GREG ALLEN'S BACK & IT WILL JUST HELP THE WHITE HOT YANKEES

Not sure if ya'll remember Greg Allen, but he's a good addition to any team.  

Now Allen has bounced around. He was brought in by the Yankees from San Diego on January 6, 2021 in exchange for James Reeves, a lefty pitcher. He hit .270 (10-for-37) with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 2 ribbies and 5 stolen bases in just 15 games with the Yankees. And then, he was gone, going to the Pirates.

But now he's back in a deal with the Red Sox of all teams. The New York Post writes:

"The team acquired Allen... on Friday night from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league pitcher Diego Hernandez and cash considerations. Allen, who had been playing for the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate, was expected to join the Yankees in Cincinnati, though it was not immediately clear whose roster spot he would take. "

And there you have it, a cameo role became a roster spot for Allen. Gotta love that.

Welcome back GA!

HEY 'FAT BOY' SCHNEIDER, MAN UP!

There's no crying in baseball! At least, there isn't supposed to be. There's also some weeny chirpers in Toronto....that's lame.

Look if you want to talk smack, then do it and OWN it. Put your big boy pants on and be prepared to back up everything you say otherwise, SHUT UP, FAT BOY! Sit in the dugout and just be seen and not heard. It annoys me when people huff and puff and act like they are gonna blow your house down and then they back down or try and walk it back. Don't be a pansy.

But that is exactly what John Schneider of the Blue Jays is trying to do. Tuesday night he yelled into the Yankees dugout and when he was asked if he was yelling at anyone in particular he said "No, heat of the moment" and I call bullshit, but you can read more HERE. 

Anyone with eyes can see he is full of crap. He is clearly and intentionally pointing at someone in that dugout. Man up to it and admit you lost your cool and said it intentionally and honestly, I will respect you more. You cant take it back! We all saw it on tv and everyone knows what you said. We also know how ironic it is.

First of all....Schneider is a pretty bulky guy himself. He's not exactly lean....so have we now been transported to the HYPOCRISY ZONE? We must be because that is the only possible explanation. I'd also like to know if he has looked at his own bench lately? I mean, John I know you are new in town, you've only been out of an "interim" gig for a whole five minutes but DUDE - Alek Manoah is somewhere on your bench. I assume you've seen him....right? He's a big 285lb boy! Obviously the new kid on the block is oblivious to reality. There are a lot of bulky ball players in this league, and some of them also happen to play on your team. Cut the fat shaming crap and just shut up and play ball!

So please continue to try and back peddle. We already expect these two teams to battle it out because they are division rivals who were favorited to be at the top of the division but why can't the Blue Jays stop crying about everything?! First Vladimir Guerrero Jr and now their idiotic manager.

I think Schneider is soft, and so is his team for that matter. The difference here is I would say it to him, make sure he knew I was talking to him and then stand behind what I said. I can't wait to pass the Blue Jays....I am convinced now more than ever that the organization is just inferior to everyone and can't wait for the standings to show it.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

TENSIONS IN TORONTO ARE FIERCE

 

I felt like I was watching a Red Sox - Yankees game from years ago. The atmosphere, the game play, the energy, the dislike for one another and even the announcers getting into the mix, the games in Toronto this week are fiery. I know we are only in the first month and a half of the season but the last two games had the feel of playoff baseball. And the tensions between the personalities on both teams are fierce.

Source: YES Network

"Domingo Germán was ejected from Tuesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays after being checked for foreign substances. Germán retired the first nine batters he faced, then was checked when he came out to start the fourth inning. All four umpires were part of the inspection," reported CBS Sports. Recall that earlier this spring German escaped ejection for likely using the same sticky substance but this time, he not only was ejected but now faces a 10-game suspension for using a foreign substance. He will likely appeal. 

Source: Sportsnet

This drama comes after the Blue Jay announcers called out Aaron Judge for his shifting eyes before hitting his second home run of the evening on Monday night. "The reigning AL MVP’s darting eyeballs during his at-bat in the eighth inning Monday night — which ended with him crushing a 462-foot home run — caught the attention of the Blue Jays’ TV broadcast and eventually the team’s clubhouse, which wondered what Judge could have been looking at," reported The New York Post. 

Seriously. I mean Judge does not need to do anything to be great. He just is. And if he is trying to pay attention to coaches and block out unnecessary chirping from his home dugout as well as fans in the stadium then he is in his right to do so. Recall that his manager just got thrown out of the game moments before and there was increased tensions as result. Yet the broadcasters claimed on. 

"The implication was that Judge may have been glancing at the Yankees’ dugout or first-base coach Travis Chapman to pick up a late sign on a pitch type or location, which is within the rules if technology is not being used," clarified the Post. 

And to tie this all up in a bow, the Yankees are vying for lift in the standings and have been playing very well, taking two games in the series against the Rays and kicking off a strong beginning of another rough four game series against the Jays. 

It is certainly not uncommon for two teams to have bad blood for one another. It is part of the competitive nature of the sport. And this toxicity has been building between these two teams for the last year or two. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has gestured his dislike for the Yankees time and time again, sometimes very distastefully. And Aaron Judge, certainly was not having it, voicing his distaste for the announcers calling him out for having "darting eyeballs" and possibly cheating.

“I got some choice words about that, but better just to keep that off the record,” Judge said Tuesday afternoon when asked about the insinuation that he was cheating. “Especially with the things that have happened in this game with cheating stuff and to get that thrown out, I’m not happy about it,” Judge said. “But people can say what they want. I still got a game to play, I got things I gotta do. I told you guys what happened and everybody else can make their own story about it,” reported The Post. 

The tensions in Toronto are fierce and likely will not subside over the next two days or even through the rest of their games this season. But one thing is for sure—the Yankees are a team of champions. They have tradition, they have grit and they have one of the best players in the game today. That stand up guy is Aaron Judge and he is leading a group of fiercely competitive guys who play hard despite the odds. And you know what, I will take that everyday of the week. So take that Toronto- and your broadcasters can just shut it. And, oh, Judge broke your maple leaf in the outfield with a smashing homerun so take that too. Sorry not sorry. 

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

THE BLUE JAYS ANNOUNCERS ARE BITCHES

 Aaron Judge is just a really good home run hitter. He's pretty disciplined at the plate even though he does strike out, but for the most part he's productive at the plate, really coming into his own the last few years.  It's impressive. 

Last night the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 7-4.  Judge had 2 home runs.  Now mind you, the history between the Yankees and Jays as of recently has been toxic. You have to blame Vlad Guerrero for that. After all, he just likes to start stuff just for headlines. But what he doesn't seem to understand is no one cares about Vlad Jr.  Yes, the Jays are a good team, but what do I care is Vlad likes the Yankees or not. No one cares.

Did the Blue Jays broadcast expose Aaron Judge cheating & looking into the Yankees dugout to see signals before the pitch??? 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/VsKHWiPepn

— Calico Joe (@CalicoJoeMLB) May 16, 2023

But back to last night, it's what happened during Aaron's at bat that had the Blue Jays announcers in a tizzy. Awful Announcing writes:

"...one of the home runs has generated some controversy, or at least chatter... During that at-bat, Dan Shulman and Buck Martinez, calling the game for Sportsnet, had a different observation. They noted that Judge was looking in an unusual direction.

“You don’t wanna go throwing allegations around without knowing, but…

Martinez, himself a former catcher, noted that based on where his eyes were going, Judge could not have been glancing back at the catcher, trying to steal the sign.

Then, right before Toronto pitcher, Jay Jackson delivered his 3-2 pitch to Judge, Shulman said that Judge “just did it again...

Martinez said “Once again, he’s looking at something, then the next move is that powerful swing, and he blasts one to center field. I’ve not seen that before with him. I’ve not ever seen that.”

So this is what we do now, we accuse players during game play. We build a narrative to cater to our audience, right Jays booth?  Maybe Judge saw a stray cat. Maybe some chick was flashing her cans. My point is to come right out and accuse the guy of cheating during a live broadcast, and mind you, they acted like they weren't accusing, but they were, it's pathetic.

Now Judge explained himself, even though he really doesn't have to.

ESPN writes:

"The Yankees slugger looked sideways for a moment before driving a 114.9 mph scorcher off right-hander Jay Jackson.

"There was kind of a lot of chirping from our dugout, which I really didn't like in the situation," Judge said."

Whatever the case, the haters that are going to continue to blast the Yankees and Judge for garbage allegations are ridiculous.  The Yankees haven't won anything in years. We are an average team at best.  If we were cheating, we're pretty bad at it.  So hey Dan and Buck, go scratch, your broadcast sucks.

I hope our YES guys have a field day when the Jays come to the Bronx, because the Jays announcers just started a war.

Sad.

THE OTHER NASTY NESTOR NEEDS A FAST FIX!

Is it too soon to be concerned about Nestor Cortes? I've been talking to a lot of baseball fans and some say "yes" because this is just a phase and others say "no" and very emphatically. 

I think this season so far has been nothing but concerning when it comes to this team. The Yankees are no strangers to injuries, but even this season started with an aggressive bite from the injury bug. It's been a bad start and being at the bottom isn't fun at all. So now everything is magnified.

So is it too soon to be concerned about Nestor Cortes? No. Last year we were all mesmerized by "Nasty Nestor" and I even thought he deserved to be the number 1 starter against the Astros. Fast forward to this season and Nestor looks Nasty for the opposite reason.

Look, his start against the Rays was nasty ugly and the Yankees need to get him back on track yesterday.  He should thank his team that the offense bailed him out on Saturday, because without the resurgence of the bats he would've pitched himself to a loss instead of a no decision. The Yankees need the old Nasty Nestor back and he has some work to do to get there.

I've seen a lot of chatter on social media that "the league has caught up to Nestor" and now he's just not fooling anyone. I don't think that is it, that explanation is just too simplistic for me and pitching coach Matt Blake doesn't believe that either. 

Pitching is all about the mechanics and command. Both of which have been off for Nestor so far this season. I don't want to think last year was just an anomaly. I think Nestor is off his game, his command is off and major league hitters will feast off of that. Right now he can't pitch a third time through the order effectively, it becomes batting practice. Opposing hitters are 15-for-33 with four doubles and an MLB-high-tying six homers in the third turn versus Cortes which is a .455 BA. That's a nasty we just can't have. He needs to work on the mechanics, the endurance and the command and I am hoping he and Blake are going to figure that out.

I still believe in Nestor, I think he can do it. I don't think he is a flash in the pan and he can be the pitcher we saw last season....but he's got a lot of work ahead of him. Bring back that other Nasty Nestor....we need him now more than ever!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

RIZZO UNDERSTOOD YOU GOTTA GO HARD ON BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT

I hate doing recaps on Bleeding Yankee Blue, but the game was too important and hell, it was Rizzo Mandalorian Bobble Head night, and so, something's gotta give.

pic.twitter.com/mezSaYfKUG

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 13, 2023

The game was great, but greater after Rizzo came through. Bryan Hoch writes:

"Rizzo enjoyed the 22nd multihomer game of his career, slugging a solo blast in the first inning and a go-ahead two-run shot in the eighth, helping the Yankees surge for a 6-5 victory over the American League East-leading Rays on Friday evening at Yankee Stadium.

ANTHONY RIZZO MULTI HOMER GAME ON HIS BOBBLEHEAD NIGHT OHHHHH LETS GO pic.twitter.com/TBCJgxysW7

— Addison (@YankeeWRLD) May 13, 2023

“It was electric tonight,” Rizzo said. “There was extra juice behind the fans; we recognized that right away. I think this division is really good for the game right now; it's a dogfight every night. I feel like as this season goes on, none of these teams in the division will back down, that's for sure.”

Here's the thing, the Yankees are still in last place, even though they are above .500. While this win is great, we still need to continue to chip away.  Our offense is starting to take a turn for the better, but consistency is key. We need to win each series... we need to lose less.  All of the above. I know I'm stating the obvious.

But let's enjoy the moment. Rizzo did what needed to be done on his own bobblehead night! Now let's get a streak going!

DAVID ROBERTSON JUST DID SOMETHING BIG!

If you're not a fan of David Robertson there is something wrong with you. 

Our relationship with David and Erin go way back to near the beginning of Bleeding Yankee Blue's existence.  We asked him to wear a BYB shirt, he and his lovely wife did, we made some money, strictly for their High Socks for Hope charity, and we mailed them a check when all was said and done.  

They helped us and we helped them. From there, I believe we had (and have) a respect for one another... or at least I hope we do.

There's something epic that we want to tell you about, and Erin brought it to our attention.  David Robertson right now has 1001 strikeouts as a reliver.  He just notched 1000 to join of a group of relievers, 14 in all to do that. Only 14.

He did it!!! There are only 14 relief pitchers in MLB history to have over 1000 strikeouts and @drob30 is one of them! So insanely proud of this guy!! 👏🏼⚾️ @Mets pic.twitter.com/24llM2GMIq

— Erin Robertson (@ERob3) May 13, 2023

While you may think its no big deal, think about this;  That comes with resilience, and it comes with longevity. DRob has been and is the real deal. And what I don't get is why this isn't a bigger story? As Empire Sports NY writes:

"At the moment, Robertson owns a 34.5% strikeout rate. While this would be his highest in a season since 2014 with the Yankees (37.1%), it’s not anything new from the hurler. His career strikeout rate is 32.1% and he’s finished with one better than 30.0% nine times in 14 seasons entering 2023.

What has changed is his control of the strike zone upon looking at his walk rate. Heading into 2022, Robertson had tossed just 18.2 innings between 2019 and 2021. In 63.2 innings for the Cubs and Phillies last year, he posted a 13.3% walk rate. At the moment, that number is down to 8.6%. With that, his WHIP has dropped from 1.16 to 0.85 and his strand rate has improved from 86.0% to 92.9%."

There's a lot of stuff that goes into a feat like this. Maturity is a big one too. But how about we just call it what it is; DRob earned it. He's worked hard in his career and trust me; I'd love to have this guy back in our Yankees bullpen right about now.  

Congrats to David Robertson. One of the good ones. No one better. We appreciate you.

IT'S TIME TO BRING UP KOLE CALHOUN

We keep doing this thing where we see Aaron Hicks in the lineup and we all cringe.  Aaron Boone is acting like Hicks belongs there, like he earned it, but we all know he's playing him because the Yankees are paying him a boat load of money he doesn't deserve. And so, they are trying to justify it, but not go public and just say it. That's because deep down they know that dude shouldn't be anywhere near a baseball field.  

You know who's making things happen and is the perfect replacement for Hicks right now? Kole Calhoun.  I'm a few days late to this, but have you seen Kole's numbers down at Scranton-Wilkes Barre? .444 average with 3 homers.That's 12-27.  I know it's the minors, but the guy is hungry! We need to feed this guy! Bring him up! 

In comparison, Hicks is batting .153. Hardly a threat.

Fansided writes:

"With experience all over the outfield — he played 29 games in Hicks’ left field spot for the Rangers last season — Calhoun is the perfect option to replace Aaron Hicks whenever he’s up to major-league speed. The Yankees clearly don’t want to spend more to fix an already-expensive issue of their own creation, but Calhoun doesn’t require that. A simple call-up and he’s there as the replacement fans have been looking for.

That doesn’t mean that Kole Calhoun will revolutionize the New York Yankees but, given the net-negative that Hicks has been, it’s well worth a look."

And that's the key here, he IS well worth a look.

I love to reward solid players.  Kole needs a shot! Hicks needs to go away.

SEVERINO'S STILL SPEAKING & I'M DONE LISTENING!

Well, the good news is Luis Severino is officially pitching in live games. He's back in action and one step closer to big league action. It's a start, but he'd do better to do more pitching and less talking.

On Monday, I wrote HEY SEVERINO! QUIT COMPLAINING ABOUT YOUR REHAB ASSIGNMENT & GO PITCH! Fans and media waited to see when he would pitch. Would Severino get his way and pitch Thursday instead? NOPE. He pitched 3.1 innings on 49 pitches, gave up 2 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk and struck out three.....all on the day he didn't want to pitch.

Good for him on his first start back but....I wish he could've done that without the drama surrounding it. I'm glad that the Yankees didn't change their mind on his start after Aaron Boone said he didn't have anything to do with the rehab schedule but was sure that the Yankees were looking at Severino's request. If you want to get back to pitching in the big leagues every five days you shouldn't care what day and when that start happens. Just shut up and pitch.

Now after all is said and done Severino is now back peddling a little. He has never been shy about his feelings and he says exactly what is on his mind. On Sunday, he was frustrated with the Yankees because they changed his rehab start to a simulated game and now he's changed his tune, read more HERE."I love the Yankees. This is the only team I know. I would love to be here the rest of my life." I really just don't want to hear it anymore but he goes on with he's "just been having some miscommunication with some training staff and the people that make the decisions about where to start with all my pitches and all that." Riiiiight okay. 

Someone needs to clearly communicate and let Severino know he doesn't need to communicate at all anymore. No more time for talking.....only time for pitching and working back to the team to contribute. That's it. At this rate, he's been irrelevant since 2019. The rest of your career as a Yankee isn't on anyone else's mind.

Congrats on the first step back to the big leagues, Sevy but I'm sticking to my original opinion.....SHUT UP AND PITCH!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

GUESS WHERE GARY SANCHEZ IS PLAYING NOW?

Source: CBS Sports

Maybe I will be writing a headline like this about Aaron Hicks before the All Star Break! But right now, let's focus on one underperforming player at a time. Gary Sanchez. Remember him. He was given so many chances to perform at the high level expected. But, injuries and laziness and excuses got in the way. Now the former Yankee catcher has yet another chance to redeem himself. You will never guess where.

Source: NY Daily News

After opting out of his minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants, Sanchez found another temporary home. "The New York Mets are signing veteran catcher Gary Sánchez to a minor-league deal, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. He's expected to report to New York's Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse," reported CBS Sports. "In 16 minor-league games this season, he's hit .164/.319/.182 with one extra-base hit and eight more strikeouts than walks. To be fair, Sánchez had only joined the Giants in April, after the season had already started. Though he did participate in the World Baseball Classic, it's fair to assume the lack of a spring training hurt his play."

Sanchez has had his struggles as a catcher and at the plate with a bat in his hand. Although he was deemed a "pure hitter" his swing got slower and his batting average diminished. Then he started to decline as a catcher, with passed balls, errors and just a lack of athleticism plaguing him. Then there were the injuries. Just too many to name and too often. He just did not have longevity and the Yankees somehow were able to unload him to the Minnesota Twins. Now he is getting yet another chance in NY, but this time with the cross-town rival Mets.

"The Mets are without free-agent signing Omar Narváez, who strained his calf early in the season. Narváez was expected to miss about two months, leaving him still weeks away from returning to the active roster. Should Sánchez show life in Syracuse, he could, in theory, see big-league action in the interim," reported CBS Sports.

Source: Sports Illustrated

Maybe this is foreshadowing for what we may eventually see with the unloading of Hicks. His early exit from the game on Tuesday after having just a little ounce of life in the last couple of games just provides even more evidence that he is just done. Perhaps the Yankees can pull some kind of deal like they did with Sanchez? One could only hope. But for now, Sanchez is in Syracuse vying for a roster spot on the Mets and Hicks is likely headed to the IL. And so the saga continues...

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

THE MARTIAN COULD BE LANDING SOON

Look, as a Yankee fan, there is nothing that Aaron Hicks can do right now that can make be like and appreciate him.  As far as I'm concerned, he's dead to me. That's it. Too much time has been wasted.  Did he help get the win last night with a homer against the A's? Yes. Is it exceptional when all he's really doing is his job? No. It's not extra, it's what he's supposed to do and what he's supposed to be doing for his entire 7-year, $70 million contract. You know the contract where he told everybody he was gonna be a 30/30 guy.  He sucks, cut him loose already.  

There's chatter about bringing up another minor league Yankee outfielder.  And you may know him, his name is Jasson Dominguez. Empire Sports Media writes:

"...due to suboptimal roster construction and investments in injury-prone players, the Yankees find themselves in a difficult position, ten games behind in the AL East, promoting Jasson Dominguez at some point during the 2023 campaign seems justified, particularly if the outfield continues to struggle."

Now look, Dominguez has struggled in Double A, but there's a big difference between giving a guy like Jasson a shot who is hungry to prove himself, and a guy like Hicks who sits on a pile of money he didn't earn.  While there is zero indication this guy is coming up right now, I do see him coming up during the summer. It makes perfect sense.

The good news is a guy like Harrison Bader is making things happen, coming back and never skipping a beat.  But we need more. Judge is still out, Stanton is too, and while Jake Bauers seems to have the makings of something special, (Read JAKE BAUERS IS A BONAFIDE BALLPLAYER!), he's still semi-young and inexperienced too.  That mixture of vets and youngsters has always been my favorite formula.  Whatever the case, it's Boone's job to find the right formula and he's super lackluster and blames no one for tough losses... not even himself.  The point is, we need to find the right fit, formula and make things happen.

The Martian I predict will make an appearance soon.  Hell, if Hicks goes back into his shitty hitting days, maybe much sooner than we all think.

THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL MADISON BUMGARNER COMES TO THE BRONX!

Let me guess, this story came from "Unverified Sources".  

The fact of the matter is, whenever the Yankees are struggling, some asshole throws a big-name vet up in the hopes to get clicks and reads and calls it a day. Like lighting a cigarette and throwing it into a dumpster. You hope it turns to fire, but as a journalist, it's not responsible, in fact... it's careless.

The latest BS is about Madison Bumgarner. There's been chatter that because the Yankees are struggling and duh, coincidence, the former Diamondbacks vet was released from their team because he was struggling... oh and by the way it's.... Madison Bumgarner... so he's got to be the perfect fit for the Yankees. You know, he needs a job, and the Yankees are desperate. OK? That's the story.  

Clutchpoints writes:

"The Diamondbacks’ call to part ways with Bumgarner came after the veteran left-hander posted a 10.26 ERA in four starts this season.

Bumgarner has been linked with multiple teams as of late, including the New York Yankees. However, it is unlikely that Bumgarner will soon take his talents to the reigning American League East champions.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted on Thursday that the Yankees “seem like a candidate to consider”...

"SEEMS LIKE A CANDIDATE TO CONSIDER".  

Can I be honest? First off, I really doubt Bumgarner wants to come to New York. That's one, then we get into the real crux of it. This is a non-story and stupid! 

This is the new world we live in. Between suggesting that things MIGHT happen, and things SEEM good and some "Unverified Source" told me (but I actually made it up), Yankee fans click and read and many dumb people believe it. And that's how readership is won these days.

Pathetic.

For the record, there is no reason the Yankees would, should or even want to go after Madison Bumgarner. I understand that lightning in a bottle does happen, but I think it would be more of an issue than not to bring on Maddy.  I just don't see it.

And to all those "journalists" who like fooling the public... F off.