DO THE YANKEES HAVE THE MAGIC TOUCH?

Source: NY Times

Gleyber Torres to the Tigers earlier this week was a bittersweet move. He'd be hot, but then he was not and his defensive acumen is extremely weak. So as position players leave and new ones enter through the Stadium turnstile, the question I have for all of you as we move toward our last few days of 2024, do the Yankees have the magic touch for what's ahead in 2025? Or do they need more?

Besides moving ahead with key acquisitions for first base, outfield and starting pitching, the Yankees have some bull pen needs to round things out. Last season, the Yankees bull pen had the magic touch until it didn't. This year, there can be no holes, no flaws if they want to be all in. According to SI.com, "The free agent market for relief pitching always moves slow on an annual basis but should begin to heat up once January and February roll around." Who can bring that magic to the Yankees?

The Yankees added right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz in a trade with the Reds which sent Jose Trevino to Cincinnati. They also picked up Devin Williams from the Brewers in a trade that sent Nestor Cortes to Milwaukee. The Yankees will get Jonathan Loáisiga back as well come February. But they need likely more depth to get the finish line first.

According to Newsweek, "New York could look to add more to the bullpen, with St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley being the top option potentially available. The Yankees could attempt to center a trade around Marcus Stroman, although St. Louis has reportedly declined a Stroman for Nolan Arenado deal." Analysts say that adding Helsley and perhaps his teammate Miles Mikolas could give the Yankees what they need. In fact, that could be the exclamation point. 

"Helsley is a two-time All-Star and the reigning Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year. He will be a free agent after this season. Helsley is one of the few players in the league who could give the Yankees an actual decision to make at closer. Devin Williams is also a two-time All-Star and a two-time Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year. Having both guys in the bullpen would make the Yankees nearly untouchable in close games. Mikolas is also a two-time All-Star. He had a down year last season, but the Yankees could hope to help him reach his All-Star form again," reported Sporting News.

Magic Touch or confidence? I think it is a bit of both. And with that bit of both, the Yankees can be the team to beat in 2025. Let's see what the New Year rings in and then see how things progress leading into a very much anticipated Spring Training. And let's hope that Aaron Boone doesn't mess things up. 

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

GREAT PICKS FOR THE HALL OF FAME!

I love this Hall of Fame class!

There will be some great players named to the Hall of Fame this year, and these guys deserve it! Honestly.

The Associated Press simply writes the following:

Photo: Tim Umphrey 

"Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame."

Now, I am not lucky enough to vote for the actual Hall of Fame. But myself and the BYB writers are members of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, and we do vote every year for who we think should be in the Hall of Fame.  Here is my ballot:

It also should be noted that Vladimir Guerrero and Edgar Martinez had already been honored in previous IBWAA elections, which is why you don’t see their names listed here. 

And if I was thinking clearly at the time, I would have marked Vlad on my ballot.  That's my bad.  It's good to see that I was in line with the baseball writers on the others.

Photo: CBS Sports

And yeah, I voted for guys like Matsui and Huff in my picks.  Those were guys I respected as players, maybe they don't necessarily deserve the honor right now, but still, it's my vote, I can do what I want with it.

Anyway... congrats to the winners this year.  It's pretty damn exciting.

NO HALL OF FAME FOR YOU!

There were 34 players on the Hall of Fame ballot this year, and 19 of them were newcomers but The Baseball Writers Association of America only voted three new ballplayers in last night. I applauded some, was shocked by some and as insensitive as this will sound I have to admit I laughed my ass off at some of them! To sum it up, this ballot just had some good, a little bad, and a whole lot of ugly!

Tom DiPace / The Associated Press file photo

The good part was finally getting Tim Raines into the Hall of Fame on his tenth and final year of eligibility. He was a staple and an icon of the dynasty Yankee teams from 1996-1998. It feels like a long time coming because back in 2009 he had a mere 26% of the vote....which usually means slim chances of getting into Cooperstown but he made it. The odds were stacked against him so this definitely feels like a victory so this belongs in the "good" column.

Mike Mussina also seems to be gaining momentum. He has steadily gained a higher voter percentage in his last four years on the ballot. He ended with 51.8% of the vote this year which is a lot better than his 20.3% back in 2014. Maybe he can pull a Tim Raines too and get to the needed 75% within the next six years. He at least has momentum on his side, so I will go with the good vibes and chalk that up to a spot in the "good" column also.

There are always some "bad" surprises in these ballots....and this one was surprising and close for destined future Hall of Famers Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman. I know I was especially pulling for Hoffman this year, but he fell just 5 votes shy of getting in and Guerrero missed it by 15. If I were a betting woman I would've put money down on both. Good thing I didn't. I guess the good news here is that next year they should both get their spots. Mariano Rivera will always be my favorite closer but Hoffman is not only talented, but a class act.

Photo: SI.com

The real "bad" surprise here was the lack of support or "one and done" appearance for Jorge Posada on this year's ballot. Posada only received 3.8% of the vote and will not be eligible on future ballots. It's a shame. I always knew Posada was a long shot to get in. He played an important role for the Yankees during their championship years but the numbers just weren't there. I was at least hoping he would get enough votes to stay on the ballot for a couple of years. I wish he had fared better with the BBWAA but, he will always score high with the BYB staff.

The best part for me was the hilarity and the "ugly" meltdown for Curt Schilling that has been ongoing or months now. Many news sources have covered it, but THIS one gives a good timeline. Maybe karma is catching up to Schilling and he is having another meltdown. In 2016, Schilling appeared on the ballot for his sixth year and ended with 52.3% of the votes. His numbers had been increasing over the years so it seemed like 2017 was the year for him to get in.....

But it seems as though too many writers still remember the bridges he burned. Maybe tweeting about how "awesome" it would be to lynch journalists wasn't such a good idea when you want these same people to vote you into baseball mortality. Before anyone says "well you are a writer, you are just being sensitive" it's not just about that. Schilling also made controversial Anti-Transgender comments and made comments comparing Muslims to Nazis that ultimately caused ESPN to fire him from his analyst gig. He tried to defend himself later but the damage was done and myself like many other people just didn't care to hear it anymore. Open mouth....Schilling inserts foot. Not so bright.

Photo of the real Sidney Ponson

And of course, even as I sit and laugh others are too. In fact, it appears that Schilling has been "trolled" on Twitter by what may or may not be a fake Sidney Ponson account because it is not "verified" by Twitter. Someone saw an opportunity to have some fun and Schilling once again opened his mouth and inserted foot. He just doesn't know when to stop.

So clearly, he hasn't learned that words have consequences no matter how stupid or misguided he sounds and people aren't overlooking it.  Schilling has fallen victim to the dreaded "character clause" that states: "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

Based on this, he is one of the best postseason pitchers in history.

He ranks 15th in career strikeouts and third in strike-out to walk rate so the numbers are there....but clearly his integrity, sportsmanship and character suck so that overshadows his great accomplishments. Is it fair? Maybe not....but he is representing more than just himself otherwise he would still be an analyst for ESPN and he may have made the Hall of Fame this year.

The best part of all of this for me was when other Twitter users tried to tell him they thought the account was fake he responded with this:

Wait, let me get this straight....HIS tweets are about as stupid as the stuff he said in real life? Hmmmm....HEY SCHILLING are you the pot or the kettle because if anyone can relate to stupid tweets and remarks it would have to be YOU.

 --Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

HALL OF FAME NEWS!

(Photo: Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images)

Now look, we will have a much more comprehensive piece about the Hall of Fame reaction with Jeana Bellezza soon, but for now, I just wanted to fill the BYB audience in on the results for who was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Several top publications have reported this, but we'll go with USA Today on this one:

"Iconic Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, base-stealer extraordinaire Tim Raines and 13-time Gold Glove winner Ivan “Pudge’’ Rodriguez earned baseball’s most coveted distinction when they were named on more than 75% of the ballots cast by eligible members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Raines (86%) was on his 10th and final year of eligibility, while Bagwell (86.2%) made it on his seventh attempt and Rodriguez (76%) on his first one, earning 336 of 442 votes - four more than necessary. Closer Trevor Hoffman fell five votes short. Vladimir Guerrero was named on 317 ballots (71.1%), 15 votes shy of induction in his first year."

I'm alittle surprised the Pudge got in so quickly but that clearly has to be writers still turning their backs on accused or possibly dabblers of PEDs in the steroid era. I am also alittle shocked Trevor Hoffman did get his day, although, next year for sure... don't you think?

OK. That's the news on that. More reaction and opinion from Jeana Bellezza. Keep checking back on BYB for that.

THE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES WERE NAMED

The names have been announced.  The names shouldn't surprise anyone really, even though I'm kind of shocked.

Mike Piazza
Ken Griffey Jr.

These men will be elected into the Hall of Fame in 2016 and well deserved even though I disagree.  BYB Senior Writer Ike Dimitriadis put together his list yesterday in his post MY HALL OF FAME BALLOT AT HIGH NOON. Here it is:

Mike Mussina
Lee Smith
Ken Griffey Jr.
Curt Shilling
Gary Sheffield
Trevor Hoffman

BYB Writer Alexis Garcia gave her opinion for why Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens should be in the Hall and you should read her thoughts on why in  BONDS & CLEMENS DESERVE COOPERSTOWN.

If you are asking me, I agree mostly with the voting, although I'm not so sure that Piazza should be in, at least right now. I'm shocked actually.  Then again, there can be an argument for making it as well.

I would have also chosen Mike Mussina for his great work a a Balimore Oriole more than with the Yankees, Griffey, Tim Raines, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman and Roger Clemens.

I would have written in Pete Rose and if I was a member of the BBWAA, I would do it every single year. I do not care that he bet on baseball... his play needs to be recognized in Cooperstown. It's a wasted vote, I understand that, but it would have to be done. It would put my mind at ease.

I would have also written in Don Mattingly even though there is virtually no shot he will ever be a member of the Hall... his time may have passed.

Congrats to the inductees. Looking forward to the ceremony.




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MY HALL OF FAME BALLOT AT HIGH NOON

A family member sent me this news clipping from June 14, 1939

This Wednesday, January 6th, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the 2016 inductees. I am not a member of the BBWAA, so I will not get to contribute to some deserving players’ 75% of the vote. Like most of us, including my fellow writers, I have strong opinions on who I think deserves to get in. I am also a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA), which organizes and promotes the growing online baseball media and serves as a digital alternative to the BBWAA. We have our own Hall of Fame vote, and I wanted to share my votes for who I would put in the Baseball Hall of Fame and why. You already read my piece on Mike Mussina: MIKE MUSSINA BELONGS IN THE HALL and Alexis Garcia's piece on Clemens and Bonds: BONDS & CLEMENS DESERVE COOPERSTOWN.  Here are the rest of mine.

Ken Griffey Jr.: For nearly a decade, he was the most feared hitter int eh American League. Four times he led the American League in home runs. Four times he had an OPS over 1.000. For 5 consecutive seasons, he hit 40+ home runs, 100+ runs, 100+ RBI. He is 6th on the all-time list with 630 home runs, 15th on the all-time RBI list with 1836, a 10-time Gold Glove winner, and a 13-time All-Star. This is a no-brainer.

Gary Sheffield: Over the course of a 22-year career, he was a feared hitter who hit for power, hit for average, was a threat to steal, and mastered defense at multiple positions. He is 25th on the all-time HR list with 509. He is 27th on the all-time RBI list with 1676. He won a batting title in 1992. Six times he finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting. Unlike most power hitters, he never struck out more than 85 times in a season. Sheff has earned his spot in Cooperstown.

Curt Schilling: Put down the gun. If you’re evaluating him purely as a pitcher, there is no question. He pitched for 20 seasons and he knew how to win. Every team for which he was a regular starter went to eh playoffs. It is shocking that he never won a Cy Young though he came in 2nd three times. He was a 3-time 20-game winner, twice leading the league in Wins. Three times he threw over 300 strikeouts and a fourth time he threw 293, twice leading the league. He is 15th on the all-time list with 3116 K’s. He was notoriously durable, leading the league in IP twice and Games Started three times. Think durability doesn’t matter? Remember what happened when he went 1-4-7 in the World Series? Or the time he pitched with a bloody sock? Speaking of playoffs, he holds an 11-2 record with an ERA of 2.23, WHIP of 0.968, and a K/9 of 8.1 over 19 career postseason starts. He is likely the most deserving of all starting pitchers on the ballot.

Trevor Hoffman: The only reason people weren’t talking about him more during his career was that he had the misfortune of pitching at the same time as Mariano Rivera. He is second on the all-time saves list with 601 (to Mariano’s 652) and with 40 or more saves in nine of his 18 seasons. He also came in the top 3 in the league in saves nine times. He actually came in 2nd twice in the NL Cy Young voting and top 10 twice in the NL MVP voting, which is remarkable for a reliever. Aside from a Scott Brosius home run to dead center field, his resume is spectacular. Relievers get a bum rap in Hall of Fame Voting. It needs to change, starting here.

Lee Smith: This might sound surprising, but only if you never actually saw him pitch. He is third on the all-time Saves list with 478, and he was int eh Top 4 in Saves in 14 of his 18 seasons.  He was a dominant closer in an era when the value of a closer was just being discovered. People forget he was #1 on the career list for Saves the 13 years before Trevor Hoffman. This will be his 14th time on the ballot, and he should get more votes than he’s gotten in the recent past.

So that’s it for me. This Wednesday’s announcement should be exciting. There will be lots to talk about the winners and about who got robbed. Mike Mussina better be in the winners’ circle.

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







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IT'S ARMAGEDDON! CASEY & SELIG AGREE!

I have never really agreed with Bud Selig about anything.  I never thought he truly understood what was in the best interest of baseball fans and it all started when he turned a blind eye in PEDs use after millions of us fans stopped going to baseball games after the 1994 strike.  When the home runs started drawing us back, and players were coming into the clubhouse bigger than ever, many fans knew what was going on, and so did Bud Selig. But the money was pouring in again, so, why not just turn a blind eye?  By the way, that is MY opinion of how it went down. It may not be fact, but I know I'm not the only one who believes that.

But  that's not all I hated about the way he runs things. I never liked the way he called an All-Star game a 7-7 tie in 2002.  Baseball... a tie. How un-American is that?  I hated it and I still see him shrugging in my dreams.

I never liked the drug policy MLB baseball put in place. I thought it should have been much stricter.  Now, luckily, MLB IS getting tougher, but that's just because Bud's leaving and he wants to be the commissioner that cleaned up baseball.  How do I know that?

Because, AGAIN, my opinion, he treated Alex Rodriguez like a rapist and murderer, yet Barry Bonds is walking around Giants spring training camp, and Big Papi is a hero in baseball... even though he's allegedly still trying to figure out how he could have tested positive in 2003 for PEDs. Remember that?

No matter, Selig can embrace his boy all he wants. I guess Big Papi is good for baseball and his wallet and ARod isn't.  For the record, I am saddened by Alex and his antics, but I'm merely focusing on the double standard here, the one every Yankee fan sees, whether you like Alex or not.

Well, it's official.  Bud Selig and I agree on something.  It has to be Armageddon, right?

MLB has announced that the top reliever in each league will receive an award named after the top relievers of all-time in Saves in each league. Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman are those individuals.

As you know, Mariano has 652 all time saves in his career.  Hoffman has 601.

Look, I love this idea and sure, Selig drives me crazy, but this is a classy move... so, I won't beat on him when it comes to this decision. In fact, I applaud him.

Don't worry... I'll be mad at him again tomorrow...

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MARIANO RIVERA: THE G.O.A.T.

On May 3rd, 2012 Mariano Rivera tore his ACL while shagging fly balls in Kansas City. It was possibly the most heart breaking moment for Yankees fans, watching the closer get carried off of the field on the back of a John Deere truck. Mo made it very clear he was coming back. "Write it in big letters. I'm not going out like this," he said.

And come back he did. But not before announcing his retirement on March 9th, 2013. "It's time," he said. It brought up a sense of nostalgia. I began to think about all his most memorable games. Games that would not have been nearly the same, if he were not out on the field.  Here are eight of my most memorable Mariano Rivera moments.

#8- May 25, 1995: I cannot properly make a list of Mo's most memorable games without discussing his Major League debut. The then 25-year old, played 3 1/2 innings, gave up 8 hits and 5 runs. Yankees lost to the Angels 10-0 that game. After 10 very similar starts, the Yankees demoted him to the bullpen. And that was possibly the greatest thing they have ever done.

#7- May 17, 1996: Mo notches his first career save, while standing in for John Wetteland. And thus the legend began.

#6- Oct. 25 & 26, 2000: Games 4 and 5 of the Subway Series World Series. With these two saves, Mo past Rollie Fingers for most World Series saves. He also earned the Yankees major bragging rights, proving that New York City really was Yankeeland after all.

#5- Oct. 16, 2003: This was not a save at all. It was Game 7 of the ALCS. We tied the Red Sox in the eighth. Mo comes into the ninth and blanks them out. And then repeats the feat for the tenth and eleventh. Aaron Boone became our unlikely hero, when he hits a walk-off homer to win the AL pennant.

#4- Sept. 21, 2008: Mo throws out the final pitch at old Yankee stadium. The Captain, Derek Jeter makes an incredibly moving speech, and Mo grabs some dirt off of the mound where legends before him stood.

#3- June 28, 2009: Mo gets his 500th save. He becomes the second player ever to reach the milestone. Trevor Hoffman being the other. The idea that Mo could become the All-time Saves leader becomes more realistic. But that was not his biggest milestone that night. Mo also got his career first RBI, when he drew a walk on a bases-loaded.

#2- Sept. 19, 2011: Save #602 makes Mo the indisputable greatest closer of all time. As modest Mo tries to walk off, Jorge Posada pushed Mo to the mound, HIS mound, for a proper curtain call. It was powerful to me, because it was with Jorge that he got the majority of those saves. Yea, I got choked up. And now you may ask why this is at #2. Well...

#1- After Mo's injury there were a lot of questions over whether or not the all time saves leader would return to the game. "I will be back," Mo said time and again. April 4, 2013: Mariano's  first regular season game after his injury. Mo has 16 straight saves since then, and is posting a 1.56 ERA. He was not kidding when he said to write it in big letters. Mo has returned, and has his sights sent on one thing. World Series Win.

This farewell tour that Mo has been on this season is really bitter sweet to watch. He has earned enough respect that we, the fans, understand that he is ready to hang up his cleats. He is a guy that has given 110% to this team and has never taken on any of the glory for himself. It has always been about the team. I look back at Mo's career and I feel infinitely grateful to be able to say that I have witnessed it from the beginning, to the very end. I'm grateful that my children have been able to see him play, and that one day they will be able to tell their children that they heard "Enter the Sandman" at Yankee stadium.

We'll have a new closer. As crazy as it sounds, life will go on after Mo, the way it did after Jorge left. But like Jorge, there is no replacing Mo. Not really. Players like Mo leave an imprint in the hearts and minds of fans, that lives on and is passed down, and helps mold future generations of fans.

Mariano Rivera, if you read BYB, and you happen to come across this, thank you. From every Yankee fan. Words cannot express our love and gratitude for you. You are an icon. A living legend. And we are the fortunate few to play witness to your career.

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

 

 

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