GIANTS WIN & A WORLD SERIES FOR THE AGES

We're Yankee fans here, and any series with the Yankees is amazing. This Royals, Giants series was pretty damn terrific though. Hugh props to many of the guys that did big things, but tonight it was all about Pablo Sandoval and Madison Bumgarner.  Simply amazing.

Tonight, the Giants won the World Series.  It was a tough fight.  The fans were totally into it in Kansas City and I give them a standing O for being so engaged.

The players played their hearts out... and the announcers were mildly annoying, but in the end, the best team won. That's right... I'm kind of over Erin Andrews too.

There isn't much more to say other than watching Sandoval catch that foul ball fly reminded me of Charlie Hayes in 1996.  And now...it's officially the off season and so, the Yankees will move forward and Yankee fans will look forward to any moves we're about to make.

I tip my cap to both the Royals and the Giants. You played the way the game should be played... with passion.

Congrats to the city of San Francisco... you have an incredible club.

Final: Giants 3 - Royals 2

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YANKEES' REUNION WITH RAUL IBANEZ VERY LIKELY

It would be a nice reunion with Raul Ibanez and the New York Yankees if the rumors are true about our club eyeing Ibanez to be the next hitting coach. When I read the headline, I smiled.

According to George King III of the New York Post, "There is serious speculation running through Kauffman Stadium prior to Game 7 of the World Series that the Yankees are waiting for the Series finale Wednesday night so they can contact the Royals’ Raul Ibanez to gauge his interest in being their hitting coach."

Look, there is one thing that is constantly sticking in my mind thinking about the Yankees possibly interested in bringing Ibanez back to the Bronx.  It's something he told us here at BYB when we interviewed him a few years ago, after his big time homers in the playoffs in 2012 (Read BYB EXCLUSIVE. IBANEZ TO SANDY VICTIMS: "I AM HERE TO HELP") ...

He said this when I asked if he was thinking about coming back to the Yankees:

Raul Ibanez: "One of the greatest years of my life.  I heard it was great to be a Yankee I just didn't realize how much!  I can't wait to come back to the Yankees!"

Obviously it never happened, but now, things are different. It's in an instructor capacity and that would be amazing to see! The reunion would not only be gratifying for the Yankees as an organization, especially if this is report is true. It would also be a thrill for Ibanez! Oh yeah, and I'm almost positive us fans would absolutely love it too!

RAAAAUUUUULLLLLL!

Stay Tuned!



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HOLY COW! JOE MADDON IS GOING TO CHI-TOWN

It’s looks as if former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon is heading north to the Windy City.

CBSSports.com reports that Maddon is on the verge of signing a deal to become the manager of the Chicago Cubs. He would replace Rick Renteria who led the Cubs to a 73-89 record in his first season at the helm.

After having a successful nine-year tenure with the Rays, Maddon’s work will be cut out for him in Chicago. The Cubs are a perennial cellar dweller in the NL Central and haven’t made the playoffs since 2008.

--Alexis Garcia, BYB's "Eye on MLB" Columnist
Twitter:  @heylexyg



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DEREK JETER CLEANS OUT HIS LOCKER

You gotta love The Players' Tribune.  Derek Jeter started something great and we here at BYB endorse it. You as true Yankee fans and of course Jeter fans should too.

Today Jeter wrote a piece titled: The Clean up. In it, he talks about cleaning out his locker, something all of you should take a look at. In fact, click HERE to read it. It's powerful.  It's a full career ending for the Captain, and him trying to get his head around it. Here's an excerpt:

"Cleaning out my locker on my final day at Yankee Stadium was harder than I thought. Not for any emotional reason—although it was definitely a little sad—it’s just that I had never really done it before. Even when we moved from the old Yankee Stadium to the new one before the 2009 season, someone packed everything for us.

So about a week after the season was over I took one last trip to the clubhouse, and spent a long time staring at everything in and around my locker. I wasn’t sure where to start or what to do..."

He closed it this way:

"This was the point I finally just told Robbie (Yankees Equipment Manager Rob Cucuzza) to box it all up and ship it to my house in Tampa. Some day, I’ll go through it all there."

The pictures are terrific.  The post is heartwarming, an emotional struggle and very personal. 

Now, I believe the media absolutely hates the Players' Tribune. If they tell you they like it, they're lying.  They hate it because these are stories that they could never get from the Captain.  But finally though, the Captain is opening up to the fans, and so are the people he hired to write for the Tribune.  

We, as BYB, as fans, absolutely love this idea.  

Hey Cap... I tip my hat... good job kid.

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RED SOX SNIFFING AROUND CHASE HEADLEY'S HYDRANT

Rumorville... here we come!

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com suggests that the Red Sox are looking at third basemen and 2 guys they like are Pablo Sandoval and Chase Headley. No doubt "people familiar with the situation" know something about this... right Jonnie?

Jon writes: "The Red Sox, in need of third base production, are prioritizing Giants postseason hero Pablo Sandoval as well as Chase Headley, according to people in the know.

Boston may also take a look at Aramis Ramirez, if he become a free agent, though he is said to fit below Sandoval and Headley. Ramirez is believed to prefer a return to Milwaukee."

OH! Big Jon changed it up on me. Now it's fancy, "people in the know."  Got it.

Look, we here at BYB have stated numerous times that we like how it feels to have Chase Headley in pinstripes. Read BRING BACK CHASE HEADLEY!  He brought an energy to the club down the stretch.  He's a gamer.  One of my buddies the other day called him "A Warrior, cut from the same cloth as Paul O'Neill." I don't necessarily agree with that, but there is no question I like Headley's drive and passion.  He wants to be there and the Yankees should not let the Red Sox get him!

And yes, there has been talk about Kung Fu Panda, but the price tag for Sandoval seems too steep.  Headley just makes better sense to me, especially if we don't really know what ARod can give us in the field.

Interesting nugget... we'll have to see how it plays out.


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AARON JUDGE IS CHOSEN FOR THE FALL STAR GAME!

This season the Arizona Fall League has a different feeling to it. It ALWAYS excites me, but there has already been so much accomplishment for our young kids in the minors and so much buzz that it makes it even more enjoyable to follow and there is still so much more to go!

Last week we wrote about Greg Bird and how he was opening eyes in BIRD IS THE WORD.  Bird is hitting an impressive .349/.382/.651 with 5 home runs in 15 games. He leads the league in home runs, but Aaron Judge will be showcased in the Arizona Fall League's version of the All-Star game.

Judge has a .250BA and two homers in 10 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions, and while his numbers aren't as strong as Bird's this game is designed to showcase the game's top prospects. In July Keith Law released his top 50 prospects list, and Judge was the only Yankee player to make the list so they are sending their biggest name player.

Judge had the best season of all of the Big Three First round picks from 2013. He has been a big part of the offense so far for the Fall League and in the next year or two we could see him in Yankee stadium if he keeps progressing.

It's been a rough start so far for the Scottsdale Scorpions this season, so far they have a 9-10 record and are in last place for the Eastern league. There's still plenty of time left though to make up ground, and with the offense heating up things could change quickly. If you want to catch the Arizona Fall Leagues Fall Star game and watch Aaron Judge tune into MLB Network this Saturday at 8pm ET.

Oh and as always...can't forget to plug our boys. Go Scottsdale Scorpions!




 
 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ





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IF THE GIANTS WIN, ARE THEY A DYNASTY?

 
“I was made for loving you baby.  You were made for loving me. And I can’t get enough of you baby.  Can you get enough of me?”

Everything that James Taylor or John Denver were as songwriters, KISS was not. Let’s just say KISS wasn’t about romance.  I mean before they released this song their last album was titled Love Gun.  But I digress...

The reason I have brought up the band KISS is not because I am buying Arena Football League tickets.  It’s because that song was called “I Was Made For Loving You” and it appeared on an album released in 1979.

This album name is a word that evokes emotion in sports fans and in particular Yankee fans.

DYNASTY.

Dynasty! Music clicks with me and I identify things big pop culture moments with music. When it became clear to me yesterday that the Giants, if they won Game 6 (which they didn’t) or Game 7 (they could) would have been Champions 3 of the past 5 seasons, the vocals of Paul Stanley began to take over my mind and the word “dynasty” appeared before me in big chrome letters.



In basketball you can argue about the San Antonio Spurs and their championship runs might be one, before them the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers three-peated the hell out of the NBA.

In the NFL the Dallas Cowboys of the early 90s (3 championships in four years) were a spectacle and during the end of that decade and the beginning of the 00s we had the New England Patriots who brought in a period of prosperity for Boston teams with 3 rings and 5 appearances.  Both runs are undisputed dynasties.

In baseball, not since ’96 and ’98 through 2000 has the baseball world experienced a dynasty.  A rookie Derek Jeter getting his first ring, Paul O’Neil,Bernie Williams, Joe Torre beating cancer, there was so much to love about that time.

It was a dynasty.

Say it out loud.  It sounds dirty, a little naughty like the song lyrics above.

Are the San Francisco Giants.... if they win Game 7… a dynasty?


 
Wolfgang Von Bunt
BYB Staff Writer
Twitter: @WVBunt




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JOSE CANSECO SHOT

There are plenty of people who probably want to shoot Jose Canseco, but that's not even a funny joke.  I hate these stories about shootings, and when I read  about Jose, even though I have ill feelings toward the guy, I was curious about what happened.

According to KLAS-TV, "former baseball star Jose Canseco was hurt in an accidental shooting Tuesday afternoon at his house on the eastside of the Las Vegas valley.

Metro Police confirm there was an accidental shooting at the address, but would not confirm the former player was hurt. However, records show Canseco owns the home where the shooting happened."

Sketchy... right? I mean, how do you report the guy was shot and hurt, only to say that there is no confirmation that he was hurt.

I dug around and found this too. It's from  Business Insider:

"KTNV's Spencer Lubitz is reporting that former baseball star Jose Canseco accidentally shot himself in the hand... Canseco is reportedly recovering in the hospital."

So yeah, it appears he may have shot himself, by accident. OK then. I hope this prevents him from Tweeting. He gets alittle nutty when he Tweets.  Anyway, love him or hate him, I am suggesting we wish him a full recovery.  Get well soon Jose.

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WHEN THERE'S NO YANKEE NEWS... RECYCLE

Remember when Carlos Beltran signed a 3 year deal with the New York Yankees last winter? The deal was 3 years and $45 million. I remember the headline because it's in my bookmarks.  I read it on ESPN and it stated then:

"Free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran has agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal with the New York Yankees, sources confirmed to ESPN.com..."

It also read: " Beltran took $3 million less to sign with the Yankees, sources told ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand. Beltran had an offer for three years and $48 million with another club. A source with knowledge of those discussions said Beltran was "down the road" with that team..."

"The Kansas City Royals, Beltran's first major league team, also pursued him. But the Royals filled their outfield void with a trade for Milwaukee's Norichika Aoki on Thursday. "

Then today, I was reading Joel Sherman of the New York Post and read this, one year later mind you:

"Kansas City actually offered more than the Yankees’ three-year, $45 million bid and its proposal included a fourth-year option. However, Beltran has long wanted to play for the Yankees."

That just came out ladies and gentlemen. What makes matters even more confusing was RAB ran it like it was news.  I don't get it.  Now you know me, I've made my share of mistakes at BYB. If we blow it, I'll tell you. But I'm just not seeing the interest in a story that happened a year ago. Am I missing something?

You know what the story should be? The fact that the Royals lost out to the Yankees on Beltran, but then signed Aoki.  Aoki has been a big contributor on the Royals this season. Plus, the Royals happen to be in the World Series.  The Yankees lost Beltran to several stints of injury and eventual surgery to remove bodies from his elbow.  Who got the better end of the deal in 2014? Analyze it.

Look, BYB isn't superior to any publication.  This however is NOT news about Carlos Beltran. It is however... old news.

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HOW DO YOU FIND THE DRIVE TO WIN?

If you have been a Yankees fan for any length of time, you know the mission of the New York Yankees every single year: win the World Series. It is what drives the team to spend money, acquire top-notch talent, and makes the fan base argue about whom the Yankees should go after first – Max Scherzer or James Shields. We all operate on the assumption that the team with the best players wins the World Series. Do you still really believe that assumption?

The Kansas City Royals have gotten everyone’s attention, primarily because they should not be in the World Series to begin with. Let’s review. They are below the league average in runs per game, OPS, and Fielding Percentage. They are the only team in the American League to fail to hit 100 home runs. They were 4th in ERA, but they beat the teams who came in second (Oakland) and third (Baltimore) to get to the World Series. You might be able to argue that pitching at least gets you to the stage, but it is clearly not enough. Other teams have dominant pitching, and you need a complete team to even get to the postseason, let alone win the Series.

Here is some food for thought. Maybe it is not just about the talent and potential of the members of the roster. Maybe it is the ability to translate that into wins at crunch time. Maybe what they say is true – the baseball is a game of wits, and that those with the mental fortitude to keep pushing until they win are the ones that end up on top. Remember, the Royals came back from being down late and down in extras to win the wildcard elimination game. They won the first 2 games of their ALDS in extra innings, and the first 2 games of the ALCS in the 9th or later, grinding until they pulled out the win.

I don’t want to focus too much on Kansas City, since they don’t have the perennial winning legacy that would legitimize them as the example to follow. Not yet, anyway. But there are some people, players, and teams that just have that mental focus and drive that we haven’t seen on the Yankees in some time. Guys like Terry Francona, who took the Red Sox from the annual tradition of frustrating loss to a legacy that made the Red Sox a feared team year after year. As much as we hate what they did, you have to admire a manager that can keep a team in focus when they’re down 3-0 in a best of 7 and come back to win. When he left the team, they completely collapsed, and he brought the Indians back into contention. Why don’t we have any Terry Francona’s on our team? The last dynasty – in the late 1990’s – had an expectation to win every last game, and they went out and played all nine inning of all 162 games, plus the postseason.

I will leave you with this thought. A week from now, the World Series will be over, everyone will be analyzing how the winning team got it done, and we will all be talking about which players to go after for our team. Some players will leave, others will join, and we will all be pissed off and elated at various points of the winter when it all goes down. The question is, how do you know who is going to bring the fire to the team, the drive to win no matter what the circumstances? Will the front office and management be able to discern between the stars and the duds? Sure, they will be pouring over the stats, the dollars and contract lengths, but I hope someone is watching out for the players and coaches who can find the guys that can carry a team. If you’re like me, you would like to bring back the days of fighting for every baserunner, every run, every win.

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





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MEET THE BYB FAMILY: INTERVIEW WITH JEANA BELLEZZA

Over the next several months, Bleeding Yankee Blue will be conducting interviews with my incredible writers.  It's something important that I've wanted to do for a while. So, please take the time and check them out when we release them. They'll be in the MEET THE BYB FAMILY series.  We start with Jeana Bellezza... thanks for being here Jeana...

BYB: Growing up, were you always a Yankee fan? What was the first memory that secured that fate?

Jeana Bellezza:  I wasn't always interested in baseball. When I finally understood it that is when I started taking an interest in it. When I was younger I have more memories of my dad cheering "Let's Go Met's Go!" through the house before any real game memories. 

My first Yankee memory is watching Mariano Rivera leave the mound and watching John Wetteland come in. I was watching on TV and saw a little boy holding up an "Ice Man" sign. I remember the crowd was going crazy. It's crazy to think about now because now I realize just how much I have seen in my lifetime. 

BYB: Did you always have a passion for writing and tell me about the writing jobs you've had in the past.  Also, tell the BYB audience how you stumbled across BYB and eventually became a writer for us.

Jeana Bellezza: I have always been interested in writing. I remember winning a poetry contest in grade school and reading the winning poem during a school assembly. I guess that is what started it all. My parents still have that poem somewhere. I guess my first gig came in High School when I joined the Yearbook staff. I wrote a few stories and became a copy editor. I remember reading BYB just in the beginning for fun when I found out one of my Facebook friends was a writer here. He knew I liked to read the stories and eventually he convinced me to work for BYB as a copy editor. I did that for awhile before I took a chance and wrote my own story for BYB on a whim. I never expected it to be published, though. I'm glad I took the risk.  

BYB: We know you like Mark Teixeira. But who is your all time favorite New York Yankee ever and why? 

Jeana Bellezza: This is a hard one. My favorite old school Yankee would have to be Yogi Berra. I love his yogi-isms and I actually like to relate them to life outside of baseball. He was talented as a player and with his words, and as a writer I can really appreciate that. 

My favorite modern day Yankee would have to be Derek Jeter. I have watched him from the beginning and now I know how special he is. He really is a leader, humble, and a class act. I would hope to leave the same impression on someone else in my lifetime. I really don't think there will be anyone else like him.

 BYB: Your father's a Mets fan. Your mother is a Yankee fan.  How did you become a Yankee fan?

Jeana Bellezza: My dad will tell you he is a "New York" fan but he always favors the Mets over the Yankees given a choice. I am surprised that I am not a Mets fan considering my Uncle Joe is also a HUGE Mets fan. When I was a baby the Mets were the team to follow, not the Yankees. I think as I got older and understood the game more the Yankees also grew into a dynasty team. I loved the history and hearing all of the stories about George Steinbrenner.

BYB: What is your all-time favorite memory of a Yankee moment?

Jeana Bellezza: This is an easy one for me. I live so far away from New York. I was born there, and I am a New Yorker at heart but most of the Yankee moments I have are from watching on television. September of 2011 I got to go to Yankee Stadium with our fellow BYB writer Erica Morales. After talking for a couple of years on Facebook I got to meet her face-to-face at a Yankee game....and our love for the Yankees was the whole reason that brought us together. It was fitting. Meeting some of the players was another nice bonus. 

BYB: You once told an adorable story about a little boy in a Dunkin Donuts and your conversation about David Robertson.  Remind the audience of that... 

Jeana Bellezza: This story still makes me smile. I met the most adorable little boy named Brayden. His jersey is what caught my eye because it was a homemade David Robertson jersey. We started talking and we bonded over DRob and even my favorite Mark Teixeira. Like me, he also has family members that are Mets fans so it was an instant bond. Just as I think our morning coffee date is over and I am getting ready to leave he runs up to me and tugs on my coat. He handed me this hot pink ring and asked me to marry him. It still makes me smile to this day. I actually ran into him again a year later. Now he is playing little league as an outfielder but he wants to pitch like DRob. I just hope when he becomes that big league pitcher that I will still be the "Coolest old girl in the world."

BYB: Do you think DRob will be back in pinstripes? What's your gut tell you?

Jeana Bellezza: I think DRob will be back next year. He proved himself as a closer this year and I think as good as he is, he will only get better. I think the combination of Dellin Betances and DRob works.....just like in the old days of Wetteland and Mo.   

BYB: 4 years later, BYB is about to hit 3 million visitors.  What goes through your mind when you look at all we've written about and the audience we've created? 

Jeana Bellezza: I feel very blessed. There are a lot of blogs out there. I know I read a lot of them and I know how important it is to connect with your readers. With 3 million visitors it tells me we are doing something right and that people appreciate what we do and that they look for us because they know we are going to have the information they want. It's nice to be a source for people and a way to connect with people who are just like me, huge Yankee fans! If it weren't for all of our readers I honestly don't think I would feel as fulfilled as I do on a professional level.

BYB: What's next for Jeana Bellezza? When you interviewed Meredith Marakovits you mentioned how inspiring she was because she was a female in the sports business... is that something you want to ultimately pursue one day?

Jeana Bellezza: My ultimate dream would be to get back to New York in the near future and be a female sports writer. I am fortunate to have BYB to still do what I love from almost 3,000 miles away. Writing for this site has motivated me to continue writing and continue working towards my goals. I do think interviewing Meredith taught me a lot. She worked hard for many years to get to where she is and I hope that one day I can have my own story and maybe share that with another female writer. Hopefully I can inspire her the same way she did with me. 

BYB: What makes BYB a creative and healthy work environment and why do you enjoy this gig? 

Jeana Bellezza: I cannot begin to explain to people why I am here and why I do what I do. A lot of people I work with at my job know I write on the side as well and they think I am crazy because that is a lot of extra work. The reason I do it though is because this is such a creative outlet and the exact opposite of what I do at my other job. That work is also fulfilling because I am helping other people, but it is also extremely stressful. Coming home and writing is a way to de-stress for me. I can share my ideas and experiences with people who have a common interest as me! A lot of people don't also get to see the great dynamic I think we have as a team. I feel blessed to have made such great connections with other writers like Mike O'Hara...who I love to debate with! We have such different opinions on things but the level of respect that we have for each other is great. Also, thanks to this site I have an extended family. 

I have been so grateful for the opportunity to meet fellow writers Ike Dimitriadis, Erica Morales and Rudy Laurens too. Now they are my family in every sense of the word. They have forever changed my life and I hope they know that. I also have so much gratitude to you as well Casey. You have always encouraged my work as a writer and you have stood by me. I don't think I can express my gratitude enough. 

BYB: Final question. We usually ask every person we interview if they read BYB. Since you work here... my question is simple... to your memory... what was the first BYB article you read.... and what do you remember about it?

Jeana Bellezza: The first story I read was called WHY IN THE WORLD? about Sergio Mitre. I remember laughing about the dialogue at the end and thinking how creative and still informative the entry was. Real fact and humor....it doesn't get much better than that.

Thank you Jeana for being solid all these years. You are a terrific writer, you write with passion and a desire and we love you here at BYB.  I personally appreciate your hard work.

I hope you enjoyed this ladies and gentlemen.  Who's next? Stay tuned...

 


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!