WHY I CHOOSE LAIRD OVER NUNEZ

(In Photo: Brandon Laird)
I know I’m not in good company when I say that headline out loud, but let’s face it, I can’t stand the errors that Nunez is offering night after night and while it isn’t fair for me to choose Brandon Laird over Eduardo Nunez based merely on minor league numbers, I am and I will because I can.

This isn’t to say I don’t like Nunez. I’ve heard it time and time again, "Nunez can learn to play a better in field" or "Nunez can learn to throw better." OK, When? He’s a major leaguer, it’s not like there’s a more elite league after the Majors; This is it, so the time is now. Show me something. Nunez has a terrific bat and while he filled in for Jeter, he was hitting close to .300. I will give him that, but 12 errors is the team high and Nunez owns that and he hasn’t played all that much before the Jeter fill in role.

(In Photo: Brandon Laird)

On the other side of the coin, when the Yankees got word that Ramiro Pena needed to have his appendix removed (HERE), suddenly they had a roster spot for an infielder, so Brandon Laird was called up. Laird was hitting .266 in Scranton Wilkes Barre and had 10 homers and 21 doubles. The kid's got huge potential and the best part is, he can play almost anywhere. By almost anywhere I mean some key spots, third base, first base and the outfield. Yes, the chatter about Laird has been positive and I’m the first person to buy into it. Remember Brian Gordon? I embraced him, and here comes Laird and I’ll do the same, I'm easy. Why? Because early on, the hype around Laird was big, and hopefully he’ll measure up.

So yes, when errors stack up fast and when errors lose ball games, people are going to start talking. And I’m not saying I’m rooting for that to happen, I’m just saying that’s the only way people will open their eyes.

Girardi is clearly fooled by Nunez’s bat and Girardi told Pete Caldera at the Bergen Record that “He’s earned that” in reference toNunez having A-Rod’s spot at 3^rd while A-Rod recovers from surgery. All I’m saying is, give Nunez a few days off, play Laird and watch him perform, that’s all. Yes, your heart may be set on Nunez, but all I’m saying is I feel like something’s coming. Nunez has dodged a few bullets on errors and pretty soon, I don’t know when, there’s going to be a costly error that will make people say enough’s enough. No, I’m not the Amazing Kreskin, this is a gut thing…. Hopefully I’m wrong….when it comes to this stuff, I like to be wrong.

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 IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED

When Brian Gordon came to the Yankees last month, the Yankees media machine was out in full force to promote this as the most unique, clever and fantastic move in 2011. The Yankees signed Brian Gordon to replace Bartolo Colon who replaced Phil Hughes and everyone was happy in Yankeeland. I bought into it. I liked the minor league veteran, he had spunk and he believed in himself and, if for just a moment, we believed in him too.

Well, Brian Gordon’s contract was purchased by a Korean baseball team and guess what? Brian Gordon is leaving the Yankees. Read the report HERE. Damn, it was fun while it lasted, but let’s face facts, with Bartolo Colon and Phil Hughes back, what were we going to do with Brian Gordon? It’s almost not fair to give him a taste of the high life and then push him in the bullpen, or worse, keep him down in AAA again.

As a New York Yankee, Gordon was 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in 2 games. Gordon had 10.1 IPs, struck out 4, gave up 6 runs off 12 hits.

I wanted to let you all know about this story because quite simply, when I read it, I felt bad, yet happy for the guy. Put it this way, coming to the Yankees is probably a dream for anyone, but for a 14 year veteran who barely ever played in the majors, it was huge. His debut was great and he did his job. He had his moment. Good for him.

Anyway, wish him well, it was brief Brian, but it was damn fun. Good Luck to 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 HAVE YANKEE UPDATES

Just a few things you should know about coming out of Yankeeland:

Brian Gordon: If you didn't know by now, Brian Gordon was sent down to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to clear roster space for Bartolo Colon. Read about it HERE. This move I was sure was going to be Hector Noesi, but I was wrong, and I'm fine being wrong. I'll be curious to see if Gordon makes he way back up. I liked the kid. I like Noesi too, but personally, I almost feel like Cashman's auditioning him for trade bait for the July 31st deadline. Whatever the case, I wanted to let you know, that's where Gordon is right now.
Carlos Silva: The Yankees have decided to release Carlos Silva from his minor league deal and now he is free. Read about it HERE. I guess things didn't work out, or, the Yankees are feeling good about themselves with what they have in the rotation and what other help they have from the kids, as well as a veteran like Gordon or Mark Prior who will be fully healthy soon. Here's Silva's minor league line from Scranton: 2-1 3.52 ERA, 4 G, 23 innings. He gave up 21 hits and 9 runs, struck out 13, walked 4.
Pedro Feliciano: Pedro is working back from injury and he threw off a mound in Tampa. Reports are he threw 30 pitches. Read it HERE. I've said it all year, having that lefty specialist, or in our case, 2 of them, would be a nice problem. Not sure if we'll see Pedro this year, but I hope so.

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 THE YANKEES ARE COMING

(In Photo: Brian Gordon / Getty)
We’ve had injury and some slow points in the season, but the New York Yankees have never given up. We’ve had to reach back, find a few pieces that can fill the holes, and those pieces have shined like diamonds. Brian Gordon, Eduardo Nunez have done their part. Hell, you can go back to Hughes going on the DL and Bartolo Colon rising as a true Yankee ace. Luis Ayala? Love the kid. I could go on and on. Brian Cashman has made moves that many would call silly on paper. Brian Cashman saw potential. Brian Cashman is a genius.

The best part of all of this is the New York Yankees have suddenly clicked as a team. What I mean by that is slumps are disappearing and like Mikey Blue has said in WHY AJ MAKES ME SCRATCH MY HEAD, while you never know what your going to get with him, AJ is suddenly giving us what we need. He's confidence, he's a leader. Players have stepped up, players have worked out the kinks. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our battle cry…the 2011 New York Yankees have arrived.

Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada have been leading the charge as of late and thank God. So many of us love these guys. Poe Poe to me is the ultimate New York Yankee and while everyone was on this guy's back, I said to back off a bit. Jorge and I are the same age. I find it absolutely terrible that players are considered over the hill at 39 years old, but it's life. I knew he had it in him though, he's finally hitting. Well, haters, where are you now? No one's ripping Posada now, huh? Why? Because he’s helping his team? Listen up, Posada needed his rhythm in his new role, and guess what... Posada is back.

Nick Swisher just needed to find the stride too, it took longer than I expected, but the guy is loved and now that his hot streak has come, there’s no looking back for this guy. One of my friends is a gigantic Sox fan. She saw Nick and Joanna Garcia, his wife, walking in New York City 2 days ago. She sent me a note that read:

“I just saw Swish and his wife in the city. We looked at each other. He smiled. He always smiles, it’s hard not to like him.”

Does that say it all? It does for me, this guy just won over an evil Red Sox fan in the matter of moments. By the way, her husband’s a Yankee fanatic… wonder how that works?

Anyway, my point is, things are clicking and the Yankees are about to make a pennant run. Even with the injuries, this year strangely feels like 1998 or 2009. They keep finding ways to win, no matter what. Derek Jeter’s hurt? OK, we’ll put Nunez in that role. Colon is out? Hey, Brian Gordon’s available. Freddy Garcia goes tonight? OK, make that 7 wins for Freddy. The strange is taking over in the Bronx and it's for the better, and I like it.

I mentioned 1961 in WHY IT’S 1961 ALL OVER AGAIN. Another element of 2011, my fascination with the home run race. Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson have alittle home run thing going. It’s slowed down a bit lately, but make no mistake, players feed off each other. Just like Maris and Mantle did, I have no doubt that the hit machine between Granderson and Teixeira will begin again. Tex starting hitting them again, and look for Grandy to start up soon. How do I know? I don’t, it’s just a gut thing.

Russell Martin has been quiet lately, but he wants to join the party, you can see it in his eyes. He was looking to break out and suddenly, he is. Home run 2 days ago and he just recently has looked real good at the plate.

My point is, you take all the things that are already working, like CC, Mariano, Alex, D-Rob and you throw in these surprise talents and hot bats and suddenly the New York Yankees have reached their high watermark, 17 games above .500 with yesterday's win and to me, I feel like it can only get better. I'll put this in perspective; the Red Sox have what appears to be a better team on paper, yet, in reality, the Yankees are 2 ½ games in first place and not looking back. Plus, we have some of the filler in the lineup, and we still are finding ways to win. Looking at teams on paper is fine, but the Yankees are the reality right now. Are you hearing me Las Vegas?

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 RISE OF BRIAN GORDON

I like underdogs and I like when they win. I rooted for Aaron Small, I appreciate players like David Eckstein and Brett Gardner because size doesn’t matter if you have the ability and desire and I admire someone like Kirk Gibson with a limp being asked to pinch hit when the game is on the line for the Dodgers and coming through in unbelievable fashion. I am a baseball nut and when someone like Brian Gordon who’s been a journeyman in the minor leagues gets a shot in the major leagues, I latch on and root for the guy every time he chucks it in. Why? Because the odds are against him and all those others who, when people look at them, they shrug and say, “I just don’t think he can do it.” The best part is, they know they can do it and nine times out of 10, they do.(Photo: Getty)
Brian Gordon can and will be the story of the year for the Yankees if he can deliver what they need from him this year. Quality starts when needed and anything else then want from him. Yes, after 2 starts there are mixed reviews, but let’s face it, even CC has a bad game every once in a while. What we need from Gordon is enough heart to shut down the haters and attract the believers and all the while, keeping the Yankees in every game he pitches. That goes for starts and spot relief.

Look at Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. No one and I mean NO ONE, believed in them. I must admit, I didn’t think Colon had anything. I mocked him, I admit it and now I’ve latched on too. The underdog is my weakness and I have to say, I didn’t follow my heart on that one, I chose to be a hater. I was wrong. I like being proven wrong.

I clearly learned my lesson, and when Gordon was signed and I read his resume, it was attractive to me. Gordon pitched well in his first game and struggled alittle in his second. Luckily, Girardi says there will be a third. The first game, he wasn’t given enough time to think, he just went out there and did his thing. 2 weeks before he was in the minors with probably no shot of being called up, now he’s on the biggest stage in sports and trust me, I believe this kid has what it takes. Again, not every outing will be perfect and his second outing wasn't, but the underdog in Brian Gordon will attract many if he can get the job done in any role. He’s got the experience; it doesn’t matter that it was minor league experience, he was working and if Cashman sees something in this kid, so do I.

Check out Gordon’s line: 2 Games, 10.1 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 4 SO, 3BB and a 5.23 ERA.
(Photo: Neil Miller)
Now, keep in mind, on the Bartolo Colon front, yesterday Colon pitched a simulated game he threw 60 pitched and felt fine, so the word on the street is he could be back soon. Read it HERE. If he does come back, yes I will welcome him back with opened arms, but you still have to feel for Gordon and believe in him. Cashman will too. I say keep him in the bullpen, and on the team and use him in emergency starts or a long man situation.

Latch on Ladies and Gentlemen, Gordon may be the new guy, but he’s more experienced than many pitchers out there, he just needed an outlet, and now he’s got one. If he stays on the straight and narrow and mows down the competition, it will be God damn glorious.

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 THERE'S CAUSE FOR CONCERN

"He'll probably need about two more to go, as long as the New York side is OK. As long as the New York side is OK, we'd like to stretch him up to about 100 pitches, increase him by about 15 every outing."
--Brian Cashman tells the Daily News

(Photo: AP)

If Brian Cashman travels to Connecticut to watch Phil Hughes pitch a minor league game in his road back to the New York Yankees pitching staff, one would suggest that there is alittle worry behind that trip.

Last night, Hughes pitched against the New Britain Rock Cats, pitched only 3 1/3 innings throwing 72 pitches and only 42 strikes. Hughes ended up with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks giving up 3 hits and 1 run. According to reports, he barely hit 93 mph compared to when he was pitching Sunday where he hit 95. Bottom line, Velocity is down, but why?

I had my thoughts about this in WAS BILL MASSE RIGHT ABOUT HUGHES? and while I'm not totally sold on Masse's theory, you have to wonder if what Masse says is correct, or at least on the right track. Could babying Hughes all these years affected him and could the sudden increase of innings from 2010 from 2009 messed with Phil in some way?

So what's the good news? Well, there is no need to rush right now, Cashman said it. If the Yankees pitching in the Bronx can hold it down, Hughes can rehab longer. We have Brian Gordon and we can give Hughes his time.

What's the bad news? We worry about Phil Hughes. For the longest time the Yankees were treating him with kid gloves and being sure they wouldn't damage him. Ironically, it seems that perhaps, just perhaps tinkering with the young man may have screwed with his young arm even though that is what they were trying to avoid. Now, I am clearly giving my opinion on the Hughes situation, I'm not a doctor and have no idea what all this "dead arm" stuff is all about. I just know I'm concerned. And why I wouldn't I be, having Golden Boy on a shelf this long is not the way I excepted this season to be for Master Hughes. It's a damn shame, that's all.

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 DIDN'T HIT OUR SPOTS

(Photo: Getty)
Johhny Cuerto pitched really well tonight; Impressive and dominant is all you can say. The Yankees lost and were shut down... bottom line. The good news is we won the series against the Reds and I could not be happier about that. I'm trying to stay positive.
(Photo: Getty)
The biggest problem tonight for the Yankees was pitching. We just didn't hit our spots when we needed to and we paid for it. Chris Heisey hit 3 home runs tonight against us. Who? Heisey... that's who. The Yanks were no match and didn't win because the Reds had a big night. That's all you can say, you need to move on. A day off tomorrow and we'll come back Friday.

Brian Gordon had his pitches high in the zone and Hector Noesi also just didn't have a great night at all. Hey it happens, and if the Yankees lost 6 straight before tonight, I'd be more aggravated, but it's a different situation. We've won the last 4 out of 6 games and tonight and that just a perfect example of what baseball is all about...you never know what's going to happen, that's it. Gordon pitched 5 innings, gave up 5 hits and allowed 4 runs. Giradi told Wally Matthews that he will probably get a third start even though he got the loss. Read that HERE. Noesi was horrendous tonight, 1.2 innings, 8 hits, 6 runs.

Here's a highlight for you:(Photo: Getty)
Nick Swisher hit his 8th home run of the season in the second inning. Yup, that was it. The best news is Swisher is hitting again and not slumping. Hopefully those homers come back. Remember, he his 29 in 2009 and 29 in 2010. I'd love for him to top that, but who knows.

Final Score: Reds 10 - Yankees 2. Rest Yanks... come back Friday ready to win.

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 THE HUGHES TRAIN'S COMING

Phil Hughes is climbing back and if anyone has the heart and drive to do it, Phil Hughes does. The Wall Street Journal has a great piece on his road back HERE. Remember, this is the Yankees Golden boy and reports are that he was touching 93 and 94 mph on the gun with the Staten Island Yankees in his first start. This slow rehab process to get his velocity up after his "dead arm, inflammatory" issue is working and that goodness, although, we haven't have a crying need for Phil Hughes lately, have we?

(Photo: The Star Ledger)

Bartolo Colon, the long man at the start of the season, became an overnight superstar and others have stepped up as well to fill Colon's void in the bullpen, as well as his starting spot since his injury. The pitching staff for the most part is doing quite remarkable and it helps.

So that begs the question, where does Phil Hughes go when he returns? I believe in not fixing something that ain't broke and I believe Bartolo Colon earned his starting spot. I feel almost like it's unfair to take it away from him when Hughes returns, but if you don't, where does Hughes go? Does he take Nova's spot? As you saw last night Nova pitched 8 great innings in the Yankees 5-3 win, if Nova pitches that way from now on, I'm not sure it's fair to move Nova either. Do you put Hughes in the bullpen and work he way back?

(In Photo: Brian Gordon/Photo: Ron Antonelli)
Something needs to be decided, I'm assuming around All-Star break time when Hughes is scheduled to return. That will give Nova another start or 2 and it will also give us a chance see how Brian Gordon is handling things while he fills in for Colon. Hughes is making progress though, and he's bound to keep it up. This past weekend, he pitched 4 1/3 innings and threw 41 strikes and struck out 7.(Photo: David Gard)
Hughes next stop will be Trenton Thunder and that will be exciting because it's him going back to his roots. If confidence is high and he pitches longer games and is effective, it's definitely another step toward Yankeeland. I really like this kid, and I wait until he returns at full strength. Stay tuned...

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 NEED BIG Z & WOODY

In the 2011 season, the Chicago Cubs are a miserable 29-40. Rabid Cubs fans would never admit it, but they've reached the point where their only real option is to sell expensive players and begin rebuilding, which makes them the perfect candidate to sell some players by the deadline.

Jesse Schindler already discussed the possibility of Kerry Wood coming to the Yankees in Part II titled: WHY WOOD SHOULD BE ON THE RADAR. Believe me, I'm quite fond of of this idea.

Wood’s a proven success in the Bronx, has a one year contract right now, so the Cubs will take whatever they can get. Even if he wants to be known as a lifelong Cub, I'm pretty sure the way things are going in Chi-town, he'd be more than willing to waive his no-trade clause and have a chance at winning his first career ring. He wants to keep his family situated in Chicago, but he could take a three month long “business trip” and sign right back with the Cubs (or White Sox if he wants to be on a team that isn't a disaster) when the playoff run is over.

Since Jesse covered this idea recently, I want to suggest the addition of another piece in the trade: Carlos Zambrano. Yes, it's true that reports are out suggesting that the Yankees have ZERO interest in Zambrano (Read HERE), but I am not so sure that's true. I think Zambrano would be a good fit. Now if you're a Yankees fan and reading me on Facebook, you probably just deleted or blocked me. I understand what just went through your head: “What?!?! That guy who is just one step short of braining an ump with a bat?!?! Are you insane?!”

Bear with me here. Big Bart's recent injury and Ivan Nova's general inconsistency has reminded us all that even though this pitching staff has performed far beyond what anyone imagined, it is still very much a work in progress. Who knows if Nova can handle the spotlight, if Colon and Garcia can stay healthy all season, or if Brian Gordon is the real deal. Talks about the Yankees trading for an elite pitcher have died down due to Colon's unfathomable comeback, Garcia's puzzling (he’s hardly changed his approach from last year) success, and the fact that the trading block this year is expected to be mostly junk, with the exception of a possible Jose Reyes dealing. However, adding one more veteran arm with post-season experience could be huge for a team relying so heavily on guys who still come with some question marks.So why Zambrano? Well, first I'd like to address the question… why NOT Zambrano? The answer to that is obvious because the man is a ticking time bomb, and could throw a temper tantrum if he so much as gets a bad strike call. He's snapped bats over his knees, yelled at umpires, and smashed Gatorade containers in the dugout... Wait... smashed Gatorade containers? Where have I heard this before?Think back to the days of the Warrior Paul O'Neill, he was the “heart and soul” of the late '90s dynasty according to the late George Steinbrenner. His behavior was controversial, but there's no denying that he brought energy to the team and got everyone fired up, and in the end everyone loved him for it. 1-8 record against Boston be damned, this has been a great season so far, but in the few moments when our beloved Bombers have disappointed, there was one thing clearly noticeable on the field: a lack of energy in my opinion. Zambrano could be a catalyst, both on the mound and in the clubhouse. He's not afraid to get pumped up whether he shows it through positive or negative energy. Big Z may sound exactly like the kind of guy who would be disastrous for clubhouse chemistry, but odds are just as good that he'd be exactly the kind of boost they'd need to break out of slumps quicker, or turn around a post-season series.Now that I've addressed the reasons of why it would be a bad idea to sign Z, let's move on to why he's a good, realistic target. Similar to Kerry Wood, the Cubs would be insane to expect Montero or a Killer B in return; Cashman would laugh his ass off all the way home if they asked for that. If the Cubs were willing to deal Zambrano, it would be a straight salary dump. The Cubs owe him nearly $36 million for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. As I said, the Cubs are looking to rebuild, and if they can clear $18,000,000 from their 2012 payroll, they'll have huge money to work with in the off season. There have been rumors about the Cubs making a run at Albert Pujols this off-season; so wouldn't a Zambrano trade help their chances quite a bit? Of course, his massive salary would make the deal a gamble, but as Casey recently said, Cashman likes to take gambles, and if he thinks this one would pay off, he'll be willing to pull the trigger.

Zambrano has had a less than stellar start to the 2011 season, posting a 5-4 record and a 4.59 ERA. This may make him seem like a less appealing trade option, but I have a feeling he's missing Larry Rothschild and a reunion could work wonders for him. Casey calls Rothschild “Yoda” because of how well he is able to coach his pitchers mentally. Zambrano has the stuff; his performance is almost solely dependent on his mental game. The Yankees could grab him for cheaper than he's worth, and end up with another ace to add to the ever improving rotation.

It is for the same reason that I think he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause. As much as players love the money, none of them like to go out and suck. If a reunion with his old pitching coach could help him get the results he has the talent to get, he wouldn't hesitate to come to New York. Additionally, Zambrano has voiced his disdain for his current club publicly, comparing them to “a AAA team” and saying, “We stink, that's all I've got to say.” Clearly, he's not too happy with his current position, so does anyone think he would turn down a chance to win a World Series?

This is less important because of the existence of the DH in the American League, but Zambrano is one of the best hitting pitchers in recent years. He's a three time Silver Slugger (finished 2008 with a .337 average/.892 OPS) and is batting .313 this season. If the Yanks don't want to trade for Zambrano, this certainly isn't going to change their minds, but having a ninth potent bat in the lineup in a World Series away game could be that tiny little bonus that swings things in our favor.

Like it or not, Zambrano is a clear target for a trade. He'd be dirt cheap, could be packaged with Kerry Wood to cover all bases, and could help anchor an elite rotation. Assuming Phil Hughes recovers and Colon stays healthy beyond his current DL stint, we could be looking at a post-season rotation along the lines of:

• Sabathia

• Colon

• Hughes

• Burnett

• Zambrano

That's not just a decent rotation we are talking about, it is a World Series Championship rotation. Not a single one of those pitchers can legitimately be called anything less than a #2 guy. Big Z would keep the kids in the minors to develop, but also not create a need to deal them for help now. He's the closest thing the Yankees have to a good trade target. It would be a risk for public relations and the team's success, but it might be the best option we've got...




--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor

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 ART OF THE WIN

(Photo: Daily News)
The New York Yankees are rolling and it doesn’t stop with our last home stand, it only continues. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve got the rest of the division by the balls. Why? Because considering all the injuries we’ve had with our starting pitching and some of our other stars, like Jeet, I’d say that’s pretty damn exciting...we're still winning! We’re still in it.

So, what's the goal? For me, I’d say getting to first place and be up 2 or 3 games by the All-Star break. To me, that puts us in a good position with a few days off and a final push toward the playoffs.

Look, the Red Sox are no slouches, we saw that the last series when they swept us like we were dirt on my kitchen floor. It was just pathetic. But then something happened…we woke up. The Red Sox made us realize that it doesn’t matter what problems we have, we need to take the field and deliver. I have seen confidence building this past week and I see the Yankees will use that that crappy Sox series as a building block for victory down the road. It’s time to dig deep, play hard and set the tone, that’s the Art of the Win.

You know my recent infatuation with Curtis Granderson. He’s been leading the assault all season and believe it or not he is a leader on this New York Yankee team, and guess what… it’s addictive. Don’t believe me? Did you see the 12-4 game Tuesday night (read HERE)? Gardner was on fire, his production was solid. Nick Swisher… he’s been in the shadows long enough and even he produced now. G.G.S. is about the help lead the N.Y.Y. to a competitive run. It continued yesterday when Gardy knocked in Granderson to win the game in 12th inning 3-2 and sweep the Rangers. You can laugh at me all you want, but I’m telling you, you hang with run producers long enough, you also produce runs. As a group, you become invincible. Again…it’s addictive.

Look at Posada. Yes, he’s in the low .220’s, but he’s now hitting and has an incredible June so far. He even had a game tying double yesterday and hopefully it keeps on coming.

CC Monster has 8 wins Ladies and Gentlemen. Yes, he may opt out at the end of the year, but we’re playing for now and believe me, he’s not going to slack, he needs a solid season and we need him. Freddy and AJ have been solid this year with just minimal bad outings and when Bartolo comes back, we may see more of the same… wins.

And speaking of Bartolo Colon, since he’s gone to the DL, the Yankees surprised everyone signing a guy named Brian Gordon. Yesterday he went 5 1/3 innings and held it down wonderfully. Not bad for a 10 year minor league veteran. Gordon’s got promise and I trust Cashman with this guy.

And finally, our bullpen. Our sweet, sweet bullpen that started out strong and slowly has fallen apart, but with Mo and D-Rob leading the crew, we may just be able to shut down the competition with the likes of a talented Luis Ayala, lefty Boone Logan and a new kid named Cory Wade. It’s good stuff.

So while this is not exactly the Yankees team we expected to see in June, it’s a good ball club and they are doing the best job they can and succeeding. So back to my point... the Art of the Win. We can thank the evil Red Sox for the wins, the streak and the continued confidence, because they’ve woken up a sleeping giant after that horrendous 3 game losing streak. Thank you Boston.

Damn… can you imagine where we’d be if we were healthy? I looking forward to July ladies and gentlemen, our boys of summer will be at full strength, nothing could be better than mowing down the competition in October…nothing.

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 IT’S SMALL ALL OVER AGAIN

Never before have I seen so much hype about a guy that no one really knows, but I’m happy about it. Brian Gordon had a good record from his minor league days and now he has his first outing as a New York Yankee under his belt. Bottom line, if he has a few good outings like today, maybe even a win or 2, and can hold down the fort while Bartolo Colon recovers, it’s a win for us all.

The whole signing of Gordon brings me back to another no-name, Aaron Small. His 2005 run for the Yankees was magical. A 10-0 record and he just came out of nowhere, much like Brian Gordon.

Cashman surprises me a lot. Sure, he’s made moves that are pretty significant with well-known ball players, but it’s the moves we don’t understand that turn into gold that I love the best. How about Luis Ayala?

(Photo: Getty)

Who would have thought this guy would be as great as he’s been? In 21.1 innings this year, this kid is 1-1 with a 1.25 ERA. He’s got 17 strikeouts and 8 walks. That’s magnificent and that’s Cashman taking a chance.

How about Boone Logan in 2010? 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 51 games. Yes, Boone’s fell off alittle this year, but to make my point, you have to point out his first year in pinstripes. Another guy Cashman thought could contribute and did.

How about Shawn Chacon in 2005? Another great pickup. Chacon went 7-3 with a 2.75 ERA. This is the same guy who was 1-7 in Colorado earlier that year.

(In Photo: Cory Wade)

And today the Yanks introduced a guy named Cory Wade, 2 scoreless innings in his pinstripes debut. He was released by the Rays earlier in the week. I liked what I saw today and I want to see more.

I’m not sure what it is… maybe it’s Cashman believing in these kids; maybe it’s putting on the pinstripes. One thing is for sure though, Cashman has a good track record when it comes to this type of thing, and I believe in these most recent moves, Gordon...Wade...Ayala. Brian Gordon may not be a super star, but he COULD be one in 2011 for the New York Yankees, and I want to be there when it happens. Go get’um Gordon.

---------------------------------------------------------

By the way, check out the latest from Bronx Goblin HERE and 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.

WHY THE SWEEP KEEPS THE STREAK ALIVE

“Hey, they got Cliff Lee, I got Brian Gordon.”
–Brian Cashman told SI in reference to Gordon opting-out of Phillies contract.

(Photo: AP)

Beating the Texas Rangers in all three games is like a mini playoff for me. I am no fan of the Rangers and cannot stand “Pretty Boy” Wilson. Maybe because he’s good and probably because he’s confident. Wilson pitched great today; you need to tip your cap. The game all together was played well on both sides and newcomer Brian Gordon locked it down as best his could in his first appearance as a New York Yankee. Give him credit too, it was a big spot for him and he did quite well.

(Photo: AP)

Ultimately it was decided in the 12^th inning with an RBI single from Brett Gardner who scored the gentleman, Curtis Granderson. The same Curtis Granderson that I believe has jump started this offense in the best way possible. Since the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees have played incredible baseball only losing 2 of 10…and now, all eyes will be on Wrigley. How exciting is that?

The highlights go like this:

First off, let's talk Brian Gordon. He gave up just 2 runs, allowed 7 hits and 3 walks in 5 1/3 innings.

Poe Poe had a big RBI double today to tie the game 2-2. Posada, while not hitting every at bat, is hitting and it’s good to see. Sure, I’d love to see him hitting more, and I believe it will come, but getting into a true hot rhythm is never totally easy when you have a ritual for 15 years as catcher and then need to just be a hitter. It’s a whole mentality adjustment. Couple that with what his family is dealing with, little Jorge’s operation and I can imagine the weight on his shoulders. As a father too, I say, just cut this guy some slack, the hits will come.

Hustle Martin was back and contributed when he could. He had a single today and was the rock for Brian Gordon I am sure. It’s good to see him behind the dish. He can never get hurt again.

Cory Wade was another Yankee pitch up. They moved Kevin Whelan down and brought him up. A reliever with promise and he was thrown right in pitching 2 perfect innings today. Damn, I love the way Cash works sometimes.

D-Rob worked his magic, totally dominant and in the zone and Mariano is of course, the master; I rarely talk about Mariano just because he always does everything right. Love that guy.

The 12^th was when the igniter Curtis Granderson singled, Cano was hit by a pitch and then Gardy knocked Curtis home for the win, and pie time here we come.

(Photo: AP)

Final Score: Yankees 3 – Rangers 2.

Well, it’s off to Wrigley Yanks, an exciting and historic time. Good luck out there. By the way you BYB freaks, one of our writers, Jesse Schindler’s on his way to have some fun in Chicago and perhaps give us a little react from Wrigley. Hopefully we get some good stuff. Look for it 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.

WHY GORDON MAY REPLACE COLON...WHO?

The Yankees have signed minor leaguer Brian Gordon, who is a veteran righty from the Phillies Organization. Apparently he opted out of his contract with the Phillies and the Yankees swooped in and signed the kid.

Now it seems, although not 10o% confirmed, that Gordon will get the call on Thursday to replace Colon in the rotation. Gordon was 5-0 with an International League leading 1.14 ERA for the AAA Lehigh Valley in the Phillies' organization.

Gordon said this to the YES Network: "I'm really looking forward to helping the Yankees. ... I don't know if [the start is] 100 percent. I was told be mentally prepared to start on Thursday. That could change."

Gordon is a converted outfielder and his only experience in the pros came in 2008 with the Rangers. He pitched four innings.

Not sure if Gordon is the guy or not but I found this nugget interesting. All this time I thought for sure Hector Noesi or David Phelps would get the call. But that's what Cashman does, he tricks us all for a bigger plan...and I love 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.