ANGER, NESTOR & THE YANKEES DUTY TO WIN GAME 5

Last night sucked.  

We were supposed to play but it never happened. Alot of people are pissed today because many can't take off of work to go to a baseball game. A 4 o'clock game means you really gotta get to the Stadium by 2:30, tailgate, beer up at the Hard Rock, whatever you want to do to get going.  Then you get in, you hopefully see a big win by the Yankees, the celebration and then the prep for the ALCS.  Otherwise, if there's that loss, none of it was worth it.  Alot of pissed off fans and "Fire Boone" and "Fire Cashman" as you leave the Stadium. 

Last night's shitshow was orchestrated by Rob Manfred. The clown of the MLB.  The Yankees were on the same calls with them and Cleveland.

My roommate, a Yankee fan, who has been at Yankee stadium since 6pm today sent me this… you have every right to be mad #Guardians fans…

Screw the @MLB … Cleveland against the world! #Fortheland pic.twitter.com/vXk0zwiNF2

— GlennyT (@glennytshinn21) October 18, 2022

Look, the bottom line is both teams wanted to play and if they waited another 20 minutes, they would have. But we all kind of knew they weren't going to play past 10pm last night. And so, we all gave out hope, but we knew deep down it really wasn't going to happen. 

This idiot Cleveland fan is probably the worst example of fandom you'll ever see.

Phony outrage: ✅

Screaming from start to finish: ✅

Victim complex: ✅

Stupid Yankee conspiracy: ✅

“The MLB”: ✅

A Masterclass in clout chasing with bad content pic.twitter.com/N9XwUoFXr0

— Emily Nyman (@EmSheDoesIt) October 18, 2022

 

I loved that @EmSheDoesIt was able to share this on Twitter. I didn't see it until this morning. What a tool this Cleveland guy is.   Don't get me wrong, there are ton of Yankee fan friends that were furious about last night too, but this guy is literally a straight up idiot.

Yankee Fans are getting really mad hearing this news. https://t.co/UncbBV88Lp

— NYSportsNews (99-63) (POSTSEASON CLINCHED) (@NYSportsNewsNYC) October 17, 2022

Today, many had to scramble to try and sell off their tickets from last night because we all have to work.  There will be no play for many of us. Instead, we're going to have to watch from our laptops or sneak 101.9 WFAN on their live stream.  We all don't have TVs when we work. Kind of blows.

But look, Yankee fans know this drill. How many times have you been to a game that you knew was going to get rained out. But you continued to eat, you continued to pound beers at the stadium. Why? Because it's there and you love to party, that's why.  Last night was no different. And sure, Yankee fans were pissed that we didn't play, but there is NOT CONSPIRACY THAT CLAIMS THAT MLB CATERED TO THE YANKEES BECAUSE THEY ARE A BIG FRANCHISE TEAM. That's stupid.

And so, we turn the page. Today is Game 5 of the ALDS.  Jameson Taillon was replaced by Nestor Cortes, Gerrit Cole said he'd give Aaron Boone whatever he needs and literally Boone needs to manager this like it's do or die today. Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. 

We need our bats to wake up. This is our house. This is our year, and we need to do damage today.  I'd love to see Judge have a good day. I'd love to see some small ball mixed in with Giancarlo Stanton strength.  And yes, we need our pitching to be stellar!  

There is no question that Francona, a total pro when it comes to this type of series, will navigate his pitching perfectly. He always does. This game will come down to Boone and Francona and neither of them messing their pitching up. If they do, they lose this game. If they don't, they win. It's a blink contest.  

Sadly however, Terry Francona has the experience to absolutely beat the Yanks.

But we're the Bronx today, and so we need to deliver and that comes down to Boone managing perfectly. 

Aaron Boone lost Game 3 on his own the other night.  We had to dig out in Game 4 and did. But now, collectively, this Yankee team, us Yankee fans need to be loud and proud and win today.

Yesterday is yesterday. Today's a new day. Let's bring a win and let's get to the ALCS Yanks... it just makes sense!

Go Yanks!

HEY NAYLOR - "ROCK THE BABY" TO THAT BIG LOSS!

I gotta say, I love this Cleveland Indians - I mean GUARDIANS team, they fascinate me. They all act like the can talk the talk and walk the walk, but boy does it backfire sometimes.... like last night. I don't care what name is on their jerseys, for me they are the Cleveland Clowns. 

We got our first look earlier this season when clown #1 Myles Straw decided to scale the outfield wall like he was freaking Spiderman thinking he was going to best angry Yankee fans and make them feel small or something. Boy, that didn't work out so well.

Now we have clown #2 Josh Naylor trying to get inside Gerrit Cole's head with his "rock the baby" antics after he hit his solo home run. In case you didn't get a good look at it, check it out.

As he's rounding first base doing his silly little dance he yells "That's my f--cking little son" into the camera. Supposedly, this is normal for nutty Naylor, and he's done it to other players. This Naylor kid is funny, calling himself Cole's daddy. This kid has balls.... he's just not very bright. 

First of .... who the hell is this kid? Seriously, never heard anything about him until last night. Then you go look at his stats and laugh. This is his first season playing over 100 games. He's also got a .253 career average so far, just barely had a career high 20 home run season and had more strikeouts than RBIs. Okay kid.... sure, you win.

Except you didn't win at all. You are a nobody coming back to the Bronx for the last game of the series. You and your buddy Straw man are great circus clowns. I can't wait to hear what fans in Yankee stadium chant at Naylor today.

I lost postseason baseball. I love that Naylor and the Clowns lost last night and Cole pitched a great game. I guess that makes Cole CLEVELAND's daddy. Time to bring it back to the Bronx and finish this!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

IF JUDGE IS NAMED CAPTAIN, HE REMAINS A YANKEE

Source: N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

Aaron Judge is a pleasure to watch. Much like Derek Jeter, he has a presence about him. He is a team player first, he is a leader and he should be a Yankee for life. Everyone has beef with their boss, and if you don't, you are kidding yourself, because it is never a perfect work environment...never. So if there is some other reason rather than money that Judge decides to fly across the country, back to his home state of California, then he's kidding himself if he thinks things will be rosier somewhere else. However, if the Yankees demonstrate to Judge, with more than dollar signs, how much they value him, that may be the deciding factor. If Judge is named Captain, he remains a Yankee.

Source: Wall Street Journal

“It would be an incredible honor,” Judge repeated, “but nothing honestly would ever change. I’d still try to hold myself the same way, try to hold myself to the highest standard and be accountable and be there for my teammates. If there is a captain named or no captain named, I’m still going to go out there and just be Aaron Judge and try to be the best leader and teammate I can be every day,” said Judge on the R2C2 podcast with CC Sabathia and Ryan Ruocco in February. Things have changed significantly since then. Judge rejected the Yankees' extension, he hit 62 home runs, besting a 61-year-old record set by Roger Maris just weeks ago and he has led his Yankees to another postseason run, this time winning the division.

Source: Paul J. Bereswill

Yet, Aaron Judge, our hero, received boos for his lackluster at bats since entering the postseason. It sort of reminds me of his decline after the home run derby...oh God I am sorry I brought that up. Regardless, booing Judge, really? Last night Bob Costa called Judge's game tying 2-run home run with a comment, "and just like that..." The guy is great. Give him a break. 

"Sure, Judge hasn’t been himself, at 0-for-7 with seven strikeouts when he was booed in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 4-2, 10-inning defeat that evened this best-of-five series against the Guardians at a game apiece and turned it scary. But let’s not forget the last six and half months, people. Maybe it was the shock of seeing the best hitter in the league come up empty," wrote Jon Heyman of the Post and I have to agree.

Source: NY Times

Judge knows that the fans are going to be tough on him. And he takes accountability, just like a leader would. “Not at all. It happens. It’s happened before,” Judge said. “I’ve got to play better.” Yankees teammates generally get that it comes with the territory. No one’s immune, they said. Which is what we just saw. “It’s the Bronx, man,” manager Aaron Boone said," as reported by The New York Post.

He has grit, he has charisma, he puts his team before himself, he takes his craft seriously and he is respected by his peers, his coaches and his teammates. He is just the captain the Yankees need, a seat that has been vacant since Jeter left us in 2014.

Money is important. I get it, we all want to make a bigger salary. But there is a lot to be said for having a title where you can make a greater impact beyond money, beyond power. And with a team with the amazing history as the Yankees, becoming captain is certainly something special. If Judge is named captain, I believe he remains in pinstripes. So, let's get that deal done and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. 

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

YOU DON'T PLAY GAME 4 BEFORE GAME 3 IS WON

I'll put this as straight forward for you as I can be. When your own players go to the press and question a manager's decision to win a baseball game, you have lost control as the manager. It means your own players do not trust you with juggling hard decisions in an important series.

This speaks volumes.

Aaron Boone has had a historic problem juggling pitching personnel. It's always been his issue and it's because of this that we are typically close, but short in the playoffs during his time as Yankee manager.

Some Yankee loyalists can't understand why Aaron Boone lost last night's Yankee game. They are loyal to Boone, the machine, and they love to rather point fingers at Brian Cashman or the players. But players are in games because of a manager's decision and in last night's game, we are able to reveal Boone's weakness. He is in over his head when it comes to MUST WINS and Checkers, not Chess.  

Look, I can see when angry fans point fingers at Cashman at times.  But here's the thing; We made it to the playoffs with the guys we had because they had a pretty good run. Cashman brought them in. No, the Yankees didn't end as well as they started, but they did damn good.  You have to applaud that. Players Cashman picked did the job.  But then there's injury sometimes and that was a big issue for us.  You can't blame injury on Cashman or Boone. That's life, that's the game.

But back to Boone for a moment. It's during tough times that a manager must earn his paycheck. Boone is a guy with a small mind when it comes to hard decisions. When these important series show up, Boone plays the game ahead of the game he's currently in.  He thinks ahead without finishing off the opponent we are currently playing.  Last night was a perfect example of this. And it's bigger than that. Aaron Boone knew he was responsible for last night's loss.  But tried his best to skirt the truth to the press, and not be honest to the fans.  Watch his entire presser last night. What he should have done at the very top was say this:

"Listen, before we get into this, I am the manager and this loss is on me, here's why..." and went into detail about bad decisions.  We would have all been in a better place today. Instead, the entire east coast news circuit is calling for his head.

   

Listen to that first question. That questions are direct. The press is looking for answers because we all saw what was happening and no one could understand it. Listen to the questions, listen closely to his answers. He skirts, he dodges, he does NOT take blame. But most importantly, HE WAS SETTING THE YANKEES ROTATION AND BULLPEN UP FOR GAME 4. And he wasn't even finished with Game 3.

QUESTION: Did you have Clay Holmes available?

BOONE: NO. He was available but we would have put him in a tough situation.

Hmm. Weird. Clay thought he was going in last night. Luis Severino was confused why Clay wasn't in. Jack Curry of YES was "baffled" that Clay wasn't in there.

Luis Severino on Clay Holmes not pitching the 9th:

"He's our closer. So of course I was surprised. I don't know if he was down. There shouldn't be people down in the playoffs. That's something you guys need to ask Boone or [Matt] Blake to see what was going on there."

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) October 16, 2022

Clay Holmes said he was surprised that he was not used tonight. He said his arm is fine. Woke up today anticipating he was going to be on the mound tonight.

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) October 16, 2022

Wow. That's interesting. What's the tough situation though? Well, it's when there are men on base and the other team is chipping away.  

But that's ok, Clay was "sore", and they didn't want him to blow it. So, what did Boone decide... or should I say what did Boone and Matt Blake decide? They decided to bring in Clarke Schmidt, a guy that fell out of favor with the organization this year alittle bit. A guy that had a ton of potential, but then just fell off, and dare I say, wasn't prepared for this big moment. 

Here's the best part. The press challenged Boone with not throwing Holmes.

"He threw just 16 pitches the day before."

Sixteen pitches. This about that. Hardly a workload.

Boone's answer?  He didn't want to put Clay Holmes in a back-to-back situation.  Ridiculous. Guys like Goose Gossage and Dennis Eckersley are laughing their asses off right now. Boone is JV.

Boone goes on and says it needed to be "an emergency situation".  What defines "emergency" Boonie? Guardians had a couple guys on and Peralta was pulled and you're up by only 2 runs. The next guy up could homer and win right there. ISN'T THAT AN EMERGENCY? It is. You know how I know? Because every analyst out there could see it as well as every fan.

Boone goes on to say that he loves Cole's chances tonight, and we need to get back to New York.  

And say we do win and get back to New York Boone... Yankee Stadium is heaven to many of us, but it's not bulletproofed. We lose there too.  Sure, having Cortes on the mound at Yankee Stadium is perfect for me and many fans, but none of us really have any faith that you can pull it off as manager.  Let's remember something folks, the Guardians were pushovers a few days ago. Today they have the upper hand, all because Aaron Boone is a clown.

I love my Yankees. I want them to get to the next round of the playoffs, but bad leadership never wins if they don't know what they're doing.  Boone made a terrible decision last night and we all paid the price. The Yankees did what they needed to do to win.  You un-did that, Boone.  You better show up with some smarter decisions. Us fans, your players deserve it.

 Clowns should not be allowed to run teams. 

MY SOURCE SAYS "JUDGE WILL BE A SAN FRANCISCO GIANT NEXT YEAR..."

I hate the source game, because I hate spreading rumors and I'm not a baseball insider either. Actually, now that I think about it, none of the baseball insiders are actually baseball insiders. They just guess. But here's the deal, I have created and have written thousands of articles here for Bleeding Yankee Blue since 2010 and I'm proud of that.  Being in this chair with Suzie and Jeana, we have met numerous baseball people and I have been lucky enough to get some information over the years.  It helps me make predictions and get information that many do not get. That's because I don't go bragging about what I know, I just share it when it seems pretty air-tight in the hopes that it helps people understand the true world of baseball and the business it is.

I have a source, a friend, that works for the San Francisco Giants. I will not reveal his name. I will only reveal what the buzz is and what he's hearing on the ground out there. He is not privy to private meetings. This is water cooler rumor, but still a pretty big one I want to share. The phrase he used with me is this:

"It's very real. Judge will be a San Francisco Giant next year."

I asked him why. He would not tell me. I asked him to give me more. He said he didn't have anything more. He told me to "trust him" and said it will come down to the contract, something Judge "could not walk away from."

I have to tell you, I believe him.  

Again, I don't do this carelessly. This is fact.  Kind of like when I told you all that Troy Tulowitzki might be a Yankee based on my source. Remember when I wrote SOURCE: "TULOWITZKI TO THE YANKEES..."

Back in 2014 I wrote:

"I don't have much, other than me getting information from someone I trust 100%. "Troy Tulowitzki to the Yankees might actually happen." was the text.

I immediatlely texted back. "What????"

"WOW", came next...

Then, he continued:

"It's one expensive gamble. Top prospects and alot of salary."

Tulo did become a Yankee a few years later.  While I have never been a "called it guy", I was on the right track and got the right information. And that's why I believe this Giants story when it comes to Aaron Judge.

Clutch Points writes:

"According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the Giants are looking into Judge, a California native, and Turner, who plays for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, despite the massive contracts it would take to land them.

“Yet, money may be no object, with the Giants willing to do anything for a return to the postseason, winning 26 fewer games than a year ago,” writes USA TODAY. “‘We do have the flexibility to be involved in every possible option on the table,’ Giants president Farhan Zaidi said.”

And now the latest. Dave Flemming the San Francisco Giants Broadcaster was asked about Judge. He said "“I’ve heard there’s some underlying tension between Judge and [the Yankees]... If Judge says, ‘I want to go somewhere else because I feel like they did me wrong’ then I think the Giants are a very viable option." That's something fans surely like to hear."

Hmm. The fans. Fans love stars.  So do us Yankee fans. That's why I cannot for the life of me understand why booing a 62 AL Home Run leader in what could be his last home game as a Yankee ever is a good idea, especially if the tension rumor between Judge and the Yankees have extended to the West Coast so quickly.

Look, there is no question Judge could fly. It's very likely. He could also finish he career in New York and I would absolutely love that more. But I take these RARE source texts seriously.

I hope it's bull.  I really do, but look, the most important part of this is it's a RUMOR. Take it how you want to take it.  I have nothing else. I just believe it. I think the Giants are gonna go HARD on Aaron Judge, and if I had to guess, I think they would go much HARDER than the Yankees at the end of the season. 

Stay tuned.

YANKEE BOO BIRDS LOST THAT GAME. YOU GAVE UP ON YOUR TEAM.

You're all pathetic. Shame on you. What is wrong with our Yankee fan base that in OUR HOUSE, we boo OUR GUY... the same guy we are trying to keep this off season?

Let's keep this real for a second. We don't know if we're gonna see the Yankees in the Bronx again this year. After the bats went silent yesterday, we now send them off to Cleveland. SO READ THE FUCKING ROOM. You just sent this guy off to Cleveland in what could be the last home at bat as a New York Yankee.  Have some class and be mindful of what you're doing.  You're a fan, not a player, root, razz, but don't send our stars packing because one guy couldn't do anything so far this playoff. There are 25 guys out there, not just Aaron Judge. 

Do you know how hard baseball is? Do you know what it takes to hit a 99 mph fastball deep? To recognize the spin of a pitch coming in and knowing it's a breaking ball, fastball and get your timing going to smash it? Do you know what it's like to hit 62 homers in a season? Nope, none of you truly know when it comes to playing at a major league level. So why in the hell do you think you have it all figured out that you can boo Aaron Judge at Yankee stadium in a loss to the Indians *Guardians?  What is wrong with all of you? 

Aaron Judge was not the only guy in the lineup yesterday.  While Judge laid an egg, you all need to recognize the game.  Nine guys at bat. They all sucked yesterday.  But it was the 10th that it all changed. The New York Times writes:

"Two lazy fly balls, a line drive and a throwing error by third baseman Josh Donaldson defined a chaotic inning that felled the Yankees, 4-2, in 10 innings in Game 2 of this best-of-five American League division series. The sellout crowd of 47,535 went quiet when Guardians right fielder Oscar González’s bloop dropped in front of right fielder Aaron Judge for the go-ahead single. It stayed that way when first baseman Josh Naylor smoked a run-scoring double over center fielder Harrison Bader, adding an insurance run."

And yes, it came undone because the Yankees... ALL OF THEM, could not get things going with the bat. You want to blame Aaron Judge, do it sure. You want to blame Jameson Taillon, do it, but the bottom line is the Yankees could not hit in their own house and it was terrible.

To add insult to injury, Bob Costas might be the most annoying announcer ever for a Yankee game. But no, you can't blame him either.  We were just dealt a bad hand there. It is what it is. I can't wait until tonight when he brings up Joba Chamberlain being attacked by bugs and the Yankees losing to the Indians in 1997, because you know it's coming. But while Costas isn't responsible for the Yankees losing, Judge is equally not responsible for the loss either.

But go ahead, boo Aaron Judge. Makes perfect sense.  You try playing the game. You try coming off a historic season and still try to be smoking hot during the post season. It's a team effort folks... that means the players on the team, Aaron Boone, and yes US FANS!  

Here's the bottom-line boo birds; You give up on your guys during the playoffs yesterday and you might as well blame yourselves for yesterday's loss. Why? Because momentum is a real thing in baseball, and now we go to Cleveland with a fan base that gave up on their team and the nation knows it.  Nice work losers.  Act like you've been there before.

HOW YANKEE PITCHING WILL GO NOW THAT THIS RAINOUT HAPPENED

Look, with this latest rain out, there's alot of talk and worry about how the Yankees will be shuffling their pitching going forward. Here are my thoughts on why it's not bad that the New York Yankees will not have Nester Cortes available for Game 5. I know, I'm getting ahead of myself, but this is my thinking.

First off, I believe that this latest development actually helps the Yankees.  Here's why; 

The Yankees will need to use Jameson Taillon in Game 4 or Game 5 instead of Cortes in Game 5.  But on the other side of the field, Cleveland will need to use their 4th starter, which is either Aaron Civale or Zach Plesac in Game 4 or Game 5 instead of Shane Bieber.

And so, what's my point? Well, the drop-off for Cleveland is huge. You have to consider that both Civale and Plesac are not good and that is a big advantage for the Yankees as they will avoid one of Cleveland's top 3 starters. 

It's a bigger drop-off for them than it is for us.

But here's the most important part of this scenario... we better not go to Game 5 in this series! There is really no reason for it when you look out our team and what our Yankees can provide offensively.

Go Yanks!

--Douglas Solomon 

 BYB Guest Writer

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S BETTING SCHEME JUST PROVES PETE ROSE HAS DONE HIS TIME

 

Back in August of 1989, Pete Rose accepted a permanent ban from baseball. This happened because in the baseball rules and here it is on the MLB website for the world to see, Rule 21:

"(d) GAMBLING. (1) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform, shall be declared ineligible for one year. 

(2) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform, shall be declared permanently ineligible. 

(3) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who places bets with illegal book makers, or agents for illegal book makers, shall be subject to such penalty as the Commissioner deems appropriate in light of the facts and circumstances of the conduct. Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who operates or works for an illegal bookmaking business shall be subject to a minimum of a one-year suspension by the Commissioner. For purposes of this provision, an illegal bookmaker is an individual who accepts, places or handles wagers on sporting events from members of the public as part of a gaming operation that is unlawful in the jurisdiction in which the bets are accepted."

Following Rose's ban, the Baseball Hall of Fame decided that in 1991 they would bar players on the permanently ineligible list, like Rose, from induction.

In other words, the all-time hits leader, Peter Rose, would never be in baseball again even though he had lifetime 4256 hits. 

Betting on baseball is wrong if you're a player, and Pete Rose was signing baseballs years after even admitting to betting on baseball on autographed balls.  The fact of the matter is MLB really ran this guy through the ringer, humiliated him, disgraced him, made him feel like he did something so bad, he should never be allowed to be part of the game at all, ever, ever, ever again.

In 2017, the Phillies disassociated themselves from Pete Rose too, but not for betting, but instead being part of the cancel culture. As it goes:

"...the Phillies announced that they were completely disassociating from Pete Rose....This decision isn't about Rose being honorable enough to bow out of the weekend because he's concerned for the fans' best interest. What this is about, or rather, what it should be about, is a sports franchise saying unambiguously that sexual assault and rape in all forms is unacceptable."

This was right about the time where the #MeToo movement was a real rage and if a guy looked at a woman the wrong way, in 2017, or in 1977, it was a way to get men cancelled. Now obviously violence against women is terrible and should never happen, but the pile on against men was bad. We were being cancelled just for living, and Pete Rose was already banned from baseball, so the Phillies thought, "F this guy, and remove him from the Phillies Wall of Fame too."

So, with the world piling up against Pete Rose since 1989, it just made sense that Rose probably needed to go away. I hated every minute of that.

Then in 2022, something happened. 

This year the Phillies suddenly invited Rose back to the ballpark. We wrote here on Bleeding Yankee Blue back in July:

"The New York Post writes that Pete Rose will be welcomed by the City of Brotherly Love... Philly. And you know what? I love it.

"The sport’s all-time hits leader will be at the Phillies’ alumni weekend and be introduced on the field along with his former teammates from the 1980 World Series championship team on Aug. 7. That team’s shortstop, Larry Bowa, broke the news on Saturday night during the Phillies’ TV broadcast of their game against the Cubs.

The Phillies said in a statement that they “received permission from the commissioner’s office” to invite Rose, and the team consulted with Rose’s teammates from the 1980 club and “everyone” wants him there.”

And my thinking was, "Could it be that things were looking up for Pete Rose finally?" Well, at least the Phillies teammates that played with Rose understood how important Rose was to the game. The Phillies did too, but why did they cancel him in 2017 only to bring him back in 2022? MLB acted like no one was paying attention... and they're doing it again.

Things come full circle. It was announced the Reds, Pete Rose's old team has a new partner... IN SPORTS BETTING.

Sports Pro Media writes: 

"Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Cincinnati Reds are set to open a new sportsbook at their Great American Ball Park home through a new partnership with BetMGM.

The agreement, which designates the firm as the Reds’ official sports betting partner, comes with the legalization of gambling in Ohio from January 2023.

The new BetMGM Sportsbook will be situated on the northeast side of the ballpark and will allow fans to place wagers during games.

The deal marks the betting brand’s second MLB venue sportsbook, after a deal with the Washington Nationals saw an in-person location created at Nationals Park in January."

Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on here? 

Can someone explain to me how MLB has rules in place about sports betting for players, but can still have partnerships with sports books to allow betting IN THEIR OWN STADIUMS?

Meanwhile Pete Rose, the MLB's ALL TIME HITS LEADER is still on the outside looking in while MLB continues to do whatever the hell it wants.

I have never liked what Rob Manfred has done to the game. He has his own rules, his cronies clearly have no idea what they're doing, and in the end, it really does come down to making the MLB money and to hell with anyone else.

Pete Rose did his time. You can't eliminate the all-time hits leader from baseball all these years. Something needs to change.  In a world where sports writers are still trying to claim that "the Steroid Era" brought all-time home run leaders legitimately to the stat books, even though we know "the Steroid Era" is considered a stain on the game (or it wouldn't be called "the Steroid era", We cannot stand blindly and think that the MLB's partnership with sports betting should be allowed, but the time Rose has done since 1989 should not be considered time served. 

Pete Rose not only needs to come back to baseball.  Pete Rose needs to be in the Hall of Fame.  

FOX Sports has done the greatest job bringing Pete's expertise and personality back to baseball. It's a huge move that I just hope can change how people view this guy.  Yes, he made a mistake, he admits that. He's done more at admitting fault and has done more time than anyone in the steroid era has ever done. We're still waiting for those guys to admit guilt. It's ridiculous.

Manfred needs to be pressed on this. We need a hardnosed reporter that can ask the hard questions and really get him to answer. Because right now, this seems like a giant F-U to students of the game, and especially Pete Rose.

Fire Manfred. He's absolute garbage.

MYLES STRAW RETURNS TO THE BRONX & STILL DOESN'T GET IT

Some people just don't get it. Myles Straw is one of those people, apparently.

The guy has a target on his back now and he's about to be 28 years old. He's been around the game long enough to know how to handle himself. He should've known that scaling the left field wall to yell at crazy Yankee fans wasn't a brilliant idea. It's a decision that will stick with him every time he plays a game against the Yankees.

So, Straw's return to Yankee stadium wasn't warm and fuzzy.... big whoop, read more HERE. He's not the first to get this fan treatment and he certainly won't be the last. This also won't be the last time he gets it either. He can look forward to the same unwelcome reaction every time he steps foot in Yankee stadium, and I am not stating my opinion.... it's a fact. 

So, Tuesday night he heard Yankee fans in the stands yelling at him and this time he decided not to scale a wall and act like Spiderman. He didn't react this time, but he didn't like what he heard, "They were personal. It's all good though. I'm just out there chilling playing center field," Straw said very ineloquently.

Obviously, death threats are a whole other level and that's disgusting and speaks volumes about people who go to this extreme. Straw says there was "no point" in talking about Tuesday's game but he still wants to whine about it. There's a lesson to be learned here. There are certain fan bases that have loyalties that are so deep that they are in a league of their own.... New York is no exception. Small town Cleveland and Houston where he's played before do not compare. 

Maybe now he's learned a lesson the hard way, because now he has a target on his back every time he steps in New York. Big mouth picked a fight, can't back it up now and wants to whine about it. No sympathy here.... just makes me want to beat you even more.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

 

CHAPMAN PREPARES FOR A RETURN TO THE YANKEES

 You read that right. Now let your head explode.

Look, there's a lot to be said about the Aroldis Chapman situation. Many call this guy a total moron and are glad he's not on the roster. Some are calling him selfish. I see everyone's point, but I'll take it one further. I call it a stupid misunderstanding. I actually think, and this is probably not popular, that there was a language barrier / game of telephone through Chapman's people and just not really getting the story right that caused this whole uproar. Why do I say this? Because Chapman is home right now working out and preparing for the next series... assuming he's allowed to come back.

Randy Miller at NJ.com writes:

" Aroldis Chapman spent part of his Tuesday in the backyard of his Davie, Fla., home with a buddy who used to be his catcher when they played together in Cuba. The friend put on the gear, squatted down and had his mitt pop and pop as Chapman whipped in fastballs.

Chapman apparently still is somewhat invested in the Yankees even though he quit on them last Friday because he wasn’t assured a spot on their ALDS roster. Just in case there’s one more crazy chapter to Chapman’s inevitable divorce from the Yankees, the seven-time All-Star is staying ready for a highly unlikely return for later playoff rounds."

Will he come back? Do the Yankees want him back? Look, call him a nut or call him bring prepared. I find this guy fascinating.  I cannot wait to see what happens next.

BADER, RIZZO, COLE FIRE UP YANKS!

None of us knew what Gerrit Cole would deliver last night. Thankfully, as he kept pitching, he got better and that worked out great.  Couple that with a game tying homer by Harrison Bader, and a monster shot by Anthony Rizzo and we just looked real good.

I love this nugget about Cole. ESPN writes:

"As he stood on the mound with the bases juiced, Cole stepped back and tried to visualize the situations during the season when runners reached base. He tried to lean on how he reacted in those situations while emptying his mind of the high stakes of playoff baseball.

"I prepared myself for traffic. I certainly had quite a bit of it, too many experiences with traffic this year," Cole said. "You do what you normally do. We were really clear on what pitches we wanted to execute in those situations."

And then there is Harrison Bader. This kid is Yankee material. In the way he plays, in the way he speaks, he's a gamer and future leader. I want him to be a Yankee for life.

Clutchpoints writes:

"During the bottom of the third inning, Harrison Bader squared off against the Cleveland Guardians’ Cal Quantrill. Quantrill went ahead early in the at-bat, throwing two quick strikes to put the count at 0-2. Bader rallied back, taking three straight pitches outside the plate for balls.

Harrison Bader’s first home run as a Yankee ties the game in the playoffs! pic.twitter.com/Ne7x8e9SKz

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 12, 2022

And then on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Bader unleashed a missile to left-center field to answer back after Steven Kwan’s home run in the top-half of the inning."

Speaking to the press, this guy's awesome.

Great answer. Great player. Love Harrison Bader pic.twitter.com/jtFiuZI4e7

— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) October 12, 2022

And then of course is Rizzo. The guy is a true veteran, leader and one of the reason's why the Yankees have been so successful. 

The New York Post writes:

"Aaron Judge walked to lead off the sixth and with Rizzo at the plate, stole second and advanced to third when Hedges’ throw went into center.

Rizzo then crushed Quantrill’s final pitch of the night into the second deck in right. The two-run blast gave the Yankees a 4-1 lead....

“With them coming in after a big wild-card series win, it feels really good to come out and get Game 1,’’ Rizzo said."

Yanks lead series 1-0. Let's go Yanks!

JEFF PASSAN IS A SAVAGE AND I LOVE IT

I'm tired of Ben Verlander's feelings. Toughen up buttercup.

No one cares about Ben Verlander. His claim to fame is being Justin Verlander's brother.  He has no experience, no value to his employer other than his name. If he doesn't realize he's a puppet than I don't know what else to say. Here's an idea... do something on your own.

The Shohei Ohtani obsession is ridiculous. Everyone knows it. and last night it was Jeff Passan's turn to explain to Ben Verlander that he probably needs to stop with that obsession. After all, and I've said this a 1000 times now, MLB Players do not have the luxury to be pitchers and hitters. If they did, there would be more than Shohei Ohtani, but once guys get into high school, many good pitchers and made into P.O.s and that bleeds over into college.  And that's usually the end of their hitting career. 

But Shohei is different because Shohei is a Japanese player who clearly was packaged as "take me this way or don't take me at all." MLB knew it was the perfect marketing tool. And so, they made the exception knowing it would make the league money. And Verlander fell into the trap.  

What's my point? Verlander is a pawn, and he's too dumb to see it.  But we all do and that's why Passan went after Verlander last night. Enough is enough. Verlander needs to shut up.

 .

Passan is a stand-up guy in a corporate world and felt like he needed to delete his message and apologize. But he shouldn't have.  Sometimes hacks need to be put in their place and that's why Passan did what he did. Sure he picked a fight. But sometimes you need to pick a fight to make a point. Passan did, he's a stud.

P.S. I'm 5'7". My height has never clouded my delusion that I was being used by a company because of my name and lack of experience.  Verlander needs to STFU.