REUNION WITH RAFAEL SORIANO HAS BEEN DISCUSSED

You remember the untuck?

I do too, and I enjoyed watching Rafael Soriano fill in for Mariano Rivera when Mo was out a few years ago. Soriano proved to be a solid closer with the Yankees and did what we needed him to do... including untucking his shirt at the end of the game as if to say, "I've over bitches, I'm going home."

Well,  there was a tweet that went out about Soriano and the Yankees and it comes from CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman:

Yankees among teams to have checked in with old friend rafael soriano.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 10, 2015

Now I made a call about this just to see if my source knew anything about it.  I was told that "Yes", Soriano's name DID come up, especially when word spread that the Yankees were willing to unload Andrew Miller. 

I just don't know if it's still being discussed.  My source didn't know either.

Now, it's my opinion that with the Justin Wilson trade, the likelihood of Miller staying in pinstripes is very good, and the possibility of Soriano coming back to the Yankees after that revelation is very slim... BUT... I wanted to at least share that with you all.

Carry on.



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CELEBRATING IS GREAT FOR BASEBALL. TAUNTS ARE NOT

There’s been a ton of chatter recently about good and bad sportsmanship in this great game of baseball. For several months, we've heard of different antics. You remember the Melky Cabrera crotch chop toward the Atlanta crowd when he was a San Francisco Giant and about Carlos Gomez when he flipped his bat last season?

That resulted in a brawl and a shiner on Travis Snider’s face and a lot of suspensions and Russell Martin wanting to fight the world.  Why did it really have to get that bad? We’re animals, aren’t we?

The latest comes from Junior Lake of the Cubs just the other day.  He hit a monster home run for the Cubs, down 6-0 against the Marlins. But then he watched it, and then he flipped his bat, and then, as he was rounding third, he looked in the Marlins dugout and told them to "shhhhh". That didn't go over too well. Here's the video:




A taunt. Kind of classless, and the bench clearing that followed... well, it's kind of expected with that behavior, isn't it?

Look, I love the celebration, but here’s what I hate; I hate when players crank one and are standing in the batter’s box just watching it sail away. To me, as your opponent, that's a showboat and I will go high and tight on you.  I hated when Melky Cabrera crotch chopped in Atlanta. It showed his immaturity. Hell, this isn't even a "celebration" but to this day, I still think that throwing Don Zimmer to the ground, no matter how crazy that old man seemed in that moment, was totally out of line. When you are in the moment, you really need to NOT let your emotions get the best of you. Be a ballplayer, show respect, show class.  Know the line when having your celebration, you know what I mean?

Celebrating in baseball has been going on for decades, and there is nothing better than true excitement sometimes. Seeing Joe Carter jumping up and down when the Blue Jays won is legit, justified, genuine and amazing for this great game.

I can even fall in love with the Rafael Soriano “Untuck”.  It’s the “Game over, we won  and I’m going home” razzing that I can get on board with. That's because these examples have essentially "ended" the competition.  If we didn’t have that type of celebrating, how much fun would baseball be? How much fun would any sport be for that matter?

Look at Ali and boxing for example. Muhammad Ali was a trash talker, but he put his money where his mouth was.  He intimidated his opponent. He taunted them, but he backed it up and yes, he was the greatest.  Fernando Rodney’s arrow in the air after a win and a save? Hey, I don’t personally like it, but it should be allowed... it's in the "Untuck" category.

You want to dance in the end zone after a big touchdown, I say go for it. But if you're pointing at your opponent, maybe giving him the “I’m gonna slit your throat” symbol, well, that’s gangsta shit.  Don’t do that. You will get your ass kicked.  Junior Lake and his "shhhhh" goes into that category... it's the same thing.

Celebrating in sports, in baseball… well, there’s a fine line. If you’re not threatening anyone, be it a fan, opposing team, go for it.  The moment you’re in someone’s face telling them you’re “gonna kick their ass" or taunting... it's just bad sportsmanship. It's JV.

That's why you  gotta love Jeet.  He was all class. I’m a fan of the fist pump. It's classic.  Derek Jeter did it a lot. It’s contained, meaning, it’s the feeling of celebration without shoving it in the face of the opponent. It’s a team achievement, maybe a personal one.  It's a stepping stone… one game at a time.  By the time the championship is over, go nuts. But if you're crotch chopping toward the other dugout, "shhhing" the other team to make an empty point, well... you’re an idiot.  In a championship, many times there are sad faces in the loser’s dugout. Some refuse to watch the celebration. Others will stare at it, sad, annoyed and wondering what went wrong.  But those guys know, that’s the game, especially after it's over.

We are baseball fans. We are savages, but we understand the game of baseball and what competition is.  We love our characters, but we also respect the game.  What started out as a bat flip from Carlos Gomez last year turned into a mess. It didn’t have to be.  Next time Junior Lake homers... let's hope he remembers to respect the game and respect the opponent, or I'm pretty sure he'll get one between the numbers.

Celebration is fine. It's the arrogance, the taunt that I just don't get.

I don't know... I just needed to get that off my chest I guess.

 


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BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME XV

We are in the final stretch of the spring training waiting period and I have cabin fever!  Saturday is the first official workout day for Yankees pitchers and catchers and I am hopeful that we see more than ARod drama when the rest of the team reports.

On to some Hot Stove news...The Los Angeles Dodgers could be a market for a steady, hard throwing relief pitcher.  According to the Los Angeles Dodger Public Relations Department, "This morning at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, Dodger pitcher Kenley Jansen underwent surgery to remove a growth from a bone in his left foot." He is expected to be out 8-12 weeks and is certain to miss the first month of baseball.  "There are still a couple of relievers on the free agent market with ninth-inning experience — like Francisco Rodriguez and Rafael Soriano — so look for the Dodgers to seriously explore those options," states NBC Sports.  Jansen had 44 saves in 49 attempts last season with the Dodgers with a 2.76 ERA. This is a tough blow for Don Mattingly and his team.

WEEI's Rob Bradford reports that "According to one source, at no point during the offseason did Boras hint that he was concerned Scherzer wouldn’t get his money, potentially leading to a more palatable reduced rate. In the end, the former Tigers hurler inked a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nationals."  Bradford goes on to say that "Cole Hamels rumors or not, this potentially ace-less collection has already dug in on believing they are all the Red Sox need."  The collection he is referring to is  Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson, Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Joe Kelly.

According to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, after signing a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles yesterday, the team has invited 32-year-old utility infield Jayson Nix to spring training workouts.  Good for Jayson.  I always thought he added something to the injury-ridden Yankees.  I hope he does well but not against us.

Finally, a word of tribute to the late great player and mentor Tony Gwynn.  In an interview on the MLB Network with Ted Leitner, the voice of the San Diego Padres and the San Diego State Aztecs, Gwynn brought a sense of honor and presence to the young people of the sport of baseball.  Earlier this week, the Aztecs retired Gwynn's number in the opening game of the season.  "Leitner introduced the unveiling of a No. 19 out in right field to a standing ovation. There’s also a new mural above the right-field wall that depicts Gwynn alongside murals of Golden Spikes Award winners and former SDSU baseball players Stephen Strasburg and Travis Lee," reported a senior staff writer at The Daily Aztec.

Guys like Gwynn need to be remembered for what they brought to the game- hard work, determination and leadership.  These are three cornerstones to a successful team, both on and off the field.  So, let's remain hopeful for the Yankees this season as we enter in the final days before pitcher and catchers report.  That's Hot Stove...see you next week!

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



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BYB HOT STOVE VOLUME: LUCKY XIII

Here we are in week 13 of BYB's Hot Stove column and the truth is, there are a number of free agents who remain unsigned.  There's only 61 days until the 2015 season begins and 24 days Spring Training.  Despite the cold temperatures in the Northeast, the stove is hot with prospects for those who want some last minute additions to ramp up their teams before pitchers and catchers report in a couple of weeks.

According to Paul Hagen of MLB.com, "The biggest name, of course, is Big Game. That would be right-hander James Shields, who was considered one of the top three starters on the market going into the offseason. The other two, Jon Lester and Max Scherzer, cashed in with huge deals with the Cubs and Nationals, respectively."  Could the Yankees be in contention for Shields?  Not if he wants a big contract for big bucks.  We will not dish out that kind of time or money.  Not sure he will be in Yankee pinstripes, but according to Hagen, the Padres, Marlins, Blue Jays and White Sox have expressed interest.  According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cardinals seem to have the pulse on Shields.  I would say he will find a home within the week.

Three other starting pitchers to keep an eye on are Kyle Kendrick, Chris Young and Roberto Hernandez.  None are particularly impressive, but 29-year-old Young was named AL Comeback Player of the Year, if that accolade means something and it might for the right price and right team.

There are some familiar relief pitchers still available as well.  Joba Chamberlain is on the outskirts looking in, as is Francisco Rodriguez and Rafael Soriano.  We will pass on all of these guys, all have who have played in New York.  Another New York alum out there is hard throwing Phil Coke.

Outfielder Ryan Ludwick is a free agent up for grabs.  According to Hagen, "Ludwick has dealt with shoulder problems since he posted an .877 OPS for the Reds in 2012, but he still showed some power last season with nine homers in 357 at-bats."  For the right price, maybe.  According to Jon Heyman in a late evening tweet, Cleveland is looking for a late "cost-effective right bat."  Ludwick could be the guy for the Indians.  Also note that Andruw Jones is looking to make a comeback too and could be somebody the Indians considers.

That's Hot Stove Volume Lucky 13!  Here's to hoping we sign somebody next week!  Maybe we will have a shot at the young Cuban athlete Yoan Moncada, who is free to negotiate!  Keep an eye out for that breaking news!

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



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"SWEET HOME" DROB... WE'LL SEE

Let’s say you’re a stand up comic. You’ve been doing pretty well around town. You're getting laughs and other comics know you as a solid performer. And then one Saturday night you have a showcase set, but you get bumped when the likes of Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby or Jerry Seinfeld drop in to do 20 minutes…how do you follow that? The crowd will expect you to keep the energy and laughs rolling, and you can’t dine out on a name you don’t have yet. You’ll have to earn every single chuckle you can get…and they’ll still say, “He was no Pryor, but he wasn’t bad.”

Now you’re in a up and coming band. You and your mates are elated to find that you’ve been invited to a big music festival…then you read the set times and see that you are following The Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam or Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band…what?! You get up there and play your heart out, but you’re also playing songs that 99.9 percent of the crowd have never heard. Even if you make an impression the masses will still leave the fairgrounds singing, “POOR MAN WANNA BE RICH/RICH MAN WANNA BE KING/ AND THE KING AIN’T SATISFIED ‘TIL HE RULES EVERYTHING!”

These two scenarios aren’t too far off from what David Robertson will experience this coming season. DRob’s time has come. There isn’t a Rafael Soriano waiting in the wings to “Untuck” for David if Mariano’s spikes turn out to be 2 sizes 2 big.

So we all prepare to hear the stadium PA blare “Turn it up!” followed by the down home country sounds of “Sweet Home Alabama”. I’m excited for that.


I am rooting for Robertson with all my heart. He is one of the good guys in the game today. He looks like the nice kid from the neighborhood who all the parents tell their sons to be like and their daughters to marry. He just epitomizes the expression “Southern Gentleman” almost the way Mickey did with that smile and “Ah shucks” persona that made you like him instantly. But David is missing a few things…and he needs to get them fast!

Mariano was an ice man. He showed no fear. He worked fast and had a short memory that made him the Zen Master of the bullpen.

Now Robertson has electric stuff, there is no denying that. He can reach down and find heat and breaking stuff in those high socks…but can he do it without walking the bases loaded first? They call him Houdini, but that isn’t such a good thing when you are now the closer. Throwing a lot of pitches means that you might not be available consecutive nights. Mo had that cutter. It was ungodly and there were nights when broken bats outnumbered pitches throw for Rivera. DRob doesn’t do that.

I know he can work through it and become ever bit a lights out closer, but this is New York and we just watched the end of an era where we KNEW the game was over with a lead in the ninth…we were spoiled…and spoiled kids can be brats. I hope Robertson doesn’t get the wrath of the Post-Mo era. He should be given reasonable expectations in year one of his watch over the 9th. But we aren't a patient fan base and his nice guy image could easily be called a lack of killer instinct if he blows a few saves early on.

We are also really out of options so David better “Turn it up!” Joba Chamberlain is in MoTown. He lost 20 lbs, still throws hard and is motivated to prove the Yanks made a huge mistake in how they handled him (He is right by the way and the Tigers will benefit). I don’t see Shawn Kelley being a closer for us…although “MACHINE GUN” would be an outstanding nickname for our closer. And the Bombers passed on other back end arms who could have stepped in to close. Nope, this is DRob’s job and there will be no security blanket.

So while the headlines are on Tanaka san, the outfielder that "Shipped" down from Boston and a beloved Captain taking his dear friends once more unto the breach...Sweet Home Alabama will follow Enter Sandman…David, make us believers.



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



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OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Cleaning out the drawers, you find a lot of items.  A few weeks ago there was a post I did called  WHAT TO DO WITH THE OLD ROBINSON CANO SHIRT? In it, I showed you my old Robinson Cano #22 t-shirt.  I asked you all what you’d do with it, and the ideas were either the keep it for “memories” or wipe down my car, my ass, or burn it.   

Truth be told, I’m not mad at Cano, and so, after I washed it, I put it in a bin with a few of my baseball collectibles that I want to hold onto. One day, when I’m in my 80s I’ll break it open and laugh.  That chapter is complete… time to move on.

Going through my kid's drawer, there were some interesting t-shirts of former Yankees too.  Johnny Damon and his #18 was shoved in the back of the pants drawer.  In the shirt drawer near the top was the Nick Swisher #33 t-shirt.   

Both hadn’t been worn in a long time, considering my son moved onto Under-Armor shirts and sweatshirts just in time for the winter.  So, weeding out the old, I asked him what he wanted to do with the old shirts.  “Let me think about it,” he said.  

On Christmas morning, my oldest opened up a brand new, crisp #34 Brian McCann shirt.  A new chapter,  time to move on.  He hasn’t taken it off since.  You see, my son has always loved Brian McCann and followed him with the Braves.   

He collected his cards, and always thought of McCann as a tough catcher.  Much like Jorge Posada, my son recognized the passion in McCann and now, he’s upgraded to McCann’s #34 t-shirt. 

I got it.  I understood what happened there. My son’s never “thought about” the other shirts, and so I took Swisher and Damon shirts, and folded them up nice.  I grabbed a few other items that he used to wear as well, but now they’re too small, and I put a bin in the attic with his name on it.  In it, I put those items, memories for my big guy and when he’s in his 20’s and he has kids, he’ll pull it out and laugh as well.  Damon and Swisher were good Yankees.   

Mind you, I never likes how Swisher handled the fans in the end, but he’s been long forgiven for that. Damon likes to talk out of turn sometimes, catering to whomever he’s speaking to, but for the most part, I liked him too, but there are new guys in town for my son and Brian McCann is one of them… 2014, it’s a brand new team.  We are pretty excited about it.  Yup, sometimes you don’t need to say anything when it comes to the old Yankee memorabilia.  Sometimes you chalk it up as just that, a memory and put it in a safe spot for another day.  

In the end, it’s time to root for the new Yankee club.   Guys like McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Thornton, Masahiro Tanaka and Scott Sizemore are here… guys like Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher, Rafael Soriano and Cano are gone…  That’s baseball… and life still goes on.

What do you have in your drawer? What are you gonna do with it?

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THE TIME IS NOW FOR DAVID ROBERTSON!

With Mariano Rivera retiring there are mixed feelings about David Robertson being handed the keys as the new closer. I have 3 words for you... "Go for it!"

It's time.  The table is set.  I'll keep using cliches at this point if you'd like. The fact of the matter is, DRob has been terrific for us, and while he always seems to come in with guys on base, or even making it alittle dramatic allowing a hit or walk here and there... there is a reason why we call him Houdini... He gets out of the inning! 

I know what your thinking... you don't want that kind of pressure as a fan.  You want automatic, much like Mariano Rivera was... a 1, 2, 3 inning.  Let me break it to you.  DRob is not Mariano Rivera. In fact, no one is.  David does it his way and his way is to make you squirm. But don't get it twisted... the guy had control... he knows what he's doing. He's doing him, not Mo. Respect it. Trust me, he can handle the closer role and will adapt his way.

You don't think that new occupancy is on his mind? It will be all winter. Shoot for the stars DRob!  Look, this is how I see it... David's home grown. David's earned it.  He's one of ours and much like Mo, or Jeet or Posada or Andy... we need to get our guys the best shot first.  Sure, if a guy like Rafael Soriano becomes available, maybe we do that instead because of "closer experience", but DRob should be given an opportunity to fight for that closer role fair and square. Plus, we did the Soriano thing already... it worked, and he left.

DRob in 2013 had a 2.04 ERA in 70 games and 3 saves... I mean are you kidding me? How do you not like that? Now, I know, it's different being a setup guy and being a closer, but the goal is still simple... get the guy out and get out of the inning.  Remember... Mo used to be a set up guy.  It's my estimation DRob can handle it fine.

The stage is set.  The space is available... time for DRob to take it. 

Don't agree? Tell me why? But more importantly, tell me who you want in that role, I'd love to hear from you.

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THE 2013 YANKEES: MAYBE THIS IS WHAT WE NEEDED

All along we have been beating ourselves up wondering why a team that has had the proven talents of Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mariano Rivera, Robinson Cano, Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte hasn’t brought us more than one championship over the past five years.  In fact, we’ve only managed to win once in the past twelve years.  That represents the longest dry spell for this franchise since the “dark” era of the mid-to-late eighties.

I thought last season we had one of our best chances.  We won the most games in the American League (95) and in spite of losing the greatest reliever in the history of the game to a leg injury early on, we had squeezed whatever talent we could out of Rafael Soriano to enter the playoffs with a rock-solid relief corps.  We had power and experience at virtually every spot on the diamond and it looked as though only we could stop ourselves.

(In Photo: Rafael Soriano, 2012)
We did.

Even though we had all that talent, this year is showing what we really missed in 2012.  It isn’t something you can measure or quantify.  There aren’t any stats that will show you why this season’s version of the Yankees is better.

But it is, and the reason has more to do with things that are felt and can’t be seen.

Of the players I mentioned above, only Rivera, Cano, Suzuki and Sabathia are active on the roster as of this post.   The rest sit on the DL (Granderson for a second time this year) where they have been for a majority of the season.

Yet... here we sit in first place, atop the AL East with the second best record in the American League.

Our lineup is often referred to as “patchwork” and features guys like Lyle Overbay at first, David Adams at third, Jayson Nix at Short, Vernon Wells in Left  and Austin Romine behind the plate.  The rotation has had to march on with David Phelps and Vidal Nuno playing key roles.  The bullpen has seen the emergence of Preston Claiborne, Adam Warren and Shawn Kelley.  Coupled with perhaps Mariano Rivera’s greatest season (and his last), the “pen” has once again become the pride of the team.

Is it smoke and mirrors?  No, probably not.  Has Joe Girardi’s “binder” finally started getting things right?  Well, no.  It is altogether likely that Girardi has had to burn his binder as the numbers and types of players at his disposal this season don’t fall into any category that you’ll find on paper.

So, what is it?

This season’s team has enjoyed success using instinct, desperation and inspiration as its foundation.  It has gotten back to the very basic definition of “team”.  There is no one star carrying the load.  While it can be said that Robinson Cano is the only superstar on the roster, he hasn’t been the sole hero in each victory.

It seems that every night brings about a different player that carries the team to another “W”.  Where in past seasons the team might depend on the long ball from one of its many power hitters to bail them out of deficits, this year’s squad has had to be patient and whittle away at the holes they have dug for themselves.

Perhaps all along the answer has been right in front of us but we refused to believe it.  Our Yankees lacked that “no one expects us to win so let’s have fun with it” mentality.  For so many years the Bombers have been picked to finish either at the top or right below it.

This season has seen unfamiliar prognostications from the so-called “experts”.  The media and fans of our opponents came into 2013 rejoicing in what they perceived was finally the end of our era at the top.  They were certain that this team could not overcome the many injuries to, and advanced age of our stars.

We can relish the fact that through the first two months of the campaign those “haters” are once again disappointed.

Only time will tell if our team that has been put together with players pulled off the scrap heat as well as those not yet ready for “the show” can keep us at the top of the division.

I just know that right now this squad is winning without a safety net to catch them, and they are having fun doing it.  It’s a formula that separates this version of the Yankees from those that came before it and proves to the world that there’s more to the organization than just money.

It’s exactly what we’ve been waiting for.

   
--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

 

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