Bleeding Yankee Blue

IS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH CC?

2013-05-23T09:27:00.002-04:00

I don't know. I have read so many rumors about our CC Sabathia and I have to admit, some of them are a little scary. The Yankees have so many injuries it's hard to even comprehend at this point. The 40 man roster is very crowded now that there have been so many players that were moved to the 60 day disabled list. The injured list is getting longer and the number of reserves is dwindling.

Some people aren't worried. I have had people tell me that it is pointless to worry so much in May. I understand that to a point. But what if CC doesn't evolve into that dominating pitcher next month? Or July? Then things could get ugly in Yankee land.

For years we have said that we shouldn't worry about CC at the beginning of the year. As the weather gets warmer, so does CC. He hasn't disappointed us yet and he has been our rock and he is a gamer. I don't think that what he have been seeing is going to be normal for him. He's still our ace, and I still believe in what he can do. This lineup is battered from top to bottom, so maybe it is just easier to speculate. I'm no expert, but it's a theory. Right now we are so focused on all of the injuries so maybe we are hyping this up.

There have been some abnormalities with CC so far this year, so it is hard to ignore what we have seen. After listening to so many people tell me they thought that CC was hurt and just hiding it I decided to really examine his last start against the Orioles. Looking at the Orioles lineup it was unusual to see four of the seven left handed hitters gets hits on him when he was ahead of them in the count. Usually when CC is looking for that last strike he gets it.

It didn't help that Nick Markakis and Chris Davis put the finishing touches on him either. I think Markakis is always pesky anyway, but he looked a little too comfortable up at the plate. Davis also did some damage with his solo home run. Usually I don't stress too much about solo home runs, but this one the pitch was just right there for the taking. Are people reading into this too much?

There has been some talk about his velocity too. Some may think it is just part of the aftermath from his surgery. I'm not so sure I can share that opinion but it is an idea. A fastball that comes 89-91mph is not going to look different from anything that is off speed, and it is going to give hitters better odds. The velocity is key to giving hitters a different look at the plate and it will differentiate his pitches. I really think it is this combination that is causing opponents to get more hits off him. I could be wrong, but it is at least a theory.

So is there something wrong with CC? Are the Yankees hiding something? They could be. It certainly wouldn't be the first time. Right now, with all of the injuries we do have I am going to sit tight and continue to believe that he is ok because I really don't think I can take too much more bad news before I go crazy.

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ

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A DEDICATION TO ONE OF BYB'S FAVORITES...

2013-05-23T08:42:00.004-04:00

If you're on Twitter and a Yankee fan, you know of a girl named Kiley. Her handle is @Jeterfan_02. She is a bubbly, sweet girl who is probably the most interactive on Twitter in the history of Twitter. She will engage you, she'll make you laugh out loud, and often, and I mean quite often, she is the one you went to when you needed a post you wrote retweeted. The bottom line is, if she likes you, you're in her heart forever, because she's already won over yours. She was a nice person.

Kiley was also fighting cancer and on that rare occasion she wasn't on Twitter, one could only assume she was being her strongest somewhere else and would be back soon. Kiley always did came back to us. She was a fighter and we all enjoyed her company every single day on Twitter, but definitely during the Yankee season where it was always extra special. Kiley read Bleeding Yankee Blue religiously and told us that it "made her day." She was one of our readers from when it all began back in 2010 and she never left us. I was always touched by her loyalty.

Our sweet Kiley passed away yesterday. While the battle was long, it was a surprise and last night many were devastated. The tweet came over her account by her family yesterday afternoon:

Kiley ask that this account remain open for one week, to allow you all express memories for her family. God bless you Kiley. RIP 5/22
— KB❤⚾ (@JeterFan_02) May 22, 2013

Now, it's never easy to say goodbye and today is no different. We were all touched by Kiley and strangely I know that she would probably hate all the fuss and right about now she's probably in Heaven asking for the closest computer she could find so she can check her Twitter and let us all know that "It's going to be OK." And she's probably doing what she always did best. Simply writing: "Lets go Yankees!!! clap clap clap clap clap"

She was always rooting and made you want to do the same. Even in the darkest Yankee days... she was front and center and she believed in our team always.

Finally, I'll leave you with one of Kiley's final tweets from just 5 days ago:

"Life is beautiful. Life is short. Live everyday as if it were your last. No regret. Paint the sky your favorite color."

No doubt Kiley's painting the sky pinstripe right now...

Rest in Peace my friend.

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PASSING ON A YANKEE TRADITION

2013-05-23T08:31:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday, I wrote the game recap, and briefly about my complete freak out when I saw Paul O'Neill. I've written about The Warrior before, and why I adore him. It was after that encounter that my 7 year old began asking me tons of questions about baseball.

It reminded me a lot of my grandfather and myself. I spent my childhood questioning every aspect of the game, and questioning my grandfather's childhood heroes. Paul O'Neill is to me, what Lou Gehrig was to my grandfather. And if I had to go further, I would say what Derek Jeter is to my children.

Getting my boys to watch baseball is easy. It's a sport that is played by males. They can relate to and aspire to become like them. My daughter is a completely different story. With baseball being eliminated from the Olympics, she cannot picture herself playing baseball on a big stage. So, I get it. It's hard to show interest in something that you don't think you can relate to.

My grandfather would speak animatedly about Gehrig. He always had this wide-eyed, kid on Christmas morning, look on his face when we would talk about his career and character. It's kind of how I look when I talk about O'Neill, Tino Martinez or Bernie Williams. I watched them as a child, so to me, they are larger than life legends.

I want my kids, including my daughter, to have that look on their faces when they think back and speak about Jeter, Jorge Posada or Mariano Rivera. Don't get me wrong, I would never force them to root for the Yankees. Right now, they are Yankees fans, but that might change. Honestly, I am okay with that. They will grow older, make their own path in life, and choose which team, if any, they will root for. But for right now, they stare in opened eyed wonder at Mo with every save.

The Yankees is a tradition that transcends stats and the guys on the field. Every baseball fan has someone who taught them the game. And Yankees fans have that one "A-ha" moment when they become Yankees fans for life. And it always starts with an older Yankee fan laying the pavement for that fandom.

I guess the same can be said about traditions in general. Like chocolate chip pancakes on a Sunday morning, or Thanksgiving dinner with the family, love for the game, and for the Yankees is taught. Don't force it, and make it something unpleasant, and children will look forward to it. They will learn to love it.

My grandfather never forced me to watch baseball games. It was something he enjoyed and asked me to share with him. I'm the same way with my children. The game is on in the living room and they have the option of watching with me or not. Since the game on Saturday, my daughter is more inclined to watch, and question everything.

This is it. This is when I start really passing on my knowledge and love of the game to her. This will be her "a-ha" moment. This is how the tradition is continued.

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

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INJURY HELL IN YANKEELAND & A LOSS

2013-05-22T23:05:00.003-04:00

You'd think that Hiroki Kuroda would come in tonight, hush the Baltimore Orioles, the Yankees would win and all would be well. Wrong! Kuroda gets hurt and needs to exit the game early with a bruised right calf and the Yankees lose. That's just damn cruel.

Kuroda went 2 innings, allowed 8 hits and 5 runs before being pulled. Preston Claiborne and Adam Warren followed and Claiborne just gave up that extra Orioles run. Warren pitched 4 innings tonight.

As far as Yankee runs, there were only 3. In the 3rd, Robinson Cano singled in Curtis Granderson. In the 5th, Granderson homered and in the 9th, David Adams cranked one out. Obviously, it wasn't enough.

Now we wait and see what happens to Kuroda. The latest was Joe Girardi saying "I would be shocked if he couldn't [make his next scheduled start, next Tuesday against the Mets]." But let's be honest, I'd be shocked if Girardi was right. We all know how the Yankees operate. Everyone acts like it's no big deal and then the player in question disappears to the DL for 2 months at a clip. We'll just have to wait and see.

Final Score: Orioles 6 - Yankees 3.

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HUGE PROPS TO YANKEE THOMAS NEAL

2013-05-22T09:29:00.000-04:00

Many of you may not know who Thomas Neal is, but I do. I liked what I saw out of Neal this Spring and currently he is on the roster of the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Railriders. He's also a guy I've been watching on Twitter for a while. Neal has confidence. Neal believes. Neal pushes himself and feels blessed to be playing the game of baseball. You need to applaud this guy for sending a positive vibe through the Twitter world every day and not only that, the guy plays hard.

Well, yesterday when I wrote TY HENSLEY & DROB STEP UP BIG FOR OKLAHOMA, I forget to mention Thomas Neal. Well, I don't run from my mistakes, I correct them. I apologize Thomas, I should have mentioned what your doing now for the people of Oklahoma, because, it's pretty great.

Thomas Neal tweeted this yesterday and it can't be overlooked:

Sure, it's not millions of dollars, that's not the point, it's something, it's helping, it's giving to people in need. That not only gives him incentive to hit better at the plate, it sends a message to everyone...Help Oklahoma. Do the right thing. He's also asking for big businesses to match his pledge which is awesome.

Hey Thomas Neal... I just became a fan. Bravo.

You can follow Thomas Neal on twitter at @TdaddyNeal, who simply puts in his description on Twitter the following: "New York Yankees .. Living the Dream while keeping God 1st. There's so much power in Believing" Believing, you gotta love it.

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CLIFF LEE SENDS A MESSAGE TO THE YANKS

2013-05-22T07:35:00.000-04:00

I suggested that if the Phillies become sellers at the deadline, the Yankees should try to engage them and attempt to lock in Cliff Lee. It's not the craziest idea I've come up with, and I'm not the only one that has. Read HERE COMES THAT CLIFF LEE RUMOR AGAIN for context on that shortly after I put that out a few weeks ago, I was greeted with this comment:

Hey look, I've told you a thousand times, I don't take myself too seriously. I do however think. No, I'm not a baseball insider, I'm a baseball fan, and hey, I must not be too off here because Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.com, a "real" baseball insider just wrote this (HERE): "Phillies star Cliff Lee said he “hopes'' the Phillies turn it around, and it wouldn't do him any good to think about the alternative.

But if the alternative does come to pass, and he does go on the trading block, it sounds like Lee can deal with it."

And that's what I found interesting. Cliff Lee WANTS to go to a winner. He WANTS to go to a contender and says: "I definitely want to win. I want to be on a winning team." Then I got to thinking that if the Yankees ARE winning and they need to find another starter, would they go for it? Would he? Don't forget that I wrote something very similar... "there is no doubt that the timing could be right and even if Lee didn’t want to come to New York, he would at least want to come to a competitor, plus he’d be with his bud, CC Sabathia... only for a short time."

Again, I'm a fan, I usually write like I'm thinking out loud, but hey, Lee clearly wants to win and I see the future right now. I see Brian Cashman doing his secret deals, the deals we wake up to in the morning and Lee is in pinstripes by the deadline. Then again... What the hell do I know... but it sure is fun to think about.

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MONEYBALL: WHERE IT WORKS & WHERE IT DOESN'T

2013-05-22T07:32:00.004-04:00

Ever since the book came out, Moneyball has been the talk of baseball strategists. The thought that there is some secret formula to finding successful players who are flying below the radar makes both fan and baseball executive salivate. So, does the formula work? Does it have any resemblance to reality? If it is so accurate, then why hasn't Billy Beane's team won a World Series yet?

As I have written in times past, I am a numbers guy. I believe that if you look at statistics in the right way, and that if you include the right amount of data, the numbers will tell you a story that may not be obvious to the casual observer. This is true in finance, in medicine, in every legitimate scientific study, and it is true in baseball too. The fact is that we have always known this. A guy hits .300 or more, and he has proven that he is a good hitter. He hits more than 30 home runs, and we know that he has power. A pitcher with an ERA below 3 does not allow many runs and usually wins. Those are conclusions we have all drawn based on established statistics.

So, how is Moneyball different? It believes that you do not need to spend a lot of money on players, that you can find strong talent by paying attention to statistics that most teams are not looking at and therefore find hidden talent. It also helps you avoid overpaying for players that have "good numbers" but are not helpful in getting a team to win. The statistics are based on some simple principles. Here's an example. The more runs you score, the more likely it is that you will win. The more men you get on base, the more likely it is that you will score. The more likely it is that a hitter will get on base, the bigger the contribution that hitter will make to scoring, and ultimately to winning. That is the reason why walks and OBP are key statistics in evaluating players. Then, using some complex formulas, you use those statistics to determine how much to offer players in contract negotiations, or how high to draft college players. There are more statistics that they take into consideration as part of Oakland's overall system, but you get the point.

(In Photo: Oakland Athletics in 2002) Does it work? It depends on how you define success. If you measure it by the team's ability to win games over the long haul, absolutely! If you look at the Athletics since 2002, the Athletics have won 90 or more games five times and won their division four times. If you measure it by post-season success and World Series Championships, it fails. So where is the disconnect? For one thing, you have to remember that the statistics considered are aggregated over entire seasons and careers. They do not consider the differences in performance during the regular season and the playoffs. Have you ever seen players who perform well in the regular season and then collapse in the playoffs? Billy Beane's system does not account for that. Knowing, also, that players and managers make special preparations to handle opposing players strengths and weaknesses during the playoffs also is not taken into account.

Finally, you have to remember the purpose of the Moneyball system. It is about money. The key measure of success of a team, according to the system, is how much a team pays "per win". This is based on the premise that the team implementing the system does not have a lot of money to spend. Essentially, it is about fielding the best possible team given very limited resources - getting bang for your buck. It is not about fielding the best possible team regardless of budget. While the system shows diminishing returns on excessive spending, we see that there are still returns on that spending. A team with a modest budget will probably get more success than a low budget team, even with this system. It would also indicate that as teams are forced to spend less, through either a luxury tax system or a hard cap, "Moneyball teams" would end up benefiting the most. Either way, we think it is great that statistical analysis is having such an impact on the game and the way it is changing.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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THIS LOSS STINGS BUT WE TURN THE PAGE

2013-05-21T22:45:00.002-04:00

Some games are just a knock-out, drag-out battle and neither team is really advancing. Then, on a silly pitch or error or misplay, or even home run... it ends and you are either on top, or you lose. It's that cut and dry. Tonight it ended in a home run off Nate McLouth's bat in the bottom of the 10th and then... game over, the Yankee lose. Hey, that's baseball. Rub some dirt on it and come back tomorrow.

The game was tied 2-2 almost the entire game. Travis Hafner knocked in Brett Gardner in the first inning and later on Chris Dickerson solo homered for the Orioles. Then Travis Hafner came back in the 4th and knocked in Vernon Wells.

The O's struck back with Chris Dickerson's second solo homer in the 5th inning. Then the tug-o-war continued until the 10th, when Vidal Nuno came in and allowed McLouth to launch one.

That's it. Not much more to say except that I applaud Dickerson for hitting so well tonight, but hey, the Yankee bats were quiet tonight. Forget this one ladies and gentlemen... turn the page.

Final: Orioles 3 - Yankees 2.

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TY HENSLEY & DROB STEP UP BIG FOR OKLAHOMA

2013-05-21T17:00:00.002-04:00

Never selfish, Yankee Ty Hensley offered a special and important challenge to athletes everywhere... time to help out. It's not a threat, it's an idea that could very well help Moore, Oklahoma, a neighborhood near Edmond where the Ty and Jake Hensley grew up. His tweet today (HERE) was direct and public:

I like this kid. I like where his head's at and it all stems from a positive home. Kudos to Marci and Mike Hensley, you raised some great kids.

No doubt there will be athletes as well as average people giving what they can. I know from seeing the way David and Erin Robertson jumped in right after they witnessed the destruction in David's hometown of Tuscaloosa a few years ago, they would immediately jump into helping with this tragedy. They have. David announced this (HERE):

It's the mighty High Socks for Hope foundation! David also announced he'll give $100 per strikeout this season. Love it. Good people do good things and it's great to know that people like Ty, like the Robertsons, like Kevin Durant who just donated $1 million (Read HERE) have their hearts in the right place. Let's help the cause too! Go to the American Red Cross website HERE, or log on on your own REDCROSS.ORG.

I tip my cap Ty, David, Erin... keep it up!

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GUESS WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO DON MATTINGLY?

2013-05-21T11:25:00.000-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers "suck" and when I mean "suck", I mean they have 18 wins, are in last place in the National League West and none of it, and I mean NONE OF IT is Don Mattingly's fault. But, if you are Dodger brass and you give the organization every possible tool they need to win a championship and they aren't winning, well, then it has to fall down on the manager. Donnie Baseball is the manager. Damn that sucks. There have been alot of stories lately like Ken Rosenthal's of FOX Sports suggesting that the hammer is about to fall on Mattingly, and we'll detail that in a moment, but know this, today's story from ESPN suggests that Dodger brass isn't interested in firing Mattingly. General Manager Ned Colletti is quoted HERE saying: "his manager is 'doing fine' and has kept the team steady despite its last-place showing in the NL West." And Donnie has even said: "I'm still here. Ned didn't tell me I wasn't going to be here tomorrow or today. That's the way I look at it." Sure, I love that because I'm a Mattingly guy, but we all know how quickly investors lose their patience.

I wrote THE PRESSURE NOW FALLS ON MATTINGLY back in December. It was easy to predict then that if the Dodgers weren't raking in the National League, it would fall on Donnie. I wrote then that Donnie knew that he had a lot of pressure to win. But let's face it, there is one important part of this puzzle and it was crystal clear. Like last year when Bobby Valentine was thrown into Beantown with a bunch of veteran Red Sox for example...veterans are set in their ways and change for no one. Los Angeles is no different. Sure, Valentine, or Mattingly may be the best baseball resource a club could ever have, but if veterans want to play their way and don't want to be told what to do. Their approach is always the same, win or lose. Trust me, I believe that if the Dodgers had a bunch of rookies and upcoming prospects, the molding from Don Mattingly to the Dodgers youth would translate beautifully and they could turned that ship around, but we all knew that Dodger brass would lose their patience early if they didn't win immediately. Why? I'll tell you why... because investors don't get the game. They think throwing money at veterans solves problems and assures a championship. Well, as we Yankee fans have learned from quite a few years of the Steinbrenner way... it doesn't always work out that way.

Now back to that latest story about "firing" Mattingly, coming from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He writes in his story titled Ax to fall soon for LA's Mattingly, " I’ve seen it too many times with unproven managers who are in the final years of contracts. A team struggles. A manager’s personality turns. A cloud forms over a club. Watch the games, listen to Mattingly and tell me this is not happening to the Dodgers.... Watching Sunday’s meltdown on television, I thought, 'Mattingly might be gone tomorrow.' And then I got a text from a rival scout, one who has no particular insight into the Dodgers, but is attuned — like so many in the sport — to the game’s day-to-day rhythms.

'Making the call — Donnie Ballgame will get the axe tomorrow,' the scout said. The scout continued, 'He’s a laid-back manager with a laid-back veteran club. Great dude, but they need some energy. Some fire. Some change with that payroll. Not his fault, but you can’t fire 25 players.'"

Is Rosenthal jumping the gun? Maybe. Again, I don't think it's very fair to stare at Don Mattingly and think he's the cause of this, but like I said, Dodger brass wants results and if they think Donnie can't move the team up the rankings, they'll go out and find a guy who can. Message to Dodger brass though... I very much doubt any manager can change this club and by the way, Donnie's nickname is "Donnie Baseball" for a reason. Why you'd want to give this guy the axe is a puzzle to me. Let the man manage!

Trust be told, I never liked Donnie in Dodger blue anyway, so maybe, if Rosenthal is correct and Mattingly does get fired... well, maybe it's a good thing for us Yankee fans. Maybe then we can get our old captain and Yankee hero back. Maybe then we can have him in the Bronx for Old Timer's day again, maybe for some type of special advisor role with our club, who knows. Maybe we can bring our boy back to New York and celebrate him like we should have done years ago. Maybe, just maybe we can slowly creep him in and eventually make him our manager... wishful thinking... and I'm clearly getting ahead of myself.

Whatever happens, I wish Donnie well. I love the dude and nothing's ever changed years later. The only difference is I want him back in Yankee blue, not Dodger blue.

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OKLAHOMA NEEDS HELP

2013-05-21T08:54:00.000-04:00

As Americans, we always jump in. So do it now.

Go to the American Red Cross website HERE, or log on on your own REDCROSS.ORG.

Or, you can text REDCROSS to 90999. Donate. Do what you can.

To follow the American Red Cross on Twitter for updates, follow them at @redcrossokc.

Do the right thing and hug your kids alittle tighter today.

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SCOTT PROCTOR HANGS IT UP

2013-05-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

It's being tweeted by Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that Scott Proctor is going to retire. Feinsand's tweet is HERE.

Proctor had a good life in baseball. Not outstanding, but good. Proctor is 36 years old. Just recently he was with the Orioles, that was back in March and then he was released in April. We reported on it in ORIOLES RELEASE SCOTT PROCTOR.

His Yankee career went like this: 11-13 with a 4.51 ERA in 198 games. Quick note about this picture above. I always got a kick out of it because despite whatever the Yanks are talking about on the mound there...Alex Rodriguez still manages to find the camera. Hilarious.

Enjoy retirement Scott.

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BARRY BONDS SHOULD STOP YAPPING

2013-05-21T07:27:00.000-04:00

This is what Barry Bonds told USA Today's Bob Nightengale when talking about Miguel Cabrera. Now, the way Nighengale sets up his piece HERE, he clearly is running a comparison piece between Cabrera and Bonds. And, he interviewed Bonds, so, no doubt Bonds and his ego are going to eek in quickly. While it may not be surprising that Bonds thinks so highly of himself, it's also highly annoying. Anyway, this is what Bonds said in chatting it up about Cabrera:

"He’s definitely the best. It’s not rocket science here. He’s the best. By far. Without a doubt.... I was the best on the field. I did more things than he did. My game was different than his game. So comparing him, to me, there’s no comparison. He doesn’t have my MVPs. He doesn’t have my numbers. Well, not yet, anyways. But does he have that ability? Yes, he does. Does he have that gift? Yes, he does.”

I'm not a Bonds fan. I mean, I liked his ability, I think he is mad talented, but there is nothing better in baseball than doing your best "I'm not worthy" speech when it comes to talking about the up-and-comers or other talented players of the game, especially when your days in baseball are over. I think I was hoping Bonds would almost check his ego at the door... not sure what I was thinking though... I mean, this is Barry Bonds we're talking about.

The reality is Miguel Cabrera is an animal on the field, he's always been an animal on the field and he is mad talented.

Anyway, be sure to read Nightengale's piece, it's good.

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ORIOLES GET PRONKED IN CAMDEN YARDS!

2013-05-21T07:17:00.001-04:00

(In Photo: Travis Hafner)
The Yankees are in Baltimore for a 3 game series against the Orioles. CC Sabathia took the mound against former Yankee pitcher Freddy Garcia in first game of this set.

Robbie Cano "Doncha' Know" made some noise with his bat in the top of the first with a solo HR (13) making it 1-0 before the Orioles even got their first at bats. In the top of the 2nd David Adams hit his first career HR as a Yankee giving the Yankees their 2nd run of the game. But Chris Davis gave the O's a run back with a solo HR of his own making it 2-1 Yankees in the bottom of the 2nd.

Things stayed quiet for a few innings until Nick Markakis singled to center scoring Steve Pearce in the bottom of the 5th tying things up at 2 a piece. But, Lyle Overbay was swinging for the fences in the top of the 7th and gave the Yankees back the lead 3-2.. But Nick Markakis hits another RBI double to left center scoring Alexi Casilla, tying the game up again.

Then J.J. Hardy scores Markakis on an RBI double ending the night for Sabathia in 6.1 innings. CC struck out 2 batters and was hit 11 times 5 of them were doubles and no walks. Shawn Kelley came in for relief work and maintained the Yankees 1 run deficit. He pitched one inning and gave up one walk, and struck out 3 before being replaced by Boone Logan in the bottom of the 8th to face pinch hitter and former Yankee and BYB favorite Chris Dickerson who singled to center.

Logan held the Orioles to just that one hit, and kept the Yankees within one going into the top of the 9th. Then Travis Hafner went deep off Orioles closer Jim Johnson tying the game yet again 4-4 after Cano grounded out. David Robertson entered in the bottom of the 9th in hopes of bringing the game into extra innings. He did just that with a fly out by Manny Machado and then struck out J.J. Hardy and Chris Davis. Ichiro Suzuki started the top of the 10th with a double down the RF line off of Pedro Strop and later scored on a ground-rule double by Vernon Wells.

Hafner went up to the plate and scored the insurance run by bringing Wells home making it 6-4 Yankees after the Orioles went to the bullpen bringing in Brian Matusz. Then it was Mo' time in the bottom of the 10th. Mariano Rivera did his thing and closed the door in a 1, 2, 3 inning for save number 625, and handed the Orioles their 6th consecutive loss.

Oh, and a big Congratulations to David Adams on collecting his first MLB career home run, and great defense at 3rd.

Final score from Baltimore- Yankees 6 - Orioles 4.

-- Rudy Laurens, BYB Writer
Facebook: House of Champions

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DAVID AARDSMA GOT SIGNED

2013-05-20T18:25:00.000-04:00

It's been announced by the New York Mets that they just signed David Aardsma to a minor league deal. According to the Mets press release HERE, "The New York Mets today announced the club signed righthanded pitcher David Aardsma to a minor league contract and assigned him to Las Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League."

We wish Aardsma well here at BYB. We are always rooting for him.

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BRATS IN BASEBALL

2013-05-20T07:50:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week I read an article published in Psychology Today (HERE) that touts today’s youth as fragile and too protected from life’s tests, obstacles and overarching challenges that make one stronger, more able to face the day-to-day grind of living. “Whether we want to or not, we're on our way to creating a nation of wimps,” states the author of the article. I have to say, we are seeing the after effects of this kind baby attitudes in our players today and it is frankly, really annoying.

I was so sick to my stomach when I heard about the Joba-Mo shushing incident last week. I was taught to not speak over people, that there is a time and a place, and that when people are working, don’t interrupt them. Mo was working, giving an interview. His work ethic is tireless, surreal. They don’t make people like that anymore, instead, we have a bunch of brats stepping onto the infield these days and it is wrecking the game where there was honesty, respect and real, hard core competition between teams to win not between immature players who want some attention. “Chamberlain denied that he had apologized to Rivera -- "There's no need to apologize. For what?” reported ESPN last week. This is what I mean, you are fooling around with your family, acting like a clown while Mo is working and he couldn’t concentrate. He had to step up and correct Joba, because he was being loud, and obnoxious. He didn’t shush him, he politely asked him to lower his voice. "Joba, yo, bro, bro,'' Rivera could be heard saying to Chamberlain on a tape of the interview played for ESPNNewYork.com (HERE.) "Suave,'' Rivera said, using the Spanish word for soft, while making a palms-down gesture with his hands, according to eyewitnesses. Completely legitimate and professional, just as I would expect from a veteran player who didn’t get shielded from every little challenge that came his way from a helicopter parent.

And it is not just Joba. It’s Bryce Harper who threw his helmet a couple of weeks ago like a little leaguer when he was called out on strikes. The clown question Harper is truthfully a clown of a person- he is cocky and he needs to settle down. Perhaps he needed a “Suave” warning from a veteran player like Mo. And Jason Werth’s influence on the young Harper is not what he needs.

Mike Trout came into spring training weighing just about fifteen pounds heavier than last season. He seems to have let his fame go to his head. His attitude in promotional commercials for ESPN and other endorsement opportunities make him look and sound like the fat head that adorns many young little leaguers’ walls. Maybe it is just me, but I fear that he will be the next one to try and outshine a veteran like Albert Pujols.

Joe Girardi said (HERE) it best the other evening following another Yankee win with our new team. “Every superstar was a young player at one time, and when they came up they may have done some good things, but you really didn't know how good they're going to be until they get there," Girardi said. "We've had some young kids that I believe have a chance to be really good players and come up and do some special things." And I believe there is a rite of passage, a grooming period for these players- Joba must have missed that memo while he was out on the DL; perhaps that is our fault for always wrapping him in bubble wrap every time he scraped his knee.

Maybe it’s us, as a society, that enables these young players to act this way. We throw money at them; give them nothing but the best equipment; the all star treatment- top shelf all the way. We can’t wrap today’s youth in caution tape to protect them from life. They are going to get hurt, they have to make tough choices, they have to fall and even fail. And I am afraid that as more rookies enter the scene, feeling entitled, the more brats we will continue to see in baseball today.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

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GUESS WHAT MARK TEIXEIRA'S STILL NOT DOING?

2013-05-20T07:47:00.000-04:00

Remember when Brett Gardner kept having setbacks last season because he had wrist problems? I almost feel like Mark Teixieira is going the same route. And look, I'm no doctor, I'm a fan, but I see the way the Yankees operate and they always leak out a positive with their injured before a negative comes out. This morning, there seems to be another negative with Teixeira.

MLB.com's Spencer Fordin reports HERE that: "Teixeira is eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list at the beginning of June, but the Yankees still aren't sure of his trajectory. Teixeira has been able to take tee-and-toss batting practice, but he's still waiting to ramp up to a rehab assignment in the Minor Leagues... 'He has not taken live BP. He's going to have to get some swings,' said Girardi. 'And the tricky part for him is left-handed, right-handed, having to do both.'"

(In Photo: Lyle Overbay)
Trust me, this isn't good. I don't like what I'm hearing and reading lately about Mark Teixeira's injury. Couple that with Brian Cashman being both "Worried" and "Concerned" HERE about Tex.

Luckily we have Lyle Overbay. Do we need Mark now? No, but eventually we will need him.

MARIANO RIVERA: THE G.O.A.T.

2013-05-19T10:18:00.000-04:00

On May 3rd, 2012 Mariano Rivera tore his ACL while shagging fly balls in Kansas City. It was possibly the most heart breaking moment for Yankees fans, watching the closer get carried off of the field on the back of a John Deere truck. Mo made it very clear he was coming back. "Write it in big letters. I'm not going out like this," he said.

And come back he did. But not before announcing his retirement on March 9th, 2013. "It's time," he said. It brought up a sense of nostalgia. I began to think about all his most memorable games. Games that would not have been nearly the same, if he were not out on the field. Here are eight of my most memorable Mariano Rivera moments.

#8- May 25, 1995: I cannot properly make a list of Mo's most memorable games without discussing his Major League debut. The then 25-year old, played 3 1/2 innings, gave up 8 hits and 5 runs. Yankees lost to the Angels 10-0 that game. After 10 very similar starts, the Yankees demoted him to the bullpen. And that was possibly the greatest thing they have ever done.

#7- May 17, 1996: Mo notches his first career save, while standing in for John Wetteland. And thus the legend began.

#6- Oct. 25 & 26, 2000: Games 4 and 5 of the Subway Series World Series. With these two saves, Mo past Rollie Fingers for most World Series saves. He also earned the Yankees major bragging rights, proving that New York City really was Yankeeland after all.

#5- Oct. 16, 2003: This was not a save at all. It was Game 7 of the ALCS. We tied the Red Sox in the eighth. Mo comes into the ninth and blanks them out. And then repeats the feat for the tenth and eleventh. Aaron Boone became our unlikely hero, when he hits a walk-off homer to win the AL pennant.

#4- Sept. 21, 2008: Mo throws out the final pitch at old Yankee stadium. The Captain, Derek Jeter makes an incredibly moving speech, and Mo grabs some dirt off of the mound where legends before him stood.

#3- June 28, 2009: Mo gets his 500th save. He becomes the second player ever to reach the milestone. Trevor Hoffman being the other. The idea that Mo could become the All-time Saves leader becomes more realistic. But that was not his biggest milestone that night. Mo also got his career first RBI, when he drew a walk on a bases-loaded.

#2- Sept. 19, 2011: Save #602 makes Mo the indisputable greatest closer of all time. As modest Mo tries to walk off, Jorge Posada pushed Mo to the mound, HIS mound, for a proper curtain call. It was powerful to me, because it was with Jorge that he got the majority of those saves. Yea, I got choked up. And now you may ask why this is at #2. Well...

#1- After Mo's injury there were a lot of questions over whether or not the all time saves leader would return to the game. "I will be back," Mo said time and again. April 4, 2013: Mariano's first regular season game after his injury. Mo has 16 straight saves since then, and is posting a 1.56 ERA. He was not kidding when he said to write it in big letters. Mo has returned, and has his sights sent on one thing. World Series Win.

This farewell tour that Mo has been on this season is really bitter sweet to watch. He has earned enough respect that we, the fans, understand that he is ready to hang up his cleats. He is a guy that has given 110% to this team and has never taken on any of the glory for himself. It has always been about the team. I look back at Mo's career and I feel infinitely grateful to be able to say that I have witnessed it from the beginning, to the very end. I'm grateful that my children have been able to see him play, and that one day they will be able to tell their children that they heard "Enter the Sandman" at Yankee stadium.

We'll have a new closer. As crazy as it sounds, life will go on after Mo, the way it did after Jorge left. But like Jorge, there is no replacing Mo. Not really. Players like Mo leave an imprint in the hearts and minds of fans, that lives on and is passed down, and helps mold future generations of fans.

Mariano Rivera, if you read BYB, and you happen to come across this, thank you. From every Yankee fan. Words cannot express our love and gratitude for you. You are an icon. A living legend. And we are the fortunate few to play witness to your career.

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

RUNYON 5K RUN AT YANKEE STADIUM

2013-05-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

This is just an important cause and something that we have helped promote every year since Bleeding Yankee Blue has began. It's the Runyon 5K run and if you aren't familiar with it, you will be after reading this.

Since the inaugural event back in 2009, the 5K run has raised more than $2 million for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation's effort to strike out cancer.

On August 18th, there will be thousands of people at Yankee Stadium. They will be runners, cancer survivors, Yankee fans, and people! People that want to make a difference. They will gather and they will run to raise money.

Do you want to be one of those who takes a moment out of their busy schedule to make a difference? Well, Registration has opened! Go to www.damonrunyon.org/yankeestadium. (Participants are responsible for a $40 registration fee and a $60 fundraising minimum. On July 1, the registration fee increases to $50.)

We've talked to plenty of people who have given their time for this important cause over the past few years. I asked my friend Kathi Sheehan, who ran in 2011, why people should jump in: (Read WHY THE RUNYON 5K RUN BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER)

Kathi: It is for a good cause! Remember the reason you are there. Having been fairly athletic growing up, I was a little nervous knowing that I wasn't in the shape I could have been for this event. But then I remembered that my ultimate goal was to raise money and awareness for this cause.

And how about my Twitter friend Rodney Zayas (HERE) who just registered for the run. I got this Tweet from his yesterday:

Of course, I am happy to re-tweet that any time and I'll do it for anyone who signs up and gets the word out about the 5k run! Send me a tweet like this and I'm happy to.

Take a moment, go to the website today, think about committing and think about making a difference. Here it is again: www.damonrunyon.org/yankeestadium

And if you need more convincing, remember the Yankee heroes that have come out, volunteered their time at the 5k run and have talked to Bleeding Yankee Blue about it. Roy White, Mickey Rivers, Ron Blomberg. 3 great guys, 3 great Yankees and as Ron Blomberg told us HERE: "Anytime you’ve been out of baseball for many years and they ask you to do something like this, it makes you feel very wanted. I’ve been very lucky in my life that I have two doctors as kids that I understand what cancer is all about. I travel all around doing charity events like this across the country. Just to be part of this at Yankee stadium and to do something with the ribbon (ceremony) it means an awful lot to me."

You gotta know how important this is now. Take a moment, register and make a difference.

FUNNY THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH BALLS

2013-05-19T10:10:00.002-04:00

OK. Calm down perv. I'm referring to baseballs... get your mind out of the gutter.

It's Sunday. The week was long, we all busted ass at work, with the kids, I needed to make it light right about now. I have found some pretty fun pictures of some baseball stars... and balls. Baseballs and the weird things they have been caught doing with them.

This our Captain Derek Jeter in what I believe was an old GQ photo shoot. Whatever the case, I actually don't ever remember seeing it, until I put together this piece.

This is Carlos Beltran with what appears to be him actually eating a baseball. Not sure where it came from, who snapped the shot and why he did it but it's funny and I appreciate the lighter side of baseball.

I took this picture last season while Bobby Valentine was making a pitching change against the Yankees. I noticed he kept smelling the ball while waiting for the new pitcher. I remember thinking "What the hell is this dude doing?" Now, players have said that sometimes when the ball is hit hard, if you smell the ball, you can sometimes smell a faint burn of wood off the ball. I'm not sure if that's true and I'm not sure what Uncle Rico is doing here but maybe that was it.

This is Jimmy Rollins in what appears him getting clocked. Baseballs to the head scare the hell out of me. I can't believe the photographer was able to capture this moment. It's nuts.

This is Joba Chamberlain in Spring Training. I remember seeing this and just snagged it for a future post.... like this. I hope he didn't fracture anything doing this... I kid, I kid.

Hope you enjoyed this. If you liked it, share it. If not, just politely click to another page... preferably on BYB. Have a good Sunday everyone.

THE YANKEES ARE ACQUIRING GUYS LIKE NUTS TODAY!

2013-05-18T18:50:00.002-04:00

The Yankees are making mad moves today! Players are being signed, players are being designated for assignment and it's all to better the club. You can criticize Brian Cashman all you want, but things are really moving lately and I appreciate what he's been doing. I realize that when it comes to this team, it's off-seasons like this that make me realize that he's the GM and I'm just a fan. Anyway, check this out:

Jon Heyman Tweeted HERE that the Yankees have traded $75,000 to the Colorado Rockies for Reid Brignac. To make that move, the Yankees had to designate Alberto Gonzalez for assignment.

That is being tweeted by Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger HERE. Gonzalez will always be remembered for pitching for the Yanks, staying a week and now possibly being claimed by another team right now. Let's see what happens. Hopefully he'll clear waivers and go back down to AAA.

Also, I just read on CLNS Radio.com, HERE, that the Yankees have just signed Josh Bell to a minor league deal. Bell is a third baseman who, according to them, "Bell will most likely report to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Bell, 26, was released by the White Sox on May 7th after appearing in fifteen games for AAA Charlotte to start the season. In 55 at-bats, he hit .273 with 4 RBI."

Oh, and not only that, there was other movement today...

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have claimed former Yankee Chris Nelson off waivers. The Angels Tweeted that HERE. The Tweet is below:

Holy moves... enjoy the rest of your Weekend.

O'NEILL FAN GIRL, A GIRL SCOUT, & THE YANKEES WIN

2013-05-18T18:18:00.000-04:00

Today was Girl Scout Day at Yankee Stadium. They are celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouting in NYC. Cheers, ladies! Just so happens that I am a Girl Scout mom, and got to spend the day with my daughter and her troop in the "House that Jeter Built." As if that wasn't cool enough, I also saw Paul O'Neill! You know me and us here at BYB , we love the Warrior!

Of course, I had a fan girl moment that involved some squealing, and complete loss of motor skills for a moment. Trust me, it gave the girls a good laugh at my expense. By the way, be sure to read my recent piece on Paul O'Neill titled PAUL O'NEILL TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE.

Anyway, not to get off track... there was also a game today. It seemed like the Yankees wanted to leave a lasting impression on the girl scouts today! David Phelps pitched a phenomenal game, only giving up one run in the 4th inning.

The only other run the Blue Jays scored came off David Robertson in the 8th inning, when Edwin Encarnacion hit a homer.

Brett Gardner got the party started for the Yanks in the 3rd inning. But the real hero of the day was Robinson Cano. Robbie hit a two, 2-run homers in the 3rd and 5th inning inning. Travis Hafner also belted a 2-run homer in the 8th inning. I guess that shoulder's OK, huh?

Bonus! Then the girls got the opportunity to go out on the field to represent their troops! Pretty sure that was the highlight of my 7 year-old's day.

The Final today: Yankees 7 - Blue Jays 2

Go Yankees Go!

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

WHEN OLD BECOMES NEW

2013-05-18T08:35:00.000-04:00

Article after article, column after column, newscast after newscast wrote our epitaph during the MLB off season- the New York Yankees are old. Don’t get the engraving tool out just yet because, in a twist of fate, the old Bronx Bombers some how, some way took a drink from the fountain of youth and found their way to the top of the American League East. My thought, if we can do it with rookies, what will happen with the old heads come back? Now, in all fairness, I truly love our veterans- Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, and Mark Teixeira are my guys but let’s face it, they are not available right now, so we are left with a scrappy crew of guys who were thinking about coaching careers and a bunch of rookies.

(In Photo: David Adams)
David Adams walked the tunnel onto Yankee Stadium on his 26th birthday and since then he has been doing a terrific job at third base and DH. He runs well, he is hitting and he has a great arm. Austin Romine, up to back up Chris Stewart, has found his way into the starting lineup following Stewart’s injury. And the two, hitting next to each other in the batting order on Friday night, combined for a run- just like that.

According to My 9’s broadcast of the game on Friday, Michael Kay stated that Joe Girardi is looking to give Lyle Overbay a day off, but there is no one else who can play first base. Overbay has stepped into the big shoes of Mark Teixeira seamlessly. I giggle to myself almost every night when I think about how Boston let this key player go and we reaped that reward. Ha, ha, ha, ha…

They say in the fashion world, what’s old is new. I say, wow. I am impressed with David Phelps, Preston Claiborne, Shawn Kelley, Vidal Nuno and I can’t wait to see Dellin Betances. Why not use the minor league as an oven for new young talent and rotate the roster as needed- shake it up a bit. Let’s take some risks- why not, no one predicted that we would be here and guess what we are. Second best team in baseball, leading the AL East, and let’s not forget, Toronto was supposed be amazing, along with the Angels and they are bust. Our “old” Yankees are mentoring our “new” Yankees and we are leading the pack.

So, for all of you naysayers- I say, “never say never. “ And for all of you fans that hung in there, the best is yet to come- hold onto to your hats, it is going to be a wild season.

INJURIES DON'T MEAN NOTHING WHEN YOU BELIEVE

2013-05-17T23:15:00.001-04:00

(In Photo: David Adams scores)
The Yankees are something else right now. Maybe it's giving guys a chance and them putting on the pinstripes or maybe it's just good chemistry. Who knows. Despite a loss here and there, the Yankees keep winning. They won again tonight, 5-0 and it just gets better and better every game. No stars, just players and team... that's when the baseball is played. Hey ARod... take note.

The story of the night has to be Hiroki Kuroda who went 8 innings and only allowed 2 hits... 0 runs. In fact, shutting out the Blue Jays is something just so beautiful. Especially considering the Blue Jays fans had the Yankees pegged for last place... back in March. That was their first mistake I guess. Sure, there is alot of baseball to still be played, but I have to tell you, I feel really good about my club right now. Don't look now but Kuroda is 6-2.

The hitting broke down like this: In the second inning, Robinson Cano grounded out but Brett Gardner was able to score. Then, in the 5th, David Adams scored on a Jayson Nix sacrifice. In the 7th we broke it wide open. Austin Romine doubled to send home David Adams a second time.

(In Photo: Austin Romine)
Then Gardy singled in a run and Jayson Nix sacrified home the 5th run of the game for the Yanks. There it is... 5-0...nice!

Again, tonight's score: Yankees 5 - Blue Jays 0.

The Yanks keep winning. We don't have the best team, we don't have the stars... but we have believers and that means an awful lot right now.

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STEWART AVOIDS THE DL & CERVELLI NEWS

2013-05-17T17:03:00.002-04:00

Latest out of Yankeeland is that Chris Stewart will avoid the Disabled list after his groin pull in last night's game. According to the Yankees and Mike Axisa of RAB, the MRI game back clean.

So what does this mean? It means that Austin Romine will temporarily have the starting role and Chris Stewart is there and can "pitch in" in an emergency.

In other catching news. Everyone is asking about Francisco Cervelli. Not much but he's on his road to recovery. He also states that he plans on altering his catching style a bit. I've been saying for weeks here on Bleeding Yankee Blue. I've stated that that bare hand needs to be behind his back. That's basic Little League stuff. As the Star-Ledger (HERE) had it back after the injury happened: "As Francisco Cervelli settled in behind the plate on Friday night, he said he considered the tendencies of Toronto leadoff hitter Rajai Davis. Davis often hit foul balls, and Cervelli utilized his bare right hand to help him receive. 'I’ve got to hide my hand a little bit,” he recalled thinking at the time....And that pitch? Boom,' Cervelli said."

Hopefully the guy will be back sometime and June and there are no complications. I'd love for him to continue that hot streak once he returns.

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