YANKS' BEAT THE SHIFT BY BURNING OLD BLUEPRINT

The Yankees have been surprising  everyone this season with their explosive league-leading run production.

Photo: New York Daily News

A rebuilding year has given us a tantalizing progress report on the team's plans for a new dynasty in which -- like the last one -- a core of  younger players playing side-by-side with the right mix of  veterans can bury teams early and mount epic comebacks late with big innings.

But perhaps the most surprising aspect of this budding new dynasty's construction is that it required burning the very foundation the old one was built on.

In 1990 when Gene Michael became GM, noted the Post's Joel Sherman yesterday, he "went to his office window at Yankee Stadium II, pointed to the short right-field porch and said, “We are too damn right-handed.”

Photo of: Steve Sax

That season, 68.3 percent of the Yankees’ plate appearances came from right-handed hitters, with righties Roberto Kelly, Steve Sax, Jesse Barfield and Alvaro Espinoza leading the club in at-bats. Michael committed to build his offense around on-base skills and what always had been vital to Yankees champs – lefty power to capitalize on the stadium’s dimensions. No single move better defined Michael’s philosophy than what was at the time a much-criticized trade: The impatient, righty-hitting Kelly was dealt to the Reds after the 1992 season for the more deliberate, lefty-swinging Paul O’Neill.

Photo: New York Daily News

"In 1993, O’Neill’s first year with the Yankees and the beginning of 25 straight winning seasons, the Yankees got just 49.5 percent of their plate appearances from righties. They were at 39.7 percent for the 2009 champs and opening of a new stadium and – while the MLB average is annually around 57 percent – the Yankees have not been above 49 percent in the past dozen seasons. Until now.

"They went into Wednesday at 58.5 percent – the highest since the season before O’Neill arrived. Unlike the 1990 team, though, which was last in the AL in runs, this one was tied for first."

So why the about-face on lefties at the bat now after more than a quarter century chasing them and building monumental payrolls around them?

As Sherman puts it, with Yankee Stadium having the smallest area to the right of second in the majors, "shift happens."

Said Brian Cashman" "We acknowledged that shifts have reduced the right-field advantage we have enjoyed and have played toward historically. The shift simply closed down fair territory on the right side of second base. It has reduced the significance of the big hairy monsters we used to go for.”

Basically, Brian explains, the team has just been seeking out better overall hitters regardless of handedness, which makes sense because when you've got the smallest right field it means you've got a whole lot of everything else to aim at.

Photo: MLB.com

And with that short right-field porch still sitting out there, good-hitting righties should (and do)  find it with relative ease when the shift goes against them. (Looking at you Judge, Holliday and Castro.)

"Still," Sherman marvels, "the transition is stunning. The Yankees had finished in the bottom three in the majors in the percentage of plate appearances by righties eight times in the past 12 years and in the bottom 10 in each of the past 14 seasons. They were 30th in 2015 (31.2 percent) and 29th last year (40.1). This season, they are 17th. Just 41.5 percent of their plate appearances had come from lefties (a rate that is rising with Didi Gregorius back and should rise again if Greg Bird gets healthy)."

You've got to hand it to Brian. When "shift happened" he went into his lab, torched his mentor's gold-standard, quarter-century-old stadium-centric blueprint that went heavy on "big  hairy monsters" and built a younger, cheaper faster Frankensteinbrenner of his own to power his offense.

I can't wait to see the results of Brian's next trip to the lab:

Bride of Frankensteinbrenner: The Rotation.

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore

PAUL O'NEILL: A YANKEE GREAT OF OUR GENERATION

When we think of the great Yankees teams of the mid-to-late 1990’s, almost every single one of us thinks of the core four, as we should. But there was one guy who arrived in town prior to the 1993 season, a few years before the 1996 World Series Championship, that deserves just as much credit as the core four. That man is none other than the YES Network’s own Paul O’Neill.

O’Neill was obtained via a trade from the Cincinnati Reds for Roberto Kelly and that kind of jump started the Yankees in their progression upward. O’Neill was a solid right fielder whose career average at the time was just .259. Obviously GM Gene Michael saw something he liked in the struggling 29-year-old O’Neill. It goes without saying he was right.

O’Neill proceeded to bat .311 in 1993 with 20 home runs and 75 RBI. In 1994 he won the AL batting crown with a .359 average to go with 21 home runs and 83 RBI. He was a four-time All Star while in the Bronx and went on to win four World Series rings with the Yankees. He truly became a star when he joined the Bombers.

The thing I remember and admire most about Paul O’Neill was how he played the game was passion, fire and energy. He always expected great things out of himself and he wore his emotions on his sleeve. Although stats were never officially kept, I’d bet he led the league in damaged equipment, water coolers and any other objects he could get his hands on when he wasn’t happy with himself. And I’ll tell you what, I LOVED it!

Every team needs a guy like that. A guy that has that kind of passion and cares so much about success that he needs to let loose occasionally. Or more than occasionally. Now kids, that is not acceptable behavior on a ball field for you youngsters. But don’t tell Paul that. We don’t need any more water coolers or helmets to feel the wrath of O’Neill!

Hey Paul, if you’re reading this, I have a question. How many practice swings do you figure you took out in right field between pitches? I know it was a long time ago, but if I remember correctly, every time the camera panned to you out in the outfield, there you were working on mechanics! Never ending work!

He also had a humble way about himself when he played the game. When he got a hold of one and sent it into the right field seats, he would put his head down and take a brisk trot around the bases. Never gloating or acting like a fool. By the way kids, acting like a jackass and showing someone up is also not acceptable on the ball field. Not unless you want to wear a fastball your next at bat.

Paul O’Neill finished his nine seasons with the Yankees with a batting line of .303/.377/.492, adding 185 home runs and 858 RBI, including four straight 100 RBI seasons from 1997-2000. As for Kelly, whom he was traded for, he played for eight teams over the next eight seasons and never materialized into the great ballplayer that many thought he was going to be.

Who would have thought that the under performing outfielder on the Reds would become one of the better Yankees of our generation? Gene Michael perhaps, but even that is a stretch!

Paul O’Neill didn’t start out a Yankee like many of the Yankee greats, but he finished a Yankee and he finished strong. In five full seasons in Cincinnati O’Neill’s best year, in terms of average, was in 1989 when he batted .276. Once he joined the Yankees, he eclipsed that mark every year except his final year in 2001. He would bat over .300 six consecutive seasons from 1993- 1998. His four 100+ RBI seasons came at the ages of 34, 35, 36 and 37 years old. Not bad!

The Yankees, rightfully so, honored O’Neill with a plaque in Monument Park last August. I know O’Neill considers it a great honor and it truly is. But he deserved it. He earned it. He earned it with his bat, with his hustle and with his passion. Paul O’Neill was an old-school kind of Yankee. Not only was his passion and fire that of some of the older generations, but he was no spring chicken when he had his finest years in Pinstripes.

Thanks for all your hard work over the years Paul and for helping the Yankees to four World Series titles when I was a teenager. You were one of my favorite Yankees of the era and I always respected the way you played the game. Long live number 21, a truly great Yankee.


 
Dan Lucia
BYB Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia




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IT'S PAUL O'NEILL DAY! YOU DESERVE IT, WARRIOR!

You know how big today is? 2 of my writers will be in attendance at Paul O'Neill Day at Yankee Stadium and they're not going together. We all love the guy here at Bleeding Yankee Blue! In fact, all Yankee fans do as well! We loved him as a player, and we love having him in the booth.

Paul O'Neill was named the Warrior by George Steinbrenner because he truly was.  He was passionate about his craft, and loved the game of baseball.  He also loved winning and it became evident when he became a New York Yankee.

He was in his little world in Cincinnati and that town loved him.  When he came to the Bronx and we gave away Roberto Kelly, many asked why, but soon enough, we understood. Paulie IS the ultimate Warrior.  5 championships, clutch hits, great plays defensively, and always the look of determination on his face.  It's why we fell in love with him... losing wasn't an option.

When we interviewed Paul O'Neill for Bleeding Yankee Blue in 2011, there were so many questions I wanted answered and I could have went on for hours, but we tried to keep it concise, as not to annoy.  Paulie answered my questions and I will always appreciate his courteousness. His answers you will only see here on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

I wanted to share a portion of that interview on this day, honoring the Warrior. (You can read the full interview here, EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: PAUL O'NEILL):

BYB: You had a career in the making in Cincinnati with 1 championship already under your belt. Then you were traded to the Yankees in November 1992. What was your reaction?

Paul O'Neill: Totally bummed. Disappointed in myself that the Reds didn’t want me. After a lot of unnecessary beating myself up, it all worked out for the good. I’ll always be a Yankee first. I won the most there, it is the greatest city in the world with the best fans. Usually, they have a good team to cheer for.

BYB: My son once asked me why you got so angry if you got an out in a big moment. I told him because Paul O’Neill wanted to hit the ball every time. Would that be a safe assessment of your passion for the game?

Paul O'Neill: That’s half of it. I tend to be a perfectionist, hating failure. That may have started long ago as the youngest of six. There were so many of us, you sort of had to vie for dad’s praise and attention. But baseball is a game where great hitters get beat 7 out of 10 times. Where a guy could play fifteen years and feel accomplished because he has two World Series rings. Over 95% of roster players go home losing every year in baseball. I probably needed a thicker skin. I spent too many sleepless nights going over strikeouts or popups.

BYB: George Steinbrenner created the nickname “The Warrior” for you. What’s it like to have the owner of the Yankees give you a nickname that represents pure guts?

Paul O'Neill: He thought that is how all his players should be. He’d notice too if you weren’t giving everything you had. Don’t forget how much experience Mr. Steinbrenner had in the world of sports. He knew a few things about what won championships. But I will always be grateful for his choice of words. It is a good feeling never to be traded by an organization.

That's just 3 of several questions we asked Paulie, and as you can see, he wasn't shy about his answers.  He speaks his mind and you have to admire that about him.  Always 100%... that's Paulie.

I wanted to share this video I found online.  The quality is terrible, but it brings you back to the Paul O'Neill chant in 2001. The last game Paul O'Neill played in Yankee Stadium.  It still gives me chills.


Well, we've come full circle. Today we honor him, and on a beautiful day in the Tri-State and it just makes sense.

A Salute to the Warrior!  You were amazing and the best at what you did. Be proud, no one can take that away from you!

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!

BYB EXCLUSIVE: KEEPING THE BASEBALL CONNECTION GOING

We like to interview interesting and unique individuals with good stories and good causes here at BYB. We've done it for the past three years. After that, they become a Bleeding Yankee Blue family member for life.  It all started with our first interview... Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: STEVE KARSAY.  Since then, it's advanced to other interesting people, like Bob Lorenz (HERE), Dante Bichette Jr (HERE), Laura and Jorge Posada (HERE). Even our pals Charles and Joey Moses (HERE) and our friend Ty Hensley (HERE). You can read all of them on our website... on the left side. 

Well, I have another interesting treat for you today. Kris Totten helps run Akadema, a baseball supply facility. He's also a former minor league baseball player.  Bottom line, I find the dude interesting. Plus, as part of Akadema, they donated the bat for the Jack DiSalvo Scholarship this past spring, a scholarship BYB was front and center on.  The winner of that scholarship was Augustine Graziano. Read all about it in, TEAM DISALVO FOLLOWS THROUGH BIG TIME! His picture is below:

Recently, I even received my very own Bleeding Yankee Blue engraved bat from Akadema.  A very nice gesture from a very nice guy.  So, I became curious... what makes Kris Totten and Akadema tick.  I decided to interview Kris and pick his brain for the BYB audience.  I hope you enjoy this... I sure did.

BYB: First off, thank you for the bat and the great work you did donating for the Jack DiSalvo scholarship earlier this year.  How did Akadema begin?

(In Photo: Jack DiSalvo)

Kris Totten: You're welcome. It was a pleasure to be associated with such a great event like the Jack DiSalvo Scholarship.   I know Mr. DiSalvo did a lot for his community and was a big mentor to a lot of the kids he coached. We need more people like him around.

(In photo: Larry Gilligan)
Akadema began in 1997.  It started out just doing fielding gloves, batting gloves and wood bats. Lawrence Gilligan, who played MiLB with the Cardinals and White Sox didn’t think there were good fielding gloves available at that time. That was in the late 80, early 90’s, and so the brainstorming to form a baseball glove company began.  I joined shortly thereafter once I got done following my dream of playing my own pro-ball career. (It was minor league ball with the Seattle Mariners.) 

(In photo: Kris Totten)
My career MiLB ERA of 5.00 wasn’t getting me anywhere in this game, so I had to get a real job.  Akadema has since expanded into a full blown sporting goods company now almost 20 years later. It offers metal bats, apparel, uniforms, turf shoes, etc. It's great.

BYB: Who are some of your clients. Give us some big names.  Do they use Akadema bats during play throughout the season?

Kris Totten: Right now, Akadema fielding gloves are currently being used at the MLB level by the following players:  Shane Victorino, Derek Holland, JB Shuck, Kevin Pillar, Vin Mazzaro, Jason Pridie, Craig Breslow and Abraham Almonte.  We have dozens of high end MiLB players under contract as well that should break into MLB at some point this year, so that's exciting.

 BYB: You're a baseball fan and I believe a Red Sox fan looking at your Google + Avatar.  Am I right? How the hell did I even allow you to be interviewed on our site?  Who was your favorite player growing up and why. Currently, who do you love to watch play?

(In Photo: Roberto Kelly)

Kris Totten: Ha Ha. Actually, I'm not a Red Sox fan. I'm a true Yankee fan, I promise. My favorite player growing up was Roberto Kelly and for no other reason other than  I liked the way he set up in his batting stance. I know, it's a weird reason, but I always tried to emulate him growing up and play like did. He was a good player and he made the game look easy to me. 

Oh, and the reason for the Manny image on my Google + is simple;  Manny Ramirez was our first “big sign” with Akadema, and he continues to promote the brand to this day in Iowa, so I feel obligated to promote him when I can.

My favorite player today is Mike Trout. He is the future of the game, simply the best player in the MLB. It pains me to say it, but Mike used Akadema batting gloves and fielding gloves coming up through the minors, but Mike is no longer using Akadema. That being said,  I wish him nothing but the best. He's a very humble kid. He plays the game the right way and has a skill set that no other player in the game can match. Plus, he is a Jersey kid, so you gotta root hard for them.

BYB: If someone is interested in looking at the Akadema products, how can they do that?

Kris Totten: If you are interested in Akadema you can visit us personally if you are local. We are located in Hawthorne, NJ.  Or you can visit our website at www.akademapro.com to view our product line.  973.304.1470 is the office line and we are open Mon-Friday 8:30-4:30. 

BYB: Do you do engraving like you did for us here at Bleeding Yankee Blue? How does that work if some of my BYB readers are interested in doing it?

Kris Totten: Yes, engraving is an option we offer on any of our wood bat line. That can be done on our website. We have a feature on our site for this, or you can call us directly to order any wood bat of your choice and have it engraved with your name, nickname, team name, etc. We also offer custom bats with colors as well.

BYB: You're a big baseball fan, a Yankee fan. So, here's a scenario; You're the manager of the New York Yankees for 1 week.  Looking at the state of the Yankees right now, their pitching troubles, their weak bats, what do you do to change that?

Kris Totten: Wow, that’s a tough question.  The veterans they have are getting older and not producing like they have earlier in their careers and the new guys they have just don’t have enough experience at the MLB level. 

Masahiro Tanaka is obviously a bright spot for them and guys like Yangervis Solarte and Jacoby Ellsbury have cooled off since their hot starts. Outside of going after some players via trade, not sure what the Yankees have to offer player-wise that will bring the type of player or players in via trade that can be immediate impact players that can turn it around. But I would certainly  love to see the current roster of players rally and motivate themselves around the fact that it's Derek Jeter's last hoorah and push themselves into a position to make a strong run to get into the playoffs and send Jeter out a winner!

BYB: If you could meet 1 baseball legend of all time and sit and have a beer with them, who would it be and why?

Kris Totten: Mickey Mantle and/or Babe Ruth. Why? Because they loved to party and somehow found time to become 2 of the best players to ever play the game.

BYB: Final Question... Do you read Bleeding Yankee Blue? If so, what do you think?

Kris Totten: To be honest, no I have never read Bleeding Yankee Blue before you and I were first introduced to each other a few weeks back.  I have since and do regularly and I do enjoy it, you do a great job!

Thanks Kris, and thanks to Kris for a great interview. Oh yeah... and  the great Akadema bat! You did a great job with it, and it's proudly displayed in my office!

THINKING BACK TO THE ROBERTO KELLY DAYS

Roberto Kelly was an interesting bridge to the rebuilding of the Yankees franchise. The late 1980’s were a strange time for the Yankees organization. The team would perennially have powerful hitting, strong starts, poor pitching, and personnel issues. Roberto Kelly was one of the rookies coming up through the system, who had the promise to help the Yankees get over the hump and back into postseason play. Personally, I liked what he brought to the team, and was unhappy to see him go. Nevertheless, while he was here, he helped a struggling team stay competitive.

In 1987, one of those aforementioned personnel issues was Rickey Henderson. Rickey would periodically claim that his hamstring was hurt, and that he could not play. Other players and even managerLou Piniella accused him of not giving 100% and overstating the injury. By 1989, Roberto Kelly had established himself as the starting center fielder and a legitimate lead-off hitter, which gave the Yankees some options. Just before the All-star break, the Yankees executed one of the worst trades in franchise history, trading Rickey Henderson to Oakland for pitchers Greg Cadaret, Eric Plunk, and outfielder Luis Polonia and Roberto Kelly held sole possession of the lead off spot as well as center field.

Over the course of five full seasons with the Yankees, he hit .278 with about 14 home runs and almost 40 stolen bases per season. He was caught only about 25% of the time, making him a constant threat to steal second and a legitimate lead off hitter. He was an above-average fielder, with good range and a decent arm. The Yankees were very trigger-happy at the time with trades, giving away rookie talent for promising but ultimately disappointing veterans whose best days were behind them. Kelly represented hope that if the Yankees could have patience with their farm system, that they could have a very strong team on the field. The fact that he survived trade negotiations through his minor league career, made it to the majors, and delivered on what the team expected was just plain amazing.

Though he spent most of his career away from the Yankees, it was nice that he was able to finish his career with the Yankees, playing 10 games in 2000 before announcing his retirement. I was sad to hear the news on November 4, 1992, when the Yankees announced that they had traded him to the Cincinnati Reds. By then it was obvious that the Yankees had to do some major renovation to build a competitive team again, though I felt they could have done it with Kelly. 

Nevertheless, his departure opened the door for two legends of the Yankees to be part of the team. The trade that sent him to the Reds brought us a young left-handed outfielder named Paul O’Neill. Moreover, the Yankees needed to make room for another rookie coming up through the system who had speed, a good bat, and played center field – Bernie Williams. It was sad to see him go, but it worked out for the Yankees in the end.

 
--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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

MEETING YANKEE ROYALTY: A RED SOX FAN'S TAKE

(Photo Credit: Bill Menzel)
On January 29th this member of Red Sox nation briefly had pinstripes trickling through his veins. To actually be elbow to elbow with the likes of such Yankee players as Charlie Hayes, Roberto Kelly, Don Mattingly, and Bernie Williams was a treat in itself. But to interact
with them, see them sitting at tables with regular people, made it that much better. On this night, these gentlemen took the time out of their busy schedules to enjoy an evening with sports enthusiasts from around the New York and Connecticut area to help Bernie Williams in his cause for the Hillside Food Outreach. (Photo Credit: Bill Menzel)
It’s nice to see the human side of baseball players, and these guys showed that off to a tee. Welcoming photos, handshakes, and even brief discussions is not something you see every day. Often you see a quick scribble of the pen and a toss of the ball back to the welcoming fan. No time for conversation, just business as usual. But here there was laughter, discussion, and just the right amount of humility.

It was my privilege to attend an event to help out others. Even more so, it was an honor to be in the presence of so many Yankees that contributed to baseball history, and to see them as human beings rather than superstars……..even for a Red Sox fan.



--J.L. BYB Guest Writer




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WHY BERNIE WILLIAMS STILL SWINGS FOR THE FENCES

(Photo credit : Bill Menzel)

This past Saturday night I had the privilege to attend the annual charity gala for the Hillside Food Outreach. I was a guest of one of Bleeding Yankee Blue’s faithful readers, Doc Haveron. This amazing organization helps our less fortunate neighbors in Westchester and Putnam Counties in New York and Fairfield County in Connecticut. This charity is special to one of our Yankee heroes, Bernie Williams. And let me tell you, Bernie isn’t just a famous face...Bernie is involved! And if it's important enough for Bernie, it should be important to the rest of us as well.

Of course Bernie brought along some of his friends such as former Yankees’, Jim Leyritz, Charlie Hayes, Hensley Meulens, Scott Kamieniecki, Chad Curtis, Roberto Kelly and Ralph Branca. This year’s guest of honor was Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.

(Photo credit : Bill Menzel)

WFAN’s Sweeny Murti hosted a little chat between Bernie and Donnie. The former teammates traded stories and talked about the respect each had for the other. Bernie admitted to being in awe the first time he met Mattingly (much like me.) Mattingly talked about Bernie’s laid-back approach to the game.

(Photo credit : Bill Menzel)

He also talked about what it's like managing the Dodgers and having Kelly and Meulens, who both are coaches for the San Francisco Giants, in the opposing dugout. (Meulens jokes around and Roberto Kelly is so focused, he doesn’t acknowledge Mattingly). I could’ve listened to the stories for hours. As a fan of all these guys when I was a kid, this was a dream come true. Even my wife who isn’t much of a baseball fan thought the whole experience was pretty great.

But back to the Cause. At the event, we we’re introduced to two people who have benefited from Hillside. These are people who live right in our communities and are struggling to make ends meet. With the help of others, Hillside makes sure these people don’t go hungry. For more information or to donate yourself, you can visit: http://hillsidefoodoutreach.org

(In Photo: Charlie Hayes, Lem Allen, Hensley Meulens)

The gala was a great night for an even greater cause. I was honored to have been a part of it. Kudos to Bernie and to Hillside Outreach. Still swinging for the fences while making us all open our eyes, and our wallets to help others in need.

-- Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Writer
bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com