REPORT: AROD CONFESSES TO USING PEDs

Well... there you have it, folks! Nearly two years after the intial allegations, Alex Rodriguez has admitted to using PEDs recieved from Anthony Bosch.

According to the Miami Herald the confession came back in January in a DEA conference room in return for immunity. According to the statements ARod did in fact meet with Bosch through meetings arranged by his cousin, Yuri Sucart. Remember that while Bosch plead guilty to distribution of illegal human growth hormones to athletes, including high school students and MLB players, Sucart has plead not guilty and is awaiting trial.

The statements include admissions of being injected in his stomach, under the pretense that these injections would help with eye sight, hair growth, sleep, weight and muscle recovery. He also admitted to receiving testosterone cream and lozenges laced with testosterone, aka "gummies." ARod also said that Bosch gave him tips on how to beat MLB drug test.

Remember this case is now with the DEA. They are looking for the suppliers, not the users. Recently, it came to light that ARod may have paid his cousin to remain silent. This is also in the DEA statements. With this information being released, we can only guess that ARod will be testifying against his cousin, Sucart. If the DEA gave ARod immunity, then this information could be used against Sucart, and the other co-defendants in the Biogenesis trial. ARod is only one of the players granted immunity. The MLB handed down suspensions for 14 players, most of which were granted immunity, including Ryan Braun.

ARod has already served his suspension, and will not face any more punishment from the MLB. ARod sustained throughout the entire Arbitration hearings that the entire thing was a witch hunt. While he was in fact guilty, I have stated time and again that the punishment should fit the crime, and the amount of games he was suspended for did not reflect that. Remember, he is technically a first time offender. Still, his suspension has been served and no further punishment will be handed down. He has been reinstated, and will join the Yankees in the 2015 season.

This case is far from over. BYB will keep you up to date.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 

Twitter: @e_morales1804

 

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IBANEZ IS CURIOUS ABOUT THE YANKEES HITTING COACH JOB...

So why haven't the Yankees pulled the trigger on getting Raul back to the Bronx as a hitting coach? This seems like a no-brainer to me.

Quick note.  We've heard that the Yankees were interested in talking to Raul Ibanez about the the Yankees hitting coach job.  We've also heard that Raul was "all ears" about the gig.  Then... nothing.

Back on October 31st, George King III of the New York Post said this:

"The Yankees and Raul Ibanez have discussed him becoming the club’s hitting coach and he is curious about the possibility, according to people with knowledge of the situation....Ibanez, 42, is widely respected for his knowledge of hitting and an ability to communicate with players on the subject. However, since he has never been a hitting coach at any level, there could be questions about if he can handle the wide variety of chores attached to the position."

The question is this... are the Yankees unsure if Raul can handle the job because he doesn't have a hitting coach background? Or... are they trying to hammer out a deal.  Stay tuned...

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BRAD HALSEY IS DEAD

According to the New York Daily News, former Yankee pitcher, 33 year old Brad Halsey is dead.

O'Connell Sports, Halsey's agency wrote:

"We are sorry to hear of the passing of longtime client, Brad Halsey. Our thoughts & prayers are with his family during this difficult time."

(NY Daily News) "Halsey, who was selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 2002 draft out of the University of Texas, spent one season in pinstripes (2004). He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in January of 2005 as part of the deal that brought Randy Johnson to the Big Apple."

The cause of death is not known at this point, but the dude was 33... you gotta be alittle concerned here.

Prayers are with the Halsey family from everyone here at BYB.

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YANKEES TARGET: NELSON CRUZ

The Yankees need to improve in many ways, most of them related to hitting. When looking at the hitting talent out there in free agency, Nelson Cruz’ name is very near the top of the list. The Baltimore Orioles acquired Cruz at a bargain-basement price of $8M for 1 year, and had a monster season with 40 home runs and 108 RBI. He is exactly the kind of right-handed power the Yankees lineup needs.

When looking over the last several years of Cruz’ hitting, he is the picture of consistency. He has not missed any significant time due to injury since 2011, and at the age of 34, he is still young enough to provide the Yankees consistent playing time that they desperately needed from their stars. Over the last four years, his slash line looks like .265/.323/.500 with an OPS of .823 – a serious power threat. His numbers in the postseason are even more impressive, having a career OPS of 1.016. He can play the corner outfield positions and can slot in to the DH spot as needed.

What could be the most promising aspect of his coming to the Bronx would be the fire he brings. I clearly remember, as some of you do, the 2011 postseason when the Yankees fell to the Rangers in six games. In that series, he hit .350 and went deep twice. He was the one guy that the Yankees did not want to challenge, where five of his seven hits were for extra bases. He scored six times, and drove in 5. He was a force to be reckoned with. If the Yankees can work out the deal, this is one guy that can be immediate benefits.

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






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ALFONSO SORIANO MADE HIS DECISION...

It's being announced that Alfonso Soriano will retire.

According to the Associated Press:

"...he is retiring from the major leagues after a season in which he was released by the New York Yankees in July.

'I've lost the love and passion to play the game,' Soriano said in a radio interview Tuesday in his native Dominican Republic. 'Right now, my family is the most important thing... Although I consider myself in great shape, my mind is not focused on baseball.'" 

Lord knows when your hearts no longer in it... it's hard to come back.

I will miss Soriano.  I never liked the fact that he was traded years ago, but over all, the guy had a pretty good baseball career compiling 412 home runs, most of those came with the Cubs. Really great.  I loved Alfonso's sweet swing.

I'll never forget Sori's homer to put the Yankees in the lead in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.  It was dramatic.  Too bad we didn't capitalize on it.


Good Luck Sori... you will be missed!

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LAURA POSADA: COACHES & ROLE MODELS

If you have been around Bleeding Yankee Blue for any length of time, you know how we feel about the Posadas – we love them! They have supported us for a long time, and we have been happy to extend and support their causes. This one is no less significant. Last week, Laura published an article in which she talks about the importance of having coaches in your life, and about her own personal experience with coaches.

Laura, being a life coach herself, is both beneficiary and benefactor of coaching. In her most recent article, she talks specifically and in detail about how the coaches in her life imparted to her a sense of positivity and a focus on success. She talks about how her coaches “taught by example, with words, and with high expectations” – and you can read more here.

In an interview earlier this year with Bleeding Yankee Blue – BOMBSHELL AND THE BRONX BOMBERS – Laura Posada mentioned about her approach to coaching. “I have enjoyed working to change people's lives for many years now”. It shows, and you can see more of that on her site – www.lauraposada.com.

A few months ago, we highlighted a piece about her approach to parenting under the most dire circumstances – that of having a child with a serious illness. Drawing from her own experience with her son Jorge’s craniosynostosis diagnosis, she advises parents on how to handle the challenges that a child’s illness can bring to the family dynamic. "Through it all, partners have to find ways to create moments that bring you happiness. Look always to see the light at the end of the tunnel and feed your love, for in a union, there is strength.".You should read more at LIFE COACH LAURA POSADA DOES IT AGAIN! and get her seven points on strengthening the family unit through such challenges.

We love Laura for many reasons, and we have listed out a bunch already. One of the biggest ones is the support she has given us over the years. She has had our back from the very beginning of our site, and her sense of loyalty is well known. Whether it is her wearing one of our shirts, or her Tweets of encouragement, we are always grateful for the time she gives us. In a world where celebrities and athletes are self-absorbed, Laura Posada’s drive to help others and her devotion to her causes is a breath of fresh air. We wish her continued success in her work.

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





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BETANCES, ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & THE BBWAA AWARDS

Quick note.  The awards for all the top honors will be announced soon. 

Monday, Nov. 10: Rookie of the Year
Tuesday, Nov. 11: Manager of the Year
Wednesday, Nov. 12: Cy Young
Thursday, Nov. 13: Most Valuable Player

You know our buddy Dellin Betances? He is one of the finalists in the Rookie of the Year category.  I find this to be a true bright spot in Yankeeland right now!

 According toe Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News:

"Jacob deGrom and Dellin Betances are considered two of the hottest rising stars in baseball. Tuesday, they were stamped as finalists for their respective leagues' Rookie of the Year awards... Betances is up against Chicago's Jose Abreu - the favorite - and Matt Shoemaker of the Angels."

Man, I hope Betances gets it.

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HOUDINI MAY JUST DISAPPEAR

We counted on David Robertson all season to come in in the 9th and shut the door as his predecessor did…it was no easy task to try to fill those large spikes. DRob did a pretty solid job. No, he isn’t Mariano Rivera…nobody ever will be. However, Robertson proved himself more than capable to be the Yankee closer.

Will David, now a free agent, stay in the Bronx? It’s a great question and I could see the baby faced kid from Alabama splitting town to find another “Sweet Home”. It’s true that the qualifying offer would be a giant step up in pay for DRob. He’d go from making 5 million to 15 million…not too shabby. But it would be for one year. It is hardly a ringing endorsement that the Bombers plan on having David close for the foreseeable future.

There is a young, bigger, stronger, New York born machine out in the pen named Dellin “Icky Thump” Betances now that makes Robertson less than necessary going forward. I’m not saying David should go or that Betances is ready to close…I’m just saying.

In my opinion the bottom line is this is a very different time for the Yankees. The Bronx is not as much a “YOU GOTTA PLAY HERE!” place anymore. The names and faces that made player want to play for the Yankees in recent history have become history themselves. No one will take a pay cut to stay in New York anymore. With the ARod big top circus on the horizon I can see a lot of players looking elsewhere even with an offer from the Yankees on the table. When Robinson Cano jumped ship and finished as close as the Yanks did to the postseason it showed so many that, “Ya know what? The Yankees aren’t the only game in town.”

As Yankee fans it’s a tough bill to swallow…but it’s the harsh reality at the moment. The boat is sailing on rough waters and there is no telling when it will clear up. Could David leave that offer and go looking at the free agent market? Sure, I absolutely think he will. I don’t think being a career Yankee is as high on his list as it may have been in the past. The club is different and DRob may escape for this situation like the bases are loaded and he has 1 out.

Good luck, David. You are class act and a really good guy. I wish you the best no matter what you and your family decide.

**In case we don’t hear it again next year**




 
 --Mike O'Hara
Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21



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PREDICTIONS FOR MAX SCHERZER & HANLEY RAMIREZ

If you don't read MLB Trade Rumors, you're missing something. I check them out a lot, seeing what the boys have put together for us all to see.

If you know anything about me, you know I hate predictions.  It's one of those things where you just have no idea what's gonna happen with players and if you say it and you're right, you're the "called it" guy and if you are wrong... well, it just disappears.  Don't be the "called it" guy.  Then again, Tim Dierkes has predicted correctly on several occasions over the years... so I give him some props.  Good work Tim.

Today Dierkes has his predictions for the 2014-2015 top 50 free agents.  On that list was Max Scherzer & Hanley Ramirez, number 1 and number 4. In it, he wrote this:

"1.  Max Scherzer – Yankees.  Scherzer is the best starting pitcher in a free agent market loaded with quality arms, a 30-year-old strikeout machine with a Cy Young award on his resume.  Including the postseason, he tallied a 3.08 ERA in 461 1/3 innings spanning 2013-14.  Clayton Kershaw’s seven-year, $215MM deal seems out of reach, as does its $30.7MM average annual value.  A better target would be something closer to the total outlay the Yankees made last winter for Masahiro Tanaka: seven years, $175MM.  Extension talks with the Tigers broke down in March after Scherzer rejected a six-year, $144MM offer.  The Kershaw, Tanaka, and Zack Greinke deals all included opt-out clauses, something agent Scott Boras will likely seek as he negotiates on behalf of his best free agent starting pitcher since Barry Zito.  As he has before, Boras may attempt to bypass GMs in favor of convincing a team’s owner to invest.  The Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox, Astros, Dodgers, Rangers, Giants, Nationals, Orioles, and Mariners are speculative suitors we’ve kicked around, with varying degrees of probability.  And we can’t count the Tigers out entirely quite yet."

"4.  Hanley Ramirez – Yankees.  Ramirez is the best available free agent position player this year.  The Dodgers and previous GM Ned Colletti were unable or unwilling to extend him, leaving shortstop an open question for 2015 for new chief Andrew Friedman.  Ramirez is a premium right-handed bat at a time when offense is harder to come by, yet he managed only 214 games from 2013-14 due to injuries.  He also comes with defensive question marks as a shortstop, and could spend much of his next deal at the hot corner.  The new Dodgers regime could re-engage Ramirez, but otherwise his market is unclear.  The Yankees, Giants, Mariners, and Tigers are speculative matches, though there’s no perfect fit at this point.  A six-year deal is likely for Ramirez, and he has a shot at reaching seven years like Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury did last winter."

Now let me state that this is great opinion and analysis and I am in no way bashing Dierkes.  The way the Yankees operate, this is right line of thinking with something they would do.  For instance, the Yankees made a statement earlier in the week that they would not go after top free agent arms this offseason, But when you have Max Scherzer staring you in the face, it's kind of hard to not want him in your rotation.  That being said, the Yankees have good pitching, we just ran into a situation where we had a lot of injury and bad luck last season.

The second guy mentioned was Hanley Ramirez.  If you know anything about BYB, we're not too interested in Ramirez.  In Mike O'Hara's piece (FOREVER YOUNG), Mike wrote this:

"I don’t want Hanley. I’d rather let the kids in the system earn it. We all root for the rooks. It can happen like it did with Bernie."  

He sited injury and the price tag would be hefty.  Plus, the best point in the piece was the kids.  The Yankees really need to get the kids up now.  Jose Pirela made a splash in September. I know he's listed as a second baseman, but would they ever see him at short? What about Martin Prado? Could he be the guy?  Yankee fans want to see more of that energy!

What do you think? Do you think the Yankees should go after these guys? Will Tim Dierkes predictions be correct? You want to be the "called it" guy? Don't worry, if you're right, you're right... and if you're wrong, I won't hold it against ya!

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#WINFROMWITHIN

A few weeks ago I completed my third marathon, fittingly coined the People's Marathon, but this time it had even more punch than I could ever imagine.  After the emotional days of Derek Jeter's finale in the Bronx and Fenway, it took a lot for me to hunker down and finish my marathon training, which began in late June.  I listened and watched a number of Yankee games during my training either from the treadmill, on the trail or the pavement.  Unfortunately, this year's team did not give me the additional adrenaline rush I needed, but what the team lacked, Jeter provided.

Right around October 1st, I received a curious package in the mail from a Chicago address.  I had no idea what it was, but as a runner, I receive all kinds of trial size energy gels and such and I order all kinds of gear, so I figured it was that.  Then, to my surprise, I pulled out this.

This was my final motivation tool.  This reminded me of the goals that Derek Jeter set for himself and attained.  This was my ticket to the motivational finish line.

I proceeded through the next twenty or so days pretty well with my #2 training bottle in hand and hopped a train to Union Station, Washington, D.C.  My final destination was within my reach; only thing in my way was 26.2 miles of hills, asphalt and Marines cheering Oorah!  I ran the 39th Marine Corps Marathon and it was hard.  Marathons are hard enough on your body, but this day was not for the runner who was going to second guess herself, this day was for the confident runner, who despite running out of fuel and being beat up by the 25 degree spike in temperature and head winds, was going to beat the bridge and finish strong.

Besides being motivated by the thousands of marines lining the course, the enormous number of charity runners supporting those who they have lost and running for those who can't, I focused on why I do this.  I do this because six years ago my father died after completing the New York City Marathon.  I do this because I want to remind myself that life is not a sprint that we race through to get to the next best thing, life is a challenge, like the marathon course.  Life has ups and downs and life doesn't always give you the easiest path to follow.

Any athlete will tell you that they earned their MVP award, Cy Young honor and Rookie of the Year. I earned my medal, particularly this one because I did not let weather, wind or the terrain get me.

I gave it my all- I earned it because of my spirit.  And if that's not dramatic enough, the last .2 of the marathon was straight up hill.  Marines were screaming at me to conquer it but what really carried me across was the runner with the Boston Red Sox cap to my right.  Yes, even in the final steps of the marathon, I used my Yankee pride to beat Boston.  This was my moment!  I will never forget how great it feels to #WinFromWithin.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @suzieprof


 




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AROD'S COUSIN WAS PAID FOR HIS SILENCE

We all know that the Biogenesis case is far from over. Anthony Bosch is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to illegally distributing performance enhancing drugs to athletes, including MLB players, and high school athletes. Yuri Sucart, the infamous cousin of Alex Rodriguez, on the other hand plead not guilty and is awaiting trial. But an interesting bit of information was released today by the Daily News.

It turns out that Sucart may very well have all but black mailed his cousin. According to the Daily News "In a Dec. 18, 2012 letter, Sucart's former attorney, Jeffrey Sonn, had demanded $5 million and a 'life estate' for Sucart and his wife, according to court papers." These papers were filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. All of this came after Sucart claimed he was unable to pay a $600 monthly fee for the court appointed attorney. A look into Sucart's financial earnings proved that he could easily afford an attorney without the courts assistance. 

This wasn't the only interesting passage from the letter. The letter continues:

"Yuri, even after he was accused of being a steroid mule for you, kept your confidences of all your activities while you played for the Rangers and the Yankees." 

"Yuri was trained to serve as a personal assistant to professional baseball players. Due to your use of performance-enhancing substances, Yuri was wrongly blamed. Nonetheless, Yuri remains able and willing to continue to serve you and your needs as a personal assistant, within the restrictions that baseball has placed upon him. He does not wish to and does not intend to ever speak to the MLB unless he is subpoenaed."

"Given the sudden breach of your longstanding agreement with Yuri, he wishes to propose that you provide to him payment for his past services rendered, and for the loyalty he has shown you. Therefore, Yuri request that you now pay him for the past services rendered and to fulfill your promise to support he and his wife in the house (free and clear of any liens or mortgages) where he is currently living." 

This is all kinds of wrong. I'm no legal guru, but this sounds an awful lot like extortion. Why the private letter sent to ARod? If it was a valid request, why not take it to court? Was he afraid that the courts would find out his role in the biogenesis case, and he would wind up implicating himself? ARod did not pay Sucart until after Bud Selig handed down the 211 games suspension, with the first payment being made on June 5, 2013. In the papers filed, Prosecutor Patrick Sullivan said that ARod plays a role in proof of conspiracies to distribute testosterone and human growth hormone. 

So, what does this mean for ARod directly? Nothing really, except his cousin is a little shady. Him paying a lump sum to Sucart does not prove his innocence or guilt. This won't effect him playing for the Yankees, sorry to those hoping for that outcome. This does mean that he may be spending his days off in court testifying against his cousin. Sucart's court appointed attorney, Edward O'Donnell IV, seems to think it is likely adding "They are not allies, that's for sure, or friends." They are trying to prove that Sucart arranged meetings between Bosch and ARod and received a cut of the payments that ARod made to Bosch. 

Look, I'm not saying that ARod should have caved and paid Sucart. It seems a little strange on his part as well. All I am saying is that his cousin is quite the "character," and I do not mean that as a compliment. Granted it takes balls to say "Pay me or I'll squeal," because under all of the jargon, the ultimatum reads loud and clear. As always, BYB will keep you up-to-date.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 

Twitter: @e_morales1804

 

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