LUIS SEVERINO SHUT DOWN WITH FOREARM SORENESS

The same old same old is happening down in Florida for the Yankees with Luis Severino joining the list of players who are injured before the season has even started. The team will already be without James Paxton and Aaron Judge has also been dealing with shoulder discomfort and hasn't taken bathing practice yet.

According to Brian Cashman, Severino has had two MRIs and a CT scan after complaining of discomfort, however all tests have come back negative. He has treated with anti-inflammatories in January and apparently felt fine, but testing then revealed a "loose body" near his elbow. Are you still with me?

"It's just been fastball, slider; everything's good," Boone said. "We reintroduced [the] changeup the last couple of days on flat ground, no issues with that. And then last night, just sitting at home, he started to feel that soreness again; came in sore this morning. So we'll shut him down here for a couple days and hopefully try and get to what exactly is going on in there."

No further tests are scheduled at this time, but Cashman did not rule out that Severino might have to start the season on the injured list. It seems like a big "we'll see" right now as he only feels the pain on the changeup because of how he moves his arm.

Last season the Yanks set a major league record by sending 30 players to the injured list so this happening before the season even starts is not very surprising. However, Cashman does not seem too worried going into the season.

"Obviously you prefer to run your A-team out there. But I think we have a pretty strong B, C and D- team as well. We’ll see," said Cashman.

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

CLEVINGER ON ASTROS: "BIGGEST PIECE OF SH*T IN BASEBALL HISTORY"

I don't disagree.

If you don't know Mike Clevinger, he's an Indians pitcher with a pretty honest approach to everything. Today, he launched on the Houston Astros and their cheating scandal. This report comes from Sports Illustrated, but Clevinger said it on Barstool's Starting 9.

Yup, that's Carrabis with that ridiculous Amish beard on Clevinger's right in the clip below:

"Mike Clevinger is calling out the Astros for the weak apologies they made recently in the fallout of the team's sign-stealing scandal...

Mike Clevinger didn’t hold back on what he thought of the Astros “apology” #SpikesUpTour pic.twitter.com/UoPiYh1FrU

— Starting 9 (@Starting9) February 20, 2020

'Why would you need a piece of paper to say sorry for being the biggest piece of s--- in baseball history? I don't understand that, but they did. They needed a piece of paper and read it like a robot. First I've ever heard those boys talk about it," he said. 

"They just keep on referring to one year when everybody in the right mind knows it was every single year and they just got caught.'"

Look, he's right. And now of course more and more pro players are coming forward. Aaron Judge said something the other day. Kenley Jansen is pissed. Hell, even LeBron James said something.

Just goes to show that the pressure is on and Manfred and Clark better try and fix this problem quick. Perhaps with a 2 to 3 year suspension and if I could have my way, a lifetime ban for smug a-holes like Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, George Springer and of course, the tiny dude, Jose Altuve.

Good story, nice work Barstool.

ASTROS FACE LAWSUIT OVER CHEATING SCANDAL

It sucks to be the Astros right now and it sucks to be Rob Manfred too. He gets sucked into this more and more everyday. I don't feel sorry for Manfred or the ASSTROS though, they deserve this.

If you haven't heard, the Astros have three lawsuits pending against them. Read more HERE and HERE. There are a lot of questions here, some more ridiculous then others. The real question here is....how much must everyone HATE the Astros to have so many lawsuits pending?

The world is watching and they are speaking loudly...cheating isn't okay. Cheating affects a lot of people. We already know it impacted the game and the players, but what about the fans?

"The Astros are accused of “deceptively overcharging (fans) for season tickets while defendants and their employees and representative knowingly and surreptitiously engaged in a sign stealing scheme … and secretly put a deficient product on the field that could result (and now has resulted) in severe penalties” from Major League Baseball."

"As a result of the scheme, the lawsuit claims, season ticket holders are owed refunds of what attorneys say were inappropriate increases in ticket prices for the last four seasons. The suit also seeks treble damages for the Astros’ “knowing, willful, intentional, surreptitious, wrongful and unconscionable conduct."

In addition, attorneys seek an order that would prevent the Astros from increasing season ticket prices for at least two years.

These lawsuits (no matter how ridiculous) are just more proof that this cheating scandal isn't going away anytime soon. As my husband likes to say..."Play stupid games and win stupid prizes" and the Astros have cheated a lot of people here. 

The Astros have lost all credibility and so has Rob Manfred. They have a lot of damage to try and fix. I don't think they can fix this, honestly....not without punishing the players involved. As more develops you know we will cover it because this is not over, not even close. The Astros wish they could just turn the page, but until the punishment fits the crime we won't let them!

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

MY CALL TO MANFRED & THE PISSING MATCH BETWEEN MLB & THE PLAYER'S UNION

Tony Clark is pissed... and he should be.

Look, when you don't take care of wrongdoing when it happens... it festers and people get mad. And then, the people in charge sweat and start pointing fingers.  That's what's happening now between Rob Manfred and Tony Clark of the Player's union.

Listen... don't get it twisted. There is wrongdoing here... maybe a cover up... but definitely a favor and agreement between Jim Crane and Manfred, and without a doubt, the Player's union... forgetting about why they are there, decided to protect cheating players rather than realize that the integrity of the game was being tarnished in the process.  It's a mess. But now mounting pressure has made people in these high positions squirm and spit at each other.

The bottom line is these top guys like Tony Clark and Rob Manfred really need to think about their future. They have destroyed the game of baseball all because they will not punish the Astros players for organizing a strategic cheating ring that was planned and executed for definitely the 2017 season and most likely no question the 2018 and 2019 seasons as well.  The last 2 years are in question, but logic will tell you that if you cheat and get away with it in 2017... you don't stop in the years that follow.

In the end, the Astros players should be banned for life, Jim Crane should be forced to sell his team and Rob Manfred and Tony Clark may need to be removed as well.  Reputation is a valuable thing... and now all these guys need to be questioned 1000% percent because they didn't do their jobs, turning a blind eye, perhaps not investigating hard enough... all because they didn't want to put a black eye on the game. But in the end, their incompetence made it so much worse. Disgusting.

I called Manfred's office today. I wasn't look to be confrontational. I was looking for answers as a journalist. I spoke to the front desk who didn't transfer me to his office, but instead to Public Relations.  The woman I spoke to couldn't be nicer, but it's clear his office is playing interfere.  There's pressure there... he messed up and he knows it.

I encourage you all to call that office and demand answers.

Be polite. Here is that number again... 212-931-7800. Here's that call:


Now look, if I need to do an interview with him via email that's perfectly fine. But will he really answer? No.  I'm formulating my letter now... if you have a question you would like to ask, please send it along to me with through DM on Twitter or to my email. The P.R. office's email is in that call. Formulate you're own. Go nuts... but again, be professional.

Anyway, I will be send mine the beginning of next week.

But in the meantime, the finger pointing between Rob and Tony Clark has begun big time.  The New York Post writes:

"The Major League Baseball Players Association said in a statement late Tuesday that they fully cooperated with the league regarding the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing investigation after commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB and the union had reached an agreement for player immunity to avoid a stalemate. 

“Any suggestion that the Association failed to cooperate with the Commissioner’s investigation, obstructed the investigation, or otherwise took positions which led to a stalemate … is completely untrue,” executive director Tony Clark said in the statement. “We acted to protect the rights of our members, as is our obligation under the law.” 

And this is why I called this whole mess a cover-up a month ago. Something isn't adding up. Either Manfred did this on the sly with his MLB cronies and Jim Crane as to not embarrass the team and Manfred's legacy or he's just too stupid that he was duped into making this cheating scandal a disaster. I'm not sure what, but I do know this... the pissing match is happening and Manfred has made it worse.

Look, we're Bleeding Yankee Blue. I hate to lead every day with Astros garbage, but here's the thing... IT'S THE BIGGEST STORY SURROUNDING BASEBALL FOR US ALL IN A LONG, LONG TIME. And it stinks.  As journalists we need to report it.

Character and Integrity has gone out the window... and the Reputation of all these guys, executives and players alike will always be questioned.

The title needs to be stripped and if it's not going to be, Rob Manfred needs to take a walk. That's the bottom line.

More soon.

DUSTY BAKER'S NEW PLEA IS IRONIC & PATHETIC!

Unfit commissioner Rob Manfred knows he has a long list of problems on his hands. He's trying to get in front of them but he won't be able to. The Astros cheated, the game is disgraced and the player-driven cheating has been excused with no acceptable punishment for the masterminds. Now that baseball is back, he hopes to move forward....but this isn't over.

He thinks his stern warning to the league will keep players from seeking their own justice, but baseball doesn't care what he thinks. We don't respect his "authority" anymore and even if FOOLISH MANFRED TO PUNISH RETALIATION OVER CHEATING ASTROS and now Dusty Baker makes his own statement as he piggy backs off of Manfred's weak words.

"I'm depending on the league to try to put a stop to this seemingly premeditated retaliation that I'm hearing about. And in most instances in life, you get kind of reprimanded when you have premeditated anything. I'm just hoping that the league puts a stop to this before somebody gets 
hurt."

How pathetically ironic. "In most instances in life, you get kind of reprimanded when you have predmeditated anything..." except for when you are the ASSTROS, eh?

Someone should get Dusty Baker a dictionary!
premeditate - verb
"to think out or plan (an action, especially a crime) beforehand" 

So the ASSTROS PREMEDITATED to cheat. The players involved should have been REPRIMANDED for their actions that altered the course of the game, affected players careers and ultimately led to a tainted title. Based on what Dusty said.....Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and the entire team should be REPRIMANDED!! But they weren't....

The $5 million fine, firing of A.J. Hinch and Jeff Luhnow and loss of draft picks have no consequence to the PLAYERS who PREMEDITATED all of this. So the players involved deserve to be protected but not punished? Oh and the rest of the baseball world isn't supposed to feel angry about it? They were denied justice and a fair game. Neither Manfred's warning nor Dusty Baker's plea will deter the course of how this season is going to go.

So Dusty....your plea for protection is pathetic. We understand you will be like every other good manager and defend your guys, but your plea does not put an end to the frustration we all have. You manage a bunch of cheaters and you may have the commissioner on your side....but that isn't enough.

Get ready, Dusty. You can continue crying about it but this is far from over. The Astros will find out exactly how it feels to be on the other end of a PREMEDITATED act and they won't like it.

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

AARON JUDGE HAS SOMETHING TO GET OFF HIS CHEST

Source: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

The Astros cheating scandal has infiltrated every aspect of the game of baseball, from the fan, to the player to the stadium to the front office to the legacy of the game itself.  On Tuesday, the face of today's modern game, Aaron Judge, gave his 18-minutes on the Houston Astros cheating scandal.

"If I have a bad game and I mess up, I’m gonna stand in front of the mic and say, ‘Hey, I’m sorry, I messed up, I did this and that, and it’s on me,’ ” Judge said. “And not to really hear that from some of the players, I think, bothered the baseball community, bothered a lot of guys. … [To] really not seem like it’s any remorse, I guess, is what a lot of people were upset about,” Judge said as reported in the New York Post.

Source: AP

Judge spoke in an even, articulate tone, in the way he has always spoken to the media and fans since coming up from the Yankee farm system.  He talked about how the Astros cheating bothered him and not only hurt him and the guys he plays with but how it is hurt the game of baseball.  He discussed his decision to take down a post where he congratulated Jose Altuve for his MVP award.  And how he knows it is going to take time to move on from this.

"I could sit up here and lie to you and say forget about it and move on, but it’s always going to be in the back of your head a little bit,” Judge said. “… But at some point, we’re going to move on, we’re going to move forward and continue to grow this game. That’s what I care about, is growing this game,” said Judge.

Source: Am NY

It is refreshing and soothing for Judge to speak with such candor about how the Astros' actions impacted him personally and emotionally.  I mean, we have all felt the depth of this situation and it is not going away soon. But as Judge has said, soon we will get over this and hopefully learn from what has happened.  Getting this out there, off his chest, as he states, is the first of many steps to recovery.

--Suzie Pinstripe
 BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

TROUT TORCHES THE ASTROS

First Cody Bellinger... now Mike Trout. Gotta love unity in baseball when character is questioned.

ESPN writes:

"'I noticed the banging on the bat,' Trout said Monday morning during his first media session of the 2020 season. 'It just feels like they weren't missing pitches.'...

'It's sad for baseball,' Trout said. 'It's tough. They cheated. I don't agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything. It was a player-driven thing. It sucks, too, because guys' careers have been affected, a lot of people lost jobs. It was tough. Me going up to the plate knowing what was coming -- it would be pretty fun up there.'"

'I lost some respect for some guys,' Trout said."

Mike went Jersey on their asses and I love that. But here's the thing... until guys like Cody and Trout go to the Player's Union and say "Time to give Major League Baseball a call and change the punishment to something more harsh for the Astros," nothing will happen. The Player's Union has found a way to strike a deal with MLB to not punish the Astros. They are really the ones holding the cards here.  We need to light a fire under their asses, plain and simple.

We cannot let this go away. It's too big.

YANKS SNAG ANOTHER SMART SIGNING

Quick note.

Another veteran signing by the Yankees, and of course it could prove significant in 2020. The signing is pitcher Chad Bettis, a former Rockie.

The New York Post writes:

"The Yankees have invited right-hander Chad Bettis to camp on a minor-league deal that according to The Post’s Joel Sherman would pay him $1.5 million if he makes the big league club and includes $2 million in performances bonuses. 

Bettis, 31 in April, pitched for the Rockies from 2013-19."

Good stuff. Stocking arms is always a good thing and this is a minor league deal so no harm.

Love it.

MIKE FIERS: "WE CHEATED AS A TEAM"

Hey, if you win as a team you lose as a team. And last time I checked, if you're the Astros, no doubt you cheat as a team too.

That's what the hero in this, now A's pitcher Mike Fiers has to say. NBC Sports here:

"When asked Sunday by the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser if he wants to respond to Astros shortstop Carlos Correa saying Fiers "should be man enough" to say Houston second baseman Jose Altuve didn't use the team's trash can method, the A's pitcher declined to comment. But he did add one quote as he walked away. "We [the Astros] cheated as a team," Fiers said to Slusser."

Something to think about as we are definitely sure this story is NOT going away any time soon.

FOOLISH MANFRED TO PUNISH RETALIATION OVER CHEATING ASTROS

What kind of a crazy, misguided world do we live in? Unfortunately we live in one where an incredibly weak commissioner doesn't believe in a fair game. He doesn't believe that the punishment must fit the crime and it gets my blood boiling!

It's one thing to hold managers, coaches and front office personnel responsible for making sure players don't cheat when it comes to technology, and they should pay for those choices by losing their jobs. But why should the players get special immunity? It sends a bad message when our foolish commissioner will not hold them accountable for doing the ACTUAL CHEATING. The punishment does not fit the crime.

So now Manfred has a new problem to deal with. If Manfred won't be a strong leader and deliver the swift punishment that the cheating ASSTROS deserve, the baseball world is going to take justice into their own hands. This scares Manfred. He is going to try and "get in front of the issue" but HE CAN'T.

Teams are already looking at the calendar and planning when to make their move. When the Astros come into town revenge will be served, and it will be swift. No "WARNING" from Manfred is going to discourage anyone, the Yankees included. Maybe even us especially because YUP! WE'RE THROWING AT YOU, ASTROS!

To hell with what WEAK Manfred says. He doesn't believe in punishment, because if he did....he would've punished the cheaters. If he wanted a fair game, he would've given a fair punishment. He would've done more to restore integrity to this game.

So Manfred's warning literally means nothing. Manfred didn't bring justice to the baseball world and so now we take it back ourselves! I wish CC Sabathia was still pitching, just for one game...because he's the guy I want to watch nail Alex Bregman in the back and make Jose Altuve dance nervously in the box. Yankee fans want to see that....baseball fans want to see that!

We have seen pitchers throw at guys for a LONG time. This isn't a new thing. The cheating ASSTROS only adds FUEL to the fire and will make it happen more. Dusty Baker can plea to the baseball community all he wants....it sucks he walked into this situation  and it sucks that he is genuinely remorseful for something he had nothing to do with but he he CHOSE to and now whatever happens, happens. Manfred's warning is stupid. He's trying to set a precedence...and it's not going to work.

You can threaten us all you want Manfred, but you've lost our respect. So we hear you loud and clear. You don't want any of us throwing at the cheaters you protected. But here is the problem....we don't care so now you will hear us. You can't stop us and we aren't done fighting this!

Not by a long shot.

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

CROW-EATING MANFRED TRIES CLEAN UP HIS OWN DISASTEROUS MESS

Rob Manfred is an utter disaster. Just lump him in with the Astros.  He was in an interview with Karl Ravech of ESPN and just seems to blame the Astros for blowing their apology. But he takes ZERO responsibility in how he dealt with the situation. He looks like a fucking idiot if I can be totally honest here.

This is a mess that started with the Houston Astros and then was escalated by Manfred when he decided to make a deal with the 'Stros and the Player's Union to not punish them for their cheating scandal that has rocked the baseball world. Manfred doesn't realize that his bad leadership has made it worse.  Listen to this tool:

Here’s some of Rob Manfred’s conversation with ESPN regarding the @Astros following their apologies pic.twitter.com/42NPNScoaD

— SportsTalk 790 (@SportsTalk790) February 16, 2020

There is rumor that Manfred will address all of this in Florida today at 4:30pm.  We will see if he does.

One thing if for sure though.... if he doesn't come out and say that the Astros players will be punished, banned, suspended for a year or more... he will just add fuel to the fire.

Baseball fans are livid.  Baseball players are angry. There WILL be retaliation. There WILL be a growing group of people that will make the Astros players as uncomfortable as possible until the day they die.

Reputation in life is extremely important. You taint yourself in front of your peers you can never be trusted no matter how many second chances you get.

Don't believe me? Ask Pete Rose.

Oh... and P.S. when's that lifetime ban being handed down to Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran? We are waiting and we will not forget about them either, bro!

Be a leader Manfred, not a loser like the rest of them!

TONY FERNANDEZ PASSED AWAY

He was a New York Yankee, but he was a really great player with the Toronto Blue Jays.  Today it's being reported that Tony Fernandez has passed away.

MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"Former five-time All-Star Tony Fernandez passed away Saturday night at age 57...Fernandez suffered a brain stroke while he was already in hospital receiving treatment for complications from kidney disease, and Fernandez was placed in an induced coma two weeks ago. 

Fernandez appeared in part of 17 Major League seasons from 1983-2001, suiting up for seven different teams but making his biggest impact with the Blue Jays. Over four separate stints with Toronto, Fernandez played 1450 of his 2158 MLB games in a Jays uniform, and is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, hits (1583), singles (1160), triples (72), and bWAR (37.5). A switch-hitting offensive contributor who hit .288/.347/.399 over 8793 career plate appearances, Fernandez was even more highly regarded for his defense, winning four consecutive Gold Gloves at shortstop between 1986-89."

With all this talk of the Astros cheating scandal... obviously the biggest story right now, we can't forget about the other important things in life. We say a prayer for Tony's family from us here at BYB.

Rest in Peace friend.