HAPPY BIRTHDAY BYB. WE TURNED 1 BECAUSE OF YOU.

In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would actually have a Yankees blog that anyone would care about. But you readers out there are pretty damn passionate and need your Yankees news and opinion and we love it.

When we started on September 14, 2010, Bleeding Yankee Blue started as a rant page because I was tired of yelling at the TV because of another Yankee loss. Sergio Mitre, the thorn in my side was involved, so you can only imagine why I freaked out. Here’s the first post ever on Bleeding Yankee Blue titled WHY LAST NIGHT WAS IMPORTANT.

Since then we’ve posted 975 posts and we have writers who have developed into personalities and readers look for their work. Some of you think we’re the cat’s meow. Well, we know you are but what am I? This journey has been incredible. What we have built here isn’t because of any of us. It really has more to do with all of you. If you don’t read us, we write for no one. When you read, you send it to a friend who sends it to a friend. You Tweet it, you "Like" it on Facebook. Maybe Google news picks it up, or ESPN picks it up and calls us Intrepid Bloggers and some of you even send us pictures of yourself for Bleeding Yankee Blue’s Fan of the week. It’s pretty damn cool.I still remember our first "BYB Fan of the Week" on a chilly week in February. It was Robert in full Yankee gear and suddenly BYB's Fan of the Week was born. Since then we’ve had a fan of the week, well, every week and the pictures are pouring in, it’s just amazing. Keep it up by the way, just send them to mailto:Bleednyankeeblu@gmail.com

We do Yankee interviews here, many blogs do not. Our first was EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: STEVE KARSAY and since then we’ve interviewed Mickey Rivers, Scott Brosius, Chuck Knoblauch and our favorite gal of all time, Kimberly Jones. We love her.If BYB didn't exist, we would have never got to interview Kimberly Jones. But we do and we did and we're very happy about it. We've even helped bring awareness to David Robertson's charity High Socks for Hope.
On the flip side, people like to rain on our parade too. It’s OK, but the viciuous stuff needs to be checked at the door. Don’t hate, be constructive, that’s all we ask here. Hey, bottom line, we’re still relatively new, we haven’t worked out all the kinks yet and we’re not perfect, but we’re trying our best. You want to hear a funny story? I was on a commuter train maybe a month ago looking at Bleeding Yankee Blue on my phone. Pathetic right? That's not the story though. This is... It was tight quarters. There was a guy standing next to me and said “You read them?” He was looking over my shoulder at my phone. I said “Sure.” He said “9 times out of ten, Casey nails it, every once in a while, he ticks me off.” “Totally”, I said with a smile. What am I going to do, argue with a New Yorker and Yankee fan? Hell no. It was totally bizarre and a moment I'll never forget.

The point is, today we turn 1 and at this moment I have one focus; We will keep moving forward, for you. We vow to keep getting you interesting material, news and opinion as well as personality, something some of the others lack. We’ll try and keep it fresh, we’ll try to keep it fun and the day it doesn’t become fun for me personally, I’m closing shop. But right now, it’s really fun and you make it fun... so thank you.

We’ve had some real great posts over our 1^st year. Christy Lee wrote a truly touching piece called FAMILY RIVALRY & THE LAST WORD that has received tremendous feedback. Christy's like my sis and I'm glad she's in the BYB family.

I love Jesse Schindler’s piece titled WHY ROBERTSON DESERVES MORE CREDIT. He wrote it back in May and since then David Robertson has developed into one of the greatest set up men of all time.

There’s Mikey Blue’s piece titled WHY JORGE'S HEART BEATS STRONG. In our BYB world, we love Jorge Posada and this particular post hit home. Not only did Jorge have a great game in that 9-2 victory, we saw some life from the gritty veteran.

Grant Cederquist wrote WHY THE KIDS ARE GROWING UP and has proven he's one of the best bloggers out there when it comes to the minor league guys.

Jeana Bellezza, a newcomer and my go-to-gal who wrote a piece on Derek Jeter which is my favorite by her titled WHY IT'S MORE THAN 3000, IT'S DESTINY.

Lem Allen is a friend of mine and this one of his was my favorite: WHY IT'S JUST BASEBALL SUZYN.

Will Cohen, my first writer ever wrote WHY DOESN'T CASH LIKE SPENDING CASH? This was his first piece and with it, he became published and had a new passion in life.And Me? Well, I love to write, but if I had to choose, there would be 2; WHY JETER IS EPIC FOR 1 GOOD REASON and AN OPEN LETTER TO JORGE POSADA. They are 2 of my baseball heroes, never to be forgotten.

The point is, we love what we do because you love to read it. So, do me a favor, on our first birthday, today is important to us. So comment today on our blog, use the comment section and take a moment and tell us what you think, you can even wish us a happy birthday. Just take a moment and let us know what you like and don’t like. Keep it clean and have a good time with it. Tell us what you like about our pieces, the writers, me and the site itself. After all, feedback rules and that’s how we know how to improve. You have questions? Ask, we’ll try to answer. All I ask is you keep reading and enjoy it. Also, Word of mouth is key, so if there’s something you like, tell someone about it, after all, the playoffs are right around the corner and this is what we have been writing for all year... the Quest for 28.

And a special personal note to the Bleeding Yankee Blue writers. You do a great job. You approached me and I approached you and a marriage was made. Thank you for being there and thank for you taking this ride with me.

Again, thanks to the BYB readers, it’s been swell and you guys made it happen. We couldn’t do it without you… well, we could, but we’d be 8 writers reading each other’s material and that’s no fun, right?

We received some great notes from many of you, and decided to publish some of them in this post so you can be part of our history. I couldn't get you all in here, but I hope I got most of you. Thank you all. We now move on to our "Quest for 2."

"Bleeding Yankee Blue describes exactly what it's like to be a NY Yankee Fan!"
--Brittany Canal Fulton, Ohio

"I like Bleeding Yankee Blue because it is awesome and one of the best out there, Happy Birthday to you!" --Dana Trentacost

"Happy B-day BYB!!! Keep up the great job!!!" --Kiley

"You bring me the most informative YANKEE information available!"
--Mike, Loxahatchee, Florida

"It's run by true Yankee fans who write their posts from the heart and also appreciate other peoples views." -- Charles, Sydney Australia

"Happy Birthday! Keep the blogs coming~ One year? Went fast." --Debi

"Happy Birthday BYB! Living in Seattle, WA, it's hard to stay current with Pinstripe Pals and BYB has been an awesome resource for game summaries and info on future stars and all things Yankees! Great job!" --Tom, Seattle

"I like Bleeding Yankee Blue because they are informative, honest, and are HOPELESSLY biased towards the NY Yankees!" -- Marianne

"I like Bleeding Yankee Blue because they love and support The Greatest Baseball Team ever. The New York Yankees. Sing it Frankie!" --Judith

Please comment, we use DISQUS. 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 RAYS HAD YANKEES NUMBER

(Photo: Getty)
Wins against division rivals is the most important part of making it to the playoffs. The second most important part of that equation is winning each series. Tonight the Yankees lost to a rival with a chance to win the series tomorrow. It makes tomorrows game much more important now, doesn't it? Yes, it's easy to beat the teams that don't mean anything, but winning when it really matters, like beating the Rays to a pulp, every time is much more important, especially in the second half of the season.(Photo: Getty)
Bartolo Colon was on the mound tonight and he did pretty good, he had a strong performance. I must say, there wasn't the worry I thought I would have. He went 6.1 innings pitched, and 5 hits gave the Rays 3 runs. Colon also had 9 strikeouts. He literally was able to keep the Yankees in the game but Jeremy Hellickson did great job tonight too. Oh well, it sucks, but it's true.
(Photo: Getty)
Robinson Cano continues his great season, hitting his 16th home run tonight and was able to get the 2 RBIs of the game tonight, but that was it for New York. No more runs, they were just unable to hit Hellickson.

Now, onto alittle rant. I don't like piling on Boone Logan because I think that in the back of my mind I don't feel it fair to rip on our only lefty specialist, but tonight I have to. Logan allowed a sacrifice fly and go ahead run and the Yankees lost because of it. To me, you can't come in against lefties and allow lefties to hit against you, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR JOB IS TO GET THEM OUT. Yes, Granderson made the catch but at that point, it was do or die for the Rays and it's more about the hit happening in the first place. And, of all people Boone, you had to allow it to Johnny Damon, didn't you? Damn it! You can't let that happen Boone, you just can't. So, tonight I'm praying to the Gods that put Sergio Mitre on the Disabled List today for alittle more action on my behalf:

Dear God who I love so much,

You were able to make Sergio Mitre go the the DL (read HERE), can you please just give Boone Logan alittle abdominal pain, or blister or something so he can join Mitre on the DL? Then we'll be forced to find a lefty immediately in the farm or in a trade and move on. Thank you.

-Casey

P.S. I've been good all year so far...tell Santa

Look, you know how I feel about playing baseball. If you know you have a certain job to do, for example, getting out lefties, or fielding the ball cleanly without making errors, or just hitting in the clutch, damn it, you just have to do it. That's why you get a pay check. I'm annoyed at Logan tonight, and I think it's time to go.

The Final Score tonight: Rays 3 - Yankees 2. Tomorrow's a must win boys, win that and you must win 1 more to win the Series. Garcia vs. Price tomorrow. Do it Yanks!

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.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF SERGIO MITRE

When Sergio Mitre came back to the Yankees this year again, I didn't think too much of it. I figured the Yankees were going to stock pile arms and see how he was pitching and use him on occasion or not at all, after all, with the Brewers, he was 0-1 with a 3.27. To me, I didn't think having Mitre back in a limited capacity would really affect the New York Yankees. After all, we are a smart team and if we learned anything from Mitre, we learned it the last time he was here... he's not good. Mitre, while probably a great teammate offers absolutely nothing to better or help our club. That's just a fact, it doesn't matter if the guy's starting or relieving or mopping up...ultimately, there is not need to for this guy.

I wrote WHY IN THE WORLD? on December 2, 2010. In it, I give my theory to why Mitre keeps coming into games and keep coming back to the Bronx. Now, while my post is clearly a joke, Joe Girardi's sick fascination with Mitre is not. Mitre and Girardi have a long history together. Girardi has a personal attachment to this kid, if it wasn't evident before, it damn sure is now. I don't care if the Yankees are losing 25 to 3, Mitre doesn't belong on this rotation, starting, relief, bullpen, parking lot warm up...nothing. Joe, in fairness to the Yankee fans who believe in pride for the pinstripes and elite playing ability, this poor guy just doesn't have it and you need to open your eyes. Brian Cashman is the GM and you have to stop getting in his ear and helping him make choices on guys that we don't need.
"Joe Girardi likes Sergio Mitre, but he likes him the way he was when he started on the Cubs when Joe Girardi and he got to know each other. Girardi saw something in Sergio Mitre when he came up with the Cubs back in 2003...He saw potential. But the talent never really ever panned out. There was never a shot at becoming a superstar. That's life, it sucks for Mitre, but it's life."

I wrote that about a week after Sergio Mitre returned to the Yankees this year in WHY WE DON'T NEED MITRE...EVER. In it, I try to again understand in my post why this keeps happening. It makes no sense to me, but it is clear this is a connection that runs deep, if it really didn't, Mitre would still be on the Brewers, putting up decent numbers and not on the New York Yankees where he allows a run or more literally every inning he's out there. It's just not fair to the Yankee fans and the team, and it's not fair to this guy who Joe keeps believing in. I have to laugh because I saw Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and in it, the wife looks at Dewey and she says to him: "I do believe in you, I just know you're gonna fail." That's how I feel about Sergio Mitre. I never want to totally NOT have faith in anyone the Yankees put out there, but when Mitre comes in, there is no upside...It's disappointing, it's tragic and I'm sorry, "It's over Johnny."

I am calling on Brian Cashman to do the right thing here. The New York Yankees are on a Quest for 28 this season and the world knows it. Cashman and Girardi are the closest to this situation. Now, while Mitre didn't lose it for us last night, he did put the game out of reach and to me, that is unacceptable. Yes, I blame Bartolo Colon for last night's loss, and yes, Boone Logan didn't help, but Mitre is clearly out of his league and to be honest, I'm not sure a major league team deserves him. He's not on the level.It may sound harsh, but this is the reality. Time's up, we need to go on without you Sergio. You got your ring in 2009. This is 2011.

Time to cut to cord Joe....time to cut the cord.

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 JETER GETS CLOSER, BUT YANKEES LOSE

(Photo: NY Times)
The Yankees just had nothing in the tank tonight until the 9th and by then, it was too late. The Indians pitching was brilliant and the Yankees were flat. Is this any way to treat the Captain as he is about to embark on 3000 hits? Hmm. That's me dripping with sarcasm.

Look bottom line, the Yankees didn't have anything tonight based on great pitching by Cleveland and that's that. Turn the page. You can harp on this game all you want, but you shouldn't because it's over.(Photo: Reuters)
Tonight was Phil Hughes big night. To tell you the truth, if Justin Masterson wasn't pitching, Hughes may have gotten his first win of the year. The trouble was the Yankees just couldn't get it together, Masterson was lights out. Hughes had a tough first inning but it changed. He pitched 5 innings, held the Indians to 2 runs on 5 hits and walked 2. His fastball was between 92 and 93 MPH. He settled down and his velocity was up, that's what was important.(Photo: US Presswire)
The Captain is now 3 hits away from 3000. His hit tonight, a double, was a beautiful shot to right field and the world is watching Derek, so Derek, do your thing. I feel just as nervous as Derek must feel right now. Mikey Blue and I collected his rookie cards before Jeter ever stepped foot in Yankee Stadium back in 1992 and 1993. I have watched him his entire career, I love the guy and I love his leadership. Believe me, I watch him every at bat and while he looks cool as a cucumber, his nerves are going crazy, believe me. Now I understand why Roger Maris said he was losing hair during his run for 61. It must be nuts.

And can I ask you a question? Why is Sergio Mitre pitching in any game for the Yankees? Why? Sergio Mitre is probably a great teammate and a real nice guy. But I think he's done. Girardi's man crush for Sergio Mitre is at this point about to break worldwide on TMZ. It's ridiculous, he doesn't belong in a game for the Yankees. The Yankees are a team made up of contenders, not mop up guys. Never pitch this guy Joe, ever. Hell, I'd rather pickup Chad Gaudin again... seriously, I would.

Final Score tonight: Indians 5 - Yankees 3. It's Rays time tomorrow, get ready New York.

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 WE DON'T NEED MITRE... EVER

Joe Girardi likes Sergio Mitre, but he likes him the way he was when he started on the Cubs when Joe Girardi and he got to know each other. Girardi saw something in Sergio Mitre when he came up with the Cubs back in 2003...He saw potential. But the talent never really ever panned out. There was never a shot at becoming a superstar. That's life, it sucks for Mitre, but it's life.

Look, I coach Little League, and I see kids who play equally to other kids on the team, kids that are new to the game, yet, the coaches look at the ones that have been playing longer and look back to their Glory Days, when those kids were superstars. At the end of the day...they're really all pretty equal right now, but, they remember those older times, not the moments now and they bench the newer kids. Let me tell you something, Joe Girardi is thinking back to the Glory Days of Sergio Mitre. Except, there weren't any Glory days in Chicago, there was only possible potential and those days are long gone.
The Yankees have to cut Sergio Mitre. Release him and give that spot to a pitcher that deserves to be in that spot. There are plenty of them on the New York Yankees, either on the current roster or in the farm system and that opportunity is for someone that's earned it. What is the reasoning for bringing in someone like Mitre losing a 3-0 game and allowing him to load the bases and the next thing you know it's 5-0? Put it this way, if Mitre isn't in and a regular is there instead, the game is tied 3-3 in the ninth, not 5-0. See what I mean?

This rant clearly is the pregame before my recap of tonight's game, and something I had to get off my chest. In my mind, Mitre's career in pinstripes needs to be over. Sorry I sound so harsh, but it's the reality.

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.

3 YANKEES WALK INTO A BAR...

Well, not exactly, but how else to I get your attention. There are 3 players I want to tell you about, some good news and some weird news but still important to keep the base informed so here it goes:

Derek Jeter: Our Captain will be playing for the Trenton Thunder this weekend and I have to tell you, that is awesome for Yankee fans in Trenton. It's always great to see such a well established ballplayer playing on a lower level. First off, it packs the house, and secondly, it's just a fun time. I remember when Clemens was down there after Suzyn Waldman announced to the world that "Roger Clemens is in George's box." Click the video in this link HERE. I also loved seeing Hideki Matsui in his rehab down there after the wrist injury. It's a lot of fun. If you can get tickets, it 's a good ticket to get. Look for Jeter to be back with the big team in the Cleveland series next week. Very exciting.
Bartolo Colon: Colon is coming back and I can't wait for it. He threw a simulated game and a bullpen session and to use John Rowe's words from The Bergen Record, Colon "declared himself fit to come off the disabled list and start against the Mets on Saturday." This guy was a huge surprise this year and I know they'll be a Lifetime movie about him... I crack myself up.
Sergio Mitre: If Jeter, Colon and Mitre are the three stooges, Mitre is Shemp. He's the third Stooge that I just really didn't like as much as Curly and I feel that way about Mitre. He's there, he may be talented, but I'm done giving him chances.I don't care for Mitre, I feel like he's got a dirty secret about Girardi that is forcing Girardi to continue to give him a job. I just don't care for the guy. Now the Yankees paid the Brewers like $50 for him, and this is just alittle insurance this time around. I don't expect Mitre to be that affective and I don't even know if they'll use the guy. Bringing Mitre back is just to get another look. He had a 3.27 ERA with an 0-1 record in 22 games. Take a look HERE. You know I'm the first to say I can't stand the guy, but I don't take this signing too seriously.

All in all, the Yankees are coming, coming off injury and being added to the already talented team. Read WHY THE YANKEES ARE COMING and you will sense me smiling as you read it.

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 DICKERSON'S THE REAL DEAL

There’s no one scrappier than Chris Dickerson. Yes, this guy was a no-name to Yankees fans 4 months ago, but as an extra outfielder, the kid’s got speed, grit and athleticism in the field that is more than any fourth or fifth outfielder... He could actually be a starter too.

The best thing right now is we an above average player in Dickerson on our bench to fill in for a slow starting Swisher and a guy that can mirror a Gardner in left if needed.

So, how did it happen? How and why did we get Chris Dickerson? It was simple, Brain Cashman reads Bleeding Yankee Blue and he saw the abuse Sergio Mitre was taking. Cashman thought to himself, “Self…What would make the Mighty Casey happy?
Sergio Mitre is on his shit list, maybe I’ll unload him. But for who?" Then Cashman did something amazing. He went through the BYB archives. (If you haven’t, you should do it too, there are some gems in there.) Cashman knows I like speed, he knows I like dirty uniforms and he knows I like when the Yankees win. Brian Cashman did this trade for me. Well, not exactly, but he did know that Dickerson would better the team and Mitre was going nowhere.

Once Cashman convinced Girardi he needed to let go of his Mitre obsession, he made the call and got a player on no one’s radar. That’s what Cashman does best; getting the diamond in the ruff that no one is looking at. Yes, Cash gets the big fish, but it’s those little fish that sometimes make the difference. In my mind, Dickerson will be a huge help to the Bronx Bombers.

(photo: Getty)

And speaking of Bronx Bombers, don’t underestimate the other outfielder the Yankees collected over the off season in Andruw Jones. Jones may be older since those glory days of the Atlanta Braves, but he has something to prove too and will do it, every chance he gets. Look for a terrific piece by Grant Cederquist titled WHY CASHMAN IS THE SMARTEST GM IN BASEBALL. It maps out Cashman’s cheap and yet smart moves wonderfully.

For me, I look forward to Dickerson playing more. I like him in the late innings and I like him when he fills in. Do you know the feeling you get when a sub comes in for a starter? You will usually cringe right? I don’t cringe when Dickerson comes in. Yes, it’s a gut thing for me and if my guts not hurting, like it does when Eduardo Nunez takes over in the field, then I know that sub is about to have a good game. Dickerson doesn’t make me worry, that’s all I need.

Give Cashman some credit; he’s got his eye on the prize. Yes, they aren’t all All-Stars, but they are talented ballplayers and I am happy to add Chris Dickerson to that list, no doubt.

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 WE NEVER GIVE UP ON OUR YANKEES

(photo: NY Daily News)
There are plenty of things that happen around Opening Day. Raw fan emotion for 1. For 2, raw player emotion, yes, it's just a job to them, but they still want to win.

For the fan watching, we anaylze very simply. We look at the at bats for instance. In 4 or 5 plate appearances, us Yankee fans get a batch report of what a player may or may not do that season. Yes, it's a small batch, but put simply, this is where fans gauge players. It's not fair, but that's how our minds work.

The reality is, anything can happen after Opening Day, but comfort level of an individual player is tested and the fan knows that. Butterflies are in everyone's stomach on Opening Day, and as days move on into weeks, comfort becomes dominant in a player's psyche. That confidence at the plate usually will translate to the fan, hence, jersey's are purchased, kids formulate who their favorite player is, females want to marry that player.

Sometimes as the season progresses, certain players can't get that confidence. The mind doesn't sync up with the body, they're slow at the plate, they're booed at the plate. Fans leave, and no one's asking for autographs anymore. Bottom line, you see that happening a mile away, the player knows too, but sometimes you have to just chalk it up as a slump.

One thing I've noticed as a Yankee fan though, We never give up on our guys, EVER. Yes, we get hasty, we want the big hit, but we never ever desert our players. We love our Yankees. I've seen crappy players come and go but whenever they come back, Opening Day or Old Timer's Day, there's alwayshuge applause.Look, I rooted for the Yanks when Bobby Meacham and Dale Berra were the left side of the infield. Those were dark days. But no one faults a bad Yankee player. They may be bad sometimes, but he was qualified to wear the pinstripes, so over time, he's embraced. We, the fans love our Yankees and if you wear the pinstripes and get out there and do all you can do, we salute them... Why? Because Yankees keep fighting, no matter what.I joked about how bad Sergio Mitre was for us. Well, he was, but he gave it his all, it just turned out, he wasn't terribly good, but he never gave up. Remember Kevin Maas? He was crushing homeruns early on in his career, then, once teams figured out he couldn't hit anything but fastballs, he eventually vanished, but he never gave up. And still, to this day everyone remembers Maas, and if he showed up at Yankee Stadium, people would love to see him.

How about Glennallen Hill, or Jack Clark... maybe Matt Nokes. All these guys were Yankees, all had flashes of greatness for the Yanks, but none of them panned out the way we wanted, yet, Yankee fans know those players, and we love our Yankees. Why? Because they never gave up.
There's something that happens to players when they put on the pinstripes. They become super heroes to us all. They are leaders, they walk with pride, they never stop fighting. That's what I grew up watching. Today, nothing's changed, except of course the athletes themselves. At the end of the day, It's the unique history and a unique pattern. Yes, it's great to win every year, but year after year we remember every player good or bad who ran out on the field as a New York Yankee. Because when you wear the pinstripes, you never give up and the fans never give up on you.

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'M SAD MITRE WAS TRADED

For everyone who just found, Yes, it's true, Sergio Mitre was traded, and I'm sad!!!! Moments after the minor league deal of Kevin Millwood was announced, it was soon announced that Sergio Mitre was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Chris Dickerson.

Now, you're wondering why I'm sad. Well, damn it, who the hell am I going to rant about now? My first rant on this blog was about how much Mitre drove me crazy. It was called WHY LAST NIGHT WAS IMPORTANT from back in September 2010. Now what am I going to do?

Anyway, you can read the story about the trade HERE.

The Yankees get Chris Dickerson, who batted .278 in 17 games with Milwaukee this spring. It's another outfielder and that's fine, especially for Mitre, he can platoon in the outfield and be a bench player.
According to Hardball Talk, Milwaukee could use Mitre as a starter. Mitre was fighting for a starting role for the Yanks this year, but he pretty much just needed to show up to Spring Training and cement his fate as a mediocre starting pitcher for the Yanks. He did, and now he's gone, finally.

So, yes, while it's a sad day in BYB land, it's also Happy UnBirthday to me! But yes, today is the last day I speak of the man known as Sergio Mitre.

I wish him well. Maybe in some place other than New York, Sergio will perform. Anything's possible.

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 ESPN MADE MY EARS BLEED

Today, most of us Yankee fans would have put on the YES network for the Yankees vs. Orioles ball game. Listening to Ken Singleton and John Flaherty to me, is always more comforting than listening to anyone on ESPN. But, I decided to watch it on ESPN anyway. Believe me, if I didn't have this blog, I would have totally ignored John Kruk and Karl Ravech, but because of BYB, I did. Big mistake.

The obsession with the Orioles today was incredible. It was almost as if the Orioles had led the AL East for the past 10 years and had been overly dominant in baseball. At one point, Buck Showalter had a few moments to be interviewed with the ESPN boys and if I wanted to hear that much slobbering, I would have recorded my wife and I on our first date. No, this was embarrassing. This was beyond anything that “real” sports people do, especially if your supposed to be calling a game independently. They interviewed Showalter. Fine. You should do that. But what they did was not only conduct an interview they held the all mighty Showalter on a pedestal, rewarding him on turning the Orioles around. They were highlighting all his “achievements” as manager of the Orioles. It was like equating him to Christ.

Look, I give credit where credit is due. Showalter is a great manager, the Orioles won a lot more games with Showalter last year than without him. But last time I checked, this was Spring training game today and the Orioles still haven’t won shit. Oh yeah, and let's not forget what topped it off for me. Jake Fox, an Orioles player and a journeymen in baseball since 2007, hit his 8th homerun of the spring and they were drooling through my 1080i HD set like it was Mantle. I mean, yeah, 8 home runs in spring is great, but who the hell is keeping that stat after today? Seriously. I turned it off because it was pathetic.

Why is ESPN so Anti-Yankees? I would almost have more respect for Kruk and Ravech if they just let us know before hand they were going to opening root for the Orioles today. For some reason, they seem to have it all figured out. They basically just predicted the Orioles are about the dominate the American League East next year. Bold prediction. For the love of God gentlemen, check your bias at the door, you don’t represent either team, your “baseball” announcers… act like it.

Anti-Yankee bias once again Ladies and Gentlemen… do me a favor, never make the mistake that I did today. Instead, watch what makes you happy, our guys. They may be Yankee announcers, but at least they're fair.

Oh and in Yankee news today, a few brief pieces of information:

• Sergio Mitre started today and pretty much sealed his fate to get moved out of the Yankees roster and hopefully move Freddy Garcia in as a candidate for the long man role. Read about it HERE.
• Curtis Granderson is out with a "oblique strain" injury. Hmm. A lot of oblique injuries lately. Is this a coincidence or should we question training methods? Just asking. First Joba, then Mitre, now Grandy. Just a thought. Read about it HERE.
  

9 days BYB freaks...feel it, baseball season's coming.

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WHY NOVA AND COLON SHOULD GO NORTH

Before Spring Training started, the New York Yankees lost out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, and weeks later they found out veteran left hander Andy Pettitte was going to retire. Thus, the Yankees had a huge hole in their rotation. The Yankees were pretty desperate, by signing Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to minor league deals with an invitation to spring training. They are also considering in-house talents like the youngster Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre. The Yankees even considered signing veteran Kevin Millwood, who lost a league leading 16 games with a 5.10 ERA, talk about being desperate. I hate to say it, Millwood's still on the radar.
(photo: Daily News)
As Spring Training develops, it seems as though there have been two pitchers who have stood out the most. One of those is young right hander Ivan Nova. Nova pitched a bit last year with the Yankees, in 10 games, seven starts, Nova pitched to a 4.50 ERA while winning one and dropping two. The problem for Nova was that he was always running into trouble once he faced batters for the third time in the game. Those times, he yielded a .400 batting average against them, and a .531 OBP. Compared to the first and second time around where he allowed a .196 AVG, and a .286 OBP, and the second time around he allowed a .246 AVG, and a .254 OBP. This isn't surprising as Nova is just 24 years old. But, this spring he has been tremendous, going 1-0 with a sparkling 1.29 ERA. That includes his last start against the Baltimore Orioles best lineup in which he pitched six no-hit innings. This is also impressive because in his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays, he got touched up a bit by allowing two runs, two home runs, in three innings of work. Nova, has grown up right before our eyes, thus he should make the trip up north with the regulars to the Bronx and be the team's fourth starter.
The second guy that should may be a surprise to you, as it is to me. Bartolo Colon. When Colon got signed before spring training, I thought he had zero chance to make this club. He even admitted that he was 25 lbs overweight. Also, he hadn't pitched in the big leagues since 2009. With that in mind, I believe he would have been the first cut. I, along with the rest of us, were dead wrong. Colon has been better than advertised. In nine innings of work he has allowed just three runs, on eight hits, while striking out 12. His fastball has reached 92, even touching 93, with some very good downward movement. He's also shown a nasty change-up with a good breaking ball as well.
(photo: Daily News)
I believe so far Colon has earned his way to be the number five starter with the Yankees. Remember, this is a guy who won the American League Cy Young in 2005. Now, don't expect a year like that out of Colon, believe me, if he does, you can save your spot in the "Canyon of Heroes" for the Yankees ticker tape parade in November. I'm not saying that though, I'm saying this guy knows what he's doing out there. He's proven he can pitch in the American League, and he still believes he can be effective in the big leagues. Look for Colon to earn the number five spot in the Bombers rotation

Missed the cut from my perspective: Freddy Garcia and Sergio Mitre. They had a chance for the number four and five spots in the Yankee rotation. But because of some ineffectiveness, and injury, they will just miss the cut in my eye. Freddy Garcia started out well this spring, by not allowing a run in his first two spring assignments. But in his last two starts, he has given up nine runs, and so far this spring in 13.2 innings pitched he has a 5.93 ERA. The last start for Garcia could have been the deadly blow when he allowed five runs in six innings to a weak Toronto Blue Jays lineup. The killer for Freddy came on a two out, two run home run in the sixth inning by David Cooper. Don't expect Garcia to take a minor league assignment if he doesn't make the team.
The other loser, could have won the consolation prize, a spot in the bullpen. That is Sergio Mitre. Mitre missed a start earlier this spring against a complete Boston Red Sox lineup due to a sore left oblique. But, he has pitched well this spring, in four games, one start, he has allowed just two runs in eight innings of work. Mitre is a contact pitcher, and has struggled in the starting rotation in the regular season with the Yankees. Look for Mitre to make the Yankees' bullpen as a long man.

That's how I see it, do you agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think, comment.



--Jesse Schindler BYB Guest Writer
My Blog: The Pinstriped Personality


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WHY IS MILLWOOD STILL LIKELY?

	"At this point, the contract is less important than the situation. Kevin is looking for the best opportunity." --Scott Boras

(photo: Getty)
Look, Kevin Millwood is an innings eating pitcher that for some crazy reason, the Yankees are fascinated with. According to SI's Jon Heyman, the Yanks offered him a contract after he threw at UC-Irvine earlier in the week. Another report about the offer is HERE.

Millwood wants a Major league deal. As we know from earlier this winter, the Yanks offered him a minor league deal and he rejected it. In the meantime, they picked up some once great group of pitchers, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon and Mark Prior, all with big time injury and all working their way back. Millwood, probably has the best health record of them all, which is why the Yanks find him somewhat appealing.(photo: espn)
But, as this very moment, my question is why? Why are the Yankees still pursuing this guy? There's nothing wrong with stockpiling pitchers, true, in fact, I like that, especially being in the position the Yanks were in all winter. I assume they feel that even though Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia pitched well this spring, trouble's coming. It makes sense. Maybe there is just a feeling of being extra safe in getting an innings eater like Kevin Millwood on the roster, putting him in the 4th or 5th hole and using Colon or Garcia as a long man. Then they could put Nova in the number 5 hole and ditch Sergio Mitre. This is me just rambling, but I'm just trying to understand this, and I can't.

Look, I firmly believe that Millwood's record with the Orioles last year was because of who he played for. Yes, he is getting older and he doesn't pitch like he used to and didn't down the stretch for the Orioles, so yes, it was a combination of things, but I don't feel like that 4-16 record would be a Yankee problem like it was an Orioles problem. The offenses are quite different and there would have been more wins and less losses for sure.

This soap opera's not over with Millwood. Not sure why but let the Yanks do what they must, I have faith in them. The fans have been wrong before. There's a method to Miyagi's (I mean Cashman's) madness.

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WHY IT'S A TALE OF TWO PITCHERS

An oblique strain stinks and both Sergio Mitre and Joba Chamberlain have one. So, right off the bat, I'm thinking, bye bye Mitre. Yet, I don't feel the same way about Joba, I'm not sure why.

I tell you what, I recently wrote WHY MITRE HAS A CLEAN SLATE because, I realized something. I don't hate Sergio Mitre. I just realized Mitre's human and It's not his fault he's not particularly good. Bottom line, he's out there every day pitching his heart out, the trouble is he just doesn't have it.

So when I read this interesting nugget from one of my favorite Yankees blogs, Bronx Baseball Daily, I was not exactly surprised. They borrowed it from Joel Sherman of the NY Post:

"There are scouts saying that they are convinced the Yankees are going to release Sergio Mitre…"

And this from MLB Trade Rumors:

"If the Yankees release Mitre prior to March 28th, he’d only be due 45 days termination pay, which on his $900K salary equals $222,527. If they release him after that they’d owe the full $900K, less the prorated portion of the league minimum if he signs elsewhere. So either way the bill to let Mitre go should be less than $500K."

Now, I feel bad sometimes when I suggest people need to be fired. As my boss as said for years "we'll move him, not fire him." I have to say, I subscribe to that. Firing someone is so final and the likelihood of getting a new job is never a sure thing, although maybe the Mets would be a good fit. Anyway, the topic of releasing a player, or Mitre, is worrisome to him I'm sure.

But my feeling is, something needs to be done. You put your best 25 on a team. Mitre, compared to others working toward a roster spot is maybe the 30th best if you have a pool of 40. Quite simply, it's time to "move" him, Triple A, a trade, something. There are plenty of long men who can do a better job, no offense Sergio.On the Joba front, well look, I don't like all that weight he's carrying on his frame. He looks huge, but I know there is potential with him. Mechanics was key for Joba, and he's figured it out. Yes, while Mitre and Joba have the same injury, I'd much rather NOT cut bait on Joba. I believe in the kid. I want him to succeed.

2 pitchers, same injuries... who would you release? Who would you keep? Tell us.

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WHY I DON'T BELIEVE CASHMAN

"I'm not talking to anyone about anything right now, nobody's available. Nobody of value, anyway." --Brian Cashman

The Yanks and the Twins are about to make a deal, despite what Brian Cashman says. Francisco Liriano is on the Yankees radar and pretty much has been since December. Again, many questions are still out there as to who will be involved in the trade and whether or not it's worth it. Liriano, who at one time was one of the most talented pitchers in the majors was 14-10 last year. He's 27 and is coming off injury. That being said, he can be totally dominant if he is to stay healthy. And by the way, he would not be a 4th rotation guy with the Yankees. No no. If Liriano came to the Bronx, this guy is sitting right behind CC Monster or behind Hughes. He's that good. Now comes the burning question, who to give up?

You can't get something for nothing and while I'm convinced that Liriano would be a huge help for the Yanks, I'm just not sure who would be the odd man or men out.

1. Joba Chamberlain- It seems like a no brainer right? Wrong. I've been down on Joba sure, but fixing mechanics is major and if consistently pounds the strike zone touching 94 like he did Saturday, I don't want to give him up. Yankee Brass probably disagrees and has a bow on him all ready to deliver to Minnesota. Now, If I needed to give up someone, then it's bye bye Mr. Chamberlain, it's been real.

2. Ivan Nova- The kid was put into the Yankee rotation in the hardest part of the Yankees season last year. When I put it like that, he didn't do so bad. The reality is he's got great stuff and has balls, and I don't mean bases on balls, this guys got brass ones. Remember his stare down with Jose Bautista last year? He's no chump. But, knowing what we have in the minors, I'd be willing to give Nova up, but I'm not sure I want to just yet. Give me 24 hours on this one.

3. Sergio Mitre- YES! (But no one wants this guy)

4. Pitching prospects- Baneulos, Betances, Brackman, Phelps, Noesi and the list goes on. There are a lot of promising things to say about each. But if I had to, I'd part with any of them EXCEPT the Killer B's. 5. Jesus Montero- No. Forget it. Look, the Twins have Joe Mauer right now. If Montero was to go to Minnesota, he'd play a lot, Mauer always gets hurt. That being said, we have a great setup in New York and I just know Montero will be a star in the Bronx if we let him play at the pro level.

Who would have thought that looking for a pitcher would be this tricky. It is possible Liriano will be a New York Yankee by Opening Day, and the possibilities for who are ongoing and unlimited...even if Cashman says it's not true. Stay tuned.

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WHY MITRE HAS A CLEAN SLATE

I know, the Yankees play their first Spring Training game today, and I know it's the debut of Bartolo Colon...I didn't forget, but I was struck by something today. I felt sympathetic... for Sergio Mitre.

I know what you're think... WTF Bro. Yes yes, I know. I've been ripping on this guy since this blog began. In fact, here is the first entry of Bleeding Yankee Blue titled WHY LAST NIGHT WAS IMPORTANT from September 15, 2010. Seeing Mitre in a game has always meant they were about to lose or they were about the blow the game.

But Pete Caldera writes a great piece in today's Bergen Record called MITRE EAGER TO PROVE WORTH and I tell you, you can't help but root for the guy after reading it.

Look, this is my feeling on Mitre, he's been given plenty of chances and have pretty much not delivered. He's not a great pitcher. He probably has the drive, but his body can't handle what he wants to accomplish out there, and that happens some times. Some pitchers just can't hack it. Now, you have to give the guy a little credit. He's a major league pitcher, that takes a lot of talent and he's continually in the mix, you have to hand that to him. He's just not good.

In Caldera's piece he quotes Mitre saying: "When I found out Andy was retiring, I just started licking my chops... It's a wide open door to compete for Freddy, Bartolo, myself — whoever wants it. It's a great opportunity. [I] can't wait to go out there and try to perform."

I like that attitude. In fact, I like that Caldera actually put a human face on Mitre, because for so long many of us, including me, just figured his was a robot on automatic failure, but it's true, the guys out there competing like all the other guys. You have to respect it.

So as we start a new today, February 26, 2011 and the Yankees are about the take the field in Tampa against the Phillies, I realized that I've been a little harsh. Call it my passion for my team, maybe you want to just call me an S.O.B., but the bottom line is, If you can get out there, compete for a job and win it, you deserve it. Even if it means, it's Sergio Mitre.

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THE MORE THE MERRIER

"My preference is to be with the New York Yankees, and it's not unreasonable to have that in mind, because I've demonstrated that I can be useful. A team like New York would be ideal for my age, [as would] playing in a successful, media-heavy, demanding division. Without doubt it would be an inspiration."
-- Freddy Garcia


I've always liked Freddy Garcia and he's saying all the right things. The question is, does he still got it. If I had to line up Colon and Garcia up and had to choose 1, it would in fact be Freddy. At this point though, there is a lot going on and I am not sure he's in the cards. Then again, who really thought they would sign Colon? Here's what's going down:

• The Yankees have made a formal offer to Andy Pettitte for 1 year, 12 million. Andy's working out. Things may be coming to an end in the Andy Saga very soon. Reports are the Yankees are "optimistic" about a return.


• The Yankees are confident and pleased enough with their gang of minor league arms that having them all compete for a rotation spot may in fact be in the cards. Andrew Brackman,Hector Noesi, David Phelps and others all have what it takes, the question is, can they impress enough to get the call.


• Bartolo Colon, Sergio Mitre and Ivan Nova will most likely also compete for a rotation spot, or at least, that's what was discussed yesterday.


• Justin Duchscherer and Jeremy Bonderman are both still on the Yankees radar. If I had to pick, I'd pick "The Duke", this decision would be based on age and his wanting and willing to start for the New York Yankees. He recently said this: “For me it’s black and white. I want to start, that’s the whole mindset I have... I find it funny that people say I can’t pitch in that environment, but I’ve pitched in New York before..." Like Garcia, Justin's actively whoring himself out for a job opportunity and to tell you the truth, I have no problem with it. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and if you can put your money where your mouth is and prove to everyone you truly are back, I say confidence is half the battle. As far as Bonderman is concerned, I don't care for him strictly because this guy talked about retiring last summer. If I'm the Yankees, I don't want a guy whose head's not in the game. You know?


• Bronx Baseball Daily also had this nugget from Buster Olney about the Yanks continually going back to look at Fausto Carmona. Interesting to check out. Read it HERE.

A lot of names, good problems though. Wow, this is the first time all winter I've felt decent about the Yankees pitching options. Are things turning around in the Bronx? Let's hope so. Day 89 Andy... Where are you?

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