DAVID ORTIZ... SHOT!

I know, I know, you wanna joke about this. But seriously, I am no fan of David Ortiz, but I would hate to see something like this happen to anyone. This is nuts

MSN Sports has this...

"Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz was shot in the Dominican Republic, his father told ESPN on Sunday night..The 43-year-old’s current status is unknown. According to CDN 37, Ortiz was shot in the leg..." 

This is a crazy, situation and official details are hard to come by but as soon as we know more we will tell you.

Scary situation... we will keep you posted.

FRUSTRATED YANKEES LEAVE ONE PLAYER IN STITCHES

Source: AP

Yes, the Yankees lost their second game in Cleveland after dropping two in Toronto and eventually losing that series.  Yes, they are frustrated with guys like DJ LeMahieu and Gio Urshela striking out and failing to reach base as they are accustomed.  And one guy even got stitches after yesterday's 8-4 loss to the Indians.

“It was just frustration building up, we gave up the lead,” Gardner said. “You hit a ball like that that’s an out, it’s just frustrating,” as reported by USA Today.  Veteran outfielder Brett Gardner, who went 0-4 in last night's game, hit a laser to Jordan Luplow in the sixth inning but the outfielder made an outstanding catch to rob Gardner and the Yankees of what could have been an extra base hit.

Following the catch Gardner threw his helmet which bounced off the dugout and right into outfielder's face. "The result: A gashed, bloody lower lip that took six stitches to close," reported USA Today.

Source: AP

I love Gardy.  He's passionate and plays the game the way it should be played: hustling, diving and gutsy.  And he has a temper.  I get it.  It is hard to hit the ball hard only to have another player make a tremendous play and rob you of the hit you thought you had.  We see it all of the time. Would-be home runs, stolen from high jumping outfielders who love the thrill of stealing fly balls from the fence. Gardy's been one of those home run stealers as well.

Source: USA Today

Gardy's bloody lip is a symptom of a bleeding ball club who is falling on some hard times.  As Fox Sports said after the game, it is expected that teams will fall into slumps or rough patches.  It is a long season after all.  But for fans and players who have been battling against the injuries and against teams who are looking to best them, it is hard to lose.  The only bright side is that the Red Sox actually beat Tampa and the Rays and Yankees are tied for first instead of Tampa taking over first place. Yea, the Red Sox are bright side.  Ha!

Let's hope the Yankees can take this next game and leave Cleveland in the win column.  Then it's home against the cross town rival New York Mets. Hang in there, fans.

--Suzie Pinstripe 
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

LEADERSHIP IS CC SABATHIA!

There's no one better in a baseball clubhouse than CC Sabathia.  He's simply the best.

I got to know the guy briefly in the infancy of Bleeding Yankee Blue. His family is wonderful. Amber is the greatest and of course when you combine the 2 of them, that power couple can do no wrong. Values and strength run through that household.

Great article this morning in NJ.com about CC Sabathia and how he not only developed into a brand new pitcher, but he's truly a leader when it comes to the New York Yankees. But he had to learn about it first. It started with the Indians believe it or not. And in the end... it came down to respect for one another.  Check this out...

NJ.com writes: "'I came in after the first inning … and I was kind of flustered,' Sabathia recalled Friday before the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Indians. 'Robbie (Alomar) could see that I was flustered and he was like, ‘Hey, don’t shake off the rest of the game. I’m calling the pitches from second base. Just go out and do your thing.’ It worked out.' Sure did, and this Alomar-to-Sabathia encounter also was a lesson on leadership...

'I was on an older team coming up that first year,' Sabathia said. 'They all treated me like a little brother … 

Sabathia didn’t just appreciate being treated with respect as a young player. He filed that away and made sure that he did the same once he became a veteran who was looked up to by younger teammates."

And that the essence of a baseball clubhouse.  In the end, you all want to win. But you teach the youngsters, and lead by example.  That was a long time ago for Sabathia, but he carried that with him.

Now, fast forward to the Yankee clubhouse today. CC is surrounded by many youngsters.  All with concerns, mistakes under their belt, questions for our fearless leader. And you know what? He's developed into a mentor... and a leader helping them find their successes, but helping this team win as well.

I can't say enough good things about this dude. If the Yankees can win it all this season, so much of it has to do with CC. He may not be 22-3 at the end of the year, but he will be there every step of the way to make sure these kids aren't losing their path to greatness.

Respect. It goes a long way.  But CC is the guy that can keep it organized, revved up and structured.
I am proud of him as a person, and love him as a New York Yankee.

Bravo, my friend... keep leading.

MY SOFT SPOT FOR CLINT FRAZIER

Source: NYPost

Clint Frazier seems to be the talk of most Yankees fans lately, and not in a positive way. However, I think Chris Carbonaro can back me up on this one; I have a little bit of a soft spot for Frazier. I don’t know if it is because I am younger or what, but I do feel somewhat bad for him. But, that does not mean I am going to just forget his actions.

Source: NY Post

Making three errors in one game against your biggest rival is absolutely not something to feel good about. I probably wouldn’t have wanted to speak to the media if I was in his shoes, I get it. But at the same time, that’s your job. It’s kind of crappy to leave your teammates to talk for you about the loss you pretty much caused.

Source: Newsday

Frazier admitted after the game on Tuesday that he was wrong for dodging the media.

"I don't want them to have to speak for me, but I also want to be on the same page as everyone in there," Frazier said. "I should have been standing in front of my locker,"said ESPN.

It happens, players make mistakes they are human too. And Frazier isn’t a bad player! In 42 games this season, Frazier is hitting .273/.323/.533 with 11 homers and 30 RBI. Among qualified right fielders, Frazier is tied for 16th in the big leagues with 30 RBI and tied for 13th in homers.

Source: NY Post

"There's no question, there's obviously been some struggles out there. Some mistakes out there. … Obviously he's a work in progress. He's worked his tail off, to his credit, and is continuing to get better,” Boone said. “The work we're seeing, we believe will eventually translate.”

I also do not think that the media have treated Frazier fairly at all. There have been multiple instances that there have been stories told to make him look bad. Back in 2017, Suzyn Waldman, Yankees’ radio broadcaster, claimed that that Frazier requested to wear No. 7, Mickey Mantle’s retired number, which was not true. 

"I appreciate Suzyn reaching out, and I accept her apology," Frazier said on Twitter. "I would never ask for a legend's number. I care more about the front of the jersey than the back," MLB.com.

Another instance is when fans were told that Frazier had no respect for the franchise and wouldn’t cut his red hair to fit with the grooming policy. The thing is, he did cut his hair! Better yet, donated it to Locks of Love. 

"In thinking to myself and talking to a few people around here, I finally came to the agreement that it's time to look like everybody else around here," Frazier said via MLB.com.

All in all, I get it. It is okay to be upset with Frazier because you know what, he messed up. If he continues to make mistakes, then yes, maybe he needs to be sent down to AAA for a tune up. But at the end of the day, he is human and there is no reason to treat him or anyone else unfairly. Especially online.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

KEUCHEL IS A BRAVE. THEY CAN HAVE HIM

He didn't want to shave the beard. It's sad that it came down to that.

CBS Sports writes this about Dallas Keuchel:

"A night after Craig Kimbrel signed with the Chicago Cubs, the other big-name pitcher remaining on the free-agent market has found a home of his own: left-handed starter Dallas Keuchel has reportedly agreed to terms with the Atlanta Braves on one-year deal worth $13 million..."

And there you have it.  Have fun with that.

CLINT FRAZIER IS A BOSS!

There is nothing I like more than a dude that walks to the beat of his own drum.

I don't care about corporate enterprises and acting like you been there before.  If a player has the passion and desire to be great in his own shoes... he should do it no matter what! That's Clint Frazier to me!

Clint Frazier is a boss, because Clint Frazier doesn't take shit from anyone and I love that about him.

Now add in the fact that he can play this damn game better than anyone if he wants to.  You know why that's important? Because it doesn't matter if it's T-ball, high school or the pros.  A passion for the game matters. He's got that folks. He's been getting ripped by the press pretty good these days, I see it, but I think one thing pretty significant has happened; He's getting angrier. Not because he made a mistake more times than he wanted to.  No... he'd pissed because the press... the mighty press of New York won't lay off this guy.  It's embarrassing... it sucks actually. The press is piling on.

Now I'm not ripping on all press for voicing their feelings. I certainly adore Suzie Pinstripe and her thoughts here on BYB about Clint Frazier. (Read FRAZIER IS NOTHING MORE THAN A FORGETTABLE YANKEE ) In fact, freedom of speech is what makes Yankee sites like this work.  You all know us here... we don't BS you. We don't censor either. If a player sucks or we don't like a player we're gonna tell you! But that goes both ways... if we love them, we will tell you that too.

I don't tell my writers what to write. I want them to feel what they are writing and go from there.  Did we hurt our chance of interviewing Clint Frazier down the road here on BYB? Yes we did and that sucks, because as you know I love this dude.  But I'm not going to halt a writer if they are honest about how they feel.

People got on Suzie's case today for hating on Frazier. I guess they don't like negative opinions against their Yankees. Hey... tough. We did not censor. I said it again! That's the press, folks.  As a fan... she doesn't like the guy.  I do however... and this may be another post for another time but that's what makes Bleeding Yankee Blue so great. Vast opinions!

Clint Frazier: The home run felt good. … I don’t need motivation through articles that are written. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/QGb3HURTF4

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 5, 2019

But then we get back to Clint. The dude with the chip on his shoulder. He's a dude that has the world crashing down around him. Here's the thing though... that will make him stronger.  This pressure? He'll eat it up, chew it hard and spit it out. Clint's a baller. Clint don't take shit from no one. That's because Clint Frazier will be a solid baseball player with the Yankees when he goes his opportunities. Confidence is key.

All this garbage about him making a bad play, stop.  All this garbage about him not talking to the press and that he HAS to do it... are you guys kidding? He doesn't have to talk to anyone!  Clint Frazier is confident in a game of failure. That's all he is. Anyone that makes it more than that doesn't understand baseball and doesn't understand what confidence is!

Give this kid a chance! Stop trashing this dude.  Sure, he 100% doesn't fit the Yankee mold of corporate and prestige.  SO?

You know what's interesting though when you really think about it? Neither does a guy like Luke Voit, the rowdy tattoo wearing wacko who cranks out home runs and screams to the fans when he hits dingers.  

Neither does Aroldis Chapman, the guy that had to serve time for whatever domestic incident he dealt with last season. You can pick and choose and knock down whomever you want, but it doesn't mean a thing. Clint Frazier is still a New York Yankee and Clint Frazier, given the right opportunity and more playing time, CAN be what we all will soon love... you just gotta give this dude a shot.

It's funny. Everyone loved the guy with his wavy red hair when he was traded to the Yankees a while back. We all thought he was the next big thing. But I don't know... maybe it wasn't happening fast enough for all you haters. Maybe when he told the world that he didn't like the nickname 'Red Thunder', you all got annoyed with him. But here's the thing; Frazier isn't some circus clown that you can kick around.

He's a Yankee and he's a damn good one.

He just needs time. Sure you can suggest he needs to mature alittle… fine. But he's still a Yankee... and he's still confident enough to play the game as hard as he can out there whenever he's given his shot.

And you know what I say to that? Let the man play.

Go Clint, go! I got your back, dog!

A KEUCHEL SIGNING IS LOOMING

It only took until June, but Craig Kimbrel finally has a job. Next up....Dallas Keuchel.

Duh, right? That's a no brainer. The only part that leaves us all stumped is which team is going to sign him. If you heard Mark Feinsand on WFAN HERE, he feels confident that the Yankees are the favorites AND that he has no problem shaving his beard. I'm glad to hear he has no problem with it because last time I checked the Yankees haven't changed their policy on that.

But back to the whole "favorites" thing. It's always nice to hear that the Yankees have an edge when it comes to signing players but haven't we learned not to get overly excited and give our hopes up? I can think of two recent players the Yankees were labeled "favorites" for. One was Shohei Ohtani who went to the Angels who isn't mourned for much. But then there is Manny Machado and I'm sure there are still some people out there that are mourning for him.

At the end of the day as much as I would like to sign Keuchel we have to remember that Scott Boras is his agent. He will use the Yankees for leverage if he can and we know he's trying. It's what he does. He's still looking for the multi-year deal for Keuchel but that ship has likely sailed now that we are in June, but that's what Boras does. If he could convince the Yankees to make that multi-year offer then his patience would pay off.

The Yankees are interested, but not as interested as Boras would like them to be. The Yankees have drawn a line in the sand, or so it seems. They aren't willing to go that long. The Yankees are interested at a one-year deal for a pro-rated qualifying offer that was $17.9 million, read more HERE.

That deal would make a ton of sense for the Yankees. At this point, all he costs is money. No prospects, or a draft pick. Madison Bumgarner has a higher price tag, and I'm not sure he's a better upgrade. If the Yankees can get him on a pro-rated it would be well worth it. He may not be the Cy Young pitcher he once was but on a contending team like the Yankees, he's an easy number three starter. We need that right now with Luis Severino still out, CC Sabathia has his own legitimate health concerns and Domingo German will have a limit on his workload.

If Keuchel does want to win again then the Yankees should be his favorite not the Braves, or the Cardinals, Twins or Tampa Bay Rays. But favorites don't always come out to be prize winners.

Keuchel will make his decision soon.....hopefully it is the Yankees.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

FRAZIER IS NOTHING MORE THAN A FORGETTABLE YANKEE

You know those insignificant, one off, one hit wonder-kind-of-Yankees? Those guys in the early 70s before the championships and then later in the dog days of the eighties where the Yankees were in the dessert of despair?  Yes, right there is where Clint Frazier will be; a distant memory.  He has never fit in with the most decorated team in all of sports and he certainly does not fit now.  Frazier is a forgettable Yankee and Tuesday evening was the nail in his pinstripe coffin.

Source: Yahoo Sports

"No, I don't regret it. And to be fair, I don't think I owe anyone an explanation because it's not a rule that I have to speak," Frazier said, meandering his way through a number of different topics while addressing reporters just before the Yankees' series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays," reported ESPN.  

Source: Sporting News

YES reporter Meredith Marakovits discussed the Frazier presser during the Yankee coverage last night with team in the booth.  The conversation analyzed his presentation to the press, and his belief that he owes no one an explanation.

Source: SNY

"I am confident 24/7, which is why I think people feel the need to knock me down," Frazier said. "I know I don't fit the mold of what some of the past and current Yankees are like, and that may be why it's a little bit harder for me to navigate every day. I am trying to be myself in here. Sometimes it feels like people have an issue with me just being myself,"reported MLB.com.

Personally, if this is himself, then that's a toxic, self-centered person that I would not want myself or my kids to be around.  He is digging his own grave with is immaturity.  Aaron Boone calls it big league"growing pains", a place that can be sometimes"unforgiving." I call it being a brat.

As far as I am concerned, he can grow up, improve just enough for the Yankees to trade him and just like that, snap, he's gone with no one ever remembering his name.  I am so disgusted with his attitude.  It is one thing to perform poorly defensively and owning it.  It is another thing to skirt it and complain that the media are always against him.  It is behavior like this that brings on even more criticism.  And in the end, it is this kind of performance that is going to hurt his chances of staying a Yankee for very much longer.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THE CLINT FRAZIER PROBLEM

Clint Frazier! This kid's good.  But he, like Rob Refsnyder... is on a team with too much talent, and to be honest, he's not rising above them. And so the problem becomes... what do the Yankees do with him?

There's a great piece in NJ.com today about just this:

1.) DH him: A little credit to Frazier: He’s been putting in the work....

2.) Run him back out there: Frazier’s bat was always going to carry him, talent evaluators thought even when Frazier was a first-round pick.... 

3.) Demote him: Frazier’s defense will only get better if he plays every day. Plenty of at-bats to be had at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. But here’s the thing: The Yankees could still use his bat and they probably wouldn’t hate him continuing to impress at the plate with the July 31 trade deadline coming up. 

4.) Trade him: Unlikely to happen immediately, considering Frazier’s stock had to have taken a hit Sunday night."

The only issue with Kuty's argument is him ranking on Frazier's defense. It's funny how we pick and choose who we like and don't like. Miguel Andujar is a terrible fielder, but Yankee fans suggest we "run him back out there" because of his bat.  Well... I'd venture to say that Frazier is in the same boat in some regards.

Look, it's a good piece, it makes you think.  We will just have to see what the Yankees do in this situation.

Stay tuned.

GUESS WHO IS THE AL HOME RUN LEADER?

Source: NJ.com

It was a showdown in the Bronx Saturday night, against the Red Sox and electrifying is an understatement.  Despite a tough couple of innings, the Yankees came away with a 5-3 against division rivals Boston.  Besides a great bull pen and extra base hits, it was Gary Sanchez who laid down the big blow, giving the Yankees the lead for good.  And with that big blow, Sanchez took over the American League lead in home runs with 18.

Source: Andy Marlin/USA TODAY Sports)

"Gary Sanchez has been a lightning rod for criticism these last few years, the constant subject of scorn for his struggles behind the plate and his perceived lack of hustle. But when he's healthy and right, Sanchez can be a force in the middle of the Yankees' lineup, the owner of a potent bat who can elevate the team's offense. Just like he did Saturday night," reported Central NJ Sports.

Source: AP

I am not a Sanchez fan typically but lately, he has been tearing it up not just at the plate but behind the plate.  His snap throw to second to pick off Eduardo Nunez completely changed the momentum of the game on Friday night, in the Yankees' favor.

Source: MLB.com

"The Yankees catcher used his cannon of an arm to gun down Nunez, who had wandered too far off second base, to end the threat and send the Bombers on their way to a 4-1 win Friday night in The Bronx," reported the NY Post.

Source: NJ.com

Seeing Gary Sanchez be successful has been gratifying.  He seemed to have matured since his last injury, and perhaps he has gained a little humility, as he has kept his head down and focused on the game and improving his skill set. He actually seems grateful to be here, playing baseball instead of appearing entitled, which is a breath of fresh air.

Source: USA Today

As the Yankees head into the final game of the series against the Red Sox, I hope the Yankees continue to play solid baseball.  Sure, I would like the Yankees to take out the broom for a sweep against Boston, but really it is more important that they play good baseball.  It is so exciting to be a Yankees fan these days.

Let's keep that feeling rolling...

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof