MICHAEL YOUNG: YANKEES OR RETIREMENT?

Well, the 37 year old Michael Young chose retirement over trying to stick around and playing for perhaps the Yankees, or the Dodgers, or anyone for that matter.  There you have it.

Then I got to thinking about all the Yankees that are 37 or more, and still aren't retired;  Hiroki Kuroda. Brian Roberts. Carlos Beltran. Matt Thornton. Even Derek Jeter.

Then I just got deeply depressed, looked at my 42 year old frame in the mirror and immediately went for a 5 mile run while carrying weights.  I currently can't move my arms or legs right now and have shin splints... I won't do that again.

Anyway... the report from Ken Rosenthal at FOX Sports.com is that Young is retiring:

Sources: Michael Young to retire. Had three good offers, including from #Dodgers, but wanted to be with his family.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 30, 2014

Now, there is no indication that Young got an offer from the Yankees officially, but I can tell you he did, because it makes sense that he did... we need a third baseman with veteran experience, we've been connected to him before and we like the old guys. It's what we do... right Brian Roberts?

Don't worry ladies and gentlemen... Young's retiring, but I hear Chipper Jones might be available.

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SCOTT SIZEMORE'S INJURY REPORT DON'T LOOK GOOD

The Yankees signed Scott Sizemore to a minor league deal over the weekend. You can read about it HERE. Here’s the thing, it’s a minor league deal and it fills the void at third base with Alex Rodriguez suspended for 162 games if he comes up to the Bigs, which is most likely going to happen.

But look, this is an injury prone player and while this is a minor league deal, injury doesn’t discriminate.  And if you’ve aggravated a knee once… and it happens again… well, chances are pretty big that it will happen again, you know what I mean? Don’t know what I mean? Keep reading

Back in 2012, Scott Sizemore tore his ACL in his left knee.  When that happened, it caused him to miss the rest of the season.  Bummer right? Well, it gets worse.

He recovered from the injury in 2013 and he was ready to return, only to find out that in the beginning of the season, he re-tore that same ACL in his left knee.  He was then out for the rest of 2013 as well. Then, in November, he was outrighted by the Athletics.

Enter the Yankees, who signed this guy to a minor league deal, probably crossing their fingers that he doesn’t re-aggravate that left knee again.

Now, my question is simple;  We found out Alex Rodriguez was suspended, BYB gave a few options the Yankees could pursue, Michael Young, Mark Reynolds, all out there for the taking. Yet, we chose Sizemore. And the reason is… why?

Now, there is a very good chance Sizemore will be excellent for us.  After all, he’s 29 years old, but I’m not going to lie, I’m worried about that knee.  And if he goes down, but are we gonna do, just slide Eduardo Nunez over?

A lot of questions still, even with this signing.  As a fan, I’d rather have alittle security than uneasiness with new players.

Good luck Scott! I know what your thinking, but it’s not true… we’re NOT against you. We are worried though.  Good luck in pinstripes pal.

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SECURING THE YANKEE INFIELD NOW THAT AROD IS OUT

Time to spend again in Yankeeland again, and according to what was reported yesterday, read AROD KO'ED! SELIG'S PLOT QUESTIONED. YANKS NOW SPEND!, we need a 3rd baseman, don't we? Here are 4 guys that the Yankees have been communicating with.  Some aren't even third baseman, but with some slight personnel moves, the puzzle pieces could fall into place. Who would you choose?

Michael Young: A source has told ESPN that Young is very much in the mix for the Yankees.  Andrew Marchand writes, "...the Yankees tried to trade for him prior to last July's deadline when he ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  In 147 games in 2013, Young hit .279 with a .730 OPS. By comparison, Rodriguez had a .771 OPS in 44 games in '13. " He also wrote that the Yankees wouldn't go back to Young unless something happened with the ARod suspension. Well... we're there.

Dustin Ackley: Back when the Yankees were at the Winter Meetings, Ackley's name surfaced as a guy the Yanks were looking at.  How serious is it? I'm not sure.  This is what we do know; Ackley was a .253 hitter with a .660 OPS for the Mariners last season. Ironically, he wears number 13. He's not a power guy, only have 22 homers in the 3 years in Seattle.  He's a good fielder and would be a nice compliment to Brendan Ryan at short on the days Derek Jeter isn't manning his position... Ackley and Ryan are former teammates. I have heard nothing really about the Yankees / Ackley connection recently, but no doubt the Yanks are looking again. Also, one important part of this... Ackley's primary positions are first base, second base and center field. Not sure if they can make that trade, or if they even want to... but we shall see.

 Nick Franklin: Nick is a Mariners rookie and hit .225 last season with 12 home runs.  He has a lot to learn, but could work out well in the Bronx. Plus, most likely the price is cheap. The fans have been yelling about "young" and Michael Young is 37. Franklin is 22.  He's also a second baseman by trade, but young enough to mold, or sign and then move a guy like Eduardo Nunez to third instead.

Mark Reynolds: The Yanks liked Reynold's services, but were in a holding pattern re-signing him until they knew what would happen with Alex. But the timing just may be off because it's possible they waited too long.  The reports are Reynolds is talking to other teams and according to the Daily News, Reynolds, "...may be on the verge of signing elsewhere." Anthony McCarron also writes, "... a source labeled it 'unlikely' because the Yankees currently are offering him just a minor-league deal." I believe that probably has changed because of the ARod news.  The Yankees would have to move quickly now, so we shall see what happens with Reynolds.

There you have it, 4 guys the Yanks could consider to help secure their infield. What do you think?

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MICHAEL YOUNG & MARK REYNOLDS ARE REAL YANKEE OPTIONS

A lot is going on over night tonight.  It is being reported by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Yankees are considering bringing in Michael Young to man 3rd base and Mark Reynolds is another guy they are considering bringing back as well.  Tough to say if the Yanks want them both, or just 1 or the other... or is Heyman just trying to top Ken Rosenthal's Brian Roberts rumor, or what?

As you know, Young was a guy on the Yankees radar at the trade deadline, but then that seemed to die and then he went to the Dodgers.  Anyway, here is Heyman's tweet on both he and Reynolds:

in addition to mark reynolds, also on #yankees radar are michael young and brian roberts
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 17, 2013

This is very interesting considering both can play 3rd and we really don't know what the future lies for Alex Rodriguez right now.

Now, I am of the belief that if the Yankees can wait as long as they can to fill the 3rd base position, they can roll the dice and if ARod is suspended and guys like Young and Reynolds are gone, they can just stick Eduardo Nunez in the spot until they figure out what to do next.  Otherwise, I really don't know how they can keep signing everyone and still have "big" money left over to hopefully sign a pitcher like Masahiro Tanaka.  That's if everything works out with him and the posting situation.

Anyway... it's another interesting rumor. We'll have to wait and see.

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CONTRACT HITMEN

"Hitting is the most important part of the game. It is where the big money is, where much of the status is, and the fan interest." ~ Ted Williams 

Who will hit for the Yankees in 2014? Too many names are in question on the roster. New York is sure to lose some stars. The Free Agent Pool will have to be a factor for the Bronx. As we did with Pitching Fits, when we examined pitchers available in the off-season for the best fits, we will do it again for batters.

To do this, we need to look at who will be staying and who will be going. The Yankees are sure to lose either Robinson Cano or Curtis Granderson. Losing both is also a possibility. Those are two very big bats and two very big holes to plug. And they are just the start.

Kevin Youkilis shouldn’t be back. The Bombers will probably also let go of Travis Hafner and Mark Reynolds. Lyle Overbay should be hung onto. Alex Rodriguez is a smoking crater of a hot mess. It is hard to believe he will ever wear the Pinstripes again.

Examining Free Agents, certain names stand out. Most names should be discarded. These are the players most logical to pick up:

Ben Zobrist. This guy is capable of playing Second Base and Outfield. He is defensively sound, with a career Fielding Percentage of .983. He hits around and about .270, and can surprise with power. He could potentially reach 20+ homers with the short porch in Right.

Can he replace Robbie or Grandy? Of course not. But he would be a solid option to play either of their positions. He will be expensive, but he should be a priority for the Office to sign up.

Michael Young. This guy’s name just keeps coming up. He was attached to New York several times this season in trade rumors already. Writers at this very site, including myself, have pointed out he would be a good fit.

Young sports a Fielding Percentage of .979, can hit .300, and will be good for 15 or so dingers. As mentioned in Undercover Yankees, he is an impressive player to watch in person. Most importantly, the Hot Corner is thin in the Free Agent Pool. Other than Martin Prado, there is nothing out there. The Yankees need to shore up Third Base. No excuses.

Behind the plate this season, the Yankees used not one, not two, not three, but four catchers. Francisco Cervelli might end up working out, but his injuries and suspension make him a question mark. Austin Romine and JR Murphy are waiting in the wings. Chris Stewart is amazing defensively, but isn’t consistent offensively.

Once the Yankees know what’s going on with Second and Third they should address who will be Catcher. Mike Napoli is going to be available. But he should be approached with caution. These last few years he has been injury prone. The last thing New York needs is another fragile player.

Yes, Napoli is having a good season this year, but his previous campaign was miserable. He would be a gamble, and an expensive one. But it might be worth it to pick him up just to get him to shave that beard off.

Carlos Ruiz is someone to take a hard look at. He is experienced with All Star pitching staffs, is watertight defensively, .995 percentage, and will hit for around a .275 average. The Phillies will want to bring him back, but the Yankees should keep him on the back burner for now.

Other Free Agents that catch our eye include Justin Morneau, Stephen Drew, and Raul Ibanez. Drew is lower priority until we know what is going on with Derek Jeter. He is still The Captain, and deserves the chance to show us he is capable of playing Short. Take a flyer on Drew and bookmark him, just in case.

Morneau has returned to elite form, and regular readers of this site know that we like him. If he can be picked up at a reasonable price, Justin would be a very good addition. Raul Ibanez is already beloved in the Bronx. He has not missed a beat in Seattle.

Other major names in the Free Agent Pool should be ignored. Chase Utley, Jacoby Ellsbury, Shin-Soo Choo, Brian McCann, Hunter Pence, Kendrys Morales, Kelly Johnson, Jason Bay, Carlos Beltran, Nelson Cruz, Corey Hart, and Lance Berkman. All of these names will be expensive and risky. Many of these players are aging, susceptible to extended slumps, and/or injury prone. They should all be avoided.

The real questions are who stays and who goes in the Bronx. As long as the Yankees make sure they have their bases covered, particularly Second and Third, they will be fine.

New York is infamous for contracting hits. This year should be no different.


Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Features Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants


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GUESS WHERE MICHAEL YOUNG WAS JUST TRADED TO?

Well, there was hope at one point in the season, right around the trade deadline that maybe... MAYBE the Yankees would pick up Michael Young and trade off Phil Hughes to the Phillies and we'd have that little extra veteran experience at third base if Alex Rodriguez didn't come back.

Well, Alex Rodriguez is back, playing through his suspension appeal, Phil Hughes is still in our rotation and Michael Young has apparently waived his no trade clause and has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That is being reported right this moment by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports who tweeted it below:

Young waived no-trade clause so #Phillies could make trade. Grew up a #Dodgers fan.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 1, 2013

The Phillies got minor league pitcher Rob Rasmussen. Hey... good for Young, good for the Dodgers and good for Rosenthal who just tweeted this moments ago... he's all over it.  Does Rosenthal ever sleep?

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BUILDING THE FUTURE & LETTING 2013 SLIP AWAY

I hate that "give up" mentality.  I was never raised that way.  It's clear to me that with no "big" trade by the deadline, Michael Young clearing waivers, read HERE, but no Yankee movement, and now the Yankees signing a 16 year old Dominican shortstop, there is no urgency to win in 2013... but instead, we will build our future.

According to Ben Badler of Baseball America, read HERE, The Yankees have signed Leonardo Molina, again, a 16 year old shortstop from the Dominican prospect league.  Badler writes from an August 1st article, "Molina, who became eligible to sign today on his 16th birthday, is 6-foot-2, 165 pounds with outstanding speed and is the best athlete in this year’s international signing class. He’s a righthanded hitter with good bat speed who played in the Dominican Prospect League and trained with Decarte Corporan. Molina is a cousin of Blue Jays 17-year-old shortstop Richard Urena, who ranked as the No. 13 international prospect last year, signed for $725,000 and is hitting .290/.379/.420 in the Dominican Summer League."

Look, there is no question that I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way (Funny right?), but the Yankees have all but given up on 2013.  I don't even mean the players as much as I mean the brass.  Sure, the team on the field right now just can't seem to get it together, but the talent is there... it's just hidden right now. I just want it to explode and go on a 14 game winning streak... something, ANYTHING to wake up the base.  But for now, we build.

For the record, and I just need to get this off my chest... I find it ironic that we have been told for years that our farm system is one of the best in baseball.

Yet, if we do need a veteran, like a Michael Young, or even a Giancarlo Stanton, we're told that we "just don't have the minor league system available" to give up to get those talents. Seriously Hal, with all due respect... what the hell is going on over there?

The Yankees and fans need a well deserved day off today. Enjoy it, forget about the losing streak and think about tomorrow... we're back in the Bronx. 

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MICHAEL YOUNG, PHIL HUGHES & GETTING NOTHING... SO FAR

Will we get anyone? The deadline is over... at this point, "You Get Nothing", but there are indications that perhaps the Yankees and Michael Young can work out a deal. Not sure about that.  ESPN's Andrew Marchand says it's happening (HERE):

"Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Michael Young is willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the New York Yankees, baseball sources said, and now the two teams are trying to work out a deal before the 4 p.m. deadline."

Well, the deadline is passed... who knows if they are still trying to hammer out a deal... it's happened before, it could happen again. I mean we need this guy at third...my opinion of course.

And as far as Phil Hughes is concerned... here's the latest from USA Today's Bob Nightengale:

The #Yankees getting offers now for Phil Hughes.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 31, 2013

 What that means is anyone's guest.  I mean, he's not traded yet, but he could be.  The other note about Hughes was that the Braves were interested, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post says it's not going to happen:

Heard #Braves talked to #Yankees about Hughes, but doesn't look like will happen
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 31, 2013

So there you have it.  Hurry up and wait... the Yankees appear to have not made any moves to better their club.  The End.

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CALLASPO & PEAVY OFF THE MARKET

Moments after BYB reported that the Yankees were looking at Angels 3rd baseman Alberto Callaspo, the Athletics moved in an traded for him in exchange for Grant Green. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports has that information:

Callaspo going to A's for Grant Green
— Danny Knobler (@DannyKnoblerCBS) July 31, 2013

Oh well... maybe the idea of Michael Young in pinstripes is now growing.

Meanwhile, Jake Peavy was just acquired by the Red Sox in a 3 team deal between the Tigers and White Sox.  Jon Heyman of CBS Sports had that Tweet:

red sox and white sox have a peavy deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 31, 2013

 Jose Iglesias is going to the Tigers. The deal is not "official" but there is no reason the think that it won't be.

The Yankees better get on the stick if they have any shot of trying to beat the Red Sox in the AL East this year.  They have a long way to go from 4th place...just sayin'.

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YANKEES ARE WORKING ON A DEAL FOR ALEX RIOS

It's being reported that the Yankees have new interest in Alex Rios and are "feverishly" trying to acquire him.  I'm not sure I'd go as far as "feverish", but I DO know they want offense and a righty bat with pop.  That being said, Rios hasn't exactly lit it up the past few years. He reminds me of Vernon Wells...we don't need another one of them.

Scott Merkin of MLB.com has it more realistically saying that even if the Yankees want him, Rios still needs to waive his no-trade clause.  His tweet is here:

Yankees have renewed interest in Rios. But a move to Yankees would need Rios to waive no trade
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) July 30, 2013

I would love to see if there is a way to unload Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes for Rios, although my ultimate pickup would be Michael Young from the Phillies for one or both of those guys.  The latest on Young is he would consider a trade to the Red Sox.

That's if you read Jayson Stark:

If Phillies can't trade Young to Texas or Boston, trade to Yankees is still a last-minute possibility. Stay tuned
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 30, 2013

The Yankees are still a possibility and I like that.

It's trade deadline time... and we need the help. Who will it be?

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IT'S YANKEE "HOLE FILLING" TIME AGAIN

In the past, the Yankees made moves to offer alittle pop, defense and bullpen help.  The names are familiar, usually popular, but at the end of their careers... plus, the result was always the same... an early exit from the playoffs.  It's been that way since we won the whole damn thing in 2009.

It's what I call "Yankee hole filling", and as of late, I feel like we're always doing it just to get by. Think about it... back in 2011, we had Lance Berkman who was convinced by friend Andy Pettitte to make a stop in the Bronx.  We have Kerry Wood, who I loved in New York and did a great job.  We also had Austin Kearns... that's about it with Austin Kearns.

Last year, we needed someone like Ichiro Suzuki and in July, I predicted him being a nice fit.  Read ICHIRO TO THE YANKS IS MY PIPE DREAM. Suddenly, he was a Yankee and has been a great one ever since.  There was also the addition of Casey McGehee... yup, Casey McGehee. 

So what will happen now in 2013? Luckily for us, Derek Jeter has returned and hasn't skipped a beat.  Curtis Granderson is almost back, Michael Pineda is "close" and you have to wonder if the Yankees, who are 7.5 games back in the American League East can get the parts they need to win.

Sure, Alfonso Soriano could prove to be a brilliant move by Cashman, but even though yesterday was glorious, it's 1 game... and it's just to early to tell.

Brian Cashman stated recently, "We've wanted to improve things for some time... I think all Yankee fans have seen this team -- we're fighting, we've got a lot of guys who are professionals and they're competing their tail off, but on the offensive side we've been limited due to injury, so we have had an interest for quite some time to upgrade when we could."

I hope he also sees that we're frustrated.  And for the record, working hard is very different from getting results.  I hate when people say they are working hard or "working their tail off", because at the end of the day, if they aren't proving results, it doesn't mean a thing. We Yankee fans want action...we wants results... championships... made up with the best players to put on the field. Why? Because we're the Yankees. 

We will make moves. Who knows if Michael Young or Cliff Lee or anyone else is on the Yankees "hole" list.  Who knows if Phil Hughes stock has dropped or if Joba Chamberlain is appealing to teams anymore.  I do know this... we need a shake up... and now, with the trade deadline just a few days away... we need to make moves... WE MUST, or we are never making the playoffs in 2013. That I know.

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MICHAEL YOUNG IS AVAILABLE. WILL THE YANKEES BITE?

Believe me. With all this talk about the suspension for Alex Rodriguez coming down at "any moment", read HERE, and him being suspended for the rest of 2013 and 2014, 3rd base is available.  Lord knows we like Brent Lillibridge, but we don't love him.

Michael Young would be a smart move for the Yankees, and according to Buster Olney, the Phillies have made the dude available.

PHI has reached out to other teams to let other teams know that players are available, including Michael Young. Cliff Lee not on the list.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 28, 2013

Will the Yankees go for it? I mean, the Cubs are picking up a ton of Alfonso Soriano's salary on that deal, so there is a few bucks available, plus, there is definitely personnel we can unload.  Hopefully the Yanks are looking at Young and make the deal before the Red Sox swoop in and grab him.  We could definitely use Young's help, don't you think?

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THE BOSS IS ALIVE! MY DREAM & YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT

....Only in my dreams, but he is. If I had a nickel for how many times I heard "If the Boss was still alive..." or "I miss the Boss," then I would be a very rich woman. We all have our versions of how this would play out. Last night, I had my own as I was catching up on my Z's. It went a little something like this....I warn you, this is weird.

Losing to the Twins before the All-Star break was unacceptable and disgraceful at home. The Yankees have always had the Twins number, so to end the first half with that embarrassing performance made the Boss a little....cranky. Enter team meeting time.

It was time for someone to step up, but who? Derek Jeter was away from the team and Jorge Posada is off enjoying his retirement. His vocal voice is missing in the clubhouse. Someone had to give the Posada team meeting and right the ship. No one other than the Boss could do that. There he was, walking fast and tall down the clubhouse hallway. He was walking with authority and had a stone cold facial expression.

In the clubhouse, he sat everyone down. He reminded everyone how it was an honor to put the pinstripes on everyday and that everyone had high expectations for this team. That the team needed to work harder. They needed to score runs, play good fundamental baseball, support the pitching staff and swing the bat and make things happen. Being at the bottom of the barrel just wasn't acceptable. "How are we ranked 22nd in runs?!" He hollered. The 24th place in on base percentage, 26th place in batting average and 28th in slugging percentage are even worse. These are not stats that the Yankees should have.

The fans deserve more! Injuries are no excuse either because you have to win with who you have on the field and step up. It was a combination of the Billy Beane speach in Moneyball and a Jorge all in one.

Of course, in true boss style when the team doesn't live up to expectations someone has to take the fall. In this case, it was Kevin Long. It was time for a change, and the Boss knew that. Sure, Long has a reputation as one of the best hitting coaches in the game, but reputation will only take you so far. Eventually, it is time to put up or shut up. The Yankees have struggled with scoring runs for a long time now. The hitters have to take some accountability for that, but if the coach can't help identify the issues and help fix them....then it was time to find someone who could.

After a very quick, but loud meeting Kevin Long was sent packing and Jorge stepped in. Sure, it is a little unrealistic at this point to see Jorge in that role since he just retired but....a girl can dream, right?

Next on the agenda was the lack of offense. The Yankees just don't have enough "pop" in the bat. So to fix that, the Boss put an end to the crazy $189 million payroll cap and started bringing the dollar signs back into the Bronx. He finally put some power back into deflated Brian Cashman's hands and told him he expected some major upgrades by the deadline....or else. Of course, Cashman didn't want to be the next victim so he pulled a move similar to the R.A. Dickey move this past offseason.

He sent Phil Hughes packing to the Seattle Mariners who then offered him a lucrative 4 year deal and shipped Raul Ibanez back. Next, the Boss persuaded the Phillies to part ways with Michael Young and gave them Joba Chamberlain. It was a win-win scenario, so it was bound to happen! The story ended with a happily ever after. Hughes continued his fly ball performances in a more expansive, forgiving ballpark, Joba went to that National League and the Yankees got a couple sluggers in return. They all lived happily ever after.

The boss was cleaning house! We need someone to come in and restore order. I usually don't like it when people speculate about what George Steinbrenner would do if he was here. Fact of the matter is he is not. We wouldn't be here if he were. But....since we are going there tell us what you think!

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ

 


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UNDERCOVER YANKEES!

Yeah, that was me on YouTube. The dancing Expo fan with the dragonfly on his hat making the woman next to him scream bloody murder. I should explain how that came about.

A free ball game is a free ball game. So when asked if I wanted to see Philadelphia play the Mets on July 19, I said “Sure!" I would be going with two fellow Yankee fans and a Phillies guy. Pretty much immediately, I started working out how to represent my fellow Yankee Blue Bloods.

But what to wear? An official BYB shirt was a must. Order one HERE, by the way. The plan was to do a big reveal at the end of the game when the Mets lost. Notice I did not use the word “if."

What to hide the shirt with was the question. Ultimately I decided on my retro Gary Carter Montreal Expos jersey. The reasoning being that Gary Carter went to the Mets after Montreal and won a Championship; the Expos were the team Coney threw his perfecto against the day before, those fourteen years ago; and the Kid was one of my childhood favorite players regardless.

On the 7 train to Citi Field, my jersey got immediate attention from Mets fans. It was clear it would be a huge hit. There are worse things than reminiscing about Gary Carter as an elevated subway scoots you across Queens on a beautiful summer day. These guys were alright. For Mets fans.

Everybody met up at the Main Gate. Pinstripe (not his real name) and Charina were my fellow Yankee die-hards, and Dave was in a green Mike Schmidt Phillies jersey with matching hat. I loves me the uncommon jerseys, so Dave was alright. For a Phillies fan.

Citi Field is not bad. But then I spent 10 years going to ball games in the big bucket that is the SkyDome so I am easy to impress. Spending a beautiful evening in an open air park watching a live MLB game? That was alright. For a Mets field.

As for the fans, there seemed to be almost as much Phillies red as Mets orange. Although some Met-heads displayed a rather… um… unique fashion sense. What’s that you say? Provide an example? Very well.

Behold. Citi Field Clown Pants.

You’re welcome.

We found our seats and the game got underway. It became immediately clear that Jeremy Hefner was going to have a bad night. The Phillies smacked him around early and often. They got all the way through
the order before Hefner got opposing pitcher Kyle Kendrick out.

That took the Mets fans out of the game for the rest of the night. David Wright hit a homer and got some cheers, but by the time the Mets got on the board, Philadelphia was on too high a perch to be knocked down.

On a side note, rumors are swirling about Michael Young. There could be interest from the Yankees. Young comported himself well this night. A triple, a homer, 2 runs scored with 3 Ribbies. Yeah. He could help us out. There’s the hard journalism part out of the way.

Met faithful were wearing rally caps by the third inning. The Jumbotron suggested out of town vacations. Announcements began reminding people every two minutes that Nas would perform a free concert after the game. People were leaving in droves anyway.

In the middle of all the despair, a magical moment. A dragonfly darted through the crowd, dodged multiple attempts by Met-heads to kill it, and alighted upon my baseball cap. I took this as a sign from the baseball gods. That was alright. For an Expos fan.

Wilson, as the dragonfly was named, chilled with me for around five minutes, or as Pinstripe said, half of his life. Charina proved deathly afraid of insects as an added bonus. This led to comical opportunities of leaning in for a picture and getting screams of terror.

Wilson continued on his way shortly after that, allowing me to do my best impression of Tom Hanks in Castaway, “WILSON! WILSON I’M SORRY!" By this time beer was flowing freely. All the Mets fans had left was to get completely wasted, so why not join them? As the Phillies continued to beat up the Mets on the way to a 13-6 laugher, there was much joking, inappropriate dancing, and loud heckling on our part. And that’s how I ended up on YouTube. At least I did my part to make these poor Met-heads forget their pain.

Towards the end of the game I realized, through my beer-soaked haze, that the whole point of my coming here was to show off my Bleeding Yankee Blue shirt. While there was no honor in rubbing it in to utterly defeated Mets fans, a promise is a promise. I posed like a conquering hero in front of the Citi Field sign. A plastered Met-head cried out, “It’s the Dragonfly Guy!"

We left feeling happy and satisfied. Dave flew his colors in an enemy park and got to strut out like he owned the place. I knew the feeling. Ten years of cheering for the Yankees on the road. When your team wins as the visitors it is really satisfying.

For Pinstripe, Charina, and me, it was a great night out at the game. And the Mets were good enough to teach us a very valuable lesson. One that no Yankee fan should ever forget:

No matter how badly the Yankees do, it could always be worse. Just look at the Mets. And breathe a sigh of relief.

 
Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants

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