SLEEPER

In the seventh inning of Thursday night's series opener in Toronto, Yankee announcer Michael Kay wondered if the Rogers Centre atmosphere was negatively impacting the performance of the Yankee team.  Kay characterized the Yankee performance as "sleepwalking."  Fans who watched may have other theories, but mine tilts toward starting pitching as the explanation.  Very simply Ivan Nova was horrid, again, and Jays' starter Brandon Morrow looked like he was on a late drive to claim the AL Cy Young Award!

Morrow shut down the Yankees for seven full innings in spite of a decline in his fast ball velocity from a top speed of 95 to a low of 88 by the sixth inning.  Regardless, he allowed only four Yankee hits and only two innings of anything resembling a Yankee threat to score even a single run.  In the fourth inning, Robinson Cano reached on a one-out single to center.  Nick Swisher ripped a deep fly ball to left that was caught by Anthony Gose as he crashed into the electronic scoreboard in left.  Cano running all the way was easily doubled off first by Gose and the relay throw by Kelly Johnson.  Inning over; Yankee threat squashed.

In the seventh, Cano led off with a double to left and Swisher followed with a walk.  Two on and no outs and Morrow obviously tiring.  Nevertheless, Morrow rallied and struck out Curtis Granderson who was "K'ed" for the 189th time this season.  Granderson personified Yankee offensive futility.  He is 2 for 16 on the road trip and his average has plummeted to .228.  Yikes!  Morrow followed his strike out of Granderson by forcing fly outs from Russell Martin and Raul Ibanez.  Inning over; Yankee threat squashed.

As for Mr. Nova's performance, he could not come close to matching Morrow.  He allowed a walk to defensive hero Gose in the third inning and that was followed immediately by a "gopher ball" to Brett Lawrie.  The two-run shot was Lawrie's 10th HR of the season.  In the fifth, Nova allowed two more runs on a single by Gose, a ground out by Lawrie that advanced Gose to second, a bunt single by Colby Rasmus, and a two-run double to right off the bat of Edwin Encarnacion. 

The Yankee bullpen, in the persons of Derek Lowe and David Aardsma, allowed tack-on runs in the seventh and eighth innings to end all doubt and eliminate any Yankee hope of a late rally.

By the time the post game rolled around, even Jack Curry was referring to the Yankees as a "sleepy" team.  Obviously New York did not play like a championship caliber team in quest of a division championship.  The Yankees missed a golden opportunity to widen the lead over the Orioles to two games.  Instead, the AL East Division race is a tight one-game differential.

Travel fatigue, lack of quality starting pitching, advanced age and declining performance, too many 'swing and miss' guys on the offensive side are just some of the theories that abound when the warts of this Yankee team are on display as prominently as they were on Thursday night.  Fans can decide for themselves what the causes of such a devastating loss actually are.  Regardless of the reasons, the Yankees' division championship hill got a little steeper on this late-September Thursday night.

Final score:  Toronto 6  New York 0.    

--Frank Gentry, BYB Writer

Twitter: @yankeefrank23

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WHERE'S FRANCISCO CERVELLI?

When Francisco Cervelli was on the list of September call ups I was ecstatic. I thought it was a sure deal that he would get some playing time soon. Well, it has been more than three weeks and I am still waiting. Hell, Eduardo Nunez has gotten playing time and Cervelli is still riding the pine. What’s the deal here, Joe?

Okay, granted Cervelli isn’t the most amazing catcher in the Major Leagues, we know that. It was a big question this spring over whether or not he deserved to get sent down when the Yankees got Chris Stewart in the 9th hour, the day before the start of the season. Fans were pretty much split down the middle on it. But what Cervelli does bring to the game is heart.

It is undeniable that whenever Cervelli plays, he gives it 150% and then some! He is gritty and pure energy on that field... something that the Yankees desperately need while they are making this run to clinch the division. Let’s face it, the O’s aren’t going to give up easily and we need every ounce of pure adrenaline we could get from our guys. We need to win and gain serious momentum.

Look, I like Russell Martin. He is a hard, gritty player. But, let’s face it he's batting .203. He just broke .200 on September 5th. Chris Stewart is hitting .154 in September. So why not give Cervelli the opportunity to contribute to the team? I mean, we have been letting Nunez play shortstop in September when it is critical for us to have our best guys out on the field and he's still making errors! You see what I mean?

Cervelli took being demoted and made the best out of it. He has a pure love for the game and it shows when he is playing with the team. His energy motivates everyone else on the field to step their game up. With the Yankees getting back into the swing of things after a frustrating August, that motivation is exactly what we need to keep the momentum going. So, again...I'm asking, where's Cervelli?

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804




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GARDNER'S SPEED IS COMING AT THE RIGHT TIME

"Sure he can run, but can he run?" 

-- Nick Castolano, my club baseball coach

My baseball career lasted through high school and it ended there. I did a stint with a club team but it was short lived and never played college ball. I could tell by my size and lack of power I would never be a superstar, despite my love for the game. I look back and wonder, but I know I made the right choice.

I had plenty of opportunities stealing bases in my young career and even when I wasn't playing a full 9 innings, I'd be utilized as a pinch runner just so we could scratch together a run in the late innings. That happened a lot. Then I met Nick Castolano, who, when told that I could run the bases faster than anyone on his team, he, in his best smart ass Yogi-esque snicker said, "Sure he can run, but can he run?" What does it mean? Simply this; "He can run the bases, but does he have baseball instincts?" 

I thought about Nick Castolano a lot this week, God rest his soul, because Brett Gardner was activated to mostly be a pinch runner for the Yankees in the next few weeks and maybe play alittle outfield, read HERE. Sure, Brett Gardner can run, and he has, but it's my estimation that when we really need that speed, sometimes it take a while for Gardy to get started. My opinion of Brett is simple, I love him, I love him on base, stealing and making things happen, but Gardy needs to be aggressive, trust his speed and just go for it.

What do I mean? This... 2 Saturdays ago my kid played his 1st fall game of the season and when he got on first, the next pitch, with the ball securely landing in the catcher's mitt, he bolted for second. He didn't look, he didn't stop, he ran his tail off and he stole second. Granted, this is Little League we're talking about, but the point is, he trusts his speed and he didn't care if it was Joe Mauer catching, he was going to make it, it was in his mind. He was aggressive. Brett Gardner needs to trust his speed and be the spark plug we need down the stretch, believe it or not it can be a big part of this team. Don't believe me? Look at what Ichiro has done for us lately. You add Brett in the mix, and it's just another tool the Yankees can utilize.

Herb Washington was a world class sprinter with no baseball experience and was signed by the Oakland A's in the 70's to be a pinch runner...that's it. There was 1 problem, and this is where Nick Castolano is right to ask his question... Herb Washington had no baseball instincts and it never more evident than when he pinch ran for Joe Rudi in Game 2 of the 1974 World Series and was picked off at a crucial point of the game.

(In Photo: Herb Washington)
Sure, he trusted his stuff, but he didn't know when to trust it and it burned him.  Bottom line, Brett Gardner has the tools, and he even has the baseball instincts, but he got to be smarter about when he steals the bag. He needs to be super aggressive. Gardy can't waste time. He needs to trust his speed and run his little ass off. Trust me, it'll help.

So yeah, Brett can run but can he run?  He can. He really can, and it's my estimation that he will and we'll see a rolling Yankee team roll alittle wiser and alittle better and alittle closer to becoming AL East Division Champs!  Then, when the playoffs start, Brett will help us big time, continuing to run his ass off. Bottom line, Gardy's speed is coming to the Yankees at the right time... I believe that.

Welcome back Brett, welcome back.

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SENDING VOODOO VIBES THE ORIOLES WAY

Give credit where credit is do.  Buck Showalter is the real deal and while I thought his crusade against the Yankees was ridiculous, there was one thing I knew in the back of my mind; he could turn any young team into a bunch of believers.  He's done that with the Orioles.  They won again tonight 12-2 over the Blue Jays and the only thing it does for the Yankees is it knocks the crap out of the Jays morale as we stroll into Toronto coming off a win against the Twins today.

So, as we look ahead, the Yankees play the Toronto Blue Jays for 4 games, then 3 against the Red Sox.  Both teams are terrible this year, and statistically there is no reason the Yankees can't win each series let alone the next 7 straight.  The Orioles on the other hand are off  tomorrow and then have a 3 game series against the Red Sox over the weekend followed by 3 games against the Tampa Bay Rays.  They too can easily win both sets of games... so yeah, right about now those Voodoo vibes need to go the Orioles way to break up momentum. After all, they are such damn pests, we just need to break them down alittle bit and I'll take anything I can get. 

Go Yanks!

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SABATHIA & YANKEE OFFENSE ROLL OVER TWINS

Following last night’s frustrating 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins, this game on Wednesday was pretty much a must-win for the Yankees as their ace, CC Sabathia, was toeing the rubber. At no time do you want to lose a series to the Twins, especially when they’re not contending and when you’re in a pennant race with the Orioles. With that said, CC and the Bombers’ offense showed up as the Yanks took the series finale in blowout fashion 8-2.

Let’s start with the big fella, CC Monster. He was coming off a fantastic performance last Friday against the Oakland A’s; shutting them out through eight. This time around, Sabathia allowed just two runs in 8 innings on six hits, just one walk and a whopping 10 strikeouts. In his last two starts, Sabathia has combined to pitch 16 innings of two run ball and 21 strikeouts. All of this “CC’s not an ace” nonsense has been put to rest, at least for now.

Last night the Yankees could only muster up two runs in six innings off Esmerling Vasquez. Today they faced Sam Deduno and he kept the Yankees in check through 1.2 innings. However, the reason why he could only complete 1.2 innings is because he had to leave the game with an eye infection. His replacement, Brian Duensing, got roughed up as the Bombers tagged six runs off of him in just 1 inning of work. This came from a Robinson Cano two-run double, a Nick Swisher RBI single, and a Curtis Granderson two-run triple.

To cap off the six-run inning, Grandy scored on a Duensing wild pitch. Chris Dickerson completed the scoring with a long two-run homerun scoring Raul Ibanez in the sixth.

(In Photo: Chris Dickerson)
The long-awaited return of Brett Gardner finally came to an end in this one. He replaced Ichiro and played left field in the ninth inning. This was Gardner’s first game since injuring his elbow way back on April 17 against these same Minnesota Twins. At first when there was word that Gardner could get activated we only thought he’d be activated just so he could pinch-run and play defense. However, according to this piece, HERE by Mark Feinsand of the Daily News, Gardner could bat in a game on Sunday or Monday. Fingers crossed.

Final was 8-2, Yankees

The win for the Yanks gives them 14 wins in their last 20 games and the lead in the AL East is up to 2 games, which could either go up or down one half game depending on if the Orioles lose to the Blue Jays or not. Speaking of the Blue Jays, the Yankees well head on up to Toronto for their final road series of the regular season as Ivan Nova (12-7, 4.94 ERA) kicks off the four-game set against Brandon Morrow (8-7, 3.28 ERA) on Thursday.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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GRINDING IT OUT IN BASEBALL & IN LIFE

Baseball…..it’s just a game. I’ve heard that so many times in my life. I guess some people don’t realize that baseball is more than an entertainment medium because it’s a good life lesson. Turn on a baseball game or read the latest news with the Yankees and there is a deeper meaning behind it.Trust me, it’s true. There are stories about defying the odds, and personal struggles and that’s not just a storyline…it’s real life. For example, sometimes when life throws you an unexpected curve ball, you just have to grind it out and make the most of the situation. Our Yankees have done that this year and they have shown me that anything is possible.

I look at a guy like Russell Martin and I see the story of a man who perseveres and peaks at the right time. Before the season started, Martin was riding high after a successful 2011 season. He had a nice long-term deal waiting for him on the table and he didn’t bite at it. Fast forward and now he has struggled all season. He has probably been his own worst enemy. As many times as we fans have yelled at him, I am willing to bet that what he was saying to himself hurt more. I can only imagine how hard it is to stand in the batter’s box with a sub .200 AVG for most of the season and still feel good about yourself. But just like in real life, eventually you break through and you make things happen.  Russell has been huge for us in September and don’t let the weak .205 AVG fool you.  At the end of the day, the thing that matters the most is that you come through in the end. It doesn’t matter if it’s in baseball or real life, there will be good days and bad days, but when you battle your own demons and get that victory, that is what you remember the most. 

Then, there is Joba Chamberlain. When Joba left the game last year for Tommy John surgery, my heart sank.  I have always had a soft spot for Joba,  mainly because I hate to see a pitcher shuffled back and forth in and out of the starting rotation, it really messes with your head.  After watching him be so successful in the 7th inning, to be without him for the rest of the season just felt unfair to me. After a lot of comeback hype this spring, Joba went down again after a trampoline accident that I was admittedly very upset about, so was BYB, read HERE. 

After the accident, a lot of people were quick to write off Joba Chamberlain.  They said he was done with the Yankees, and it felt like people were packing his bags for him because it was “impossible” to come back this year. Yet, here we are in September and he’s managed to grind it out, pitching once again. Sure, his first few appearances were ugly to watch but the past two weeks he looks like the old Joba Chamberlain. He did it.  I think about all of the negatives that pointed in Joba’s direction, yet, in the end, he believed in himself and proved the doubters wrong. This sounds like yet another chapter in life, a life lesson that translates to us in our every day life.  Believe in yourself. Be true to yourself. Don’t let anyone or anything get you down…Grind it!

Look at Andy Pettitte. It is hard not to like Andy Pettitte and what he stands for. After an exciting return to the game at the last minute it was hard to see Andy walk off the mound again, but this time it wasn’t on his terms, a fractured ankle…it almost didn’t seem real because he’s always been Superman. He had already battled with a tough decision to come back after retiring, and suddenly it looked like a second chance would be in jeopardy. Baseball is a tough game, and eventually every player walks away from the game for one reason or another. Some walk away rather young, but some continue to play at 40 because their age doesn’t change the desire to keep pushing toward their goals. Another life lesson.  Sure, Andy already has four rings and some people think he never should have come back, but you should never let another person’s opinions influence you. Andy does everything on his own terms and he no one is harder on him then he is. Andy pushes himself on the field. Even when he gets in a jam, he doesn’t crack under pressure and he trusts his talent will help him avoid those game changing hits. Sometimes it is hard to look at the big picture and know what you are “supposed” to do, and sometimes you just have to take a chance. Maybe this chance leads to another ring. There are no guarantees in life, but there can be a lot of “what if’s” without seizing an opportunity when it comes along.

There are a lot of great stories within baseball, our Yankees are no exception.  As much as I love this game, there is more to take away from it then just a final scorecard.  It is easy to look at the struggles we have in life, but when you find a way to overcome the road blocks, then you know you’re ready to take on any challenge like a champion…like a New York Yankee.  

So here is to an exciting remainder of the regular season, and an uplifting story to go with our life lessons. Go Yankees…Grind it!

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ


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5 YANKEES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

Mark Teixeira: Eric Boland of Newsday (HERE) has the story of Tex.  Yes, he's rehabilitating in Tampa and yes, there is a chance we could see him this season still.  Boland writes: "Teixeira (left calf strain) continued his rehab in Tampa, taking BP and fielding grounders, but not running the bases, though not because of a setback. “It was a planned day of no jogging,’’ Joe Girardi said. “He’ll go back at it [Wednesday]"

David Aardsma: The Animal has been activated. According to the Washington Post (HERE), "Aardsma has not pitched since 2010 with Seattle. He had Tommy John surgery last year. Manager Joe Girardi says he will be cautious with how he uses Aardsma out of the bullpen with the Yankees in a tight division race."

Brett Gardner: Gardy was also activated. I know you gotta love this. According to ESPN (HERE), Joe Girardi said of Brett, "We feel that Gardy can help us on the basepaths... I don't know how realistic it is that he could do more." Look, I love speed and if Gardner is a pinch runner here and here when we need him, there is no doubt he will help the team. I'm really glad he's back.

(In Photo: Justin Thomas)
Justin Thomas: Thomas was one of the guys designated for assignment.  He's a lefty so I wasn't sure if I like this, but we have Boone Logan and Clay Rapada, so we'll deal.  While Thomas was with the Yankees, here was his line: 4 G, 9.00 ERA, 3 K, 1 BB. Read about Thomas and the rest of the moves HERE.

(In Photo: Steve Pearce, right)
Steve Pearce: Pearce was also designated for assignment along with Thomas.  Now, I find that interesting because much like BYB has said, if the Yankees were truly high on Pearce, they would have kept him around. Instead, they released Brandon Laird, a young kid with huge potential, they resign Pearce and then, when Brett Gardner and David Aardsma are ready to come up, they DFA him. Meanwhile, we'll never know what it would have been like for a guy like Laird. Anyway, read about what Jeana Bellezza said about that in HELLO PEARCE, GOODBYE LAIRD, it's a smart and interesting piece. For the record, Pearce's line looked like this in New York: 4-25, 1 HR, 4 RBI. Laird's line in Houston looks like this: 7-23, 1 HR, 4 RBI.

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BYB HAS FOUND BABE RUTH

Well, not exactly, but it's damn close.

 

(In Photo: Willis Gardner)

This past Monday night at Gallagher's Steak House there was alittle contest, the Babe Ruth look-a-like contest. The winner was Willis Gardner who looks damn close to the real Babe Ruth.

According to Sports Illustrated, Gardner is a true Ruth fan.  Here's a quote from him: "My love of The Babe started in 1991 when I was an extra in a TV series called 'The Babe Ruth Story,' filmed here in Ohio," Gardner said. "I went to Cooperstown later that year, and as soon as I walked through the door, somebody shouted 'The Babe is back.' ''

Gardner recently appeared before World War II veterans in Wisconsin. Asked what he did [for a living], he said: "Just looked like the Babe." (Read more about it HERE.)

You have to love this guy, but look, it's not only him. There were some other Babe Ruth look-a-likes below. All were contestants at Gallagher's Monday night.

(In Photo: Michael Sellazzo of Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., Tommy Shine of Bayonne, N.J., and Kevin Tracy of Brooklyn)

I'm obviously a huge Ruth fan and I love the whole history of that time with the Yankees. So for me, this story sits just right. Way to go Willis Gardner.

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CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR

The Yankees came in to the game with a 1-1/2 game lead in the East, and with an opportunity to extend it by another game as the Orioles fell to the Blue Jays. This time of year, every game counts and the Yankees should be beating up on teams fighting to stay out of last place like the Twins. It did not exactly work out that way.

Phil Hughes showed some great skill tonight in holding down the Twins through the first six innings. Hughes can be feast-or-famine when it comes to his starts, but it's always amazing to me how good he is when he is in "feast" mode. Hughes pitched six and two-thirds innings of two-run ball, striking out four, and holding the Twins to only one extra-base hit.

Nick Swisher started the Yankees offense with a line-drive two-run home run in the top of the fourth. Swisher has been Mr. Clutch of late, with six of his last 12 home runs having put the Yankees in the lead. Clutch is king in the postseason - we are looking forward to more of the same from Swish.

Esmerling Vasquez started the game for the Twins. Honestly, when I saw him listed as the starting pitcher, I was thinking that this game is a slam-dunk. Surprisingly, he was able to hold the Yankees to two runs - both on the aforementioned home run. Where were the Yankees bats tonight? Vasquez seemed to have a good change up tonight, but it makes you wonder how a pitcher coming in with an ERA close to 6 can hold the Yankees to two runs? The Yankees bats have to be able to pound pitchers like this, and take advantage of similar weaknesses in playoff teams.

Russell Martin continued his hot hitting as he hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh for an extra insurance run, putting the Yankees up 3-1. Martin, whose batting average has spent most of the season on the interstate, has been surprisingly productive in clutch situations lately.

Hughes pitched into the 7th inning, but loaded the bases on a set of cheap hits. Ryan Doumit singled, Chris Parmelee walked, and Jamey Carroll reached on an infield single. After striking out Pedro Florimon, Joe Girardi went to the bullpen and Boone Logan was called upon to get the third out. After a wild pitch allowed the first run to score, Logan gave up a double to Denard Span to score two, Ben Revere walked, and Joe Mauer got an RBI single. Logan finally retired Justin Morneau to end the inning. With Logan brought in to face four left-handed hitters, three of them reached and all four runs scored with him on the mound. He is my nominee for Goat of the Game.

Derek Lowe came in to keep the Twins from scoring any more runs. He induced three quiet ground outs to give the Yankees the best chance at a rally. After a rough end of August, Lowe has been looking pretty good, and could be a key part of the Yankees postseason plan.

An honorable mention has to go out to Andruw Jones, who got a pinch-hit home run in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate. Jones' hitting has been dreadful lately. It is good to see signs of life from his bat.

The Yankees came in to this game having won 11 of their last 14 games. No team wins all of their games, but it would have been nice to extend their lead. Still, there were many positives to take from this game. Hughes, who is likely the #4 starter on the playoff roster, looked very strong. If Logan had done his job, we would have been celebrating his 17th win. Swisher is still hitting go-ahead home runs, and Russell Martin is suddenly a threat at the plate. Most importantly, they are showing some fight in the ninth inning even when they are down. They still have questions with their bullpen and their hitting, but let's hope this was a road bump - and on to tomorrow!

Final Score: Twins 5, Yankees 4

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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PETTITTE REVVED UP, YANKEES WIN IN MINN

The Yankees came off an exciting series against the Oakland A's which they had two walk-offs the first 2 games. But Sunday their winning streak came to halt in a tough loss to the A's. Last night, the Yankees kicked off a series in Minnesota against a Twins team that has struggled all season. The Yankees struck first in the top of the first against rookie pitcher Liam Kendriks as Alex Rodriguez had an RBI fly out and Nick Swisher followed him with a two run home run to put the Yankees up 3-0 to start the game.

Andy Pettitte made his first away game start coming of the DL and he pitched excellent! He silenced the Twins in the bottom of the 1st and lead himself to 6 scoreless innings... another scoreless appearance. Curtis Granderson hit his 40th home run of the season in the 4th to put the Yankees up a commanding 4-0 lead.

Home runs, plus a dominant Pettitte equals a good day for the Yankees. Liam Hendriks would settle down all until he gave up home runs to Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez in the 7th which would end his night. Joba Chamberlain worked another 1-2-3 for the Yankees in the bottom of the 7th. Cory Wade would come in to pitch the 8th but gave up a home run to Pedro Florimon to end the shut out. Joe Girardi would take the ball from Cory Wade and bring in Justin Thomas to get out of the 8th. Justin Thomas came back out into the 9th but gave up 2 base-runners and Joe Girardi would take the ball from him to bring in David Robertson. David Robertson who has been very good down the stretch gave up a triple to Chris Parmelee that would cut the lead to 6-3. David Robertson would buckle down to strike out the next batter and get Pedro Florimon to ground out to end the ball game.

Player of the Game: Andy Pettitte. It was a hard choice, but you can't ask any more from the guy like this! He has been consistent for us since his return in May and I'm excited to see him back for the playoffs.

Final Score: Yankees 6 - Twins 3


If you are wondering, the Yankees plan to call up David Aardsma today from the 60 day DL. The Yankees signed him as a free agent this off season. He is a former closer for the Seattle Mariners. BYB is looking forward to seeing him back in the pros.

--Sam Thaler, BYB Contributor
Twitter: @samt1836

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SEARCHING FOR THE "SHOT HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD"

We're baseball nuts here. I love the Yankees, but I really dig baseball history, that's why I'm going to Watch Discovery Velocity Network on September 29th to watch the "gonzo-like" documentary by Brian Biegel called "Miracle Ball".

It's Mr. Biegel's search for the Bobby Thomson home run ball from October 3, 1951. How cool is that?

Apparently Brian's father thought he might have the ball and when an auction house offered a $1 million reward for the Thomson ball, he decided to bring it in. After all, Brian's dad thought he had bought the real ball at a thrift shop years earlier.  When the auctioneers "rudely" turned him away, that's when Brian's quest began... He decided to prove his dad right or at least find the real ball. They use police forensics and photo research and went all over the country to try and crack the case.

Look, this stuff is fascinating to me. Years ago, this type of baseball merchandise wasn't considered valuable. That's why we're finding all kinds of stuff in people's attics now. Back in the day, people would catch a baseball, collect tobacco cards and shove them in a drawer. Then, years later a grandchild would find it and it not only turns out to be the real thing, but it's valuable. I love those happy endings and I can't wait to see this special event on Discovery Velocity to find out if Brian got to the bottom of it.

(In Photo: Brian Biegel, Scott Weitz. Producers of documentary)
The Definitive Documentary on the Fate of Bobby Thomson’s Legendary 1951 Home Run Ball Premieres  Saturday, September 29 at 8PM ET/PT with an Anniversary Encore on Wednesday, October 3 at 6:30PM ET/PT only on VELOCITY

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THE YANKEES NEED TO BE PERFECT NOW

There are 2 weeks left to go in the 2012 basbeall season. This is when we see what teams are truly made of. Can we hold on, pushing ourselves to the playoffs with solid play, timely hitting and momentum, or will we play sloppy, strand runners and appear sluggish?  I turn my back on the latter, but can I really?

What happened in that final game of the Yankees/A's game Sunday was aggravating. Read HERE. I hate errors and 3 in one game for the Yankees is not only wrong, it's not acceptable for a pro team to fall apart like that while in the middle of a pennant race.

I am no fan of Eduardo Nunez's fielding abilities. I don't think he should be playing shortstop, ever. Any scout would tell you that, and I've chatted with a few former scouts about exactly that.  I am a firm believer that if they truly needed him in the future, he could be hidden in left field and trained properly in the minor leagues until he's ready. I also believe that this final run with 2 weeks left in the season is no time to put a novice like Nunez in the Captain's spot. The Yankees are forcing a square peg in a round hole and if errors are the reason this ball club doesn't win the American League East division, I'll be all over Yankee brass for keeping this guy around, trust me.

Now sure, the Yankees had a 10 game lead on the rest of the division and then the wheels came off. That's not a collapse, that's baseball. Let's face it, the Orioles are a great, energized club. The Yankees slumped, the stars aligned the right way in Baltimore.  What can you do? Bottom line, the Yankees had injury, they had struggle and they lost that lead, but they're still in first place now through it all, but again, if errors are the deciding factor in these 2 weeks of the season and we lose... Well, let's just say, changes must be made.

Errors can and will kill a team's momentum. Players start to over think, much like they do in a hitting slump. They second guess their ability, and before you know it, it spreads like a cancer throughout a ball club. My solution is simple, don't let it get there. Kill it.  Use other guys to put in the shortstop role, use Nunez as a DH on days Derek Jeter plays shortstop and throw him on the bases in late innings to run his ass off. Make him a pinch hitter and pinch runner late innings, nothing more.  Putting him in the field now is toxic to the ball club and in my opinion, a stupid move. Why? I'll tell you, it's a guessing game with Nunez in the field, you have no idea he'll respond on the field, but meanwhile, if you put money on him in Vegas, you're a guaranteed winner if you put it all on him "screwing up." This isn't Little League, it's the pros.  It's an eye test with me, watching a grounder to him, I literally cringe, that should never happen when watching a pro team. Why? Because they're professionals.

So the final result this season is obvious to me, enough with the mistakes, enough with the errors.  Let's play like the Yankees. Seriously.

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