YES, SANCHEZ IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD!

It's time to dispel some inaccurate rumors flying around about Gary Sanchez and whether or not he is eligible for American League Rookie of the Year consideration. It's nearly impossible to find how rumors like these start. My best guess is that it started with a Daily News story entitled "Should Gary Sanchez win Rookie of the Year despite playing fewer than 60 games? THAT’S DEBATABLE". In their defense, if you read the article, they never suggest that he doesn't qualify. Their point was that he may not have played enough this season like some of the other contenders for Rookie of the Year. Now if you only read the title, you may have drawn the wrong conclusion and, well, that's how rumors start.

Let's set the record straight. To be eligible for Rookie of the Year, you have to be a rookie defined as follows:

A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list).Rules, regulations and statistics | MLB.com

His 131st career at-bat took place on September 12 at the Stadium against the Dodgers - ironically, a game I was at! So he is definitely eligible as far as the rules go. The only question remaining is whether or not he'll get the votes from the members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Honestly, I call that a question out of courtesy to the other players having the misfortune of starting their careers in the American League this year. I am sure their prospects looked great in July.

If you take all the players who are considered rookies this year with 100 or more at-bats and start comparing their stats, it's clear who is the top player. His OPS (1.137) is more than 200 points better than second place. His slugging percentage is more than 150 points better than the guy in second. He leads in batting average with .329, better than Derek Jeter's .314 in his 1996 Rookie of the Year campaign. If he had as many at-bats as Trevor Story, who plays in homer-happy Coors Field and leads rookies in home runs, Sanchez would have over 40 home runs by now. NBC Sports' Bill Baer got it right when he said that Gary Sanchez is "running away" with this.

That "if he had as many at-bats" statement headlines the critics' claim that Sanchez doesn't deserve the award because he hasn't had to endure a full season of play. Clearly, baseball recognizes that you cannot give the ROY award to a guy who only played a few games, just like they cannot give the batting title to someone hitting .500 who had only two at-bats and was lucky enough to get a hit. That's why they have the minimums the way they do. If having 130 at-bats takes you out of eligibility as a rookie, it should be enough to warrant consideration.

We'll see what the baseball writers decide. This is a slam dunk. Unless something dramatic happens in the last 10 games of the season, this is a done deal. He will be the 9th Yankee to win the award, joining Jeter, Dave Righetti, Thurman Munson, Stan Bahnsen, Tom Tresh, Tony Kubek, Gil McDougald, and Bob Grim.

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

TIME FOR HAL & HANK TO READ BYB!

Well, here we sit... just a 1 day away from the All Star game at Citi field in Queens.  Many of us die-hard Yankee fans have been so frustrated by all the injuries the Yankees have had all season... it's a mess, but BYB gets me up to speed daily.

We look at guys like Joe Girardi and his binder and we want to blame Kevin Long too.  Many of us are outraged because of all the so-called "rejects" the Yankees have picked up off the scrap heap... I think of them as re-treads like in the tires.  Many of the DFA's end up signing and wearing Pinstripes within hours of being let go by their former teams.  You can read the BYB archives about any of these guys. Meanwhile, many of the Yankee baseball prospects are near the top of the list... so why are we wasting our time on DFAs?   I, like many, scratch my head and think about what Brian Cashman is thinking by NOT bringing MORE of these prospects and giving them a shot.

I have stated in some of my past Bleeding Yankee blogs that we pay and develop players have for years. My question is, what does that say about our farm system if they don’t bring these guys up and use them? It's time... it really is.

 

(In Photo: Mark Montgomery)

Now, some of you know that I have attended some AZ Fall League games the last 3 years (Read HANGING OUT AT THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE), and I've seen some of the best in the Yankee minor league system play. For example;  Mark Montgomery for instance. I've heard some talk about how he could be our next closer. Montgomery should be up!  How about Slade Heathcott?

Slade should be given a shot... he has great ranger and can hit some monster shots.  The bottom line is we can't do any worse than what we have up here now.  Heck, with all the injuries this season, we then end up rushing Derek Jeter back too fast,  and he pulls his quad the first day back Come on! Now, we're all hoping it isn't too serious, but time will tell.

I, and others feel like Hal and Hank Steinbrenner don’t care about the Yankees and us fans and are laughing all the way to the bank. Cashman's hands are tied with the tightening of the wallets, it's clear aid is NOT on the way.

Sure, if the Boss were around, heads would roll, but sadly, he isn't and his sons now run the show. Man, I truly wish Hal and Hank read BYB, because if they did, they'd see what many fans feel. I wonder if it would change anything?  I don’t know, but if we got some kind of response, it would be nice.  Look, rumors are all around us lately, but will we actually do anything to better ourselves as a team? I wonder.  It's crazy, but this current 2013 Yankee team reminds me of the late 1960's teams when we had guys like Clete Boyer, Tom Tresh, Dooley Womack & Fritz Peterson... remember them?

(In Photo: Tom Tresh)

Now, you're reading this thinking, "Oh great, another Yankee fan giving up on his Yankees!" NO WAY! I am not bailing at all!  In fact, if you check the standings, this 2013 Yankees team has won 50 games before the All Star break. This is the 6th year in a row we have done that!  Check the standings, every team but the Blue Jays has won 50 or more games in the AL East. As I type this, we are currently in 4th place, only  6 games out of first in our division. So, once again we remain in the toughest division in baseball.  But, what am I hoping for? I am hoping the boys and Cashman shock us fans and make some beneficial trades before the July 31st deadline. I am hoping we start obtaining quality ball players, or at least get more of the kids up here to contribute! That's what I want. So folks, while it hasn’t been pretty the first half, we are still in the thick of this race, remember that. We just may need alittle extra to put us over.

As Sir Winston Churchill once said... "Never, never, never give up!" 

 --Dave Goode, Die-hard Yankee fan
Interviewed for his 30 plus years experience as a vendor at Yankee Stadium
THE VENDOR FROM THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT

The Bleeding Yankee Blue store is opened! CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING! Also, follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

"I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE"

Here's another installment from my good friend Dave Goode, a die-hard Yankee fan... and my friend.

As your blog says, The Yankees are looking to 2014. I am going to be like a bear and go to sleep.  You can wake me just in time for Spring training 2014.  It is my opinion that this Yankee team sadly reminds me of being a young Yankee fan.

(In Photo: Jake Gibbs)
I remember being around 11 years old and seeing that 1967 Yankee roster... an aging Mickey Mantle in one of his last years. Jake Gibbs as catcher, Charley Smith at 3B. There was Tom Tresh, Joe Pepitone, Ruben Amaro, Steve Whitaker and many other so-so players past there prime.

Last season they BATTLED to barely make the playoffs with so-so pitching and no clutch hitting. Now I see this off season and there is nothing. It has been the "Off Season of Stugots."

Yeah, we signed Kevin Youkilis because we had no choice. Alex Rodriguez is down through mid-summer at best and he "could" be out all season, read HERE.   Youk could surprise us, true, but his better days are behind him.  We couldn’t even get a so-so Scott Hairston to sign with us, never mind a Justin Upton who ended up going to the Braves. Plus, instead of going after Michael Morse, we signed Dan Johnson, a .237 lifetime hitter. To me, it's pathetic. BYB blogs have talked all the players the Yanks have missed the boat on and I'll tell you, I wish I could talk to both of the Steinbrenner boys and tell them that's it's been a disappointment.

We are in the toughest division in baseball and after the Toronto Blue Jays made that trade with the Miami Marlins, things just got tougher. Plus, who's left to sign? Michael Bourn?  I don’t see that happening.  I've been in sales for over 30 years. We usually have mock sales sessions. But look, until you actually interact with customers, it is all nonsense.  That is why the time is NOW to get the kids on the farm up to the bigs! Another year down on the farm won't matter that much. not when we sign  guys like Dan Johnson. Instead of waiting, give the kids a shot.  My gut tells me they can't do any worse and it will mature them and give them the big league experience they need. Who knows, we may actually get luck too! Forget about Giancarlo Stanton. The Yankees just won't spend the money.

I think the only way the boys wake up is if us fans revolt. I back BYB's idea, hit them in the pocket book. Read YANKEE FAN'S REVOLT: "ENOUGH'S ENOUGH". Let the attendance dwindle, let food and souvenir sales fall flat and all revenue sources dry up and if in 2014 they put a team that can win #28 on the field, we will be back, but not before!  Hey, when they spend money, fans will spend money.  As was said in the movie Network. " I'm mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore!"

Finally, on paper, I don’t see a team that can go out win the division, a pennant and a #28 championship, so wake me in 2014.  Hopefully I'm wrong.  If I'm not, hopefully next winter these guys will wake up and go after some quality players.  Hey, it never hurts to start looking early... right?

 --Dave Goode, Die-hard Yankee fan
Interviewed for his 30 plus years experience as a vendor at Yankee Stadium
THE VENDOR FROM THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT



 

"YOU GOTTA HAVE BALLS": A BRANDON STEINER EXCLUSIVE

I'm a memorabilia freak.  I don't save up a ton of dough to just dump it on a $5000 piece of memorabilia, I have priorities, but I collect what I want to collect. Inexpensive and personal and something that I can pass onto my kids over time.  I even wrote a fun piece about it called WHAT'S IN YOUR JUNK DRAWER? Sometimes people have stuff they forget even have.

But enough about me. Let's chat about Brandon Steiner, founder and chairman of Steiner Sports Marketing one of the biggest Memorabilia guys in the world dealing with some of the most expensive pieces in the world. Mr. Steiner recently released a book titled "You Gotta Have Balls" and I was interested in asking him about what's it like to walk in his shoes. I got some pretty interesting answers and you'll enjoy this interview...I sure did.

BYB: Was sports memorabilia something you always wanted to get into? I read you started your empire with $8000 and in 2 years made $5 million. Is that even true?

Brandon Steiner: No, that’s not true at all! I started Steiner in 1987 with $4,000 and for a long time it just consisted of me doing small athlete marketing projects and arranging paid appearances for players. $5 million? 

I was literally operating check to check. Around 1993 I took $10,000 and started Steiner collectibles, with two clients on board - Mark Messier and Phil Rizzuto - and a closet of collectibles I had. I thought the items would be used mostly for corporate promotions and gifts to get new clients, but it quickly became more than that. But the business never really “took off” until 1999 and 2000, with the Subway Series.

BYB: Who was the first New York Yankee you worked with after your agreement with the Yankees in 2005?

Brandon Steiner: By 2005 we had them all.  My relationship with the Yankees really started in 1998; after that season, we had half the team under contract. In 2005 we were actually more Red Sox-centric, since they had just completed their crazy run of 2004.

BYB: After Christian Lopez caught Derek Jeter's 3000th hit, a home run, you reached out and offered to pay $25,000 toward his student loans. How did that come to be?

Brandon Steiner: Christian had given the ball to Derek voluntarily, when he could have gotten a lot of money for it, and so I was toying with the idea of helping him in some way because that was such a tremendous thing to do. But I couldn’t figure out the best way to help him – he didn’t want anything, really - and I almost gave up!  Then one morning Mitch Modell called me and said “I want to help this kid out, he’s a great kid.” So of course I was on board. Finally we got through to Christian and the idea of paying off the loans came up.

But this is more a story of Mitch helping the kid. He quarterbacked the whole thing, and besides the generous check, Mitch gave him his World Series ring and a full-time job. I was happy to help Christian and his family deal with the frenzy that surrounded him after he caught that ball. What a great story and a great kid.

BYB: What's your favorite piece of merchandise in the Steiner Collection and why?

Brandon Steiner: This one’s easy: it’s a photo of Mark Messier holding the Stanley Cup up, grinning from ear to ear, with his inscription “We did it – ’94 Cup”. The morning after the Rangers won that year, everyone I saw on the train to work was reading the Daily News coverage, with that photo on the back of the paper. That’s when it clicked for me - that there was a market for that kind of collectible – not just a photo, but the athlete making an inscription that brought all the emotions together. Also, Mark has always been such a great friend to me, through the years. He’s the best guy you could have on your team, period.

BYB: Growing up, tell me 2 athletes that you admired and why?

Brandon Steiner: Clyde Frazier, because growing up, all I wanted to do was become a NBA player and Clyde was the coolest and had “the shoes.” Also, Roy White, a solid baseball player and a very cool and calm player - never got too emotional – just played the game.

Bobby Murcer was a favorite as well as Roger Staubach. How can you not love Roger, with those great last minute comebacks and the way he served our country - and then came back and played some serious football! 4 Super Bowls.

BYB: As a kid, tell me who was the first autograph you received from an athlete? Do you still have it today?

(In Photo: Tom Tresh)

Brandon Steiner: Yes, of course I still have it! It was Yankees Tom Tresh and Joe Pepitone around 1970. That story is in the book. I was 11 and some older kids took me to the game that day and we sat by the on-deck circle and met those two guys. Another real big autograph I got as a kid was Thurman Munson. I met him in a hotel in Boston and he signed my program. You bet I got that!

BYB: What do you want people to learn about you in your new book "You Gotta Have Balls"?

Brandon Steiner: I hope they learn that all the grains of sand are what makes up the beach. That all the little things you do in life add up and if you pour yourself into doing them, they end up being big things.  And you never know when your luck can change so follow your dreams by making a commitment and sticking to it. Eventually you discover passion and fun. Don’t be afraid to fall, especially when you’re young!

BYB: Final question, do you ever read my website Bleeding Yankee Blue? If so, what do you think? 

Brandon Steiner: Honestly, I have not gone to your site before, but I just gave it a look and it’s awesome, very well done!  I can see how Yankee-centric you are, which of course I love.  I will be back and we should do some promos with you with Yankees seats and signed items. Why not? By the way, that's another question I ask in the book,  What else? and Why not?

Mr. Steiner, I think I'll be calling you about maybe working together on something, you've inspired me.

What a pleasure and such a likeable guy! We hope you enjoyed this interview with Mr. Steiner and I suggest all of you go out and get his book.  It's a great read.  Buy "You Gotta Have Balls", it's a must, I swear!