IN DEFENSE OF CURT SCHILLING

You either saw the title of this post and clicked on the link immediately…or you took one look at the name mentioned and said to yourself, “Hard pass. Negative, Ghost Rider the pattern is full.”

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I’m not going to dazzle you with smoke and mirrors today. There isn’t any surprise witness tucked away in a holding room waiting to shock you and the world. I will simply give you the side of this story that needs to be told. I will present facts and prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Curt Schilling is an arrogant blowhard and deserving of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baseball Writers are an insanely overrated bunch. Yes, that is my opinion, but let’s look at the history of those like Heyman, Olney and the like. Objectivity is not a stat on the back of their baseball cards…in fact they don’t appear on any cards! Not a one. Topps, Fleer, Upper Deck…they have little use for these self-important “experts” in America’s National Pastime. Why? Why do they hold sway over the gateway to Cooperstown? Are they ever between the white lines? Did they stand on a bump 60’ 6” away from the plate, in a 3-2 count, runners at 2nd and 3rd, bottom of the ninth on a cold October Night in the Bronx…World Championship on the line? No. Are they athletes good enough to play in the show? No. No, they aren’t. They are wallflowers. They’re not even fans. They are jaded. The career politicians of Major League Baseball. Wouldn’t a council of player appointed former Big Leaguers, Umps, Managers and Scouts be better suited to decide who joins the legends enshrined in the Hall. To me that’s a NO BRAINER! 

Give me Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Smith, Joe Torre, Jimmy Joyce, Dan Iasogna and Mariano Rivera on the Inaugural HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE. No Baseball Writers need apply.

This brings me to Curt Schilling. Not one of my favorite guys. He is obnoxious. He is self-righteous, he is arrogant. He is politically outspoken…not anything he should be barred from doing mind you, but he looks for fights and often let’s his discord fall south of the Mendoza Line so to speak. 

Curt Schilling is a jerk. But he IS a Hall of Famer and the writers don’t like him…so he won’t make it in. This, ladies and gentlemen, is wrong. “Big Game Pitcher”? Check that box. World Champion? Yes…more than once with different teams. A guy most managers, if they are being honest, would want on the hill in a game 7? Indeed. Schilling was a gamer. He was a power pitcher with craft. He played for teams and made them better. 

Can Arizona get it done in 2001 without him? Nope. Boston reveres the imaginary curse lacking #38? NAWT A PRAYER, DOOD. Heck, even those Phight’n Phils may have been Champs in ’93 if the Wild Thing doesn’t spoil it with a gimme ball to Joe Carter…yeah, Schill was a big reason that rotation was a great one. It’s not just the numbers. Hall of Famers are guys that played the game at that next level when it was needed. They lead their teams. Curt Schilling did just that. 

But he’s a not well liked? So what?! I’m not putting him in the Hall of Fame because I like him. I don’t. I agree with many I’ve gotten to know and talk with in Baseball (names to be omitted) who said he was a lousy coworker and extraordinarily selfish. However, that’s not for the writers to decide. We have allowed these writers to take something that doesn’t belong to them. It’s not their game. It’s ours. It belongs to the fans and the players. It’s woven in the fabric of our country and these over-hyped former high school bench warmers are letting their own issues and personal feeling stop players who deserve to be recognized for the way they played baseball. That is a fact. For example…we all remember the writer who didn’t like Derek Jeter so he gave his vote to Armando Benitez…

I’ll close with this. In 2002 my father was flying back to Philly from a business trip in Phoenix. In the row in front of him on that US Airways flight was the reigning World Series Champ and Co-MVP Curt Schilling. While disembarking the aircraft my Dad, a diehard Yankee Fan, offered his congratulations and remarked, “You got my Yanks, but they’ll be back.” Schilling, instead of taking it all in stride and thanking my dad, turned quickly, nodded his head dismissively, and answered, “And we’ll kick their asses again.” 

My dad relayed that story to me and said he was truly a nasty pr**k…but a World Champ and would one day earn the Hall. I agree with my Pop. I worked with Schilling on a episode of Baseball Tonight. He is arrogant. He isn’t overly friendly (though did sign a cap for my kid brother who, tragically, is a Sox Fan). I can’t say anything truly nice about this guy….but if only nice guys made the Hall it would be like a Ramada in Fort Lauderdale the week after Spring Break.

I ask that you look to strike down the will of baseball’s writers and see Mr. Schilling for what he is…a royal assh*** ... AND a Hall of Famer.

Thank you. The Defense rests.

** Boston once loved the guy...so the Murphys can serenade him. A loser....but only as a person. As a player? HOF ready** 

--Mike O'Hara

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @mikeyoh21

MIKE SCHMIDT HAD SOME EXPLAINING TO DO... AND DID IT

Originally Mike Schmidt disappointed me, but now I'm happy to see that he came clean and walked it back.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, Mike made a sexist remark the other day and had to clean it up after he came under fire.

The Sporting News has the story:

Photo: Sporting News

"Mike Schmidt apologized Monday for sexist remarks he made during a broadcast the previous day. The comment came while Schmidt, currently a weekend analyst on Phillies games, was discussing a tweet from Amanda McCarthy, the wife of injured Braves starter Brandon McCarthy.

The tweet mentioned that the pitcher 'still can’t do the dishes' after separating his shoulder. 'I have a dishwasher at home myself: my wife,' Schmidt said. 'That was bad. Actually, I do the dishes, most of the time.'

'Me Too movement,' Schmidt continued. 'Where does that fit in?' Schmidt said Monday that he 'made a mistake while attempting to be humorous.' 'It was not my intention to offend anyone'...

Schmidt said in a statement (via Westwood One). 'My daughter passionately marches in support of the #MeToo movement in Boston, and I support her in every way. I offer my sincerest apologies to those who may have been offended.'"

I chalk this up as generational.  Back in the day, it was comedy to make fun of women and no one did it better than Henny Youngman.


But here's the thing, Schmidt's not a comedian, and even in comedy, that doesn't fly. It's offensive.  Hell, I came under fire for referring to Jose Canseco and saying something that could have been considered very offensive to women. You can read about it here. 

I AM WHAT I AM... BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR CHANGE

I apologized and I too was trying to be provocative and funny. It doesn't work.  It's stupid.  So was this by Schmidt.

Photo: NJ.com

But I love that he came out and tried to fix it. I honestly don't think he meant a thing by it. But people do, and that's why we have to choose our words wisely.

Interesting story, good for Schmidt! He's back in my good graces.

Let's play ball!

HEY REMY! THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS "BASEBALL LANGUAGE"

Well well....Tuesday was quite an opinionated day, wasn't it? Nothing like ex-MLB players sharing their controversial or even some say racially charged opinions. It's actually a Public Relations nightmare now that numerous apologies have been made.

Photo: Getty Images

Just hours after Phillies legend Mike Schmidt said that Odubel Herrera would not be able to be a leader for his team thanks to his language barrier, Red Sox former player now announcer Jerry Remy made an even bigger controversial statement on NESN's broadcast coverage on the Red Sox - Yankees game and said that Masahiro Tanaka needs to learn "baseball language." In case you have not heard the audio yet, take a listen below.

Ok, so we get it Remy.....if it were up to you translators would be banned.

Personally, I really like that Dave O'Brien asked an open-ended question to find out exactly what Remy didn't like about the use of interpreters. Just like any other aspect in life Baseball is full of different theories and opinions. One thing that really stood out to me about Remy's answer was the delayed response. There was a little dead air between O'Brien's question....and Remy's answer. I interpreted that as him acknowledging that his opinion was going to be controversial, and he was trying to find a way to answer that without rustling too many feathers.

And I do think he tried to, but he failed. I believe that O'Brien disagreed with his opinion and not to mention a lot of baseball fans also. Since then social media and beat writers around the country have shared their own opinions. It just goes to show you that this is now bigger than the typical Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.

Since Remy's statement NESN has tried to distance themselves from the controversy and issued their own statement: "Relative to last night's NESN telecast from New York, NESN does not agree with any such views expressed by Jerry Remy and we know from talking to Jerry that he regrets making them. The network sincerely apologizes to anyone who was offended by Jerry's comments."

Remy certainly has put himself in the hot seat. I can't say that I understand his stance against using translators or his explanation that Tanaka should speak "baseball language." MLB has allowed on-field interpreters since 2013 and as recently has last season, baseball has required that all teams now employ full-time Spanish interpreters. Remy's opinion has angered some, and although I am not particularly "angered" by his statement I find it extremely odd.

So Remy wants Tanaka to speak "baseball language" but what does that mean? Baseball has grown and expanded so much over the years that players from many different countries are coming into the game and with that comes new cultural influence. There is no universal baseball language. If you want to be technical, Tanaka speaks two different baseball languages. Just look at some of the differences between baseball in Japan and here in the United States. He has his roots in Japan and now he plays for us. He's not new to this. He's been a Yankee since 2014, and he has been successful (granted not lately) so I would say he speaks fluent baseball....probably more than Remy actually. He has been removed from the immediate action since 1984.

And if we dig even deeper research from the Institute for Ethics and Diversity in Sport shows that this year the baseball started with almost 30% of all active players were born outside of the United States with significant increases in both Latino and Asian players. Clearly the game is attracting new cultures which means the game and the "language" will constantly change. Maybe Remy is so disconnected from all of it now that he just can't understand.

I get the overwhelming response to Remy and his colorful commentary. It does rub some people the wrong way and while I am not outraged by his broadcast the other night I would agree that it if nothing else his opinion is ignorant. Some people may be angry, but I am not. He has apologized already and he can keep apologizing but it won't change my mind. I will just remind myself in the future if I have to be stuck with a NESN broadcast I can at least hit the mute button until the day comes when he is no longer broadcast and no one asks his opinions anymore. That day comes for everyone, eventually.

For the record, our Chief, Robert Casey loves Jerry Remy.  But this is what's great about Bleeding Yankee Blue. All views are expressed.  We are censorship free here.  Gotta love what we've created here.... thanks boss.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

FINDING BASEBALL HISTORY & TY COBB

One of favorite baseball activities when I was a kid was collecting baseball cards. It was a quarter a pack and came with a hard stick of gum, but each pack came with the hope of finding a favorite player. If there was a Yankee in the pack, well, that was something to announce to all your friends and celebrate. It was where I first learned the art of trading and negotiating I also learned about the player stats on the back of the card. That was where I learned what a batting average and an ERA was.

Every kid's dream happened this past week at some undisclosed location in "the South" when a family found a crumpled paper bag in an old house containing seven Ty Cobb baseball cards. I have to say that when I heard this, I was immediately filled with jealousy wondering why I never have that kind of luck. At the same time, I was happy that a piece of baseball history was discovered. The cards were in excellent condition - better than the other 15 known Ty Cobb cards - and I hope that at least one of them makes it to Cooperstown so I can see it. As of this writing, a couple of them have been sold to collectors.

I don't know about some of you younger fans, but us old-timers placed a lot more value on cards than fans do today. In fact, if you've followed the value of baseball cards, you know they've been in decline for some time now (read: Fewer Are Investing Hearts and Money Into Baseball Cards). If you had a popular player, you had gold on your hands. If some player was hot in any particular season, you had leverage trading his card in the school yard or in the neighborhood. That's not to mention if you had a rookie card for a rising star. I remember when Thurman Munson died, I took all my Munson cards and I put them in a little safe. I still have them, and regardless of what the price guides say, they are NOT for sale.

I said earlier that I wish I had the kind of luck this family had. The truth is I did once find something that someone put out in the trash. I once started collecting baseball caps, and one particular summer afternoon I saw this plastic bag out back with the trash filled with them my wife thought I was nuts, but I went through them to see if I could find a baseball team's cap. Most were company logo caps. But I saw this one light blue cap with a white B on the front. Could it be? I flipped it to the back where I found an embroidered "1957". I quickly put it in my bag and walked away with what is still one of my favorite baseball collectibles.

I share this story because I think there's something special about these kinds of baseball memorabilia. Items that reflect and act as an historical record of baseball from each era. From my day, I have cards of lots of Hall of Famers - Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Jim Palmer - as well as Yankee legends like Ron Guidry and Reggie Jackson. On a few occasions as an adult, I added to my collection. My first purchase ever on eBay was a Don Mattingly rookie card that I got for $7. This year, in particular, is going to be a great opportunity to get the rookie cards of Yankees we expect to have great careers.

It's great that they found those Cobb cards. I wish more cards from those years were around. They were special. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to drive to my parent's house and help them clean some closets!

--Ike Dimitriadis, 
BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon






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I STILL BELIEVE

There are few subjects in the Baseball World that I am more passionate about than the vote for The Hall of Fame.  I cannot get past the fact that a player’s fate remains in the hands of Sports writers.  I firmly believe a change NEEDS to happen and fast.  TAKE THE VOTE AWAY from the “writers” and do it NOW.

Recently I had a brief back and forth with ESPN’s Buster Olney on Twitter.  I answered a tweet and made clear that the Baseball writers make their vote personal and therefore shouldn’t have that vote.  Mr. Olney took exception.

@Buster_ESPN Nope. And Sports writers shouldn't have a vote. Have a select HOF committee. You guys make the vote personal too often. Period.

— Mike O'Hara (@mikeyoh21) November 15, 2015

@Buster_ESPN sorry that it doesn't compute, Buster. Sports writers deciding who is worthy and who is not is ridiculous. I enjoy your...

— Mike O'Hara (@mikeyoh21) November 15, 2015

@Buster_ESPN coverage of the game, but don't feel any of "you guys" should hold sway on a player's road to Cooperstown. Just my opinion.

— Mike O'Hara (@mikeyoh21) November 15, 2015

@Buster_ESPN and if you are convinced that there are baseball writers that don't vote with personal bias...well, agree to disagree. Thanks.

— Mike O'Hara (@mikeyoh21) November 15, 2015

He didn’t like being lumped in with all writers.  I was wrong to make a sweeping statement.  Maybe Buster is completely on the level.  Maybe he is truly an exception to what I STRONGLY feel is becoming the rule.  I can’t know for sure.  When he challenged me to pick one of the votes he cast for personal reasons, I couldn’t…but is that to say he never has had a bias in who he believes is Cooperstown worthy?

You don’t have to look hard to see the “US vs. THEM” feeling in the player/writer dynamic.  More and more writers seek their own sad, celebrity status.  They seem to have desperate need to rival the players in terms of notoriety.  They aren’t writers any longer they are “Insiders” or “Experts”.  And as ALL KNOWING MASTERS OF THE BASEBALL UNIVERSE they get to decide who is celebrated and who is not.  With all do respect to those who still cover and love the game, it’s time to knock these guys down a few pegs.  Take away the Hall vote.

I feel that the best way to protect the Hall of Fame and the induction process is to select a committee comprised of former managers, Hall of Fame players and even distinguished umpires.  (Example: Joe Torre, Mike Schmidt, Rod Carew and Jim Joyce).  Only players, managers and umps KNOW the game and all it’s aspects. We need those who truly see the numbers, the clutch performances as well as the intangibles.

Take a player like Jim Thome.  In my opinion he is a class act and a 1st ballot Hall of Famer.  He hit 600 dingers (clean), played the game the right way and respected his teammates and opponents alike.  THAT is who should be in Cooperstown.  However, Baseball writers will find every reason under the sun to hold Jim back a few times.  Is it for the right reasons?  NO WAY IN HELL if you ask me.

Think about Greg Maddux.  There are actually writers out there that will not vote for him.  GREG MADDUX!! Jeter and Mariano also will fall short of 100%.  Why?  Because the writers will say Mo only closed out 1 or 2 innings.  That isn’t as hard as it was for the guys who closed 3 to 4 innings…which is nonsense in the grand scheme. 

And Jeter…well, there are actually grown men that won’t vote for him because he was a lousy sound bite or simply because they still live in a “High School World”.  Derek is the popular jock that dates the prom queen…of course they’ll find some number that they say proves he wasn’t that good.  It’s total Bovine waste.

Once again, I fully admit that tossing Buster in the bind with every writer was a mistake.  I was wrong and often am (See my Plate of Crow with a side of Humble Pie on Tex’s season).  But to think that writers don’t bring all sorts of personal baggage to their vote is silly.  Some look down on the players as idiotic thugs below their educated minds.  Others see a big ol’ Texas fireballer, who hunts and prays and see them through socio-political glasses.  And still others are self-righteous, and believe they drive on the “High Road”.  If there is a hint of a player being near the Juiced up days of the late 1990’s they are out of the running.  It doesn’t matter if there is solid proof…like in Mike Piazza’s case.

I’m not the Commissioner.  I have no way of fixing the problems I see.  All I can do is write down my opinion…and it is just that, an opinion.  I root for players.  Their stories and the work they put in to play the game at the highest possible level.  The sacrifices they, and their families, made to get where they are.  Baseball is a living thing.  By that I mean it cannot be taken on numbers alone.  Yes, a player MUST put up great stats to be a candidate for the Hall, but there is more to it than that.  Players understand that…writers don’t.  For them the Hall of Fame Vote is pretentious Country Club.  For a growing number of Baseball writers the vote is not about the game or the men who play it, it’s about them.  It’s about grabbing a headline or a bit of spotlight.  They abuse the PRIVILEGE and it’s time to take it away and do it differently…in my opinion.


** My buddy Frank Turner.  I STILL BELIEVE **




 

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















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BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME II

With all the big name free agent pitchers out there, the Yankees seemed to have taken a serious interest in Detroit Tigers' ace Max Scherzer.  According to Jon Heyman and the Yes Network, if there is one free agent pitcher the Yankees are seriously considering it is Scherzer.  For one he is the youngest of the trio of James Shields and Jon Lester at age 30 and he has an impeccable post season record.  Shields nor Lester have a Cy Young Award like Scherzer.  I for one have always liked Scherzer and I say if we are going to lay out some cash, let's go for him!

 Word on the street is that the Yankees will "test the waters" with Alex Rodriguez at first base. According to Buster Olney, Mark Teixeira did not make the list of best first basemen.  This is exciting news because perhaps now Chase Headley will be our starting third basemen, a place where he has excelled and showed a lot of talent and grit last season.  After the All Star Break, Headley raised his batting average more than 40 points.  Not only that, but he made the defensive plays of a Graig Nettles and Mike Schmidt.  We need him.  Sign, please!

Russell Martin is off to Toronto but guess who may be on the next plane?  The Blue Jays are on a spending spree again and this time they have their eye on Jon Lester.  "Toronto is one of the six teams in the market for southpaw Jon Lester,WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports." The Jays are also interested in Red Sox Andrew Miller who wants a four-year deal.  He could be their next closer as their current closer, Casey Janssen is likely on his way out.

According to ESPN, multiple teams are interested in Cardinals' Justin Masterson.  Among these teams are the Chicago Cubs.  Joe Maddon, the Cubs new manager, will be a good match for Masterson, but he will have to get in line next to or behind other contenders like the Giants, Braves, Twins and Red Sox.  The Yankees seem to not be interested.

And according to SNY, the Cubs are contenders for James Shields and possibly Cole Hamels for guys like Tommy La Stella and Starlin Castro and possibly "top shortstop prospects Addison Russell and Javier Baez, leading to speculating that they will eventually make a trade to acquire a starting pitcher."  The Mets could get into the mix too.  Stay tuned on this one.

Got some rumors?  Do share! Do share!

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @suzieprof




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ROLLINS CONTEMPLATES MOVE. COULD IT BE TO THE BRONX?

When you have a job, it is easy to look for a job.  At least, that is what people who look for greener pastures say when they get the itch to move on to something new.  Perhaps, Jimmy Rollins is ready to entertain some greener pastures in the Bronx.  The newly crowned all-time hit leader "left the door open to the possibility" of a trade, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com following his recording breaking night on Saturday against the Cubs.  I guess that's the first step to changing uniforms and perhaps even leagues.  Will Rollins make a difference in New York?  I'm not sure for the better.  I think he is pompous and self-centered.  I also think he doesn't offer much in the way of leadership and frankly, we don't need that.  We are rebuilding and now as we enter the second half of June, about a month before the All Star break, we are gelling as a unit.  I see red hot bats in Brian McCann, Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter and Jacoby Ellsbury. And perhaps equally important, I see this synergy between veteran and rookie players.  I don't want to see that get wasted with a trade for a veteran shortstop who has shown me drama much like that of Alex Rodriguez. 

Rollins, who passed Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt atop Philadelphia's hit list Saturday, told reporters that he would consider waiving his no-trade rights if the last-place Phillies "blow everything up," according to ESPN.com.  Blow everything up?  Really, Jimmy.  Frankly, the Fightn' Phils have not done much since they "blew everything up" in 2009.  Sure, they won it in 2008, but since 2011, they have hung out toward the bottom of the National League East.  They have a lot of veterans who have not done much to move their team forward.  That kind of record could give a group a players a bad attitude, but that kind of behavior is for little leaguers not major leaguers, especially those who hold multi-million dollar contracts like Rollins.

So, as Rollins contemplates a move to another team, another challenge and another city, I keep my fingers crossed that the Yankees are not in his sights.  Not interested, Jimmy, but I would consider pitcher Cole Hamels and perhaps your counterpart, Chase Utley.  According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Phils owner, David Montgomery stated that "the idea of trading either player (Rollins or Utley) this summer is complicated." Complicated for him, maybe, but for me, it is very simple- Utley is in and Rollins is out. 

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @suzieprof


   
 
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