MAYWEATHER WINS: EXPERIENCE OVER YOUTH

I didn't watch the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.  I thought it was silly, but at the same time with everything going on in the world, it was kind of a nice distraction to hear them bad mouth and rip each other for the past few months.

I love the fights, don't get me wrong.  I used to go to the Garden in my Sunday best, sit in my seat and watch some of the best. 

Arturo Gatti.  Lennox Lewis.  It was great fun and a truly different atmosphere than a baseball game.  It's just electric, no other way to describe it.  But last night was family night and so I took that over this fight.  From what I've read, from what I've watched this morning... it was a doozy, and in the end, it was Floyd that won. His sport, his experience ended up beating the young Conor McGregor... an MMA guy and not a professional boxer.

Now does it surprise me? Not really.  The circus was fun though.  I think even Conor knew that he was outmatched, but wanted the challenge and I respect that. But bottom line, when you're an MMA guy and used to the pounding... the give and take, you collect your $75 plus million if you lose because that makes healing better. 

Do I care? No.  You do what you need to do.

.@FloydMayweather is back for 50. #MayweatherMcGregor pic.twitter.com/10iVvy1idl

— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) August 27, 2017

Do I wish that Mayweather would have lost? Sure... I mean, I guess.  This is a guy that has talked trash all his life. It would have been cool to see him be alittle humbled.

But that didn't happen, and Floyd proved that he's one of the greatest of all time... even if it was after a win over an MMA fight and not a true boxer.

NESN had some of the best reporting on this fight:

"Most expected Floyd Mayweather to win Saturday night’s superfight with Conor McGregor, but the bout itself was surprisingly competitive.  In fact, McGregor was on top through the first three rounds of the fight. The Notorious clearly was the aggressor in the opening stages, landing punches on Mayweather and showcasing great pace in the ring.

But while McGregor started off strong, Mayweather’s class and experience began to show off in the middle and latter stages of the match.

Mayweather never lost his composure, and the legendary boxer really began to turn on the offense in the ninth round. With McGregor noticeably dazed and fatigued in the 10th, Mayweather finished off the UFC superstar via TKO to extend his career boxing to record to 50-0.

Mayweather’s perfect record is remarkable, but this fight never seemed to be a legacy booster for Floyd. He took on another fighter from a completely different sport, albeit one of the most popular and successful fighters in the industry’s history. If we’re calling a spade a spade, Mayweather viewed this fight as a cash cow, and Money probably will be satisfied with his handsome payout, which reportedly will be north of $200 million.

He went up against a newcomer to the sport of boxing, and he did what he was supposed to do."

For those of you that bought the fight... you got your money's worth and it truly is a win, win for everyone here.  For Floyd sure... for McGregor who broke his cherry in the boxing world last night, and for us fight fans who paid for and saw something pretty great.

Congrats to Floyd... the G.O.A.T.


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DON'T WORRY ABOUT JUDGE. WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF!

Miguel Cabrera was in the center of the controversy the other day when the Yankees and Tigers got into their scuffles.  He shoved Romine first, the benches cleared and he clearly incited violence which led to a ridiculous spectacle and an embarrassment to the game.

He is the beginning of this entire mess.  Now he's squawking that Aaron Judge needs to be suspended too. Why? I have no idea....

The New York Daily News writes:



"Miguel Cabrera, who was suspended seven games Friday for his part in starting the Yankee-Tigers brawls, was upset Aaron Judge avoided punishment.

'My point is, why are they not saying anything about Judge? He tried to hit me, go after me on the floor,' Cabrera said.

'They didn’t suspend him. There was a lot of people going after me and they didn’t get a suspension. ... '(Judge) is going to get away (with it)? And the pitcher who threw at me, he’s going to get away (with it) too, with no suspension? That’s bull(expletive). I’m not surprised (by the suspension). It’s MLB, they do what they want. I don’t have control. But be fair.'”

Be fair? Stop Miggy. You sound like a rookie baby.  You've been around the league long enough to know that what should have happened. What should have happened was you act like a role model and deal with everything the other night like a leader, not a loser. And you didn't. Instead, you had a hot fuse the moment Romine took his mask off and you shoved the dude. WATCH THE VIDEO, YOU'RE IN IT!  You are the reason this whole thing started.

You are the reason you are suspended 7 games.  And you know what? While I have no real faith in the MLB to do much right, I do believe they did what they could to be "fair" as you say with the suspensions.  Gary Sanchez is being punished.  Romine is too, although, last time I checked he was defending himself from you. Look at the image above, you're on top of the dude like he's your prey.

Stop crying... start playing baseball.  Stop bringing Aaron Judge into this... no one cares, but you.

Take your lumps and deal with it.

To my BYB audience... If anyone wants to write Miggy and tell him he's wrong on Twitter, you should do so.  Keep it clean PLEASE... this isn't a pile on. It is ridiculous though.  Here's his Twitter Handle: @MiguelCabrera.


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SUSPENSIONS HANDED DOWN...

Hope it was worth it with a crappy AL Central team that had nothing to lose. Maybe the Yankees bonded yesterday. Perhaps they did, but I still hated the way everything went down. It was stupid, immature and taught us nothing about leadership. Here's the disciplinary letter handed down by MLB communications:

Discipline has been issued to members of the @tigers and the @Yankees as a result of the bench-clearing incidents during Thursday’s game. pic.twitter.com/vTJ5KQlVyx

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) August 25, 2017

I LOVED what Senior Managing Editor Suzie Pinstripe said about it the morning after it happened:

I'm frustrated with @Yankees & @tigers for their immature behaviors on the field yesterday @MLB #Poor #RoleModels @BleednYankeeBlu

— Suzanne (@suzieprof) August 25, 2017

Says it all right there.

So now Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine have suspensions, and sure they can appeal, but we need all our players and we need them at this crucial time.  As I stated in UM... WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?, you really need to prioritize what you're doing when you get into fights with crappy teams that mean nothing, because you have more to lose than them.  That's what happened with the Tigers... it's BS.

Romine's suspension should be overturned. It was clear that he was shoved first, and Miguel Cabrera needs to keep his hands to himself.  It was only when Romine was shoved that the fight began to get physical.  For Gary Sanchez, it was clear, he got a shot in and he get's what's coming to him.  ESPN writes:

"A series of events led to Cabrera and Romine jawing in the sixth. Cabrera made the first move by pushing Romine in the chest and taking a swing.

'I still think I was defending myself,' Romine said. 'Obviously, we are going to have to appeal it.'

Girardi said the Yankees would try to stagger the suspensions so they have either Sanchez or Romine available. Girardi said he did not know who would serve as the backup when Sanchez and Romine are out. The Yankees top minor league catcher Kyle Higashioka."

And that last part is significant, and this is what I'm talking about... the staggering of suspensions, because now, it's way to important and you can't mess around if you're the New York Yankees.  AND... if you're giving Joe the keys to stagger and strategize, that's the last person you want doing that.

Look, we'll have to wait and see what happens, but I hated this brawl, because ultimately, it didn't matter and didn't need to happen... it just hurts the team, and could potentially hurt the Yankees' chances.


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TRUSTING TANAKA IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE

(Aug. 22, 2017 - Source: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America)

It was nice to see Masahiro Tanaka get a win on Tuesday night. It's even better to hear him say that he feels good and he has no issues with the arm. His return from his time on disabled list has cured his dead arm and now we will get the REAL Tanaka back. We are going to get Tanaka from the last three years back right?

I would like to think so but I am still cautious and skeptical. Tanaka had a quality start on Tuesday against the Tigers and while it was nice to see some of the same issues still remain....post dead arm. I'm thankful that his first start back was against the Tigers and not the Red Sox because let's face it the Tigers are not a force to be reckoned with this year. Tanaka's mechanical struggles are still there but they were masked against the Tigers lineup.

Photo: Getty Images

Tanaka's next start will be in Seattle....and then against the Red Sox. As much as I want to be excited about Tuesday's game I need to see some consistency before I can truly buy into having the old, reliable Tanaka back and the series against Boston is going to give us the real answer to that.

I never like to doubt anything this team can do, but I'm not convinced that if Tuesday's performance was against the Red Sox instead of the Tigers that we would have seen the same results. The 7 innings, 6 hits, 3 earned runs and four strike outs are nice, but mechanically he's still off which could be seen in his 9 fly balls and another home run allowed. In fact, Tanaka has allowed six home runs in his last seven games see more HERE. Interestingly enough, the game that he didn't allow a home run in was also against Detroit and we will have to wait and see if Tanaka can neutralize the Seattle offense this time. When Tanaka pitched against Seattle in July he allowed two home runs. He can't make that mistake again.

Photo: Getty Images

I still see Tanaka struggling with his splitter, which is his go-to pitch. He relies on it to induce ground balls and on Tuesday too many of those were fly balls. The 2.62 ERA in his last four starts is definitely encouraging but those were also against weaker teams as opposed to the Red Sox. I hope he keeps it up because he is key to the Yankees making it into the postseason.

I'm still a Tanaka believer....I'm just cautiously optimistic.



--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

UM... WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?

Photo: New York Daily News

I saw the game. I was truly embarrassed. I was embarrassed by the loss, and the spectacle.

I mean look, I understand tensions get hot in the heat of a baseball game. But it's a damn baseball game.  The Tigers are 15 games out of first in the AL Central.  Are we really having some type of rivalry with them yesterday where 2 major brawls break out? It's utterly ridiculous... and what does it get us... suspended players in the most important season in a while for us Yankee fans and our beloved New York Yankees.

AP writes:  "Once slugger Miguel Cabrera wrestled Yankees catcher Austin Romine to the ground at home plate, an afternoon game at Comerica Park collapsed into total chaos.

All the testiness that had been building between the Detroit Tigers and New York finally boiled over. The toll of Thursday's fury -- three bench-clearing altercations, eight ejections, one beaning and a lot of angry words...

Detroit's Alex Wilson (2-4) and New York's Dellin Betances (3-5) -- were among those tossed. So were Girardi and Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.

At one point, the ill will carried over to the Detroit dugout, where star pitcher Justin Verlander and teammate Victor Martinez appeared to get into some sort of dispute."

And the video is, while riveting... total insanity. Check it out:



Now look, it's true, Romine got shoved first.  There is nothing wrong with him flinging his mask off quickly to get in Cabrera's face, but Cabrera shouldn't have put hands on him either.  And trust me, I get brotherhood.  Watching DRob run full speed from the pen to help his teammates was incredible.  But my point is why... why the Tigers? What a waste... and now, who ends up getting suspended going into the weekend and what happens to our depleted team? Come on man...




It's stupid. In the end, The Tigers are in our head and then... the loss. As my son who is now 15 said... "What a joke."




Here's more. Have fun with this video too. Sets a great example heading into Player's weekend.  That was the irony of this video above. As the brawls and shouting is taking place, a friendly reminder about this weekend's MLB Players weekend.

Hilarious and sad.

Do I like video like this? I love it.  But it hurts the team ultimately and we need to be smarter when we're picking our enemies... especially when we are so close to getting past the Red Sox.  Why the hell are we bothering with a team 15 games out?

Seems silly to me.

YANKEES GOT BOSTON RIGHT WHERE WE WANT THEM

Another game, another blowout. God bless Comerica.

Photo: Getty Images

There's nothing quite like Tigers in the tank to make a Yankee team playing .500 ball since the trade deadline look like kings of the jungle.  With two games gone and one left to go against the second worst pitching staff in MLB, the Bombers have outscored the home team a combined 23-6.

That makes the Yanks 21-4 in games decided by six runs or more and undefeated in 11 games decided by eight runs or more. In fact, they're the only team in MLB that hasn't lost a game by more than seven runs -- which makes them, one might say, blowout-proof.

Photo: Getty Images

Or put another way,  when they don't suck, they really blow.

So now all they have to do is keep the hot bats sizzling and hope the Red Sox don't do the same for long. And speaking of our old pals up the 'pike, you might recall a few days ago I wrote about the double-edged sword of sucking ahead of the stretch run and how "There's at least one nice thing about rough patches and trolls. When you're in one, the other tends to stop looking back."

Well, wouldn't you know that venerated dean of the Boston beat writer Pete Abraham at the Globe went right out and made me look prescient on the very night the Yanks put up their second consecutive double-digit hurt on those reeling Motor City kitties.

Now, I admire and respect Peter at least as much for his skill and stylings as a reporter and writer as for his fierce devotion to the preservation of all things geezer rock.

But setting aside Boston's rich and varied history of choke aside, to consider the division is somehow safely in Boston's pocket this far out with such an unremarkable lead as 4.5 games and that any change would be "unexpected" is the not only the height of group think folly but flat-out flies in the face of logic.

Why? Due to the simple fact that they've already coughed up  just such a lead to the Yankees this very season -- and they did it just last month. And they did it in a far shorter span of time.

Photo: Getty Images

The Yankees were four games behind the Red Sox on July 4th and barely three weeks later on July 27th that lead was gone and they were in a virtual dead heat.

That was less than 30 days ago, Pete. Think the Sox got better and the Yankees got worse over the last 30 days?

Think again.  Momentum is a funny thing. It can plays all kinds of tricks on the mind. It can make a bad team believe it's better than it is and a good team believe it's worse. But at the end of the day, teams, like  players, regress back and forth from their mean and they are what their records and stats say they are.

And a home run or win in April counts the same as a home run or win in September -- and a four-game fade in July can happen again just as easily in August or September, especially in this jungle of division cannibals where everyone who isn't in the race always tries extra hard to take down those who are.

Photo: Getty Images

And especially when we've got key players like Marte, Holliday and Bird about to return from the DL and they just put a key guy like Jackie Bradley Jr. on ice for awhile alongside David Price, who doesn't seem to be progressing well at all.  So thanks Pete for what may be our first  indication the Sox have once more stopped looking back to see if our guys are stuck in the muck or gaining on them.

It's deja vu all over again and the timing couldn't be better.

We've got them right where we want them.

--Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore

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OH, THERE'S THE OFFENSE!

 Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

I have been searching for the offense for days, weeks really.  I even put out a missing post on Twitter in hopes of finding the offense.

And yea, we won some and lost many more, but I never really felt like the offense had it together, until we went to Detroit and found some.  As the YES Network said in the coverage last night, the Yankee offense miraculously woke up and the bats sparked with runners in scoring position and a shift of Aaron Judge to the clean up spot.

Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

"(Gary) Sanchez has been swinging extremely well and I thought I'd put him in front of Judge and see if we can get a lot of production from those two together again," Girardi said before the game last according to NJ.com.  There's good reason for the drop in the batting order even if it's to cleanup.  "Heading into Tuesday, Judge was hitting .167 since July 14 with seven homers, 14 RBIs and 58 strikeouts in 124 at-bats in 35 games. He'd also struck out a Major League record 37 games in a row since July 8," reported NJ.com.  Jacoby Ellsbury pinched hit for Judge in the middle of the 7th as the Yankees widened their lead on an Aaron Hicks home run, 11-1.

Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

Joining the team in Detroit was Masahiro Tanaka who had a good lead by the middle of the third, with the Yankees up 7-0.  His success, after his short trip to the disabled list, is either our loss or our gain, depending how you look at it.  "The better Tanaka (4.92 ERA in 133.2 IP) pitches down the stretch, the more likely the Yankees are to at least capture an AL Wild Card spot--if not comeback to win the AL East. But the better Tanaka throws, the more likely the 28-year-old is to opt-out of his contract after the season, giving the Yankees a difficult long-term decision to make in a potential bidding war," reported NJ.com.

Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

So the Yankees taste the sweetness of a big win after losing the series to Boston and losing a lot of fans' confidence after the excuses script from Joe Girardi spewed out last week following the Aroldis Chapman demotion from closer to "use at any time."  This week has started out well and oh yes, we found the offense that somehow got lost earlier this month.  And Let's Go Cleveland!

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @suzieprof

THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET

I think most people would agree (not easy to do these days) things in the world have been better. Yes, they've also been a lot worse, but smiles are in short supply.  There is an odd feeling of hopelessness that is not at all who we are as a nation.  We DO NOT do politics here at BYB, and this isn't a political post...well, not one that takes sides anyway.  I'm merely making a comparison.  The United States of America is much like a successful franchise... like the one that makes it's home in the Bronx, New York.  We are the one people come to watch (even if they aren't our fans).  We've been a winning, small ball club.  We've been a team loaded with pitching.  We've been the club that rakes with massive, powerful bats.  In short, we've done it all.  But we've also, like that famed, pinstriped clad bunch, had lean times.  The thing that brought us back?  It was remembering WHO WE ARE.

This Yankee Club is mirroring our country once again.  They are playing their hearts out.  They are trying to find it every time they set between the lines.  They are trying to be the NEW, New York Yankees, while holding onto the heart of yesterday.  And what do we do?  We call for the Manager's head! We lament the long gone "Glory Days".  We turn on the kids when they hit the skids and Armchair manage the club because we are sudden ALL "experts".

(Credit: Jim McIsaac)

In my opinion, we should turn off all the noise and see the SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET.  This team is a great group of gamers that we should all be behind.  Yes, Aaron Judge is struggling...HE IS A ROOKIE!  He should scuffle.  

Photo: NJ.com

Yes, the Kraken needs defensive work...but he too is a kid.  Name a player that came up and never struggled.  I'll wait. 

Go on...

Who?

Okay, get back to me...

We as a country and we as a fan base are always too quick to see the negative.  "We can't beat the Sox!"  Um...yes, we can.  This team, believe it or not, is the LAST club anyone will want to see in the playoffs.  They run on energy even more so than talent.  They have yet to hit their stride.  My hope is it's soon, but the ride will be a blast no matter when it happens. 

Photo: Getty Images

We've all lived through slumps, skids and streaks.  They happen in all walks of life.  What sets us a part?  As corny and "T Shirt" slogan as it may sound...

We are the United States of America.  And They are the New York Yankees. 

Hold tight, friends.  We ain't done by damn sight.

** So I'll stay right here on.... **

 
  --Mike O'Hara
BYB Contributor
Follow me on Twitter: @mikeyoh21

PANIC TIME: IS AARON JUDGE INJURED?

Source: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images North America

Something is up in Yankee land....I'm just not sure what yet. We all know Aaron Judge has struggled A LOT since the All-Star break. Rumors are swirling on social media and some Yankee fans blame Judge's struggles on the Home Run Derby. I'm not so sure I buy the last theory but even if the derby is partially to blame for this it would be nice to just know if this is just a slump or is it something more serious so we can deal with it appropriately. Is it just a slump or is Judge injured?

I hate to think the worst here. The Yankees once again have been screwed by the injury bug this year. It would be nice to have a break from this damn injury bug curse that has been hovering for the last few years. Injuries happen but this is just a long pattern now. Think about it, our first base curse (here's looking at you Mark Teixeira and Greg Bird) has turned into a team epidemic.

Source: David Maxwell/Getty Images North America

The last thing we need to hear is that Aaron Judge is hurt. I have been brushing off the recent rumors on social media but watching post-game interviews from both Saturday and Sunday suddenly have me wondering. If you look at videos HERE and HERE, Judge has his left shoulder iced in both videos. Apparently, the ice wrapped shoulder has been consistent recently and since he is a right-handed hitter, the left shoulder is his front shoulder when hitting and that is his power source. So couldn't a bad shoulder be a possible contributor to a slumping hitter? Sounds possible to me.

Now I have heard that Judge uses ice a lot for conditioning. At the beginning of the season I was reading online that Judge sits in ice baths regularly as part of his fitness routine. I know a lot of athletes who do that, so ordinarily the iced shoulder might not bother me too much....but not in this case.

Photo: Getty Images

On Sunday, a reporter asked him how and when he hurt his shoulder. Judge responded with a little chuckle and answered with "it's not affecting me at all."

OK Judge....I WANT to believe that. Ball players are all banged up and battling through stiffness or soreness at this point in the season but the answer was very short and it really wasn't even an answer a all. The iced shoulder and declining numbers suggest there is more to the story. Doesn't it feel like we are missing information here?

I'm working on nothing but a hunch here. I have no facts or figures to back this up but something just isn't right here. Reinforcements are on their way. Soon Starlin Castro, Matt Holliday and Bird will be back. Maybe it's a good idea to give Judge a rest one we get some other guys back. Even if this is a minor or nagging injury why not sit him out a few days and regroup rather than risk a more serious injury?

Photo: Getty Images

It's been a long season. Judge has been struggling, he's played in a lot of games and he's dealing with some sort of shoulder injury. I think it's time to grant Judge a recess here. It's in his best interest and ours. Let's hope this really isn't a serious injury.

--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ