WHY FREDDY GARCIA IS THE YANKEES ROCK

(Photo: Getty)
He was a wild card but he’s turned into something more. Freddy Garcia is the Yankees anchor and he’s proven time and time again why a veteran with heart needs to be in the Yankees rotation. Nearly every time I’ve written about Garcia this season, I've managed to also insert Bartolo Colon in the same piece. Then, the words “old” and “heart” were written. Then I'd write “if they stay healthy and don’t wear down, it’s great.” It makes sense, I need to write that, don’t I?

Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon have no business being in a Yankee rotation, let alone any Major League roster for that matter. These guys are old, their washed up… and their damn good this year, aren’t they?

With all the talk of AJ Burnett not being the top “ace” that everyone thought he was, Colon and Garcia have moved up in the ranks. Well, Garcia and Colon should, they're proving themselves. If I needed to set a rotation for the playoffs right now, it would obviously start with CC Sabathia without a doubt, but it would have to be followed by Bartolo or the Chief. These guys grind it out and keep their team in the game every time, and that rare occasion they have a bad outing, the bottom line, it’s rare, plain and simple.

1. CC Sabathia
   
2. Bartolo Colon
3. AJ Burnett
4. Freddy Garcia

This is my rotation. I think that minor adjustment could work wonders, Colon at number 2 and Freddy as the anchor. And this would not only be in a playoff, but in a World Series Championship game as well. Why? Because confidence is key and Colon and Garcia have it. AJ Burnett is slowly falling into the Burnett rut of 2010. Yes, he can still pitch, but much like last year, he’s thinking too much and that’s exactly what happened last night. But he stays in the rotation because, he has the experience and this is my blog, my opinion.

In any best of 5 or best of 7 series during the playoffs, you need to expect CC to win the first game, and Bartolo Colon to have a 60% chance of winning Game 2. AJ Burnett has about a 50% chance of getting a no decision, 20% chance of getting a loss and 30% chance of getting a win right now. I’d put him third though because if I need a 4 man rotation, Freddy Garcia is my anchor, he will help the Yanks bounce back if there is a loss.

Yes, it's true, Garcia reinvented himself, he mixes up his pitches, he has more experience than a lot of these guys and he grinds it out every time. It’s almost a shame the Yankees didn’t pick up Garcia years ago when they were looking at him, we may have seen some real good years of Freddy in his prime. Well, we can’t go back, he’s past his prime, but he’s pitching real well since day one for the Yanks and I’ve actually seen fans that never liked him before really change their minds. He’s really turned some heads.

Look, am I saying Freddy Garcia is our Saving Grace? No, but I am telling you that in a world of worry when it comes to our starting pitching, I think Cashman really captured something special for the Yankees. Ironically, Garcia has been our rock all season and all you can do is hope and pray he is consistently stable, durable and creative so he can help get us to the playoffs and beyond. I said it earlier in the year and I’ll say it again, there’s a story here. Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have turned their careers around with the help of the Yankees throwing them a bone. It’s a Lifetime TV movie, it’s an afterschool special, it’s a 48 hours mystery, who knows, but it’s a sweet story of success and determination, and I love it. Let’s hope their success continues…

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WHY THE YANKEES WIN BIG WITHOUT AJ

(Photo: Getty)
AJ Burnett is overpaid and did exactly what I said he'd do last night...pitch, and the Yankees needed to give him run support to win it. Well, we won it. Why in the world are we blaming AJ Burnett for this... win? I'm confused. This is exactly how it was going to happen. This is exactly the way it ALWAYS happens. Why are we surprised? AJ is just another pitcher, not a superstar, bottom line.

The Yankees paid him an enormous amount of money in 2009 based on his contract negotiations with the New York Yankees. As far as I can tell, his agent is a genius because AJ got big money for being a mediocre pitcher, let's face facts. I never said AJ Burnett was a pitching phenom and as far as I can tell, the Yankees didn't lose last night. So, to me, it's a win and if Girardi wants to move him down in the rotation for the next outing, that's fine with me, but AJ Burnett is not trash either, seriously. All he did last night was make the Yankee fan base nervous. Luckily for us, we hit and scored and won, but there's no denying, AJ Burnett didn't pitch good, lasting 4.1 innings, giving up 13 hits and 7 runs, striking out 3 and allowing 1 home run.

It also helped that Gavin Floyd gave up 10 runs on 9 hits in 2 1/3 innings. For the record, Gavin and AJ are inter-changable, similar records, similar years. Is all of Chicago railing on Floyd today? Look, last night the Yankees came out slugging and that's what you want in a winning streak, constant hitting and scoring. Yes, the pitching needs to be great too, but like I stated in WHY CRUCIFYING BURNETT NEEDS TO STOP, if you know AJ's career, than you know what you're getting with AJ, he's far from perfect and not an "ace".(Photo: AP)
Derek Jeter had 5 hits last night. The last time he did that was his 3000 day. Granderson had a 2 run triple and Curtis drove in 5 runs last night. This guy is having an MVP year.

Eric Chavez and Robinson Cano both had 3 hits and 4 RBIs and Mark Teixeira drove in 3 runs last night as well. Man oh Man, when the offense is clicking there is nothing the Yankees can't do.

Nick Swisher singled last night, Jorge Posada doubled. Even Brett Gardner started off the game with a bunt single. he also scored 4 times last night. (Photo: Reuters)
Everyone did their part, except AJ Burnett, and the only thing he did was make everyone panic. I'm still not sold on getting rid of AJ Burnett, but the base feels he's got to go. The real test will be the Boston series. If he shits the bed during that series, there is no question, the Yankee brass will think about making moves.

Final Score: Yankees 18 - White Sox 7.

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WHY CRUCIFYING BURNETT NEEDS TO STOP

I’m sorry, but I’m at the end of my rope with people continually ranting against AJ Burnett. Suggestions that AJ needs to be traded or released because he’s not pulling his weight are ridiculous. Let me give you an important piece of information. AJ Burnett is not a superstar. He’s never been a superstar. He’s a very good pitcher that sometimes gets into trouble and barely ever gets run support. That’s it, end of story. For anyone who thought we were getting CC Sabathia "light" was reading the wrong headlines. Read Baseball Reference. They have all of AJ’s career stats, and while some years look stellar, some don’t and guess what, it’s always been that way, so get used to it.

AJ Burnett was on a pitching staff with the Florida Marlins that consisted of Brad Penny, Josh Beckett and Carl Pavano and when the Yankees played the Marlins in the 2003 World Series, AJ was hurt and didn’t even pitch.

When AJ went to the Blue Jays, he was behind Doc Halladay in the rotation and while he had 1 great season winning 18 games in 2008, he had a few seasons that stunk. 2001 he was 11-12 with a 4.05 ERA. He was 10-8 for 2006 and 2007 with an ERA in the high 3's those 2 years. His best record ever? 2008, 18-10. Fact.

This is a pitcher that looks much better if his offense hits and scores for him and if not, whatever mistakes he makes on the mound are amplified ten-fold. This is nothing new about AJ Burnett. No, he’s no scrub, but yes, he has his problems, just like every other pitcher does. Larry Rothschild has really done some magic this season getting AJ right, and while it hasn’t always worked, I think everyone can agree, it’s gotten better. Last year AJ was lost, 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA, his worst season ever; No confidence and no great quality starts the second half. This year he started strong and while he hasn’t exactly continued strong, he’s in a much better situation than last year.

I don’t dislike AJ Burnett, in fact, I dig his stuff, but tweaks are continual with AJ Burnett and Larry Rothschild knows this. So, he’ll need to make them, and fast. Even in WHY CASHMAN BELIEVES IN HIS YANKEES, I even chose AJ Burnett as the 3^rd starter if we were to start the playoffs tomorrow. Who did I pick as our number 2? Bartolo Colon. I know, it sounds crazy but if you need consistency, you need to do that. Put it in perspective; If CC Sabathia were to win a Game 1 and Colon pitched like he’s been pitching all year and won Game 2, at least if AJ didn’t get run support, we’d only be down 2-1 instead of 1-1 and Freddy Garcia could use his veteran experience to take us to the next round. That’s not a slight against AJ Burnett, that’s the reality.

The Yankee brass sold us all a bill of goods in 2009 propping AJ Burnett up on a pedestal when he came over to the Yanks. CC, AJ and Teixeira came over and it was their brilliant P.R. machine at work, hinting about the Yankees new “aces” and a “1,2 punch” and yes, for 2009, it worked in their favor. But honestly, anyone who knew AJ’s career numbers and injury record knew this was bogus. If you believed it, you were dreaming. Again, AJ Burnett is no superstar pitcher, he’s a talented pitcher that is constantly a work in progress and I’m fine with that because I never saw him as anything over than that.

So, understand it and accept it and tell me, what other pitcher out there is better than AJ Burnett? Ubaldo Jimenez? I doubt it. I put him at the same level as AJ. 15-12 with a 3.47 ERA in 2009 and 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 2010. I’m sorry, 1 great and 1 good year does not a superstar pitcher make. Jimenez was 6-9 with the Rockies this year before going to the Indians. And what about Bedard? Erik Bedard was available. The Red Sox snatched him up. Well, they can have him. This is a guy that is always injured and to me, he’s over, lefty or not. There is no other starter that was available that I’d want on the mound in place of AJ Burnett.

So tonight, AJ, you need to do your magic. Pitch, pitch, pitch and the offense, God willing, will get you the run support you need and hopefully that continues for you throughout the entire rest of the season. I’m pulling for you buddy, don’t make me look like a fool.

WHY CASHMAN HAS 1 MAJOR FLAW

Look, don't get me wrong, Brian Cashman has done a good job for the Yankees as GM since 1998, if he hadn't he would be gone by now. But, there is one major flaw that Cashman has and that's his inability to develop elite starting pitching through the system.

Before we look at some pitchers that were drafted and developed in the Cashman era ask yourself this question: Since Andy Pettitte, how many starting pitchers have the Yankees built through their system and have become elite? Answer: Not very many, in fact, none. So, let's look at some of the top starting pitching prospects the Yankees have had.
(Photo: Getty)
Joba Chamberlain: In 2008 Joba was ranked #3 overall in the Baseball America Top 100 prospect list after a 0.38 ERA in 19 games. Joba was ahead of current aces on that list from Clayton Kershaw, David Price, and Clay Buchholz, so obviously, everyone around baseball believed he would be an elite starter. But, the Yankees had bullpen issues in 2007, so he needed to come up and be a reliever. In 2008, he continued as a reliever, then transitioned to a starter, then went back to a reliever all in one season. In 2009, he was a starter for the entire year, and then shifted to the bullpen going into the postseason, and he's been a reliever ever since. Now, he's currently on the shelf due to Tommy John surgery earlier this season. In his career, Chamberlain has started 43 games and has a 12-7 record with a 4.18 ERA, not exactly “ace” like.

As a reliever he has an 8-6 record in 150 career outings with a 3.03 ERA. Clearly he's a better reliever, and flip flopping back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen has screwed up his development as an elite starting pitcher. Believe me, Cashman didn't want Chamberlain to be a seventh or eighth inning pitcher considering he was the #3 prospect in 2008. You can read that prospect list HERE.
(Photo: Getty)
Phil Hughes: Like Chamberlain, Phil Hughes had to be rushed to the majors because of pitching issues. He came up in May 2007 because the Yankees needed a starter and he pitched pretty well for a 21 year old, going 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA. In 2008 he was terrible, going 0-4 with a 6.62 ERA. In 2009, he was a starter for the first part of the season going 3-2 with a 5.45 ERA. Just like 2007 and 2008, the Yankees had bullpen issues, and he was used there instead of being sent down to AAA to continue his development. However, he flourished in the bullpen going 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA. That's nice, but for the #4 ranked prospect in the 2007 Baseball America's top prospect list, I'm sure Cashman thought he'd be like aces Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw, Clay Buchholz, and Ubaldo Jimenez who Phil was ahead of that year. Sure Hughes went 18-8 last season, with his first career All-Star game, but he fizzled out in the second half going 7-6 with a 4.90 ERA. We all know about his issues this season with an ERA over 13.00 in three starts to begin the season before going on the DL with a dead arm and shoulder inflammation.. Since his return from the DL his velocity hasn't come back, and he's 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA.

Others: Here's some names you that most of you don't know that were top starting pitching prospects for the Yanks:
(In Photo: Ryan Bradley)
Ryan Bradley #25 in 1999
Adrian Hernandez #66 in 2001
Brandon Claussen #37 in 2002

There wasn't even a top 100 pitching prospect until Phil Hughes in 2006 when he was ranked 39th that year. You can read the entire list HERE.
(Photo: New York Daily News)
Currently the Yankees have two starting pitching prospects in the 2011 Baseball America Top 50 prospect list with Manny Banuelos at #13 and Dellin Betances at #26. We'll see soon enough if Banuelos and Betances can meet expectations, but based on the last 13 years I wouldn't be surprised if both of them didn't meet those expectations.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer






--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor




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WHY IT WAS SHORT BUT AN IMPORTANT YANKEE WIN

(Photo: Reuters)
The Yankees are on a hot streak right now, and I love it. Although this game was a rain shortened six and a half inning game, there were two stars in this win against the Chicago White Sox; Phil Hughes and Mark Teixeira.(Photo: New York Daily News)
Let's start with Hughes. This was his biggest starts of the season, because he was literally pitching for his spot in the rotation. The Yankees are currently using a six man rotation, but you know that won't last for long because you want your ace, CC Sabathia, to get as many starts as possible. Anyway, Hughes dominated in this one, going six innings, allowing three hits, no walks, and 4 strikeouts on 65 pitches. His fastball was clocked 93 and above for his entire start, and it even touched 95 a few times. And since it was a rain shortened game, he even got credited for a complete game. Good for him.
(Photo: New York Daily News)
The Yanks got plenty of offense against White Sox starter John Danks. Mark Teixeira led the charge with two homers, one from each side of the plate. He hit a 2-run shot in the third, and a solo shot in the seventh against reliever Jason Frasor. The best part about the 2 home run night is that Teixeira set the major league record with his 12th career game in which he had homers from both sides of the plate. He passed Eddie Murray and Chili Davis to capture the record. Ken Singleton was quick to point that out, especially since Eddie Murray was his former teammate with the Orioles.

Russell Martin also hit a long solo bomb in the second, he needed that. Derek Jeter had two hits in this one too, in fact, everyone but Brett Gardner recorded a hit.

Final Score: Yankees 6 - White Sox 0.

As Casey says, winning streaks this point in the season are essential and the Yankees are on a five game winning streak now. Today they'll send out A.J Burnett (8-9, 4.23 ERA), who is looking for his first victory since June 29th. The White Sox throw Gavin Floyd (9-9, 3.96 ERA). Go Yankees Go!


--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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WHY CASHMAN BELIEVES IN HIS YANKEES

Yes, so the Yankees may not have made any huge moves this Trade Deadline, but I will tell you one important thing and you need to respect it... Brian Cashman believes in his New York Yankees and because of that, I believe too.

Look, there were guys out there to be traded for, but what was REALLY out there that was better than what we had? Nothing in my opinion. Erik Bedard? Good luck with that. Ubaldo Jimenez? Let's see how he adapts to the American League with his new team, the Indians. All I'm saying is, if we took a chance and it blew up in our faces, you'd be crucifying Cashman. It's a tough game, but Cash believes in the Yankees and he's not going to just go grab guys because it "might" work, he just wants to be sure.
Now, King Felix factor still fascinates me. The Yankees love this kid, I love him, but the Mariners and the Yankees just don't get along since Cliff Lee and it's clear to me, unless the Yankees offered the farm to get Felix, he was staying put. So, what will they do? I say they save their dough and wait. They will wait it out until either the Mariners change their minds, or until King Felix becomes a free agent and then they do everything in their power to get Felix to the Bronx.
Heath Bell was out there and he's a top closer for the Padres, but was he REALLY available? We saw that Mike Adams was untouchable, according the Padres, yet, he was traded to the Rangers at the deadline. Remember when I told you no player is untouchable? I'm right. The Padres saw something they liked better than Adams and suddenly Adams is on a plane to Arlington. It's that simple.

Cashman is a tough guy and while he's saying he's not about to make a move, I believe he will, but only if it's better than what we got. The deadline may have passed, but moves can still be made and if anyone can make them, it's Cash. You can still make trades if a player is on waivers and believe me, if there is someone that works, they'll be snatched up by Cashman.But I'm getting ahead of myself. After the deadline on July 31st, it was revealed that Jesus Montero and Manny Banuelos will be promoted. So, with no big names coming to the Bronx, Cashman demonstrates his patience and calls up the kids. OK, I like this idea. Read about it HERE and HERE. Manny Banuelos is going to Scranton Wilkes Barre and I guarantee you we will see this kid in the Bronx. Not only will he be the lefty specialist in the pen that I predicted, but if shit hit the fan and we needed him for a spot start, I bet you'd see him too. I believe this kid has the stuff.

Then there's Jesus Montero, who's batting .283. Look, Russell Martin, isn't doing too good these days and it makes sense. Reports are Montero will be up in the major leagues this year, after all the talk that he wouldn't be. That's right, Jesus is coming, the question is, when?

So while these moves are smart, my only concern is this; Will these 2 kids lead the charge to win the Playoffs and World Series for the Yankees? No. But it's exciting and if Cashman sticks to his guns, it's clear that he has a reason, a plan, a method to his madness... Let's hope at least.

Then I got to thinking. If it was Game 1 of the Playoffs right now, this is who I would have pitch:1. CC Sabathia
2. Bartolo Colon
3. AJ Burnett

Now, is it what I thought we would have when I looked at our Yankees rotation in April? No, but believe me, it works. The only real issue is, can guys like Colon and Freddy Garcia stay healthy and not fade. That's the big question. Then you need to go further; Say we make it through both rounds and enter the World Series; This is who I would choose:

1. CC Sabathia
2. Bartolo Colon
3. AJ Burnett
4. Freddy Garcia

Now it's starting to be alittle more concerning, but, the good news is we have guys that we may need as long men or spot starters if things fall apart; Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes, Manny Banuelos. If one of the old timers shits the bed, that's our fall back. Again, is it ideal? No, but it works. Now, look at the Phillies:1. Roy Halladay
2. Cliff Lee
3. Cole Hamels
4. Kyle Kendrick

They have an ace in Halladay, but Lee is beatable and so is Hamels. And look at the Giants:
1. Tim Lincecum
2. Matt Cain
3. Madison Bumgarner or Ryan Vogelsong
4. Barry Zito

Lincecum is the ace for sure, and Cain, when on, has great stuff too. But Bumgarner, Vogelsong and Zito are beatable.

Look, this is the hand we're dealt, and while Cashman has dealt it, Cashman is smart not to be hasty. Plus, we can still get guys off waivers until August 31st if it works. So, understand this; What we have now is very possibly what we'll have come the playoffs. One thing you have to realize is there were and may not be any "key" guys out there that could make a difference or that we can get. Would you really take Erik Bedard over Bartolo Colon right now? No way, not me.

Cashman has a plan, he's sticking to his plan and you need to respect his plan. And guess what, if he's wrong, he'll expect to be crucified by the fans, but one thing is for sure, believing in a team because of their talent means something. Cash isn't filling holes for the sake of filling them, that's smart in my mind, but let's hope it works.

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WHY GEORGE JUST ROLLED OVER IN HIS GRAVE

The Yankees didn't make any moves at this trade deadline, even though they were clearly in need of a top flight pitcher and some relief help; Hell, maybe even another bat. The first thing I thought of was George Steinbrenner rolling over in his grave in disgust.

George's philosophy during his entire life was win or nothing, and sorry to the 2011 Yankees, with whom I love to death, but we don't look like we are 100% positive that we can beat the Red Sox, Phillies, or Giants in a 7 game series at this point, and in George's time he would have made a trade for a huge name to do that. I think that if George were still around he would send everyone except Manny Banuelos to Seattle to acquire King Felix, and convince the Mariners why it's a great deal along the way.(In Photo: Manny Banuelos)
George was a hard nosed business man who had one goal in his business, to win. Hal, although he is a nice guy did not completely receive that trait from George. Dammit do I wish he did. If it were up to me, I would give Hank a bigger say in the day to day operations of the Yankees. Hank has a bad reputation as being alittle wild with the mouth, but he is not afraid to speak his mind, or spend his money. Hank has some of the good George traits.

If it were up to me, I would let Hank and Hal both control the Yankees in different ways. For example, Hank seems better with being vocal, dealing with people, and he has the George win attitude. Hal's positives are his business background (he studied business in college), his professionalism, and he displays the Yankees as a classy franchise, which he also is.
Let Hank make the moves, let Hal deal the cash and if things get alittle too out of control, Hal is there to reign him in, but one things for sure, we missed a good opportunity this trade deadline and if Hank was out of his cage, doing what I'm suggesting, I think there would be a different outcome today, August 2nd, then again, maybe I just miss Good Ol' George, who knows.

But, what do you think about my idea? Hit me on Facebook or add the Blackberry Messenger group, which is on the right side of the BYB page. Let me know what you think.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY THE YANKEES ARE CREEPING CLOSER TO 1ST

(Photo: Getty)
Mariano Rivera pitches better than anyone I've ever seen. Watching him lock down a save, and CC's 16th win of the season is incredible. He's automatic, he's dominant and just plain unbelievable.

The Yankees won tonight and they've now won 4 in a row. To me, I love the streaks especially when they're winning and if they can keep going until they get to Boston and then bulldoze over them too, that would make my summer complete.
(Photo: Getty)
CC Sabathia was not dominant tonight. he was however, real good. What I mean by that is he did what he needed to do to keep his team in the game and kept the Chisox at 2 runs. The guy is young yet, he pitches like a veteran of 25 years. He's smart on the mound and knows how to get things done. He needs the Cy Young Award this year, he deserves it. Tonight he had 8 innings pitched, allowed 10 hits but only gave up 2 runs. he struck out 6.

Curtis Granderson led the charge tonight, 2 doubles and he's just having a terrific season.
(Photo: Getty)
Robinson Cano had a nice single in the first inning tonight scoring Granderson. He also had a great play where he needed to cover first, and was pulled off the bag but kept his foot on the it to get out the quick Juan Pierre. Brilliant and athletic.

Final Score tonight: Yankees 3 - White Sox 2. Read the full story HERE.

The best part of tonight is the evil Red Sox lost and the Yankees are now 1 game out of first place in the AL East. I like that, I really do.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: CHUCK KNOBLAUCH

Any true Yankee fan knows that Chuck Knoblauch was a key figure in helping to make baseball history throughout the 1990s. Chuck was nice enough to talk to me about that time in his life, his father, and what’s happening with him now.
As a player for the Minnesota Twins, 1991 Rookie of the Year, and multiple World Series Champion with both the Twins and the New York Yankees, how exciting was that time in his life?

Chuck Knoblauch: “Very exciting. Growing up as a kid, dreaming of the major leagues, it was very exciting. I believe that everything happens for a reason; the major leagues is where I became a man from a boy. I went through the good, the bad, and the ugly; but looking back, I wouldn’t change a bit."BYB: What was your initial reaction to being brought to the New York Yankees in 1998?

Chuck Knoblauch: “It was awesome. Everyone was so welcoming during Spring Training, I felt like I belonged right away. I spent a lot of time on hitting with Derek, and O’Neill and Pettitte too.”
Chuck went on to discuss some of the initial difficulties that he had adjusting to life in New York City, being born and raised in Texas. However, he quickly grew to love the city’s people, the culture and atmosphere and found himself becoming a part of the community. He recalls his favorite times in Manhattan were in the summer, when the city was hot, less crowded, and alive with activity.

On playing for Joe Torre, Chuck had a lot to say about the special relationship he shared with the Yankees’ skipper. Calling him a “father figure” as well as a manager, Chuck says that all of the players had the utmost respect for Joe, for many reasons.
Chuck Knoblauch: “It was so easy to respect Joe. There wasn’t much he didn’t experience on the field as a player himself. He could relate to the players on so many levels. So whether you were batting .319, or .220, he could relate to you. He was great at handling all of the different personalities on the team. There weren’t very many team meetings, but when there were, he wasn’t screaming and yelling. Joe was always at an even-keel, and managed with love, desire, and a passion to win. We (the team) played like we did out of respect for him.”

When discussing the clubhouse atmosphere, Knoblauch remembered many of the players and their antics fondly. He talked about how there was a band room set-up for the team, and it wasn’t uncommon to see players or crew members to be back there, having impromptu jam "sessions” during rain delays. He specifically recalls Bernie Williams playing his guitar, and laughed as he explained how Paul O’Neill once tried to teach him how to play the drums.(In Photo: Paul O'Neill)
Chuck Knoblauch: “O’Neill is a great drummer. I’d always wanted to play, since I was a kid. Paul tried really hard to teach me, and then eventually just gave up on me. It didn’t work out that well,” he laughed.

Chuck was playing for the New York Yankees on Sept. 11, 2001, and he recalls that morning vividly. He said that phone call from his mother had woke him up, asking if he was okay, and if he was safe. Chuck said he was still half-asleep, when he went to the window, pulled the blinds, and saw the devastation of the attack on the Twin Towers. From where he lived,

Chuck Knoblauch: “I had a clear view. I just sat there in amazement for hours. I saw everything. I saw the people jumping from the Towers. I was scared; and even more scared when the Pentagon got hit. I thought to myself, ‘what in the world is going on here?’ I even called Brian Cashman to ask if we were still playing that night, and found out that everything was cancelled for a while. When we finally got back, we played in Chicago. It’s usually a tough place to play, and the fans were all wearing New York shirts and were very supportive. The rest of the season that year was just a blur.”

We’re all familiar with the close relationship that Chuck shared with his Dad, who was a career high school baseball coach. Chuck lost his Dad to Alzheimer’s disease, and this was a very painful loss for him. He’s still able to laugh at some of the good times, such as when his Dad would leave Astros games in the 8th inning so it wouldn’t get stuck in traffic. As a kid, Chuck recalls that no matter how tired his father was after coaching all day, all of his time after work was spent coaching him.

Chuck Knoblauch: “One important thing I learned from my Dad was, is not to talk about anything that you know nothing about. My Dad was a pitcher. He’d day, ‘Don’t ask me about hitting, I don’t know anything about it”.

Chuck’s father was very supportive of his son’s dreams of being a major league baseball player, and would take him to batting cages and other places where he could fine-tune his skills.

Chuck Knoblauch: “He was tough on me. He instilled my work ethic. I didn’t get away with anything.”
As far as Chuck Knoblauch’s life is concerned today, everything seems to be falling nicely into place. He and his wife are expecting a baby girl any day now. At the age of 43, Chuck says that although he would love for his kids to have seen him as a major league player, he’s glad that he doesn’t have the rigorous schedule that would keep him away from his wife and children. The couple also has plans to continue having children; Knoblauch hopes that someday, he’ll have a son that he can name after his father.

As far as appearances, he doesn’t do many autograph signings, but one thing Chuck is doing is getting involved in the early stages of writing a book. Updates will be posted on his website: www.ChuckKnoblauch11.com.

Chuck is also quite active on Tweeter and responds to many of his fans on a daily basis through his verified Twitter Account, @ChuckKnob4real. Through Twitter he says he keeps updated with Yankee news and opinion through Bleeding Yankee Blue tweets. Pretty Cool.

It was a pleasure speaking with Chuck Knoblauch, who was gracious, fun, witty, personable and very easy to talk with. By the end of our conversation, I felt like I was talking to an old friend.

Many thanks to him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to speak with Bleeding Yankee Blue. Oh, and be sure to follow Chuck on Twitter!




--Christy Lee, BYB Staff Writer



 

WHY EVERYONE LOVES A WINNER

Recently I returned from a family vacation in Central Florida. The extended family was there. Now my brother-in-law is a Red Sox fan. One evening, on our way back to the hotel he says, “Hey, do you notice a lot of people wearing Boston hats?” Now, me being the observant person that I am, I said, “Yes, the Red Sox have become the Braves of the ‘90s”.

The look on his face was one of both shock and revelation. Could it be? Did he just realize there are fraudulent fans in evil Red Sox Nation?But here it is, over the last 8 years the Red Sox have been good, real good. They won a few championships and have become more than just that cursed team in the old stadium with the big wall. Everybody loves a winner and wants to be associated with one. Why do you think the Yankees are a marketing juggernaut?

The Yanks dominated on the field in the late 90's. They made it to the World Series 5 times in 6 years and won 4 of them. How does this look to Pirates fans? The Pirates haven’t had a winning season in like 10 years?

Here’s your history lesson. Before the Yankees domination, it was the Braves. Atlanta was in the NLCS every year in the early 90s. The Yankees were terrible back in those days. I was born in 1979.

(In Photo: Claudell Washington 1988, in front of empty Yankee Stadium seats)

Up until 1995, my only childhood memories of the Yankees were of an empty stadium and being horrible every year. The low point may have been 1993, I admit I broke down and bought a Braves cap. I was tired of my team losing everyday. I was tired of being ridiculed by Mets fans at school. I put on my bright new Braves cap and felt like a winner. It felt great. I had confidence, I had swagger….. I then burnt that Braves hat during the ‘96 World Series.

But back to now. The Yankees have become a worldwide marketing machine. Everyone knows the Yankees from Papua New Guinea to Siberia.

But look around, especially outside of New York, that ugly blue hat with the red “B” on it is everywhere. Just part of the New York/Boston rivalry.

Well Yanks... let's change that again, shall we?

-- Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Writer

bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com


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