WHY ALEX RODRIGUEZ IS NO SCOTT BROSIUS

Clearly I'm still not over the fact that the Yankees season is over. I keep thinking about it. I was on Twitter earlier today and I saw this tweet from David Robertson:
Man. You know, we're fans, so you forget just how human these Yankee players are. All of them played their hearts out. Many were successful, some weren't. DRob was one of the good ones, and for these guys, it's really got to suck.

I was listening to Sports Radio, reading the papers, the Internet and all the talk has been about Alex Rodriguez. Did Alex peak? Are the Yankees paying this guy way too much money? Look, I don't get involved in that crap. If the guy was talented when his agent worked out a monster deal... fine, more power to Alex, but yes, now the pressure is on. Big money translates to big production and yes, when you don't produce, people notice, fans complain. I understand that totally. But with great production in a season comes great production in the playoffs, after all that's what these ballplayers play for, right?

Look, Alex is a great athlete, but Alex clearly isn't himself. Alex used to be a monster. This year he was hammered with injury. It happens. But, explain last year in the playoffs... explain 2007, or 2006, 2005. (Photo: 2010 ALCS)
Last year Alex struck out exactly the same way in the ALCS as he did in this year's ALDS, except this year he swung. There's no denying, Alex is a rich "average" ballplayer right now. He's no Scott Brosius.
Yeah, that's right, I said it. Scotty Bro gave us everything we could have imagined when he was in pinstripes and for more than half the price. And the playoffs? Well, he was always on. Why? because he was having fun and we didn't put him under a microscope like we do Alex.

You see, Scott Brosius was always good, never great, but something happened to this guy in the playoffs, he produced. I was curious so I went back and looked at salary and production in the last 4 years for both Alex Rodriguez and Scott Brosius. I did it in the last 4 years their teams made the playoffs, so naturally, 2008 is not included and instead, 2007 is for Alex. Check this out:

Scott Brosius:

• 1998: .300 AVG / 19 HR / 98 RBI / .371 OBP / 34 2B / Salary: $2.65 Million
• 1999: .247 AVG / 17 HR / 71 RBI / .302 OBP / 26 2B / Salary: $5.25 Million
• 2000: .230 AVG / 16 HR / 64 RBI /.299 OBP / 20 2B / Salary: $5.25 Million
• 2001: .287 AVG / 13 HR / 49 RBI / .343 OBP / 25 2B / Salary: $5.25 Million
  

Alex Rodriguez:

• 2007: .314 AVG / 54 HR / 156 RBI / .422 OBP / 31 2B / Salary: $22,708,525
• 2009: .286 AVG / 30 HR / 100 RBI / .402 OBP / 17 2B / Salary: $33 Million
• 2010: .270 AVG / 30 HR / 125 RBI / .341 OBP / 29 2B / Salary: $33 Million
• 2011: .276 AVG / 16 RBI / 62 RBI / .362 OBP / 21 2B / Salary: $31 Million (played 99 games)

Brosius Combined Postseason numbers:

• 1998-2001: .245 AVG / 8 HR / 30 RBI / 8 2B / 48 H / 19 R / 8 BB / 2 K

Rodriguez Combined Postseason numbers:

• 2007-2011: .273 AVG / 7 HR / 25 RBI / 7 2B / 32 H / 23 R / 22 K /22 BB

Wow. I was shocked to see Alex struck out 22 times in postseason play, not to mention Scott Brosius beats Alex in Home Runs, RBIs, doubles and hits. That's production. Yes, Alex his a higher average, but in the grand scheme of things, that's a pretty big deal. It basically means that Alex just didn't show up. Yeah, during the season, when healthy, Alex really has good numbers, minus this year because of injury, but when the pressure is on, the guy just can't deliver.

Scott Brosius was never the player he was on the Yankees, when he was with the Athletics, but when he put on the pinstripes, the guy transformed into a real fan favorite. While many still love Alex, the big numbers are expected, and in the postseason, there is no doubt, the guy needs to step up. That's why 2009 was so special, everyone thought the guy finally clicked and understood what being a New York Yankee in October meant. Clearly, that rhythm never translated to 2010 and 2011.

Look, I'm just a blogger, I think of ideas and opinions and bring them to you. I also don't hate Alex, I like the guy and I love what he's done for us these year during the season. But clearly he needs to get back to his old self and then when the playoffs start, he needs to tear it up, because, let's face it....when it comes to postseason play, Alex is no Scott Brosius, that's for sure.

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

WHY BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE HAS OUR ALL-TIME LIST FOR YOU

I just wanted to take a moment and post for you Bleeding Yankee Blue's Top Ten most read pieces by you guys... of all time. These are not chosen by me, these are chosen and read by you and tallied by our server. I thought it would be neat to show you what's the most read ever in the history of our site. Some of new, some of older, but it's cool just the same. The list goes from 10 to 1 and 1 is the most read of all time. Enjoy and feel free to pass it around.

And Freaks...Thanks again for reading us.

10. SWISH AND SHEEN EXCHANGE TEXTS: PART 2 (March 9, 2011)

9. WHY SAVE 602 SHOULD BE RIVERA TO POSADA (September 12, 2011)8. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: KIMBERLY JONES (June 14, 2011)

7. WHY THIS PHOTO OF POSADA & MONTERO SPEAKS VOLUMES (September 6, 2011)

6. BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 5 (July 30, 2011)
5. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: SCOTT BROSIUS (July 18, 2011)

4. WHY CRUCIFYING BURNETT NEEDS TO STOP (August 3, 2011)

3. SWISH AND SHEEN EXCHANGE TEXTS (March 7, 2011)

2. WHY WE LOVE (OR HATE) ALEX (January 27, 2011)1. WHY MARTIN'S A FACTOR (March 6, 2011)

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.

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.

WHY SWISHER NEEDS TO STAY IN YANKEELAND

Believe it or not, Nick Swisher is in his last year of his contract and in 2012 he has a team option (HERE). If the Yankees are no longer interested, Swisher could walk away into the sunset and millions of Yankee fans would be devastated. It’s just not fair.

Nick Swisher has done more than any of us thought he would do in the Bronx. Let me back up, I knew he could do it but many didn't. Don’t forget, Nick Swisher is talented and he and Chavez ran Oakland for quite a few years. Ironically, now their both in the Bronx, but the point is, Nick can still hit, he’s got right field locked down and he’s not only become a New York celebrity, he’s a baseball icon at this point. The "Bronx Elvis" has an unbelievable following on Facebook. Because of his incredibly charismatic personality and energy, people flock to him. WE WANT NICK SWISHER TO HOST SNL is in full effect and the more people that join that group, the better. It’s not just a page, it’s an operation run by Beth Hucke who runs a tight ship and is doing her best to get Swisher to host Saturday Night Live. We all believe in her and you should too. Click on the link HERE. Join the group…. Do it. Click HERE. Don’t read past it. Click WE WANT NICK SWISHER TO HOST SNL, then, pass it on to a friend and tell them to join, the more, the merrier. Also, check out this interview with Beth Hucke about the page. Our interview with Beth was our first interview on Bleeding Yankee Blue and since then we’ve been rolling with a lot of great interviews, Kimberly Jones, Mickey Rivers, Steve Karsay, Scott Brosius and Roy White, and the list goes on. The point is, Beth needs our help and we all want Nick to host Saturday Night Live so it’s going to take a grassroots effort to get it done.

I can’t imagine Nick Swisher NOT on the New York Yankees. It just doesn’t seem right to me. To think that when he came over before the 2009 season, it wasn’t hyped as much as say Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, yet, Swisher took the reigns and made his own hype. (In Photo: Joanna Garcia)

Since then, Swish won a ring in 2009, appeared in the All-Star game in 2010 and married his babe, Joanna Garcia. He’s also the King of New York and to me, having Swisher walk away at the end of this season would just suck beyond belief.

Take a moment, check out WE WANT NICK SWISHER TO HOST SNL. Also check out Swish’s Wishes, Nick’s charity and then of course, check out Joanna Garcia’s official website because she’s absolutely gorgeous. What's my point of this? Get Swish and the Yankees fired up, let them realize how important they are to each other. He can’t leave at the end of the season. Let’s remind him and the Yankee brass just how important this guy is to our team. Oh… and click HERE.

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: SCOTT BROSIUS

About two months ago, I wrote a piece for BYB titled, WHY WE‘LL ALWAYS LOVE BROSIUS, check it out. What I love about BYB and it’s creator, Casey, is that he lets us think outside the box, and we're able to get alittle creative when it comes to the Yankees. Casey knows I love Scott Brosius so he said to just go ahead and write something up and maybe we should try and track down Mr. Brosius and send it to him. Well, that’s exactly what I did! About 24 hours after I sent the article to Scott, he emailed me back and thanked me for the piece. He stressed how much he loved to play in the Bronx and in front of the Yankee fans. I wrote back and asked if he wouldn’t mind answering a few questions for an exclusive interview on Bleeding Yankee Blue. He said he would and did and it's an honor to have our interview of Mr. Brosius for all of you.

By the way, Mr. Brosius could not have been nicer or more generous with his time. He is truly a man of his word and for that we thank him. Below is the interview I did with Scott. His answers are word for word. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!BYB: You were part of many incredible teams with the Yankees, along with so many incredible moments. Can you tell us your single favorite moment as a New York Yankee and your most memorable?

Scott Brosius: Probably, both my most memorable and favorite moment as a Yankee was the last out and winning the 1998 World Series. While every championship was special, the first one always stands out. So getting the last out hit to me and jumping on the dog pile was pretty amazing for me.
BYB: The 1998 New York Yankees are arguably the greatest single season team ever and you were a huge part of that historic season. What made that Yankee team so good?

Scott Brosius: I think that team was so good because we were pretty complete both in terms of talent and of attitude. We had great starting pitching, a great bullpen, swung the bats well 1 through 9 and played good defense. On top of that, this team had a strong desire to win. We never took a game off, and we were never satisfied. They had the killer instinct and would not accept losing.

BYB: Who were you most friendly with on the Yankees? Who was the guy or guys you would go out and have a cold one with every once in a while?

Scott Brosius: The great thing about those Yankee teams was that everyone got along so well. It would not be unusual to see 10 or 12 guys out together for a dinner after a game. So while I hung out with most everyone, Pettitte, Curtis, and O’Neill were the guys I spent the most time with.

(In Photo: Chad Curtis)
BYB: For the last 16 seasons, Yankee fans have had the pleasure to watch "the Core Four" play. Of course, Andy Pettitte is retired, but we still have Mo, Jeet, and Posada. What made those four guys so special?

Scott Brosius: I think what made the core 4 so special was their longevity with the team. You just don’t see that as often anymore. They are great players, that goes without saying, but they were committed to winning and staying a Yankee to do so.

BYB: You faced Mo as a player but had the pleasure of being his teammate for 4 seasons. What’s it like to face him and, in your opinion, is he the greatest closer of all time?

Scott Brosius: I faced Mo mostly in his pre-closer era while I was with the A’s, but let me tell you, he was no walk in the park to face even then. Without a doubt, he is the greatest closer of all time, because he has done it both in the regular season but more importantly, in the post season. For a guy to have that much success throwing one pitch, it shows how special his stuff really is.
BYB: Scott, after that amazing 2001 World Series, you literally walked away from the game. Fans were really sad to hear you retired but we respected your decision. Why did you decide it was time to hang it up?

Scott Brosius: For me, the decision to retire was more of a family decision than a baseball one. I would laugh at the reporters during the 2001 season when they wrote I would not return to the Yankees because I was looking for a 3 year deal. The truth is, I never spoke to anyone about any deal because I was considering retirement. I had other offers to play, but I just really felt it was time to be around home more. I was missing so much of my kids life being on the road, and you can’t get that time back. I never regretted the decision. I sure missed being on the field, but I did not miss all the travel. New York is a long way from Oregon, and it made for a difficult commute!
BYB: Many fans don't know you haven’t left baseball. You are in your fourth year as the manager of Linfield College Baseball team. Fans also might not know that you played for Linfield College for three years until being drafted by the Oakland A’s in 1987. How do you like being a manager and is managing in the Major Leagues something you would like to do one day?

Scott Brosius: I have been very fortunate to get the opportunity to coach at Linfield College, the school I played at. I knew I didn’t want to give up baseball altogether, so coaching gives me the opportunity to pass on some of what I learned along the way. I enjoy coaching tremendously, and doing so at Linfield also provides me with the balance to see my kids play as well and coach my son’s team in the summer. I am having a great time with it, and right now I don’t see myself moving back into the professional ranks, at least while my kids are still at home.

BYB: Thanks for spending a few minutes with Bleeding Yankee Blue, Scott. Anything you would like to say to all the fans reading this?

Scott Brosius: While I stay very busy here in Oregon and don’t get the opportunity to get back to New York all that often, I will never forget my time there as a player and all the support I got there from the fans. Yankee fans are truly the best, they follow the team with a passion like no other. It sounds cliché, but I look at those years in New York as the best of times for me and my playing career. Although it’s been 10 years already and a long time ago, it still feels like yesterday in a lot of ways.

BYB would just like to once again thank Scott for his time and for all the great memories he gave Yankee fans!

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



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.