EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TODD ZEILE

I'm a Yankee fan. I love the team, I love the YES Network gang, Kimberly Jones, Jack Curry, Ken Singleton and the like, and I love the Stadium. But I also love baseball. Before I was a Yankee fan, I was a baseball fan and today, I consider myself a student of the game, constantly researching players and records. It's real fun to me.One guy's career that I've followed is Todd Zeile. Mr. Zeile played for the Cardinals, the Mets, and even the Yankees among several others. Not only was he a stand up guy, giving Bleeding Yankee Blue an interview, he also gave us some pretty interesting and surprising answers to our questions. It was a pleasure to talk with Todd Zeile, and we're are pleased to release Bleeding Yankee Blue interview with him for all of you. Enjoy!
BYB: You started your baseball career as a catcher with the Cardinals. At the time, Joe Torre was the manager and it’s been reported that he thought you were a true talent and wanted you more utilized so he suggested you play first or third base. First off, is this true, and secondly, describe your relationship with Joe Torre then and now?

Todd Zeile: I was a catcher from 8 years old and moved in my second year in the big leagues. Joe did have some influence on the decision, but the organization wanted to let Terry Pendleton walk and figured they could keep my bat in the lineup for more games and fill two positions with me at third and Tom Pagnozzi behind the plate. I wasn't happy at the time, and Joe and I butted heads about it, but it's hard to argue after 2000 more games in the infield. Joe taught me more about how to play the game than anyone else in my professional career, and I consider him a very close friend today.BYB: You were with the Mets in 2000 with Al Leiter. Tell me about the World Series that year and what is was like playing at Yankee Stadium against your cross town rivals?

Todd Zeile: The 2000 Subway Series was the highlight of my career and eternally linked me to the city that is like home to me. I always loved playing at Yankee Stadium. There is nothing like the energy of that World Series, on that stage, with that city relishing every moment. Obviously, I wish the results were different, but the series was much closer and more hard fought than a 5 game series would represent. We had chances to win every game, and I'm proud to have played in it and played well!

BYB: You came to the Yankees in 2003, what was it like to be reunited with Torre and explain the feel of the clubhouse?

Todd Zeile: I came to the Yankees in 2003 specifically out of my relationship with Joe, and looked forward to a great experience. Unfortunately, Nick Johnson got hurt before spring training, negating a trade that was supposed to happen. That would have given me an opportunity for 450 plus at bats if it did happen. Instead, I fell into a platoon role with my good buddy Robin Ventura, and never really adapted to a limited playing schedule. I think it hurt both Robin and myself since neither of us had ever played on a part time basis.

BYB: Who did you latch onto with the 2003 team and why?

Todd Zeile: Robin Ventura and I were already close from our time with the Mets, but I became friends and am still friends with a few of the other guys. Jason Giambi's awesome. Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte helped me hone in on my golf skills on the road. The team was filled with classy guys and great players.

BYB: You were released in August 2003 by the Yankees and it’s been reported that you weren’t happy about how the Yankees handled it. Was it just a heat of the moment thing or are you still annoyed by it?
Todd Zeile: I wasn't upset about the way it was handled, I was actually appreciative to be given an opportunity to go somewhere to play every day. I pleaded with Joe to let me go...Robin had been traded and Aaron Boone was playing third at the time. I got a chance to go to Montreal and had a great month plus with a hungry team fighting for a playoff spot.

BYB: If you had to name 1 player in Major League baseball that you admired as a kid, who would it be and why?
Todd Zeile: That's tough...I was a Dodger fan, so I watched them as a kid, and admired Steve Garvey, and emulated his hitting approach. However, I was also a catcher, and Johnny Bench was the best, so I was a little conflicted.

BYB: How about during your career, what player did you have a close relationship with and why?

Todd Zeile: I have a few good friends, but Robin Ventura was my closest player relationship for many reasons....the World Series, 9/11, our families.
BYB: A lot of people don’t know this but you’re married to another famous athlete, Olympic Gold Medalist Julianne McNamara. She was the first American Gymnast to receive a perfect 10.0 Right? How did you 2 meet?

Todd Zeile: Very true....we met at UCLA in my junior year. She had to retire soon after we met in order to try and maintain a relationship with a traveling minor league ballplayer. Her sacrifice and understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level enabled me to sustain a career, especially with the many strains that 11 teams in 16 years can create.

BYB: Describe what made you decide to go Hollywood. You started a production company called Green Diamond Entertainment. Tell me about how it all came together?

Todd Zeile: Stupidity mixed with Vanity...Kidding! But it has not been an easy ride. I grew up in LA and with my MLB experience, am one degree separated from everybody...including many people that have been very successful in Hollywood. Unfortunately, it took some time, and I paid for an "education", but I have moved on from some early relationships and have some fun projects on the horizon.

BYB: Do you have a project you’d like to promote, maybe a website so people can keep up with what you’re doing these days? Are you on Twitter or Facebook?

Todd Zeile: I am not on Facebook and not a Twitter guy. I know, I'm a dinosaur, but I keep in touch with the people I want to, and know that if I started with social media, I will never stop looking at a computer screen. My 4 kids deserve to have my full attention, especially since they've had to share me with a very demanding profession for such a long time. Having said that, I may have to join the 21st Century soon, as I have been working on some interesting projects with the king of social media - Charlie Sheen. We just shot his Roast for Comedy Central, which will air tonight, 9/19 at 10 pm. It is epic...and will be a huge success. If you watch, you might see a familiar name scroll through the end credits as Co-Executive Producer.

Todd Zeile is the coolest guy out there. I hope everyone enjoyed the interview and just like Scott Brosius, Chuck Knoblauch, Kimberly Jones, Roy White and the other great interviews we've done, Todd is also now part of the Bleeding Yankee Blue family... always welcome. Thanks so much Todd, we appreciate it.

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

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.

REMEMBERING 9-11: NEVER FORGET

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, I was having coffee and watching the morning news before I went to work. My daughter has just begun the first grade in a brand new school, and I was watching the weather. It was a beautiful, clear, bright, warm day. My husband commented that we should play “hookie” and go into New York City for the day, maybe catch the Yankee game that night. We joked about it- that sort of thing only worked for Ferris Bueller. I packed my daughter up, grabbed my travel mug of coffee, and headed off to drop her off to school before I went to work.

There was no music on the radio; the announcers were talking about some awful tragedy but I couldn’t really make out what they were referring to. My cell phone rang. It was my husband, saying that an airplane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers in Manhattan. Initially he thought it was a small, private aircraft- by now the radio was reporting that it was a commercial jet, and using words such as “terrorism” and “attack”. My initial reaction was that there was some morbid joke happening, such as Orwell’s “War of the Worlds”, until my husband yelled out on the other end of the phone. He was watching the news and saw the second plane hit the second tower. I parked my car and ran into work. By now, word had spread about the downed plane in Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon.

I worked at a State Office at the time, and walked in to stunned faces, confusion, and chaos. The rest of the day was surreal; like being wide awake in a nightmare, unable to remember the dream itself. Dead quiet. Fear. Confusion. Waiting…

Being a Yankee fan, it was my assumption that there would be no baseball that evening, but there was a part of me that wished it were possible. The distraction of watching America’s favorite pastime would have been a relief. Instead, I sat on my front porch, looked up into the otherwise empty sky, and watched military helicopters as they deployed to New York. Not knowing if it was over, it was a long, petrifying night.

The days that followed were tense, full of fear, and horror as I stayed glued to the television set to watch the recovery efforts, cry for the dead and missing and their families, and pray that someday, America would once again return to normal. I knew it my heart, though, that things would never be the same again.

As time went on, little by little, the media finally began to talk about these things. Resuming activities on Wall Street, sports, and many other things that makes America tick. There was footage of Derek Jeter, Chuck Knoblauch, Scott Brosius and Roger Clemens among others helping the effort by doing some charity work and personal appearances. Finally, some hope was slowly coming back, and a return to some sense of normalcy seemed to be on the horizon.

As baseball resumed, a sense of relief was felt by everyone. Only it wasn’t because people cared more about the standings or who was going to the World Series that year. People wanted-and perhaps needed- to show the rest of the world that America will not, and can be broken by this.

The sentiment across the entire country was “We’re all New Yorkers” now, and baseball fans took this to heart. Even in the heart of “enemy territory” at away games, opposing teams paid tribute to New York, the Yankees and the Mets, fans applauded instead of jeered, and, for a brief moment in time, baseball fans all across America were no longer divided by loyalty to teams, but were united by the sense that we were all in this together, and baseball was the glue that helped rebuild our hearts and minds and bring some sense of comfort, relief, and healthy distraction to our lives again.

There’s a beautiful quote that, to me, summarizes the whole experience for America during those days:

“I can be changed by what happens to me; but I refused to be reduced by it”- Maya Angelou

On this 10th Anniversary of the attacks on America, please take a moment to reflect, remember, and offer support to those who survived but still suffer from that awful day. “Never Forget”.

--Christy Lee, BYB Staff Writer



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.

REMEMBERING 9-11: BASEBALL CALMED US

On Sept. 11, 2001 I was working the day shift on the EMS Ambulance for a town in New Jersey. I sat there in horror of what was actually happening before me eyes. I watched all my co-workers and future husband deploy, never giving it a second thought, and headed into Ground Zero to provide care for the injured. It was truly heroic.

By chance, a bunch of us EMS providers had tickets 5 rows up on the Yankees dugout for the first game back since 9-11. Everything was quiet. Then, the air crafts came over the stadium and it was time to play ball. I never saw so many American flags in the stadium in my life. The bald eagle, the military presence.. we were Americans and proud to be more then ever that day. Chuck Knoblauch in particular, turned to our group, said thank you and threw up some baseballs to my crazy friend with her giant "Chuck" sign. It was that game that made all the horror that happened go away for a while. 9 innings of baseball were our brief distraction...it calmed us all. Thank you Chuck and thank you Derek Jeter for tossing up your wrist band and for making us smile during a time when we lost so many of our own.




--Beth Hucke- BYB Guest Writer & Creator of We Want Nick Swisher to host SNL on Facebook.




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.

EXCLUSIVE: CLUBHOUSE CONFIDENTIAL

Luis "Squeegee" Castillo was a Yankee Clubhouse kid during one of the most important times in recent Yankees history. From 1998 to 2005 he was a bat boy and clubhouse attendance and witnessed first hand, 3 World Championships and a trip to the playoffs every single season. Derek Jeter gave Luis the nickname "Squeegee" because of his rail thin appearance.



When I first heard about Clubhouse Confidential, I got nervous. I was concerned that my New York Yankees were about to be tainted and young kids who picked their idols in that Yankee clubhouse were about to be disappointed. I was wrong, this book is smart and while Luis was on the inside, he didn't disturb the clubhouse perception. You walk away with a few great nuggets and you never lose that love for your team and players. These are different nuggets than the other interviews you saw with Squeegee, so enjoy it. With that, I bring you, Squeegee.

BYB: What made you decide to write this book?

Squeegee: I wrote CLUBHOUSE CONFIDENTIAL because I wanted to let Yankees fans know what happens behind the scenes, how much fun the players have off the field, what conflicts they run into, and how they cope with the stress of being Major League Baseball stars.

BYB: Former Yankee, Jim Bouton wrote Ball Four and it was considered extremely controversial at the time because it revealed a lot of the secrets of the Yankees Clubhouse and tarnished Yankee Greats. Why did you feel that it was OK to write this book?

Squeegee: As Mr. Bouton said "These guys have voluntarily gone into a business where people know that everything that they do or say is subject to being written about. They act as if they're surprised when somebody tells what they do." My book about the Yankees is filled with new information about the superstars, and people have a right to know. I also enjoyed telling the stories, just as people always enjoy listening to me talk about my eight years working for the greatest team in baseball history.

BYB: Who were the big party animals on the team during the championship years you were there and what did they do that was so outrageous?

Squeegee: Almost every one on the team liked to party, but probably Jason Giambi and Chuck Knoblauch enjoyed it more than others. Once Jason invited me to a party that didn't break up until 5 AM the day before an afternoon game. How he woke up to go to work is a mystery to me.

And Chuck always seemed to be having a good time, even in the clubhouse.

BYB: You did you admire the most and why?

Squeegee: My idol was David Cone because I also pitch and he symbolized the greatness of the sport to me. He was technically at the top of his game, and yet he had the friendliest personality and was always relaxed and willing to talk. When I warmed him up during his 1999 perfect game it was a real honor.

BYB: Explain how the Matsui "Ho's" speech came about?

Squeegee: At the end of the team meetings, Mr. T (Joe Torre) asked what we were going to do. He usually directed this question at Posada. But on this occasion he turned to Matsui and asked. Matusi said, "Let's kick ass. Pop champagne. And get some ho's."

BYB: Did you get a ring? If not, why?

Squeegee: I did not get a World Series ring and I was disappointed because I had done as much work, or more, than another clubhouse attendants who did get one. I have fond memories of working with the guys and wish I had a memento to remind me of the good time we had together.

BYB: Have you heard from some of the players since the book was released? If so, who and what did they say to you?

Squeegee: I hear from lots of players and keep in contact with some of my best friends, including Homer Bush, Jorge Posada, Ruben Sierra, Ramiro Mendoza, and others. They say things like, "Hey, what are you doing tonight? Wanna hang out together?" It's great having friends like that. Chuck Knoblauch contacted me recently and said, "What's up, my main man? Can't wait to read the book!"

BYB: Have you partied with some of the Yankees?

Squeegee: I have partied with almost all the Yankees on the teams from 1998-2005, including Derek Jeter, who is always well-behaved in public.

BYB: I am a huge Joe Torre fan. Describe his demeanor in the clubhouse?

Squeegee: It's funny that you ask about Mister T's demeanor since he never smiled and always looked grumpy. I always thought he was in a bad mood. But really he was all business. That's just the way he worked.

He used to start the day off by going on the treadmill before batting practice. He would have a newspaper tucked under his arm. He also used to smoke cigars in his office all the time.

BYB: What was the most humiliating thing a player did to you?

Squeegee: The most humiliating thing was get thrown into a garbage can by Tanyon Sturtze! He was in a bad mood at the time but later apologized and we became good friends.

BYB: Do you read Bleeding Yankee Blue?

Squeegee: Yes, I'm a big fan of Bleeding Yankee Blue and read it all the time. Keep up the good work!

Squeegee, you're awesome for talking with us and much thanks for Stephen Lee at St. Martin's Press for helping coordinate this interview.

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.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: CHUCK KNOBLAUCH

Any true Yankee fan knows that Chuck Knoblauch was a key figure in helping to make baseball history throughout the 1990s. Chuck was nice enough to talk to me about that time in his life, his father, and what’s happening with him now.

As a player for the Minnesota Twins, 1991 Rookie of the Year, and multiple World Series Champion with both the Twins and the New York Yankees, how exciting was that time in his life?



Chuck Knoblauch: “Very exciting. Growing up as a kid, dreaming of the major leagues, it was very exciting. I believe that everything happens for a reason; the major leagues is where I became a man from a boy. I went through the good, the bad, and the ugly; but looking back, I wouldn’t change a bit."BYB: What was your initial reaction to being brought to the New York Yankees in 1998?



Chuck Knoblauch: “It was awesome. Everyone was so welcoming during Spring Training, I felt like I belonged right away. I spent a lot of time on hitting with Derek, and O’Neill and Pettitte too.”

Chuck went on to discuss some of the initial difficulties that he had adjusting to life in New York City, being born and raised in Texas. However, he quickly grew to love the city’s people, the culture and atmosphere and found himself becoming a part of the community. He recalls his favorite times in Manhattan were in the summer, when the city was hot, less crowded, and alive with activity.



On playing for Joe Torre, Chuck had a lot to say about the special relationship he shared with the Yankees’ skipper. Calling him a “father figure” as well as a manager, Chuck says that all of the players had the utmost respect for Joe, for many reasons.

Chuck Knoblauch: “It was so easy to respect Joe. There wasn’t much he didn’t experience on the field as a player himself. He could relate to the players on so many levels. So whether you were batting .319, or .220, he could relate to you. He was great at handling all of the different personalities on the team. There weren’t very many team meetings, but when there were, he wasn’t screaming and yelling. Joe was always at an even-keel, and managed with love, desire, and a passion to win. We (the team) played like we did out of respect for him.”



When discussing the clubhouse atmosphere, Knoblauch remembered many of the players and their antics fondly. He talked about how there was a band room set-up for the team, and it wasn’t uncommon to see players or crew members to be back there, having impromptu jam "sessions” during rain delays. He specifically recalls Bernie Williams playing his guitar, and laughed as he explained how Paul O’Neill once tried to teach him how to play the drums.(In Photo: Paul O'Neill)

Chuck Knoblauch: “O’Neill is a great drummer. I’d always wanted to play, since I was a kid. Paul tried really hard to teach me, and then eventually just gave up on me. It didn’t work out that well,” he laughed.



Chuck was playing for the New York Yankees on Sept. 11, 2001, and he recalls that morning vividly. He said that phone call from his mother had woke him up, asking if he was okay, and if he was safe. Chuck said he was still half-asleep, when he went to the window, pulled the blinds, and saw the devastation of the attack on the Twin Towers. From where he lived,



Chuck Knoblauch: “I had a clear view. I just sat there in amazement for hours. I saw everything. I saw the people jumping from the Towers. I was scared; and even more scared when the Pentagon got hit. I thought to myself, ‘what in the world is going on here?’ I even called Brian Cashman to ask if we were still playing that night, and found out that everything was cancelled for a while. When we finally got back, we played in Chicago. It’s usually a tough place to play, and the fans were all wearing New York shirts and were very supportive. The rest of the season that year was just a blur.”



We’re all familiar with the close relationship that Chuck shared with his Dad, who was a career high school baseball coach. Chuck lost his Dad to Alzheimer’s disease, and this was a very painful loss for him. He’s still able to laugh at some of the good times, such as when his Dad would leave Astros games in the 8th inning so it wouldn’t get stuck in traffic. As a kid, Chuck recalls that no matter how tired his father was after coaching all day, all of his time after work was spent coaching him.



Chuck Knoblauch: “One important thing I learned from my Dad was, is not to talk about anything that you know nothing about. My Dad was a pitcher. He’d day, ‘Don’t ask me about hitting, I don’t know anything about it”.



Chuck’s father was very supportive of his son’s dreams of being a major league baseball player, and would take him to batting cages and other places where he could fine-tune his skills.



Chuck Knoblauch: “He was tough on me. He instilled my work ethic. I didn’t get away with anything.”

As far as Chuck Knoblauch’s life is concerned today, everything seems to be falling nicely into place. He and his wife are expecting a baby girl any day now. At the age of 43, Chuck says that although he would love for his kids to have seen him as a major league player, he’s glad that he doesn’t have the rigorous schedule that would keep him away from his wife and children. The couple also has plans to continue having children; Knoblauch hopes that someday, he’ll have a son that he can name after his father.



As far as appearances, he doesn’t do many autograph signings, but one thing Chuck is doing is getting involved in the early stages of writing a book. Updates will be posted on his website: www.ChuckKnoblauch11.com.



Chuck is also quite active on Tweeter and responds to many of his fans on a daily basis through his verified Twitter Account, @ChuckKnob4real. Through Twitter he says he keeps updated with Yankee news and opinion through Bleeding Yankee Blue tweets. Pretty Cool.



It was a pleasure speaking with Chuck Knoblauch, who was gracious, fun, witty, personable and very easy to talk with. By the end of our conversation, I felt like I was talking to an old friend.



Many thanks to him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to speak with Bleeding Yankee Blue. Oh, and be sure to follow Chuck on Twitter!









--Christy Lee, BYB Staff Writer







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.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CHUCK KNOBLAUCH?

(photo: Daily News)

Seems like a silly question. As a player who was so instrumental in leading the Yankees into 4 consecutive pennant winning post-seasons, three of which included World Series trophies, right-handed Chuck Knoblauch leads a pretty low-key lifestyle these days. Although he seems to be out of the spotlight, his time with the Yankees deserves center stage attention from us.



Chuck was traded by the Twins to New York in 1998. At that time, ESPN’s Buster Olney, who was writing for the New York Times, predicted that the combination of Chuck Knoblauch at second base and Derek Jeter at shortstop would be a double play combination for the history books. Although he struggled a little bit early on, and was more than vocal on the field on occasion, Olney wasn’t too far off base with his prediction. Chuck and Jeter made double plays look like a walk in the park.Knoblauch was no slouch at the plate either. During his career, spanning from 1991-2002, Chuck racked up a batting average of .289, with 1,839 hits, 98 home runs, and a whopping 615 RBIs. Most heralded for his speed, Chuck stole 407 bases, almost as if he was taking candy from a baby.



Chuck Knoblauch’s power at the plate and on the field began to slide at the turn of the century, making him the subject of a great deal of criticism. The slide was consistent and steady, and eventually he was traded to the Kansas City Royals, where he was moved to left field. He played there for a year, then retired, turning down a minor league deal.I’ve heard a lot of conjecture about Chuck’s state of mind, and that along with his physical power, he may have lost some mental strength as well. Merely speculation and, as someone who works as a professional mental health counselor in “real life”, it’s more than unfair.



What I can tell you is this: Chuck Knoblauch’s father died of Alzheimer’s disease in 2002. Anyone who is familiar with this chronic, debilitating disease is also familiar with the slow, painful toll that it takes on the entire family. A diagnosis like this can pull the rug right out from underneath anyone. No doubt, there was an instant shift in priorities for the whole family, including Chuck. If dealing with the initial shock, then watching your beloved father slowly decline and suffer is not strong, physically and mentally, I don’t know what is.

Chuck’s father was his idol, his mentor, and his coach, on the field and off. Known as “Coach Knob”, he was a patriarch of baseball, creating and developing dozens of seasoned players, including Bubba Crosby, who felt a family-like connection to Chuck because of the connection he shared with his father.



I propose that as a collective unit, we continue to acknowledge and praise all of the work that Chuck Knoblauch did for the team, and the fans. World Series rings don’t win themselves. It takes heart, courage and strength- the kind of personal power that Chuck has.





--Christy Lee, BYB Staff Writer

Follow me on Twitter @ChristyLee127







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