Bleeding Yankee Blue

WHY THE YANKEES & MARTIN STOPPED EXTENSION TALK

2012-02-24T22:12:00.006-05:00

Just when you thought maybe the Yankees and Russell Martin were going to get together on a 3 year extension...suddenly...nothing.

According to Andrew Marchand HERE, the Yankees and Martin have decided that maybe they should wait to negotiate a deal after the season when Martin is a free-agent. Clearly Martin enjoys being a Yankee and the Yankees like Martin... remember when Cashman called him "Munson-like"? Damn that must have killed Jorge Posada. Anyway, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, Russell Martin is seeking more than the 3 year, $20 million the Yankees offered him. Read HERE.

So what needs to happen for Russell and the Yankees to get back together at the end of 2012? Martin needs to have a good season and be "Munson-like" again and the Yankees need to appreciate him even more and sign Martin for what he's worth. Hopefully it all works out and even though Martin will become a free agent, the marriage will continue.... but yeah, as of right now, talks are off...

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and look for the hashtag #BYB. Also, join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY MISGUIDED HUGHES SPECULATION GETS US NOWHERE

2012-02-24T21:08:00.006-05:00

I think it is entire unfair to float an article about a starting pitcher possibly being put into the minor leagues to get "stretched out" only 1 week into the Spring Training season. I mean Andrew Marchand’s a bright guy, he's respected, but is there really nothing better to do than to float the possibility that Phil Hughes may need to go to the minors if he doesn’t get the 5^th spot? Can we at least start the competition this Spring before we start floating ridiculous speculation? I'm not a real big fan of that. Sure, anything could happen, but seriously, it's week 1 of spring training.

Andrew Marchand wrote his piece titled Hughes to minors? Not impossible. Read it HERE. In the short piece, it suggests that Joe Girardi would need to make a “tough” decision about Phil and Girardi went on to say “I expect Phil to bounce back.” Now, I’m not sure if I hated seeing Marchand’s headline, or the fact that the article itself didn't give me a clear sense that there is actual concern about Hughes and a chance to be sent down if he didn’t make the 5^th spot. Let’s be honest, there’s nothing in his article that even suggests it, in fact, Girardi said this: “There are a lot of different things we could do for him, He has had success in the bullpen.We have to decide what is best for him and us.”

Look, I may be a fan blog, but I also get journalism. Reading Marchand today, I still don’t know if the Yankees are interested in sending Hughes down if he loses out or if he's making the whole thing up. I say simply, can’t we talk about this later? It's February 24th. There’s plenty of Spring ball to be played… it’s way to early for this crap. Read Marchand, he speculates...nothing more... and this is under the ESPN flag. I don't get it. I read plenty of other stories today about Phil Hughes, none of them speculate like this, why?

Klapisch: Leaner Phil Hughes turns focus to No. 5 spot

Hoch: Yanks looking for improvements from Hughes

LoHud: Known and unknown at the back of the rotation

Maybe I'm just tired. Or then again, maybe I DO get it. It's Spring and there are no scandals surrounding the New York Yankees this year...it's too quiet. I guess we’re all just hanging on anything to get readers these days.

For the record, I love Marchand, but I’m lost on this one.

WHY I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MORE WILD CARDS

2012-02-24T07:24:00.006-05:00

I was reading that Major League Baseball may be putting the extra Wild Card teams into place in the 2012 season, instead of 2013. That statement came from Buster Olney's tweet HERE. The reality is, Bud Selig wants this and he's pushing and pushing because I guess ultimately, it helps the game of baseball... everyone makes money, except the fan.

Man, I tell you… I am really not a fan of more Wild Card teams… it bothers me. Look, I like the game of baseball the way it is, and while some rules needed to be tweaked as we move forward in life, like challenging home runs with instant replay, adding more Wild Card teams is getting alittle ridiculous now, isn’t it?

Look, the whole idea of a Wild Card is exactly what it is…a WILD CARD. Right now you have 3 divisions in each league and a 4^th team in each of those leagues that has a shot to make the “Wild Card” and get into the playoffs. OK, fine. Never liked it, but to be perfectly honest, I’ve learned to accept it. After all, the Yankees have needed it a few times since the rules existence, you know? But that brings me to my point; if you already have 3 division champs and 1 Wild Card in each league, shouldn’t that be it? We’re already letting in an extra “1^st place of the losers” team to compete... so why more?

All this means to me is Major League Baseball will have teams that "almost win" squeak into the playoffs because they came "close" to winning but didn’t. Or, in other words, the team that missed the “Wild Card” (or the second place winner), now gets a shot to win it all in the playoffs too. What is this, Little League? Should we give out 4 inch trophies to everyone at the end of the season too? After all, it’s no longer about “winning”, it’s apparently now about “trying”. Where the hell did the competition go?

It's always been about climbing the mountain and being the only one on top...that's not only a sports thing, that's a life thing too. What ever happened to “may the best team win?” How can the best team win if you don’t have a batch of best teams competing? Now it’s the best teams and then teams that are less deserving too… all for the sake of making money for Bud.

Sometimes I think it would be a hell of a lot better if there was a 1 Game championship series and no playoffs, just like the Superbowl. What’s next, a 7 game series for all playoff rounds and 6 wild cards? How about this... just call Major League Baseball the Major League Playoffs and have all teams compete in the playoffs. Then... that's it.

My point is simple, we forgot what it's like to be the best in this country and that goes for everything including baseball. It's watered down. It's no longer about being 1st, it's about being 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or in some cases, "just like everyone else" for the sake of being fair. Damn... where the hell did our balls go?

WHY YANKEE NOTES MAKE THE WORLD GO 'ROUND

2012-02-24T07:12:00.002-05:00

Spring is here, and here come the nuggets from camp that will quench your thirst until the first Spring Training game pitch is thrown.

Mariano Rivera: Hal Steinbrenner spoke to MLB.com HERE about Mariano Rivera and if, he decided this year WASN'T his last year, how Hal and the Yankees would certainly want him to return. Here are some quotes, definitely worth reading: "He's obviously a lifelong Yankee... When he decides to retire someday -- whenever that may be -- we all hope he's going to be wearing the pinstripes. No doubt about that.... If he were inclined [to return], we absolutely would be talking to him about coming back. Yes, of course." For an employer to speak so highly of one of their employees is something these days, isn't it? That quote will stay with me all season.

Austin Romine: Now that Jesus Montero is gone, Romine doesn’t have a shadow to climb out from behind and good for him, but not so fast. Word from Yankee camp is he will miss a day with a sore back. Bryan Hoch has that HERE. I wanted to tell you guys just to tell you, but to be honest... I didn't need to know. No disrespect to Hoch or course. The other news out of Hoch's piece though is Girardi envisions Francisco Cervelli as being Russell Martin's backup with Romine starting in Scranton. I see that, unless Romine dazzles everyone in Spring Training... we'll see. I'm fine with either.

Eric Chavez: Chavez says he's glad to be back with the New York Yankees and why wouldn’t he be? The guy is loved in New York and he only played 58 games last year because of injury. The difference between his injury and others is Eric Chavez is productive when he returns and last year he did exactly what we all expected. Think about it, if the guy wasn’t hurt, he probably would have had a great season last year on defense and with his bat. Any way, read about Chavez HERE. Here’s his quote:

“If there was no interest at all, in my mind I was probably going to shut it down... I wouldn’t say ‘here or nowhere’ — but this was obviously coming back to a place I was familiar with. ... I knew this was going to be a good team, obviously a team that was going to have an opportunity to go back to the playoffs.”

I really like Chavez. People criticize him for always being hurt and yes, I rip on him sometimes too because it's frustrating, but all I can say is, when he's on the field, he's productive. That means something.

If any other news comes out of Yankeeland, we'll bring it to you. Stay with us, it's almost Opening Day. Gotta love it.

WHY MATTINGLY BELONGS IN THE HALL OF FAME

2012-02-24T06:57:00.005-05:00

The New York Yankees certainly have their share of plaques in the MLB Hall of Fame and, with the likes of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera as shoo-in first ballot inductees they will have more to come. However, there is one glaring omission from the ranks of Hall of Fame Yankees - Donald Arthur Mattingly.
The "Donnie Baseball" played 14 seasons for the Bronx Bombers, beginning in 1982 and concluding in 1995 after back issues prevented him from going any further. During that time he wowed Yankee Stadium crowds with both his bat and his glove. His style of play on the field and his quiet class off the field forever endeared him to New York Yankee fans, and resulted in his number being retired in 1997. Read about it in this 1997 article HERE, from a young Jack Curry.

Since his retirement there have been a number of his peers elected to the Hall of Fame that have either put up comparable statistics or worse statistics than Don Mattingly. For the sake of this argument, I have selected three of them for comparison.

Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Kirby Puckett are all in the MLB Hall of Fame. All played in roughly the same era as Don Mattingly (with Yount and Molitor beginning their careers before Mattingly and with Puckett beginning after and completing the same years as Mattingly). All three are deserving in their own right of having a plaque in Cooperstown, but an argument can be made that Don Mattingly is just as deserving or even more so than each of them.

Before looking at numbers, let's examine accolades each of the four players earned in their stellar careers.

Robin Yount played 20 seasons - all with the Milwaukee Brewers. During that time he won two MVPs, three Silver Slugger awards, one Gold Glove and was selected an All-Star three times.

Paul Molitor played 21 seasons, all but the final six with the Milwaukee Brewers. He never was selected as MVP, won four Silver Sluggers, zero Gold Gloves and was selected an All-Star seven times.

Kirby Puckett played 12 seasons, all with the Minnesota Twins. He too was never selected as MVP, won six Silver Sluggers, six Gold Gloves and was selected an All-Star 10 times.

Don Mattingly played 14 seasons, all with the New York Yankees. He was selected as MVP once, won three Silver Sluggers, nine Gold Gloves and was selected an All-Star six times.

Based on accolades alone, one can see why putting Don Mattingly in the Hall of Fame would make sense. In addition to having more Gold Gloves than the other three, two of the others (Puckett and Molitor) never won an MVP - an award Mattingly has.

Besides awards won, the argument for Don Mattingly being in the MLB Hall of Fame would not be complete without a statistical comparison of the four players I have mentioned:
As I stated earlier, in each of the statistical categories above, Don Mattingly is either comparable or better than each of the other three. It should be noted that unlike the other three, Mattingly only played in one postseason, but hitting .417 is still HITTING .417!The statistics certainly show that Don Mattingly belongs among this group and is at the very least, the equal to each of them. Mattingly offered a lot more than just statistics and awards to New York Yankee fans. He was the quiet leader on the field and in the clubhouse. His achievements during the 1987 season alone should have virtually ensured his induction into Cooperstown. During that year Don Mattingly broke a record that had stood since 1955 for Grand Slams in one season - slugging 6. In addition, he tied a record set by Dale Long in 1956 for most consecutive games hitting a home run with 8. He brought excitement to an otherwise below-standard season for the Yankees.

During his prime, Don Mattingly was considered the premier first baseman in baseball. His cat-like reflexes and on-field leadership combined with his imposing presence at the plate set him apart from his peers.There is an argument that the reason Don Mattingly isn't in the Hall of Fame is that he does not have a World Series ring. The other three players I have compared him to in this article all have at least one. My response is that a World Series ring is the culmination of superior effort by a TEAM, not one specific individual. It takes a roster of 25 players to win a World Series, not one player. The fact that Mattingly had the misfortune of playing on teams that either lacked pitching or depth is no fault of his and should not be used as the reason he is kept out of baseball's hallowed territory.

Based on the numbers, based on the man, Mattingly belongs in the Hall of Fame. Do you agree or disagree? Tell us...comment.

(This article was also published by the Bleacher Report.)

--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer

WHY YANKEES & RUSSELL MARTIN ARE TALKING EXTENSION

2012-02-23T22:14:00.003-05:00

Andrew Marchand of ESPN says the Yankees want to try and nail down Russell Martin to a 3 year deal. Read about it HERE. Don't forget, the Yanks signed Martin to a one year deal (HERE) and then there were whispers that maybe the Yanks would try revisiting Martin at some point in the Spring to offer an extension. That apparently has come true, according to many sources. As Marchand says:

"If Martin were to have a strong year, he would likely be able to get a three-year contract on the open market. After last season, in which Martin made the All-Star team, his agent and the Yankees avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract for $7.5 million, with Martin able to collect another $25,000 to $100,000 based on reaching 400-475 plate appearances."

No doubt my love for Russell Martin has grown and I'd love him around for a few more years. We even wrote this piece back in November titled WHY A MULTI-YEAR DEAL FOR RUSSELL MARTIN IS SMART. Martin's worked very hard and provided positive results with all the Yankees pitching. He's even complimented Michael Pineda whom he seems to like so far this Spring Training. Read that HERE. Martin said Rothschild asked him to get with Pineda the moment the Yankees signed him... and he has.

If the Martin deal goes down, we'll have it for you here at Bleeding Yankee Blue... promise.

RYAN BRAUN WINS APPEAL, WILL NOT BE SUSPENDED

2012-02-23T18:35:00.002-05:00

Milwaukee Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun became the first major-league player to have a positive drug test overturned when he was informed Thursday that an arbitration panel ruled in his favor on appeal and decided against a 50-game suspension for the reigning National League most valuable player. According to the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel, someone familiar with the decision said the appeal went Braun's way not so much on contesting the result of the test but the testing process itself.

Ryan Braun issued a statement:

"I am very pleased and relieved by today's decision. It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side.

"We provided complete cooperation throughout, despite the highly unusual circumstances. I have been an open book, willing to share details from every aspect of my life as part of this investigation, because I have nothing to hide. I have passed over 25 drug tests in my career, including at least three in the past year."

Braun is expected to report to the Brewers' camp Friday on schedule.

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23

WHY JOE GIRARDI IS COUNTING ON AROD

2012-02-23T07:26:00.004-05:00

So Yankees manager Joe Girardi took out his crystal ball at Spring training in Tampa the other day. Among the many topics Girardi addressed was the return of a healthy Alex Rodriguez this Spring. Bleeding Yankee Blue had addressed this earlier this month in a piece titled WILL ALEX RODRIGUEZ BE VINTAGE ALEX IN 2012? We were waiting for Girardi to say something and he did, HERE. Here hare his quotes to the press:

"He’s had the whole off season to get ready and not feel like he has to catch up and get into playing shape... To me, that’s one of the reasons I think it’s important that we do keep him fresh and he feels good on his legs all the time.
I expect him to put up a big season."

Look, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this was Joe Girardi speaking to Alex through the press. Make no mistake, I am sure ARod saw and heard what his manager had to say loud and clear. It's not like Girardi is calling out Alex or anything like that, but I do think the Yankee Skipper was conveying a message that the Yankee brass want to be sure Alex knows it's expected of him to perform big time in 2012.

Personally think that a healthy ARod this year has the potential to put up another MVP season...and by that I mean this:

.312 Batting Avg. - 38 HR's -- 131 RBI

I'm not going to sit here and tell you he needs to bat .350 with 50 home runs, to be honest, I am not sure those days exist anymore, but a .312 season does... 38 homers IS possible, you know what I mean? Let's hope that Joe Girardi and I shop at the same crystal ball shop!

Keep it hear for all your Yankee news and be sure to #BYB on Twitter.

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23

GARCIA VS. HUGHES: DUELING BANJOS

2012-02-23T07:16:00.002-05:00

I’m a nut for pop culture, what can I say. The title's silly, but hopefully you became curious and wanted to check out what the hell I’m talking about. For the record, this title lends itself to alittle clever photo-shopped piece by the Bronx Goblin…where are you bro?

Anyway, not to get off track but the reality is, this has nothing to do with the dueling banjos scene from Deliverance, it creeped me out anyway, and everything to do with Yankee competition. Now that AJ Burnett is in Pittsburgh, we are 1 starter less, and now Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes need to step it up and see who the best man for the job will be...after all, we need a 5th starter. Girardi talked about it HERE. Spring is the place to do it and don’t forget, it was practically set in stone last year before a pitch was thrown that Garcia would probably emerge as the Yankees long man, in fact, he asked for it...memory lane HERE. Then he impressed many, so much that he became a pretty decent starting pitcher again for the New York Yankees going 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA. I have friends that had no faith in Freddy before last season and now they can’t wait to see him on the mound again. That’s a good thing... Freddy seized the moment.

Phil Hughes on the other hand has a lot to prove right now. After a season of injury and loss of velocity and who the hell else knows, 2012 will be a big test. No doubt the New York Yankees love him, but can he make them fall IN love with him again, or will this be the end of a long run for the Golden Boy? Will this be the season that determines if the Yankees want to keep him around or will he be the guy that just never gave them what they anticipated when he came up through the ranks. Don’t forget, he was once compared to Roger Clemens... read HERE. But injury really messed with this poor guy and don’t dismiss what Bill Masse, a former Yankees minor league coach said about the way they babied Hughes in the minors. Mark my words, no one's talking about this, but Bleeding Yankee Blue is, because it’s important. Read WAS BILL MASSE RIGHT ABOUT HUGHES? It’s eye opening and makes you think.

So the competition is on and I can’t wait to see how this rotation is set. No doubt the Yankees have faith in guys like Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda too, and Ivan Nova could bounce back nicely, then again, he could have a struggle this year with an innings increase from 2010 (42 IP) to 2011 (165.1). We will have to see. Then again, don’t dismiss the innings increase issue with Michael Pineda as well. You just never know with these young arms. We’ll break that down for you in another piece at another time. For now though, it’s game on for Garcia and Hughes... that's right... dueling banjos.

WHY IT'S A BAD JOKE OR HAPPY ENDING

2012-02-22T22:01:00.004-05:00

I had to stop and look at my calendar for a moment... then I just laughed. The photograph for the 2011-2012 Yankees / Subway calendar is none other than AJ Burnett. It's February... it's the same month we shipped AJ to Pittsburgh... almost like it was supposed to happen this way.

It's weird how things work and Bleeding Yankee Blue's the only site that caught it. Coincidence? Sure... but funny too.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and look for the hashtag #BYB. Also, join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

YANKEES SIGN DAVID AARDSMA

2012-02-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

The Yankees have signed 30-year-old right-hander David Aardsma, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweets. It's a Major League deal worth $500K that includes a club option for 2013, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports.

Aardsma underwent Tommy John surgery last July and won't be ready to contribute until midway through the 2012 campaign.

Aardsma last pitched in the Major Leagues in 2010, when he saved 31 games as the Mariners' closer, posting a 3.44 ERA in 49 2/3 innings. He has a 4.20 ERA in parts of six MLB seasons.

Keep it hear for all your Yankee news and be sure to #BYB on Twitter.

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY AJ BURNETT IS AIRING OUT HIS DIRTY LAUNDRY

2012-02-22T07:25:00.001-05:00

It’s been official for a few days now, but AJ Burnett is no longer on the Yankees. He’s with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and I’m happy with that. But we’re still going to talk about him, because he had some interesting things to say about his time with the Yankees starting with this line…

"It was fun the first couple of years. Then it got like, I'm never going to get out of this funk."
That comment sounded as though the marriage between Burnett and the Yankees was destined to get worse if he stayed any longer. AJ sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him, and if he stayed any longer while things got worse with him performance wise, who knows what’d happen with his psyche.

Burnett added on by saying "I let a few too many people tinker with me, maybe. When you let that happen, you start doubting yourself sometimes. You wonder, 'Am I doing it right? Is this how it's supposed to feel?' and things like that. In '09, nobody messed with me. I was able to do what I wanted to do on the mound, whether it was turn around, close my eyes and pitch upside down. Then you have a few bad games and you start changing and listening."

In fact, Russell Martin agreed to Burnett’s comments about AJ letting too many people tinker with him by saying "Exactly,'' Martin said. "A big part of getting better is knowing what information to retain and knowing what information to block out. The best way to do it is, when you’re working on something, work on something specific, work on that well and make it muscle memory. Once you get that going, you can move on to something else. If you’re trying to tinker with eight things at the same time, you’re not going to get any progress.”

After all, he’s right. Martin has tried to get into Burnett’s head, I’d imagine, since he came on board prior to last season. Maybe he tried to “tinker” with him too much for Burnett's liking, who knows. We may never know for sure.Now that Burnett is a Pirate, he needed to air out his dirty laundry. That’s not meant to be taken in a negative way. It’s not like he bashed the Yankees as an organization or anything, he just needed to explain what went on behind the scenes. Although one thing that I’m inferring from these comments is that he and Larry Rothschild may have not been a perfect fit.

It has been well documented in the past that Burnett needed, now former, pitching coach Dave Eiland, and Eiland was the key to “fixing” Burnett following the 2010 season. Read HERE. Trouble is, Eiland was fired and was replaced by Rothschild. I’ve made it clear that Rothschild is a pitching genius, and has been huge for the Yankees since he came over. Read WHY ROTHSCHILD IS A PITCHING GENIUS. Rothschild has tried to “tinker” with Burnett since he was hired by the Yankees, and maybe he fed Burnett too much advice to fix him and it could have taken a toll on AJ mentally. Either way, AJ Burnett is 35 years old, and while it’s hard to believe, his stuff is diminishing, most notably is fastball. Take a look…

The “wFB” is essentially the number of runs saved or allowed using his fastball. “+” for number of runs saved, “-“ for number of runs allowed, with “0” being average. So, to make a long story short, Burnett’s -34 wFB in 2011 means he’s allowed 34 runs more than the average MLB'er using his fastball, worst in the majors. The linear weight metric isn’t perfect, but it gives fans like you and me a general idea of how good or bad a particular pitch is. Read more about the linear weights HERE.

Also, you can see based on the chart that Burnett’s fastball velocity has dropped every year, thus he can’t get away with mistake fastballs like he used to. His “whiff%” or swing-and-miss percentage on his fastball, has been inconsistent the last several years. This is where the “tinkering” comes into play. He’s always been known as a two-pitch pitcher; fastball, curve ball, but with the fastball steadily declining, Burnett needs to get smarter. He needs to “tinker” his mindset as a pitcher. He needs to become more of a pitcher and less of a thrower.

Although it would have been nice if Burnett finished his contract with the Yankees, it just wasn’t meant to be, and a change needed to be made for both sides. The Yankees had three starters vying for one rotation spot, and the two other guys—Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes—are much more worthy of getting one of those spots than Burnett. We wish Burnett the best of luck in Pittsburgh, and maybe Jeff Andrews, Pirates’ pitching coach, can guide him into the right direction. But based on Burnett’s comments, we now know for sure that he just wasn’t a fit in the Yankees puzzle for 2012.

--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY SWISHER & ROBERTSON ARE FAN FAVORITES

2012-02-22T07:18:00.002-05:00

(In Photo: Nick Swisher, Joanna Garcia, Erin & David Robertson)
I guess it’s no surprise. Nick Swisher is larger than life in the Bronx and even if you don’t love him, you appreciate him being in pinstripes. David Robertson seized the moment in 2011 and in my mind has become one of the most effective relievers in the game today…and beyond.

So when we decided to do a Bleeding Yankee Blue poll asking you to vote on which Yankee interview was your favorite, Ya’ll picked 2 current Yankees instead of past Yankee greats. Good for you! The right answer of course is every BYB Exclusive interview with these Yankees players was the best, but I’m biased. Here's the breakdown:

Let’s chat about it. Nick Swisher and David Robertson both received 11 votes each, a tie in both interviews, we had some pretty important information about each of their charities. David & Erin Robertson and their High Socks for Hope is important because it gives help the Robertson's to rebuild David’s hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama after a Tornado wiped it out in April last year. Swish has his Swish’s Wishes which gives to under privileged kids and that is equally important. You guys saw that and hopefully you reached out to help too.

The next favorite Yankee interview was with the Warrior, Paul O’Neill. Another important interview because he too has his Right Field Charities. That interview received 7 votes. After that with 3 votes each was Mickey Rivers, one of our first interviews, Homer Bush and Chuck Knoblauch. That was followed with Scott Brosius, Dante Bichette Jr and Roy White. Over all, I have to say, all these guys were terrific and had a lot to say. If you haven’t read all the interviews yet, you should, just click on their names in this post and read away. There are a lot of nuggets, for instance, did you know that the player that Paul O’Neill impersonated as a kid was Willie Mays? Did you know Roy White played baseball in Japan? Did you know Scott Brosius is still in baseball but on a college level? It’s all in there and knowledge is key.

Thanks to everyone who voted in our poll. More to follow… I swear.

WHY ERIC CHAVEZ IS BACK WITH THE YANKEES

2012-02-21T18:12:00.008-05:00

Earlier today was an interesting moment for Joe Girardi. He slipped. Look mistakes happen but I never expected it to happen like this. My only thought is Joe Girardi has a lot of his mind and when he spoke about the Yankees as a team earlier today he mentioned Eric Chavez
like he was already part of the ball club...but he wasn't yet. Andrew Marchand has that HERE.

Girardi said: "If you wanted to DH Tex, you could move Swish to first or you could put Chavez at first."

He back tracked a bit after that, but it was clear, he knew Chavez was signed and spoke too soon. No biggie. We find out now that Eric Chavez did in fact re-signing with the Yankees. It's funny because in baseball, guys don't usually say much, they let the pros leak it to the media when it's time to announce. It's funny how things work. Anyway... Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweeted the deal HERE. It's a major league deal and of course it's pending a physical.

Ken Rosenthal HERE says the deal is worth $900,000 and it includes incentives of course.

The Yankees like Chavez and they know he can help, plus he still has a great bat and he's a former gold glover. He can play 1st base or back up ARod at third. It's a great addition. As you know from reading us at BYB, we told you all that the Yankees would in fact sign both Raul Ibanez and Chavez if they unloaded AJ Burnett. We did, and Yankeeland is happy again.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and look for the hashtag #BYB. Also, join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY NEW YORK WILL BE COMPLETE WITH ERIC CHAVEZ

2012-02-21T06:29:00.002-05:00

The Yankees are talking to Eric Chavez about coming back to the Bronx. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says HERE that in the event that Chavez does come back, it will be a major league deal. It's funny, just this weekend there was a report from Joel Sherman that suggested that the Yankees would take 1 but not both when dealing with Chavez or Raul Ibanez. We wrote about that report in WHY THERE MAY ONLY BE ROOM FOR ONE.

We didn't believe it. In fact we're sticking to our firm belief that the Yankees will sign both Raul Ibanez AND Eric Chavez at about $1 million each, plus incentives. In fact, here's our quotes from February 19th:

"... nail down Eric Chavez for $1 million. You really can't go higher on that price tag considering that while Chavez was good for us in 2011 ( 42-160, .260 AVG, 7 2B, 26 RBIs ), he was also hurt a lot of the season. That hurts his contract and I can bet you even Eric Chavez knows that."

"...the Yankees should reach out to Ibanez, if that's who they want, and tell him that at 39 years old on the downside of his career, $1 million should be his contract number, AND, if certain incentives are met, they'll, throw a few more dollars at him based on that."
Nice right? Oh wait, now Andrew Marchand (HERE) just came out with this yesterday:

"The Yankees have agreed on a $1 million plus incentives contract with Raul Ibanez. Now, they can turn their attention to Eric Chavez. ...With that mutual understanding, they have to figure out the money. Considering that Chavez thought about retiring and has plenty of dough, they are expected to come to an agreement."

Damn you Marchand!! Stop reading me! I kid, I kid, but seriously, I hope we're right. I really hope Chavez comes back to the Yanks. Stay tuned.

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REFLECTING ON THE BURNETT ERA: THE NEGATIVES

2012-02-21T06:26:00.001-05:00

In case you missed it, and if you want to see a positive view of the AJ Burnett era, read REFLECTING ON THE BURNETT ERA: THE POSITIVES. Now, we all know why Burnett is gone, and it’s not because his contract ran out. He was traded because, in Brian Cashman’s eye, he was not good enough to beat out a 35 year old pitcher who’s in the twilight of his career (Freddy Garcia), and a guy who is this close to be labeled a bust by some if he doesn’t contribute in 2012, especially after his brutal 2011 season (Phil Hughes). So, without any further adieu, let’s look at the long list of negatives during the AJ Burnett era…Last two seasons: Burnett was solid in 2009, his first year in Pinstripes, but he was brutal the final two seasons…

2010-2011: 21-26, 5.20 ERA, 84 ERA+, 1.47 WHIP, 28 HBP, 41 WP

Inability to close out ’09 ALCS and World Series: The Yankees were up 3-1 in both the ALCS against the Angels and against the Phillies in the World Series, but AJ had to shit the bed both times, thus keeping the door open for the opposing clubs. In Game 5 of the ALCS, Burnett allowed three runs to score before recording an out, and four runs to score before recording the second out of the game. He did settle down, though, going into the seventh inning with a 6-4 lead. But following a single and a walk to lead off the inning, Burnett was pulled and Phil Hughes ended up getting the loss in relief.

The Yanks were one win away from clinching their 27th World Series title against the Phillies and AJ Burnett was once again on the bump to try to close out the series, and once again, he failed to do so. This start was much worse than his Game 5 start against the Angels, as Burnett finished with a line of 2 innings pitched on four hits, four walks, and six runs. He allowed three runs to score before recording an out; on a Chase Utley three-run home run. And yes, I know both of these games didn’t come back to haunt the Yankees, but when the guy admits he “Let the city down” (Read HERE) you know you have a problem.Against the Red Sox: Nothing to see here, just a 10 start sample of how bad AJ was against the Red Sox in his Yankee career…

10 starts, 1-4, 54 IP, 7.33 ERA, 43/30 K/BB, 2.16 HR/9

August 3, 2011: I don’t know about the rest of you, but this was the game where I lost all my confidence in AJ Burnett and wanted him off the team. In case you don’t remember, the Yanks were playing the Chicago White Sox that night and AJ Burnett was staked to a 13-1 lead in the fourth inning and failed to complete five innings. How in the world can you have a 12 run lead and not get out of the fifth inning? I have no idea, but AJ Burnett found a way to accomplish that. Burnett’s final line that night: 4.1 innings, 13 hits, and seven runs on three strikeouts.

Punched Clubhouse doors: After allowing three runs in the first two innings on July 17, 2010 against the Tampa Bay Rays, AJ Burnett slammed his hands against a set of double doors between innings down in the clubhouse. The trainers saw that his hands were cutup, but Burnett lied and told them he fell down the stairs. The trainers believed him, and he was allowed to go out for the third inning. In said third inning, Burnett hit Evan Longoria with a pitch to start the frame, followed by a wild pitch, then a base hit to drive home the fourth run before he was mercifully pulled. After the game, Burnett apologized about lying about the ordeal and said he let the team down. No kidding, AJ. Read the entire story HERE.Black Eye: This isn’t quite a negative, in terms of Burnett’s result on the mound on September 17, 2010 (7 innings, three runs), but it’s certainly not a positive. To this day we still have no idea how he got the black eye or when he got it, so let the conspiracy theories begin (or in this case, continue). But don’t sit here and tell me a teammate of Burnett’s purposely gave him the black eye. That’s just not how the Yankees do business, and I think if that really happened we’d know the full details by now.Supposed spat with Joe Girardi: This one is still pretty fresh in our memories, as it happened last August. AJ Burnett once again pitched a clunker against the Minnesota Twins, and was pulled after recording just five outs with a lineup that was pretty weak, to say the least. And when Girardi pulled him, Burnett turned back and it looked as though he said something that’s not quite family friendly. Watch the clip HERE. Burnett also went into the clubhouse after being pulled before pitchers are really normally supposed to, according to the unwritten rules of the game, which is a big no-no.

There you have it, the list of negatives during the AJ Burnett era. I have a limit of words I can type, so I had to stop here, but I could go on. Either way, Burnett needed to go, and I’m glad he’s gone. No hard feelings for him, but I put the team ahead of any other individual player, and the best fit for the team was for Burnett to be pitching elsewhere.

--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY JOSH BECKETT'S EGO NEEDS TO TAKE A BACK SEAT

2012-02-21T06:17:00.002-05:00

I’ve always believed baseball players were role models and this thinking goes back to my childhood. You know a positive role model when you see him, sometimes it's just by their presence on the field and if you get to be so lucky, in person when they shake your hand and you get the tell them that you’re a huge fan. I had that opportunity with Joe Torre and I see that with Derek Jeter...It sticks with you. Usually players understand the fan pay their salary and the fans are the ones you win for.

There are others besides Jeet too. Like Adrian Gonzalez, a Red Sock of all people, but my buddy who didn’t exactly know what to expect going to meet him, walked away with a new perspective. Gonzalez took the time to chat with baseball fans and it was genuine. My bud likes him now, and he's a huge Yankees fan. The point is fans pay the salary of these athletes and if you ever get a moment to meet one of these guys and are able to peel away their layers of security, it’s a nice moment, which brings me to Josh Beckett.

Now, full disclosure here…I am not a fan of Josh Beckett, but it has nothing to do with the Red Sox and everything to do with the fact that he’s a good pitcher and he beat us in 2003 when he was with the Marlins. But that being said, something needs to be said about respecting the fan. He has no respect. Fans pay his inflated salary and when he was asked Sunday about the Sox “beer and chicken” scandal that "could have" or "may have not" contributed to the Sox demise in 2011, he was quoted as saying that “mistakes” were made but he doesn’t need to apologize for a “lapses in judgement.” Read HERE. That puzzled me.

Lapse means a temporary failure of concentration, memory or judgement. "Lapses" is plural, meaning more than 1 time. If it’s done more than once, then that’s exactly why you SHOULD apologize to the fans that spend their hard earned money in a recession to see you play baseball. This not only shocked me, but it disappointed me. Why? Because Jon Lester just gained my respect tenfold, when addressing the mess, he said "I take complete responsibility for it." Wow, that's nice, but Beckett was with you and so was John Lackey. So, my question is... Who the hell does Josh Beckett think he is? Reports are he was one of the worst offenders of the whole mess. If that's true, but he still wants to diss his fans, it's a shame.

What's even more hilarious is Bobby V, who Sunday said “Attitude filters down... When you see Josh Beckett and Jon Lester here (in camp early), they are at the top of the pyramid as far as pitchers are concerned. They’ve been showing fantastic attitude.” My take on that is simple... you're not fooling anyone Bobby, they're supposed to be there, it's that Pitchers & Catchers time of year. They've already been with the Sox organization for 6 years each. If Lester and Beckett don't know by now they're role models and need to be at Spring Training "early" as you say, I think we have bigger problems.

My point is if Josh Beckett wants to be a leader, than be a leader, don’t sit there like you’re the victim of the media. That's not acceptable and for the record, this goes for every athlete. Do you think if Derek Jeter was involved in a situation like this he wouldn’t come out and take the heat? He would... That’s leadership, not this though, Sox fans should be alittle disappointed.

Now, some will suggest that if Beckett comes out in 2012 and wins 18 game, all is forgotten. I get that because I’m a fan of this great game, but my take on this is simple… you want to be a leader in the clubhouse and you were involved with what many are connecting to the collapse of the Red Sox missed playoff run, then you need to come out and take responsibility... then we move on…plain and simple. The fans deserve it, they pay you to win and it’s exactly what you didn’t do. In my eyes, Jon Lester gets a pass... but not Josh Beckett, not if I'm a Sox fan, no way.

WHY I CROWN IVAN NOVA OUR NEW PIE KING

2012-02-20T21:32:00.009-05:00

Sure, there were some great moments from AJ Burnett, but none was more fun than the come-from behind-win Pie in the face. We learned to love it and we did many times. But now Burnett packed up his pies and went to Pittsburgh leaving a very important question… who will be crowned our next Pie King?

I’ve thought about this for 24 hours now, because I’m pathetic and need something to entertain you with every chance I get. This one's simple for me, the new Pie King needs to be Ivan Nova. Now you think I'm silly, but there is a meaning to my madness…hear me out.

95% of you would love to see Nick Swisher as the new pie guy and I bet if we asked him to do it, he would, but he’s one of the guys that gets those winning hits… bottom line, Swisher needs to get "pied", not do the "pieing."

Ivan Nova will pitch every 5^th day, he can usually be available like AJ and he knows the tricks of the trade from Burnett, someone he calls his mentor and big brother. The connection between both Nova and Burnett ran deep in that Yankee clubhouse, read HERE and it’s my feeling that Nova could emerge as a team leader, motivator, prankster and Pie King. Sure I can see CC Sabathia doing it too, but the dynamic would be different. CC’s not exactly spry on a big Yankee win. He’ll need to be nimble, run down the tunnel, get the pie, come back with that big build of his and then run up the stairs and at this point, find the player that got the winning hit and pie him. I visualize this as slow and awkward and let's be honest, you need to take quickness into consideration. No offense CC, you’re my dog. No, in my eyes, we need to pass the torch to Nova... he just fits.

Why am I taking the new Pie King role so seriously? Because it's good for morale and I believe this is going to be a big year for the New York Yankees. I see big comebacks and big wins this year just like we did in years past. My take is simple, I believe Nova can do it and not only that, if he can do it with the same energy as AJ Burnett, it will be damn exciting again.

So, yes, from all of us here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we crown you Ivan Nova... we’re passing the torch from your big brother AJ Burnett to you… get those pies ready bro, it’s going to be a busy year in Yankeeland as we start our march toward #28!

SOURCES: IBANEZ DEAL, DETAILS REVEALED

2012-02-20T16:38:00.000-05:00

So as we await the results of Raul Ibanez's physical we are learning a bit more about the actual deal and the thought process of the Yankee brass behind the signing. Here's what is being reported by ESPN.com:

*The New York Yankees agreed to a one-year deal with Raul Ibanez worth $1.1 million plus incentives
*Ibanez can make up to $4 million total with the incentives
*The Yankees plan to use Ibanez as a left-handed designated hitter
*The Yanks claim the reason they chose Ibanez over Damon was defense and more HR power.
*Ibanez will play against righties (maybe 300 AB's), but will sit a lot against lefties because Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, among others, will take half-days as DH.

Look, I know there are many fans who wished we signed Damon instead of Ibanez. But I think we can all agree on one thing, the Yankee lineup is a bit stronger than it was two days ago and that's a good thing!

Keep it hear for all your Yankee news and be sure to #BYB on Twitter.

SAY IT AIN'T SO, MO

2012-02-20T14:44:00.000-05:00

So the greatest closer, if not the greatest pitcher, of all time arrived in Tampa today at Yankee camp and made the following pronouncement regarding his future in the pinstripes: "I know now. "I just don't want to tell you. I know now. I will let you guys know when I think I should tell you."

These are very interesting quotes from Mariano Rivera. To be honest, it kind of surprises me that he would leave his decision out there knowing the media and fans will go crazy over this. Everyone going to analyze what he said and how he said it. Will this be his last season or won't it be? Mo knows that this could kind of become a distraction for the team but maybe that is what he wanted, a distraction? Maybe he is trying to take some of the media pressure off the new guys like Michael Pineda? I mean you can't put it past Mo because we all know one thing; Rivera is the ultimate team guy. We all hear the stories how he teaches and grooms the younger pitchers that put on the pinstripes. Maybe Mo has the press right where he wants them, focusing on his possible retirement as opposed to sticking cameras and microphones in Pineda's face?

Look. as a lifelong Yankee fan and someone who loves Mariano Rivera it kills me to even think of Rivera not closing games for us. Obviously as Rivera gets older he, of course, will one day call it quits, but is 2012 the last season...only Rivera knows. I personally think 2012 will be Mo's last year. By Rivera not telling us his plans until after the upcoming season he avoids all the attention he would get at every ballpark if they knew it was his last year. Rivera probably doesn't want all the fanfare these opposing teams would show him. That's just Mo, very humble. I say, lets just enjoy the 2012 Mariano Rivera whether its his last year or not. Lets just imagine Mo closing out the 2012 World Series and maybe walking away from the game...a storybook ending for the greatest pitcher to ever step on a Major League mound.

Keep it hear for all your Yankee news and be sure to #BYB on Twitter.

WHY IBANEZ WILL BE A BRONX BOMBER

2012-02-20T07:32:00.005-05:00

It seems as though we are just hours away from a new announcement that will include Raul Ibanez as a new member of the New York Yankees. Yes, with everything happening with AJ Burnett, it was hard to cut through it, but now that Burnett's waking up in Pirates camp, there's no question things are happening.

The latest reports are from Joel Sherman of the New York Post who suggests that a framework is in place to bring Raul Ibanez to the Yankees. His tweet's HERE. It's a $1 million deal plus incentives and it's all mapped out, but clearly they didn't want him signing on the dotted line until the Yankees had the money from the Burnett deal. You guys have read this stuff before, but I just wanted to remind you... money's tight in Yankeeland. I know... hard to believe.
The other guy the Yankees want is Eric Chavez and there are mixed reports because some believe the Yankees will only sign 1 and not the other. Read WHY THERE MAY ONLY BE ROOM FOR ONE. There is also a report from Bryan Hoch (you know him, you love him) that says Chavez is only 50-50 about coming back. Read Hoch's tweet HERE. Interesting and that's the first I'm hearing of it.

Look, here's my take; The Yankees will pursue both guys. I expect Ibanez to be officially signed soon. I also believe that they can offer Eric Chavez a $1 million deal as well. I know they have $2 million lying around and Chavez in my opinion doesn't deserve more because of what his role will be in pinstripes, as well as his injury rep.

Clearly though, the best news is that the Yanks have made some important moves this off season and now, it's Spring Training. You gotta love it.

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REFLECTING ON THE BURNETT ERA: THE POSITIVES

2012-02-20T07:20:00.005-05:00

I can guarantee you that at least 90-95% of Yankee fans out there, including myself, are happy that AJ Burnett was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. There’s no denying that AJ needed to go. Guys like Freddy Garcia, who is coming off an impressive 2011, and Phil Hughes, who is in shape and could have a big year to go along with being 25 years of age, deserve rotation spots over Burnett. With that said, I think it’d be a little awkward, to say the least, to have a $16.5 million mop up man in the bullpen. Now that he’s gone, I’d like to reflect back on the positives of the A.J Burnett era during his time in the Bronx…April 9, 2009: After CC Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang got roughed up in the first two games of the season against the Baltimore Orioles, AJ Burnett—who was making his first career start as a Yankee—needed to have a big start, considering most of the mainstream media and fans were calling this a “must-win game” even though it was the third game of the season. Burnett did in fact get off on the right foot, going 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.

August 7, 2009: Following his first two starts against the Red Sox as a Yankee, (0-2, 12.91 ERA, 4/8 K/BB), AJ Burnett sought out to gain revenge against the Yankees’ biggest foes. Burnett was opposing Josh Beckett, and both dominated. AJ went 7.2 innings, allowing just one hit (a bloop single to Jacoby Ellsbury to lead off the game), on six walks and six strikeouts. I remember getting chills when he was lifted in the eighth inning as the Stadium crowd arose as one to give AJ a big hand. That was a huge start for him, and he needed to prove he can pitch in a big game against the arch-rival Red Sox, and he certainly did.2009 ALDS and ALCS Game 2’s: In Burnett’s first career postseason start as a Yankee he stepped on the mound knowing he had a 1-0 series advantage against the Minnesota Twins, but nonetheless, the pressure was on him, and he delivered. Burnett went 6 innings, allowing one run on three hits and five walks while punching out six. He didn’t get the win, as Mark Teixeira hit a laser beam home run down the left field line in extras. Meanwhile, the scenario was the same in Burnett’s Game 2 start against the Angels in the ALCS; handed the ball with a 1-0 series advantage, yet again with the spotlight on him, and once again, he delivered. Burnett went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, two walks while striking out four. And like his start against the Twins, he didn’t get the win, as Jerry Hairston scored the game winning run on an error in extra frames.2009 World Series Game 2: Down in the series 1-0, this was clearly not only AJ Burnett’s biggest start as a Yankee, but the biggest start in his career. This game was as close to a must-win game as they come, because you don’t want to go back to Philadelphia—who were the defending champs at the time—down 2-0 in the series. Burnett was absolutely huge in this game as he went 7 innings, allowing just one run on four hits, two walks, and nine strikeouts. I remember his curve ball being extra nasty that evening, and if you factor in the circumstances, this was AJ Burnett’s best start in his career.2011 ALDS Game 4: Unlike Game 2 of the ’09 World Series, this was literally a must-win game, as the Yanks were down 2-1 in the series to the Detroit Tigers, and Burnett was pretty solid, at least solid enough, to pick up the win. He went 5.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits, four walks, and three strikeouts. But, you cannot deny that Curtis Granderson saved Burnett’s bacon in the first inning with his leaping catch to save three runs. If that ball falls down, the Yanks are in an early hole and Burnett gets pulled. And of course, this was Burnett’s final start as a Yankee, so at least he went out with a bang.

Health: I will give AJ a lot of credit for this. Burnett made at least 32 starts every year during his time in Pinstripes and only 10 other starting pitchers from ’09-’11 made more starts . Even though he was sub-par with the Yanks, at least he took the ball every fifth day and didn’t go down even if he had the slightest injury.Pie in the face: This is probably the one thing I’ll miss about AJ Burnett. The pies in the face following a Yankees walk off win. The tradition started on an afternoon in May of 2009. The Yankees were playing the Twins and ARod hit a walk off home run in extra innings off Craig Breslow. And suddenly, out of nowhere, AJ Burnett came out and pied ARod in the face. Read the story about it HERE.

That’s pretty much it for Burnett. A nice handful of very good postseason games, to go along with a few gems (those weren’t the only two, those were the two that stand out the most, at least in my eye.) in the regular season, to go along with staying healthy during his three years in Pinstripes.

--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY I'M THE LUCKIEST YANKEE FAN ALIVE

2012-02-20T07:17:00.000-05:00

(In Photo: (left to right) Jeana, Ivan Nova and friend Erica)
It is not easy being a transplanted Yankee fan in Arizona. I always find myself wishing the Diamondbacks would turn into an American League team just so I could see the Yankees in person every year. Watching my favorite team on TV just isn’t the same, but I will take what I can get. I have heard so many other fans share their stories, and I have always dreamed that someday I would have my own story to share. That someday finally came for me last September and it turned into an even bigger fan…although I don’t even know how that's possible!

I travel to New York every year to visit friends and family, this trip had an added bonus….a trip to what I call the happiest place on earth, Yankee Stadium. This was going to be my first trip to Yankee Stadium and I was counting down the days in advance. I was also going to meet two fellow Yankee fans that I met through Facebook for the first time, Erica and Doctor Thomas Haveron. I knew I was in for the ultimate fan experience sitting in Legends seats, but what I didn’t know was that I was going to be up close and personal with some legends, and even meet one. Let's just say, Doc Haveron hooked us up! I felt like I won the lottery just because of the seats alone…but add being down by the field for batting practice with the players and I felt like I was dreaming! (In Photo: Jeana with Johnny Damon)
Just a few feet from us was former Yankee Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher, and Ivan Nova and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t having a "fan girl" moment. You can’t compare watching your favorite players on TV to actually seeing them in person when the cameras are off. It’s a completely different feel, and it is an experience that any fan would be lucky to see. You get to see them as more than just an athlete, and I gained a new appreciation for them.

As we walked around the dugout we watched Nick Swisher take pictures with a big group of kids on the field. I’m so used to seeing Swisher on camera, and how charismatic he is but watching him interact with those kids made me admire him even more.The next thing I saw was Ivan Nova walking over to us. The closer he got, the shorter I felt. I have never noticed just how tall Nova is, trust me, he's tall. Nova was very personable; the focus and intense pitcher we see on the mound was so warm and welcoming. He was nice enough to take pictures with us, and the thing that I remember best was how funny Nova was. As our photographer was trying to operate both of our cameras, Nova was cracking jokes in Spanish. As he was talking about not breaking the buttons or dropping the camera, I was trying not to laugh so that the camera would catch me in an embarrassing moment. Sure, it was a brief two minute interaction….but it is one that I will never forget.

I don’t know how I got so lucky to have this experience, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don't think about it. I have a story to tell now, and it involves so many great people, both athletes and good friends alike. I had a chance encounter with Ivan Nova, and I will definitely share it for years to come with my own kids and to anyone that wants to hear it.

Thank you Doc for such a great experience. Lou Gehrig said he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth, but I'll tell you what... I feel like the luckiest Yankee fan on the face of the earth... even from 3000 miles away.

--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor

THE DETAILS OF THE BURNETT TRADE

2012-02-19T21:46:00.004-05:00

As you know by now, AJ Burnett is leaving the New York Yankees and headed to Pittsburgh. Read HERE. These are the details of the trade:

The Yankees get 2 prospects in the deal:

Diego Moreno: a 25 year old right handed relief pitcher who appeared with the Pirates Class A and Double A minor league teams.

Exicardo Cayones: Cayones is 20 years old and an outfielder. He spent 2011 in Class A ball.

As far as the Burnett contract is concerned, the Pirates will pay $13 million of the $31.1 million that is remaining on his contract.
And that's it. AJ Burnett leaves New York. CC Sabathia was asked about it earlier today and said the following: "tough to see him go. We came into this thing together. But I think it’s best for him and we just move on. It’s part of the game, he’s been around a long time and I think he understands.”

“...a change of scenery... Sometimes that does well for guys, and hopefully that can do well for him…Hopefully he stays healthy and it works out for the best for him.”

When asked about is Sabathia spoke to Burnett about his struggles, Sabathia said:

“We didn’t really talk about it, to be honest. It was a tough time, I didn’t want to be talking to him every single day about not pitching well. Nobody wants to hear that. So we just kept that on a friendship basis and went from there.”

Those quotes were brought to you be Anthony McCarron from the New York Daily news, HERE. Sabathia is a class act and you know what? So's Burnett. I liked the 2 of them coming into the Bronx together, it's just a shame it didn't work out for AJ.

And now we move on, the Yankees will hopefully pursue Eric Chavez and/or Raul Ibanez. Go Yanks!

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BURNETT'S OFFICIALLY A PITTSBURGH PIRATE

2012-02-19T18:09:00.007-05:00

This is the latest update from Jon Heyman. Burnett is officially a Pittsburgh Pirate. I usually trust Jon Heyman because 9 times out of 10, he's right. But it all goes back to what I spoke about in an earlier post about how "sources" are not always right. The reality is no one truly knows. It really is a guessing game sometimes. Here is Heyman's tweet below:
Read WHY THERE MAY ONLY BE ROOM FOR ONE, a piece I wrote just a short time ago. I wrote that Wally Matthews of ESPN (HERE) originally said the deal wouldn't come down until Tuesday and he's quoted below as to his reasoning:

"The Yankees and Pirates are in full agreement on the terms of the A.J. Burnett deal, but they still need the approval of Big Brother Bud Selig before Burnett officially becomes a Buc. That approval was not given Friday night -- the deal was finalized too late in the day for that -- and a source deeply involved in the negotiations told me last night that the official Selig Stamp of Approval would probably not come before Monday afternoon or perhaps Tuesday.

The reason is the Commissioner's office, which must approve all deals in which large amounts of cash are involved, will wait until Burnett passes his Pirates physical, which he will take Sunday morning at their training camp in Bradenton. The results generally take a day or so to come in."

It actually made perfect sense to me, but wrong again I suppose. Anyway, if this is confirmed then I say the best of luck to AJ Burnett. Now the Yankees need to go out and get Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez... immediately.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and look for the hashtag #BYB. Also, join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.