NEVER ROOT FOR AN INJURY… BUT SOMETIMES YOU THINK IT

You never want to see a player get hurt. Ever. Let me get that out of the way before somebody comes after me with a pitchfork.

Trent Grisham is headed to the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain, and the Yankees have recalled Jasson Dominguez from Triple-A.

That's bad news for Grisham.

But for the Yankees?

Forgive me... maybe not.

Because suddenly Aaron Boone doesn't have to perform advanced calculus trying to figure out how to squeeze everyone into the outfield. Spencer Jones has been earning his playing time, and with Grisham down, Jones should get a legitimate opportunity in center. Meanwhile, Dominguez is back, and perhaps—crazy concept here—the Yankees can actually find out what these young guys can do by playing them.

Jones has already shown flashes that scream, Don't send me anywhere. And Dominguez? I've been waiting forever for the Yankees to stop treating "The Martian" like he's classified government property.

Grisham hadn't exactly been forcing the issue lately, either. He was just 4-for-44 over his previous 14 games before landing on the IL.

So no, I'm not celebrating an injury. I hope Grisham heals quickly.

But baseball has a funny way of making decisions for organizations that refuse to make them themselves.

The Yankees have young outfielders who need at-bats. Spencer Jones needs to play. Jasson Dominguez deserves another look.

Now they have their chance.

Sometimes opportunity knocks.

Sometimes it grabs its hamstring.

Forgive me.

CAM SHOVES AS YANKEES TAKE THE SERIES

The Yankees beat the Angels 6–3 in 10 innings Wednesday night, taking the series and escaping Anaheim with another important win.

Cam Schlittler was magnificent. Eight innings. Two hits. One run. Nine strikeouts. No walks. He retired 20 of the first 21 hitters he faced and lowered his American League-leading ERA to 2.04. Schlittler didn’t merely give the Yankees a chance—he carried them until the offense finally woke up. The kid is becoming a great major-league pitcher right before our eyes.

Then came the 10th inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Austin Wells slapped a two-run single into right field to break the tie. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Ben Rice followed with RBI singles as the Yankees hung a five-spot on the Angels.

Tip your cap to Wells. It was a clutch hit in a big moment. But let’s keep the parade under control. Wells is still batting an awful, horrendous .190. One big hit doesn’t suddenly turn him into Jorge Posada or Thurman Munson. Those were championship catchers who produced when it mattered over entire seasons—not once every few weeks.

Celebrate the hit. Praise the moment. Just don’t confuse one clutch swing with greatness. Write that down.

This game belonged to Cam Schlittler. That’s a series win. Pack the bags and keep moving.

RICE, RICE BABY! YANKS KEEP ROLLING!

What a difference a day makes.

After getting embarrassed by Toronto pitching on Saturday, the Yankees came back Sunday and actually looked like a team with some attitude, beating the Blue Jays 8-3 and taking another important step forward.

Ben Rice continues to impress me. With the bases loaded in the sixth and the Yankees needing a big hit, Rice battled through a full count and ripped a two-run single to right. No panic. No trying to hit a six-run homer. Just a professional at-bat from a kid who keeps showing he belongs in the middle of this lineup.

And how about Jazz Chisholm Jr.? He helped manufacture the rally with a bunt single and then decided subtlety was overrated, launching a two-run homer an inning later. That's Jazz — energy, swagger and the ability to change a game in about five minutes.

Spencer Jones chipped in with an RBI double and a terrific diving catch, Trent Grisham reached base for the go-ahead run and later homered, and suddenly the Yankees had themselves an 8-3 win.

That's six wins in seven games, folks.

There are still things to clean up, but right now? I'm enjoying this. The Yankees are playing with some life, the kids are contributing, Jazz is bringing the juice and Ben Rice just keeps looking better.

Keep winning. Keep pushing. This is getting fun.

GRISHAM, RODÓN & LOMBARD GIVE ME SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

Well, look at that.

The Yankees won a baseball game Tuesday night, 3–1 over the Orioles, and for once I don't feel the need to immediately locate the nearest wall and bang my head against it.

I'm calling that progress.

And while this wasn't exactly Murderers' Row reincarnated—the Yankees managed only five hits—there were actually several things to like about this one. So yes, I'm going to enjoy it. I don't get to do this nearly enough.

Let's start with Trent Grisham, because apparently he decided the rest of the offense could take the night off. Grisham drove in all three Yankee runs, blasting his 17th homer in the third inning and then delivering the biggest hit of the night, a two-run single in the seventh that broke a 1–1 tie. Even better, that single came after Grisham fell behind 0–2 against left-hander Josh Walker.

That's called a professional at-bat. Remember those?

Then there was Carlos Rodón, back from the injured list and looking pretty damn good considering he hadn't pitched in the majors since June 28. Rodón went four innings, allowed one run on 2 hits and gave the Yankees exactly what they needed in his first game back. The lone damage was a Coby Mayo solo homer.

Was it vintage Cy Young stuff? No. Did I need it to be? Absolutely not. Get Rodón healthy. Get him comfortable. Get him stretched out. If the Yankees are going anywhere meaningful over the next two months, they're going to need this guy.

And then there's George Lombard Jr.

I don't want to get carried away with a young player after a couple of weeks, because we've seen how dangerous that can be around this organization. But the kid keeps giving us reasons to watch.

Lombard went 2-for-4 with a run scored, but the play everyone will remember came with the glove. He ranged deep to his right, planted himself however the hell he could and fired across the diamond to rob Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Rodón's reaction on the YES broadcast pretty much said it all.

Grunt Baseball here. These Yankee pitchers are WOW'd with what it's like to have an ACTUAL shortstop behind them.  That should tell the Yankees front office everything they need to know.

The interesting part is that Lombard isn't just surviving at shortstop. He's looking comfortable there. Since his August 4 call-up, he's provided athleticism, defense and some life to a lineup desperately needing it.

That's refreshing.

And finally, give the bullpen some credit.

After Rodón departed, Yankee relievers covered five scoreless innings. Yerry De Los Santos earned the win, Fernando Cruz helped escape trouble in the seventh, and David Bednar closed it out for save No. 28. Baltimore finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners.

That's how you win when the offense isn't exactly setting off fireworks.

Pitch. Play defense. Get the big hit. Go home. It doesn't have to be complicated.

The Yankees are now 70–55, they've won two straight, and Tampa Bay lost Tuesday, pulling New York to five games back in the AL East.

Am I planning the parade? Relax. This team still has problems. Five hits isn't exactly something you frame and hang over the fireplace. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton are still out, and there are plenty of questions surrounding this roster.

But Tuesday night wasn't about complaining. It was about Grisham coming through when they needed him. Rodón returning and looking healthy. Lombard continuing to show us something. And a bullpen protecting a lead instead of lighting it on fire.

That's a good Yankee win. I'll take it. Hell, I'll even smile about it. Just don't make me regret saying that Wednesday night.

COLE DESERVES BETTER... AGAIN

The Yankees lost 3-1 to Toronto Friday night, and once again, the story wasn't complicated: they couldn't score.

Gerrit Cole gave them six strong innings, allowing two runs — only one earned — and kept the game exactly where an ace is supposed to keep it. The Yankees rewarded him with one lousy run, a Trent Grisham solo homer.

That's becoming a serious problem. We have  talked about it all last week. The Yankees have scored just one run over their last 18 innings and two runs or fewer in nine of their last 14 games. This isn't April. It's August. You don't stroll into October hoping the offense eventually wakes up.

Meanwhile, Aaron Boone found another battle to fight — with an umpire. No one cares Aaron, you're a fool.

Boone was ejected after arguing a low strike called on Luis García Jr. Was it low? It certainly looked that way. But here's my question: maybe Boone should worry a little less about winning arguments with umpires and a little more about winning baseball games.

Getting tossed isn't managing. Screaming at Vic Carapazza doesn't drive runners home. Somebody needs to explain why this lineup continually disappears.

The sixth inning was a mess, including the scary collision between Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Lombard Jr. near third base that resulted in Guerrero being evaluated for a possible concussion. Nuts.

But none of that changes the biggest problem. The Yankees scored one run. Again. Cole deserved better. The pitching staff deserves better. Us fans certainly deserve better.

October is coming.

You can't win if you don't hit. And apparently, no amount of Boone yelling at umpires is going to change that.

 

ANOTHER YANKEE RALLY & MORE LOMBARD MAGIC!

The Yankees won again Tuesday night, beating the Mariners 4-1 for their third straight comeback victory.

That's the good news.

The other news? Can we please stop making “comeback” part of the nightly game plan?

Ryan Weathers deserved better than another night of waiting around for the offense to show up. He carried a one-hit shutout into the sixth and stretched his scoreless streak to 23 innings before Randy Arozarena finally got him with a solo homer. Weathers went 5.2 terrific innings, and the Yankee bullpen was spotless again.

And yet, there were the Yankees, trailing 1-0. Again. Thankfully, the bats eventually received the memo. In the seventh, Ryan McMahon delivered a two-run single and Trent Grisham followed with another two-run knock. Just like that, 1-0 became 4-1, and the Yankees had another win.

I love the fight. I love three straight comeback victories. But eventually, how about throwing the first punch? You can't keep spending six innings wandering around offensively and expect to flip a switch every night. Score early. Give your pitchers a lead. Maybe even make a game comfortable once in a while.

Crazy concept, I know.

But the moment I can't stop thinking about wasn't a hit.

It was George Lombard Jr.

In the first inning, a ground ball up the middle ricocheted off the second-base bag and changed direction. Lombard adjusted instantly, grabbed it with his bare hand and fired to first for the out.

Beautiful.

And here's what made it so impressive: it wasn't showboating. It was instinct. Lombard didn't barehand the ball because he wanted a highlight. He did it because his baseball brain immediately told him that's how the play had to be made.

You can't teach that. You can practice footwork, throwing mechanics and positioning. You can take 10,000 ground balls. But that internal clock — seeing something unexpected happen and reacting correctly without hesitation — is something special.

Lombard has it.

And I'm going to ask the question because every Yankee fan watching that play had to think about it:

After all the errors, misplays and routine grounders that somehow turned into adventures, do you think in a million years Anthony Volpe makes that play?

Come on. We've spent years being told how “elite” Volpe is defensively. Now we're watching Lombard play shortstop, and seemingly every game there's another defensive highlight. Great range. Smooth hands. Difficult throws made naturally. And now he's barehanding a ball that ricocheted off second base like somebody forgot to tell him the play was supposed to be difficult.

We're getting spoiled. Actually, maybe we're not. Maybe this is simply how a Yankee shortstop is supposed to operate. What was Yankee management doing force feeding Volpe on us? What a waste of time!

There's a difference between being told someone is an elite defender and watching someone whose instincts practically jump through the television. Lombard doesn't look frantic. He doesn't fight the position. He just plays it.

That's what makes this kid so impressive. The Yankees won 4-1. Weathers was terrific. McMahon and Grisham delivered. The bullpen did its job.

Three straight comeback wins. I'll happily take them. But tonight, maybe score before the seventh inning. And please, keep hitting the ball toward George Lombard Jr.

I want to see what the kid does next.

LOMBARD JR. HAS CHANGED THE FEEL OF THE YANKEES IN JUST 2 GAMES

The Yankees lost 3-1 to the Cardinals. They stranded 11 runners. They went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The stadium lights quit on them twice. It was one of those nights where everything that could short-circuit did.

Everything except the shortstop.

And that's exactly why this loss felt different. George Lombard Jr. has been the Yankees' starting shortstop for exactly two games, and somehow the entire organization already feels lighter. Maybe it's because we're finally watching baseball instead of a science experiment that everyone knew had failed except the people running the lab.

For years, Yankees fans were told to ignore what they were seeing. Anthony Volpe just needed more time. Then more time after that. Then some patience. Then another season. Somewhere along the way, "development" became code for "please stop asking questions."

Finally, it was enough.

Lombard showed up, homered in his Major League debut, followed it up with another hit, stole one away on defense, and suddenly the most important position on the field looks... normal.

You know, the way it's supposed to.

Will Warren probably summed it up better than anyone. "I made a joke with him earlier: 'He's everywhere.' It's nice to have that behind you."

Read between those lines. Pitchers don't hand out compliments like Halloween candy. They know when the guy behind them can erase mistakes instead of creating new ones. The comfort level is obvious. The confidence is obvious. The energy is obvious. It's almost as if having a legitimate shortstop playing shortstop is good for baseball. Revolutionary concept, I know.

Meanwhile, back in Scranton, Anthony Volpe is getting regular at-bats while rotating between shortstop and second base. Good. That's exactly where he needs to be.

The problem is the Yankees still can't seem to let go of the fantasy that Volpe is somehow their long-term answer at shortstop. That ship didn't just sail—it filed a change-of-address form. Just watch Lombard for a few innings.

The first step. The range. The instincts. The athleticism.

It's simply reality. Some guys have "it." Others spend three years convincing an organization they might eventually find it. George Lombard Jr. already has it. Personally? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Volpe's best chance to carve out a Major League career is probably at second base... with another organization.

Because this isn't really about Anthony Volpe anymore. It's about what happens when the Yankees stop forcing a narrative and let talent speak for itself. Even the clubhouse feels different. We actually have a chance to win it all.

Trent Grisham talked about believing the offense will eventually come around, and maybe it will. But confidence is contagious, and so is competence.

For the first time in a long time, the Yankees look like they're playing with both. Fans aren't holding their breath every time a routine ground ball is hit to short. Pitchers aren't wondering if they need four outs in an inning. And perhaps best of all, nobody has to spend the postgame explaining why what everyone just watched wasn't actually what they watched.

That's progress. George Lombard Jr. has been in the Bronx for two days.

Two.

And somehow the Yankees already feel like a team trying to win baseball games instead of trying to win an argument. That's the biggest difference of all. Brian Cashman may still be clinging to the Volpe dream like it's the last life raft on the Titanic.

The rest of us have already climbed aboard the Lombard ship. And judging by the reaction inside that clubhouse, the Yankees and the Yankees social media has too.

Wow. 

Volpe who?

BYRON BUXTON ON THE YANKEES RADAR...

Allegedly!

The Yankees' outfield problem went from concerning to critical in a matter of days.

Cody Bellinger's strained left hamstring couldn't have come at a worse time. Already without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees are now missing another key piece of an offense that's been hanging on by sheer determination. They've managed to keep winning, but anyone watching this team knows the margin for error is getting smaller by the day.

That's why Brian Cashman can't afford to sit back as the trade deadline approaches.

The Yankees have been connected to several outfielders in recent weeks, but one name continues to stand above the rest: Byron Buxton.

ESPN's Buster Olney and other baseball insiders have identified the Minnesota Twins' All-Star center fielder as an ideal fit for a Yankees club desperately searching for another impact bat. It's easy to understand why.

Buxton is putting together one of the finest seasons of his career, hitting .271 with 25 home runs, 45 RBIs and an OPS north of .850. His production earned him a starting spot in the American League All-Star Game, but his value extends well beyond the numbers.

He brings athleticism, speed and elite defense to center field—qualities the Yankees desperately need. While Trent Grisham has done an admirable and Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones are still adjusting, Buxton would immediately elevate the position on both sides of the ball. He changes games with his glove, creates havoc on the bases and adds another dangerous right-handed bat capable of lengthening a lineup that has become far too dependent on role players.

That dependence has become impossible to ignore. The Yankees know it. Their front office knows it. And the rest of us fans know it too.

The biggest obstacle isn't determining whether Buxton would fit in New York. It's convincing Minnesota to move him. My opinion of course. I like this alot.

Buxton holds a full no-trade clause, giving him complete control over his future, and Twins officials have publicly stated they have no plans to part with one of their franchise cornerstones. If the Yankees want to make something happen, it would almost certainly require a significant package of prospects and Buxton's willingness to waive his protection.

That's a difficult conversation.  But championship-caliber players rarely become available without difficult conversations. Can we ship out Volpe?

With the August 3 trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Yankees have reached a difficult spot. They can hope their stars return quickly and their current roster continues to outperform expectations, or they can aggressively pursue an impact player capable of changing the trajectory of their season.

History has shown that standing still at the deadline rarely wins championships. Just look at the Yankees.

If the Yankees truly believe this roster is built to make a deep October run, this is the moment to act boldly. Whether Byron Buxton ultimately becomes available remains uncertain, but one thing isn't.

The Yankees don't just need another outfielder. They need another bat and athlete. They need someone who can change the conversation.

BLOW ONE LAST KISS GOODBYE WITH YOUR BLOW POP, JAZZ!

I'm just over it! I mean all of it. Jazz Chisholm is a trainwreck. He's a circus side show that's nothing but a distraction and a disappointment. Then there is that pathetic excuse of a manager in Aaron Boone. This team is nothing but a laughing stock. 

It's bad enough we just dropped a series to the Cincinnati Reds, now we have another embarrassing follow up with Jazz playing second base with a blow pop in his mouth on Monday, and then flaunting it in the dugout again on Tuesday, read more HERE. Oh wait, that's after there was confusion of whether it was a blow pop or a piece of gum because there was a can of Dubble Bubble. Is this really what the New York Yankees have become?

I guess so. Jazz doesn't care. I mean we are talking about the guy who doesn't understand basic rules in baseball. He did botch a play in April with one out and the bases loaded in a tie game that cost himself a chance at a tag-and-throw double play. Then he admitted he didn't know the basic rule and Trent Grisham had to jump in and try to save him in front of the media, read WHEN JAZZ'S BLUNDER ISN'T ENOUGH - BOONE MAKES IT WORSE! I thought that was bad enough, especially when he thinks he is worth $35 million a year for his next contract!

So should I really be surprised that the clown had a blow pop in his mouth as his team is LOSING a game? No. I'm not surprised....but I am PISSED! Who the hell does this? Someone who doesn't give a sh*t that's who. Meanwhile, Baboonie claims he is pissed but who really buys that? He's soft and doesn't hold his players accountable. He's more like an emotional support puppy than he is a manager of a storied franchise trying to get back to winning a championship.

But really, how can Boone be pissed after he admits he didn't even see Jazz with the lollipop in his mouth on Monday? I think Baboonie is a braindead bonehead and I'm sure he's oblivious to many things in his small world....but how do you miss THAT? He claims he did. Only a completely absentee manager misses that and then admits he didn't even see it. He's a bigger dumbass than I thought he was and that's saying A LOT.

Where is the leadership on this team? The manager is clueless and doesn't hold his players accountable. All he can do is coddle them and be their friend. What I wouldn't give for Billy Martin to whip these guys into shape right now. The manager is useless, Captain Aaron Judge is sidelined, and mediocrity rules the world as long as Hal Steinbrenner's pockets remain full of cash. This just isn't how a team should be run!

Jazz is a disgrace to this team. This isn't going to be his last blunder either, there will be others if the Yankees stupidly decide to keep him around the rest of the season. This guy is a detriment to the team and the franchise and the sooner he's gone the sooner I can't stop writing these stupid stories about both of these clowns!

I'm over all of it. It's time for Jazz to go away and it's time for the Yankees to grow a brain and get rid of their dumbass manager too! Take your Blow Pops with you, Jazz!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE INTERNET'S BUZZIN' WITH TRADE RUMORS TO REPLACE INJURED JUDGE

I don't even want to think about this, but after being asked about this constantly at work and now seeing rumors on the internet with every click I make....it feels impossible to avoid. Aaron Judge is sidelined and it's going to be a while. Now the Yankees moved back in first place over the weekend and everyone is asking how the Yankees are gonna keep it, without Judge playing.

If I am being honest, I am asking the same thing too. There are two very different versions of this team. There's the version with Judge playing that averages more runs score per game and then there is the version with no Judge and about two runs less scored per game. Not pretty splits to consider in a very right race with the Rays for the AL East.

And now we have to worry about exactly how long Judge is going to be out. The Yankees expect him to be back this season, but we do not know when. There's still a lot of baseball left so that's a lot of time that he could still be out. So now, the internet is abuzz with who the Yankees could trade for to fill-in for him until he does return.

That Judge fill in could be Seiya Suzuki, read more HERE. The Cubs are in a tough spot, they have been dropping games and the possibility of the Cubs becoming sellers at the deadline is becoming stronger. The Cubs have not played well since May 7th and unless they turn a corner, there is no reason for the Cubs to become a buyer by the deadline when they are 7.5 games back in their division.

And that makes the Cubs likely to trade away some of their impending free agents and that could easily mean Suzuki. He's a free agent at the end of the season and even though he had a rough stretch in May he's rebounded nicely in June with a .383 average, five home runs, and seven RBI's.

Suzuki is currently considered day-to-day after jamming his right knee after diving for a ball on Saturday. Initial reports are fine, the Cubs don't seem concerned but....time will tell. It's an option, and one the Yankees could consider with the injury bug still biting with Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham. Confidence isn't as high as it should be with Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones so the Yankees will sniff around. But the question is where and around who?

The Yankees may need a rental. I don't like to think about it because we NEED Judge, but it might be a harsh reality.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

STANTON OUT SINCE APRIL, YET HAS A BETTER BATTING AVERAGE THAN VOLPE

The Yankees keep piling up wins, but the bigger question is whether they can keep this train rolling while so much of their firepower remains stuck on the injured list.

The latest concern centers around Giancarlo Stanton, whose road back to the lineup just hit another pothole. After spending months recovering from a right calf strain, Stanton reportedly felt a slight tweak while running the bases at Yankee Stadium. That's never the kind of update a team wants to hear from a player with a lengthy injury history, and it could force the Yankees to revisit his recovery timetable and order additional testing.

According to reports, Stanton was taking part in on-field hitting drills and running exercises when he felt discomfort on his final sprint. The setback immediately slowed what had finally looked like positive momentum in his rehab process.

The timing couldn't be much worse. The Yankees are already trying to survive without Aaron Judge, who is sidelined with a rib stress fracture, while Trent Grisham remains out with a hamstring strain. That's a lot of missing production for a lineup that has somehow managed to keep winning games.

Before landing on the injured list, Stanton was quietly putting together a respectable start to his season, hitting .256 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 24 games. He's been on the IL since April 28th. In 64 games... Volpe is batting .194. 

For now, the Yankees continue finding ways to win. The concern is obvious, though. Winning without your stars for a week or two is one thing. Doing it for months is an entirely different challenge. At some point, the lineup will need some of those big bats back if the Yankees expect to remain a serious threat when the games matter most.

RAMBLINGS OF AN 82 YEAR OLD YANKEE FAN: WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Interacting with our Bleeding Yankee Blue readers is something I love, especially if everyone is respectful in the conversation.  I want to introduce you to Len Ferrara who reached out to me and had a few things to say.  So, I asked that an article be written. Here you go, folks, enjoy. And thank you Len.

-Casey

Every once in a while, on Facebook, an ad pops up for people to show that they are the oldest Yankee fan. I have put my name in, but I am obviously not the oldest because every Wednesday I have breakfast with a bunch of guys, three of whom are Yankee fans and are older than I am. Thus, age is just a number.

Since I’m rambling, I thought I would share some Yankee Stadium experiences.

My first trip to Yankee Stadium happened when I was seven or eight. I can’t really remember how old I was. You have to understand that was 75 years ago. It was a bus trip from Saint Anne’s Church in Newark, New Jersey. Basically, most of my family went.

Since I was an insignificant seven-year-old, I got to sit directly behind one of the vertical girders in the original Yankee Stadium. I can't recall how little of the game I saw, looking back and forth on either side of the girder. Since the year would have been 1950 or 1951, let me list some of the people who would’ve been playing in that game: Berra, Mize, Coleman, Rizzuto, Brown, Woodling, DiMaggio, and Bauer.

Now let me jump forward to when I was in the eighth grade. I was a school crossing guard. The reward for eighth graders who got the crossing guard assignments was a trip to Yankee Stadium. We sat in the bleachers. It was a sunny day. We roasted.

I remember telling the chaperone, my history teacher, that we had “found our place in the sun” (you have to dig back into your history book to understand that reference). The highlight of the day was my favorite player, Andy Carey, who played third base. He hit a home run right in the direction where we were sitting, but it didn’t quite reach us, proving you can’t have everything in life.

Some 25 years later, in the “new” Yankee Stadium, I was able to grab a foul ball that came into the upper deck at the weirdest angle I could ever imagine. I never thought you would get a foul ball sitting in that section, but I did.

That brings us to the latest and current iteration of Yankee Stadium. The best thing about it, I find, is the steak sandwich.

Was I there for Mariano’s last game? Yes, I was.

Am I crying now as I write about it? Yes, I am.

We, as Yankee fans, are so spoiled by players of that caliber, and I guess it’s just that we demand excellence, which is so hard to come by at this point in time.

As far as the current team is concerned, I don’t think it’s difficult to point to the holes. I don’t think you can win a championship when you have three guys batting below .200, or close to it. I also don’t think a hitting coach can take a .210 hitter and make him into a .250 hitter, but I have been known to be wrong a few times in my life.

Does the bullpen need help? Absolutely.

What I don’t understand is why we seem to have excellent prospects in the minors who stay in the minors while we get to watch relievers give up runs every time they come in.

The Yankees are worth $7 billion, or something like that, and Hal Steinbrenner thinks salaries are out of control. He's in favor of a salary cap that may cause him to cut $70 million in payroll. How is that going to happen?

Did the fans vote to give Trent Grisham $20.2 million for the year?

Will he be on the team next year?

Why do the owners vote in favor of selling teams to guys or groups that have absurd amounts of money and then complain when those same people give out absurd contracts?

Why did the league allow the bankruptcy sale of the Dodgers, and now they have a ridiculous financial advantage? Excuse me, you didn't see that coming?

When Stanton is healthy, will Boone put Rice in at catcher so the lineup would include Goldy, Rice, and Giancarlo? Or are they worried that his legs are not in shape to catch? Has Boone noticed the increase in Rice's size over the last two years?

Will Volpe playing second help with his hitting or mental gaffes? Or do we have to settle for a shortstop with less range?

You know Hal does not want to pay Jazz.

What is it about Yankees prospects that causes them to flame out in New York and then succeed elsewhere?

I still have my 1959 and 1960 Yankees yearbooks. I have a scrapbook with a newspaper clipping from April 18, 1948. That should tell you who I am.

Do you think I bleed Yankee blue?

I love the Yankees, but sometimes they just tick me off.

I am an observational scientist by occupation, although you can tell by my age that I am retired.

These are a few of my observations and concerns.

--Len Ferrara

WEAVER REMINDS THE YANKEES OF WHAT THEY COULD HAVE HAD

“I’m not the biggest guy in the room, but I ain’t scared of nobody.”

--Luke Weaver

Luke Weaver didn’t just expose the Yankees bullpen problem Saturday night — he was the answer they let walk out the door.

This wasn’t some overpriced superstar the Yankees couldn’t afford to keep. This was a guy they helped rebuild. A scrap-heap arm who turned himself into a bulldog in the Bronx. A “point and go” pitcher who took every role imaginable and somehow became one of the most reliable weapons Aaron Boone had when the season was hanging by a thread. Their closer.

And what did the Yankees do?

They handed out money elsewhere, watched Trent Grisham accept a one-year, $22 million qualifying offer, shrugged, and basically told Luke Weaver, “Thanks for the memories.”

Bad move, because Weaver clearly remembered.

The second he signed with the New York Mets, you just knew this matchup was circled on his calendar in permanent marker. Revenge games are real, and Weaver looked like a man who had spent months imagining this exact moment. Bases loaded. No outs. Two-run lead against his former team.

That’s either a nightmare or a movie script. Weaver made it cinema.

He punched out Amed Rosario. Then Grisham. Then he got the always-harmless Anthony Volpe to end the inning, because of course Volpe found a way to make the biggest moment disappear into a routine out. At this point, expecting a clutch hit from Volpe is like expecting New Jersey traffic to magically vanish at rush hour.

Weaver was breathing fire, too. The radar gun touched 97.6 mph — his highest velocity of the season. After one strikeout, he barked for the ball back immediately like a guy operating on pure adrenaline and spite. You could practically see the emotion pouring out of him.

And honestly? Good for him.

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: Luke Weaver has a legitimate case for being more valuable than David Bednar. Bednar is your classic ninth-inning closer. Fine. But Weaver gives you versatility, swing-and-miss stuff, multiple innings, and better adaptability for today’s game. Managers dream about arms like that in October. The Yankees can't win in October.

Most importantly, Weaver was a teammate. A gamer. The kind of guy Yankee fans naturally gravitate toward because he looked like he genuinely loved wearing the pinstripes.

So no, don’t get it twisted — I’m still a Yankee fan through and through. But if you watched that moment Saturday night and didn’t feel even a little happy for Luke Weaver, you’re lying to yourself.

He wanted revenge, and he absolutely got it. That's what great baseball is.

'DAWG' SCHLITTLER GIVES YANKEES WHAT THEY NEED IN SOX SWEEP

The Yankees are cooking right now, and the one-two punch of Max Fried and Cam Schlittler has me doing a double take every time I look at the box score. Something has clearly clicked with this pitching staff. You can feel it. The confidence, the execution, the “good luck hitting that” energy—it’s all there.

Now, before anyone starts planning the parade down the Canyon of Heroes, let me be clear: it’s April. I’m not getting carried away. I am Robert Casey of Bleeding Yankee Blue. I will get you happy and then burst your birthday balloon right in front of you. I'm a realist. Baseball has a funny way of humbling you the second you start getting comfortable. But at the same time… you’d have to be blind not to see that something real is happening here.

And then there’s Schlittler—an absolute menace on the mound. The guy is a straight-up dawg. I mean, seriously, a 1.77 ERA? That’s not just good, that’s borderline ridiculous. And the wild part? He’s dealing with garbage off the field—death threats aimed at him and his family—and still going out there and shoving like it’s just another day. That’s not just talent, that’s toughness. Also, let’s get something straight: threatening players over a game is beyond stupid. It’s baseball. Get a grip.

Anyway, back to the part that actually makes sense—the Yankees are winning games. They’re 16–9, sitting on top of the American League, and just took another one from the last-place Boston Red Sox in their own building. And it wasn’t even a masterpiece offensively. The bats took their sweet time waking up. They had the bases loaded in the fourth and came away with nothing—strikeouts from Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham, plus a harmless popup from Randal Grichuk. That’s usually the kind of inning that comes back to haunt you.

But not this team. Not right now.

They found a way anyway, because that’s what this team seems to do when things are clicking—they win the games they probably shouldn’t, or at least right now. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t explosive, but it was enough. And “enough” has been more than enough lately.

Look, I’m still keeping one foot on the ground. I’ve seen too many seasons go sideways to start declaring anything in April. But I’m also not going to pretend this isn’t fun. The last three games? Yeah, they’ve put a smile on my face.

Let’s see how long they can keep this thing rolling.

 

WHEN JAZZ'S BLUNDER ISN'T ENOUGH - BOONE MAKES IT WORSE!

What an embarrassing stretch for the Yankees. What an embarrassing series against the Rays. It was hard to stomach Jazz Chisholm's infield blunder on Saturday and then finish it off with a disastrous media appearance. Let's just make it even worse and get swept by the Rays after it's all said and done. New season, same antics. 

We can also debate if Jazz understands basic baseball rules. It's back to baseball 101 for Jazz. Clearly he needs it and that frustrates the hell out of me! While talking through his strategy on the play with one out and the bases loaded in a tie game, he bobbled and cost himself a chance at a tag-and-throw double play. Afterwards, Chisholm talked with the media and questioned if he could have thrown to first and then tried to get the runner at second on a tag play for an inning-ending double play. As he was talking through it, he admitted "I don't know what the rule is" right in front of the media. Sitting at the locker next to him, Trent Grisham jumped in and told him that the runner would have scored from third before the tag at second base, the run would've scored and the game would've ended.

I guess I feel relieved that Jazz's instinct was to tag Yandy Diaz, who is a slow runner before throwing to Ben Rice at first but not knowing a basic rule really is a horrific look for both Jazz, Aaron Boone and the Yankees front office. To make matters worse, Baboonie defended Jazz yesterday morning and said that Jazz DOES know the rules....even though Jazz himself said he didn't. Talk about a public relations nightmare!

"We'll talk through it," Boone said HERE before the series finale at Tropicana Field. "He's not confused on it. I think that's kind of the default answer when he's got reporters in front of him. Look, it turns out to be a tough play. Watching it back, there might have been a chance to where if he gets it cleanly, he gets the tag off, it's hard to know how exactly Yandy Diaz reacts in that moment running from first to second. Once it chops like that, you know it's going to be a tough one to turn the normal 4-6-3." When Baboonie was asked by the media if Jazz really didn't know the rule he replied "I think he knows the rule." Then he added more fuel to the fire by adding "I think part of it comes to answering those things in a better way."

That should be true for both the player and his clown of a manager. Baboonie couldn't be any further from the truth on this one and he stupidly puts himself in a spot that gives us all more ammunition to prove why he is becoming an even bigger idiot (I wasn't sure that was possible, but he just did it!)

At the end of the day, Jazz was very candid and said he did not understand the rule. He said it on camera! There's no walking that back! However, in true Baboonie clown fashion he tries to cover up for Jazz and his bad blunder and admission of his total lack of baseball intelligence. WHY?! Don't tell the media "I think he knows the rule" after he just said he did not and then throw back with the idea of answering those things in a better way. That goes for you too, dumbass!

Seriously, let Jazz talk his way out of that and then have a meeting with him and give him some tough love! That's what needed to happen but we all know it didn't. Jazz made some big mistakes, but Baboonie made some bad manager decisions also. They are both clowns.

I'm just amazed that Jazz, who thinks he is worth $35 million a year in a new contract doesn't understand baseball 101 that is taught in little league! The Yankees better save their money for players that understand the game. While they are at it they should cut the brainless manager too!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

   

YANKEES SWEPT BY THE RAYS & IT'S BOONE'S FAULT AGAIN

Anyone with an actual brain—and more importantly, anyone who understands the feel of a baseball game—could see this coming from a mile away. This Yankees start? Not surprising. Not shocking. Not even mildly confusing. It’s the same movie we watched in 2025, just with a slightly less shiny bullpen and a bench.

Sure, the Yanks came out hot. Great. Hang the banner. But some of us live in reality, not in whatever motivational poster clubhouse speeches are printed on. Because here’s the truth nobody wanted to say out loud except us here at Bleeding Yankee Blue: the moment Aaron Boone has to actually manage—not just smile and nod while things are going well—the whole thing starts to wobble. Are you reading this Jon Vankin from Newsweek? I would love for you to pick-up my story this week... because I've been preaching pure gospel about how bad Boone is and how it was going to go exactly how it has for the Yankees and this horrific manager. 

By the way, this is not a hot take. That’s a pattern when it comes to Boone sucking.

Any manager can look competent when the lineup is raking and the pitching is cruising. That’s not managing—that’s coasting. The real job starts when things go sideways. That’s when you need instinct, guts, and the ability to read the moment. And that’s exactly where Boone falls apart. Every. Single. Time.

Today was the latest masterclass in what not to do.

Down 5–4. Game on the line. Avoid the sweep against the Rays. Season momentum hanging by a thread. And who does Boone roll with? Ryan McMahon—while Paul Goldschmidt, a legitimate bat, sits there as the last option on the bench. First pitch to McMahon? Groundout. Game over. Rays crowd laughs. Boone's decision indefensible.

And no, this isn’t a one-off. This is Boone’s greatest hits album at this point.

April 5: high-leverage moment, Boone hands the keys to JC Escarra. Three pitches later—strikeout. Rally DOA.

April 8: Ryan McMahon, hitting a cool .077, keeps getting run like he’s being honored for lifetime service. Boone’s explanation? McMahon “had been on base four times in the previous three games.” That’s not analysis—that’s a cry for help.

April 10: Randal Grichuk gets the nod against a righty while Trent Grisham, a lefty, collects dust on the bench. Four pitches later—strikeout. Predictable doesn’t even begin to cover it.

And then today—back to McMahon again. Against a pitcher who eats hitters like him alive. Meanwhile, Goldschmidt watches. Again.

These aren’t tough managerial calls. That’s the scary part. These are the easy ones. The obvious ones. And Boone still manages to get them wrong. Because Boone doesn’t manage to win—he manages to avoid hurting feelings. He doesn’t feel the game, he tiptoes around it. And baseball punishes that kind of hesitation every time.

At some point, you have to stop calling it a slump or bad luck. This is who he is. A manager who cannot make the hard decisions, and honestly, sometimes can’t even make the easy ones. And this is exactly why this team isn’t going anywhere meaningful.

You think this holds up in October? In a short series where every move is magnified? We’ve already seen that movie too. 2 horrible moments come to mind.

2024 World Series Game 1—Boone trots out Nestor Cortes, fresh off an injury and over a month without pitching, to face the top of the Dodgers lineup. Predictably, it blows up immediately.

2025 Wild Card Game—he pulls Max Fried after 6.1 shutout innings on just 102 pitches. The bullpen comes in, gives up a backbreaking homer, and the game flips. Season altered because of one unnecessary decision.

And yet, here we are. Same mistakes. Same patterns. Same excuses. Same stupid manager.  Fans chanting “Fire Boone” aren’t overreacting—we’re exhausted. This isn’t impatience. It’s recognition.

Brian Cashman keeps building flawed rosters, Aaron Boone keeps mismanaging the pieces he does have, and Hal Steinbrenner keeps watching it all unfold like it’s acceptable.

It’s not.

This franchise used to demand excellence. Now it tolerates mediocrity dressed up as “process.”

And that’s the most disappointing part of all—because the problem isn’t just Boone anymore. It’s the fact that the people above him keep letting this happen.

Horrible sweep. Embarrassing.

STUBBORN YANKEE FRONT OFFICE REFUSING TO BE COMPETITIVE

The Yankees front office isn’t just misfiring—they’ve turned dysfunction into a long-term investment strategy. And if you’re a fan, you’ve seen this exact production on repeat for over a decade. Same rigid thinking, same recycled excuses, same hollow October ambitions. Since 2009, the only thing that’s evolved is the price of the tickets and time wasted.

Let’s start at the top, because that’s where the rot lives.

Brian Cashman has somehow mastered the art of doing nothing while calling it stability. In most industries, 15+ years of the same underwhelming results would get you a polite escort to the exit. Here? It gets you a lifetime appointment. Cashman operates like a man who solved baseball in 2009 and has refused to update the software since. Every bad contract, every blocked prospect, every “trust the process” and "mission accomplished" press conference—it all traces back to a front office that confuses stubbornness with intelligence.

And then there’s Aaron Boone—a manager in the same way a GPS is helpful when it refuses to reroute. Boone doesn’t manage games; he narrates them after they happen. Lineups feel like they’re printed in permanent marker, bullpen decisions come straight out of a hat, and accountability is treated like an optional feature. Watching him manage is like watching someone try to microwave a steak—technically it’s being done, but nobody feels good about it.

And the front office as a whole? They don’t understand how to run a baseball team in 2026. They run it like a spreadsheet with emotional attachment issues. Performance is secondary. Contracts are sacred. Prospects are decorations until they become inconvenient.

This Spring training is the perfect example of their backwards logic. You can dominate—hit .500, crush 10 home runs, outplay everyone on the field—and it means absolutely nothing if you’re not already part of their pre-approved script. It’s not a competition; it’s a formality. The roster isn’t earned—it’s pre-written.

So, when a talent like Jasson Domínguez gets sent down, it’s not shocking—it’s predictable. Because this organization doesn’t reward production, it rewards payroll. A guy like Trent Grisham gets priority not because he’s better, but because he’s expensive. That’s not roster construction—that’s financial obligation disguised as strategy.

And don’t even get started on the pitching decisions. Watching Carlos Lagrange outperform guys like Ryan Weathers and still get buried is the kind of logic that would get you laughed out of a fantasy league. Fewer hits, fewer runs, better overall performance—but hey, Weathers cost prospects in that trade, remember? So now we’re emotionally invested. The Yankees don’t cut losses; they double down on them.

That’s the philosophy: once they make a mistake, they commit to it harder.

This isn’t a championship-caliber operation—it’s a bureaucratic maze. Decisions aren’t made based on winning; they’re made based on protecting previous decisions. It’s baseball run by ego, not evidence.

And the biggest casualty of all this? Aaron Judge.

Judge should be the face of a dynasty. Instead, he’s the centerpiece of a cautionary tale. When he spoke out about his frustrations in which the Yankees didn't upgrade on top free agents this off season, it wasn't a misspeak, it was a cry for help.  We’re watching a generational talent get boxed into a system that refuses to maximize him. He’ll hit historic numbers, collect personal awards, and carry the team on his back—only to fall short because the people building around him are stuck ten years in the past.

He deserves rings. Instead, he’s getting press conferences about “staying the course.”

At some point, fans have to stop pretending this is acceptable. This isn’t bad luck—it’s bad leadership. It’s complacency at the highest level. It’s an organization more concerned with being right than being successful. Boycott, boycott, boycott.

If this were any other franchise, changes would’ve been made years ago. But this is the Yankees—where tradition apparently includes refusing to admit you’re wrong.

Until Brian Cashman is gone, until Aaron Boone is replaced by someone who actually manages, and until the front office learns that winning matters more than saving face, nothing changes.

And that’s the real tragedy—not that the Yankees aren’t winning, but that they don’t even seem to understand why they aren’t.

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