WHY LOSING JUST SUCKS

There is nothing that can be said to console me today. Our Yankees fell short of #28 and, right now, there is no "silver lining" for me. Casey summed up the game perfectly and I feel reflected the feelings of most Yankee fans in his piece, THE DAY THE LAUGHTER DIED. One of the points Casey made was that the Yankees beat themselves and I couldn't agree more. So after two cups of coffee this morning and taking a few deep breaths, I wanted to rant just a little about this nightmare of an ALDS...

Who would have thought that the only pitcher that would hurt us in relief last night would be CC Sabathia? I know we didn't hit but that third run CC gave up just killed us. When Jackson scored I was just scratching my head. What happened to CC? When did he become an average starter because for the last two months that is exactly what he has been. Is it the weight? Is there some hidden injury? Did the six man rotation throw him off? I don't know what's up with him but unfortunately the Yankees played down the stretch and headed into the playoffs with an"ace" who didn't pitch like an "ace". If CC does get resigned/extended by the Yankees, which I suspect he will, I hope he comes into Spring Training with a new fire in his eyes.

The other player Casey mentioned in his piece was Nick Swisher. Look, I'm so angry about last night's game that I don't want to blog something I will regret in a few weeks so before I wrote this next part I actually stepped away from my computer, took some more deep breaths, and counted to 10...Nick, you have been a fun Yankee. We know you love wearing the pinstripes and we loved having you represent the Yankees but bro, it's over. The Yankees are not about 162 regular season games, we are about post season and post season ONLY and you have not done the job. You have now had 100 AB's in the postseason with the Yankees and only have 16 hits with 5 RBI; that's a .160 AVG. But here is the number that really hurts the most: Nick Swisher has 1 hit with Runners In Scoring Position(RISP) in 31 postseason AB's with the New York Yankees. One! That's just not going to cut it.

ARod, ARod, ARod. What can you say fellow fans? Is he playing hurt, maybe. But I really think there is more to it. When ARod struck out to end the season last year against the Rangers I remember thinking, okay, it could happen. I mean it sucked but it never crossed my mind that we may be looking at an aging ARod. But you know what? After this ALDS and the way he struck out three times last night, I am now seeing the writing on the wall. Arod is declining, and, there is nothing we can do about it. ARod said many things last night at his locker after the game and one of the things he said was that he would "come back next year with a vengeance". Now does that mean 50 HR's and 140 RBI during the regular season? Or does "come back next year with a vengeance" mean he will step it up and lead us through the 2012 postseason? I guess we will have to wait...

And here is my last rant. We all know that this may have been the last time we see Jorge Posada in pinstripes. Last night while he was being interviewed in the locker room Jorge got very choked up and began to cry when he was asked if this is it for him as a Yankee. So for all you Jorge haters who thought he did not care about his team or being a Yankee after that whole "Posada-gate" I hope you took notice! Jorge BLEEDS YANKEE BLUE and always will! We love you Jorge Posada and want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a GREAT Yankee!!!

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


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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DANTE BICHETTE JR.

We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue have tried to give you things that the other blogs don't. One of the big things that make us unique are our interviews with former Yankee players as well as stars like Kimberly Jones. Well, It's my pleasure to offer an interview with one of our favorite "new" Yankees and down to earth guy, Dante Bichette Jr.

Dante is the future of the New York Yankees and when we were able to secure an interview with him, we were psyched. So here it is, our BYB Exclusive with Dante Bichette Jr. Enjoy!


BYB: First of all, congratulations on the Gulf Coast League MVP this season and your GCL Championship. How satisfied are you with your first year?

Dante Bichette Jr: My first year in pro ball was an awesome experience. I was lucky enough to go to the team I wanted to go to and lucky enough to have a crazy good Gulf Coast League team. One thing that made the jump from high school to pro ball such a great experience was having the coolest combination of coaching staff and management that I have ever played for.

BYB: What's it like to be drafted by the biggest sports franchise in the world, the New York Yankees, as compared to say, a smaller, less successful franchise?

Dante Bichette Jr: Being drafted to a franchise that just wins and wins is a great thing. The way to have the most fun in this game is to have success and win. I was on two winning teams this year, and will have two rings! That is something I feel like I could only have done being a Yankee.

BYB: Can you try and explain to Yankee fans what the draft process is like? Is it similar to the NFL draft, etc?

Dante Bichette Jr: I have never watched another draft other than mine so I cannot compare. But I can say it is basically a year of interviewing for a shot at a dream job, except you don't really know who your future employer will be until you are actually chosen.

(In Photo: Jesus Montero)
BYB: When you look up at the Yankees roster at the Major League level and see Montero and Romine making names for themselves, can you see yourself doing the same thing soon?

Dante Bichette Jr: It has been my dream since I was a little kid to be doing what they are doing. I think that if I keep putting in hard work consistently and making adjustments when I need to make them, and if God keeps me safe then I can definitely see myself there when it is my time.

(In Photo: Dante Bichette Sr)
BYB: Growing up as the son of a celebrated ballplayer, Dante Bichette Sr, what was it like growing up watching your dad play?

Dante Bichette Jr: I remember some things here and there. One thing I remember vividly was when my dad took me out to hit at Fenway Park. That was a pretty awesome experience.

BYB: Who are some of the other players you looked up to?

Dante Bichette Jr: My favorite player now is Derek Jeter. I love how you knew who just walked in the clubhouse when he showed up at our facility to rehab earlier this year. Of course, I like how he plays when he's on the field but I really admire his quiet confidence when he goes about his business.

BYB: What will you be doing during the off season to continue your development?

Dante Bichette Jr: This off season I will be hitting the gym hard to try and get my strength up. I have a pretty good routine of ground balls, hitting with my dad, running and throwing that I will be doing as well.
BYB: Growing up, who was 1 baseball player, besides your father, that you admired and wanted to emulate?

Dante Bichette Jr: I thought Barry Bonds was the man growing up. He was in the same division as my dad so it was easy to watch him. I was too young at the time to realize any controversy surrounding him, but I just knew he was a beast.

BYB: Have you ever read Bleeding Yankee Blue?

Dante Bichette Jr: As a rule, I don't read anything that has to do with me, but I have run across a few things from Bleeding Yankee Blue that have been tweeted to me.

BYB: We here have written about you extensively and are excited that you're part of the Yankees. Any kind words you'd like to say to the readers of our site?

Dante Bichette Jr: It's great to know people are rooting for me. I appreciate it a lot! Hopefully I will continue to give you reasons to be excited about me.

Dante Bichette Jr reminds me alot like Derek Jeter. Proud to be wearing the pinstripes and eager to please, he works hard and knows that nothing is handed to you in life. He has a good head on his shoulders and that clearly stems from an upbringing of tremendous parenting.

We truly appreciate Dante interviewing with us here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. Our Senior Writer, Mikey Blue gave me the assist on this interview with Dante. Thank you Mikey.

One more thing to Dante Bichette Jr...go get'um kid, we're all rooting for you and can't wait to see you in the pros!

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

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WHY IT WAS ALL ABOUT MO TODAY

There are great players. There are all time great players. And then, there are legends of the game. Today, Yankee fans saw a true sports legend ascend to the very top of the mountain. Mariano Rivera cemented his place at the top. Mo saved his record breaking 602nd game today as the Yankees defeated the "triple A Twins" on a beautiful day in the Bronx.

As Mo has done 601 times prior to today, he came into the game and just shut down his opponents using the 'cutter and pinpoint control and ended it all with a strikeout! I definitely don't want to rain on the parade but the only part that bothered me was that Jorge was not on the receiving end of that record breaking save. As Casey wrote about in his piece last week, WHY SAVE 602 SHOULD BE RIVERA TO POSADA , it really should have been Jorge, but oh well, the moment was Mo's! What a pleasure and honor it has been for me as a fan of the Yankees to have watched this man pitch. He never ceases to amaze!

As far as the game today, the team the Yankees played today are a shell of themselves from 6 months ago. This Twins lineup this afternoon was a AAA lineup, at best. But you know what? Who cares. The Yankees job is to beat the team that takes the field against them each and every day and that's exactly what they did. AJ Burnett started but couldn't make it 5 innings today but it didn't matter because the bullpen cleaned up his mess, (again), and our offense took care of the rest. As we all know, AJ is really impossible to figure out. One batter he can look so dominant and the next he looks awful. Oh well, I have no idea how he pitches in this year's post season but who knows!? AJ's final line: 4IP - 9R - 4ER - 8K's

Yankees played hard today. They pounded out 15 hits led by the Captain who went 3-4 and were powered by Curtis Granderson's 2-run HR in the 1st. It was Granderson's 41st HR of the year and RBI number 114 & 115. The Grandyman also added to his astounding Runs Scored total today, adding two more. Cano and Swish each had a pair of hits and each added an RBI. The Yankee bats were clutch today and they just played good, solid baseball.

But make no mistake Yankee fans, this day belongs to Mariano Rivera and his greatness! Thank you Mo for everything you have done for this Yankee franchise. We love you and are proud of ya!

Final Score: Yankees 6 - Twins 4

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

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WHY ROBINSON CANO IS NO JOKE

Now in his 7th season with the New York Yankees, in my opinion, Robinson Cano has become one of the most reliable, consistent Yankees in our lineup, especially in 2011. Not only has he been putting together All Star caliber numbers and statistics, Cano has become a leader in that clubhouse.

Listen, we all know who our Captain is and there is no discussion needed on how amazing Derek Jeter is as a player and as a leader. In fact, check out Casey's piece: WHY DEREK JETER'S OUR CAPTAIN, but, if there was such a title as a team "Lieutenant" or "Captain-in-Waiting" I would look towards Robinson Cano. Look no further than this season for proof of Cano's worth to this team. Heading into today our Yankees were just one game out of first in the AL East. This despite injuries to our studs like Jeter and ARod. Not to mention the drama of "Posada-gate" and the AJ Burnett nightmare, but game after game Cano was the glue that held this team together. He has quietly put together solid numbers at the plate and played an effortless, almost flawless, second base.

Now, I think most Yankee fans will agree that Curtis Granderson is not only the Yankees MVP this season but probably the AL MVP. In fact, we at BYB have begun the Granderson MVP campaign already. Check out WHY THE 2011 AL MVP PLAYS IN THE BRONX. But when you look up at the box score every night it seems that Cano is either 1-4 or 2-4, with 1-2 runs scored and throw in an RBI or two. And most of his hits are for extra base hits. He's just a consistent hitting machine.

Since numbers don't lie, I broke down his stats per month. Check it out..

• April: .320 AVG. - 8 HR's - 21 RBI - .340 OBP

• May: .250 AVG. - 3 HR's - 16 RBI - .305 OBP

As you see, May was not a great month for Cano but despite the low average he played a great 2nd base and still managed 16 RBIs for the month in 28 games.

• June: .303 AVG. - 3 HR's - 14 RBI - .367 OBP

• July: .311 AVG. - 2 HR's - 17 RBI - .359 OBP

• Aug.: .340 AVG. - 7 HR's - 27 RBI - .368 OBP (thru August 29th)

So like I said, Cano's numbers will not blow you out of the water and I am not campaigning for the AL MVP, all I am trying to point out is his consistency and to be sure we don't overlook what this guy has done, so far, for the 2011 Yankees. His batting average continues to climb as does his runs batted in and on base percentage. And, probably the most important numbers are the ones with runners in scoring position (RISP). As we have all witnessed with our own eyes this season, it seems that the Yankees are leaving an unusually high number of runners on base. If we aren't hitting a home run, then they are not scoring. But not so for Cano. Check out his stats this season with runners in scoring position:

• .308 AVG. - 7 HR's - 74 RBI - Of his 39 hits with RISP, 15 have been for doubles along with 2 triples.

So of Cano's 40 hits with RISP, 24 have been for extra base hits. Now, that's getting it done, and there is still a lot of baseball to be played. Keep it Robbie, we love you in Yankeeland!


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

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WHY GOD MUST BE A YANKEE FAN

(Photo: Getty)

When the Yankees finally took the field today after an 89 minute rain delay, I just had a bad feeling. Not sure why or for what reason but it just felt like it was going to be a long day in the Bronx. And once the game got underway my gut feeling became a reality. Phil Hughes just didn't have it today. When Hughes is bad, he's really bad. There is no gray area with Mr. Hughes. More on his day in a minute...so Hughes is getting knocked around and the thought of the Yankees getting swept at home in late August by the A's got the best of me. So I did what any good Yankee fan would do, I prayed to the man upstairs for a rain out!



I know, it's very bush league of me to do that, but you know I just wanted this series washed away, pardon the pun. There is no way we can get swept at home knee deep in a pennant race by the A's. Well, I believe Garth Brooks said it best in one of his songs, "Some of God's greatest gifts, are unanswered prayers." Thank God, God didn't listen to this knucklehead!

Not only did the Yankees win today, they made history! The New York Yankees became the first team EVER to hit 3 grand slams in one game! It was a game where you had to see it to believe it!



Don't worry fans, if most of you were working or at school this will be an instant YES Classic, so stay tuned. We all know this team is built around the long ball and today, as they say, the proof was in the pudding. The Yanks 5 home runs accounted for 14 of the Yankees 22 runs. Behind these record setting grand slams and another outstanding performance by the bullpen, the Yankees came all the way back from a 7-1 deficit and beat, scratch that, destroyed the Oakland A's 22-9.



Robinson Cano hit the first grand salami in the bottom of the 5th which cut the Oakland lead to one run. Cano had another fantastic day at the plate going 2-4 with 5 RBI and extended his hitting streak to 16 games.

But, believe it or not, despite Cano knocking in 5 runs he was not the player of the game. That honor has to go to Russell Martin. Heading into the the bottom of the 6th the Yanks were down 7-6, until Martin knocked in 4 runs with one swing to give the Yankees a 10-7 lead and they never looked back. Martin had a career day today going 5-5, including that grand slam, a solo HR, and he knocked in 6 runs! The 5 hits and 6 RBI are both career highs. He also walked once so he was, literally, perfect today at the plate. Then it was onto the 8th inning where history was made. "The 2011 AL MVP", Curtis Granderson hit the 3rd grand slam of the day for the Yankees and the rest, as they say, is history!

And how about the Yankee bullpen? Probably the unsung heroes of today's game and really the 2011 season. Phil Hughes just struggled today. He just got flat out knocked around. Hughes only went 2.2 innings allowing 6 earned runs. But despite his awful day on the mound he did not get a loss. After today's game Hughes needs to buy a round of drinks, not only for the offense, but his buddies out of the bullpen. The bullpen kept the A's at bay...again, pardon the pun. They only allowed 3 runs for the rest of the game. The combination of Cory Wade, Hector Noesi, Boone Logan, and Luis Ayala all took the ball from Girardi and gave our offense the opportunity to begin the historic comeback. And what a comeback it was! In a game where the Yankees were actually trailing 7-1, the historic grand slams brought them all the way back, and then some.



Final Score: New York Yankees 22 - Oakland A's 9.

GAME NOTES:

• The Yankees came at bat an incredible 17 times with the bases loaded today.
• The "2011 AL MVP"'s grand slam now gives him 36 home runs and 103 RBI for the season.
• The Captain was the DH today and went 3-6, including his 4th triple of the year. Incredibly, Jeter has come all the way back and is now batting .299!
• Eduardo Nunez, who started for Jeter at SS also had three hits, going 3-5.
• ARod got his first hit and more today since coming off the DL. He went 2-4 and walked twice. He also had three runs scored.
• The Yankees batter around for 4 straight innings today (5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th)
• Boone Logan faced four batters today and struck out all four and he also got the win.
• Posada played 2nd base in the 9th inning. It was the first time in his MLB career he played 2nd. The last time was in the minors in 1991...low A ball! Nice!
  
  

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer

Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com

Twitter: @MikeyBlu23

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WHY IT'S JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR IVAN NOVA

(Photo: Getty)

Ivan Nova needed only one run from his teammates today but to play it safe the offense went out and gave him 3. The "2011 AL Rookie-of-the-Year" was absolutely spectacular today as he pitched 7 innings of shut out ball to help the Yankees take 3-out-of-4 from the Minnesota Twins.



Bouncing back from that rough outing earlier this week in Kansas City, Nova made the pitches when he needed them the most and was in total control from the start. Even when the Yankees did their best imitation of the Bad News Bears in the field, Nova picked up his teammates and shut down any chance of the Twins scoring. Nova mixed up his pitches and had the Twin hitters off balance for most of the afternoon. His final line today was 7 IP's - 5 Hits - 0 ER - 5 K's - 1 BB. The best part? Nova earned his 13th win of 2011 and lowered his ERA to 3.96.



The Yankee's bullpen combination of David Robertson and Mariano Rivera has quickly become the most dominant 8-9 combo in MLB this year. DRob did what DRob does in the 8th. Despite giving up two infield singles, both of which could have been outs, and a walk to Jim Thome, "Houdini" closed the door on any hope the Twins had. And then it was Mo time in the 9th: 1-2-3 went the Twins and Mariano gets his 33rd save of the year.Ivan Nova continues to show amazing composure despite his age. I mentioned it a couple weeks ago in this piece, WHY IVAN NOVA IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED. This 2010/2011 Ivan Nova reminds me so much of the 1995/1996 Andy Pettitte. I remember when Pettitte became a full time starter for the Yankees. What stood out for me was the way he handled himself on the mound. It seemed no matter what the game situation was, Pettitte kept his composure and showed so much heart. When you turned on a Yankee game and Pettitte was on the mound, when you looked at him you couldn't tell if the Yankees were up 3-0 or down 7-0. Pettitte literally threw one pitch at a time. That is exactly what Ivan Nova is showing to me now. I believe we are truly watching a pitching phenom develop right before our eyes and it goes way back to how much we've supported Nova here at BYB. This piece, WHY HE'S SUPER NOVA is from March, but it just shows that there were early signs, this kid was bound to have a great year. So, enjoy it Yankee fans, I know I am!

For the first 6 innings today the Yankee bats were pretty much sleeping. They managed to manufacture a run in the 6th inning to break the scoreless game. Even though Nova and the bullpen only needed that one run today, the Bronx Bombers tacked on a couple more in the 7th inning with back-to-back, and a belly-to-belly home runs by the "2011 AL MVP" Curtis Granderson and his shadow, Mark Teixiera. (Photo: AP)

For Grandy it was home run #35 of the year and he is now tied with Jose Bautista of Toronto. And for Tex, it was his 34th HR of the season. Can anyone say Maris & Mantle, 1961? Here at BYB, we began seeing the Maris/Mantle & Granderson/Teixeira similarities early on. Check out

WHY ITS 1961 ALL OVER AGAIN and WHY MANTLE & MARIS ARE STILL INTRIGUING TODAY. Casey's been pounding that drum all year.

Other Game Highlights today:

• In addition to Granderson's inside the park homer, it gives him 98 RBIs on the year and Grandy also stole his 24th base of the year.

• Teixeira's solo blast gives him 95 RBI.

• David Robertson continues to dazzle, particularly against lefty hitters. Robertson pitched an inning striking out two more left handed hitters. Robertson has now faced 96 left handed hitters, striking out 47 of them! Can anyone say CY Young? I can... read WHY DAVID ROBERTSON IS CY YOUNG WORTHY.

• Cano hit his 33rd double of the season. Nice.
  
  

FINAL SCORE: New York Yankees 3 - Minnesota Twins 0.





--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer

Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com

Twitter: @MikeyBlu23





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WHY IT'S TIME TO PULL AJ BURNETT

(Photo: Getty)

Well Yankee fans, what can you say that hasn't already been said about AJ Burnett? I mean, I guess I can spend the rest of the time writing this recap talking about how AJ is an embarrassment in pinstripes. Or how AJ couldn't hit the side of a barn even if he was standing three feet away. But I won't do that tonight. Why? Because he is not worth it. But, here is what I will say. I certainly do not know AJ Burnett "the man off the field". So I would never judge another man without having first walked a mile in his shoes and even then, who am I to judge? You will not find any of the BYB writers ever attacking another player on a personal level. That is not how we roll at BYB. But one thing I do know is AJ Burnett, the pitcher for the New York Yankees is just plain awful. And he has the nerve to show up his manager and his team when rightfully being yanked from the game? Are you kidding me? You know, when Joe Girardi was asked about what AJ said to him when he left the mound Joe took the high road. He played "dumb" saying AJ's anger wasn't directed at him. Look, we all know that AJ said something to Girardi and Girardi probably jacked him up when he followed him into the clubhouse tunnel, but what is he suppose to say? Girardi is the manager of the New York Yankees, he isn't going to sit there and sell out one of his players to the media. So I am not gonna get on him for the way he answered questions after the game. In fact, I give credit tonight to Girardi for showing class and leadership. Bottom line is this: AJ Burnett and the New York Yankees need to come up with a "mystery injury". This cannot go on any longer! It must end and it must end NOW!

So here's the recap; In the bottom of the 1st inning, AJ Burnett gets the leadoff hitter out, but then the Twins proceeded to hit back to back doubles and a wild pitch by Burnett gave the Twins and early 1-0 lead. After a sacrifice fly, AJ retires the side.

So after one inning, the Yanks were down 2-0, but it wasn't the end of the world. There was a glimmer of hope that maybe AJ settled down and found his groove. But, that was not the case...

After the Yanks went down again 1-2-3 in the top of the 2nd the Twins came up and by the end of the inning, this game was over. In fact, Burnett could not even make it out of the 2nd inning. And, to add insult to injury, when AJ reluctantly left the mound with the bases loaded the Twin fans gave him a standing ovation! How embarrassing is that? Pathetic. Here is AJ's final line for tonight:



1.2 IP - 5 Hits - 7 ER - 3 BB - 1 K - 2 Wild pitches -- 61 pitches thrown and now AJ's ERA for the season is 4.96!

Offensively, the Yankee bats were frozen against Francisco Liriano. To Liriano's credit, he was given a big lead and pitched accordingly. He went after the Yankee hitters and never let them string anything together. When Liriano is on, he is really on. Eduardo Nunez was the only Yankee with more than one hit going 2-4 with a run scored. The Yankees only had a total of 7 hits for the entire game and most of them came late, not against Liriano.



So tonight I ask the Yankees to do us all a favor and end this AJ nightmare. Please yank this guy from the starting rotation. We don't care how you do it, all we care is that you do it.

Some Other Game Notes:

• Andruw Jones smacked another home run tonight -- his 9th of the season.

• Curtis Granderson got his 97th RBI of the season. Incredible.
  
  

• Although newly acquired lefty Aaron Laffey gave up two runs tonight, credit needs to be given to him for "taken one on the chin" giving his new team 3 innings worth of work. Also, the bullpen combo of Ayala, Wade, and Noesi pitched 3.1 innings giving up just 3 hits and no runs. Bravo.
  
  

Final Score tonight: Minnesota Twins 9 -- New York Yankees 4



Can you tell I'm disgusted? Well, I am.

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer

Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com

Twitter: @MikeyBlu23







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WHY DAVID ROBERTSON IS CY YOUNG WORTHY

Heading into this year's Spring Training, I think I was like most Yankee fans when it came to David Robertson. We saw glimpses last year of a consistent, powerful pitcher out of the Yankee bullpen but I certainly would not have called him dominant. This season I figured his role would be once again to get out some tough hitters and be part of the bridge that would get us to Rafael Soriano and, eventually, Mariano Rivera. I certainly expected the 2011 D-Rob to be better this year than last but I have to admit, I never expected him to possibly make history.

Do you realize, statistically, David Robertson is having one of the most dominant single season pitching performances in Yankee history? Let that soak in for a minute. One of the greatest statistical pitching performances in New York Yankee history! Now I understand that there is a lot of baseball yet to be played and anything can happen. But at this pace D-Rob will put up numbers that will have many Yankee fans screaming "CY YOUNG!"If D-Rob continues to dominant American League hitters like this, his name will be among the greatest Yankee pitchers of all time: Names like Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, Andy Pettitte, Catfish Hunter, Mariano Rivera, to name a few.Okay, so let me give you some of DRob's amazing stats so far this season:

• Including last nights game, DRob has appeared in 53 games this season and pitched 49.2 innings. In those 49.2 innings DRob has given up only 31 hits and struck out 74 batters! That breaks down to an average of 13.5 strikeouts per 9 innings. How sick is that? But wait, there's more...

• DRob has given up a total of 7 earned runs and has a 1.27 ERA.

• Of the 31 hits he has given up, only 7 have been extra base hits and, he has yet to give up a HR.

• Opposing hitters are hitting only .175 against him.

• And, he has yet to hit a batter.

Impressive numbers and if you dig a little deeper his stats just keep on giving...

• D-Rob is actually getting more dominant as the 2011 season progresses. I'll break down for you the key stats by months:

• April: In 11 games he faced 37 batters and gave up 9 hits and struck out 12.

• May: In 12 games he faced 44 batters and gave up 7 hits while striking out 23. Opposing batters his just .159 against D-Rob in May.

• June: In 11 games he faced 39 batters and, again, only gave up 7 hits while striking out 17 batters.

• July: In 10 games D-Rob faced 36 batters and gave up just 6 hits while striking out 16.

• August: So far in 9 games this month, he has faced 23 batters and only given up 2 hits. Opposing hitters are only hitting .167 against Robertson in August.

So as you can see DRob is only getting stronger as the season moves forward. More stats that stood out for me were his numbers against right handed hitters & left handed hitters. DRob has shattered the notion that he is simply a righty specialist. In fact, he has faced more left-handed-hitters this year than right-handed. DRob is an equal-opportunity dominant reliever!

• Vs. Right-handed-batters: DRob has faced 83 batter and given up just 16 hits, which comes to a .193 Avg. Of those 83 right handed batters he struck out 28.

• Vs. Left handed hitters: DRob has faced 94 batters while surrendering only 15 hits and striking out 45. Yep, he has almost struck out half of the left handed batters he has faced! Just a reminder, DRob is a right-handed pitcher!

Look, right now David Robertson is a middle reliever so no matter what kind of numbers he finishes with this year chances are he won't win the AL Cy Young. But in my opinion he deserves, at the very least, some consideration. Even some votes from the writers. It is hard to ignore and not reward a guy who is putting up statistics like the ones DRob is compiling as we speak. So here's to you DRob! If I had a vote for the Cy Young award I wouldn't think twice about throwing it your way! Thanks for an incredible season so far and we look forward to you helping us get #28!

DRob is one of BYB's favorite Yankees, not just for his on the field dominance but for the class and compassion he has off the field. For more on Roberstoson including BYB's exclsuive interview with D-Rob, please check out our previous articles:

WHY HITTERS RESPECT DAVID ROBERTSON
HELP ROBERTSON MAKE A DIFFERENCE
WHY ROBERTSON MAKES US PROUD
WHY ROBERTSON DESERVES AN ALL STAR BID
WHY KINDNESS MAKES THE WORLD GO 'ROUND
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: HIGH SOCKS FOR HOPE
WHY ROBERTSON'S AN INSPIRATION
WHY ROBERTSON DESERVES MORE CREDIT
WHY ROBERTSON WILL DOMINATE



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

Twitter: @MikeyBlu23



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