WHY IS ROWDY TELLEZ TALKING TRASH ABOUT DONALDSON OUTSIDE THE TENT?

We all know that Josh Donaldson is an ego maniac.  Why do we care?  Plus, let's put this into context; Was Josh Donaldson flexing because he's been around baseball forever or was him saying "Everybody knows who I am" a way to say, "I don't want to bother everyone with an introduction."  I guess what I'm saying is... why are we always starting shit? And who the hell is Rowdy Tellez that he is spilling clubhouse banter outside the Brewers tent? What happened to "team" and loyalty and backing each other up?  Sounds like a bitch.  

If you don't know what I'm talking about, a few days ago a story came out about Josh Donaldson and him coming into the Brewers organization after being ditched by the Yankees.  Yahoo Sports digs in about it because Rowdy Tellez has a big mouth:

“He came in the clubhouse and walked straight by, and I was like, ‘Hey, when you walk in the clubhouse, you introduce yourself to your teammates.’ And he goes, ‘Everybody knows who I am,’" Tellez said.

“And then, I was like, ‘Yeah, and when you see a former teammate, you say what’s up?’ And he was like, ‘Hey, are you on the seafood diet?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, good one… See food, eat food. Beat you to it.’”

And I guess my question is who cares? We know Donaldson by now, we know his rep. Guys like Tim Anderson hate him, he rubs other players the wrong way and Donaldson could care less as well and so... is this news? It sounds like Rowdy Tellez is just a snitch.  

Stories like this are bogus and the people that arrange them to get press are the reason why true journalism these days has taken a back seat.  We are dumbing down America, folks. You're all smarter than that.  

Oh, and by the way, if you can't take a seafood joke and need to expose that to a podcast instead of saying something to Donaldson directly when your butt hurt... we got bigger problems. This was a cheap shot against Donaldson... and it's stupid.  

Toughen up Rowdy.

DONALDSON & JUDGE NEED TO HUG IT OUT & PLAY BALL!

Look... enough is enough already! Who isn't tired of the Josh Donaldson and Tim Anderson drama? It happened; it can't be undone. It's time to move on already, but the Yankees are still talking about it and until they shut up this isn't going away.

We all know by now that Donaldson and Anderson both have a career filled with controversy. Anderson needs to grow a pair and live up to the identity he created for himself and not be a baby and Donaldson just needs to get back n the field, shut up and play ball. But what about Aaron Judge?

Look, I know it is inconceivable to even think that I could even criticize Judge....but I will. It's time for this to be squashed in private and not address it anymore, but he just has to keep stirring the pot, read more HERE. I don't care that he believes "joke or not, I don’t think it’s the right thing to do there," because I don't think giving this story more attention is the right thing to do here.

Baseball players have been getting under each others skin longer than any of us have been alive. Whether we like it or not, it happens. Judge knows it too, so why not just give a boring comment that doesn't add more life to this story? Enough already, its time to put this to an end and be the leader that doesn't continue to bring this story to life.

I don't care about Judge's opinion, even IF we happened to share the same viewpoint. Stop talking about it! This story needs to stop spinning and evolving, and if he continues to talk about he will continue to put it in the spotlight. This story should be over and done with and if Judge puts himself in the middle of it then we will never get to move past it.

I think Judge should've skipped over this issue so quickly and not add more fuel to the fire. He should've said that the team is only focused on playing good baseball and winning series. Instead he had to give us his opinion that completely distracts what really matters. He didn't have to give any sort of opinion at all, he could've been neutral....he could've put an end to the insanity. Now he has to BE part of this story.

It's time to squash this and just play baseball. This isn't what this team should be focused on and I am disappointed that Judge who is supposed to be a leader can't recognize that. What's done is done. Shut up, play ball and win games. He should know this by now....but he just proved he doesn't and that's disappointing.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

HEY ETHAN KATZ! SHUT UP & WORRY ABOUT TIM ANDERSON'S CRAPPY BEHAVIOR!

At this point we all know that Josh Donaldson was punished for his "disrespectful" words used toward Tim Anderson. These days it's about feelings, and Anderson "felt" like he was being attacked, so he blew up this story as to make himself feel insulated. According to several sources, but we'll use Yahoo Sports here.. they write:

"MLB has fined and suspended New York's Josh Donaldson one game for an incident on Saturday involving Chicago's Tim Anderson that ignited both the Yankees and White Sox benches to clear for a tussle near home plate."

Did we really need to go there? Probably not, but this is what we do now... "investigate".  How about this? How about if Tim Anderson had a real problem with it, he could have said "Yo dude, you don't know me. Don't do that. I don't like that. Don't call me that". Perhaps if he did, it would have been over. But whatever the case, he didn't speak up directly to Josh and instead blew this up like he was just racial attacked on the public streets of New York City or Chicago. I will say it again, Donaldson was annoying Anderson, sticking his finger in Tim's eye to get a rise out of him. Did he cross the line? Tim says yes,  and I say maybe yeah, but it's nothing that any other guy wouldn't have done and it's nothing that someone with tough skin couldn't handle. And now Donaldson was fined and suspended. Let's move on please. 

But we can't. Why? Because now Chicago White Sox coach Ethan Katz decides the punishment wasn't enough. Why? Because he has ZERO context about his own player, Tim Anderson.  NJ.com Brendan Kuty writes:

"Chicago pitching coach Ethan Katz wanted it to be longer than the one game ban MLB handled down — in addition to a fine of an undisclosed amount.

“Just one game,” Katz wrote. “We all saw his malice at third a week ago, then this comment with the ridiculous excuse that followed. What’s the point or message behind a 1 game suspension? This is incredibly disappointing and plain frustrating.”

Katz later deleted the tweet."

Hey Katz, worry about Anderson. The guy is a menace himself.  ESPN, April 2022... writes:

" Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball on Friday for giving fans the middle finger during a game Wednesday in Cleveland.

"I have to apologize for my actions," Anderson said Friday. "There are a lot of people who really look up to me. I take full accountability of what I did. But it's something that I have to learn from and grow from."

How about this, Sports Chicago:

"Tim Anderson won’t take the field with the White Sox today when they open the season in Detroit. Instead, he’ll be in his hotel room, watching the game like any other fan, on TV.

Anderson is serving the first part of a two-game suspension on Friday, dating back to a benches-clearing melee with the Tigers last season. Amid the hoopla, Anderson made contact with an umpire, which led to the discipline from MLB."

How about 2019:

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has been suspended for one game because of language used during the benches-clearing incident with Kansas City, sources familiar with situation tell ESPN. Brad Keller, who hit Anderson with a pitch, has been suspended for five games, per sources.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 19, 2019

My point is when everything is in context, Tim Anderson is not a nice guy, his behavior is just as asinine as Josh Donaldsons. In fact, he's kind of an asshole and troublemaker and certainly NOT Jackie Robinson.  

Katz needs to shut up.  Donaldson is in the wrong, no question about it, and he received his suspension for going too far with his razzing, but this country has a bunch of people in it that aren't ever to blame, while blaming others.  Anderson deflected this past weekend... and he got away with it.  Ehtan Katz needs to recognize that and keep his stupid mouth shut.  His player is not innocent when it comes to "respecting" the game either.  

Maybe that's why Katz deleted his Tweet.

LIKE THE "JACKIE" STORY OR NOT, IF YOU'RE IN MEDIA, YOU HAVE TO DISCUSS IT!

The story is ridiculous. I broke down the entire thing in ANALYSIS: DONALDSON AIMS TO MENTALLY BREAK PLAYERS... BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT.

When you got a guy like Tim Anderson saying he was "disrespected" for the name of a hero he anointed himself as, Jackie Robinson, you can't suddenly have your feelings hurt when else someone calls you it.  My opinion.

But these days in society, life is no longer about razzing and joking and ripping. It's about feelings... and it sucks. The world's gone soft.

Everyone these days has feelings and everyone's sensitive.  And the day Tim Anderson was called "Jackie" was the day he ran into a guy that was just that Big Oaf. That Bull in a China shop. I mean, think about Josh Donaldson for a moment. He is the poster boy for giving players mental breakdowns with his constant razzing. He is the finger in your eye and the guy that will put you on display for the world to see because he loves to cause trouble.  And the other day he met his match with the "feelings police" and Tim Anderson. 

Interpret "Jackie" however you want, but no one liked it in Chicago... many didn't in New York, and MLB? They were forced to "investigate" because that's what we do now.   All that said, if you are a media person or a baseball person, you may not wanna talk about it, but you gotta.

Today more fallout. Donaldson received a suspension from the MLB.  The Chicago Tribune writes:

"Donaldson received a one-game suspension and undisclosed fine Monday for what Major League Baseball described as “inappropriate comments” made to Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson during Saturday’s game at Yankee Stadium.

“There is no dispute over what was said on the field,” Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said in a statement. “Regardless of Mr. Donaldson’s intent, the comment he directed toward Mr. Anderson was disrespectful and in poor judgment..."

It is what it is, and everyone can now move on, I guess.  But remember this the next time you think you're being funny or clever or sarcastic. You can't do that anymore. In fact... don't even talk.  

And speaking of not talking, as I stated before, right now as ridiculous as it is, it's the hottest story out there. Media will talk about it even though they don't want to, and sports guys and baseball people should too.  It's the way the media is. Just like this Johnny Depp trial. You may not love it, but if you're a show that covers the courtroom, you're doing it wall to wall and most likely if you like that stuff, you're watching... it's everywhere. 

Paul O'Neill was supposed to be on with Brandon Tierney and Tiki Barber to talk about his book. And because the story is still white hot, they were going to ask about Donaldson. Well apparently, O'Neill didn't want anything to do with that.

The New York Post writes:

“We were supposed to have him on right now and he is on hold, OK,” said Tierney, who listed O’Neill as his second favorite all-time Yankee after Don Mattingly.

“He has a new book coming out, called, ‘Swing and a Hit.’ And Jack Curry wrote it, along with Paul. We were told and Tiki, you don’t even know this because I was going through this while you were finishing up your thought on the air. We were told we can not ask anything about Donaldson and Anderson.

“I said, ‘We can’t do the interview if that is the case.’ I said, ‘Please tell Paul, we will navigate this responsibly. We will not belabor it. But I can’t have Paul O’Neill on the show after we spent an hour and 35 minutes talking about Tim Anderson and Josh Donaldson and not ask him about what transpired. That sucks..."

It does suck. 

Look, O'Neill's a legend. No one better for me, but stories like this need opinions from everyone. Next week? No. Now when it's hot? For sure.  If Jack Curry were on, he'd answer the questions.  Alot of people would.  You may feel icky about it, you might not want to throw anyone under the bus but if the question was asked, at least say "No comment", or "I wasn't there, I don't know what I can really say about it."  No one is bigger than a media question about the hottest story of the past 24 hours... No one. 

And the be honest, as a blogger and journalist, I think it was a great move by Tierney to cancel Paulie.  We'll all still read the book, we love the O'Neill, but media is where we formulate decisions and new ideas, and clearly Paulie didn't want any part of it.

Look, at the end the day, the story is stupid. And the punishment? Weird. To quote Keith McPherson on MLB Network today....

Tim Anderson was suspended one game for calling an opposing player the N word

Tim Anderson was suspended one game for giving fans the middle finger

Josh Donaldson picked the wrong guy, wrong name, wrong time to talk sht. One game. He's already out. Appeal it. Lets move forward

— Keith McPherson (@Keith_McPherson) May 23, 2022

 

ANALYSIS: DONALDSON AIMS TO MENTALLY BREAK PLAYERS... BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT

Look, it really doesn't matter what I say though, because everyone has an opinion about Josh Donaldson's "comment" to Tim Anderson today, which started a brawl between the White Sox and Yankees.  Donaldson called Anderson "Jackie". Anderson said it was "disrespectful". Those are facts.  

Was Donaldson's ribbing on Anderson obnoxious? 1000%.  Guys on the baseball field razz each other and knowing that Anderson and Donaldson had a past already, it would make it much easier for one of them to give the other more razzing in this series.  It just so happens that Donaldson didn't think before he spoke today. And now? Well... the whole Twitter verse has gone fucking crazy.

Now people are going to read this post on BYB and form opinions about me.  Don't.  I don't know you guys and I'm not about to go reading your twitter and judging you. That would be dumb.  All I am trying to do is cut through this and understand it... not just the Donaldson, Anderson thing, but all of it.  But let's start there...

Tim Anderson is quoted as saying this in an article in 2019:

"I kind of feel like today's Jackie Robinson... That's huge to say. But it's cool, man, because he changed the game, and I feel like I'm getting to a point to where I need to change the game."

Now reading that quote as a 50-year-old man, I see a hungry, excited ballplayer that doesn't realize in what capacity that statement means. It's immature in my opinion.  

Think about this... Tim Anderson was 26 years old when he said that.  If you think about the struggle, the hardship, the racism, the death threats, the survival mode that Jackie Robinson had to go through in his lifetime in this country, there is literally no comparing him in the 40's when it comes to Tim Anderson playing baseball now. Yes, racism still exists, but playing in the major leagues as a black exists now too.  

But look, if Anderson feels this way about changing the game at 26 years old, I root for that... but what does that mean?  Does it mean showing his ability on the field? In 2019 he batted over .330... I was rooting hard for this guy, I still am. He's incredibly talented.  But "change the game". Again, what does that mean?

Now since that quote, it was stated today the Josh Donaldson and Tim had a thing.  They joked about it.  Here's what Donaldson said:

“I called him Jackie. He came out with an interview that says he’s the new Jackie Robinson… We’ve actually joked about that. I’ve said it to him in years past, not in any manor than just joking around.”-Josh Donaldson on his altercation with Tim Anderson pic.twitter.com/BJE1NqfP19

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 21, 2022

So, I guess now we need to think about this further. Josh suggests they've joked about it before.  Do you know that? Do I? No idea. No one knows.  

Here's what I do know. This beef between Tim Anderson and Josh Donaldson first started on Friday May 13. That was how this all began.  The Sporting News writes:

"In the first inning of their second meeting, Anderson was sent back to third base by catcher Jose Trevino's throw. As Anderson was getting back, Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson applied a hard tag that knocked Anderson off the bag, and also apparently drove his knee into Anderson's arm. The third-base umpire immediately spotted the move and called time, ending the play there and allowing to get their bearings."

Was Donaldson kind of being a bully? Probably. Was he trying to get a rise out of Anderson? I think so. Was it racist? I say no, but that's my opinion.  But let me tell you something. I've seen plenty of baseball over the years from High School to the pros, and every once in a while, there's some asshole on the field that wants to get someone revved up. And I firmly believe that day it was Donaldson.

But the Sporting News goes on:

"What followed was a strange, slow saunter onto the field by both sides. Neither one seemed to know what it was trying to achieve. Anderson and Donaldson both seemed to say that things were fine, but some wires apparently got crossed. The situation on the field calmed down quickly and Anderson and Donaldson appeared to be OK with each other afterward.

Donaldson gave his viewpoint after the game..."

This is the first time Donaldson uses the phrasing "not intentionally".  At the time no one is thinking anything other than what Josh is suggesting, two competitive guys competing. OK fine. 

Today was another round of Anderson v. Donaldson. This time it was different.  This time Josh Donaldson wants to continue the ball breaking. I mean after all, since the last time the two teams met, there appears to be no bad blood at all. And do, Donaldson being the instigator decides to get under Anderson's skin again and thinks back to 2019, and calls Anderson "Jackie". 

The Athletic writes:

"Josh Donaldson said Saturday night that he called White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson “Jackie” during that afternoon’s game in New York, leading to tension on the field and a benches-clearing situation..."

Donaldson claimed he was trying to 'defuse' the on-field tension. But my opinion is he was razzing once again, because if you read the timeline, the tension wasn't really existent, was it?  But what followed is what's now in play... how the word Jackie is being interpreted.

“He was basically trying to call me Jackie Robinson. Like ‘what’s up Jackie?’”

Tim Anderson explains what led to his frustration toward Josh Donaldson this afternoon pic.twitter.com/nLqhRtjolN

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 21, 2022

Now read that quote: 

“It was a disrespectful comment...I don’t play like that. I don’t really play at all. I wasn’t really bothering anybody today, but he made the comment, and it was disrespectful, and I don’t think it was called for. It was unnecessary.... "

But this is what's not being reported. After Anderson says that there's more:

Reporter: That was when you guys crossed paths at shortstop there at the end of the third?

Tim Anderson: Yeah, but that happened in the first. The first time he got on. You know and I spared him that time and then it happened again."

So, what does this tell me? Well, a few things. For one, Donaldson is just a pain in the ass. He was a pain in the ass with Gerrit Cole and now he's moved on to Tim Anderson. 

I love his competitive nature. I love that he can rev up a clubhouse. But I've played with guys like this and I've ignored people like this, but yes, I do know they exist. Donaldson is annoying. Donaldson will get in your head. Donaldson is looking for a way to get you off your game.  Donaldson is obnoxious, and ladies and gentlemen, let me also state that Donaldson is playing his brand of baseball.  This is just the way he is.  He will beat you down mentally as a tool and strategy to try and take your mind out of the game.   This is clear tactic, and reading that second conversation between the reporter and Anderson it makes sense. He kept doing it to Anderson... it got on Anderson's nerves.

Now, I'm a white analyst giving you my opinion of a white Donaldson razzing a black Tim Anderson.  I have no skin in this game, pardon the pun. I am merely trying to break this down. It's the way my mind works.  It is my opinion that Donaldson is more of a dumb jock than a racist ballplayer. Do I know this for a fact? No.  Do I see how Tim Anderson could take today's "Jackie" razzing? Absolutely I get what Tim is saying. All I can suggest based on Josh's behavior is that he is just one of those guys that likes to stick his finger in your eye because he knows baseball is a very mental game.

And that brings me back to the context of this. As I posted earlier, Josh said he was saying it because Tim called himself "Today's Jackie Robinson."  Does he mean that? I think so. Did he mean for it to be racist? I personally do not.

Donaldson has made a public apology. 

He said "I apologize, it's not something I wanted to do", meaning, he didn't do it intentionally. But let' not sugar coat it... he was still trying to F with Tim. That's clear.

Now let's see if Tim Anderson responds.  

Anderson is a top-notch guy. He's intense. I believe for the better of the game though, he and Donaldson will hash it out and be done with this once and for all.  I think Donaldson has learned a valuable lesson... to keep his annoying mouth shut. I think he has learned that you can't razz everyone because some players don't like jokes when they're competing.  And you know what else I think? I think this whole thing is blown out of proportion because Anderson's been frustrated with the Sox losing to the Yanks so often.  

What I don't like is that it's way too easy to call someone a racist.  We know nothing about Donaldson other than he plays ball. We see all these people on Twitter fighting about who's racist and who isn't. I literally asked a ton of questions tonight on Twitter trying to understand all sides of this. It's not easy. And don't worry... it happened to me too:

they weren’t friends. they didn’t know each other. Tim was doing his job when a white player started calling him Jackie which he later learned was that player making fun of him for an interview he did three years ago.

— miggy (@mrmetistrans) May 22, 2022

And dude. Don’t ever accuse me, someone you don’t know as racist. Because that’s racist. You don’t know me. And we’re not friends. To quote you. I was asking questions. Bad look.

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) May 22, 2022

Too often people like to accuse without knowing anything. It's all about one side stories and headlines. No one researches, no one reads and no one actually thinks. I don't know if Josh Donaldson meant to be racist, but I suspect he didn't. I don't know if Tim Anderson doesn't want to be teased or if he really had a problem with being called Jackie after he already suggested he wanted to be him.  

I do know that being razzed continually while your team's under .500 can make some ballplayers pretty unhappy, and I suspect that's where Tim Anderson is right now.

Let me finally state that I have no bad feelings toward anyone. This was an exercise that I really wanted to dig into because everyone was going crazy on Twitter, and I needed to form my own opinion on it.  

Am I right? Maybe. Am I wrong? Maybe. 

But at least I thought it through and that's all that matters.

I hope these guys can get past this, I really do.

DJ LEMAHIEU CONTINUES TO DAZZLE

 Quick note.

It was the Yankees to beat the White Sox today in what was a game that was won because of a grand slam by DJ LeMahieu.

But DJ is one of the most non-flashy guys out there. In fact, he comes in to play the game as hard as he can, because it's his job and its business. My guess, DJ isn't "tight" with anyone in that clubhouse, but yet, friendly and respectful to all his teammates.  You can tell.  I just love the guy. He's a hard worker, he's a dynamic hitter and leads with his abilities, and probably not his voice and that's just fine with me because it's working.

Here's today's grand slam:

¿Cuál canción quieres? 🤔 ¡Grand Slam de DJ LeMahieu! 🎶 pic.twitter.com/bAAPCptoJe

— LasMayores (@LasMayores) May 21, 2022

And after that he was asked about hitting his grand slam on the same day as his 10th anniversary of service in the MLB:

DJ LeMahieu on hitting a grand slam to celebrate 10 years of MLB service time:

"10 years, had a good game and get a win, can't ask for much more" pic.twitter.com/CzO38tdjG9

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 21, 2022

Love this guy! 

Today was a big day for the Yankees and DJ's grand slam was overshadowed by this continued feud between Tim Anderson and Josh Donaldson.  Too bad, but nice win by the Yankees!

WHY JOSH DONALDSON CLAIMS THE NAME OF MR. INTENSITY

Source: NY Post

I will admit that I had my druthers with the Yankees signing Josh Donaldson. I felt he was cocky and had an attitude over the years. He has a reputation for talking straight and saying what's on his mind. That kind of mentality can either make you a hero or make you a villain. Donaldson's monologues have certainly rubbed people the wrong way, but so far, in the Bronx he is staking claim to the nickname, Mr. Intensity.

Source: SI.com

"Minnesota’s front office had to know what they were getting when they signed Josh Donaldson. He had a proven track record of being outspoken, but he was coming off being named the NL Comeback Player of the Year. The Twins were willing to deal with his on and off field behavior if he helped push the team to postseason success," report Twins Daily back in 2021. Part of the reason he was attractive to the Yankees was his fierce intensity, excellent third base and his potential to hit the ball hard, all despite being 37-years-old. 

"As his former manager in Toronto, John Gibbons, put it this spring: “He’ll irritate other players and the other teams,” Gibbons said. “He’s emotional and wears it on his sleeve. He’s intense and plays to win,” reported the New York Post.

Source: USA TODAY Sports

Donaldson's intensity was definitely on display in Friday night's game against the White Sox when he forcibly tagged Tim Anderson after catcher Jose Trevino tried to pick the White Sox star off third. There was no brawl despite the benches clearing, but there was definitely a physical exchange between the two. Ironically, Donaldson's bat was also on fire on Friday too, after a very slow start with his new team. He entered Saturday night's game having homered in consecutive games, and he's 16-for-57 (.281) with five doubles, three homers, 10 RBIs.

Source: Sports Illustrated

You may also recall Donaldson's comments about Gerrit Cole last season when Cole appeared to have some mid-season pitching woes after MLB banned foreign substances. No doubt, Donaldson's voice is loud and he is not afraid to use it. 

Yet winning means you have a certain chemistry in your clubhouse. This includes having different players gel with one another, not a cookie cutter clubhouse with all of the same kinds of dispositions around you. Having a fiery presence can bolster a clubhouse, and crank up its intensity. Maybe just what the Yankees needed after many years of missteps and failed postseasons. 

“It was a great move by the Yankees,” said Gibbons, who managed the Blue Jays from 2004-08 and then from 2013-18. “The old Yankees had an edge to them with guys like [Paul] O’Neill. You need more than great players to win. Sometimes, you need some volatility.” 

Josh Donaldson certainly takes the award for Mr. Intensity in the Bronx and carries it with him to every stadium he enters. Besides grit, he has an attitude and guess what, that might just be okay if it is balanced with players who know how to dial it down a bit. It is great to see this Yankee team playing so well, and if it takes some catalysts like Donaldson to do it, I am all for it. 

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

A LIST OF AWFUL YANKEE LOSSES

This is a classic post. Our guy Doug Solomon with a breakdown of all the awful Yankee losses this year.  Very, very interesting stuff. take a close look.

I don't always post here at BYB... but when I do, I like to share some glaring concerns I have. The latest is this list of horrible losses by the New York Yankees... and it keeps growing. These are the ones that stand out so far this year, although there were others too. Check it out.

April 7th vs. Baltimore: 

After Baltimore scored the Manfred Man in the 11th, the Yankees got theirs to 3B with 1 out for LeMahieu, who hit a line drive to right. But it was caught by Santander, who threw a strike to home and nailed Gio trying to score the winning run to end the game. Any loss to Baltimore hurts.

April 14th vs. Toronto: 

Bo Bichette hits a walk-off dinger off Chad Green leading off the bottom of the 9th in a 4-4 game to end it.

May 28th vs. Detroit: 

The Yanks took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 10th and somehow were using Justin Wilson to close it out in the 10th. Wilson got the first out and appeared to get the second out on what should have been called strike 3 to Robbie Grossman, but it was called a ball. The next pitch, Grossman hits walk-off homer and the Yanks lose 3-2.

June 10th vs Minnesota: 

The Yanks were going for the sweep of the Twins and took a 5-3 lead to the bottom of the 9th. Chapman entered the game with a 0.39 ERA, but gave up a single and a game-tying HR to Josh Donaldson. Then another single, followed by a walk-off 2-run homer to Nelson Cruz.

June 30th vs. Angels: 

Yanks led 8-4 in the 9th after scoring 7 in the first inning off Ohtani. Chapman walks the leadoff batter, then after a forceout, walks the next 2 batters to load the bases. Boone leaves Chapman in and he proceeds to give up a game tying Grand Slam to Jared Walsh. Chapman is pulled (too late) and Luetge replaced him and he walked the first batter, then gave up a single sending the go ahead run to 3B. After a strikeout for the 2nd out, he gives up a 2-run single to Luis Rengifo and Angels take a 10-8 lead and win 11-8.

July 4th vs Mets: 

The Yankees led 5-4 going to the 7th of a 7-inning game. Despite Chapman’s meltdown vs. the Angels 4 days earlier, he comes in for the save and immediately gives up the game-tying HR to Pete Alonso, then puts the go ahead run on base by hitting Conforto. After a walk to McNeil, Chapman is pulled and replaced by Luetge, who promptly allows a single and (after a strikeout) a go-ahead double to Jose Peraza to essentially win the game (Yanks didn’t score in the bottom of the 7th). Mets win 11-5 with 7 runs in the 7th inning.

July 11th vs. Houston: 

New York was going for the sweep in their first series in Houston since the controversial 2019 ALCS. Yanks had a 7-2 lead going to the bottom of the 9th and tried to allow Domingo German to start the inning after 2 innings of relief. After first 2 batters reached on German, Green was brought in and promptly gave up a 2-run double to Chris McCormick to make it 7-4. Then Abraham Toro doubled in McCormick to make it 7-5 and Castro singled to put runners on the corners before Green got the first out. But with 2 on and 1 out, Altuve ended it with a walk-off HR off Chad Green. Houston had scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win 8-7.

July 22 vs. Boston: 

The Yanks took a 3-1 lead to the 9th and brought in Chad Green. After a strikeout, Verdugo singled and Dalbec singled, but then Plawecki flied out, so the Yanks were 1 out away. But Enrique Hernandez doubled off the wall and both runners scored to tie the game. Yanks were able to score the Manfred Man in the top the 10th to take a 4-3 lead, but Yanks (with Loaisiga out due to COVID), had to turn to rookie Brooks Kriske in the bottom of the 10th and Kriske was terrible. He walked the leadoff batter, then threw 2 wild pitches allowing the tying run to score and the winning run to move to 3B and a Hunter Renfroe SAC Fly ended it.

July 25 vs Boston: 

Yanks had a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the 8th in this one and Domingo German had a no-hitter through 7 innings (including having struck out 4 batters in the 7th). The no-hitter was broken with a leadoff double by Verdugo and Loaisiga came in and promptly allowed a double to Renfroe, scoring Verdugo to make it 4-1. Vazquez singled --- 4-2. Cordero singled and then Enrique Hernandez doubled to make it 4-3. Britton came in to try to save it and got a groundout, but that scored the tying run 4-4. Bogaerts then hit a SAC Fly to make it 5-4 Boston and they held the Yanks in the 9th to win 5-4.

August 12 vs. White Sox: 

The Yanks have an amazing comeback in Iowa after training 7-4 with 2 outs in the 9th. Judge 2-run HR makes it 7-6, and after a walk to Gallo, Stanton hits a dramatic go-ahead HR into the cornfield off Liam Hendricks to make it 8-7. Britton comes in for the save, but after getting the fist out, walk Danny Zavala after starting out ahead 0-2. Tim Anderson then promptly hits a walk-off 2-run HR for a 9-8 White Sox win.

And why are these losses happening? 2 things... bad decisions & a shaky bullpen.  Think about it.

--Douglas Solomon

   BYB Guest Writer

FIELD OF DUDS

While FOX did a fantastic job handling this Field of Dreams game of the Chicago White Sox vs. the New York Yankees... the Yankees just couldn't pull off the win and that's what is mostly disappointing.  I mean, the Yankees showed life and I loved the energy with homers by Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.  

Even DJ LeMahieu was looking good last night.  But you need to maybe question the pitching in starting Andrew Heaney. You need to wonder why the Yankees are obsessed with Tyler Wade... because lord knows... that experiement is definitely over.  

It was fun though. Alot of connections with the film and last night's game and the players loved it just as much as the fans.  Can't beat that.

Stanton just wanted a pregame snack 🌽#MLBatFieldofDreams pic.twitter.com/iPncYv9Cfx

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) August 12, 2021

While it was a gimmick, I enjoyed it very much.  What I'd love to see next is a game at an old Negro Leagues ballpark, like the Pop Lloyd Stadium in Atlantic City. 

A rundown ballpark named after Pop Lloyd, one of the best Negro League players to ever play the game.   Or how about play outside of Yankee stadium one night at the old spot of Yankee stadium. That could be cool too. Have the players were close that resemble the Sandlot characters.  I love the idea of gimmicks, and with these other locations around the country, why not try it again. FOX did it right last night... it was cool.

But in the realm of the actual game itself, the bottom line is, while it was a beautiful night for baseball... while everything seemed perfect... the Yankees lost and it was a heartbreak.

The New York Post writes:

"The Yankees thought they had crafted a Hollywood ending in the top of the ninth inning on Thursday with a pair of two-run homers from Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to overcome a three-run deficit to take a one-run lead.

But playing in a stadium built on the set of the “Field of Dreams” in Dyersville, Iowa, Tim Anderson and the White Sox flipped the script in the bottom of the inning, as Anderson crushed a game-winning, two-run homer off Zack Britton with one out to send the Yankees to another crushing loss, 9-8.

“Definitely not the way you want it to end,’’ Stanton said."

No Yankee fan wanted to see that. 

But that's baseball.  And it wasn't our home field in the Bronx anyway...

it was Iowa.