WHY A CERVELLI FIST PUMP MEANS PASSION

Michael Kay is a Yankee fan, there’s no denying it. I’m not sure why he claims to be neutral, I mean, I know why he does, but he shouldn’t . Yankee fans are Yankee fans and Kay is one. You can hear his excitement on a Yankee walk off home run, it’s much different than when the opposing side cranks one. So, his negative analysis of Francisco Cervelli clapping as he touched home plate against the Red Sox last week still drives me nuts, probably because passion on the field has been part of the mindset of ballplayers since kids have been playing in Little League. Why is Kay so misguided on this one? Kay on Lupica’s radio show from August 31st said this: “What really annoyed me the most, even the clapping of the hands at Saltalamacchia, after the game, he said 'this is what Cervelli does'... That's the height of arrogance to even say that!" (The full Lupica/Kay rant is HERE. Time is at 28:24)

I don’t buy it.

There is something to be said about bad sportsmanship. It stinks. Bad sportsmanship is for instance, in my opinion, when a batter hits a homer and the next time up, he’s plunked between the numbers. That’s just a pitcher being a dick. I also find it to be bad sportsmanship when you hit a home run and stand in the batter’s box and watch your homer sail over the fence. It’s arrogant. Bad sportsmanship is pointing at an opposing player’s head like you’re suggesting he’s going to get his. Pedro Martinez did that to Jorge Posada, and yes, Posada did it back. Wrong and stupid. Mother jokes. I mean, are they necessary on the field? bad sportsmanship. OK, now I’m just getting off track.

Now, there is a big difference between bad sportsmanship and pumping your fist and showing some passion on the field. For instance, striking out a batter to get out of an inning and screaming and fist pumping is not bad sportsmanship, you just got out of a big inning. It’s adrenaline and it’s passion. Cervelli some of that today after a big strikeout against the Orioles.

Another example... Cranking a homer and fist pumping because you just helped your team gain the lead. Well, that's excitement, so you fist pump. You’ve just accomplished something big and gave your team a shot at winning. Another example, the now famous, "Clapping at home plate" after a home run by Cervelli last week. It's not bad sportsmanship, it's adrenaline. Cervelli is a player that never gets playing time, he's fired up. Respect it. Look, I don’t think Cervelli did anything wrong against the Red Sox. I think it was within the “home run time frame” if you will, and the Yankees won that game because of what Cervelli offered.

Why Michael Kay and Mike Lupica can’t see this is clearly beyond bizarro world to me. These guys are sports guys. They’ve seen passion by the Yankees all day long, how can they not distinguish between the two? They suggested Cervelli get a talking to by Derek Jeter. “Act like you’ve been there before” they said. Man, I hated Lupica’s radio show that day.

Now, you can say to me “Casey, you wrote about AJ Burnett in WHY AJ NEEDS TO SEND A MESSAGE…HIGH & TIGHT and suggested he needed to go inside on Red Sox hitters." OK, again, there’s a difference. Red Sox pitching have hit the Yankees hitters literally all season. The Yankees have never retaliated once. While hitting batters is part of the game, there’s a difference between hitting a batter once in a while and hitting them constantly. Hitting them constantly is bad sportsmanship, the occasional plunking isn’t. My assignment to Burnett on a retaliation is not only heroic, it proves that the bad sportsmanship by the Sox needed to end. Hey, to Burnett’s credit, he took the high road, he didn’t hit any Sox batters the night he pitched.

Look, as far as I’m concerned, Francisco Cervelli’s happy to be on the field. If he needs to clap, or fist pump, I accept that if something big happens in the Yankees favor. I hate hearing the argument that Cervelli needed to “act like he’s been there before.” Cervelli may not be your typical Yankee following the “Yankee way”, but one thing he is not is annoying. If you’re going to give him that “annoying” label, you might as well include Nick Swisher too. You see my point? Fun and passion for the love of baseball is just baseball. As long as you perform on the field, let out your energy, as long as it’s not malicious. If you can do that, then passion rules.

Please comment and 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 I KNOW WHO SWISHER REMINDS ME OF

I figured it out. Look, as a kid I was a huge Sesame Street fan and now that I'm a dad and have children running around me, Sesame Street is a staple in my house. Yo Gabba Gabba is too, although, I tend to think that if I was in college again, I'd be watching it too, if you know what I mean.So what am I getting at you ask, right? I was laying in bed last night and for some odd reason I was thinking about Sesame Street and a skit they used to play, this is going way back to when I was a kid, and there was a tight ass puppet and then a puppet that was just laid back and having a good time. He was loud, he was animated and I realized that Nick Swisher reminds me of this funny puppet. It's ridiculously crazy and demented but it just hit me. Check out one of my favorite Sesame Street sketches of all time:





Nick Swisher is as bubbly and animated than any other player on the New York Yankees and it helps bring an energy to the ball club that's like no other. Recently Francisco Cervelli was getting a lot of crap on Sports Radio, namely by Mike Lupica and Michael Kay on how he needed to tone down his own energy. They called it annoying. Listen to it HERE. The time starts at 28:24. Well, I guess some could call Swisher's energy annoying too, but I stand by our guys. Both Nick Swisher and Francisco Cervelli have lifted the once corporate Yankee clubhouse into a fun house. The Yankees looked relaxed yet, we're playing great. The Yankees still mean business, yet, they now look like they're having fun.



What's the point of all of this? I like to laugh, I love pop culture and I love my Yankees. Don't you think this puppet reminds you of Nick Swisher? Comment, let me know what you think.



Please comment and 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 THIS YANKEE LOSS WAS A HEARTBREAKER

(Photo: NY Daily News)

The Yankees had the lead. While a lead against the Sox is never easy to keep, it is possible. After all, we did win 5-2 the night before and all we needed to do was hold them down. One problem, Phil Hughes isn't 18 game winner Phil Hughes...mistakes happen... or Ortiz happens, and the next thing you know, the Yankees lose this one 9-5. Heartbreaker? I'd say so.



I know, you've heard it from me before and your reaction is "Casey, you can't just put every pitcher in the pen!" You're right, but Phil Hughes is a pitcher that I believe should move there. I wrote about it in WHY THE PEN IS WHERE HUGHES BELONGS and I'm not alone Ladies and Gentlemen. This little ditty surfaced today by John Harper of the Daily News: Time to Phil up Yank pen.



Look, I don't dislike Hughes, in fact, I really like the kid, but we're sitting here September 1st and Lord knows time is running out with our scotch-taped rotation. Decisions need to be made and stuck to. Consistency and confidence are key and the Yankees rotation has none of that right now. Do you really think the Yankees can go all the way to another championship with the rotation we have?? Who are you kidding?

Hughes gave up a homer to David Ortiz in the fifth inning and after that, old man Jason Varitek, who can still hit, knocked double in the 6th. He also homered later. Then, with Boone Logan in, he let up that homer to Jacoby Ellsbury to put the game out of reach. You guys still think we're OK with just 1 lefty specialist in the pen? I've been bitching for weeks that giving Logan a night off for another lefty would be helpful. Guess what, last night proved my point.

Now, back to Ortiz for a moment. 2 nights ago we watched an over excited Francisco Cervelli fist pump after almost every strikeout and he clapped after he crossed home plate after hitting a home run. The next time up, Lackey plunked him and the implication was Cervelli was showboating. Michael Kay and Mike Lupica went on a rant yesterday about how horrible it was that Cervelli was "too excited." My take on this is simple. Cervelli never plays, and when he does, he likes being on the field. His fist pumping and clapping may not be the "Yankee way" as you put it, but it's not showboating. In fact, what is worse to me is watching David Ortiz stand and watch his ball launched into the bleachers from home plate for 5 minutes. That is showboating. Rethink this guys, you got it wrong and I'm disappointed you don't see it clearly.The Yankees offense was good last night. But clearly if the pitching is giving up runs, it's hard to come back. Derek Jeter had 2 hits and an RBI, and Eric Chavez and Robinson Cano had RBI doubles.



Final Score last night: Red Sox 9 - Yankees 5.



One more thing, Roger Rubin had a good piece about the Yankees Red Sox rivalry and the headline was just rich: Red Sox DH David Ortiz says rivalry with Yankees doesn't have to resort to bench-clearing brawls. Look, I'm not in the business of anyone getting hurt, but let's face facts Ortiz, you guys are overdue for a plunking. If a Yankee player came forward and said something like that, I'd have more respect for you, but you're team is responsible for the venom and I hope Burnett does the right thing tonight, popping you between the numbers. The timing is right, wouldn't you say? Anyway, nice piece by Rubin.



Please comment and 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 HE'LL ALWAYS BE ENEMY #1

Yesterday I was driving home and I turned on Michael Kay’s radio show. Let me tell you, I’ve never wanted to drive into on-coming traffic more than I did yesterday. The big interview was with Mr. Red Sock Curt Schilling. Before the interview even began, Michael was already blowing kisses and that surprised me because i thought Kay was our guy, a Yankee guy. I was shocked.

“Well, we’re really thrilled that we’re able to get…Curt Schilling. We’ve tried for a long time and we finally got him. So we’re really proud of ourselves.”

OK, first off, Curt Schilling works for ESPN and so does Michael Kay. ESPN talent is only allowed to appear on other ESPN owned shows unless their contractually obligated to promote something else, as long as ESPN has approved it. (Schilling was promoting his new video game, “Kingdoms of Amalur”) So, I’m sure ESPN did Kay a favor.
Then this happened:

“Joe Girardi said he didn’t like the fact that David Ortiz tossed the bat away…is that something (players) take serious?” Schilling laughed him off and said David Ortiz didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. OK, I take issue with this:

1. Joe Girardi needs to protect his young pitcher.
   
2. Schilling and Ortiz were teammates for 4 years, so of course he’s going to take his side.

Then Schilling said, “As a pitcher I never liked guys doing it. I was always uncomfortable when my guys did it because as a pitcher, I know guys want to even the score and I’m going to have to protect my players. Joe knows better, that’s the way the game is. He’s got guys on his team that do the same thing.”

He went on to say he never hit anyone on purpose and blah, blah, blah. Well Mr. Hypocrite, you just said Oritz didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, yet, you said you hated when guys did that to. So which is it?

So then I started wondering back to my earlier point. Kay is our guy. Why isn't he challenging Schilling? I mean, I know Schilling is a guest on his show, but this is a guy that's contradicting himself and no one is challenging his statement. I found it utterly ridiculous. Why not stand up for what you believe in? I mean, you've been talking about how Girardi was aggravated by the bat flip, so, stick to the point and give Schilling the rapid fire...nothing.

Now, in fairness, Kay did go on to point out that acceptance of this behavior is selective.

“If Alex Rodriguez does the same thing, the Red Sox will probably throw at him…Jason Varitek will give him a face full of glove.”

Schilling responded by saying that’s not true and David Ortiz isn’t the only one who does it and A-Rod's 500 home runs give him some lee-way. Say what you want about Alex, but we all know if he showed up a Boston pitcher the way Ortiz did, he’d be taking one in the ribs.

Message to Kay, yes, you say your an independent broadcaster but we know where your heart lies. All we ask is next time don't roll over for a fellow ESPN guy when you clearly disagree with him, that's all.

-- Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Writer

bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com

Please comment and 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.