A PUNDIT REPENTS AS THE YANKEE BANDWAGON PICKS UP STEAM

(May 1, 2017 - Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America)    

A key aspect of this rebuilding Yankee team  I was looking forward to watching most this season were its dual dimensions of a team playing with nothing to lose coupled with the unexpected contributions that would surely come from a sea change in composition and chemistry.

A dangerous combination. And they haven't disappointed.

Sure, there's some young members of this team that have been slow to get started who will eventually come around. And there's definitely one member of the old guard who shall remain nameless (but tops the payroll in salary this year)  who should plan on retiring immediately following the conclusion of Game 162 whether the team makes the postseason or not.

Photo: MLB.com

But it seems like for the most part the veterans have played like  the backs of their  most collectible baseball cards while the benchers with no cards in their past and likely no place in the team's future plans have played three feet over their caps and potentially ignited new careers for thmselves.

So all in all, so far it's been about what I expected:  An almost complete surprise from one day to the next. One hell of a ride.

Another unexpected surprise: A bonafide bandwagon.

It feels like years since our last one. I almost forgot what that felt like; when it seems like everyone in the world is scopelocked on our guys and even our most casual fans start paying close attention and  our doubters start believing and our believers start talking in tongues to one another. And the haters -- they just shut the heck up.

It always takes me by surprise when it happens because I'm always the guy rally-capping and calling for a dink, a doink and a dinger when we're down late. You don't look behind you when you're that guy  because there's usually either just empty seats or people looking at you and shaking their heads like you're deluded.

But then that moment arrives when  you suddenly realize you and your small band of hardcore fanatics are not alone. It can be quite a shock.

Photo: Getty Images

I sensed that moment may have arrived for this Yankees team Wednesday night shortly after Judge's history-making (aren't they all now?) 13th bomb into the Monument Park netting when Chris Carter awkwardly fought off an inside pitch to bloop an RBI single over the heads of a drawn-in infield and tied the game 6-6.

Photo: Getty Images

Chris friggin' Carter. The $3.5 million home run king they love to hate. The walking whiff  who just days ago nobody wanted to replace a kid hitting .100.  The  Stephen Drew rental for a new generation.  Came through with a dying quail that didn't even reach the outfield grass. And the reaction?

No more cracks. No more sarcasm, live or online. Just wild applause and appreciation. And acceptance. Heck, he's even hitting over the Mendoza line.

For better or worse,  Carter's a Yankee now.

Another sign of the bandwagon's arrival? When pundits who made bad bets elsewhere start liking your chances.

Photo of Ken Davidoff /Twitter

After the game, in an article titled "Blue Jays’ trash may lead to Yankees’ playoff treasure," the Post's Ken Davidoff  performed a mea culpa and post-mortem on his preseason prediction the Bue Jays would win the AL pennant; then went on to explain the Yankees's suddenly plausible path to the division title.

"The second-most astounding statistic to result from this game? The Blue Jays, widely regarded as a serious contender before the season started (that Davidoff guy from The Post has them making the World Series), dropped to 9-19 — the worst record in the majors — after blowing 4-0 and 6-3 advantages."

Davidoff's change of heart toward the pinstripes  wasn't the first I've seen, but it was the first I've seen that acknowledged a legit shot at the division  -- which got me wondering about something.

With the mass layoffs over at the worldwide leader  in Bristol, Connecticut recently, how many picked the Yankees to take the division?

I dug up ESPN's big baseball preview and, out of 35 in-house baseball experts, whaddayaknow?

Just one --  Steve Wulf --   picked the Yankees to take the Beast this year.

When asked why, he replied: "A nice blend of youth and experience, speed and power. And then there's the DNA -- the last time the Yankees went four years without finishing first was 1993."

More than 100 people have been given the boot at ESPN, but Wulf's still got his job.

Why am I not surprised?

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore

HEY JOE, PUT THE BINDER DOWN!

Something has been bugging me lately, and I can't seem to get over it. There is an art to creating the most strategic and effective lineup. There are a lot of factors to consider when creating that lineup every game. Are the Yankees facing a righty or a lefty? Are they home or away? Is it an inter-league game? But one thing should never change....and that is putting your best hitters in the middle of the order, right?

Photo: John Munson/The Star-Ledger

Well, not Joe Girardi. Conventional baseball and tradition says your best hitters should be batting three and four for those RBI opportunities and another effective hitter in the fifth spot for protection. Baseball managers around the league still do this because HI.....it works!

So if Girardi would STOP listening to his binder here the correct answer would be to move Aaron Judge up in the order. So far in the season he has consistently hitting in the fifth or sixth spot. I usually stick to the idea of "If it ain't broke don't fix it" but in this case I do want to fix it. Sure, the Yankees are in first place in the AL East, that's great. Clearly a lot is going right for the Yankees even without the conventional lineup. I just don't like batting my hottest hitter lower in the order. Judge hit his 13th home run and drove in two RBIs last night. He is the American League Rookie of the Month and it's time to take the training wheels off, he is a big boy now. He doesn't need to be weened anymore, he has a .330BA and a .818 slugging percentage....why isn't he batting third?!

Photo: Newsday

When I look at other team lineups like the Los Angeles Angels, they always have Mike Trout batting third. Imagine that....and then Albert Pujols bats fourth and protects him. Same thing for the Orioles, they have Manny Machado batting third and then Mark Trumbo bats after and protects him for a reason. It's not a secret, and most of all....it works!

So I just don't understand why Girardi isn't putting Judge in one of these spots! It's not a matter of balancing out the lineup between lefty and righty hitters because they can still do that. Yes, we are still winning with Judge lower in the order but it makes sense to put him in these RBI spots. In my mind there is only one scenario where I would have Judge batting in the 6th spot...

If this were the All-Star game then by all means, bat Judge lower in the lineup. Here it makes sense to put him behind the Trout's, Edwin Encarnacion and Giancarlo Stanton's and whoever else you personally like. These are guys with the experience and the track record that belong in the heart of a lineup and Judge can compliment them until it is his turn. But this is no All-Star game with stacked teams where the best of the best battle it out for bragging rights. This is the 2017 Yankees driven by a youth movement.....and a young kid who is on fire!

(April 12, 2017 - Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America)

I'm not always so critical of Girardi but this time I disagree with the binder. The game has changed a lot over time, but fundamentally it still makes sense to put your best hitters higher in the order and that will never change. Maybe I am wrong here. Maybe I should just leave it alone since it is working and the Yankees are winning but I just can't ignore it.

I think Girardi's current strategy is a mistake. It's time to maximize the potential of this lineup and make some tweaks! Lose the binder. Maybe I am wrong but I think there is room for improvement. What do you think? Where would you bat Judge?

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

BYB Stack Merchandise (2017)

HOLLIDAY HITS 300th. JUDGE HITS 13th. MY KID? 2

Photo: Getty Images

Quick note because he's one of my favorite Yankees right now.  Matt Holliday did something big tonight. He hit a sweet home run, but more than that, it was the 300th of his career. 

The Score writes:

"He's now 37 years old and onto team No. 4, and still Matt Holliday just keeps on quietly doing his historic thing.

The New York Yankees designated hitter added to his impressive career resume on Wednesday night by hitting his 300th career homer - a three-run blast - off Toronto Blue Jays start Marcus Stroman in the first inning at Yankee Stadium."

(May 2, 2017 - Source: Rich Schultz/Getty Images North America)    

Let me tell you something... it's kind of a big deal, and look, I think a lot of what Holliday is doing with his maturity, his veteran status is really helping someone like Aaron Judge too.  I mean, Judge hit his 13th home run tonight. 

And it's even rubbing off on my 14 year old who has suddenly learned to hit deep the last few weeks.  Something clicked. While typically a singles and doubles hitter, last night he hit home run number 2.  Winning and succeeding is addictive... especially when you learn from mistakes, practice and gain confidence along the way. 

Bottom line... something special is happening folks.  You gotta love the comeback tonight by the Yankees to beat the Blue Jays.  It was really great.

Final: Yankees 8 - Blue Jays 6

WINS ON THE FIELD DON'T FILL THE SEATS

 Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

Clearly, we here at BYB along with you are excited about what we are seeing on the field.  With an incredible record for the month of April, a number of come from behind wins and a positive disposition among players and coaches, the Yankees are exhibiting the early traits of a winning team that could go the distance. But despite the wins on the field, the seats are recognizably unfilled for a number of home games including this weekend's series against the Orioles.

“It does take a little time,” Levine said. “This (2017) team has surprised a lot of people. There’s now a buzz, it’s starting to catch fire," reported The New York Post on Tuesday.  But as fan @JayBilly2 reported from the Stadium's bleachers on Sunday, "the place seemed empty, even for a weekend. Yet, even though I didn't pay for the tickets, between food and parking, I must have dropped $200." So, cost and an uncertainty around this year's team with veterans leaving or retiring, the fans are taking games in by way of other means- live streaming, television, or just catching up on the box scores and recaps.

Source: The New York Times

Attendance declines, particularly at the beginning of the season when weather plays a big role in the eastern part of the US, are not a new trend. In fact, a 2015 Time Magazine article provided further insight into the demise of live baseball audiences.  "The consensus has it that the future success of the game—and pro baseball as a product—is in dire jeopardy because young people aren't interested in playing, or even watching, the game."  Other reasons, according to Time, include, cost of attending games and arriving early for batting practice which costs more money because you are simply at the ball park longer or worse, they charge you more for the "Fan Experience."  Still other reasons include the length of the game, not a lot of scoring (although some ball parks have shortened fences to fix this problem) and the sport is aging, primarily white and the majority men.

 Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

We know it is a national problem- declining attendance that is.  But with the Yankees, it may just be a blip as fans get used to the new players on this young team.  "Yankees president Randy Levine said Tuesday he’s not worried about the relatively small numbers so far this year and predicted the team would finish 2017 with better attendance than last season." And this my very well be, but if you want to experience something special this season, heading out to the Stadium to see the likes of our growing talent of Aaron Judge, Jordan Montgomery and Gary Sanchez, may be worth the price of admission and then some.  Meet you at the ball park this summer, folks?  I know we will be there to fill some of those seats and make some new memories with this magical team of new talent.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

BIRD DOWN! BIRD DOWN!

I know, it's not that dramatic... but I suspected something might be up with Bird and clearly something is, he's headed to the DL.

According to literally everyone... but we'll go with ESPN on this one:

"The Yankees have placed struggling first baseman Greg Bird on the 10-day disabled list with a right ankle bruise.

Bird, 24, is hitting just .100 (6-for-60) on the season. He missed all of last season due to shoulder surgery. In 2015, he hit 11 homers in 46 games."

We'll monitor the situation and see what happens.  I mean ultimately, we want this guy right, and maybe this is BS orchestrated by the Yankees or maybe it's legit, but whatever it is, he gets some rest time and maybe that will help straighten out his bat.

ANOTHER SAD BASEBALL DEATH

Photo: Bay Area News Group

Quick note and something I did not want to ignore.  Athletics' prospect Casey Thomas has died unexpectedly.  Susan Slusser who's the A's beat for the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted this:

Oh, no, this is heartbreaking, A's 2016 draft pick Casey Thomas dies suddenly, aged just 24: pic.twitter.com/tW4ONQA5is

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) May 2, 2017

Now I know there will be clowns out there that will write "WHO???" When they read this headline. Well, shame on you.  This is a human being.  Sure we didn't know him in Yankeeland but I know folks like Jen Rainwater over at the BYB Hub's Bullpen, Baseball and Sock Talk knows him, maybe even reported on him at some point.  The point is, it's sad.

Just wanted to share and let his family know they are in our prayers.

"THEY ARE A FUN TEAM"

What is it with the 2017 New York Yankees? Looking at the stats, there is a lot to be happy and excited about in the Bronx. It's much more than the stats though. This team is something we fans have been waiting a long time for. As this article from the New York Post points out, this team is just plain 'fun'.

"They are a fun team. Fun to follow. Fun to watch. Fun to write about. Fun to talk about. Now, there are no playoff shares given out to “fun” teams. There are no trophies handed out, no parades scheduled. And fun is subjective. After all, for as much fun as their rally from down 9-1, down 11-4 and down 11-8 might have been for Yankees fans Friday night … well, there remain a lot of people who hate the Yankees."

Photo: New York Daily News

Personally, right now with it being so early in the season, I try to not seem cocky about this club. But with each game, it makes it harder not to be. Whether it's Aaron Judge hitting a bomb that looks as if it will land on the Grand Concourse or it's Masahiro Tanaka shutting down the Red Sox, each and every game has had a level of excitement that is unlike any we've had in a long, long time.

Someday you might be out with a friend and you'll say remember that time Starlin Castro hit that bomb to tie the game in the 9th and then Matt Holliday hit one in the 10th to win it against the O's. You might even reminisce when Girardi put Bryan Mitchell in at first base. Sure, they're nothing that compares to the flip or the infamous Jeffrey Maier home run yet, but they are still things that are specific to this team!

Now look, the Yankees have been fun before, and sometimes that 'fun' actually does result in something tangible. For example... 1996. When the Yankees didn’t have the highest payroll, when they had a bunch of kids coming up together for the first time and then manager, Joe Torre, learning how to win on the fly. That turned into something real special.

I know, I'm rambling.  There are so many things going on in my head about the New York Yankees.  But that word 'fun' keeps popping back in my head.  They really are, and yes, I know that them winning has quite a lot to do with it, but I just can't help myself.  As a fan, I'm  very happy.

I'm not ready to crown the Yanks champions yet, that would be foolish, but it sure is fun to think about. With 139 games left in the season, a lot can happen and a lot usually does. Is Judge going to keep up at this pace? More than likely that answer is NO. But I'm definitely impressed by his start to the season. Same as I am with Luis Severino and the guys that stepped up when Didi and Gary went down.

This team has given me a feeling of nostalgia. It feels like the 90's again with the kids coming up and some veterans sprinkled in playing their asses off. Playing baseball the right way, without all of the "look at me and what I just did" moments. Little things like Aaron crushing one and running the bases instead of watching it sail towards Rivera Ave.

It's a team like this that we fans have been pining for. It's a team like this that brings people to the ballpark. It sure is fun right now to be a Yankee fan. I have a feeling that it's going to get a lot more fun too.

--Michael Carnesi
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @sevn4evr

IS GREG BIRD FLYING TOWARD A DEMOTION?

Photo: Getty Images

April has come and gone and May is here. After a red hot spring, Greg Bird isn't flying instead, he is falling flat. So let the very premature speculation begin. There have been some shining moments, but not enough. Sunday Bird sat on the bench....so is he about to lose his starting gig?

The Yankees are riding high on the Youth Movement and will stick with it to help get under the luxury tax. It makes sense. What doesn't make sense is giving up on him after one month. Sure the Yankees have Chris Carter but he didn't give the Yankees a reason to give him the starting job during Spring training, and he still hasn't. So, why give up on Bird? He's not a lost cause.

Photo: Getty Images

The Yankees agree he's not a lost cause and will continue to exercise patience with Bird. He hasn't been good, but he certainly hasn't earned a demotion and Brian Cashman hasn't even considered it yet. "It’s not even an option for me, in my mind, right now at all," Cashman said when asked about sending Bird to the minors to get his swing back, read more HERE.

I'm sure 2017 has not started the way Bird has wanted either. I'm sure he had plans that didn't involve fouling a ball off of his foot and then it turned into food poisoning or the flu and it just spiraled from there. My theory is this is all tied to the "Bird flu" otherwise known as the pressure of taking over for Mark Teixeira, recovering from spring set backs and still having Tex's miserable April starts. Just like those challenges from the past though.....this too shall pass.

Photo: Getty Images

Look, so far I think Bird has just been unlucky. That may be over simplifying it but I do believe in him and that his performance gets better. He's made some good contact, in the opener against the Orioles I thought his hit that Adam Jones snagged was going to be extra bases, but Jones and his gold glove defense beat him to it. It happens. At least Bird is making good contact and not making weak ball ground outs. If we were seeing a lot of that then I may be more concerned because that would be a different player. That would be a Bird that no longer had plate discipline and perhaps some time to regroup.

There will be more of these this season, and with other players not just with Bird. This is what we can call "growing pains" and the Yankees need to let Bird, and any of the other kids work through it. The Yankees are looking to build for the future and the kids will have to overcome these challenges. Luckily for Bird right now he's not bringing the team down. He's not hurting the team and he is still a good defender. The Yankees are tied for the best record in the American League....so that just shows you the chemistry this team has. When one guy struggles the others will help pick him up and in the end they will still win games.

Photo: Getty Images

So let the kid play. The Yankees are not in a rush to catch teams and the clock isn't ticking yet. The Yankees are playing good baseball, and Bird will too. This isn't a crisis, it's a small piece from a very long baseball season that will get better for Bird. In fact, I would bet on it.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

JOE BLOWS AN O'S SWEEP

Photo: Getty Images

It's always nice to win a series,  but a sweep is always better.  And Joe Girardi out managed himself and his team right out of one Sunday, as well as out of sole possession of first place in the division.

Hate to be the fly in the ointment here, and if you want to read about how wonderful the team is doing and what a grand first month they've had, there's plenty of that joy juice to imbibe from other sources.

But I wrote a month before Opening Day  "Joe's resistance to change is looking more and more like the biggest weakness on the Yankees lineup card." And we all saw an example of it booting a winnable game that could've left  the Bombers two games up in the East instead of tied.

Photo: Getty Images

Going into a game he said he'd already decided he wouldn't use Adam Warren, his chief longman, or Tommy Layne due to their usage the previous day, Joe proceeded to manage his bullpen precisely as he always does -- which is to say, excessively, slavishly following his usual binder formula and, not all that unpredictably, ran short of pitchers when the team managed to tie the score 4-4 in the bottom of the 9th on a two-run double by Sir Didi.

Photo: Getty Images

This embarrassing eventuality -- one that Joe conceded in the post-game presser he didn't see coming until he sent Dellin Betances into the game for his usual 8th-inning-bases-clear outing   --  prompted him to park Bryan Mitchell, the last pitcher standing in the 9th, at first base -- a position he'd never played before and losing the team the DH in the process -- so Aroldis Chapman could come in and pitch the 10th.

About an hour later, following a not so clean inning by Chapman and a bases-loaded-nobody-scores inning from the offense,   Mitchell  traded his first baseman's glove for his 6.35 ERA and returned to the mound in the 11th to cough up three runs and the game.

Photo: Getty Images

Now, you could blame Mitchell if you wanted to be mean. Or you could blame bad situational hitting by Castro and Judge at the end for failing to get the go-ahead run in -- but you'd be blaming the two guys who scored the tying runs to send it into extras in the first place, so you'd only look silly.

No, this one's on Joe and his binder who both decided it was business as usual, first when starter Jordan Montgomery who had been cruising for five innings opened the 6th with two walks. Joe and his binder decided  that Jonathan Holder -- the guy with the highest WHIP available in the pen -- was the right man to bring in with the tying and go-ahead runs already on base with no outs.

Two batters later, the NY lead was gone for good as Joe's  bullpen-by-numbers approach came in for a savaging from  fans across social media , led by YES analyst and Yankee announcer David Cone who couldn't believe what he was seeing when Holder came into the game. He rightly wouldn't stop howling  about it the rest of the game, spotlighting each new high-paid  reliever who soon followed to face empty bases and minimum batters to earn their paychecks. Throughout his manifesto,  Cone was met online by a hail of supportive baseball fans, researchers, sabermetricians and statisticians -- including YES's own James Smyth -- who kept posting metrics and stats supporting his point, as if they were even needed.

Whether Joe can be called clever for his  Waxahachie Swap that left an overwhelmed and over matched Mitchell pitching two innings separated by an hour spent awkwardly fielding an unfamiliar position before an anxious crowd and then desperately trying to stay loose as his team tried and failed to pull off a protracted comeback win is a matter of opinion.

According to him, he had no other choice, which of course would make him desperate not clever. Either way, though, he's full of baloney. He had other choices.

Mitchell could've just kept right on pitching until the Yankees got the lead, and then Joe could've brought in Chapman. It was a home game. There was no need to rush in Aroldis. In fact, it was the bottom of the order he faced. Joe could've let Mitchell pitch two innings, then pulled his swapadeedo so his high heat guy could face the top of the order and then brought Mitchell back from first base. Now, THAT would've been clever, we wouldn't have lost the DH an inning sooner than we did and maybe Mitchell doesn't get shelled quite so badly.  Or Chapman could've even pitched two innings. Heck, he's done it before and has said he'd be happy to do it again.

Or perhaps, like Coney opined, Clippard or Betances could've come in when the game was really on the line -- with two on and nobody out in the sixth -- when the game was actually decided.

That's not just Coney's and my opinion either.

"It was a wonder why Girardi turned to Holder, a rookie who entered the day giving up 12.9 hits per nine innings, when strikeout artist Dellin Betances was available," wrote NJ.com's Brendan Kuty.  "Instead, Girardi went to Betances in the eighth, with his team down two runs. Girardi also went to more accomplished relievers Tyler Clippard and Mitchell later in the game. Holder's choke job erased the 2-1 advantage..."

Make no mistake: This Yankee team has been  all kinds of awesome so far because of the players. Period.

On Sunday, the players did enough to win. Joe and his binder were the ones who struck out.

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore