PRAISE FOR THE MOOSE

Mike Mussina’s 18-year career in Major League Baseball is a testament to excellence, consistency, and quiet dominance. Spanning a decade with the Baltimore Orioles and eight seasons with the New York Yankees, Mussina amassed a resume that earned him a rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. Yet, despite his accolades, Mussina’s brilliance often flies under the radar, overshadowed by flashier names. Let’s explore the highlights of his illustrious career and give the credit Mussina so richly deserves.

The Clutch Performer: Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS

One of the defining moments of Mussina’s career came on October 16, 2003, in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox. Through his first 13 professional seasons, Mussina had been a starting pitcher in all 400 of his appearances. But when Yankees manager Joe Torre called on him to relieve a struggling Roger Clemens in the fourth inning with runners on the corners, nobody out, and the Yankees trailing 4-0, Mussina rose to the challenge.

In his first relief appearance ever, Mussina delivered under immense pressure, escaping the jam without allowing another run. Over the next two innings, he shut down the Red Sox lineup, keeping the Yankees within striking distance. Mussina’s heroics paved the way for one of the most iconic moments in Yankees history: Aaron Boone’s walk-off home run in the 11th inning, which sent the Yankees to the World Series. Mussina’s calm, calculated performance in such a high-stakes situation epitomized his career-long ability to rise to the occasion.

Chasing Perfection: September 2, 2001

Few games in Mussina’s career showcase his dominance better than his near-perfect game on September 2, 2001, against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. In his first season with the Yankees, Mussina mowed down Boston’s lineup, retiring the first 26 batters he faced. With history just one out away, pinch-hitter Carl Everett spoiled the bid with a two-strike single. Undeterred, Mussina closed out the game, finishing with a one-hit masterpiece, 13 strikeouts, and a 1-0 Yankees victory. While perfection eluded him, the game remains one of the most memorable pitching performances in baseball history and a testament to Mussina’s precision and poise.

The Ultimate Milestone: September 28, 2008

The final start of Mussina’s career on September 28, 2008, was as poetic as it was historic. Facing the playoff-bound Red Sox at Fenway Park, Mussina entered the game with 19 wins, needing one more to achieve the elusive 20-win milestone for the first time in his career. The 39-year-old right-hander delivered, throwing six shutout innings before handing the game over to the bullpen. The Yankees secured the victory, making Mussina the oldest first-time 20-game winner in MLB history. He also joined Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers to retire following a 20-win season. The achievement capped an extraordinary career with a flourish of elegance and excellence.

Dominance on the Biggest Stage: 2003 World Series

While the Yankees fell short in the 2003 World Series, Mussina shone in Game 3, facing the Florida Marlins. He squared off against rising star Josh Beckett and delivered a gem, allowing just one run over seven innings to secure his lone World Series victory. Mussina’s composure and precision kept the Yankees competitive in a hard-fought series, though they ultimately fell in six games. The performance exemplified Mussina’s ability to shine in postseason play, even under the brightest lights.

Despite his accomplishments, Mussina’s name often doesn’t come up in conversations about the greatest pitchers of his generation. Perhaps it’s because he never won a Cy Young Award or because he pitched in the same era as dominant figures like Randy Johnson and Pedro Martínez. But Mussina’s brilliance lay in his consistency, his intelligence on the mound, and his ability to adapt and succeed year after year. Few pitchers combined precision, longevity, and excellence as seamlessly as Mussina did.

Mike Mussina’s career is a masterclass in what it means to be a professional athlete. From his clutch performances to his statistical achievements, Mussina’s greatness deserves to be celebrated. His journey from Orioles ace to Yankees stalwart and finally to Hall of Fame inductee in 2019 is a story of hard work, resilience, and excellence. For fans of the game, Mussina’s career is a reminder that greatness doesn’t always have to be loud; sometimes, it’s about showing up every day, doing your job, and letting your results speak for themselves. Mike Mussina did just that, and baseball is better for it.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

GERRIT COLE THROWS 2000

On Tuesday night, the Yankees embarked on an important three game series against their division rival Baltimore Orioles. Those Orioles are always muckrakers against the Yankees. And they certainly had Gerrit Cole's number last night in the early innings. But Cole did something great despite giving up two home runs and a two run double, quickly giving the O's a 4-0 lead. But it wasn't enough to beat the Yankees as they walked off with a 6-5 win in extras. Making the night even more special. 

"Gerrit Cole fanned former Yankees prospect Jorge Mateo in the second inning and became the 87th pitcher with 2,000 career strikeouts. He got there in 1,714 2/3 innings, third fastest all-time. Only Chris Sale (1,626 innings) and Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez (1,711 1/3 innings) beat Cole to the milestone," reported CBS Sports. Good for him. He has been a different person, a different pitcher this season. Though he earned a no-decision in Tuesday night's game, he made history.

"In terms of games pitched, Cole is also the third fastest to 2,000 strikeouts. He got there in 278 games, behind only Hall of Famer Randy Johnson (262 games) and the great Clayton Kershaw (277 games)," reported CBS Sports. Anytime I get to mention Kershaw in a piece, it is a good piece!

Recall that last season Cole set the Yankees franchise single-season strikeout record, moving passed Ron Guidry's 248 strikeouts which he threw during his historic Cy Young season in 1978. Anytime I mention Guidry in a piece, it is a good piece! Cole has the opportunity to do much more as long as he stays healthy. He will be with the Yankees through 2028 given his current contract.

"He’s one of eight pitchers to achieve the milestone while wearing a Yankees uniform, joining the likes of Andy Pettitte, C.C. Sabathia, Catfish Hunter, David Cone, Mike Mussina, Bobo Newman, and Dwight Gooden," reported Sports Illustrated. Okay, I am a Pettitte and Catfish fan, so anytime I mention them...you get the point. 

Cole has shown tremendous growth and leadership as well this season. Often he is seen talking with young pitchers, reviewing their performance on the dugout iPad and even providing some much-needed humor when the team was down. His presence is invaluable to this team. Congratulations, Gerrit Cole on this well-earned accomplishment. And let's go Yankees, beat them O's!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

LET'S GO WITH FOUR & SEE WHAT THE SPRING BRINGS!

With the Yankees being bit by the injury bug only a few weeks before spring training, I have to wonder do the Yankees need to decide who slides into the fifth spot now? In case you are unaware, the Yankees stated late last week that their fifth starter, Frankie Montas will not be ready for the start of the 2023 season—leaving that slot wide open. I don't like the obvious choices of Clarke Schmidt and Domingo German to fill that void—sorry skipper aka Robert Casey. Not a fan of Schmidt and honestly he has been given dozens of chances last season alone and he has underperformed. And German, I have no desire to even see him in pinstripes any further. So my question is this: Can the Yankees go with four and see what the spring brings before naming their fifth starter?

Competition does a lot for a team. It brings out the best in people as they work to be their best selves. Personally, on Tuesday mornings right at sunrise, you can find me at a local track, running 200 repeats to increase my speed and endurance for an upcoming 10-miler this spring. Putting in the work, hard work, is humbling and reminds you what you are going for, what you want in your goals and aspirations. Spring Training does the same thing—giving players an opportunity to perform at their best, showing the coaches and scouts what they can do and pushing themselves to their threshold of power. All this to say, why not let the spring play out, bringing the best of today's youth to the mound, throwing for their spot in the rotation.

"Almost all of the time since the Yankees did last win the Series, they haven’t had enough pitching. They never had the starters to drag them across the finish line the way Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez did against the Phillies when the ’22 Series was two games apiece, and the way Lance McCullers Jr. and Charlie Morton did against the Yankees in that ’17 ALCS," reported Mike Lupica in his recent post on MLB.com. The Yankees have four great starters: Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino. When healthy, they can be lethal to the batters they face. Are they akin to the Yankee starters of 20 years ago? Andy Pettitte: 21-8, Mike Mussina: 17-8, Roger Clemens: 17-9 and David Wells: 15-7 were those starters and the answer to the question, why not?

Source: NY Post

"The best starting rotations are the ones when you have a deep talented staff, and every day, yesterday’s starter hands the ball off and the competitive spirit to his teammate and says, ‘Now top that.’ If you can get a collection of talented pitchers that have that type of capability and makeup, that’s when some magical things have a chance to happen," said Brian Cashman when he introduced the Yankees newest starter Carlos Rodon.

This brings me back to the point of competition. Healthy competition can put you and your team in the best position to reach your goals. So, let the pitchers compete for a spot. This spot could be permanent or temporary as Montas continues his rehab to full strength. We really have not seen a healthy Montas pitch and perhaps the almost 30-year-old needs to see a youngster in his slot to empower him to get better and take his spot back. The Yankees have one of the best farm systems in the majors. So, let's see them compete. And go with four and see what the spring brings.  

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

DON'T BLAME HEANEY. IT'S NOT EASY TO BE A STARTER IN A RELIEVER ROLE

The best starter to dominate in a reliever role in recent Yankee history that I can remember was Mike Mussina against the Boston Red Sox in the 2003 ALCS. 3 scoreless innings of pure dominance... and the Yankees won that game. 

After that? Plenty have done it... none have dazzled quite as great.  

Why? Well, because it's not that easy. There's a mindset involved with starting pitchers and it's the same as for a reliever much like when a closer comes in to a tie game. It's hard... you feel differently, you pitch alittle differently. The pressure is different... it's just the way it is. You can sit in your stadium seat or on your couch and scream at these guys like "Come on! This is what you work toward! You need to crush the competition!" It's not as easy as turning it on and dominating. It's a mindset. Believe me.

Andrew Heaney is a 5th starter on a Yankee pitching rotation that has struggled most of the year.  He laid an egg today and I would suggest he did because he was put in a spot wearing the most storied franchise's uniform in front of judgy group of Yankee fans that was expecting automatic dominance against a shitty Orioles team.  But you know just as well as I do that Heaney is not a reliever, and the Orioles are not shitty against the Yankees.  So... who you wanna blame? Honestly... who's to blame in that situation?  Heaney? Sure... go for it.  He's a class act, he'll own it because he's a stand up guy. But you can't blame him entirely. Sorry.

I chalk this up to a Yankee coaching staff that just doesn't react as quickly as the underdog.  Did you watch the game today? I mean did you REALLY WATCH IT?  The Orioles knew when there was trouble they needed to stop the bleeding fast.  When a pitcher was getting pounded, they quickly make a change. When things were going well... they kept it the same. Now think about the Yankees. When Andrew Heaney was struggling pretty quickly, nothing was being done. It was a "Wait and let's see what happens." We saw what happened... you waited too long. EVERYONE SAW IT. Everyone.  

We knew what was going to happen and many times you know when you watch a pitcher that doesn't feel comfortable that you need to make a move fast. They didn't. The Yankees were "working through it." The Orioles played today like they were playing for something.  That was the difference with the entire series. Orioles played for something. Yankees played to survive. Duct tape and spit doesn't make a championship team folks, and if this is the way it could be in the playoffs with the Yankees, I can guarantee you we will be timid, slow, run out of pitching options fast and be gone after the Division Series.  We can't play to get by... we need to play for something. We need to play to win like the Orioles did today.

I don't blame Andrew Heaney today. I blame an ejected Aaron Boone, sitting in the clubhouse still making moves on what pitcher should come in next. The Yankees were slow, not dedicated to winning and all about trying to balance a bad weekend against a team 41 games back. Boone and his crew seriously have to learn to manage in tight sitations with the right personnel and stop guessing.  

Heaney coming in in a relief role was a miserable and stupid guess, much like Aroldis Chapman coming into a 3-3 NON-save situation the day before. The mindset is different, pitchers like these are NOT automatic and it's just not that easy to switch it on and off. Boone's never been a pitcher. He's never been a catcher. He does not see this and that is the problem. You wonder why catchers make better managers? The last 2 days is a perfect example of why they are better. Pitchers are wired differently. Catchers know this.

Now Heaney is not well liked in New York these days. And I am not one of those people. I think Heaney was a last minute pick up who's not used to a big market and the pressure of New York City. But he's not a loser either and he certainly is not a reliever. Today was hard on the guy... but I don't fault him. Once again I fault the Yankee manager.  In the game or ejected and out of it, Boone needs makes the decisions.  

Tody on Twitter some dude asked me how I knew Boone was still running the show after he was ejected.  I mean, I thought everyone knew this, but I guess it's worth repeating...

Managers that get ejected are thrown out of the game. It is true that they have to get out of the dugout and go in the clubhouse and be out of site.  But do not think for a second that these guys aren't still pulling the strings.  You think Carlos Mendoza knew what to do today? No... he checked with the manager... Aaron Boone.  Boone sets the day, he sets the strategy or lack there of... and he knows what he wants for his team.  And trust me when I tell you... Boone blew it.

You can wish to DFA Andrew Heaney all you want Bob Klapisch. Kind of irresponsible for a sports writer to root, but whatever.  How about instead the haters give him a few more shots as a starter and see how he does. 

Hell, we gave Corey Kluber a shot today and he laid an egg... but that's OK?  Heaney laid an egg too... IN A ROLE HE'S NOT TYPICALLY UTILIZED IN. Meanwhile NJ.com Boone glosses over Kluber and instead throws Heaney under the bus after the game:

"...In the end, just couldn’t get out of the inning. It’s an important role down there and he’s going to have to share some of that role. He’s going to have to step up."

I mean, of course Heaney is going to have to step it up... but your boy Kluber just replaced him as a starter and he sucked today! Where's that mention? Let me guess, "Kluber's working through things?" The point is those decisions aren't made by a bunch of players in the clubhouse by flipping a coin.

Boone makes them... these are his mistakes. But somehow Heaney has a bad day and ya'll want him gone? Whatever Klapisch... whatever guys.  Give me a break. How about Aaron Boone...  can we DFA him?

GREAT JOB LUIS GIL! NOW BACK TO THE MINORS YOU GO!

Users. The Yankees appear to be users. We have been struggling with inconsistency all year. When something goes good, why the hell don't we keep it going? Well... I was mad when I heard the Yankees demoted Gil after doing such a great job against the O's... but now I know why.  Here's the latest about the Yankees and Luis Gil.

NJ.com writes:

"The same numbers crunch that gave Yankees rookie right-hander Luis Gil his first shot in the major leagues sent him right back to Triple-A.

Not long after Gil dominated the Orioles in a 13-1 win at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, the Yankees needed to clear space on the roster for a fresh arm...

Gil gave the Yankees six scoreless innings, striking out six and walking one. The 23-year-old was ranked as Baseball America’s No. 6 prospect in the Yankees system.

He’ll surely get another chance with ace Gerrit Cole and lefty Jordan Montgomery on the COVID-19 injured list and Domingo German out with a rotator cuff strain. And that shot might come as soon as next week, when the Yankees head to Kansas City to face the Royals. Gil was brought up as the Yankees’ COVID replacement player.

But since the team wouldn’t need him for five days, the Yankees will swap him out for another pitcher, more than likely a reliever..."

And so in the end, it's a strategy, not a demotion at all. I mean, it is, but with an upside. Gil did something great for the Yankees... and hopefully they do call him back up and he will be rewarded with another start. 

Consistency is the key right now. The Yankees have to win a lot of games. They can do it... but they NEED to do it.

By the way, fun fact. Luis Gil is the first Yankee to throw 6 scoreless innings in his team debut since Mike Mussina in 2001. The last Yankee to do so in his MLB debut was Sam Militello in 1992.

That's Sam.

GETTING KYLE HENDRICK IS WORTH GOING OVER THE LUXURY TAX!

Gerrit Cole is undoubtedly the Yankees number one starter, but who is number two? That slot seems to virtually invisible based on the current roster. Masahiro Tanaka was that guy but with his days in the Bronx seemingly numbered, not sure I see number two in Corey Kluber, Jordan Montgomery, Deivi Garcia, or dare I say Domingo German. But I could see Chicago Cub Kyle Hendricks as that guy and that might be worth going over the luxury tax.

Source: Valley News

"He pitched in Game 7 of the World Series back in 2016, which the Cubs won. Across 175 games (174 starts), the right-hander owns a 3.12 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 133 ERA+. He doesn’t strike out a ton of batters, but he induces a lot soft contact (and ground balls), barely walks anyone, and is extremely efficient in regards to his pitch count in a majority of his outings," reported Fansided.

Hendricks is under contract with the Cubs through 2023 for $14 million a year and a $16 million vesting option for 2024. Trading for him makes sense and he could potentially "co-ace" the rotation with Cole, given his success with the Cubs, particularly in the post season. And Hendricks offers consistency, experience and perhaps a little bit of a Mike Mussina kind of quality. 

Source: Orange County Register

What would the Yankees give up for him? Likely Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar would be in the mix, opening up the need for the Yankees to sign another free agent or trade for a stellar outfielder.  I have had my eye on Joc Pederson who is currently without a home, now a free agent from the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. 

"Theoretically, there should be plenty of interest in Pederson, given that the Steamer projections have him as a 20-top outfielder in wRC+ (118) and top 30 in WAR (2.4) next season. Pederson may not be a star, but he can be a solid contributor on a good team," reports MLB.com.

Source: The New York Post

Pederson would not be a good fit for center field but he could certainly fill in for Aaron Judge in right and certainly platoon in left with Brett Gardner. His left-handed bat would be a welcome addition to the Bronx as the Yankees currently are weak on pure left-handed hitters. And perhaps Pederson has been overlooked with big name players George Springer, Michael Brantley and Marcell Ozuna being at the top of team's lists.

So, it would be in the Yankees best interest to pursue Hendricks however, they would have to give up some great players in return plus go over the luxury tax. All of this would be worth it if the Yankees get the pitching they need to keep opponents from over taxing the Yankee offense and the expectations of hitting always bailing out bad pitching. Maybe guys like Judge and Giancarlo Stanton could actually stay healthy and the Yankees could be more balanced team with Kendricks in the rotation. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

A FOUR HOUR LONG MEETING WITH GERRIT COLE MEANS SOMETHING

Game changer, folks!

The Yankees met with Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg yesterday, and suddenly the rumor mill has changed. Remember that whole "Cole is probably going to a west coast team" speculation? Well, not so fast....

The Yankees got on a plane and flew 6,000 miles round trip with their new pitching coach Matt Blake who I think could be intriguing to a free agent. If you don't think that is a big deal....IT IS. The Yankees aren't going to fly to California to waste their time. They went because they are serious about Cole, they wouldn't spend time traveling across country if they weren't ready to "play ball" with Cole. You also don't make that trip just to try and jack the price up for any other team in hopes that they pay a premium. Oh and one other thing to consider here.....last year was all about Patrick Corbin and Manny Machado, right? Well both of those meetings the players went to New York. The Yankees didn't travel AND the meeting with Machado lasted minutes compared to the FOUR HOUR meeting yesterday according to Jon Heyman.

Cole says he has "no West Coast bias" but that doesn't excite me. Even if he did, I doubt he would say otherwise because that would lessen his bargaining position with west coast teams. That wouldn't make sense and Scott Boras wouldn't encourage that. After all, Boras is a baseball business man and he wants the strongest bidders to stick around, right? In the end it all comes down to money. The Dodgers will have an offer, the Angels are of course interested but they just spent a ton of money so can they actually outbid the Yankees?

The Yankees have been here before and they have overcome geography concerns. Once upon a time Mike Mussina was hesitant to go from small-town Pennsylvania to the big lights in the Bronx, but it happened! CC Sabathia "preferred" the West Coast before the Yankees were able to entice him to come to New York. Did the money help? I'm sure....but I am also sure that both pitchers are glad they decided to play for the Yankees.

Money will always be a factor. Cole wants his payday, he is no different then any other player. They all want the most money they can get. We all know the Yankees HAVE the money it's just a matter if they want to spend it and ignore that luxury tax concern they have and maybe Hal Steinbrenner is willing to spend it after all, read more HERE.

I'm not getting my hopes up, but the Yankees just traveled a long distance to meet with Cole and that hasn't happened in a while. Hal just told the world that "All options are open."  I think the Yankees feel MUCH better about their chances of signing Cole. Two weeks ago they weren't favorites and now they are contenders.

This was an important meeting....and hopefully a meeting that leads to a deal. Cross your fingers everyone, this was a good sign.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @NYPrincessj

THE MARIANO WE KNOW AND LOVE

The following story was originally posted on September 22, 2013. I wanted to find the best way to honor Mo today considering he would be inducted into Cooperstown. Reading through the BYB archive, I remembered this and wanted to share.

The photo above was taken on my recent visit to Cooperstown. That is Mo's autograph and once the plaque is installed, it will cover that signature forever. A pretty cool thing to see when it comes to the "behind the scenes" of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  

Congrats to Mariano.  You are the greatest! Thank you! Oh and it wouldn't fair to not congratulate Mike Mussina too.  Talk about class... you were it!

Greatness comes in many different forms. Maybe it’s a teacher that takes the time to stay after school to give your child extra help. Maybe it’s that coach that reassures your child that if they believe in them self, anything can be accomplished. Or maybe it’s in the form of a boy from Panama with a love for the game of baseball and who perfected his craft with 1 pitch to become the greatest closer of all time.

Mariano Rivera is greatness, and with him, and his teammates, they climbed many mountains together. When you read about Rivera’s humble beginnings and see where he is today and how he is constantly pushing himself and his club to win and never give up, there is something very special with that sentiment. It’s a life lesson. It stems from his childhood and was molded when he reached the Yankee farm system.

He, Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte… they came from all over the country, became friends in the minor leagues and brothers with the New York Yankees. They pushed each other and with it, grabbed the torch and ran to the finish, together. That’s greatness. Now there are many directions you can go after you accomplished everything in your career. You can become arrogant, demand more, create an ego and don’t go back to where you began. Or, you become a teacher, a mentor… maybe you even go back to your native land and build a church with your own money and resources for people that can't afford anything. That makes you a man, that makes you the greatest.

My son had the most dynamic experience he has ever had in baseball this past summer. It was the summer they won it all. This only happened because my son, who is 11, was smart enough to know he was getting screwed in his own hometown, squeezed out for a “core 9” the town wanted to keep in place. He did something at 11 that I would never have had to balls to do. He went to a tryout with a club where he knew no one. But, like Posada, or Mariano Rivera, he wanted it so badly that it didn’t matter if he was on Mars or in New Jersey… he was going to get it. The coach was straight with me.

"He’s not the best, but he’s got mad skills and he’s got a ton of heart.” They gave him a chance, a shot and he made it, and like Mo, or Andy, or maybe even your son or daughter, he ran with the chance because he knew if he didn’t… there was someone else who would jump right in and take it. He held onto it tight and as the team progressed, he progressed and when he stood there holding that 4 foot trophy at the end of the summer… he knew he had arrived.

Mariano had arrived, achieved, pushed and became the greatest. He did it for himself sure, but there was much more to it. He did it because he had 24 other guys there to fight with him. Mariano never complained in his entire career. That's a fact. Mariano knew his role and knew that if he didn’t perform, they would lose. It’s a warrior mentality you really can’t teach… it’s in you. He, Jorge, Derek, Andy, they have 5 championships together. It wasn’t because they were sitting around waiting for it to come to them, it was because they had the confidence and the ability and the want and the need to win it all. It’s killer instinct… and it’s what made Mariano Rivera the best… the greatest of all time.

What is greatness? It’s Mariano Rivera. I have never seen a man with such class. I was taken back by how all major league baseball embraced this man, because not only was he a tough competitor, he showed incredible sportsmanship. He is loved by all and for he and his family, this chapter with the New York Yankees, as a player at least, is about to end. They deserve their time now.

So we will say “So Long”, but not "Goodbye"… not yet at least. I write this with a tear in my eye. That happens alot, but this one is special. Mariano is the symbol of greatness. When he stands there on the mound and soaks it in, he’s bashful about it. That’s a champion.

His thinking is, “I was just doing my job”. Our thinking is, “You’ve done more than you will ever know.” 

Thank you Mo… you’re the greatest...a great role model for my children, and the greatest closer this game will ever know. You have inspired millions to follow in your footsteps and I'll never forget it... ever.

THE REAL PROBLEM THAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

It's time to start asking the tough questions here. We've tackled a lot of tough subjects this week everything from I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THE SECOND STRING YANKEES to NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE PEN. Both emotionally charged subjects and important.

But honestly, I want to know why aren't more people asking questions about all of these injuries? It's time to start asking the tough questions here and possibly make some unpopular decisions.

As of the writing of this post, we have twelve guys(!) on the Injured List with a possibility of growing to 13. Anyone else ticked off by how freaking INSANE this is? Word has it that Giancarlo Stanton had a setback and is expected to be out until around May 10th. Again estimated, but he definitely won't be back until after this long west coast swing. His biceps strain is healed but now he has a barking shoulder and got a cortisone shot.

Now my biggest fear of all could be coming true....Clint Frazier's "precautionary" day off on Tuesday may be more than just a conservative day of rest. He went for an MRI and may have a sprained ankle, read more HERE. He could be the 15th guy the Yankees place on the Injured List this season. 15 folks and it isn't even 30 days into the season! This is stupid!

I get it, injuries happen. All athletes get them but look around major league baseball.....no one has the same problem we do. No one has a Triple-A roster like we do. Anyone else remember the last time this happened? I sure do!

Let's turn back time, shall we? Prior to 2007 the Yankees hired Marty Miller as the team strength and conditioning coach. Injuries piled up within a month of the season beginning and it proved to be Miller’s undoing and he was let go early in the season. Do you remember all of those hamstring sprains? I do! Hideki Matsui, Mike Mussina and Phil Hughes had some bad ones, and that's just a few that I can remember. Johnny Damon had a bad calf strain and Andy Pettitte worked through back stiffness after a weight lifting mishap that never should've happened.

Photo: Marty Miller, right

Cashman never publicly blamed Miller or Dana Cavalea his assistant back then but he said players declining to participate in a team’s strength and conditioning program could have been a contributing factor to all of those injuries. Think about that one....players DECLINING to participate in the team's conditioning program leaves a bad perception. It's probably what led to Miller's dismissal. It's at least a safe assumption.

Photo: Dana Cavalea

Back in 2013 we also had issues with injuries and Cavalea was the strength and conditioning coach. We said in YANKEES STRENGTH & CONDITIONING NOW IN QUESTION that while the Yankees started to look at which coaches should be cut that the Yankees strength and conditioning coach at the time, Cavalea should not be excluded. There was too much going wrong for the Yankees to just let it slide. That was a much older team, so some people argued that some "concessions" could be made but somehow with all of Cavalea's experience and tenure with the Yankees there was still a disconnect. The Yankees had to go a different direction and parted ways with Cavalea after he was in the organization for nine years.

So here we are, new leadership since then. But something just isn't right here and even though it is taking some time to finally wake up and realize it....people other than just US here at BYB are starting to notice. According to NJ.com HERE, Brian Cashman is starting to get a lot of questions about the medical staff. Even Yankee ownership has gone to Cashman seeking answers. If the boss were around....you know heads would be rolling. If the brass is finally asking you KNOW something is brewing, but is it too late?

Cashman has always been the master of deception. He has a great poker face and he tends to give answers to questions that don't truly answer the question, and leave you wondering. One quote that always stuck with me was his reasoning behind the dismissal of Miller. Just one sentence, HERE.

"It got to the point where the perception is there's a problem here."

That was valid back in 2007....so what about 12 years later? You can't ignore 12 or 13 guys on the Injured List. Three of our guys have torn UCL's (Didi Gregorius, Ben Heller and Jordan Montgomery). Four of our opening day starters have various strains (Aaron Judge, Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Troy Tulowitzki). You can argue that again perception here is there's a problem. It was true back in 2007, and again in 2013....history could repeat itself in 2019.

Cashman called this "bad luck" in his interview on WFAN. You can't call this bad luck. Poor offseason conditioning and lack of proper training lead to muscular issues and strains. The pitching injuries are likely caused by the repetitive unnatural motion but also poor mechanics. There are enough injuries here to make it reasonable to question the Yankees training and medical staff. The Yankees have some of the best resources you can ask for, I'm sure other teams are not nearly as fortunate. It's time to fix the problem!

We have to start to question the strength and conditioning as well as the medical staff here. They are the common denominator and history shows there have been problems before. The only way to get to the bottom of these issues is to look at every possibility. If this isn't the problem then so be it but it's time to be proactive here, and not reactive.

Something just doesn't add up here. I'm sorry Cashman, this isn't bad luck. You may have another perception problem on your hands. So what are we going to do about it?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj