MEET THE BYB FAMILY: INTERVIEW WITH IKE DIMITRIADIS

We continue our interview series right now on BYB with another interview of another one of my great writers, Ike Dimitriadis.  If you haven't had a chance, be sure to check out the other interviews:

MEET THE BYB FAMILY: INTERVIEW WITH JEANA BELLEZZA

MEET THE BYB FAMILY: INTERVIEW WITH ERICA MORALES

MEET THE BYB FAMILY: INTERVIEW WITH STEVE SKINNER

And now, here's my buddy Ike. I hope you enjoy this... I sure did:

BYB: Ike. When did you become a Yankee fan?  What player sealed the deal for you and why?

Ike Dimitriadis: I became a fan when I was 5 years old, watching Yankee games with my dad. There were two guys that defined the team for me back then - Reggie Jackson and Ron Guidry. Reggie was the personality, the power, and home runs were very popular in the schoolyard. Guidry made it for me the night that he struck out 18 against the California Angels. 

I still remember sitting on the sofa with my dad, counting down each strikeout. They had the old graphics, and when he broke the franchise record for strikeouts in a game, cheers turned into screams. I was sold! 

BYB: What 1 move should the Yankees make this off-season that will turn Yankee fans heads and calm us all down a bit.

Ike Dimitriadis: The Yankees need to get a premier ace starter, either through free agency or through a trade. It did not feel like a downgrade until David Robertson and Brandon McCarthy took deals with other teams. I think the feeling is that the Yankees are remaining inactive, and that is a bad thing for the team and the fans. If they can sign Scherzer, it would be awesome, but it has to be someone at that level. Without an ace added to the roster, I think we have good reason to worry about the season.

BYB: Give me your immediate reaction when you read that David Robertson signed with the White Sox. Where were you, where did you read it?

Ike Dimitriadis: Of course I read it here! Where else would I have seen it??? I was not completely surprised, though I was obviously disappointed. When the Yankees went silent, I knew negotiations were not going well. I always liked him and his charity, High Socks for Hope. It is tough losing a player that you consider one of us. He came through our system, we developed him, and I am sure he is going to have a very successful career. I just wish it was here.

BYB: What's the best moment for you as a writer for BYB on your Feature day.  For the audience, a "Feature day" is when you headline that day... the top story.

Ike Dimitriadis: I have always considered it a privilege to write for BYB. Most people that know me know that I am very opinionated, but sometimes it is hard to present a thought or an opinion in a way that makes sense. To make things even more challenging, BYB is committed to providing high quality material for Yankee fans to enjoy and understand. I think our readers have come to expect that. Most people do not know how hard the writers work to get these pieces out, and I have the deepest respect for my fellow writers. My favorite moment is when it all comes together, whether it is the right collection of stats, or the right set of references, or even the imagery to tell the story. When the points that are in my head make it to the page and the points are strong, that is the greatest moment for me.

BYB: You and Bob Lorenz seem to have a pretty good banter on Twitter.  You mentioned you really like Lorenz as a baseball guy.  Why is he one of your favorites?

Ike Dimitriadis: I have always loved Bob Lorenz. There are many TV personalities that cover the Yankees, baseball, and all sports. Bob makes it fun. Besides giving the highlights, he injects his unique style of humor that really makes it great. Many reporters miss that part of the experience, especially when it comes to the kids watching. If you follow him on Twitter, he takes it to another level. Whether it is the back-and-forth with his followers, or zany pictures he posts, he is a great guy to follow. All the while, he is keeping you up to date on all things Yankees.

BYB: You've covered some pretty cool events for us here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.  Which was your favorite and why?

Ike Dimitriadis: Every event I go to for BYB is a cool event, but my favorite would have to be the CC Challenge kickoff. Aside from the obvious thrill of meeting the Sabathias and getting to talk to them, the event itself was a charity event to raise money for inner city youth. We read many stories about how athletes abuse their privilege and live in excess. 

Talking to Amber Sabathia about her passion for reaching these youth, and to see both of them giving back with their time and energy to kids who need help, it was a privilege to cover the event.

I had a long list to nominate but here's my 3...love you!!! #posada #icebucketchallenge #frozen #happy #donate #giveback @hanni_davis @michellekalsi @skhoya @nataferrer @gonzalex14

A video posted by Laura Posada (@lauraposada2014) on Aug 8, 2014 at 1:15pm PDT

BYB: You and Erica Morales did the Ice Bucket Challenge this summer and Laura Posada and Amber Sabathia both accepted the challenge.  If it was 2005 and I told you we'd have this type of relationship with the players and baseball wives... would you have believed me?

Ike Dimitriadis: It is hard to believe that we have that level of engagement with people in the spotlight like that. For the record, Jeana Bellezza did it too, and it was a privilege for us to be able to help raise support for those suffering from such a terrible disease. It was personal for me, as we lost my wife's Aunt Gertrude to the disease. 

Nevertheless, it goes back to what I mentioned earlier, that these are people who are driven to help others, and I'm thrilled to be part of an organization that supports them and extends the reach of their efforts to our readers.

BYB: You and my friend Frank Gentry started as BYB as recap writers.  After that season ended, you stayed on and began doing features for us. Tell the audience why that was important for you. After all, you had your own blog at the time...

Ike Dimitriadis: I started my own blog, as many people do, just for fun. I was actually surprised when friends suggested I should try out to be a recap writer for BYB. First, I did not think anybody read my stuff. Second, I did not think anyone thought it was good enough to be on the level of BYB. I very much enjoyed doing those recaps, and I enjoyed getting constructive criticism. I found that my writing was getting better as I was doing it. Being here has helped me think about how Yankees news is made, and how fans receive it. I would have been crazy not to stay on.

BYB: You could have written for any blog out there. You're smart, you're a good writer and you have a great knack for baseball history? Why BYB?

Ike Dimitriadis: First, thank you. I have been grateful to be a part of BYB ever since I was invited to join. I get to write about the Yankees for a blog that is top-notch, and for an editor that goes to bat for me every single time out. I get to write about things that are sometimes controversial, and I get the support I need to know that independent thought is encouraged. I know that even when we do not completely agree on everything, that as long as I can make an argument and that it is fair, it will be promoted on the site. For a writer, it does not get much better than that. 

BYB: Think back... what was the 1 piece you read on BYB that made you realize, "Hey, I like these guys"

Ike Dimitriadis: You have got to be kidding! Just one?!? I found out about BYB through Jeana Bellezza, and I found her pieces very insightful. I think it was right after Mariano Rivera's injury in 2012 that she did a piece on what his injury meant to the team and all the impact on the Yankees roster, I thought it was really good. It didn't just cover the events, it covered them with the added dimension of the fans' perspective. That property seemed to permeate all the pieces I read on BYB. I quickly became a fan. 

BYB: Be honest... (not that honest) How am I doing as the Chief of BYB... or as Mike O'Hara calls me, "Skip"

Ike Dimitriadis: O'Hara calls you Skip? Why am I only finding out about this now??? Seriously, though, I can be honest. Leaders are not measured by their individual accomplishments. They are measured by the collective accomplishments of those they lead. The fact that you encourage people to be creative, explore stories and angles that may not be popular or even mainstream, allows us to be the best writers we can. I especially appreciate your defense when we get unfair criticism. Many people may not realize that we do this as volunteers, for the love of the game and the love of writing. Everybody has an opinion, and many disagree with our viewpoint, but some take it too far and make it personal. It is good to know that you have our back. It's great working for you, Skip!

Well that gave me chills.  Thanks Ike!

Who's next? We'll see soon enough!

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  

CASEY'S A-TEAM

There are guys and gals you trust in life. I trust the Bleeding Yankee Blue writing staff and I trust the readers, you, who read us daily.  Your opinion matters. 

There is nothing worse than us slaving over a post for you to read, and immediately… and I mean IMMEDIATELY a reader will send me a note and say “HOW COULD YOU WRITE THAT, YOU HATE THE YANKEES!”  That my friends is a reader who didn’t read anything… EXCEPT THE HEADLINE. I know for a fact that many don’t read.  We write provocative headlines here sometimes and I can predict how many people will jump down my throat because they only read the headline.  All I’m saying is read our words… all of them, or maybe I should just write a headline blog. Hell, it would be a lot easier.

My writers are great and I recently wrote a piece titled CASEY'S ANGELS, smart women who write some pretty great stuff.  Well, there is also CASEY’S A-TEAM, 4 guys that I want to talk about today that do a pretty excellent job here.  They love to write too and they do it because they want you to enjoy yourself as you’re commuting to work, or having your coffee in the morning. 

Steve Skinner is a guy that, like me, have a million things going on in life.  But we’ve become good friends and we have the same values and in the end, he cranks out some of the best pieces that involve the Yankees that you will ever see.  He’s about quality, so while you don’t see him often, he’s just fine tuning his pieces… and he makes my life easier doing it.  I appreciate Steve and I’m glad to call him a friend, as well as an excellent writer for BYB.

(In Photo: Ike Dimitriadis holding my published USA Today Piece THE JETER EFFECT)

Ike Dimitriadis is another guy that has joined us and started last season just writing recaps for us.  In the winter, I wanted to retain him because I saw mad potential.  Ike and I like the same stuff and that involves the older players, the 1980’s always seems to pop into our conversations and the research and time he takes to put his pieces together is better than many out there, no question!  It’s refreshing and I appreciate his passion, it shows.

Rudy Laurens started writing with us this year and helped raise the bar.  Rudy is another busy guy, constantly with family, constantly doing things that are much more important than Bleeding Yankee Blue, but the guy is always willing an able to put a piece together for you guys, and has some great ideas.  He loves to write, loves to write for you and I appreciate all the effort he puts forth.  He’s a good dude with a love of the game and I'm glad he's there.

(In Photo: Chad R MacDonald revealing his BYB shirt at CitiField)

Chad R MacDonald is  a guy I have not seen around in a long, long time.  He’s a character, a family man and has the brain that I have… thinking of the nuggets that no one is thinking of.  We both love pop culture, collecting sports and star wars figures and he’s a big kid with a passion for writing that you will not see anywhere else on the net. That, I can honestly say, plus, I'm thrilled he's with BYB because I know he could go anywhere... but thank God he's with us.  Chad’s got a lot of balls in the air, always busy and he's always writing or doing something but he takes the time for our readers, and I appreciate it.  

Without these guys... without my group, Bleeding Yankee Blue is nothing.  Without you guys reading every day... BYB is nothing.  

Finally, let me say this; there have been people that have read this site since day 1.  For that, I thank you. We have not always been a gang of great writers.  This once started out with just me.  But BYB has never been about me and I never wanted it to be about only me.  I wanted a team and these days, the most perfect team I have ever had writes for me daily to create what has become the most interesting journey I have ever been on and hopefully for you too.  I applaud them for their help and volunteering and I applaud our readers for reading, sharing and enjoying us.  We're solid, and what started out as a brainchild for me, has become wonderful in every way... just like a family... just like a team.  

There ain't anything better than that, and to all you people that just don't understand that... well, I feel bad for you because you'll never understand team or family if you can't see what BYB is all about these days... and that's just straight talk, from a guy in a pretty great family... Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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.

THE YANKEES CRUSH THE TWINS - BRING ON THE ASTROS!

By now you know that the Yankees cleared the first hurdle in the journey to their 28th World Series championship. They swept the Twins in 3 games and now are waiting for the winner of the Houston / Tampa Bay series. If you watched the games you saw the Yankees completely dominate each game. That domination had some key elements that are going to be critical in the next two series.

First, I cannot say enough how excited I am at Luis Severino’s success in his Game 3 start. It allows the Yankees to lead with a starting rotation of three dominant aces. Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton have been excellent, but the Yankees needed that third ace. No one could have predicted Domingo German’s suspension, and without Severino, we would have been debating between starting Game 3 with J.A. Happ, CC Sabathia, or an opener from the bullpen. While I love those guys, none of them could have given us that ace start that Severino can. Having Severino at his current performance level allows us to go toe to toe with Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Zack Greinke. Luis Severino’s return took the Yankees to the next level.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

The lineup has been absolutely phenomenal. There is absolutely no weak point anywhere, from one to nine. You have to give special recognition to Gleyber Torres, who slashed .417/.462/.917 with an OPS of 1.379, and to Didi Gregorius, who slashed .400/.500/.700 and had an OPS of 1.200. With runners in scoring position the Yankees batted .313 in the division series.

Photo Credit: Ike Dimitriadis

Then there is the defense. I do not remember the last time I saw Aaron Judge making diving catches, jumping catches in the run, and running down balls in a way that reminded me of how Dave Winfield used to do it. Gleyber Torres’ slide and throw to end the 5th inning. Didi Gregorius’ diving catch that helped preserve the lead in the ninth. It’s like we have Graig Nettles at every position.

All this put together was more than just a division series win. It was a demonstration of dominance and hunger for a championship. Of course I assume that Houston will get past the Rays and meet us in the ALCS. The Houston Astros are a very good team. I feel nothing but confidence that we will beat them. We are playing like champions.

--Ike Dimitriadis
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon 

VOTE FOR "THE BEEB" AWARD FOR 2014

At the end of 2013, Bleeding Yankee Blue gave the readers the opportunity and privilege of voting for your favorite BYB writer.  It was a fun exercise, and yes, stressful for my staff, but for the most part, many of the BYB readers got it and enjoyed it.  In the end, Mike O'Hara won the first annual BEEB, and with that, he wrote his THANK YOU post, simply saying: "I wanted to say "thank you" to the voters. I appreciate your vote and the fact that you take time out to read my posts. It means a lot to me. Please keep reading and spreading the word about Bleeding Yankee Blue. 

I want to say thank you to all the writers on the BYB staff. I read every piece you share on the site and really do enjoy them all. It’s been great to get a sense of who you are and what the Yankees mean to you and your families through your writing."

This year, the BEEB returns.  The big question is... who will win it?

The BEEB Award is given to the writer that brings top quality, satisfaction, information and energy to their posts from the past year of 2014, according to you, the reader.  It's the highest honor for a writer at Bleeding Yankee Blue... and I am happy to put this vote into action again.

The readers have 2 important jobs;

1. You need to think. Think real hard.  Think about who you enjoyed reading the most in 2014. 

2. You need to vote.  Vote once. Vote twice. Vote as many times as you want, but vote for the BYB writer you feel is most deserving of the BEEB.

Do you find Jeana Bellezza fun and unique? She's written about many great personal experiences in 2014.

(In Photo: Suzie Pinstripe)
How about Suzie Pinstripe? She's all over the Hot Stove for BYB and gives us incredible insight on life and baseball.

Ike Dimitriadis has written extensively this off season on the moves that the Yanks have made. He's also well steeped on the players of years past. Maybe it should be him...

Hey, Erica Morales covered the ARod beat the entire year, reporting fairly and honestly. Have you read what she's been writing?

Of course there's always Alexis Garcia, who covers all of Major League Baseball for us. Is she the one who deserves it?

There's the always the thorough and talented Steve Skinner. A guy with a passion for the Yankees, but informative with the Thurman Munson Yankees... more so than many in the blog world.

Could Mike O'Hara win again? He too had a big 2014.  We will have to see, won't we?

So, to the BYB readers... I hand you the keys.  Vote.  You will see the poll on the home page of BYB in the upper right. Vote for the writer that you feel is most deserving of the BEEB award. Once the vote concludes, we will present the award to the winner and they will write an acceptance piece thanking you, the voter, the reader and the fan!

If you need a full body of work of each writer,  you may click on their names below, and you'll be brought to their specific pages. It's the archive of each writer.

Click, read, and take it seriously:

• Jeana Bellezza
• Ike Dimitriadis
• Alexis Garcia
• Suzie Pinstripe
• Steve Skinner
• Erica Morales
• Mike O'Hara

And just so everyone is aware, do to work shortages of writers, Lem Allen, Doug Solomon and newbies Wolfgang Von Bunt and Dan Lucia, they have been excluded from this years vote.  There are only small batches to go by and the voters would not have enough to work off of.  Next year guys, promise.

Also, I have removed myself from the voting. Imagine if I won? Well... that would be weird now, wouldn't it? So yeah, if you're wondering... I am out.

The voting starts now and ends on February 24th at midnight. We will see you then with the winner.

Vote now... vote for who deserves the BEEB!

What's a BEEB anyway....

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYaneeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

WHO WILL WIN THE FIRST ANNUAL BEEB AWARD?

We're gonna do something different here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.  We're seeking your vote for something that not one of my staff members knows about... except for me... because I'm king of the castle and I do what I want...

For the first time in BYB history, we are going to give a BYB writer an award based on reader votes.  It's called the BEEB Award and it's given to the writer that brought quality, satisfaction, information and energy to their posts in the year of 2013, according to you, the reader.

We have several writers here and all have offered excellent work in 2013. I'm proud of that.  All of our writers write differently; a different flair, a very individual creation every time.  Each have given their all and their time, and while they all deserve some type of award in my mind, much like they do in Pathmark, giving a cashier, an "Employee of the week" nod, We are giving away a BEEB.  It's the highest honor for a writer at Bleeding Yankee Blue... and I am happy to put this vote into action.

Here's what you, the readers, need to do.  Think.  Think about who you enjoyed reading the most in 2013.  Was it Jeana Bellezza and her piece about a proposal? Read A YANKEE PROPOSAL....SORT OF
or could it be Chad R MacDonald and his pieces about his daily attire? Read JERSEY BOY. Think it over.

Erica Morales wrote some good ones too.  How about her recent one on Jorge Posada? DREAMS DO COME TRUE. Maybe Suzie Pinstripe intrigued you with her piece titled: REGARDING CHAMPIONS...

Steve Skinner is a guest writer for us, but wrote a whole series about the Yankees Mount Olympus.  His most recent one is THE YANKEES MOUNT OLYMPUS: DEREK JETER.  Maybe Mike O'Hara had you entertained this year. He wrote a good one featuring Rich Gossage called BYB, THE GOOSE & MY DOG.

Ike Dimitriadis was full of energy and put together some quality pieces this year. Here's one titled WOULD BABE RUTH HAD SURVIVED THE PEDs ERA? Oh and who could forget Rudy Laurens reviewing Alex Rodriguez and the "slap" heard 'round the world. Read REVIEWING THE AROD "SLAP" YEARS LATER.

There are even the guys that write less, but still write for BYB when their schedules allow it.  Lem Allen with his in-depth interview with his grandfather titled: THE MAN THAT MADE ME A YANKEE FAN: THE FULL STORY, and Douglas Solomon writes once in a while and is always full of statistics. How about his piece titled AN INTERESTING TAKE ON THE YANKEES GETTING RID OF AROD.

The point is, we have unique writers and all bring a special flair to the pages of Bleeding Yankee Blue.  This year, our first year, we are giving away the BEEB, the highest honor, but it must be voted on by the readers of BYB.

So, I hand you the keys.  Vote. You will see the poll on the home page of BYB in the upper right. Vote for the writer that you feel is most deserving of the BEEB award. Once the vote concludes, we will present the award to the winner and they will write an acceptance piece thanking you.

If you need a full body of work of each writer,  you may click on their names below, and you'll be brought to their specific pages.

• Lem Allen
• Jeana Bellezza
• Ike Dimitriadis
• Rudy Laurens 
• Chad R MacDonald
• Erica Morales
• Mike O'Hara
• Suzie Pinstripe
• Steve Skinner
• Douglas Solomon

Read them, think long and hard, and vote.  Vote for your favorite BYB writer of 2013.  Vote to give one our writers the BEEB.

RULES for the writers are simple; There is no self promoting to get votes whatsoever. You cannot campaign for yourself. You MAY, promote this post, but that's it. For the readers, you may vote as much as you'd like, but  I really want you thinking it over. It's important to me.

Good luck to the writers. Thank you to the readers. 

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

BACKING RYAN BRAUN: A BREWERS FAN'S TAKE

I wanted to share a comment from a Milwaukee Brewers fan.  I know it's weird, but we like to be fair here at BYB and I saw this comment when we wrote WHY DID RYAN BRAUN GET A STANDING OVATION? Ike Dimitriadis had a opinion piece on Ryan Braun and his return to Mikwaukee, and we received a ton of feedback.

Now granted, When it comes to PEDs use, we have an issue with that. We also forgive here, but it's not easy, after all, baseball is supposed to be played clean. But in the spirit of this great game of baseball, I wanted to share all sides, and so, this comment comes from Karen Baumhardt, a Brewers fan, and someone that wandered onto the pages of BYB. It's a great comment, and so, we're sharing it here at BYB:

"I am a Brewer fan. I was at the game on opening day and I was on my feet for the ovation. Ryan Braun is a member of my team. Yes, he did wrong. I am not disputing that. .. But he carried out his suspension. He is once again on the field and I support my team 100%. I believe the ovation was not for saying what he did was OK but to let him know that it's a new year for ball and we are ready to move on. He will get enough booing from his road trips to last a lifetime. He should be comfortable in his own Stadium. He's a ball player. It's time to play ball not throw stones at him the whole year."

You know, she's right.  Now, I loved reading our piece by Ike Dimitriadis. I thought it was great. But Karen's comment was too, and we offer all sides here.

Thanks for commenting Karen, we appreciate it. I tip my cap to you. Play Ball!

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

TANAKA KNOCKED OUT

Just when the Yankees seem to be catching a good wave to ride into October, the Yankees announced their ace Masahiro Tanaka would miss his next start due to a muscle strain in his hamstring. There is never a good time to suffer an injury when you are in a tight pennant race, but the timing could not be worse for the Yankees. Remember that Joe Girardi tweaked the rotation to ensure that Tanaka would pitch in the Toronto series.

Typical for any ace starter, Tanaka made a strong case to stay in the rotation and pitch on Wednesday. Discretion being the better part of valor, the Yankees went the other way and chose to play it safe. How serious is it? It is a Grade 1 strain, which is the mildest grade, indicates no serious damage, no loss fo strength, and usually requires a few days’ rest. Still, there is enough discomfort for him that the Yankees are not letting him pitch. Consider, again, that the Yankees made sure he would pitch against the Blue Jays. Now they are not even letting him fly to Toronto, to give him all the opportunity possible to rest. My guess is that if it were as minor as they are saying, he would pitch on Wednesday. I am no doctor, but when the season is on the line and your best pitcher is sitting, his condition is such that there is just no way.

How bad is this for the Yankees? Tanaka is the ace. There is no escaping what that means. He is the best we have. When the chips are down, you want the best on the mound. He is the only man in the rotation with a sub-4 ERA (3.38). He is the only man with a WHIP below 1 (.987). Translation: he has been the best at keeping men from reaching base and runners from scoring. Ivan Nova will take his place. Don’t get me wrong, I love SuperNova. He has not been consistent. He has six Quality Starts out of 14 appearances. The Yankees will need one on Wednesday night in the worst way.

The Yankees managed to get to two games behind in the loss column. They need a sweep to take first place, and that will be a monumental effort. Really, the Yankees may only need to take two of three. After the Yankees series, the Jays have six games with the Rays and four with the Orioles. The Yankees have four with Chicago, four with Boston, and three in Baltimore. All are weak teams, and the team the gets hot will win the division. The Blue Jays are in a bit of a slump, going 7-6 over their last 13 while the Yankees won five out of their last seven. There is hope here.

Gaaa! This CANNOT be happening! @BleednYankeeBlu https://t.co/67qSDUDIIf

— Ike Dimitriadis (@KingAgamemnon) September 20, 2015

I won’t lie, it feels like a curse. For the last 3 years, it feels like we could have a good team, a competitive team, except for injuries to key players at the wrong time. That was the first thought that crossed my mind. This is significant. It is huge. Other pitchers have to step up. Difficult circumstances always come. Champions find ways to win in spite of the circumstances.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row






You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

GIVING THANKS... FROM ME

As always, I wanted to send a message to the Bleeding Yankee Blue audience, but today, I also want to take a moment to give a big hug to my second family.  My writers.

Since the birth of BYB, there has been a writer running this thing but then my writers came along to help me out and with that, our amazing audience followed. But you would never be there if we as writers didn't get this thing off the ground.  As Muhammad Ali once said, "Me, We."

It started with one writer. Me. Me making sure the stories were ready to go.  Me looking for news and reporting it, but there were misspelling, strange phrases, and no rhythm what-so-ever.  BYB has been called "a really bad version" early on by me in the past, and that's true... it was ugly.  But so was Microsoft in the beginning.  So was IBM. So was Apple. So was Hardball Talk and MLB Trade Rumors at one point.

Beginnings are brutal, but they are also fun, because while you want it to be perfect... you're working out the kinks more than anything.  You want people to notice, but you don't want them to notice the mess.  Well... sometimes they do and sometimes you, or me as the head, feels bad about that.  But I think for me personally, having my early readers join me on this quest, they understood my labor of love and allowed me to tinker.  The readers were patient and I was alone trying to figure it all out. The readers respected my craft and let it come together with support.

Then the writers came, and as they did, we evolved.  We.

Jeana Bellezza showed up with a smile and a passion for writing.  But more importantly, while timid, she wanted to take on the world.  She wanted a shot... and I gave it to her.  I believed she could because she believed in herself.  Jeana's been with me for almost the entire time at BYB. She's a hard worker, dedicated and her focus has never changed since she started.  She's my Jeter.

Jeana, to this day, my favorite piece by you is still A YANKEE PROPOSAL....SORT OF. It's real life... with alittle Yankees mixed in.  It couldn't be more perfect for what we do here at BYB.  Thank you for letting what's in your heart pour out on my pages.

Erica Morales showed up one day.  Like a soldier on a battlefield, she dove right in ready to write.  There wasn't a hesitation.  Immediately she knew her role. Plus, it helps when you're a friend of Jeana Bellezza... you already have the back story walking in.  Erica too had a passion for writing, but also loved the Yankees.  She went straight to her work and to this day, the stories you read some days on these pages will bring life to anything going on in the Yankee clubhouse, or ARod's court case, or her family directly.  She inter-mingles her creative nature wonderfully and for that, I will always be grateful.

Erica, to this day, my favorite piece from you has to be MY GRANDFATHER, JORGE POSADA & LIFE LESSONS.  Family related... life lessons... you got me! Thank you for your hard work.  Never lose that fire.  It will take you places, kid.

Steve Skinner and I became instant friends pretty early on. We are close in age, love Thurman Munson and appreciate the Yankees even when they were terrible in the 80's. That's because we lived through it!  Steve walked from Bleacher Report to work for BYB.  Partially because he loved the creative aspect of what we do here and partially because he loved what we represented... Family, Life and being a passionate Yankee fan base.   Steve and I have the same values and raise our children very similarly.  I think that's why our bond is the way it is.  Steve, your love for the Yankees is evident in everything you write.  My favorite up to this point has to be THE BEST I'VE EVER SEEN. Keep up the great writing and thanks for leaving Bleacher Report for us. The BYB audience is lucky to have you... so am I.

Ike Dimitriadis started writing for BYB doing recaps with my friend Frank Gentry.  Both did a tremendous job for BYB.  When the season ended, Frank moved on but Ike stuck around.  I would have loved to have had them both, but that's life.  You know what I like about Ike the most? He didn't want to be held back. He didn't want to be type cast.  He wanted more than recaps. He wanted to be more creative and wanted to write features for BYB.  Ike, like my other writers, goes the extra mile while still maintaining a life with a family outside of BYB.

He's gone to Sabathia events for us.  He works closely with the YES Network when we need him to. He's dedicated, and I appreciate that very much.  Ike, I still love your piece, THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF A BITTERSWEET SEASON. It's one of my favorites.  Thanks.

Suzie Pinstripe stalked BYB on Twitter.  I'm kidding. That's not true at all.  She did reach out to me a lot though and ask if we needed writers.  It's funny. People do that a lot, and many times we don't need writers. Or, I am just not sure if that person is aware of the work load and dedication associated with BYB.  But for some reason, I knew she was serious about wanting to write for us. I could tell that she was not only knowledgeable, but she was a hard worker.  I asked for her to come aboard and it was evident that she wanted to help move BYB to the next level.  Her baseball knowledge is vast. She loves to write, you can tell when you read it from our pages.  She also balances family and a demanding job, but always manages to make deadline for us.

She's a catch, and I'm proud to have her on our team. Suzie, I will always love "CAN'T YA CALL ME BUCKY?" It takes me back!

When the host of the MLB Fan Cave tells you he likes what you do and wants to contribute, you kind of let that fall into place.  I'm glad I did.  Mike O'Hara is a passionate Son of a Bitch and he and I have the same rooting style.  Plus, we both love to write.  He's a good dude and another great find in this world of BYB.  He never disappoints and will always give it to you straight.  His honesty as a fan is the exact reason why BYB began. Mike gets it and I'm both thrilled and honored to have him on our team. He calls me "Skip" and I consider that a badge of honor, and so, Mike O'Hara has a gig with BYB as long as he wants, because he and the rest of my writers are the hardest working writers on the web.

Mike, one of my favorite pieces from you was a simple, honest one: WHEN IT COMES TO TEIXEIRA, I WISH MY DAD RAN THE YANKEES. That's real right there.

Alexis Garcia joined us this year and with it came a valuable, passionate writer from the City of Angels... LA. A Dodgers fan, but a baseball fan first, Alexis writes when she can because she handles plenty outside of BYB.  But she wanted to contribute to BYB because she liked what we did and for that, I am grateful. Alexis has brought plenty to the table as our "Eye on MLB" writer and never disappoints.  Alexis, thanks for coming aboard.  My favorite piece by you has to be BASEBALL'S NOT BETTER BECAUSE OF SELIG... IT'S WORSE. Keep up the great work. Thanks for taking the time!

And finally, Wolfgang Von Bunt is brand new.  A friend with a passion for writing and while he's only contributed a few times to BYB, when he writes, there's always something you will never forget.  His love for pop culture and baseball is what really drew me in and I'm happy to say that Wolfgang is with us.

Wolfie, my favorite piece by you has to be IF THE GIANTS WIN, ARE THEY A DYNASTY? Thanks for being with us, pal.

Oh yeah, and it would be wrong to never mention my writers of the past.  Writers who offered their own talent and creative flair... Jesse Schindler, Grant Cederquist, Frank Gentry, Chad R MacDonald, Rudy Laurens, Mikey Blue, Will Cohen, Christy Florio, Kate Munrow.  You've all been a great part of BYB's evolution and success.  Thank you for helping us blossom.

Me, We.

I'm thankful for my staff. I'm thankful for their hard work and what Bleeding Yankee Blue has accomplished and I'm thankful to all of you, our audience who understand that were regular people with regular lives who balance jobs, family, kids and activities... and then, we sit down and write you something about the Yankees you need to know about.  We're thankful you read us... and we're thankful that you understand all we do.  You get it and I, as Chief of BYB, appreciate it.

Today's Thanksgiving.  Enjoy... and thank you for being so dedicated... for reading, for writing... you're all very special people and I am blessed.

-Robert Casey, CEO & Writer for BleedingYankeeBlue.com
Follow me: @BleednYankeeBlu




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