KINGS OF THE DIAMOND

The position that the Yankees are in right now might not be ideal, and the Buffoon of the Bronx Aaron Boone may be making some bone-head decisions, but we should not let this overshadow the fact that Masahiro Tanaka is definitely a diamond in the rough for the Yankees.

Source: NY Post

Tanaka was given the opportunity to start the Yankees on Opening Day and did not disappoint, as we know. Instead of struggling like he’s been known to, he dominated the Orioles and help the team to a 7-2 victory. By doing this, he made the most Opening Day starts of any Japanese-born pitcher.

In his start on April 2, Tanaka continued to show off by only giving one run to the Tigers over 6.2 innings. He struck out 7 and did not walk a single batter. Not only was he efficient, but he was also effective.

Source: NY Post

Then comes April 8, and Tanaka has to go against Justin Verlander, and regardless of how the game went, we have to hand it to Tanaka for the way he pitched. Across six innings, he only allowed one run and three hits. It wasn’t until Boone took out Tanaka that things really started to go downhill.

However, Tanaka was not surprised that he was taken out after only 78 pitches.

“No, it was good timing. They were starting to get the barrel on the ball,’’ he said in an interview with the Post, defending his manager's move. 

Source: The Japan Times

Right now, Tanaka really needs to be this dominant and consistent version of himself. He has been able to gracefully get himself out of some sticky situations, which is what the Yankees need. He is next scheduled to take the mound on Sunday against the White Sox, so keep your fingers crossed he can deliver another successful start. 

Source: Forbes

Jacob deGrom came back down to earth in a crushing start against the Twins on April 9. Up until this game, deGrom had not allowed a run in 26 consecutive innings, going back to last season. 

“We found out he’s human, finally,” Mets Manager Mickey Callaway said. “I didn’t think he was for a while," reported the NY Times. The loss ended his streak of quality starts to 26, tied with Bob Gibson for the longest in MLB history. deGrom racked up six earned runs and eight hits. This being deGrom’s worst start since 2017, it really hurt to watch. You could really see how disappointed he was in himself every time the Twins got a hit. 

Source: NY Post

“I just couldn’t locate anything,” deGrom said. “I was all over the place. Slider wasn’t even a factor tonight. Tonight’s on me, I was bad out there. I’ve been through it before, and hopefully I’m around long enough to have a couple more, I know there are a lot of good pitchers who have had days like this," reported the Times. Let’s just hope it was one of those very, very rare days for ace deGrom and he’ll be able to brush this loss off.  

Source: Elite Sports

deGrom and Tanaka are kings of the diamond this year and will continue to hold onto this status throughout the season.  Will they have tough starts? Yes, but they will endure and anchor their team's success in 2019.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

THE ROAD TO STAYING HEALTHY STARTS WITH GOOD NUTRITION

As a recent college graduate, I admit I am definitely not the best cook. One thing I do know, however, is how to cook chicken. All you have to do is make sure it is not pink; it is really that simple. New York Mets Outfielder Brandon Nimmo was mysteriously missing from team workouts on Wednesday; not because of an injury, but because he gave himself food poisoning from undercooked chicken. “He cooked some chicken and didn’t know how to cook, so he was throwing up all night,” Mickey Callaway said. “We have to teach him how to cook so he doesn’t miss any more games,” reported the NY Post.

Source: NY Times

The Yankees’ nutritionist, Cynthia Sass, is starting her fifth season as the team's sports nutrition consultant. According to Sass, “It’s important to have a dietitian as a resource for players and staff to support the goals of preventing injuries, optimizing performance, promoting recovery, and enhancing overall wellness,” reported Luvofoods. She has been exposing players to better eating habits and better choices of food at the ball park.  Sure, they can get a burger if they want to, but overall, having healthier choices allows guys to focus on foods that make them feel good.  "Sports nutrition involves recommending the right quality, balance, and timing of foods in ways that are very strategic," says Sass.

Source: Sports Illustrated

At the beginning of last season, the Mets hired a dietitian, Maureen Stoecklein, who was "expected to spend more time around the players," reported the NY Times.  Guess she missed hanging with Nimmo this week. The medical staff has been tracking players sleep habits, hydration, soreness, and their mood. "The Mets are trying to fix the faults of the past. Although many factors play into it, the Mets rank among the worst in the league in the number of games missed because of injury, according to ManGamesLost.com," reported the Times.

Source: The Bergen Record

The road to staying healthy starts with good nutrition and if teams want to have a consistently healthy team on the field, investing in the right behaviors, which include good food, proper meal preparation and education are essential.  Spring training isn't just about workouts and skills refinement.  It is about developing the whole player and that includes healthy eating.  Now, if the Mets can just keep Nimmo out of the kitchen and make sure he doesn't practice cooking on the Yankees players, we can prevent one more injury in New York in 2019.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

THE POST GOT IT RIGHT

Joel Sherman had me from the first paragraph of his piece from the NY Post Saturday evening. "The Mets have taken on so many characteristics of what was anticipated for the Yankees — namely, winning a whole lot early." By a show of hands, how many of you agree?  Exactly.  Sure, we have a rain out to reflect further on the losses to Baltimore and Boston and near-loss in the first game against Detroit but we can't argue that when you look at the Mets, you are saying to yourself, "This should be us."

Sherman gives three main areas/reasons why the Mets are progressing in a way that the Yankees were predicted to do so: Managing, Bullpen and Outfield Depth.

Source: Michael Reaves/Getty Images North America

The Mets have had incredible management from new skipper Mickey Callaway.  It was anticipated, as Sherman points out, that "Callaway — a pitching coach by training — would be more of a wonk." Instead, he has been brilliant with the caveat, he has not had to deal with any issues, yet.  And the leadership he is receiving from new additions Todd Frazier and Adrian Gonzalez has been effectively on point.  This is not downgrading the Yankees' clubhouse leadership but I will say, Aaron Boone does not appear to have the managerial experience necessary to navigate the variety of players on the team.  I don't blame him for the team losing, but I don't think the team is being managed the way it needs to be.  Callaway on the other hand has "helped the Mets keep their prized arms healthier and outfitted with better strategy," reports Sherman.  I have to agree.

Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

Their bullpen does not have the talent that the Yankees' pen has, but yet, their relief pitchers have kept opponents in check.  "The Mets’ pen was 5-0 in the early going and the Yanks’ 1-4. The Mets also had a 1.57 ERA, as converted starters Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo have been valuable, and Jeurys Familia again has the feel of an elite closer. The Yankees’ pen had a 4.71 ERA — third worst in the AL — with Dellin Betances and Tommy Kahnle particularly raising concerns," reports Sherman. Facts, folks, nothing but facts.

Source: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America

Finally, when you look at the Mets outfield, you have to be envious of their depth.  I can't believe I am saying this but it is true.  We had to call up multiple players over the first week or so of the season because of injuries.  911s were sent down to the farm with Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Hicks going down early.  And remember at the beginning of the season, we were stacked in the outfield.  Now, the Yankee outfield has been productive at the plate.  The Yankees ".871 group OPS second in the majors to the Pirates. The Mets were fourth at .808, and that is with Yoenis Cespedes mainly struggling at the plate. The quicker-than-publicly-anticipated return of Michael Conforto has benefited the Mets."

Source: NorthJersey.com

When you add up managing, relief pitching and outfield depth, you get the Mets in first by a wide margin while the Yankees are struggling- an unanticipated switch at the birth, of the 2018 season that is.  Let's hope this is just an anomaly and the real Yankees take the field in a double-header with the Tigers today.  Michael Kay has been fired up about this year's team and not in a positive way.  He's been concerned about poor fielding and base running, which should never be underestimated.  I hope Boone and the clan can get it together otherwise it is going to be a long season with an unhappy ending.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

BOONE MAKES A STARTLING REVELATION

Source:  ANDREW SAVULICH/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Let me start this Sunday morning by prefacing that I am skeptical of Aaron Boone's ability to lead.  I believe that this year's pennant is ours to lose, meaning, we truly have the potential of coming out on top by the time the 2018 season closes this fall.  I believe that if we are not able to close the deal in October, it is not about how we perform on the field per say, it is how well our manager performs his job duties.  

Source: Jonathan Dyer | USA TODAY Sports

After our piece last week entitled CLUBHOUSE CULTURE: IT MEANS EVERYTHING,  I received a number of inquiries about why there were no pictures of Boone managing in the piece and how come I didn't report Boone's vision like I did the other new managers featured in the report: both Mets manager Mickey Callaway (former Cleveland Indians pitching coach) and Phillies manager Gabe Kapler (former Director of Player Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers).  The answer:  I didn't have any pictures of Boone on the field, managing and I didn't have any vision quotes to insert.  A week and couple of games in, I now have something to report, and despite this piece's headline, I don't think it's earth shattering.

Source: Kim Klement | USA TODAY Sports

 "I want us to be obsessed with controlling the strike zone. That's one of my bumper stickers, if you will," stated Boone as reported by NJ.com.  Obsessed with controlling the strike zone? That's his bumper sticker?  I understand that players need to be patient at the plate particularly our powerhouse sluggers, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, who are no strangers to strikeouts with Judge striking out 208 times (a rookie record) and Stanton whiffing 163 times (tied for 17th in the league).  But what is your vision, Boone?  Can we put whatever that is on a bumper sticker?

Source: MLB.com

I say all of this because I am concerned.  I am concerned because Boone has no experience coaching.  Both Callaway and Kapler have incredible resumes and previous experiences leading players.  Boone, not so much.  Now to be fair, last week, Boone did share some hopes and dreams, which could be equated to a vision of sorts.

Source: Sweeny Murti/WFAN

“I want to be somebody that is known as a smart manager that makes smart decisions, that’s prepared,” Boone said. “But also, one that when you walk into our clubhouse, hopefully I’m a part of what I believe is a winning culture — a culture where guys are at ease, where guys are allowed to be themselves, where when you walk into our room, it’s not a stressful place; it’s a place where guys are at work and enjoy coming there to do their job, and hopefully I’m part of creating that atmosphere,” reported CBS Sports.

Source: SI Live

He offers a lot of hope in his statement but hope is just not enough. What are you going to do, Aaron? The Yankee administration chose Boone because of his baseball acuity and his personality.  But as many have said including John Harper of the New York Daily News, if "Boone has the personality to let criticism roll off his back, (that's half of the battle of managing in New York). That stuff seemed to eat at Girardi at times, adding to the tension he created for people around him with his grinding intensity." 

Source: NJ.com

I HOPE that Boone's bumper sticker vision evolves into something more than "hope" and "I want to be" and strike zone strategies.  Perhaps this will all become clearer as Boone gets more games under his belt.  He needs spring training to iron out his wrinkles just as the players need it to ready themselves.  April will be here soon enough and as excited as I am for opening day, I worry that our new manager is too green.  We have a lot of potential to win this year, folks.  But when it comes to management in the clubhouse, we are definitely going to need Boone to step it up and back up his hopes and dreams with some actions.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

CLUBHOUSE CULTURE: IT MEANS EVERYTHING

Source: Lynne Sladky | AP

As Spring Training 2018 unfolds with a number of first time managers, I might add, it will be interesting to see whose clubhouse can lead the best.  Yes, I said lead, not hit, not pitch, but lead.  Because behind the clutch hitting and stellar pitching, is a foundation, which supports players taking risks and giving it everything they have. Positive clubhouse culture provides the skeleton of success and this year, it is going to be a change agent when it comes to winning.

Source: NJ.com

"In Culturize, author and education leader Jimmy Casas shares insights into what it takes to cultivate a community of learners who embody the innately human traits our world desperately needs, such as kindness, honesty, and compassion. His stories reveal how these "soft skills" can be honed while meeting and exceeding academic standards of twenty-first-century learning," totes Amazon about the book published in late fall 2017.  Time and time again we have discussed the importance of clubhouse culture and its value to a team.  And when we reflect on the "students" of the game entering Major League Baseball seemingly younger and younger, the connection between Casas's book on culture and baseball could not be more clear.

Source: Twitter

Do baseball players need to be kind, honest and compassionate?  Yes. As Bryan Hoch said in his interview with our BYB skipper, Robert Casey yesterday in his piece BYB EXCLUSIVE: BRYAN HOCH, AUTHOR OF "THE BABY BOMBERS," "What you saw in the dugout with the thumbs-down and the Toe-Night Show stuff was the same kind of vibe we were seeing in the clubhouse. It's the Yankees, so there was a certain responsible atmosphere that still needed to be in place, but there was a much more youthful vibe. They laugh with each other and they pull for each other."

Source: Lynne Sladky | AP

Yankee manager Aaron Boone shared his vision for culture in his first press conference of spring training last week.  "I think it’s having that ability, and maybe it’s a little bit of an art form, but to have the ability to connect in the clubhouse with the guys, to have that trust factor, to have that your players understand that you do care about them, you’re putting the New York Yankees in this case in the forefront , as we’re going to do in the end always what’s best for the New York Yankees," reported NY Daily News.

Source: NY Daily News

Soft skills cannot be underestimated in a ball club, particularly one that is looking to shift its culture, much like we see with the NY Mets and their new leadership under Mickey Callaway and the Philadelphia Phillies with their new skipper, Gabe Kapler.  "I'm going to show them day in and day out, by the decisions I make, the way I communicate with them, that I truly, truly care about them," stated Callaway as reported by Golf Digest's The Loop.

Source: STEVE NESIUS

Kapler has filled the Phillies' spring training quarters with the inspiration of music, stating that music motivates and re-culturizes the clubhouse. "Ultimately, when we’re surrounded by music, we feel good,” said Kapler, whose father is a music teacher and a classically trained pianist. “We smile more, we’re more relaxed at the plate. There’s science behind this. It’s been studied. Workplaces are happier and they are more inspired when music is playing,” reported the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Source: NJ.com

The culture of an organization is the backbone of its success.  Besides warming up arms and bats, teams should be looking to warm up their culture much like we are seeing in the new manager strategies of Boone, Callaway and Kapler.  Clubhouse culture is going to be a main component to whose team is on top come October.  May the best culture win and may that culture be the Yankees.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

WOW! KEVIN LONG'S ON THE MOVE...

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

Kevin Long ended up being with the Mets the last few years.  Then, there were rumors circling that when Joe Girardi was not asked back to manage the Yankees, and brass told all the teams they could interview their coaches, it was clear the Yanks were looking to perhaps upgrade their coaching staff... and many indications were a reunion with Kevin Long in some capacity. But that's not true...

The latest is Long just signed on with the Nationals.  He will be their hitting coach next season.  SNY has the story:

Photo: New York Daily News

"Former Mets hitting coach Kevin Long has been hired by the Nationals to serve in the same role, the team announced.

Long, whose contract expired this off-season, had been expected to leave the Mets once the team decided to hire Mickey Callaway to fill their managerial opening.

He will coach under new manager Dave Martinez..."

Oh well.