WE DODGED A BULLET WITH LEAKE

Small story for Yankee fans, but important.

Do you realize that Mike Leake is hurt? And he was just traded to the Giants? Don't you remember the Yankees were looking at this guy for their rotation? I mean, we got Dustin Ackley and he's on our DL, but can you imagine if we got Leake too and this happened?

According to Hardball Talk: "San Francisco has placed right-hander Mike Leake on the disabled list after he was scratched from today’s start with a hamstring injury."

We dodged a bullet. Somehow everything happens for a reason.

Anyway, I just found that interesting.

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LET DEM PLAY!

Yes, it is an absolutely inferior sequel to the original, Walter Matthau driven movie.  However, despite the lesser Baio (Jimmy), story line and William Devane, the Bad News Bears 2 does have one iconic scene.  The Bears find themselves at the Houston Astro Dome for the big game against a wildly superior Texas team.

Due to time constraints the game is called with the heartbroken and angry Tanner Boyle on second crying in defiance, “It’s not over!”

How can they do this to the Bears?!  In a last stitch effort, Mr. Leak (Devane), clad in his old Army jacket emerges from the dugout to get a chant going.  “LET DEM PLAY! LET DEM PLAY! LET DEM PLAY!!”  The chant grows so loud that even some of the Astro players join in and the game resumes…and the Bears go on to win.  Yeah, it is not as funny, awfully predictable and…well, I’m not Roger Ebert, you watch it and make your own call.

Where you going with this, Mikey?  I’ll tell ya.  I wish Mr. Devane would take time out from his busy schedule of doing Rosland Capital spots to go start his chant at Yankee Stadium.  No, not so Tanner can play, but so the Baby Bombers can start seeing the bright lights of New York and say goodbye to purgatory in Scranton.

The Yankees held tight at the deadline.  They need pitching and didn’t get it from outside the organization.  Instead they promoted from in house and up came Luis Severino.  Win or lose that’s a BIG step in the right direction.

Now bring Refsynder back up!  Hell, bring up Judge and Bird too.  Why not?  Its time!  If we can’t dare put them in a package to land a Price, Leake or Cueto…LET DEM PLAY!

Dustin Ackley is only a slight improvement over Garrett Jones…very slight.  Yep, JD’s little brother hit a bit on the road…but is still south of .200…OF .200!!! C’mon.  Bring up the kids and let’s see what we got.  I don’t believe the old adage of “It may hurt their confidence.” Hey, life sucks, get a helmet.  These guys can’t be babied.  That will do more harm than good.  The Jays and O’s aren’t going away.  If we want the Post Season it’s all hand on deck!

Cashman can’t have it both ways.  He can’t say we are building the farm and then leave players who are ready to play down there and do zero at the Big League level.  If the kids struggle…so what?!  They’ll figure it out.  The Core 4 scuffled at times in the beginning.

I want to see these new Yankees.  The Yankees of tomorrow should have their number called.  It is time to inject youth and give the Yankees and their fans a glimpse of the future.  Now.

** HERE YOU GO BEARS FANS **



** And a song…because it’s my thing I suppose.**




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





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A MOMENT OF WEAKNESS

That's Cashman and Girardi looking at me... and they can't believe it.

The Trade Deadline was stressful. It was anti-climactic and with so many question marks popping up lately I was expecting something. I have been called a "prospect hugger" by other fans and even some of our readers. I don't deny it but I will be the first one to admit that I wasn't thinking clearly and was not living up to that name.

I have been paranoid the past week. I have this little nagging feeling inside of me that just will not go away. I have been trying to shake it but I can't help but feel like something big and bad is around the corner. The Yankees have been able to dodge a lot of bullets this season unlike the last two seasons that were plagued with injuries. Maybe that is why I lost my sanity, let me explain.

Our current rotation scares me. We have been cruising along this year and everyone has been healthy, for the most part. Suddenly, Michael Pineda hit the disabled list this week, read more HERE. Fine, it's one pitcher right so based on sheer numbers alone I shouldn't be freaking out. However, he has been with us for 4 years now and he has been injured more often then not. Then, I am listening to an interview and he blows it off like it is nothing. In fact, I hear him say "I am not worried, no big deal." Uh, yeah it is! It's August. Pineda, you could be out for a month easy with a forearm strain. The Yankees may have a comfortable lead now in the division but injuries at this point could be a game changer.

To make things more complicated for the Yankees, Ivan Nova left his last start after pitching for 5 innings because he feels fatigued. I know coming off of Tommy John surgery that could happen, but the Yankees have since listed him as "day to day" and it is questionable if he will make his next start. I don't like question marks in August!

This week we also saw Chris Capuano fill in and meltdown. He's gone now. We also saw CC Sabathia have another sub par outing. He is one of the remaining starters and he's not the same pitcher anymore.

I feel like the Yankees are trying to make him be something he isn't anymore. He's not that pitcher and I don't want to watch him struggle like this in the postseason. My heart simply can't take it because I have so much respect and admiration for the guy. This puts too much pressure on Nathan Eovaldi and Masahiro Tanaka. We need stability.

So that leads me to the deadline. Because of the question marks now in the rotation I was expecting an addition of Mike Leake. He made sense and suddenly I am ready to sacrifice....someone on the farm. It hurts me to type that, but it is true. For years I have been the guardian of the prospects. I have literally yelled at Brian Cashman several times throughout the years as if the guy could hear me. Now suddenly I want to ship one off for a short term gain. I am ashamed. I even told this to Casey the other day and I shocked him. I got the old "WOW that's provocative!" He's right. So I sit here, and type that I know I was wrong in the end. I own up to my fleeting moment of madness. I am sorry.

What makes all of this worse....in my fleeting moment of madness I was ready to ship Greg Bird off because in the back of my mind I know he could be the replacement for when Mark Teixeira is no longer a Yankee. Since I have defended the guy to the end of the earth and back several times I guess his resurgent year made me lose sight of the bigger picture here. He is having a good year, but this year means little in the grand scheme of things. The bigger picture here is that when he is gone, Bird does have the talent to make it as a Yankee. I have seen it up close and personal, so that just makes this an even bigger personal failure.

So this is me saying I was wrong. I admit it. I am happy to be wrong when it comes to this. I am a passionate fan and sometimes I let my emotions get the best of me. I am sorry Bird, I really didn't mean to cast you off. I am now off to go find some rehab to make sure that my "prospect hugger" status is never lost and this insane moment never happens again. If you haven't already, read QUIT COMPLAINING! YOU GOT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANTED! Because it is exactly what I would've said before I lost my sanity.


   

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









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THE YANKEES MUST SNATCH UP A STARTER!

This is a speculation piece.  I'm offering that ahead of time.  It's the rumor season and there's bound to be a bunch of speculation as you know.  No baseball insider truly knows anything... but once in a while they get a whiff of a move that's about to go down.  That's the game.. and you guys are at least smart enough to know that.  Check this out:

First off, a great piece by Lou DiPietro of YESNetwork.com who names several possible starters.  I'm going to offer 2 that I actually see as fits for the Yanks:

Mat Latos: "...Latos is the more likely option, and while he's struggling a bit this season - 3-6 with a 4.90 ERA in 14 starts through the break - his career ERA of 3.45 (and 3.31 ERA in three years in a hitters' park in Cincinnati) could prove this year as an aberration on a bad team. He's also durable, having made 30 or more starts and pitched at least 184 2/3 innings every year from 2010-13 (and 102 1/3 in 16 starts last year, a pace for about 205), so he should have plenty left in the tank after throwing just 75 1/3 in the first half."

Mike Leake.  Everyone is talking about the Yankees targeting Leake and it makes perfect sense.  DiPietro writes: "...Leake could very well be on the block as well if the Reds decide to stick with their current ace Cueto for the longer term.

Leake is unique in that he never played an inning in the minors, jumping straight to MLB in 2010 after being the No. 8 overall pick the previous summer. He is 6-5 with a 4.08 ERA in 18 starts this year and 59-47 with a 3.94 ERA in 165 total outings with the Reds, and at just 27, any audition could lead to a long-term deal somewhere."

BYB has even written of Leake in COLESLAW VS. COLE HAMELS:

"Cole Hamels isn’t our guy. I’d Aim for Mike Leake.  He seems to get it."

 Jeff Samardzija: An obvious target and someone that Bleeding Yankee Blue definitely wants on the Yankees.  Not only that... the Yankees are definitely looking at him.  We wrote alot about Shark last year.  

"I know the trade deadline is coming up and I am pretty positive that despite the negative aroma from the sports writers about the Yankees "lack of talent" on the farm, there is actually mad talent on the farm, and certain talent could definitely take a trip to Chicago so we can snatch up Jeff Samardzija.  If there is an opening, Cashman needs to swoop in and get him. Sure it's gotta be a reasonable deal, but we need to make the deal any way we can."

That was written on June 20, 2014.  Shark went to the A's after that. Cashman missed the boat.  Shark then signed with the White Sox and I'll tell you something, they'd be fools to pass him up again.  The Yankees are contenders... the White Sox are not.

3 pitchers the Yankees should consider.  3 pitchers that can catapult them into the playoffs and beyond.  Remember, as Pinstripe Alley writes: "...the Yankees rotation could be worse. This season, Yankee starters are 11^th in the league in FIP-WAR, much better than their very realistic worst-case scenario. Still, with a 4.25 ERA, the starting staff could be better."

Very, very true. You can always improve.

Let's make a deal Cash.

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WHO THE REINFORCEMENTS COULD BE IF NEEDED

Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote a terrific piece the other day about which pitchers could be a target if the Yankees run into trouble with they're starting pitching.

As we saw, Masahiro Tanaka hasn't been truly consistent, CC Sabathia isn't exactly lighting it up. Some would say he's getting lit up.  Chris Capuano was recently sent to the bullpen. Michael Pineda is hot and cold.  Recently... he's been cold.  Nathan Eovaldi is decent, but you gotta wonder if it will last.  It's alittle nutty.

Sherman writes: "...For now, sources tell me, the Phillies have not lowered their heavy prospect demands, and the Yankees remain firm that they are not giving up big prospects and paying the salary freight for Hamels...

...the Yankees have had eyes on Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, but that is due diligence for both the trade deadline and the fact both are free agents after the season. Top Reds officials Kevin Towers and Rick Williams both recently worked for the Yankees — Williams was, for example, among the most trusted scouts when it came to pitching. Both know the Yankees’ system well and have strong relationships with the front office...

If I were making an educated guess — and that is all it is — the White Sox’s Jeff Samardzija is as likely to continue to titillate the Yankees as anyone. He was drafted to the Cubs by one of Brian Cashman’s current top lieutenants, Jim Hendry....

Keep in mind a well-run organization, the Rays, had to face market realities at the deadline last year and took Drew Smyly, Nick Franklin and low minor league shortstop Willy Adames from Detroit for a year and half of David Price. Is that package much different from, say, Warren or Eovaldi plus Rob Refsnyder and Tyler Wade?"

Fascinating stuff and while it's speculation, you have to understand that someone like Sherman is in the know and these points make excellent sense. So do the names.

I for one like the idea of Samardzija in pinstripes. I always have.  The White Sox are in the cellar, despite what David Robertson thought.  Shark is a gamer, a good pitcher and exactly what the Yankees could use.

We'll see what happens with all of this.  I just really enjoyed the Sherman piece and I wanted you all to check it out.

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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!

COLESLAW VS. COLE HAMELS

I’m all for one and no so much for the other.  Coleslaw?  It’s great! There is nothing better then a nice side of good coleslaw with corn on the cob, string fries and a lobster this time of year!  I dig it.  It completes the meal.  Look, if you’re not a seafood person, a little slaw on a pulled pork sammie, or with your burger at the weekend cookout…you can’t strike out on that deal.  Long story short, coleslaw makes things better in my culinary opinion.  It is a nice complement to the overall plate.

 Now let’s talk the other Cole…Hamels.  It is being widely speculated that he may soon join the New York Yankee starting rotation.  They say that his latest start in the Bronx was an audition of sorts for a deal in the making…for the LOVE OF COLESLAW I HOPE NOT!  There was a top scout from the Dodgers also checking in on Hamels during the matinee tilt recently.  Well, Magic, you can have this guy.  31 years old, not shy about finding himself injured and call the cardiologist…this guy is missing a heart.  Don’t buy it? 

Ask Uncle Charlie Manuel about young Mr. Hamels.  Yes, his answer may take the better half of an afternoon (Charlie tends to trip over his vowels and syllables), but there is no doubt that he’ll bring up the 2009 World Series and the temper tantrum #35 pulled when the chips were down on the Phightin’ Phils.

A friend of mine recently compared picking up Cole Hamels to when the Yankees went out and signed Mike THE MOOSE Mussina…NOT. EVEN. CLOSE.  Yep, the Moose wasn’t warm and fuzzy with the media, but the Moose was a killer.  He was there in the clutch and was FLAT OUT a better pitcher.  Hamels, you ain’t the Moose.

I don’t think this deal will happen.  I think although Ruben Amaro is going to do a clearance sale on the way out of the City of Brotherly Love, he’ll still ask for Judge, RR, Murph or others who are in the system and ready to go.  I wouldn’t give him a single Triple A player for Cole.  Hell, I wouldn’t even call Trenton!  I’d give the Phillies scout directions to the Staten Island Yankees’ field and tell him to pick 3 and I’d toss in De Paula.  Now, that sounds crazy I know.  And I am kidding…to an extent.  But this deal won’t help the Yankees. 

Cole Hamels isn’t our guy. I’d Aim for Mike Leake.  He seems to get it.  I could go into why CC needs to be moved and how Severino’s time has come…but I won’t.  As of now, all I am saying is HOLD THE COLE…not the slaw, the Hamels!

** Here you go Yankee fans!  Happy summer to ya! – Love Mikey O’**





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



 
   
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.