SUZYN WALDMAN LOVE MARCUS STROMAN, SO I GUESS I DO TOO!

Source: Chicago-Sun Times

Getting excited about spring training yet? The January cold, winter weather and drim days are a lot to handle. I am ready for warmer, longer days and yes baseball. And I have been down on the Yankee acquisitions or lack thereof lately, but I found myself reignited once my son shared with me the interview  @EvanandTikiWFAN had with Yankee radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman on Thursday. She has such spunk, plus incredible insight into the game. She likes Marcus Stroman so I guess I do too.

"I love Marcus Stroman. I love guys like that; I love guys an edge. I don't want Kumbaya all the time, I hate that. I want someone that's gonna go out and has a chip on his shoulder. I love guys like that," said Waldman on the broadcast. And the comments in the chat on YouTube agree with her. I agree with her. She's right. We need spunk. I love spunk and the Yankees need some of that to get themselves ready for the next chapter. 

Source: USA Today

We haven't had spunk and attitude since CC Sabathia retired. Not that CC is Marcus, but, you get the idea. "I don't mind that an athlete has a little chip on his shoulder if they're good Clubhouse guys, said Waldman. "And it seems like he is despite the narrative floating around that he's not. I think that's just bogus." I also like what she said after that about meeting an athlete where they are, and just because they are sassy to writers because he is not ready to talk to them before a game doesn't mean he's not a team player. 

Honestly, she believes Marcus is a leader and a gritty player, who is going to come to spring training on fire and sort of say, "Watch me!" I can appreciate that kind of confidence and that "I am going to go for it" kind of attitude. I can certainly get behind that. 

Waldman also shared that she believes Josh Hader is a nice to have and maybe the Yankees can pick him up later, but right now, they were right to pass. This also gives me some additional confidence that the Yankees are on the right track. Now, if only Aaron Boone can play the players the way they need to be played and maximize the lineup as the offensive beast that it can be with Juan Soto and Aaron Judge potentially batting back-to-back, that would be awesome. The Yankee skipper shared some insights on lineups during another podcast this week "Foul Territory" hosted by former Yankee Todd Frazier. 

Are you fired up? If not, listen in to the WFAN broadcast and get fired up. Let's go Marcus Stroman. Make Suzyn proud and give all of us Yankees fans something to get excited about come this 2024 season. 

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

LOOK WHO'S COMING TO YES IN 2024!

Source: Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post

I love listening to former baseball players banter in the booth, providing the on the field perspective that is much needed today. I especially like the old school mentality in this new, modern day of baseball. And this year, if all goes well, we will get the chance to hear another veteran ball player give his color commentary on the game.

“Bern, baby, Bern!” on Yankees telecasts?" According to the New York Post, "YES and Yankees legend Bernie Williams have had talks about Williams joining Yankees broadcasts this coming season, according to sources." That means the talented, musical former center fielder and multi-year World Series Champion will bring a little more life into Yankee broadcasts this year.

"Williams could be a candidate to join lead pre- and postgame host Bob Lorenz and top studio analyst Jack Curry on some nights. If Williams were to come aboard, YES would likely first try him in studio before deciding to increase his workload," reported The Post. 

Source: Wall Street Journal

As the Yankees build up their roster in 2024, it will be good to have some fresh blood in the booth. Admittedly, there were some failed experiments including Carlos Beltran and Cameron Maybin, who only lasted a season. But something tells me Bernie will be different. He could offer that Todd Frazier appeal and with his creative side, offering something new to the reports. 

Excitement is coming to Yankee Stadium this fall both on the field and in the reports. I hope Bernie makes the cut and we get to hear him and see him come this spring. 

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

TODD FRAZIER MAKES A YANKEES COMEBACK OF SORTS

It's true! But maybe not the way you are expecting. Todd Frazier is returning to the Yankees but his playing days are over. Now, he will join YES Network as a studio analyst and I have to admit that I am intrigued, he's not someone that comes to mind for this opportunity.

When Jack Curry broke the news over the weekend I will admit I had to do a double-take. I blinked to make sure I was reading the tweet correctly and sure enough, my eyes did not deceive me!

I am not sure why I never considered Frazier for an analyst spot, but now that I think about it, this makes sense! Frazier has previously called Little League World Series games for ESPN and recently launched a new streaming MLB show called "Foul Territory" with other former MLB stars. You can check out the show HERE and the shows have interested unfiltered conversations, lively debates and unique player perspectives on the games hottest topics. He's a perfect fit for an analyst role on YES Network.

Not to mention, he's got fan appeal. Frazier wasn't a Yankee for very long, but when the Yankees picked him up in 2017 he made a big difference. He helped the Yankees get to the ALCS and who can forget his "thumbs down" celebration that became a huge rally cry in the Bronx that season. I actually miss that.

We don't know what Frazier's new role will be exactly, but I can already guarantee that he will be a million times better than Carlos Beltran who we thankfully will never have to listen to him announce another Yankee game again. This is already a major upgrade, and I feel confident saying that without hearing him talking about Yankee baseball yet.

Welcome back to the Bronx, Frazier! 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

THE IRRATIONAL ATTACHMENT TO TYLER WADE MUST END

The regular season is about to start and the Yankees bench is a little more clear then what it was a few days ago. A little more clear....not completely. We know the fate of Jay Bruce and Mike Tauchman at this point. The mystery for them is solved for now, but one mystery is still unsolved.

Last week I said THE LAST BENCH CUT COULD BE THE ONE YOU LEAST EXPECT! and I still believe that. We still have a giant question mark looming with Tyler Wade. I said he could be on the chopping block and I still think he could be. In fact, now I will say that he SHOULD be.

I agree that the Yankees need a backup infielder. I don't think the Yankees should or could go indefinitely without one but, why does that backup infielder have to be Wade? Just because he is available shouldn't be the acceptable answer. The Yankees need the right guy for the job. Any "healthy" body shouldn't be the answer even when the Yankees are riddled with injuries. What happened to earning your spot?

That hasn't changed, so what has Wade done to earn his spot? His defense was his most attractive asset and even that is suspect and his bat should be equally as important especially when the Yankees are missing some of their heavy hitters like Luke Voit. A defensive substitute just isn't enough. He's had four seasons with a .190 BA and so far this spring he has a .194 BA with 14 strikeouts in 36 at-bats. Why is this worthy of a roster spot? Maybe it's not.

And if Aaron Boone's comments are any sort of hint, then so be it. We shouldn't be okay with rewarding a spot to Wade just because he fits a need. Does he play the position? Yes, but he's still a square peg in a round hole as far as I am concerned. He makes sense on paper, and that's it.

I hope some things are still in play as Boone said and I hope that is someone else. No offense to Wade, I appreciate his efforts over the last four seasons but it hasn't paid off. The Yankees could in theory option him to the minors and then we just wait for the time that he gets the call and then what? It's kicking the can down the road.

Maybe Boone is just giving me or others that share my opinion false hope, and maybe he isn't. Maybe there is someone else out there that the Yankees are looking at, like maybe a reunion with Todd Frazier? He did recently opt-out of his deal from the Pirates so it could theoretically happen. If it could, the Yankees should entertain it.

Either way, I don't have hope false or otherwise when it comes to Wade's likelihood of contributing to the Yankees. We've tried this already and it hasn't worked. It's an irrational attachment that fans and the Yankees have that hasn't worked out. It's time to cut the cord.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

CHEATING TWERPS ALTUVE & BREGMAN ARE RUNNING SCARED

Oh... suddenly they look scared and worried. You can see it in their faces. Little Jose Altuve looks like he's about to cry when he addressed the media at fan fest.  And Alex Bregman... you know, that cocky little dude who always used to run his mouth about how great the Astros are, suddenly has one answer: "The Commissioner made his report and decision, the Astros made their decision."

Not so cocky anymore @ABREG_1 . Maybe that’s because you’re caught. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY. #BregmanTheClown #tinyaltuve #asstros #byb pic.twitter.com/TCSg0pqSLY

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) January 18, 2020

What he doesn't realize is that he's not safe by any means. Reports can easily be re-evaluated... especially when new information comes out.

They are running scared. They know they're caught and I am loving every minute of it.  The Sporting News expands on these 2 idiots:

"Altuve and Alex Bregman faced questions about Houston's sign-stealing scandal for the first time Saturday, but beyond denying rumors they wore electronic buzzers during games, the infielders mostly declined to discuss details about their team's misdeeds. Bregman called the allegations he wore a device under his uniform "stupid." Altuve called them "ridiculous."...

.@JoseAltuve27 asked about the MLB report on the #Astros sign stealing was player-driven: “I think the time to comment about that will come. It’s a little early for me to say something about it.” pic.twitter.com/0UGK46ZzrY

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 18, 2020

MLB said it investigated the possibility of "wearable devices" being in the Astros' scheme and "found no evidence." Altuve also issued a denial through his agent, Scott Boras. "

But if the drum is banged loud enough, by fans and especially by players, Rob Manfred will be forced to look into this incident again... no question. Guys like CC Sabathia, Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Chris Archer and Todd Frazier have already come out blasting the Astros and they want action.

I do find it interesting that squeaky clean guy Justin Verlander is silent. A few years back he was the guy on the Tigers that was blasting the Astros for sign stealing. Now suddenly an Astro himself... no one has heard from this guy.  Makes him look just as guilty.

I will say this... this story is the greatest thing to happen to Bleeding Yankee Blue.  Our readership is now up by 70% thanks to these idiots. And so, we will continue to report on it. It's the biggest, most disappointing story in baseball history. Not everyone understands this though:

"looking LIKE a fool." Not "looking a fool". Bad grammar. Who tweets at 2:25am? Jerk offs... that's who.

Notice BYBs top 10 trending right now:

This works for us here at BYB. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for your support.

YANKEES BEAT METS IN GAME 1... DUH!

The Mets are an interesting team. April is always so energetic. They win a nice handful, and the fans get rabid and silly.  "This is our year". Then... it changes.

I don't hate the Mets. I just really, really like the Yankees.  In game 1 today of this Subway series double header, the Yankees won 12-5.  Everything changed for the Mets in the 4th, when Todd Frazier, whom I love, messed up big time. It was then that the wheels fell off.  Crazy how that happens.

NorthJersey.com writes: "Frazier put it way out of Dominic Smith's reach, and the runner reached and took second on the error. Two batters later, Luke Voit obliterated a three-run home run. The Mets, once up three runs early, never led again ans lost, 12-5, in Game 1 of a Subway Series doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. 

Voit's blast began Wheeler's undoing as the righty eventually allowed a career-high nine runs (though only five were earned). In his latest start, Wheeler encountered a familiar problem. He allowed two more homers, both in the same inning -- one to Gio Urshela that tied the game, then Voit's go-ahead blast. "

What else can I say, Wheeler and company stunk up the joint in Game 1. Yankees win... that's it.

Next game is coming. I may or not recap it tonight because I'm running around with the family, but I'll try.

Way to go Yanks! Keep grinding.

WHO'S GUNNA BE THAT GUY?

Source: USA Today

As we inch closer to the start of the 2019 season, we are in the final stages of reflection on what went wrong for our teams in 2018 and how to fix this before first pitch. One major factor both New York teams lacked was a culture of consistent leadership. In a past article about the rival New York teams, we touched upon the fact that since the retirement of Derek Jeter and David Wright, there has been no clear leader on either team. Quite frankly, in order to have a more successful season, clubhouse morale definitely needs to be boosted. Someone needs to step up to the plate, quite literally, to help ignite this. Who's gunna be that guy for the Yankees and even the Mets this season?!

Source: AP

Injuries to key players such as Clint Frazier, Didi Gregorius, and Aaron Judge definitely brought down morale for Yankees as well as fans last year. But the reaction that the fans gave Judge in September when he was inserted back into the lineup after being on the disabled list for two months, leads me to think that Judge can really be “that guy” for the 2019 season. Judge led the team to within just one win of the World Series in 2017, and ruffled some feathers by playing Yankees’ theme song New York, New York on a boombox through Fenway in 2018. He has definitely demonstrated what it means to be fearless, a good quality for any leader, but he may not be old enough to take the reins as leader officially, yet.

Source: MLB.com

Another concern for Judge, at least from his point of view, is being able to lead while playing, which means staying healthy.  In an interview with The New York Post before the Yankees hosted the Red Sox last season, Judge said, “My biggest thing is to lead by example. When I can’t play I can’t lead by example.” So, health and consistency can certainly thrust Judge to "that guy" status for the Yankees.

Source: NJ.com

Besides Judge, “that guy” signs also point to Red Thunder, Clint Frazier, who definitely gets an award for resilience. After an unfortunate concussion, Frazier ended up losing most of the 2018 season. Luckily for Yankees fans, Frazier has announced in a tweet on December 13, that he has resumed baseball activities.



In an interview with YES network, Frazier said, “I know there is some time to be made back up to go out there and ultimately win that job, but everyone is well deserving. It’s just a matter of who’s probably hot at the time, what are the needs and overall how much we can help the team. I’m pretty confident in what I can do; go out there and play as hard as I can, and try to win that job and help the team.” Maybe with some improvement, we can give him a new nickname that pulls in his gritty, never give up, disposition and this aids in creating a culture of leadership for the team.

Source: NJ.com

Across the river, I think veteran and former Yankee Todd Frazier can really be an asset to the team. Even though Frazier isn’t the best player statistics-wise, he’s always been a consistent leader on every team he has played for since he joined the ranks of MLB and as a child star for Toms River Little League, winning the World Series back in 1998.  My favorite contribution of Frazier’s, which I know Suzie Pintstripe is still jealous of, is the “salt and pepper” celebration that he introduced to the team. When asked what it meant, Brandon Nimmo said, “We’re just adding a little seasoning to the offense.” The Mets. like the Yankees, definitely need more of this energy in 2019.

Source: ESPN

For now, all we can do is cross our fingers and hope that the 2019 season will be a healthy one for all of our players. With consistent leadership and an optimistic outlook, 2019 can really be New York’s year and "that guy"really becomes a key component to a winning attitude for both teams.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

NEW YORK MLB ACCOUNTS YOU MUST FOLLOW IN 2019

As the 2019 season creeps up on us, it’s important to start thinking about what social media accounts to follow, besides Bleeding Yankee Blue of course.

Twitter and Instagram are great places to get not only the latest information and chat with other fans, but to have a good laugh as well.

Besides the Mets and Yankees official team accounts, here are some of my favorite New York baseball feeds.

Now before we begin, let me state for the record that I am a Mets fan, but because of the strong, family foundation that is Bleeding Yankee Blue, I was asked to come in as a different voice, to not only bring you perspective on the Mets and Yankees, but on baseball in general.  I appreciate that opportunity and am happy to be here! And so... let's begin.

The New York Mets

1. Noah Syndergaard (Twitter: @Noahsyndergaard) 

New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard is not afraid to speak his mind and has a serious case of the Twitter fingers. His feed consists of him feuding with Mr. Met, tons of Game of Thrones references, and plenty of his Thor persona. Syndergaard is definitely someone to follow for quality content and a good laugh.

2. Todd Frazier (Twitter: @FlavaFraz21) 

Third baseman Todd Frazier is one of the more active Mets players on Twitter. He is always interacting with fans as well as retweeting interesting articles and sports news. I loved him as a Yankee and clearly I love him as a Met, and his Instagram feed is really different because of his authenticity. He shares family photos along with his community connections with fans through his account. Check him out for sure.

3. Mr. Met (Twitter: @MrMet)

Mascot accounts are all a rage. From NCAA to MLB, mascots are posting creative content which promote the teams they represent. The beloved mascot of the not just the Mets, but all of MLB, well all but Syndergaard, Mr. Met has a great variety of content. From his feud with Syndergaard, to hanging out with other mascots, memes, and baseball news, Mr. Met is an account to follow just for some fun.

4. Kevin Clancy (Twitter: @KFCBarstool) 

Kevin Clancy, known as KFC, is a Barstool Sports personality that covers the New York sports teams. If you’re a fan of depreciating humor and love to hate the Mets sometimes, he is a great account to follow. Let’s see how long it takes for him to “cuncel” the season this year.

5. Steve Gelbs (Twitter: @SteveGelbs) 

Steve Gelbs is the Mets field reporter for SNY. If you go to Citi Field, you will definitely spot Gelbs around somewhere. He has creative live game tweets, Mets updates, interviews, behind the scenes content and you guessed it, some fun Twitter drama with Syndergaard.

The New York Yankees

1. Didi Gregorious (Twitter: @DidiG18) 

Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius is a huge emoji lover. You don’t want to root for the Yankees just for a win, you want to root them on so that you can see one of Gregorius’ amazing #startspreadingthenews tweets. With the constant addition of new emojis, I think we’re all interested to see with what he comes up with this season. Hopefully he will tweet even while he is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

2. Gary Sanchez (Instagram: @elgarysanchez)

Yankees catcher, Gary Sanchez, the Kracken, has a great mix of life updates, fan art, and gameday pictures of teammates and himself. Not only that, but he is always updating his Insta story. Hoping to see some entertaining content from Sanchez this season.

3. Giancarlo Stanton (Instagram: @giancarlo818) 

Like baseball pics? Funny videos? Cool selfies? Then you should definitely follow outfielder Giancarlo Stanton on Instagram. Not only does he like to poke fun at himself, he has some cool pictures with some of your baseball favorites.

4. Doug Stroup (Twitter: @dougstro)

Bleeding Yankee Blue avid reader and die-hard Yankees fan, Doug Stroup has a great variety of original tweets, as well as retweets from other Yankees accounts. He also has an interesting spin to his account and as a Yankee season ticket holder, he gets some exclusive behind the scenes pics with our favorites in the broadcast booth and on the field. He also participates in charity events and brings his passion for the game and the Yankees to his posts. Follow Doug.

5. Rookie the Batdog (Twitter: @BatdogRookie)

If you love dogs, you love mascots and you love baseball, then following Rookie the Batdog is a no brainer. Rookie works with Double-A Yankee affiliate Trenton Thunder and is always posting the cutest pictures! Definitely give this good boy a follow for a different perspective and some scenes from the farm.

These are some of my favorite baseball accounts, which all add a little extra spice to my sports feed on social media. Hope you will consider these as you ready yourself for the 2019. And don't forget to #FollowFriday and share the love.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

RIVAL NEW YORK TEAMS WITH ONE THING IN COMMON

Source: NY Post

Today, this post is authored by my niece, a Class of 2018 rising baseball content developer and marketing specialist. Although we have a love of baseball in common, we root for two different New York teams. In this piece, guest writer Melissa O'Rourke (@missy_orourke) shares her take on this rivalry with a side of leadership and tradition.

For as long as I could remember, baseball has been a big part of family life, especially between my aunt Suzie and me. To be fair, I started off as a Yankees fan. Summers consisted of going to Yankee Stadium, eating all of the ballpark food I could get a hold of, and cheering on Derek Jeter.

Source: New York Post

It was when I went to college that I became a traitor- I became a Mets fan. To make matters worse, going to school in New England leaned me towards the Red Sox as well. If you are a regular reader of Bleeding Yankee Blue, and you follow Suzie Pinstripe's posts, I am sure you know that Suzie was not very happy with me when she saw me donning a Red Sox cap at Fenway Park. We have the occasional, “I’m going to steal your players,” battle, but overall I think she has finally accepted me for who I’ve become. She also has accepted Jacob DeGrom is mine and will forever be mine.

Some of my favorite times with Suzie consist of beer flights, or wine, and watching baseball. One time we even stayed up into the late night watching every game on MLB TV until the West Coast games eventually ended, post game interviewed finished and the network went dark. Although exhausted, we had a great night.

Regardless of my stance, I will always be a New York fan. I was born and raised a New Yorker, so I will always root for the Yankees if they’re not playing the Mets.

One thing that both teams have in common is a lead figure on their team. Statistics aside, David Wright and Derek Jeter are two icons for their respective teams. Both starting and ending their careers with the same organization, they truly made their mark in the most respectable way possible. They drew a huge fan base, lead their teams both on the field and off and gave their whole selves to this game, ending their careers as captains.

Not wanting to leave his team just yet, David Wright has recently announced he will assume the role of Special Advisor to the Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and Brody Van Wagenen.

“I will always be tremendously grateful for the way fans treated me because playing in this city and for this team was a dream come true. I look forward to contributing and taking on the challenges of this new role,” said Wright via Twitter.

Source: Miami Herald

Although not still working with the Yankees, I think it is great Jeter decided to also stay in the baseball world by co-owning the Marlins. He did help close one of he biggest deals in Yankees history with the signing of Giancarlo Stanton at the end of 2017.

The question still looms for both clubs, feeling the absence of their great leaders: Who will be the next captain, perhaps a dying role?

Source: Jim Young-USA TODAY Sports 

Todd Frazier, a former Yankee, is a player I believe has the potential to step up for the Mets. In a recent SNY article, Frazier said he wants to take rookie Peter Alonso under his wing, even requesting for their lockers to be next to each other at spring training. However, I believe he needs to have a better and more consistent 2019 season, with fewer injuries, to be considered for that role.

Source: NJ.com

I am not a Yankees expert, but I know there are veteran players, such as CC Sabathia, who have been on the team for some time and could provide some insight to the younger players. The Yankees are an extremely talented and successful team, but I think what they need is some leadership to really take them to the next level. Perhaps Suzie has some insight on who she thinks will step up on the Yankees?

I am excited to see what happens in 2019 for both the New York teams as pitchers and catchers report in less than five weeks. I would like to thank my aunt for letting me write this piece. Can’t wait for more late, wine filled, baseball nights.

And Missy, let's keep that rivalry alive with another inter-league battle this time at Citi Field, on me! Good slice of life writing with a special connection to leaders all New Yorkers love. Happy Hump Day!

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke