sheffield and Rivera more than made up for it.

Following the game we exited the stadium and headed to the gift shop. On the way, we passed an old-style ragtime band playing songs like “Take me out to the ball game”. It only added to the overall atmosphere of the day and I knew at that moment that I was making memories of a lifetime.

That is the beauty of spring training for fans – there is no pressure or stress. It is merely baseball in its purest form played in cozy, throwback stadiums full of sights, sounds and the smells of a promising new season. I cannot think of a better experience for a father and son and, I will cherish the moments at Legends field forever.



--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer

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.

WHY I'M NOT UPSET WITH THIS YANKEES LOSS

(Photo: Getty)
Yankee fans, let's admit, this game for the Yankees meant absolutely nothing to us. The Yanks have already clinched the American League East and home field advantage in both rounds of the American League playoffs. So with that in mind, it was OK that the Yankees lost this game to the Tampa Bay Rays. There's very few of these games a year, if any at all, that mean absolutely nothing whether it's a win or loss. So let's recap...Hector Noesi squared off against James Shields for the Rays in this one. Noesi was on a pitch count as he was starting just his second game of the season. He went 2 innings while allowing five hits and three runs on 59 pitches. He allowed all three of his runs in the third inning, so it seemed like he ran out of gas. We very well may have seen Noesi for the final time this season as he finishes the year with a 2-2 record with a 4.47 ERA in 30 games while pitching in quite a variety of roles. It's his rookie season, and we give him kudos for pitching in a number of important games for the Yanks this season. Phil Hughes also made an appearance in relief. He went an 1.2 while allowing two walks on a hit and a strikeout. Andrew Brackman made his second career appearance as he recorded the final two outs in the 8th.

This was a huge game for the Rays. Pretty much a must win for them since they were one game back of the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card race entering play on Monday. He went 8.2 innings for them while allowing six hits on two walks and three K's. Former Yankee Kyle Farnsworth finished off his former team by recording the final out in the 9th.The offense for the Yankees pretty much came from one source, and that was Robinson Cano. Cano went 2 for 4 with a solo homer and and RBI single in the first and third innings, respectively. The rest of the team combined to go 4 for 27 (.148 AVG), which includes Jorge Posada's 0 for 4 in what may have been his last start at first base this season. Although he went 0-for he made a couple of nice plays at first.

Final Score: Rays 5 - Yankees 2
I'm not upset with this loss whatsoever. The Red Sox lost, again, so they're now 6-19 during the month of September, which means the Rays and Red Sox are tied in the Wild Card race with identical 89-71 records. Boston's collapse has been very fun to watch all month long and it'd be awesome if they can complete it. Bartolo Colon (8-9, 4.02 ERA) goes for the Yanks against Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.90 ERA) for the Rays on Tuesday.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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

BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 4

More names and more rumors and no one knows for sure what will happen, but the trade deadline is approaching, so maybe, just maybe there's something to these rumors. Take a look.Rich Harden: The Yankees scouted Harden, according to Ken Rosenthal, but the Red Sox are too. I like Harden although, is he better than AJ Burnett? Bartolo Colon? Freddy Garcia? Look, if we were to get this guy from the Athletics, to me, he's a 3rd starter. There is nothing overly outstanding about Rich Harden, he will however help the rotation without a doubt. This year Harden is 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 5 games. Read about Rosenthal's story HERE.Kyle Farnsworth: That's right, I said it, yes, he's available, but do we really want to go there again? While we're at it, why don't we talk about bringing Pavano back, right? This post wasn't to scare you, it was just to tell you Farnsworth is on the trading block and this nugget comes from Buster Olney. I strongly doubt the Yankees will bring Farnsworth back. The bullpen will be too small for the ego's of Soriano and Farnsworth. Don't worry, it's not happening. Read about it HERE.
Craig Breslow: Breslow is in the Athletics bullpen and the A's are willing to not only part with Breslow, but also Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour, for the right price of course. Breslow's a lefty and that's a positive. He's 0-2 with a 3.93 ERA in 45 games. He has 31 strikeouts and 13 walks. I'd pull the trigger on this one. Boone Logan has lost it and a lefty specialist would be nice right about now. Read about it HERE.Sean Burnett: Ken Rosenthal has it again, suggesting the Yankees are talking about Sean Burnett but the Nationals have not engaged in talks as of yet. Who knows, I know this, Burnett's ERA is not nice to look at and it worries me a bit. If I need to choose at this moment between Burnett and Breslow, I'm going Breslow hands down. Burnett this season is 5.59 ERA in just 29 innings.Yes, he could improve, but we don't need adjustments in August, you know what I mean? Read about it HERE.

Keep it at Bleeding Yankee Blue all weekend for opinion and news on trade rumors and your favorite team, the New York Yankees.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY IT WAS A TOUGH NEW YORK LOSS

(Photo: Getty)
Kyle Farnsworth got the save tonight and I wanted to choke on my popcorn. This guy couldn't do a thing when he was in New York and suddenly he's getting a save against the Mighty Yankees. That's baseball, you can't predict it.
(Photo: AP)
The Yankees lost tonight but in the world of pitching duels, this was one that you needed to watch. I just wish it was the Yankees on top. CC Sabathia went 8 innings tonight, gave up 5 hits and 2 runs and struck out 8. It was a great effort by "CC Monster" as my 2 year old would say, but he didn't have run support, so there you go.

James Shields was dominant, more dominant than I've ever seen him. Now I'm starting to think that the talk from Buster Olney about the Rays and their willingness to unload him for the right price may in fact be an interesting rumor. Shields allowed 6 hits and 1 run over 7.2 innings. It sucks to lose to a rival, but tip your cap, it was a battle till the end.
(Photo: Getty)
The 1 highlight tonight was Robinson Cano doubling to right and knocking in Derek Jeter. That's the run, that's the game.

I'm disturbed by Mark Teixeria right now. He's not doing a blessed thing and it's one thing to be slow in April and hot in May, but it's another thing to be cold in the second half of the season when your team really needs you. Tex needs to snap out of it.

Final Score: Rays 2 - Yankees 1

The Yankee split against the Rays in a 4 game series. While I would have wanted a 3-1 series, I'll take it, there will be more match ups and we can improve. The Oakland Athletics are next. Get ready, here comes Hideki Matsui.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.