THE BABE IS WATCHING...

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WHY BOSTON GOT SERVED HUMBLE PIE

OK, I've been waiting to do this piece for months now. On January 2nd, a NESN.com writer wrote a piece on why the 2011 Red Sox could unseat the 1927 Yankees as the greatest team in the history of Major League Baseball. You can read the comedic gold HERE. Mind you, it was written before 1 pitch was thrown in spring training or even the season itself.

Casey was immediately outraged as well, and wrote WHY BOSTON SUCKS: PART II. Read it.

I saved the NESN piece the moment I read it. I knew at the time that this prediction would backfire on them easily and now, the season is over, the Red Sox didn't make the playoffs and, I just have to laugh. Who would dare suggest something so silly? Let's break it down. The piece started off saying: "The Red Sox have won 100 or more games three times in their 110-year existence. They will make it four in 2011."

We all know by now that he was way off in this prediction. The Red Sox finished with a 90-72 record and finished 3rd in the American League East. Meanwhile, the 1927 Yankees finished with an astounding 110-44 record. Can you say, EPIC fail? I can...oh, I did.

Next, the writer showcased the Red Sox lineup which looks like this:

CF. Jacoby Ellsbury- .321/.376/.552/.928 (BA/OBP/SLG/OPS), 32 Hrs, 105 RBI, 39 SBs
2B. Dustin Pedroia- .307/.387/.474/.861, 21 Hrs, 91 RBI, 26 SBsLF. Carl Crawford- .255/.289/.405/.694, 11 Hrs, 56 RBI, 18 SBs
1B. Adrian Gonzalez- .338/.410/.548/.957, 27 Hrs, 117 RBI
3B. Kevin Youkilis- .258/.373/.459/.833, 17 Hrs, 80 RBI
DH. David Ortiz- .309/.398/.554/.953, 29 Hrs, 96 RBI
RF. JD Drew- .222/.315/.302/.617, 4 Hrs, 22 RBI, 81 games
C. Jarrod Saltalamacchia- .235/.288/.450/.737, 16 Hrs, 56 RBI
SS. Marco Scutaro- .299/.358/.423/.781, 7 Hrs, 54 RBI
SS. Jed Lowrie- .252/.303/.382/.685, 6 Hrs, 36 RBI

That lineup looks pretty good, I mean, this team lead the majors in runs scored with 875, that's 8 runs ahead of the Yankees, but they're NOT the 1927 Yankees who scored 976 runs, 131 more runs than the second place Detroit Tigers... astounding. Also keep in mind that the 1927 Yankees had four Hall of Famers, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, and Earle Combs, in their lineup.Speaking of the 1927 Yankees lineup, let's take a look at how each individual fared that season:

CF. Earle Combs- .356/.414/.511/.925, 6 HRs, 64 RBI
SS. Mark Koenig- .285/.320/.382/.702, 3 HRs, 62 RBI
RF. Babe Ruth- .356/.486/.772/1.258, 60 HRs, 164 RBI...WOW
1B. Lou Gehrig- .373/.474/.765/1.240, 47 HRs, 175 RBI... WOW
LF. Bob Meusel- .337/.393/.510/.902, 8 HRs, 103 RBI, 24 SBs
2B. Tony Lazzeri- .309/.383/.482/.866, 18 HRs, 102 RBI, 22 SBs
3B. Joe Dugan- .269/.321/.362/.683, 2 HRs, 43 RBI
C. Pat Collins- .275/.407/.418/.825, 7 HRs, 36 RBI

Pretty good, huh? A couple of things...One, the writer of the NESN piece had us look at the Boston bench. It looks like this:

OF. Mike Cameron- He got DFA'd from the team in late June after hitting .149/.212/.266/.477 in 33 games with the Sox.
OF. Darnell McDonald- He hit .236/.303/.401/.704 in 79 games. Certainly doesn't strike fear to me.
INF. Marco Scutaro- .299/.358/.423/.781 (above)
INF. Jed Lowrie- .252/.303/.382/.685 (above)
C. Jason Varitek- Hit .221/.300/.423/.723 in 68 games, but he's the Captain of the team and wears that "C" on his jersey!

Now, in all fairness, the Red Sox improved their bench with the call up of outfielder Josh Reddick (.280/.327/.457/.784) and trading for utility man Mike Aviles (.317/.340/.436/.775 in 38 games for Boston).

And finally, I just wanted to say this before we conclude this piece. It is very hard, if not impossible, to compare different players performances between two completely different eras, not to mention that that 2011 season hadn't started yet. Baseball was an entirely different game way back when, and a lot of changed. But, the writer for that NESN piece brought it up in the first place, so it's his own fault.

Next we'll try and break down the pitching for you, comparing the 2011 Red Sox and 1927 Yankees. Stay tuned.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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WHY BOSTON'S SEASON NEEDS TO END

Every Yankee fan knows how important it is that the Boston Red Sox's season ends before the playoffs. They play the Orioles tonight. Below is the Babe Ruth's rookie card, a 1914 card when Babe Ruth was a member of the Orioles team. The Orioles were then a minor league Red Sox team. Ruth played with the Baltimore Orioles for about 5 months and then his contract was purchased by the Red Sox. The Curse of the Babe needs to return...

Yeah, I know it's a stretch, but everything counts, even believing in superstition. It's ironic to me that Babe Ruth began with the Orioles and now, on a possible last day of the Red Sox season, the Sox could very possibly be ending their season against the Orioles tonight. God I love baseball, everything is intertwined.

Pass this link on to every Yankees and Orioles you know. Keep the Curse alive. Let's go Baltimore! Let's go Yankees!!!

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WHY I BELIEVE IN THE CURSE

On August 15^th, Sports Illustrated posted a front page cover story about Dustin Pedoria titled “Heart of the Red Sox.” Immediately I joked in my head that this has got to be the curse all over again. You know, that strange "curse" talk about whomever is on the Sports Illustrated cover is cursed afterward? Anyway, I quickly forgot about it and to be honest, I don’t need to read about Dustin Pedoria and the dreaded Red Sox, it’s aggravating to me.

Yesterday I had a doctor’s appointment and I saw the cover again in the magazine rack in the waiting room and I realized something. With the Yankees thriving and the Red Sox imploding, maybe the curse DOES still live, just in another form. Man, I hope so.

I loved “The Curse of the Bambino” and since childhood, I bought into it. It was amazing to me to see that Sox team play some really good baseball, but then, in a flash, it was all gone. Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Bill Buckner, Babe Ruth and so on, all great memories for any Yankees fan. It was incredible the way it played out for years. I remember travelling through Boston for games at Fenway and seeing the Reverse Curve sign and seeing it defaced by a desperate fan who took a risk to change the Sox fate... Reverse the Curse it then read. Wow..."It must have sucked to be a Sox fan", I used to think.

I know some Red Sox fans and before the Red Sox won in 2004, they were beaten down, angry and annoyed with the Yankees. They would tell me that the Yankees bought their championships, yet, in 2004, it seems as though the Red Sox did too, weird right? After they won, they'd tell me the Yankees were finished and they’d tell me every year that the Red Sox were here to stay. Yeah, the Yankees made the playoffs every year except for 2008, but we never won again until 2009.

But I realized something important about Yankees fans... one thing Yankees fans don’t do is give up on their team. Do you remember 1987? How about 1988? Those years as a Yankees fan were brutal. We sucked and we had a stretch of sucking, but one thing was certain, Yankees fans never gave up. Yes, the stands were empty, but the fan base was always there. I remember feeling terrible, but I knew we’d win next year, and a year became a decade and suddenly, with Buck Showalter, we had a shot, but fell short against the Mariners in 1995. I remember where I was and I remember the heartbreak.

When Don Mattingly retired, I couldn’t believe it. “What is he doing? We almost made it!” I remember thinking. Well, no one could have predicted 1996 and beyond, but for a die hard Yankees fan like me and so many like me, the Yankees were back and never giving up on our team paid off for 5 more championships. It was beautiful.

Right now the evil Red Sox are imploding and if I can latch onto a little luck and just stare at that Sports Illustrated cover for another 2 weeks, I feel the vibe of the curse all over again. The curse is alive and well Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s just in a different form and while the Yankees are a great ball club, there’s nothing wrong with getting a little help on the side. A little luck, a little curse against the Red Sox. I’ll take what I can get.

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WHY THE YANKEE GODS ARE SMILING ON MONTERO

Sure, contributing to a team as a newbie is great, but to do it consistently is just plain awesome. It looks to me like Jesus Montero is just delicious right now because the kid is comfortable at the plate and contributing like mad. The best part, it didn’t take long.

Montero came up and Yankeeland rejoiced. After all, everything you hear or read about him in the minors hyped this kid up ten-fold. I always imagined the pressure for a kid who is hyped up that much at such a young age. How do you NOT believe your the greatest? Look at ballplayers like Josh Hamilton who broke into the Tampa Bay Rays organization. I remember reading about him before he ever stepped into a pro batter’s box. The world was hyping him up, big time. Then, the young Hamilton bought into the hype, started enjoying himself alittle too much and fell off the face of the earth. I remember reading that he literally hit rock bottom and was crack addicted. he wrote about it in his book Beyond Belief. Bottom line, it was a dark road, but he got himself right and now he's clean. It's an amazing journey, but clearly he bought into the hype.

Look at that Matt Bush kid out of the San Diego Padres organization. Another one with high hopes. This kid thought he was the greatest player since Babe Ruth the way they hyped him up. So, he bought into it, he thought he probably thought he was invincible and guess what? He got into some trouble with the law and right now he has nothing. Hopefully he can turn his life around. Read about it HERE.

The point is Jesus Montero looks humble. He looks like he’s just happy to be there and if you know anything about the Yankees, they will do their best to shield their young talent from the demons of excess. But ultimately, it comes down to the kid. It comes down the Jesus Montero. Look, I am in no way saying Montero is going down that dark road of excess. In fact, I’m saying the opposite. There’s something about the way this kid carries himself that is making God smile on him. Maybe it’s his focus, dedication, maybe his name (that’s clearly a joke) but one things for sure, I see this kid growing up in an organization that will give him tools to succeed and not fail. And Montero, who looks as focused as any veteran, will hopefully stay on the right track, perform, grow and win a few championships with the New York Yankees.

Bottom line, I haven’t felt this way since Derek Jeter was talked about way before he ever put on a professional uniform. And that goes back to my point; Focus and the Yankees. Derek Jeter is home grown. Derek Jeter has never strayed off the path, in fact, he knew what talent he had and what the Yankees were willing to do with him and the marriage is historic. I see Jesus Montero as our next Derek Jeter ladies and gentlemen. Dedication, Talent, Passion and Championships. Here we go again Yankeeland. It’s about to get exciting again.

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REMEMBERING 9-11: WHY IT'S STILL FRESH

I still remember it, clear in my mind although some of the minor details have started to fade. It was a Tuesday. The weather was warm. The sky was a bright shade of blue with very sparse clouds. It was a gorgeous late summer day. I drove the hour-plus to my job at TV job in Connecticut, like I did every day. I arrived around 7am and was enjoying a quiet morning. I worked in Master Control, a room filled with lots of monitors and different television channels. I was sitting a desk off to the side, away from everything, sipping a cup of coffee, checking emails, and updating some log sheets. My coworker Anthony always liked to watch the last hour of Good Morning America, followed by Regis & Kathy Lee. Everything was normal....

At some point I remember him saying, “Hey come look at this”. I walked over and ABC had started talking about a small Cessna that had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York (We later learned it was a large 747). The only initial pictures were from a static camera on top of the Empire State Building. As the next 20 minutes progressed other camera angles had been established and our own channel had begun to cover the events in New York City. I remember a lot of speculation and confusion about what was transpiring. At some point I called my girlfriend at the time (now my wife) and tried to explain to her what was going on. She didn’t have a television at her job. I remember thinking I'd never seen anything like it before – nobody had.

As the time approached 9am, Tony & I were watching multiple monitors with different coverage, all with the same, tight, angled shot that had both towers in it, one with smoke billowing from it. Then Bam - a 747 flew right into the other tower in clear view; broadcast around the world on live television.

At some point later in the morning I decided to walk over to the newsroom to see if I could do anything to help out. I sat down on the corner of a desk and this guy Will came over, sat next to me and bluntly said, “Some shit, huh?” I looked at him, shook my head, looked back to monitors on the wall, just to see the first tower drop out of camera view, buckling under its own weight. Right then everything seemed to slow down for me. It was like one of those scenes from the movies where everything around the main character is swirling around them in a blur.

The day went on very solemnly. Everyone did their jobs, really only talking when necessary. It was very strange being as far away as we were (about 40 miles) yet it felt like it was my backyard. I remember driving home that day, listening to an afternoon talk show that was about as serious as it gets. People were calling in talking about what floor of the towers they worked on and how they escaped or why they weren’t at work that day.

During the day the FAA ground all commercial flights in the US and my house was near an airport. Later that night I remember standing outside taking in the cool night air, trying to come to grips with what had happened earlier in the day and realizing how eerie it was to not hear anything overhead. Its one of those noises you don’t even realize you hear until its not there anymore.

In the days following I remember feeling some anger, but mostly a sense of pride and patriotism as those little annoying things people do, didn’t really seem to matter. We were all Americans and we all were feeling the same way. People were more courteous, kinder, dare I say - less self-absorbed.

MLB and the NFL both took a week off and rightly so. With so much going on, it wasn’t a time for playing games. Although as the days passed, Baseball was something I looked for… a distraction; some normalcy. When it was time to return the Yanks were on the road. However, the Mets were home.I remember a very touching pre-game ceremony. A bunch of surviving first responders were on the field. The Mets also had a replica skyline above their scoreboard and it was lit up at night. On this night, everything was illuminated up except the Twin Towers. Touchingly a red, white, and blue ribbon had been placed over the darkened section of the skyline. Even today, that image still sticks with me.

The following Sunday, before the Yanks returned home, the Stadium hosted a memorial service for the souls lost on that fateful day. Watching the families of those who died, gathered in the Grand Cathedral of Baseball, surrounded by the ghosts of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Thurman Munson, celebrating life and the spirit and resolve of New Yorkers… I can’t think of a more fitting place.

-- Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Writer
bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com




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FOR THE LOVE OF MY NEW YORK YANKEES

If there’s one thing I know about Fenway, besides being one of the best historic ballparks in the world, it has some of the most obscene fans ever. Well, Phillies fans are pretty bad, but I don’t think they trained their kids to chant “ARod Sucks... Jeter Swallows.” That may be the most offensive thing you can chant at a ballpark, a park with children present to see a good game between 2 division rivals and history in the making.



I was at Fenway in 2004 and witnessed this exact little spectacle and I will tell you, while the kid had no idea what he was saying, the fans thought it was hilarious and the dad felt like a rock star for 3 minutes, high-fiving fellow Sox fans while his parrot kid was screaming obscenities to the players on the field. You wonder why I call them the evil Red Sox, it’s because that red just makes their fans see red. Next thing you know it’s an all-out assault and it’s sad.In 2007, I was at Yankee Stadium with a friend for yet another Yankees-Red Sox match up. We were in the nosebleeds in right field. Now, if you read WHAT IS A YANKEE GROUPIE? PART 2, I probably fall into “The Possum” category. I'm the guy who’d love to be obnoxious, but the reality is, I have kids, I’m 40 and I just want to see a good game. As I was trying to get through the aisle, I spilled a little beer on a Red Sox fan who tried to back up and let me in get by, but he just slid his legs over and I needed to shuffle past him. Needless to say, beer spilled. He thought purposly, although it wasn’t, but I was glad he thought so. “What the hell are you doing?” he said. “Trying to get by you, thanks for moving,” I snapped back. “You spilled beer on me.” And he stood up and we were face to face. I looked him dead in the eye and said softly “You don’t want to do this here. This is our house, not yours.” Quickly, he shut up and sat back down.



Throughout the game, the Yankees played good ball. At that point the people who sat next to this sad Red Sox fan left and I need to push more buttons…so I sat right next to him. The dude rolled his eyes. The balls on this guy, right? We Yankee fans come into Yankee stadium and we’re threatened? No Way. God forbid I tell him he’s in the wrong house. I slowly became “The Frat Boy” mentality and made sure the world knew there was a Red Sox fan in my section. Luckily, it worked. A few chants and middle fingers later that Sox fan got a taste of his own medicine, he left. The Yankees Red Sox Series to me is always great and always will be. Starting with Babe Ruth, it may be some of the most fun you can have at a ballpark. Through the years, the curse was so great for any Yankees fan and when it “ended” in 2004, I still want to believe. Why? Because for the years leading up to the Sox winning, the curse was a fun little element of the game. These days, the games are still competitive, but I don’t feel like it’s the same. The evil Red Sox are winning more for some reason and I don’t like it one bit.



So, what can we do as the New York Yankees? Win. The Yankees are the greatest team in franchise history; we have the wins, the rings and the greatest fans in the world. The Red Sox have some wins and some fans that were so old they croaked after they finally won in 2004 and then they have the latch-ons; These are Red Sox fans that weren’t Red Sox fans before they won, but they hate the Yankees so they bought a Sox hat. Passion wins every time though, that’s the difference. True fans have passion, Yankee fans have passion. Latch-on Red Sox fans can't name the lineup. What I mean is this; you can wear your stupid red cap all you want, the truth of the matter is, the Yankees are tradition, we have determination and we belong on top… that’s not just a stupid rant ladies and gentlemen, that’s the truth…

• Grady Little leaving Pedro Martinez in too long, was supposed to happen.



• Aaron Boone’s home run was supposed to happen
  
  



• Babe Ruth becoming a huge hitting sensation with the Yankees was supposed to happen
  
  



• Bill Buckner letting that ground ball go under his legs was supposed to happen.



• Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs never winning with the Sox and then winning with the Yankees… was supposed to happen.
  
  

It’s destiny, nothing less. Let’s Go Yankees!

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WHY IT'S BIZARRO WORLD

I was reading the Orange County Register online who had this nugget from the Los Angeles Times and to be honest, I can't believe I missed it. Read it HERE.

At first it confused me and then it made me smile. Wow, maybe not all people hate the New York Yankees or Derek Jeter. Maybe, just maybe, the tradition and ability of a 36 year old baseball player in pinstripes who will no doubt be up there with names like Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle will get respect from cities other than in the Tri-State area.

It turns out… and I hope I’m not on Candid Camera right now, that The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are taking the high road to the sake of major League Baseball and honoring, not an Angel on September 9^th, but a New York Yankee… a baseball player…#2…..Derek Jeter. Sounds like Bizarro World, but it’s true and I applaud them. Why? Because it’s not about an individual team, it’s about the ability of an individual ballplayer... Derek Jeter.

According to the OC Register, the Angels Vice President of Communications was quoted as saying “We are stilling finalizing some things… It is fair to say we want to honor the man, the player and the person in some form.”

For the love of baseball, this is a classy move by the Angels. The Yankees and the Angels have had their competitive runs against each other over the recent years and it’s safe to say this gesture turns the other cheek for the sake of baseball. I respect it and appreciate it.

When asking Jeter what he thought, he said, “I think baseball fans appreciate things like that, But in terms of being honored by another team, I haven’t thought about it.”

I have thought about it and while I appreciate the gesture, you have to wonder how baseball fans and Angels fans in Angels Stadium will react. I would expect fans will get it and a standing ovation would take place, but to tell you the truth, with that stupid rally monkey all over Angels Stadium and the rivalry that has developed over the years between the 2 teams, there will be plenty of booing and aggravation. I guess that's part of the game too. We'll have to see what happens. After all, those Cali fans are having this forced on them and Jeter’s not a Rod Carew or a Tim Salmon to them… it’s Derek Jeter, a New York Yankee.

Bottom line, I hope it all works out and I hope the fans get it, respect the decision and they have a good time, after all, Derek Jeter may be a Yankee Icon, but he’s a baseball icon to boot and he makes me proud.

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WHY MANTLE & MARIS ARE STILL INTRIGUING TODAY

When I was a kid, my dad told me a story about the 1961 home run race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. When he told the story, it was the greatest event of his lifetime, and you could tell. His eyes would get big describing the tension and how Yankee fans took sides. many loved Mickey Mantle and wanted him to win it all because he was a fan favorite before Roger Maris ever put on pinstripes. Others, and there were far less, were rooting for the underdog, Roger Maris to win the crown. Ultimately though, there were many that just didn’t want the Babe to be knocked from the top. After all, 60 home runs in a single season was a huge accomplishment, but to have anyone else do it would almost be unheard of. After all, it was the Babe’s record and it wasn’t meant to be broken.

My dad was an usher at Yankee Stadium starting at 15 years old. He’d hop on a subway alone to get to work in the Bronx everyday for a few years. It was the way it was back then and for my dad, a Yankee fan, it was a dream come true.

The 60’s were an interesting time in the Bronx. The Yankees were still very good, but things went downhill after the 1964 season. He was there for a lot of it and learned from the best at the stadium, his peers, the other ushers. They were men much older than 15 and they’d been ushering since before he was born and probably saw the Babe Ruth play. They taught my dad the tricks of the trade. “Once you get the people to their seat. Stand there for a minute and shake your pocket so the change rattles around in there,” they’d tell him. “The people will HAVE to tip you then.” And they did. Before that tip, he wasn’t making any tips, after that, he was rich, a $10 week was huge.

Not to get off track, but to make my point, it was a simpler time back then, less to watch, less to do, which is why the Mantle and Maris home run race was so exciting in 1961. It was bigger than anything coming out of New York and it spread fast.

Once Mantle started to fall short and Maris started picking up steam, the whole Yankee Universe started to back their new hero collectively. Sure, there were many traditionalists that didn’t think Roger Maris had any business snagging the home run record from the greatest Yankee player of all time, Babe Ruth, but everything happens for a reason, and in that 1961 season, it was time for change.

The home run was deep to right field and Maris’s swing looked like slow motion, but it sailed into the stands and at that moment in 1961, so many emotions ran through people’s minds. Many were sad, but the majority of Yankee fans rejoiced. After all, once it was clear Roger Maris was the guy, you had to respect the feat. Besides, it was another Yankee breaking the record, not a Red Sock...not a Cub… it was Roger Maris, another New York Yankee, not only did the record stay in the family, but it put Roger Maris on the map. Once a quiet kid out of the Indians organization, this kid had a new home, the Bronx, with new fans, all of Yankeeland.

My dad talks about that moment fondly, because the whole summer made sense after that especially after winning the 1961 World Series as well. It’s the Yankee way. After that, there were so many other great moments that just made sense too after that, Bucky Dent’s home run, Aaron Boone, the Derek Jeter flip play,even Jim Abbott’s perfect game and Reggie Jackson cranking out 3 home runs in 1 game in 1977… all Yankee moments through baseball history, all that were supposed to happen to no other team but the a New York Yankees. That's why Derek Jeter finally recorded 3000 hits and that's why Mariano Rivera is now charging closer and closer to the all time Saves record of 601 currently held by Trevor Hoffman. Not because he's Mariano Rivera, but because he is the Great Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees. All of these moments are truly beautiful. It’s tradition that runs so deep, it’s tremendous. And not only that… it’s our Yankees destiny.

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WHY JETER IS THE PERFECT ROLE MODEL

Now-a-days when you look at the top shortstops and infielders in Major League Baseball, you tend to think of Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera, Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia.

Why does this matter? Well, most of these player's had 1 role model in their lives, it was Derek Jeter. For example, Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Ramirez wear #2 in honor of the Captain.

Although Derek Jeter may not be a top 5 shortstop in baseball anymore, he has proven that he is one of the best shortstops of all time. He first of all is the Captain of the most storied franchise in all of sports, he has won 5 World Series Championships, he owns a career batting average of .312, and is also a member of the 3000 hit club, and he is 37 years old which is quite young for all of those accomplishments, if you think about it.As DJ is definitely on the decline, he is no longer as feared or good as he once was, but he is still the most respected ballplayer ever; Respected among the New York Yankees, among the entire league, and respected by parents and children around the globe.Figure this, many players respect Babe Ruth a hell of a lot and would wear #3 in honor of him such as A-Rod did with Texas. David Wells worshipped the Babe and wore a number 3 in 9 of the 11 teams uniform numbers he wore while a player. In a much similar fashion, I believe that Derek Jeter's number 2 is on the same level as the great Bambino which is pretty crazy when you think about it. Why? Well, the Babe played well before many of us were even alive. Our grandparents saw him play. On the other side, most of us have seen DJ's career unfold from a rookie into a true leader and World Champion to his 3000 hits, to literally transforming into an icon.Although his career isn't over, here's to you Jeet to a great career. We have loved every moment of watching you from the Jeffrey Maier home run, to the Flip Play, to your full out dive into the stands. But most importantly, your 3000th hit. We appreciate all you have done and will continue to do for us.

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--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY THE NERD SHOW OPENED MY EYES

6 years ago, I was lucky enough to go to a card show and meet 3 very important Yankees. Yes, 2 were much older men, but the other was a new kid on the block. That stuff didn’t really matter though, they were Yankees and played with the greatest and played on the biggest stage. They were Gil McDougald, Bobby Murcer and Chien Ming Wang.

I walked into the auditorium of the event with my wife, who likes to break my balls when it comes to memorabilia collecting. She calls them “Nerd” shows. This isn’t to say that the actual shows are nerd shows, she’s making fun of me for being a nerd. Anyway, that being said, when I saw these athletes live, I turned into a little kid, and dare I say, a nerd… so maybe she’s onto something. Anyway, back to my point.

The first line was a short one. When I saw Gil Mcdougald, he looked nothing like the 1956 baseball card I had of him, but it was the ACTUAL Gil Mcdougald. I had a baseball and when it was my turn, I went up shook his hand and told him while I never saw him play, I thanked him for some great years on the Yankees and appreciated him. He smiled at me and told me he appreciated it. “A lot of youngsters tend to go up to the new guys.” That broke my heart but he laughed it off and signed my baseball. I took a picture and thanked him.

Next we waited on a longer line, but it was worth it, Bobby Murcer was on the end of it. He was healthy at the time, smiling, shaking hands and really just larger than life in my mind. I always liked Murcer and I loved him more in the booth. Just a likable guy. My fondest memory of Bobby Murcer was that home run he hit in the Munson game. I was a kid, but I remember where I was when I saw it and how important it was. I became a fan right then and to meet him now was incredible. When it was my turn, I walked up and shook his hand. I was really nervous. “I love you in the booth Mr. Murcer”, I said. “Thank you” he said. He took my ball, then he grabbed an action shot of him and signed it for me too. “Wow” I thought. We posed for a picture and after alittle more conversation I was on my way.

Then I got on the longest line in the room. At the end of it was Chien Ming Wang. Wow, maybe Gil Mcdougald was right, could it be that a lot of these kids don’t know about the other Yankee Greats of the past?

(In Photo: Bobby Richardson)

When I was a kid, my dad didn’t sit with me teaching about the Yankees of years past, but he would drop a name and a memory,like Bobby Richardson, "he was great for the Yankees," he'd say. Or “Moose” Skowron, "He had some great years for us," he'd say. My dad watched them play and he’d mention them. Me, in turn, would go and read about them, just so I knew who he talking about. When I was old enough, I’d go to card stores and save up to buy a card. If my dad says that guy was good, then he must be good, I thought. And that’s how I did it. Now, waiting on Wang's line, I realized maybe many had forgotten about the others.

I walked up, shook Wang’s hand. The conversation was limited, just a lot of nodding and pictures and signing my baseball and to me, it was exciting, but I have to tell you, at the time, Wang was the new guy and it was definitely a different feeling for me. Yes, he was a Yankee, but he wasn’t yet a Yankee great, the others were.

I tell you this story merely because the Yankee history runs long and deep and has so many incredible players over the years, even not so great ballplayers, but great stories and stats just the same. Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth are the most well known, but what do you know about Wayne Tolleson or Bobby Shantz. How about Matt Nokes or Jim Abbott? (In Photo: Jim Abbott)

Do you remember Bobby Meacham? I do, it was not a good career, but he was a New York Yankee and that means something I think. Check out Baseball Reference and type in a New York Yankee. Everything about them is there, stats and information that you never knew. It's really great. The Yankee history is truly awesome.

I love my New York Yankees and it really doesn’t matter who they are, they were Yankees and to learn about them and the teams they played on is great. Know the players, love them, they were Yankees, members of the greatest team in the world. It’s 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.