GOTTA LOVE THE HUB LOVE

Hub love is when I reach out to blogs on the BYB Hub and we build a dialog.  I've done it with Greedy Pinstripes.  I've done it with Section 36... and I just did it with BBST and Jen Rainwater. Why? Well, I was curious...

Earlier this week I noticed that former Yankee Mike Gallego, the third base coach for the Oakland A's got canned and replaced by former Rangers manager Ron Washington.  I wrote in REMEMBER MIKE GALLEGO? HE GOT CANNED,  

"Was Gallego really that bad at being a third base coach? Really? How difficult is that job anyway?  I pose that question to BYB Hub contributor and BBST (Bullpen, Baseball & Sock Talk) head, Jen Rainwater...

Hey Jen, was Mike that bad? What are you hearing out there in Oakland?"

Well, Jen posted Hey, Jen, was Mike Gallego really that bad? and responded... and I'm glad she did.  Jen wrote:

"He was a member of the 1989 World Championship team as well as two A’s American League Championship teams. We have fond memories of the man too. So here is what I do know.

Almost everyone adored “Wash” while he was with the Athletics and some had hoped that he would be made manager one day, that job later went to Bob Geren.  So we were sorry to see Washington go when he took the managerial position offered to him by the Texas Rangers and went on to manage the team to two straight American League Pennants, as the Athletics struggled. 

Despite his more recent transgressions, Washington is a true talent when it comes to mentoring players and coaching them in the infield. It must be a fact when six-time Gold Glove Award winner in  third baseman Eric Chavez, gave Washington one of his awards, signing with not just with his name but with the words, 

“Wash, not without you…”

Look. In the end, Washington is back in Oakland is clearly, that's a good thing for A's fans.  It is true... I like to stir the pot a bit.  I mean, Gallego is a former Yankee.  I liked the dude while he was in New York, so for me, it was personal.  Sure, Washington is a good coach and manager, but I never had an attachment to the guy like I do Gallego. Plus the cocaine stuff with Washington disturbs me.  Maybe it's just me being prude, who knows, but I don't like it.  I know, I know, people that makes mistakes should be forgiven.  I hear you...

Will Gallego survive? Oh sure he will.  He's a good baseball man.  Sometimes I just side with a Yankee... that's all.

Thanks for continuing the banter Jen.




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REMEMBER MIKE GALLEGO? HE GOT CANNED

And to make it worse, he got canned for Ron Washington. What a crock of crap. I am very curious why that would even happen. More on that in a second...

It's a small story here, but it gives me an excuse to drop for Yankee, Mike Gallego's name.  You know, #2 before Derek Jeter.

According to Hardball Talk: "... the A’s have done it, replacing Mike Gallego with ex-Rangers manager Ron Washington."

Apparently Gallego was "relieved of his duties", but I gotta tell you, I'm no fan of Washington and I was a fan of Gallego with the Yankees and I remember moments with the A's.

Was Gallego really that bad at being a third base coach? Really? How difficult is that job anyway?  I pose that question to BYB Hub contributor and BBST (Bullpen, Baseball & Sock Talk) head, Jen Rainwater...

Hey Jen, was Mike that bad? What are you hearing out there in Oakland?

Anyway, I wish Gallego well.  A good dude.  Hey, did I mention I'm no fan of Ron Washington?

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

NOT ALL YANKEE FANS ARE THE SAME

This has been a strange week for me. I had moments when I actually told some fellow Yankee fans off. Some of them are RIDICULOUS! And I can easily see why other baseball fans dislike us with such vigor. I have really reached a point where I’d like to have a “House Cleaning” of sorts. Some of you folks won’t make the cut, but fear not, we will have you reassigned…somewhere.

What really got me going this week was the assault on now former Yankee outfielder Curtis Granderson.  To quote a fellow New Yorker, “YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!”



Yes, Curtis will now take the 7 Train to work for the cross-town club out in Queens. Yes, he signed a 4-year deal for $60 million. And yes, at his presser, he mentioned that he’d heard, “Real New Yorkers are Mets’ Fans.” SO WHAT?! Why does that bother you? If you’re a real Yankee fan you don’t sweat the Mets. They are the “other New York team”. I don’t see them as a rival. I don’t really see them at all.

They signed a good player and hope he enjoys Citi Field. And when he plays the Yankees I’ll give him a quick hand when he walks to the plate…and then hope CC fans him on 3 straight.

Why shouldn’t Granderson take a playful jab at his former team and fan base? He is a New York Met now! The Yankees didn’t want him back all that badly. The front office was pretty clear about that, and I don’t care how much of a business the game is, that stings. So Grandy is now ready to do what he did when he was a Yankee. He will play hard everyday. He will do all he can to help his club win and he WILL try to make the Yankees feel as if they’d made a mistake letting him walk. Good for Curtis. The man is a competitor. He is and always has been a class act.

Look, I think the Yanks will be okay without him, but I’ll miss Granderson. He was a good player for us. That's really the end of story, gang.

Some Yankee fans still feel the need to abuse players that leave (sometime through no fault of their own). Well, today is the day we decide NOT to re-sign said “fans”. We’ll be better off.

For years I’ve heard people who root for other clubs run down Yankee Fans. They lop us all together. We’re obnoxious. We’re not passionate unless we’re winning. Wait a damn second! Slow down! We aren’t all the same! Below is a list of things that will get you released from the organization. Enjoy…and if they apply to you, PACK YOUR BAGS!

Let me also state that this is my opinion and not the opinion of all the writers at Bleeding Yankee Blue.  Casey liked what I presented, he's fair... so I went for it. Here it goes...

• Do you own a Yankee Home or Away Jersey with a name stitched on the back above the number? Buh-bye. We know Jeter is #2, pal. Nobody is thinking you are rocking the old Mikey Gallego or Wayne Tolleson.

• Alternate caps…pink? No. I get that some of the ladies think they'e cute, but I am of the belief that women can and do know the game as well as men. Therefore, wear the Navy Blue Yankee Classic Cap, Ladies. The Yankees don’t even wear the green on St. Patty’s day and as an Irishman I’m fine with it.  

(The Military tribute and 4Th of July Caps are more than okay with me by the way. Those are a very different story.)

• If you live in say, Anaheim, California. And you tell everyone you are a Yankee Fan…ACTUALLY BE ONE!! I lived out West for a spell and would go to the “Big A” to see the Yanks when they’d come to town. And it’s those Orange County-Type New York fans that give all Yankee fans a bad name!

• If you are going to wax poetic, please know your stuff…. or at least more than the fact that Jeter and ARod play for your favorite team. Hey, you know what? How ‘bout just no more Anaheim Yankee Fans. Good, I feel better. I mean that stadium is usually just filled with people that thought they were in line for Space Mountain and ended up in a ballpark. Yeah, I don’t like anything about the Halos either.

• Don’t be a hypocrite. I was very disappointed in Robbie Cano and how he has handled his free agency. Hiring Jay Z was a mistake in my opinion, but he probably won’t ever see it that way. He wasn’t after a Yankee legacy or World Championships. Cano wanted big money and he got it.

So when we have Jacoby crossing the rivalry line for a huge contract, we should understand that it’s kind of the same thing. The Red Sox let him walk and he took the big money. Not every player is wowed by the Pinstripes. Some are just drawn to the almighty Yankee dollar…and that’s Okay. It’s not what we want to hear, but it is what it is.

• You have two favorite teams? Get up! Get out! HIT THE DEEGAN! Seriously, beat the traffic now. We don’t need you at the Stadium today. Maybe your other favorite team has room for ya. I have players that I like to watch from other clubs, but another favorite team? Nope. I have a friend that told me he is Yankee die-hard and his second favorite team is the Phillies. What? Awful.

• Don’t Show up in the 4th and leave in the 7th. I get there are things that can hold you up and there are reasons why you’d have to split early. There’s bad traffic, you couldn’t leave work early, have a fussy kid. I get it. But let’s not be Dodger Fans, folks. Leave the beach balls at home. Try to see batting practice and stay for Frank singing “New York, New York”…win or lose...

• No Waves in the Bronx. I won’t explain this one. You want to wave? Hop on a parade float or head up to the Yale Bowl in New Haven for the big game against the Crimson. Boola Boola.

These are just a few of the things that get me fired up. It can be tough to be a Yankee fan. When the club wins, they say we bought it. You can do no such thing in baseball though, that's the truth. When the Bombers lose, they say we deserve it because the Yanks are bad for baseball. That's absolute nonsense. But the thing that can be the most difficult pill to swallow is seeing and hearing "supposed" Yankee Fans do things like run down a solid guy like Granderson…in a Black Yankee Cap…with an away #7 jersey on…that reads, MANTLE. Knock it off.




--Mike O'Hara, MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
   Twitter: @mikeyoh21
"Paulie was always my favorite player."



Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

PAUL O'NEILL TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE

I remember when I first started watching baseball. I would sit in the living room with my grandfather explaining everything to me. I fell in love with the game.

In 1993, the Yankees got Paul O'Neill in a trade from the Reds. I didn't know very much about him at the time, except that in a game against the Phillies, when he couldn't hold onto the ball, he kicked it to the infielder to keep Steve Jeltz from scoring. I thought the idea of a baseball player kicking the ball to the infield was pretty hilarious. My grandfather always said there was something about Paul that I wouldn't understand until I got older.

I remember watching game after game where Paul would get frustrated with himself during an at bat, and walk into the dugout, kicking over Gatorade coolers. I always wondered why he never just gave up. If you got that frustrated at work, then maybe you should do something else. But that wasn't Paul. He'd walk into that batters box during his next AB, and swing with everything he had.

When I was in elementary school, I had a hard time with reading and spelling. Honestly, I don't know when it changed, but I remember hating reading because I just couldn't do it. The words never made sense to me. It was frustrating. I remember coming home one day after school and throwing a huge fit. I was getting picked on it school over something that was a legitimate weakness for me. I was in fifth grade, reading on a 2nd grade level. Everyone knew it. It hurt and I hated it.

My grandfather let me have my break down. He just stayed clear until I was done. And then he turned on the Yankees game. And there was Paul. I watched that game. Paul struck out, had his fit, and then went back into that batters box. My grandfather looked at me, and without saying another word, handed me a book.

It was a lesson I didn't get until I was older, but it worked. I clung to Paul after that. There was no one greater than him in pinstripes. Regardless of what happened, Paul gave his all. He gave 110% on the field. And isn't that really what life is about? You get knocked down sometimes. But you get up, kicking and screaming and ready to battle your way back up. You do what you have to do. It's not about being knocked down, it's about kicking over the Gatorade cooler and getting back in the game.

I got lucky. I started watching Yankees baseball when Bernie Williams was still a rookie, Don Mattingly still wore pinstripes, and Mike Gallego, not Derek Jeter, wore number 2.

 (In Photo: Mike Gallego)
I got to witness David Cone and David Wells pitch perfect games. Jim Abbott pitched a no hitter on my birthday. I played witness to the Core Four and the Dynasty years. I love this game. But the lesson I learned about life from Paul O'Neill is one I hold above all others.

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

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AND FOR JETER, THE REST IS HISTORY...

2O years ago today, the New York Yankees drafted Derek Jeter.  I remember for me and Mikey Blue, the hype for us was enormous.  We went to every card shop and card show for weekends after that trying to snatch up Jeter cards.  I mean, if you think about it, the Internet was fairly new and the hype just came from the newspaper and word of mouth.  It was wild though because today, he and I have tons of Jeter cards and now I can pass history down to my kids and so on.  So many times you hear about a phenom and you go out and collect cards, like Brien Taylor for instance and it doesn't pan out. Let's just say I have a ton of Brien Taylor cards that are worthless.

(In photo: Derek Jeter, Jim Leyritz and Mike Gallego)
So yeah, it was 20 years ago that the Yanks used the 6th pick in the draft to draft a high school shortstop named Derek Sanderson Jeter.  He was from Kalamazoo Michigan and who the hell knew he'd become what he has. It's amazing and I'm thrilled for him and for the Yankees.

It's funny, I recently asked Marty Appel, the former PR Director for the Yankees (Read YANKEE STORIES REVEALED BY PR GIANT MARTY APPEL) who he thought would go to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot of all the player right now.  Marty said: 

" I don't think too many of your readers would disagree with this answer; Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.  No explanation necessary.  But I would add, that in '96, some felt Jeter wasn't ready, and a veteran shortstop was needed at least for one year.  So they discussed trading Mariano Rivera for Felix Fermin.  Imagine if they'd lost Mo in that deal, and if Fermin had a career year, they felt it was Okay to trade Jeter too.  If the best deals are the ones you don't make, how about that one."

Can you imagine Felix Fermin as the Yankees shortstop? And who knows what could have happened to Jeter...probably amazing on some other team. Plus, who knows if we'd win those 5 championships without him and Mo.  It's just interesting that's all.

Look, I've written a million stories about Jeter, the role model, the player, the person. He impresses me and continues to do so.  My oldest son worships him and I'm glad about that, because there are a ton of guys that I just don't see as "good enough" for my kid to want to be like.  Jeet, yeah... I can get on board with that. 

Jeter has great focus, a great drive and it all stems from his parents.  I've written that in WHY JETER IS EPIC FOR 1 GOOD REASON.  He knows his role because he was taught correctly about life and how to play this game without arrogance, without selfishness, just old fashion respect and heart.  There's nothing better and as far as I can see, the guy's never moved away from those values.

So, here's my salute, I tip my hat to the Yankees for being smart about their choice 20 years ago, and I tip my hat to Derek Jeter, one of the classiest players that I have ever witnessed play this great game.  Keep doing what your doing, because you do it better than all of them.

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WHAT YANKEE BASEBALL MEANS TO ME

I have always been a Yankee fan. Most of us have been. There are some that came out of the woodwork around 1996 and stayed with us and I get that, everyone wants to latch onto a winner. But I’m a die-hard and I’m proud of it. No, I don’t go to may games any more, but on that rare occasion that I can bring the kids, we go. They do more eating than watching, but it’s about family at that point. I’m just happy to be there, eating ice cream after ice cream with my kids, but the point is, it’s Yankee Stadium, the greatest place on earth.

Look, I lived through some pretty good teams and pretty bad players. My Yankees were always my Yankees no matter what, but some of the players we collected over the years were just downright not good, others I loved, but through it all and even to this day, if I’m ever on Ebay or at a card show and I see a lot of Yankee cards for sale, I buy the lot. It doesn’t matter that there are a dozen of Bobby Meacham or Eric Plunk or how about Frank Tanana or Spike Owen. I love my New York Yankees and believe me, there’s always a story behind a name.

I was once at a game with my buddy and we had just finished talking about how we never caught a foul ball. I quickly ran off to the bathroom. When I came back he was holding a foul ball off the bat of Mike Gallego. I bought him a beer... What else do you do for a guy who has that kind of luck?

How about when I was a kid, I reached over the wall during batting practice to give Gary Ward his baseball card to sign. He just came over from the Texas Rangers. I remember Ward took the card, signed it and he never even smiled. It didn't matter, for the time frame Ward was with the Yankees, I rooted for him like he was Mickey Mantle. Kids do that when it comes to athletes, it doesn't matter who they are, if an athlete does something like that, they're Gods to all of us. Ward signing that card was just a moment, but for me, him signing my card felt like a lifetime... “A Yankee is taking the time to sign my baseball card? WOW!” Here it is, I still have it, and guess what, I always will because it’s a great memory:

I remember banging the pan of Freddy Sez, sometimes we’d even see him on the subway after the game and do it, God rest his soul. Or what about the game I was on television when I was lucky enough to buy 2 nice seats from my pal’s dad at the last minute. I still have that on VHS somewhere. I taped it just in case, and guess what, I was pathetic enough to come home and look for myself… and I found me. That’s right, I was part of baseball history and it was documented!

I even cherish the Yankee game that never happened for me, on September 11, 2001. After that tragedy, I realized that I needed to not go to the game after that, I needed to hold onto that ticket forever.

I could go on and on and you know what? I will again, but for now, I’m gearing up. My New York Yankees start up officially tomorrow. One of the greatest days in baseball. Derek Jeter will no doubt lead the charge even though we play the Rays in Tampa Bay... it doesn’t matter. Opening Day is when baseball counts again. We’ve been patient and we’ve seen some good spring ball so far, but now… now it counts and the numbers get tallied, the wins will pile up and hopefully more records will be broken. There is no doubt though, I like what I see from my team this season. It’s about to get really exciting.

Baseball’s here Ladies and Gentlemen…. How sweet it is!

By the way, look for our very special Opening Day post tomorrow morning on BYB early! And be sure to share it with everyone who loves the Yankees. It's some special to get you pumped created exclusively by Bleeding Yankee Blue...why? Because we love our readers, that's why.

By the way, check out Bronx Goblin for more great stuff HERE.

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BYB EXCLUSIVE: CHRISTIAN LOPEZ...WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW

How often do you go to a baseball game and how often do you catch a ball that goes into the stands? Not too often I suspect. Some get lucky, some get foul balls. I once went to the bathroom and when I came back, by buddy Neil was holding a Mike Gallego foul ball. I missed it by 30 seconds. The point is, it's hard to do and you need to be at the right place at the right time. Sometimes, you hit the motherload and catch Derek Jeter's 3000th hit, which happened to be a home run. Christian Lopez did it and we were able to ask him a few questions about the ordeal that no one asked him. It's almost a "What you didn't know about Christian Lopez and the Jeter 3000th ball" Interview.

Anyway, Bleeding Yankee Blue was excited for Mr. Lopez when he got the ball, but then, when the tax man came knocking, we felt bad and in support of Mr. Lopez, we put ads on our site supporting the companies that stepped forward to help pay for Christian's tax bills. But we found out a very interesting yet unfortunate development. It turns out, according to Mr. Lopez, not all the companies stepped forward. Miller High Life, where are you? That is disappointing.

Take a moment and check out our interview with a new pal of the Bleeding Yankee Blue family, Christian Lopez.
BYB: When you caught Jeter's 300th hit baseball, everyone knows you met and returned the ball to Derek Jeter, but what happened between the time you caught the ball and meeting him? Describe the sequence of events?

Christian Lopez: Well, as soon as I caught the ball I don't believe 15 seconds went by before security whisked my dad and I away. I was then brought to Yankee Security and that is where I met the head of team security for the Yankees. It was there where I decided to give the ball back to Mr. Jeter. After that, I was introduced to Mr. Levine and Mr. Cashman, as well as dozens of other people that run the day to day operations. Then, the next thing I knew, I am on YES with Michael Kay and John Flaherty and that was the first time I have ever been on TV. After that, I was on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman which was exciting! I was then interviewed by the Yankees and that was the interview they played during the 7th inning stretch. After all the interviews, I went to "The Boss's" suite which was absolutely incredible and I met so many people. After the game was finished, I went down to the clubhouse and as I was waiting to meet Mr. Jeter, "Mr. October", Reggie Jackson showed up and was joking around with us for a good 10 minutes. I also met Jay-Z because he was waiting to see the man of the hour as well. I spoke with him for a couple of minutes too. As soon as we entered the clubhouse, Mariano Rivera came up to me and started talking to me for about 5 minutes and thanked me. He said some words of encouragement to me which as a fan, to have a man of his caliber tell you how much he appreciated you, really meant a lot. After I spoke with Mr. Rivera, that was when I met Mr. Jeter. Which to me, is still unreal and a memory I will never forget.
BYB: Did you at any moment think of keeping the ball?

Christian Lopez: No. When I was asked the question about what I wanted to do with the ball, I thought to myself "What would I want someone to do for me if I were in the same situation?" The answer was clear to me. Mr. Jeter has a laundry list of accolades and deserved to have the ball that he hit back.
BYB: We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue have listed the companies who publicly offered to help you with your tax mess on our home page. We found your returning the ball very touching and unselfish. Good for you. Have any other companies come forward to help you?

Christian Lopez: The only 2 companies that have stepped forward have been Mitchell Modell, the CEO and President of Modell's Sporting Goods and Brandon Steiner, the Founder and President of Steiner Sports.

BYB: What did the Yankees and Jeter do for you after that historic 3000th hit?

Christian Lopez: Well, I received tickets and memorabilia from the Yankees. And as for Mr. Jeter and I... that is between us.
BYB: Describe the Captain Derek Jeter and your meeting with him?

Christian Lopez: Meeting with him was a once in a life time experience. He is extremely humble and a down to earth guy. Due to everything going on with that day and his personal agenda with his family, we didn't get to spend much time together, but the time we did talk was awesome.

BYB: Have any of the other players reached out to you since your famous catch?

Christian Lopez: I have met a bunch of the players past and present and they have all been really nice about it and keep telling me that I did a great thing. That means a lot coming from them.

Thank you very much for taking the time to talk with us Christian. I also want to thank Beth Hucke for helping Bleeding Yankee Blue get this interview. We truly appreciate your help.




--Beth Hucke- BYB Guest Writer & Creator of We Want Nick Swisher to host SNL on Facebook.