SEAN MANAEA TO THE YANKEES?

The Oakland A's are having another fire sale and the Yankees aren't done shopping! Everyone is lining up and ready to make a trade.....including the Yankees. Let's do this!

The Atlanta Braves got lucky and landed Matt Olson. I'm a little bummed, I've had my eye on him for a long time. He was my first choice to man first base but maybe we can get another prize from Oakland instead. The Yankees would be happy to take Sean Manaea off of their hands, but so would every other team.

I think the Yankees could use a boost in their pitching and I think Manaea fits the bill. The Yankees would love some more back up behind Gerrit Cole, especially a left handed pitcher who had a 3.91 ERA in 32 starts last season. Hal Steinbrenner may think we have a championship caliber team, but I am not sold. After Cole fell apart last season a little backup help certainly wouldn't hurt.

Manaea is one of the most attractive pitchers in the game, and the A's know that. They also know that once he becomes a free agent at the end of the season they likely won't be able to afford him so just like they sold off several of their other players Manaea is part of their fire sale.

Now the question is can the Yankees snag him? The asking price for Olson was more than the Yankees were willing to pay, but Olson isn't a free agent until 2024. Oakland will look to move Manaea fast and they have a fair amount of suitors already so far with the White Sox, Twins, and Royals also interested.

Our pitching held up better than I expected last season, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't upgrade it if we can. I think Manaea would be the perfect addition in pinstripes now let's just see if Cashman can get this deal done.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

NEW YANKEE CATCHER IS A STUD DEFENDER

Source: NY Post

Out with the old and in with the new—the only way to move forward with no regrets. The Yankees are doing just that by sending Gary Sanchez to Minnesota. No surprise to you all that the only thing I like about the Twins-Yankees trade this week is that Sanchez is gonzo. Besides trending all over Twitter within minutes of going public, my inbox was full with comments from baseball fans who had a thing or two to say about our new Yankee catch Ben Rortvedt.

"I’m so sad to see Ben Rortvedt leave the Twins. He was a classmate of my kids in high school and we have enjoyed following his career with our beloved Twins. He’s a stud defender and I think will hit some bangers in your small stadium," wrote one colleague to me on LinkedIn. Kind of neat that he and his family watched Ben develop—also ironic given I could say the same for Sanchez who played both in Staten Island and Trenton. And that experiment just did not turn out the way we planned. But I have high hopes for our new guy behind the plate.

Source: Twitter

"He was rated the best defensive catcher in the Twins' system last season, he's an exceptional framer and some scouts believe he may eventually have 20-HR power. And yes, as you could probably see from outer space, he is exceedingly yoked. His powerful, lefty swing could fit in perfectly at Yankee Stadium as he develops, or, like his first MLB homer, he can always crank one 417 feet the other way," wrote MLB.com. Did I also mention that the 24-year-old left handed catcher is jacked? 

"According to Jack Curry of YES Network, New York's plan—as of now—is to platoon Rortvedt (a left-handed hitter) with Higashioka (who swings from the right side) at catcher.," reports SI.com. Rortvedt also has been reunited with his long time catching instructor Tanner Swanson with whom he worked in Minnesota’s minor league system. Swanson helped the young catcher transform his perspective of the position to one of receiving pitches instead of just blocking and throwing. One cannot underestimate the value of player development — it can help you win but lack of it won't move the needle and provide the level of instruction needed for young athletes to reach their potential.

Source: NJ.com

Is that what happened to Sanchez? Did he get lazy, and complacent, falling into bad habits or did he just miss out on good player development? Hard to tell honestly. But from the looks of Rortvedt, he is athletic, willing to learn and yeah, more important than jacking some dingers, I hope he can just bat for average and hit with runners in scoring position. 

The diamond in the rough of this blockbuster trade that brought in veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson and infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa is catcher Ben Rortvedt. Hoping for great things from the young man and make my friend from Minnesota who watched him grow up in front of his eyes proud. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THE YANKEES SIGNED THEIR FIRST BASEMAN THIS YEAR... AND IT AIN'T A BAD THING

The Yankees did it! They signed their first baseman for a deal and it's not Freddie Freeman. Oh well. Let's be clear however... Anthony Rizzo is no slouch and I love the guy.

Fansided wrote:

"According to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, the Yankees have agreed to terms with Anthony Rizzo on a new contract, pending a physical. Rizzo is receiving a two-year deal, worth $32 million, with an opt out after the first year...

What is important, as Rogers mentions in the tweet above, that Rizzo can choose to opt out after the 2022 season. If he does have a strong campaign with the Yankees, he could very well decide to hit free agency again.

Additionally, MLB Network's Jon Heyman tweeted out that the Yankees had the "clear impression" that Freeman preferred not to come to New York."

Then comes Jon Heyman's guess. He's as bad as Nightengale sometimes. Sure, maybe Freeman didn't want to come to New York, or maybe the Yankees realized Rizzo is a real option and much cheaper.

Whatever the case, let's be clear Yankee fans.  When Rizzo came to the Yankees last year we loved the move. And so what's not to love in 2022?

At the end of the day, as much as I love Freeman, it wasn't in the cards and I'm fine with it. Let the Mets have him. Bottom line, Rizzo is gonna be great and I appreciate it!

THE YANKEES JUST SIGNED A FIRST BASEMAN!

 Big news or not... who knows at this point.

The Yankees have signed a first baseman. No, it's not Freddie Freeman, but it's something and it's a minor league deal. His name is Ronald Guzman and he is a former Texas Ranger.

SB Nation writes:

"The New York Yankees have signed first baseman Ronald Guzman to a minor league contract, per various writers on Twitter...

Guzman flashed solid leather at first base but struggled to hit enough to be worth a roster spot. The acquisition of Nathaniel Lowe last offseason seemed to signal that Guzman, who was out of options, did not have a future in Texas. He stuck on the Opening Day roster in 2021, however, only to tear his meniscus while playing the outfield at the start of the year, resulting in his missing the season."

So there you have it. Don't kill the messenger... I'm just reporting the news here.

TIM LOCASTRO TO RETURN TO THE BRONX!

Not major news, but some good news. Tim Locastro is returning. 

The Yankees have announced it:

The New York Yankees announced today that they have signed OF Tim Locastro to a one-year Major League contract.

Welcome back, @TimmyLo16!!! pic.twitter.com/PbdxlXLwPu

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 13, 2022

Now if you remember correctly, Locastro was a former D3 guy and many time D3 players never make it to the majors. I don't want to say never. I'm just saying it's not easy. He did and that's impressive to me. This is a pretty decent ballplayer and as you know I root for the underdog. I hope he's able to stick around in NY this time and not get hurt. He could be a nice piece... an extra pinch runner, pinch hitter or an outfielder on a main starter's off day. 

MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"Defensively, Locastro can play anywhere in the outfield. He’s not going to take a lot of playing time from Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo, and Aaron Hicks, but if he makes the roster, he could be the body that the Yankees use to keep those other three fresh. As a 29-year-old with a career 82 wRC+, there may not be tremendous upside to his game, but he’s not without skills. Locastro’s speed is unique, but he’s also very capable of putting the ball in play (19.1 percent career strikeout rate), which should help him put that speed to use. Power, on the other hand, has not traditionally been a part of Locastro’s game (.097 ISO). The Yankees may view Locastro as a complementary skillset to the power-first approach of the outfield starters."

Love this. Anyway... welcome back Timmy! I'm a fan!

YUCK! THE YANKEES BIG STUPID TRADE STARRING JOSH DONALDSON!

My head is still spinning over the stupid trade from Sunday night. I guess you know where I stand. Yes, I called it stupid if it doesn't lead to something bigger. It has to, right?

I am thrilled to finally get rid of Gary Sanchez. That's a welcome departure but Kyle Higashioka can't be the Yankees every day catcher, right? A tandem of Higgy and Ben Rortvedt is defensively stronger but lacks a lot of bat power.

And what about Josh Donaldson? There's a real head scratcher. I know the Yankees love to pick up guys that are past their prime but what the actual HECK? The Yankees don't need a 36-year old injury prone third baseman who can't stay healthy and has missed far too many games over the years. That certainly complicates things for DJ LeMahieu again as his role on the team is once again very unclear. I have to assume the Yankees are going to get a first baseman somewhere. We all know DJ has had his own struggles but I'd take him over Donaldson in a heartbeat.

Not to mention it just got really AWKWARD thinking about Donaldson and Gerrit Cole as teammates all of the sudden. Anyone remember when Donaldson called out Cole and tried to pin him as the poster boy for MLB's sticky stuff fiasco? I guarantee you Cole has not forgotten.

"When I say something, it's been thought through before. It's not just something on a whim," Donaldson said. "I would say this: With Gerrit Cole, he was the first guy to pitch since the [minor league] suspensions had happened and he was the first guy you could see spin rates going down. Since Gerrit did that -- we're going off an interview that was done four or five days ago -- there have been 12 or more guys already whose spin rates have magically dropped in the last week."

That is super uncomfortable. So is thinking about the Yankees paying Donaldson's remaining $50million on his contract. It just doesn't fit in at all. So the Yankees have to be planning their next big move. He's got to be going somewhere else. 

I mean....if the Twins took Sanchez someone else should take Donaldson to get us something better, right? If not, Cashman just made the dumbest move ever and just proved to all of us he can't handle this job anymore.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

HEY CASHMAN, STOP TRYING TO COMPETE WITH STEVE COHEN

Dear Brian Cashman, 

You created the game... don't be the follower... be the leader. You're clearly out of practice.

Love,

Me

I am not a Gary Sanchez fan. I never have been, but trading him for a 35-year-old, sometimes broken-down 3rd baseman and a guy that will no doubt be a part-time shortstop is not a way to wow a Yankee fan base.  In fact, it's pretty awful.

Jeff Passan just tweeted this:

"BREAKING: The New York Yankees are finalizing a deal to acquire third baseman Josh Donaldson and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa from Minnesota, sources tell ESPN."

Here's the worst part... The Twins still owed Donaldson $50 Million for 2 years and now the Yankees have that problem. Meanwhile, a better defensive 3rd baseman in Gio Urshela was just shipped off the Minnesota with Sanchez.

Meanwhile, let's think about what happens to DJ LeMahieu. Does he become our first baseman? Is that how the Yankees plan on fixing that problem? 

And let's look at Isiah Kiner-Falefa. A mediocre, 26-year-old shortstop. Cause, you know, we needed one. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want Carlos Correa either, but I made an argument for Didi Gregorius at least 3 times on Bleeding Yankee Blue and I know it's the smartest move ever. One year deal and Volpe comes up next year. Simple and a fan favorite.

The Yankees also get Ben Rortvedt. He's a catcher. OK then. 

Look Cash, everyone knows the Mets and pumpkin head Cohen are buying everyone up for a lot of money. Their team has improved. But you know what else improved? The player's egos... complacency. Players that get big money have a tendency to sit back and collect and play less hard. You know how I know? Because I've been a Yankee fan since the 70's and I've seen it time and time again when it comes to the free agency pool. Yankees never really won when they dug deep into the Free Agent pool to get top talent. I don't always work. So let the Mets do what they do... you just need to calm down and stop the knee jerk reactions by collecting injury prone 36-year old's like Josh Donaldson. Seriously stop that shit.

This Yankee move is a band aid. It will not help our club, it will further bury us.  

Something else better be coming, because I'm damn confused. The Yankees by far lost this trade BIG TIME!

 

UNDERSTANDING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE & QUANTITATIVE MEASURES

Source: New York Post

Just prior to the pandemic that forced us to shut down, stay socially distant, and lose two years of our lives, I met a passionate baseball fan in the middle of a snow storm in Saratoga Springs, New York. I talked to this amazing guy and his dad at a wine tasting my friend and I decided to stop for after we snowshoed through Saratoga State Park. We talked with Josh and his dad, Ted, for some time about baseball but it wasn't until later in the evening that we learned that they were the founders and owners of the Thirsty Owl Winery on Cayuga Lake, NY and their Bistro in Saratoga Springs. 

Source: Thirsty Owl Bistro

Their knowledge of the baseball was extraordinary just like their approach to wine I might add. After we met up, Josh asked to ghost write a piece for BYB and he did just that in EARPIECES, GET-OVER-IT-ISM & GERRIT RELATABILITY: A GUIDE TO LOVING BASEBALL IN 2020. Fast forward to 2022, Josh Cupp is back at it—fired up by the recent events that MLB put us all through over the last 100 days. I hope you get as much or maybe more from Josh's wise words below. Josh, I appreciate your passion for baseball and sharing some of that with all of us here at BYB.

“I am genuinely thrilled to say Major League Baseball is back and we’re going to play 162 games, “commissioner Rob Manfred said. “I want to start by apologizing to our fans. I know the last few months have been difficult.” 

"With that news/quote at 3:26pm on Thursday we are all meant to be relieved we are ready to start loving MLB again like nothing happened. Manfred’s obligatory apology is the ultimate smokescreen. My plea is don’t let it be. Love the game. Love the smells of the ballpark. Love or hate that the “ball got by Buckner!” Love the feelings the game has evoked in your life. Resolution today or a continued lockout was irrelevant to me—my relationship with baseball is as strong as ever. I’m slated to coach my kid’s Little League team in just a couple weeks. My connection with MLB is fractured. I want to share how I got here. I have unconditional love for baseball, just not MLB. 

Source: ESPN

Throw the ball, catch the ball, hit the ball. I’m all in there with the basic fundamentals. Add to it all the numbers, stats, the quantitative measurements of performance and achievement and I am mesmerized. A triple slash line of BA/OBP/SLG, you can measure how much value a position player has instantly. Defining value, achievement, and worth. Yes, please. Wouldn’t it be amazing to measure an elected politician that way, or a significant other? I digress. Stats fuel value for a ball player, their financial worth. Everyone knows that. I’m good with that, it’s just that the baseline has changed. Salaries, even with the adjustment of inflation, have grown so massively, net revenue for owners is embarrassingly high and we’ve lost our way. It’s all changed subtly over time, and TV stole the relatability of the game and it won’t give it back. The consumer is the only one with the power to take it back. 

Check out these indisputable bits of quantitative measure and be your own judge. 

Source: History.com

1. I believe Babe Ruth’s best season was 1918 when he was still a member of the Red Sox. He hit .300/.411/.555 and also won 13 games, and posted a 2.22 ERA in 166 innings of work. How amazing is that considering 2021 AL MVP Shohei Ohtani posted .257/.372/.592 with the bat and a 3.18 ERA in 22% fewer innings. The Babe raked in $7K in 1918 for his efforts, $135K in 2022 money adjusted for inflation, or 4.8 times more than the average annual salary ($1,518) of the folks that rushed into Fenway Park to watch the 23 year old play. His largest salary was $80K (the largest in the game at the time) in 1930 and even that sizable sum was 57 times greater than the average patron at the ballpark. $80K in 2022 is less than $1.4M. In 1930 the average ticket for admission to Yankee Stadium was $1.10, or $17.75 in 2022 money. 

Source: MLB.com

2. Let’s fast forward. 2021’s highest paid MLBer was Max Scherzer at $43.3M. The average earner  of the estimated 50 million MLB fans is $52K. Max earned 850 times the average annual salary of the fans attending his games. Is everyone ok with that? The AVERAGE MLB salary is $4.2M or 80 times that $52K mark. I can’t throw a baseball 99 MPH but I can open a bottle of wine in 4.8 seconds (I had some training, my family runs a winery in upstate NY). They’re both pretty arbitrary skill sets, I wish mine paid more. Comedic break is over. Ready to become deeply offended? 

3. The average minor league player earns about $15K annually. Not a typo. Are we still ok with that? If you are, you’re an ass***. The cost for a major league team to pay EVERYone of its players the nation’s average annual salary of $52K? Under $6M USD. The Yankee franchise is currently valued at just a smidge under $7B USD. Even John Sherman and Stuart Sternberg (owners of the Royals and Rays respectively) can find $6M in between the cushions of their Peugeot's Onyx Sofa. Question: Over the last few months did the owners or players seek to repeal the 1922 Supreme Court decision to grant MLB an exemption to the Sherman Antitrust Act which allows MLB team owners to pay such shocking wages to its farm hands. Nope, no they didn’t. MLB is the only one of the four major sports in our country that enjoys this exemption.

Source: Albany.com

4. There are approximately 900 humans that constitute the total number of MLB players, owners and high ranking executives. Fan base just stateside alone is 70-100M+. Figure it out. Do you love baseball or does it have to be MLB? My son, Ceko, and I attended a Tri City ValleyCats game not too far back and we watched a travel sized Cuban named Franny Cobos warm up in a game he started. While concentrating intently on his craft, Franny still saw my kid was studying his set and delivery trying to pick up even the smallest hint on how to improve his own game. After the session Franny asked Ceko’s name and signed a ball and tossed it to him. Franny then tossed Ceko a ball and asked for HIS autograph. Talk about easy to root for. After researching this article, I would guess that Franny made about $8k that season. 

Suzie Pinstripe is going to kill me if I don’t button this up sooner than later. I’m not meant to write some op-ed piece and tell anyone reading this how to manage their baseball addiction. I will happily explain my relationship with the best game in the world. Baseball will be my true love always, the GAME of baseball. If I could be so lucky in forty years to have my final thoughts and memories be warming Ceko up before a Little League game. My relationship with MLB, well, that’s more complicated. It will always ebb and flow. A decline and rebirth. I’m currently in a sharp decline. 

Source: San Diego Union Tribune

Like the lover you swore off, it was too complicated. Maybe the complexity is part of the attraction. If you can’t take care of those that buy your product, you don’t deserve our affection. I can make that decision to support the game in another way. The minor leaguers can’t. They are in love with the game the owners THINK they own and the owners aren’t loving them back. Fix that. Make this game relatable again. The kids and the folks that bring them to a game should revere the players for their hustle, immense skill and love for the game, not be in awe of the type of car they drove to the ballpark. The game should remind us of what was once good and could be again. Instead it is mirroring the deep divide between that upper less than 1% and the rest of us. "

Source: Thirsty Owl

Thank you, Josh. Maybe we can catch a minor league game this summer when I come to visit you all at the Thirsty Owl. And for all of you fans, I am happy MLB resolved things for now. But rest assured, much like Josh, I don't know if I will love the MLB of today like I did prior to this and pre-pandemic. 

It's complicated as Josh said—still need time to reflect and heal. But this piece gives me some hope that I can do that. How about you?

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

. 

I wrote about this a while ago, and I really believe it. Didi Gregorius would be the perfect guy to come back to the Bronx to play shortstop... for one more year... until the anointing one Anthony Volpe is ready.

In November, I wrote GET READY! DIDI GREGORIUS COULD BE BACK IN PINSTRIPES! 

Simple enough right? Well... that's where CC Sabathia comes in. He talked about Didi on his podcast.

WFAN writes:

"Sabathia is eyeing to make a potential return to the Bronx in shortstop Didi Gregorius.

“I saw Didi working out with all of them guys,” Sabathia said. “Maybe there’s a chance we sign Didi back to play shortstop for a year or two to hold over before you get [Anthony] Volpe or [Oswald] Peraza up.”

The Yanks have multiple shortstop options available on the free agent market, including superstar Carlos Correa, but it is unclear whether they want to make a big splash now or find a stopgap until their hyped prospects are major-league ready. Gregorius would have to be acquired via trade, since he is under contract with the Phillies in 2022 after being one of the least productive players in the league last season, and it seems highly unlikely given Gregorius' $15.25 million that he is due this season. But Sabathia believes getting Gregorius’ presence back in the clubhouse would be a big lift for the Yanks.

“Why not? Everybody loved him,” Sabathia said. “The clubhouse changed when Didi left. To have a chance to be able to get him back, it’s a positive impact on Gleyber, him and Aaron Hicks are boys..."

Sabathia is right.  CC has a knack for these things and it makes perfect sense to not spend a ton of money on a shortstop. Why?  I'll tell you...

I want Freddie Freeman at first base... and I would spend all my money there.  

Trade for Didi now... sign Freeman big and LET'S GO YANKS!!!

MLB DEAL IS DONE... BUT I'VE KIND OF MOVED ON

 

The pissing match was no fun to watch. In the end, both sides were kind of being ridiculous. But I blame Rob Manfred and the owners. Manfred has ruined the game. It was an exercise where he needed to be exposed for what he was, a loser. 

News came down yesterday about what appears to be a deal.

ESPN writes: "The MLB lockout is over.

It took more than three months -- and multiple deadlines for delaying the regular season -- before Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association ended their stalemate and came to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement."

And what do you need to know about what was hammered out? Glad you asked:

"Opening Day moves to April 7 and a full 162-game schedule will be played.

Spring training camps open with a March 11 voluntary report date and March 13 mandatory date.

Spring training games start March 17.

Free agency to begin immediately once CBA is ratified.

Playoffs expand to 12 teams, beginning this season.

The National League adopts the designated hitter starting this season.

CBT expected to begin at $230 million and grow to $244 million."

And while this is all good, don't think you'll see me at many Yankee games this year. Don't get me wrong, I'm a diehard, but I hold grudges. I won't be around a lot. Why? Multiple reasons.

Baseball is everywhere these days. Between my kid playing college ball, his summer league and of course, independent baseball, I'll be busy watching all that stuff.  One thing many of us learned when the MLB lockout happened is that baseball is baseball. 

Sure, it's not the MLB, but damn it's fun.  When baseball players aren't making millions, they almost appear to give a shit. They almost appear to try harder. It's about earning spots and doing your best and team comradery... and since this lockout began, I've been traveling all over the place. I watched a couple tryouts at independent leagues, I've seen a ton of college baseball, and it's exhilarating... it really is.

I'll be at the New Jersey Jackals ballpark a lot this year. In addition to watching them play, there is the Yogi Berra Museum right there as well.  Plus, it's local, cheap and fun. And no one's going to argue about money and labor deals. They're going to play baseball and I'm going to relax.

I'll still watch my Yankees... I've loved them all my life. But times have changed, and the MLB needs to open their eyes.  Now I have seen plenty of people saying they have given up on the MLB. Now I'm very curious if they HAVE really given up. Will they go to games? Will they cancel their TV deals or whatever they said they would do when the lockout happened? I cancelled my tickets. I meant that. I'm not giving money to the MLB anymore.  I've made a decision. I'm staying local... I'm staying college... independent. I just feel like it's the right thing to do after what the MLB did to their fans for the past several weeks. 

Will it last? I don't know. But for now... I feel like I need to do this. It just feels right.

Baseball's Back folks! Go Jackals!

FORGET MLB! SUPPORT YOUR MINOR & INDEPENDENT LEAGUES!

The world is going to hell in a hand basket and we all want to hear some good news....but sadly I have none. Neither do the Yankees or team president Randy Levine, it's all infuriating.

Oh and this lockout is "embarrassing" and it's nothing we didn't already know but this is a direct quote from Randy Levine HERE. If you were looking for something eloquent and thought provoking there was zero chance of that happening from him.

But yes, this is embarrassing. MLB canceled another week of games last night so now the earliest the season will start is April 14h. What did that do to the schedule? Well, that canceled four games at the Rangers, three games at the ASSTROS, three at home against the Red Sox and four at home against the Blue Jays. That sucks but you know what else is now in jeopardy? Jackie Robinson day that happens every year on April 15th. Yup, pray for a miracle otherwise a time honored tradition could be sacrificed all thanks to this nonsense. Some may not care but I look forward to Jackie Robinson day EVERY YEAR.

It's a sad day for baseball as this lockout continues and for once I agree with Levine that this lockout IS embarrassing but I hope he is also embarrassed for over paying players year after year and losing in the playoffs! What about the roster and performance his pitiful GM Brian Cashman has put together the last 13 years while outspending every other team? There's just so much to be embarrassed by but Levine probably isn't smart enough to understand that.

If he was smart enough he may also realize people like me have an increased interest in minor league baseball. There is one comforting thought for me in all of this madness. If millionaires and billionaires continue to argue and not play there are minor league AND independent leagues all across the country that will PLAY BALL.

As long as they continue to play I will continue to support them. So GO FIND those teams. Bring your significant other and your family. While you are there buy a hot dog, a soda, some popcorn or ice cream and find a new young kid that catches your interest. Follow him like you do your favorite big leaguers and support them. Spend your money in your local baseball communities because that makes a difference. I know because there are over 6000 people where I live that should be working at a Spring Training facility RIGHT NOW and they aren't. THAT is embarrassing!

In the current world climate this behavior is beyond tone deaf. I hope both owners and players wake up because this is a BAD look for both sides and the sport we all love.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj