Monday, April 23, 2018

THAT MONSTER THAT IS ANDUJAR

Photo Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Great story in NJ.com about Miguel Andujar and after yesterday's 4-4 game for him, and a Yankee win in which Miguel was a huge part of, we needed to share some of it...

"What Miguel Andujar is doing now is just about what Yankees international scouts envisioned when they first zeroed in on the Dominican Republic native when he was 15 years old.

"He had bad intentions when he stepped in the batters box," Yankees international scouting director Donny Rowland said recently in a phone interview. "He wanted to hurt something."

Photo: Getty Images
After a rough start taking over for the injured Brandon Drury (severe migraines) at third base, Andujar has helped carry the Yankees' offense the last two weeks.

With his 4-for-4 (two doubles) showcase in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, Andujar (23 years, 51 days old) became the youngest Yankee to have four or more hits in a game since Melkey Cabrera (21 years, 292 days old) in 2006."

It's Melky, not Melkey, but all good, we get it.

Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America
I love to see when these young players start to get a rhythm.  Sometimes that energy rubs off.  With Gleyber Torres up yesterday, there will be a lot of learning in that infield, but with guys like Didi Gregoirus to help out, there is no question the hits will start coming.

Yankee fans, we are in a very important time in our lives with this team.  A well rounded, solid group of young men all finally given an opportunity to shine. Sure, kinks will needed to be worked out, but let it happen.  It's a good place to be.

Good piece by Kuty of NJ.com here and I wish this team the best of luck. It's about to get real fun.


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Sunday, April 22, 2018

GLEYBER TORRES COMES TO THE BRONX

Source: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Finally, Gleyber Torres' day has come.  Today, the Triple-A Phenom will officially join the NY Yankees major league team during their current home stand in the Bronx.  As Jack Curry tweeted after yesterday's 9-1 win against the Toronto Blue Jays, "Gleyber Torres will be promoted and will join the Yankees on Sunday. So the Gleyber Era will begin." 

Source: WFAN

Torres was pulled from second base in the sixth inning last night, signifying his official call-up ceremony with his current teammates at his side. Perhaps Torres can help add some much needed consistency into the Yankee lineup in lieu of the erratic ups and downs the team is now experiencing.

Source: Todd Hiller

"Entering Saturday’s game, he (Torres) was hitting .370 with a home run and 11 RBIs in 13 games. He had played eight of those at third, adding diversity to his game. He has two errors on the year but said wherever he plays, he feels he’s both athletic and prepared enough to thrive," reported the NY Post.

 Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

Torres will join the red hot Miguel Andujar who skipper Aaron Boone believes has that "little bit of swagger" this team needs.  "He's getting better and better at laying off some pitches that they want him to chase and I think it's a result of him getting a little more comfortable and him being a really talented hitter," said Boone as reported by NJ.com.  Andujar talked about his recent adjustments, crediting his coaches for their guidance and mentoring.  “There’s been a lot of communication between me and the hitting coaches. They told me I was a little too anxious, so I’m going out there a little more relaxed. That’s what I feel. I just feel more relaxed. That’s helping me a lot right now," as tweeted by Bryan Hoch.



The potential dynamic duo of Torres and Andujar and their chemistry could be just the antidote to this very slow start by this Yankee team, a team with a long road ahead, which includes a lot of twists and turns, significant to finding success.





--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof








JETER PRESSED ON THE MARLINS

Source: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America
Hell, it was bound to come sooner of later. I'm thrilled some honest questioned was asked to Derek Jeter about him and the Marlins and "competitiveness" with the team he has, because this is the type of stuff that I was scratching my head about since the Captain took over the team in Miami.  How can you get rid of all these great players and still expect to win ball games? I added in the fan twist of course here at BYB, because to me, a fan base helps really make a franchise, and if there is no fan base, who is the team playing for?

I have not enjoyed watching Jeter dismantle the Marlins like his toy and yes, I know that he is part owner... but he's the face of the franchise now, and that's why he appeared on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

If you have never seen the show in general, it is literally one of the best sports shows on television.  With this interview with Derek Jeter, hell... it just got better. This is amazing stuff, and something that needed to happen. I applaud Bryant Gumbel on some real hard, honest questioning.  What makes things worse is that Jeter appears extremely uncomfortable and defensive, sometimes his cheeks get alittle rosey. That bothers me, because maybe there's some truth to what Gumbel is saying.  Anyway, here is the transcript.  The link to the show promo is here.  This show appears on April 24th. I cannot wait to watch:


You be the judge. This came from Awful Announcing...

BRYANT GUMBEL: “If you were tanking, would you tell me?”
DEREK JETER: “Tanking? What is– no– tanking?”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “Tanking is — not trying your hardest to win ball games in — every day.” DEREK JETER: “We’re trying to win ball games every day.”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “If you trade your best players in exchange for prospects it’s unlikely you’re going to win more games in the immediate future–”
DEREK JETER: “When you take the field, you have an opportunity to win each and every day. Each and every day. You never tell your team that they’re expected to lose. Never.”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “Not in so–”
DEREK JETER: “Now, you can think — now– now, I can’t tell you how you think. Like, I see your mind. I see that’s how you think. I don’t think like that. That’s your mind working like that.” BRYANT GUMBEL: “No, I get that. But I guess not in so many words–”
DEREK JETER: “But you don’t. But you don’t get it.”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “I do.”
DEREK JETER: “You don’t. We have two different mi– I can’t wait to get you on the golf course, man. We got– I mean, I can’t wait for this one.”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “No, I mean–”
DEREK JETER: “You’re mentally weak.”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “No, I just– I’m– I’m realistic. You really expect this team–”
DEREK JETER: “I expect this team to–”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “–as presently configured to contend–”
DEREK JETER: “–compete, to compete. To compete–”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “Compete is one thing–”
DEREK JETER: “Every sing–”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “Watch my lips. Not compete.”
DEREK JETER: “I see your–”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “Contend.”
DEREK JETER: “I see your lips. I see. I’ve been seeing ’em this whole interview. I see your lips moving constantly. You’d never tell your players that you are expected to lose. You don’t do that. You should take that as a slap in the face as a player. You should take that as a slap in the face.” BRYANT GUMBEL: “You expect them to contend?”
DEREK JETER: “I do. I do. If I don’t believe with the– in the players that we have on the field, who’s going to believe in them?”
BRYANT GUMBEL: “But as an executive, it looks like you’re delusional if you believe otherwise”
DEREK JETER: “Well, call me delusional.”

Now keep in mind, there's a respect between these 2 men. Were they angry at each other? No fully.  But "heated" it was. Jeter was not happy, I guarantee that. Jeter feels the pressure and he's been so untouchable all these years I love to see someone press Jeter on something that we have written about extensively on Bleeding Yankee Blue and I know the Marlins fans are feeling.

How to you compete when Yelich, Stanton, Gordon, Ozuna are gone, and more importantly to our point... why would you do that to the fans?

Happy Sunday.


Mike O'Hara's New Website


Saturday, April 21, 2018

WHAT HAPPENED TO "GOT YOUR BACK" ?


I understand the want and need for the New York Yankees to play hard, but the booing of players shows a bratty behavior that is so pathetic, so unnecessary in the cold month of April, I'm embarrassed by you all.  Shame on you.

Photo: Getty Images
Sonny Gray, probably one of the nicest, harder working guys in baseball was booed by Yankee fans last night.  And while I see the frustration, I am sorry, you should turn in your 'Yankee Root Card', because you fans aggravate me. Sportsnet columnist Shi Davidi tweeted this about it for the world to see. Many publications obviously picked it up or saw it live:

But that's not all. Even writers and analysts took light shots.  Our pal Bryan Hoch tweeted this out:

Valid I guess. And Jack Curry tweeted this, and I even responded to Jack:
It doesn't mean that as a fan I give up on him in April. That would be ridiculous.

Now look, I'm the first guy to rank on a player that isn't performing, but it's way too early for that. I reserve the right to not kill these players right now.  Giancarlo is slow.

Photo: Getty Images
Gray clearly is having a tough time. The Yankee pen is not getting it together fast enough either.  Hell, even Neil Walker and Tyler Wade kind of suck.  It's baseball. Sometimes it happens.  The best thing we can do as fans though... especially in April is stay quiet with criticism and root hard for results.

If this was September... I'd be pissed.  It's not... so I won't be. The best thing I can do as a fan is give support.  Strangely, that's the irony of this whole post. 


We LOVED that the Yankees supported a young girl who was being bullied the other day They showed her their messages of support in a public video. They told her they had her back.


We loved it. It was heartwarming. Yet, if a Yankee doesn't perform in a game, we bully them?  What happened to 'Got your back'?


Real bright.

Let's go Sonny, I got your back!


Mike O'Hara's New Website


HOW DUMB IS THIS?

The Red Sox drive me nuts.  This one takes the cake.


NESN has this one.  Sweet Lord...

"The Pawtucket Red Sox will host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the New York Yankees Triple-A team, at McCoy Stadium in what’s being called “Evil Empire Weekend.” The promotion stems from the Red Sox-Yankees brawl between Joe Kelly and Tyler Austin earlier this month at Fenway Park."


So let's keep this real. This "promotion" doesn't get more people in the door. It just gets under Yankee fans skin.  And sure, that's what the damn Sox want, but what's the purpose of calling it a "promotion" then?


I find this tactic stupid. It shows immaturity. It shows bad business. After all, this was started because the Red Sox infielder Brock Holt was "offended" because Tyler Austin allegedly broke up a double play and touched his leg with his spike.


By the way... THAT'S PART OF THE GAME.  And in fairness, if you look at that slide, like I did about 100 times since then, there was nothing outrageous about it.

So when that Nancy Joe Kelly threw at Austin, it made perfect sense that Tyler would want to bash his porcelain face in.

Photo: New York Post
Look... baseball is about athletes playing hard.  It's not about being upset or offended by players spiking or getting too close to their opponent. I'm over all of it, and I sure as hell hate this ridiculously, stupid "promotion".

Can't we all just get along?

Friday, April 20, 2018

THE END OF THE DARK KNIGHT

Finally.  I can't stand this guy.

Photo: Getty Images
If you know anything about BYB, you know that being an ego maniac gets you nowhere and we see that garbage immediately and cut right through that. Matt Harvey falls into that category and now, it's all coming back to haunt him, and I am hoping once reality sets in, he will either just be quiet, or eat some humble pie and become a regular person.  Hard lesson to learn, but I have a hunch he will eventually learn it, or maybe not because tools don't always learn when they fall from grace... or fake-grace... whatever this is that Harvey is in right now.

Metro writes a great piece about the latest Harvey saga.  Check out this gem...

"The New York Mets being able to trot out their five stud starters of Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz isn't going to last for long.

Some of that is because veteran southpaw Jason Vargas, who was signed during the winter provide some much-needed rotational depth, will be returning from an injury to his non-pitching hand in the coming days.


Photo: Getty Images
But most of that is because Matt Harvey simply is not an MLB-caliber starting pitcher anymore and we all saw it again on Thursday night."

The Mets lost to the Braves, and suddenly there has been a change in the Mets playing style.  They are starting to lose. There is a lot of speculation that Vargas will replace Harvey in the rotation. And I'd love to see that happen. Hell, I think Mets fans would... he's just not good.

Now I'm not a Mets hater, but I am not a fan of Harvey. And hey, Harvey is a Met, so people think I'm anti-Met. I'm not. I just want Harvey to have a reality check.  He's not the same pitcher he once was according to many, but to be honest, I think he was never that pitcher... I think he was just once lucky.

Photo: Getty Images
As I wrote in IF JUDGE STAYS HUMBLE... HE'LL BE FINE,

"Harvey... knew he was good, pretty much told everybody he was great, bought into the hype and reeked of arrogance as he said it, and tried to bang strippers using the ol' "I'm the Dark Knight, wanna see my penis?"


Photo: Getty Images
So once Harvey started to realize he wasn't very good, and started having problems, the media pounced, because like I have written earlier, while celebs and athletes can be cool, there is always someone to remind them they are not, because they do digging through scandal, or blow up stories to try and knock them down."

Harvey was knocked down, but much of it was because of his own self-consumed arrogance.  When reality set in, he was no longer Nolan Ryan, he was more like Mark Fidrych (God, rest his soul)


A fun character, but that's about it.

No one likes to see a person be successful more than me, but admittedly, I enjoy watching failure happen when a person thinks he is untouchable. Matty is that.

Here's some humble pie, Mr. Harvey....

Eat it.

And good luck to the Mets, they'd be better off without him.




A SHAKY YANKEE PEN FIGURES IT OUT!

Photo: Getty Images
Last night the Yankees bullpen was the pen that was talked about all off season.  That pen that, even if they were to get into trouble, be it by the starters or by their own doing, they could work through it, and dominate an opponent.

Photo: Getty Images
And no, it wasn't perfect... but they did it.  And my suggestion is maybe this is a sign that they can become that dominant pen we heard all about. Green, Betances, Robertson and Chapman did it.  Now... CC Sabathia didn't get the win, but that's fine... a win's a win.  I'm just glad they got it done.

Sportsnet writes:

Photo: Getty Images
"David Robertson went wild and loaded the bases in the eighth inning, and the Yankees weren’t all that concerned.

'Whenever it’s a tough situation like that, I want D-Rob on the mound,' Aaron Judge said. Or as manager Aaron Boone put it: 'He doesn’t blink.'

Judge hit his fifth home run, Robertson pitched out of a self-inflicted jam and New York overcame some shaky defence on a chilly night to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Thursday."

It was a dicey moment for DRob. Even BYB Junior Writer Michael Carnesi mentioned his uncomfortable fan moment on Twitter:

But in the end, he got the job done, and so did Chapman who struck out the side and looked like his own self.  And that's what the pen needed to gain some confidence.  That's what us fans needed.

Thank God!




Thursday, April 19, 2018

TENDINITIS SHUTS DOWN TOMMY KAHNLE

Quick note. 

Photo: Getty Images
Tommy Kahnle is down for the count. Maybe that's why he's stinking up the joint.

FOX Sports writes this:

"Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle will be shut down for 10 days and likely miss a few weeks after being diagnosed with biceps and shoulder tendinitis.

Photo: Getty Images
New York manager Aaron Boone revealed the diagnosis Thursday before a game against the Blue Jays. Kahnle had an MRI this week that revealed the tendinitis. The right-hander was placed on the disabled list Tuesday."

We'll have to see if the rest of the Bullpen is also hurting.  This makes a lot of sense about Tommy, but I wonder if anyone else is experiencing fatigue, dead arm, tendinitis, or just suck in general.

Stay tuned.


Be Read. Get Known.

THIS GUY SUCKS!

Photo: Getty Images
That was a quote from a friend of mine the other day in reference to Giancarlo Stanton.

"You see how much he strikes out? Stanton's terrible.  Derek Jeter's a genius dumping him," he said as he sipped his beer and re-adjusted to the game at hand.

Photo: Getty Images
Here's the reality folks.  When Giancarlo is hot, he's hot. But that doesn't dismiss the fact that the guy strikes out an awful lot and has most of his career.  Couple that with him trying to adjust to the American League, being a New York Yankee and the pressure of a big market... there is no question he is having difficulty. It's a head game and Giancarlo is losing it.

Does Stanton suck? Well, it's April, I won't go there... yet.  Plus, collectively, you can't expect 1 guy to get a team wins every night.  It's collective and if we are using the word "suck"... look at the pen. The bullpen's stinking up the joint.

Now there is chatter that we need to move Stanton down in the order. I'm being honest here... I love this idea. Less pressure and it allows him to work out the kinks and mind games he's going through. To be fair, it makes perfect sense...

NJ.com writes:

Photo: Getty Images
"Giancarlo Stanton's April struggles seemingly are worth a response and it could be coming Thursday night when the 8-8 and third-place Yankees return from an off day to begin a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Boone admitted after the Yankees’ 9-1 blowout loss to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night that he "might flirt with" dropping Stanton out of the cleanup spot to lower in the order. How low would Boone dare drop Stanton? Probably not much. Regardless, here’s a suggestion for Boone to use for the Yankees-Blue Jays series...

Photo: Getty Images
5. Giancarlo Stanton, DH 2018 stats: .197 average, 66 AB, 9 runs, 13 hits, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 10 RBIs, 7 BB, 29 K, 1 SB, 0 CS, 16 Analysis: I know some people want to drop Stanton all the way to sixth or seventh, but that’s too low at this point in the season. For now, I’d stick him in the fifth hole and see if he can get hot hitting behind Sanchez. It’s only 16 games in and that’s too soon for me to drop him into a spot where it looks like you’ve lost confidence in him. Also, going by Stanton’s track record for every season but one, he’s always been a very slow starter who starts getting hot in late April or early May."

Love it. Drop him in the lineup. Let him get his head right.

What do you think?


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Wednesday, April 18, 2018

RESILIENCE IS THE ANSWER

Source: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images North America

The weather has been absolutely unbearable here in the Northeast and parts of the mid-West for that matter.  Just look at the athletes across baseball diamonds during the season's first month, wearing winter clothes and shivering in the rain and snow as temperatures and winds simply remove the fun out of playing.  But no one has had it worse, as far as Mother Nature goes, than the runners in the Boston Marathon this Monday.

Source: Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports

The women's winner, Desiree Linden, won because she didn't give up even though at one point she contemplated it saying to her teammate and NYC women's winner, Shalene Flanagan that she might drop out.  Instead, she became the first American female runner to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years.  "She won Monday's Boston Marathon on desire -- years and years of it layered over talent and discipline and resilience," reported ESPN.

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

Desire, layered over talent, discipline and resilience, the ultimate recipe for success- something the Yankees desperately need as they battle back from injuries, poor fielding and confidence-blowing losses.

"While the ball club has confronted numerous postponements, frigid temperatures and even an occasional snowstorm, the Yankees are actively searching for answers as they have been afflicted with a wide array of injuries and poor offensive production," reported Forbes.  If you read Sporting News, they have written the Yankees off with this line, "Time is running out in the Yankees' season to be able to figure this all out — 147 games just may not be enough."  Yikes, death sentence...really?

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

But how do you go from beating the Marlins 12-0 in one night and losing to the same team 9-1 the next?  The ups and downs of this team is almost like the ups and downs of a teenager spiked with a typical hormonal imbalance.  "The question is how do we battle back" and the "answer is resilience."


Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

Baseball is unlike any other sport.  Other sports you have guys playing the same position everyday, every night, game after game.  Look at sports like hockey and soccer- the same goalie gets in the net each time.  With baseball, you have options...different pitchers, different fielders, different strategies.  Nine innings over about three hours of continuously play- Des Linden won the marathon in 2:44, the Yankees play their game in about that time.  In order to stay competitive, you have to want it and be in it for the long haul.  "The Yankees are clearly looking for a shot of adrenaline to wake them up from the early season doldrums and misfortunes." And that shot of adrenaline better make its way to the team quickly, as April showers transition into potential opportunities for the Yankees in perhaps the second month of baseball.



--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof





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"NOW THAT'S EMBARRASSING FOR THE HOME TEAM!"

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America
That title was a portion from BYB fanatic and true Yankee fan Frank Gentry. Smart guy.  Excellent fan. Great former writer for BYB and 100% correct. Got me.

Early yesterday morning I wrote AWKWARD? HOW ABOUT EMBARRASSED, DEREK?

In it, I wrote:

Source: Michael Reaves/Getty Images North America
"Derek Jeter didn't want to come to New York because this Marlins team is nothing more than the leftovers after he dismantled it. And showing up in his old house as he watches the New York Yankees demolish his handy work is not something he wants to attach himself too... not yet anyway. After all, his Frankenstein is not complete. And that's what it is folks. This isn't about seeing old friends and waving to the fans. This is about him not wanting to show his face."

Elsa/Getty Images North America
Last night, the Yankees lost to a hungry Marlins team, and because Bleeding Yankee Blue is not afraid to admit mistakes, I bring you a slap in my face by my bud, Frank Gentry:

Frank's correct.  But I ain't wrong... I'm just wrong this time. 

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America
But you have to admit, the Marlins played well last night and dismantled my theory for this game.

Hey... you gotta love baseball.   Why? Because you never know what will happen next.

Thanks Frank!

Go Yanks!

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