NICK SWISHER HITS THE HALL OF FAME BALLOT!

The Bronx Elvis did it! The question is, did he really have what it took during his playing days to make it to Cooperstown?

I for one loved when Swisher was in New York. He brought a new energy there and it was needed in such a corporate atmosphere.  But the reality is, I just don't see how this guy can be voted in. Not now for sure... but probably ever. If a guy like Jorge Posada lost his chance after just one time, there's no way Swish gets in. It's just my opinion of course.

Anyway, the Associated Press writes:

"Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are the leading candidates returning to baseball’s Hall of Fame ballot in a year without any favorites among the new names....Newcomers also include Dan Haren, LaTroy Hawkins, Aramis Ramirez, Michael Cuddyer, Nick Swisher and Shane Victorino."

And New5 Cleveland writes:

"Swisher has found himself on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Swisher played for the Tribe from 2013 to 2015. During his 12 year career Swisher also played for the New York Yankees, Oakland A’s, Atlanta Braves and the Chicago White Sox. Although he didn’t see much success in Cleveland, Swisher was named to the American All-Star Game in 2010 and was a member of the 2009 World Series Champion Yankees. He appeared in 12 postseason series over seven seasons hitting .165 with four homers, eight RBI and 16 runs scored in 47 games. 

While it is unlikely Swisher has a large number of votes, he can stay on the ballot for 10 years providing he is not elected and he’s named on at least 5% of all ballots cast each year, which is also unlikely to happen."

And that's the key for Swish... try to stay on the ballot, because it's all about timing and maybe that's where he'll have a shot.

I personally don't think he has any shot, but damn I loved him in pinstripes!

Congrats to all the new entries. It's always fun to see who gets voted in.

IT'S ABOUT TIME WADE BOGGS WAS RESPECTED!

I had tremendous respect for Wade Boggs as a ballplayer growing up.  Remember, I'm in my 40's, and Boggs was a Yankee killer in Boston when I was a kid. And you know what? I hated him.  I really did. That being said... I respected him immensely.  I even went as far as sending him a baseball card for him to sign, and you know what? He signed it for me.  

For me, a Yankee fan, a Red Sox hater, even I was impressed, and so, from that day on, I had to sit back and watch Boggs get hitting titles, exchanging them with Don Mattingly on occasion, but bottom line, he was damn good even though the Red Sox didn't win anything in the 80's and I kind of liked the guy, except for when he was playing the Yankees of course. 

When Boggs came to the Yankees to play 3rd with Mattingly already on the club, I gotta tell you, it was awesome to see and I really appreciated how 2 competitors from rival teams could come together and slowly help build a dynasty in the Bronx.  My only regret was that Donnie was no longer active when Boggs and the Yankees won the whole thing finally in 1996.

I wrote a piece about Boggs a while back about how I didn't like the way the Red Sox treated him after he came to the Yanks, and then to the Rays to get 3ooo hits.  Read THE RED SOX MUST HAVE BLACKBALLED WADE BOGGS.  In it, I wrote:

 "In a nutshell, he's pissed, although, he claims he's not bitter anymore, but instead he seems confused and you know what? I get it. You see, the Boston Red Sox have never retired him number 26. Hard to believe, considering Boggs is a Hall of Famer...He did some great things in Boston including batting .338 in 11 years and 5 batting titles.  Still, they have not retired his number."


That was written in 2013.  Today, it was revealed that the Red Sox will finally retire #26 in 2016.  I gotta tell you, retiring Boggs #12 in the Bronx doesn't make much sense to me.  Retiring #26 in Boston makes a ton of sense and I'm not gonna lie, I love the idea and I applaud the Sox for doing it finally. I know, you just fell over. What can I say, I'm a student of the game and love great players.

But not everyone likes the idea.  #BYBHub charter member Section 36 wrote this of Boggs in a recent piece:


"Retiring a player's number is an enormous honor. It's basically saying that the player was so important to the team, so iconic that you just can't imagine anyone else wearing the same number as he did...If Wes Chamberlain was given the number just a couple years after Boggs left, it doesn't exactly fit the "can't imagine anyone else wearing the number" criteria does it? 

So, how can the Sox now decide that Wade Boggs was such an icon in #26 that it should be retired for him? 

They can't."

But I disagree, they certainly can.  Look, 2 things here.  The Yankees made that fatal mistake with Paul O'Neill's #21.  

They gave it to LaTroy Hawkins, and Yankeeland went crazy.  Then, it was clear someone in the tunnels of Yankee Stadium got an earful. With that, Hawkins changed his number.  Sometimes you don't mess with the classics, and the Yankees made a mistake there.

But think about the story I just wrote about involving Boggs and the fierce rivalry.  The Rivalry in the 1980's was just as passionate and angry between the Sox and Yankees than it was in the early 2000's.  It was a battle every time, and when Boggs went to the Yankees, it was like he cheated on the Sox. It was terrible for Boston and they were angry. Then, to make matters worse... he won in New York.  

Talk about a knife in the heart of Boston brass.  It's a betrayal.  It was the worst possible thing you could do to not only the Boston fans, but to the team... and so, for years, Boston held a grudge. That's it... that's the bottom line. I gotta tell ya, if I'm a Boston fan at that time, I hate him more than anything. You see what I mean?

But now, years later, the smoke has cleared.  Boggs has been retired for years, he's a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, an honor he deserves, and most importantly, the time is now to have his number retired.  Wade Boggs needs to have his number retired in Boston.  Not only does it sell a few extra tickets, because yes, baseball is a business, but it's the right thing to do.

I appreciate what Boston's doing here.  No, I'm not a Red Sox fan... but I am a fan of Wade Boggs.  He deserves this honor in Boston, and the time is now... good for him.

Congrats to Boggs.  Way to go bro! 

Shout out to Section 36... great piece today!

 

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TULOWITZKI TRADED. YANKS STAY. IT MAKES SENSE.

Well, Troy Tulowitzki was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays and it might be the strangest move I've seen in a long, long time. Not only because the Jays swooped in and got Tulo and the Yankees didn't, but for the personnel attached.   It's very strange to me.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the trade indeed happened:

BREAKING: Tulo traded to #BlueJays.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2015

And yes, I love the BREAKING on the tweet... so dramatic Kenny.

Here's trade info:

The Blue Jays get Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins.  The Rockies get Jose Reyes and minor leaguers, one being righty pitcher and prospect Miguel Castro and the other is righty pitcher Jeff Hoffman.

And here's why I don't get it.  The Rockies essentially got nothing out of this except for a few prospects that are guesses at this point and more years of rebuilding and trying to become a contender.  The Blue Jays I assume were concerned about the Yankees making a blockbuster deal for Tulo or some top starting pitching and now the Jays will attempt to try and take the AL East with Troy Tulowitzki.

There is no question though that the Yankees are not willing to give up Judge, Severino and Bird, and you and I both know that's what Rockies wanted for Tulo.  That's why nothing happened with the Yankees... bottom line.   If you are pissed the Jays got Tulo, don't be.  Cashman has another plan... plus he preserved our youth.  Applaud that.

And finally...here's the biggest question.... LaTroy Hawkins is still playing????

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HEY! HO! LET'S GO!

“DID YOU HEAR? THE YANKS GOT DIDI!!”

AWESOME! Wait, what?

That’s right Yankee fans Didi Gregorius is now a member of your Bronx Bombers. The powers-that-be worked a 3 team deal sending promising, youngster Shane Greene to Detroit and brought us the heir apparent to Derek Jeter…it would appear anyway. Is this a good move? Can Didi fill the MONSTER void that DJ left behind? Time will tell.

Gregorius is also a young guy. He is known as an above average glove and an OK-ish bat. The question I ask would be isn’t Brendan Ryan known as an outstanding glove and a below average bat? Why then did Cashman and Company feel the need to trade a good, home grown arm away for something we already had? Maybe Didi just has that certain something or what the French call a “I don’t know what.” The truth is we just don’t know what this guy can do…nobody really does. Yes, even you, Heyman. Sit down.

We’ve seen players come in and be handed the daunting task of replacing a Yankee icon. Tino came in for Donnie. Tino went on to be a pinstriped hero and was then replaced by Jason Giambi…who was well received…for a while.

This past season David Robertson was handed the keys to the 9th inning. DRob did a great job…and now he's a White Sock. Why? Well, he was offered something more than he's probably worth. Oh, and he isn’t Mariano Rivera. It is no easy job to follow a player that was bigger than the game in many ways.

Hell, do you remember when LaTroy Hawkins had the nerve to wear number 21? He wasn’t even playing right field and the Bronx Faithful reigned down a piss and vinegar filled “BOO” anytime he appeared. The only good thing Hawkins did while in New York was CHANGE HIS NUMBER!!

Now young Didi will try do the impossible. He will play shortstop for the Yankees. He won’t be a stopgap. He won’t be a platoon player. Gregorius will be the everyday guy. This is tougher than replacing Donnie. Donnie was a beloved Captain, but Mattingly never won a title let alone 5. This is Derek Jeter. The ground at short is still warm and Didi is a little known kid from Arizona…why not try to be an astronaut instead? Seems much, much easier.

It can be done however. It can be a success story. It will not be easy, but there is a chance we could be singing Didi’s praises by the end of this season. All players leave the game sooner or later. All players are replaced. If I could give any advice to Gregorius I’d throw two pieces of wisdom at him.

Number 1: BE YOURSELF. There is only one Derek Jeter and he ain’t coming back. Play your game, play with all heart and the New York fans will welcome you.

Number 2: MAKE YOUR WALK UP SONG ANYTHING BY THE RAMONES! Yankee fans love a little thought in the music choices…or at least I do. The last Didi in this town was a punk rock legend. He was an original in every way. Didi, be play like Didi…just stay clear of the insane amounts of booze and drug use etc.

I wish this kid all the luck in the world. It’s like being an unknown band taking the stage after The Who finishes a two-encore set…but hey, somebody has to play short. Why not Didi Gregorious?

** This one is for you, Didi. HEY! HO! LET’S GO! Welcome to New York, the home of American Punk and Baseball Legends PERIOD.**




 
 --Mike O'Hara
Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21




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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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