THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT AT YANKEE CATCHER

(Photo: Getty)
The Yankees have many questions in numerous positions including starting pitcher, shortstop, 3rd basemen, and outfield for the future of the franchise. But there is one huge bright spot that the Yankees have covered for years to come...Catcher.Currently the Yankees starting catcher Russell Martin is doing more than enough to deserve a new contract, but because the farm system is so stacked, Martin may not get one with the Yankees youngsters Jesus Montero, and Austin Romine waiting in the wings.

Both have recently been called up, and both have shined as the future of our team. Between the fans and Montero and Romine, it's a true love connection. Montero is obviously option #1 because of his bat, while Romine is a close second as a defensive upgrade over Montero.

Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com has a great piece about both Montero and Romine. In it, he talks about the day in day out learning curve for both of them this September, and how they approach each day as they feel happy to be part of the big club.

Gonzalez writes: " Romine and Montero have prepared by poring over their scouting binders and trying to soak up as much knowledge about the Yankees' pitching staff as possible.

'I need to know what we need to do and how to pitch certain guys,' Romine said. 'Being the young guy, I want them to know that I take this seriously and that I care deeply about our pitchers throwing well.'"

He goes on:

Montero would figure to be in the Yankees' postseason plans because of his bat. But if Cervelli -- on the disabled list retroactive to Sept. 9 -- continues to be out, there's a chance both would make the Yankees' postseason roster.

"'I don't know what's going to happen in the playoffs,' Montero said. 'I hope to be with the team. I'm hoping, like whenever they give me an opportunity, however I can help, I'll be here. It's going to be the best to be in the playoffs.'

'I really haven't [thought about being on the postseason roster],' Romine added. 'I've got so much stuff going on right now, and if that happens, that would be another amazing thing going on in my life. But for right now, I have to worry about getting through [the next game] and showing that I can catch; that I belong here and that I can do it.'' Read the full piece HERE.

I tell you what, the future looks exciting. Look, we love Russell Martin here at BYB, but the reality is, the catcher position was stacked for a reason. We believe in these kids and who knows how long Russell Martin will be with us. Even 19 year old Gary Sanchez is down on the farm and expected to grow into a superstar in the next few years. Our catchers will be the bright spot of the Yankees for years to come, and I am as excited as anyone to see these players develop.

--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY THIS PITCHING COMPARISON IS GRATIFYING

(Photo: Getty)

You know what I find funny? Check these pitchers out:

• Pitcher A: 14-4 3.96 ERA 131.2 IP

• Pitcher B: 15-7 2.69 ERA 194.2 IP

Both of these pitchers seem like they could be top of the line starters, and would be the top free agents in any off-season.(Photo: Getty)

Pitcher B is Cliff Lee, the man who spurned the New York Yankees for his (not so) young Philadelphia Phillies. Pitcher A is a rookie who plays for the Yankees and is arguably our 2nd best pitcher, Ivan Nova.



The Yankees tried getting Cliff Lee last trading deadline, and failed, then tried getting him last off season, and failed again. Going into the season, no one knew what our pitching would be like behind CC Sabathia, but Nova has quickly turned into a 2nd ace. He has the 2nd most wins on the staff, and even more important than that, whenever he takes the mound, most of us Yankees fans are confident that he will give us a quality start, and a win. We have trust, and we have faith.(Photo: Getty)

Tonight Nova goes for his 15th win against the Toronto Blue Jays. Hopefully he can show everybody he's fully capable of earning that Rookie of the Year award.







--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY NOVA IS THE YANKEES #2

As we look at our Yankees, the offense is among the leagues best, the bullpen is among the leagues best, the fans are among the leagues best, and the stadium is also among the leagues best. The only thing not really considered to be tops in the league, is our starting pitching staff as a whole.



Currently CC Monster is one of the leagues best pitchers, but behind him there are many question marks. Before the season Burnett was expected to bounce back, and did but not enough to be considered a legitimate #2 starter. In-Season Bartolo Colon was considered our #2 Ace, but his age has caught up with him. Now we have a new #2 pitcher, Ivan Nova.Nova came into the season as the 4th pitcher on the Yankees staff, but with the emergence of Colon and Freddy Garcia, among with Phil Hughes coming back from injury was sent down to AAA for a while. He is now back on the Major League roster, but it seems that if one start goes bad he could be right back in AAA. I view this as a terrible way to deal with your 2nd best starter on your staff. Nova has proven that he is the 2nd best pitcher on the Yankees by posting an 11-4 record (second best on the staff), a 3.85 ERA, and in his last 3 starts he is 3-0 with a 3.44 ERA, pretty damn good!



With Phil Hughes healthy and ineffective as ever, he belongs in the bullpen, and Nova definitely belongs in the starting rotation as he has proven that he is the 2nd best pitcher the Yankees currently have. The Yankees should NOT mess with this kid jerking him back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen and back to AAA, and since in my mind he has proven that he deserves the #2 spot in the rotation, Girardi should just give it to him! So when people walk up to Nova, they can say "What exactly do you do Number 2?" Nova can say "That's my business," and just mow them down.So, what do you think? You have questions or you want to comment? Go for it. Also, add the BYB group on Blackberry messenger by looking on the » side of the page.







--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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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.

You have questions or comments? Hit me on Facebook or we can start a conversation on Blackberry Messenger by adding the Bleeding Yankee Blue group on the home page of BYB.


--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY GEORGE JUST ROLLED OVER IN HIS GRAVE

The Yankees didn't make any moves at this trade deadline, even though they were clearly in need of a top flight pitcher and some relief help; Hell, maybe even another bat. The first thing I thought of was George Steinbrenner rolling over in his grave in disgust.

George's philosophy during his entire life was win or nothing, and sorry to the 2011 Yankees, with whom I love to death, but we don't look like we are 100% positive that we can beat the Red Sox, Phillies, or Giants in a 7 game series at this point, and in George's time he would have made a trade for a huge name to do that. I think that if George were still around he would send everyone except Manny Banuelos to Seattle to acquire King Felix, and convince the Mariners why it's a great deal along the way.(In Photo: Manny Banuelos)
George was a hard nosed business man who had one goal in his business, to win. Hal, although he is a nice guy did not completely receive that trait from George. Dammit do I wish he did. If it were up to me, I would give Hank a bigger say in the day to day operations of the Yankees. Hank has a bad reputation as being alittle wild with the mouth, but he is not afraid to speak his mind, or spend his money. Hank has some of the good George traits.

If it were up to me, I would let Hank and Hal both control the Yankees in different ways. For example, Hank seems better with being vocal, dealing with people, and he has the George win attitude. Hal's positives are his business background (he studied business in college), his professionalism, and he displays the Yankees as a classy franchise, which he also is.
Let Hank make the moves, let Hal deal the cash and if things get alittle too out of control, Hal is there to reign him in, but one things for sure, we missed a good opportunity this trade deadline and if Hank was out of his cage, doing what I'm suggesting, I think there would be a different outcome today, August 2nd, then again, maybe I just miss Good Ol' George, who knows.

But, what do you think about my idea? Hit me on Facebook or add the Blackberry Messenger group, which is on the right side of the BYB page. Let me know what you think.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY WORRY? MY YANKEES RELIEVER SOLUTION

The Yankees are definitely in need of another middle reliever to go along with the fabulous DRob, the unknown RaSo, and the GOAT...Mariano Rivera. Joba Chamberlain would have been mentioned along with these 3 except for the fact that he is out for the season, and the Bombers need a replacement for him. Here are a few possible candidates to fill his void.

• Adam Warren: Warren has pitched well this year in AAA, posting a 6-3 record with a respectable 3.29 ERA. He is a strikeout pitcher that has a career high 15 strikeouts in one game on August 17, 2010. Could he become the next Joba story, with a better ending? Let's find out. Read about Warren HERE.

• JC Romero: Romero is a former proven big time pitcher with the Phillies. The Yankees signed him last week to a minor league contract, and maybe this lefty could resurrect his career. Read it HERE.

• Brandon League: His name has been coming up as the Mariners are once again sellers at the trade deadline. Read about League HERE. Too bad it seems they won't be selling King Felix. Maybe League could convince his buddy Felix to ask for a trade to the Yankees.
  

These are my reliever ideas. What do you think? Is there anyone I left off of this list? Let me know, and also be sure to add Bleeding Yankee Blue on Blackberry Messenger!



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE YANKEES?

Now that the All-Star break is over, what should the Yankees do to bring them to the next level?
Our Crosstown Rival, The Mets just traded away their closer Francisco Rodriguez for prospects to make the first deadline deal. The Mets are clearly in a rebuilding stage, and are trying to dump salary, but our Yankees are trying to figure out what it will take to bring them to the next championship.Let's take a look at which areas we need help with, and which possible candidates could be used to fill these voids:

• RELIEF: We are missing a solid 6th inning reliever. Joba Chamberlain went down with an injury earlier in the year, and David Robertson stepped up to take the 8th inning spot until RaSo comes back. Then, I think DRob will probably be moved back to the 7th inning spot, but who will be used to pitch in the 6th inning? I say call up someone from AAA or AA such as, Andrew Brackman, Lance Pendleton, or maybe even Mark Prior among others.

• TOP FLIGHT PITCHER: We are it and it could carry us through the playoffs if we had one. I say trade for someone such as Mark Buehrle or "Pretty Boy" CJ Wilson.

• EXTRA HITTING: Any team could always need another bat. I think having another person for some power or average is a threat in the lineup could really spice things up. I say trade for a 3 month rental and see how it pays out. My few candidates to trade for are Lance Berkman, Prince Fielder, Carlos Pena, or if a miracle were to happen, Albert Pujols.
  

IMAGINE this lineup:

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Pujols/ Prince Fielder DH
4. A-Rod 3B
5. Cano 2B
6. Teixeira 1B
7. Swisher RF
8. Martin C
9. Gardner LF

seems like Murderers Row 2.0, right?

Let me know what you think by commenting on this post or hitting me on Facebook. Or, if you have a blackberry you can add the Bleeding Yankee Blue group on BBM and we can converse in there. Thanks.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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POLL: WOULD YOU LET MO START AN ALL-STAR GAME?

I was watching the show Intentional Talk on MLB Network the other day and it has quickly became one of my favorite shows. It is a fast paced, fun loving show where Kevin Millar and Chris Rose talk about everything going on in baseball currently.

Chris and Kevin were having their daily jabbering when something interesting came up: Who will start for the AL in the All-Star game since many of the possible candidates are pitching a few days before it? Millar randomly suggested that maybe Mariano Rivera should start the game. My reaction was simply: "WHAT?!?!" Then I thought "Maybe it would be neat, but the reality is, he's been closing since 1997, wouldn't it be a bit odd?"

Well, I'm sticking to my opinion, I don't think he should start the All-Star game. I think once a closer, always a closer. Mariano is the best closer in the Postseason and All-star game history and the second best all time in regular season history. I'm just saying, with a resume like that, how could you let Mariano start?Remember when Kevin Millar said his team, the Red Sox were a bunch of idiots in 2004?
Look, I'm not saying he really is, but, hey, maybe there's some truth to that.
How in the world could you suggest the great Mariano Rivera should start an All-star game?

What do you think? Would you like to see Mariano start an All-Star Game? We will have a poll up on Bleeding Yankee Blue and you should vote. Also, comment here at BYB and tell me your opinions of it. You can also email me or catch me on Facebook. I want to hear from you.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY COLON WAS THE BIGGEST OFFSEASON STEAL

(Photo: Getty)
When the Yankees missed out on Cliff Lee, and I was going through possible candidates that the Yankees could sign and when Bartolo Colon's name was thrown around, my reaction was "When was the last time this guy got off the couch?" Better yet, "When was the last time he pitched in a major league baseball game?"

As a kid, I remember watching him pitch his way to the Cy Young in 2005, but didn't remember much after that. After missing out on the guy who was a born Yankee Killer in the off season, signing Colon seemed like a Plan Z. But in reality, Colon should be the Plan A, and Lee be the Plan B.
(Photo: Getty)
Until Colon got hurt, he had a better record and ERA than Lee, among other stat categories. Given that Lee is on fire now and Colon hasn't pitched in a few weeks, Lee record has changed, he's 8-5, 2.87 ERA and 114 strikeouts. Big Bart, who's still on the DL, is 5-3, 3.10 ERA, 72 strikeouts. That being said, would any of us have thought that Colon would be pitching almost as well as Cliff Lee at this point in the season? Who says Bart couldn't match Lee's stats or do better throughout the whole season? I think Colon has a legitimate chance to do so.

The ultimate icing on the cake would be seeing a Colon vs. Lee Game 7 of the World Series, with the Yankees winning 1-0 backed by a complete game shutout by the big man. Can't you picture it? That would make Brian Cashman look like the biggest genius of them all by not offering Lee a contract that he couldn't refuse, and instead signing Big Bart on the cheap. That would make Cashman deserving of a new contract for whatever he wants.

Look, this World Series thing may just be a pipe dream, but that would be the only thing the Yankees need to convince everyone that the philosophy of spending a ton of money on a roster will be imitated (Phillies, Red Sox, Mets) but NEVER duplicated.(Photo: Getty)
What are your thoughts on Colon? Are you happy now that the Yankees missed out on Lee? Let me know by commenting on this post or shoot me an email will.cohen.bleedingyankeeblue@gmail.com, or adding me on Facebook. Let me know what you think.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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2000's MOST EXCITING PLAYER: CANO OR SORIANO?

When most of us see how great Robinson Cano is for us, we tend to forget that the Yankees had a player who was a 30/30 player every year, just missed the 40/40 mark and was always a threat for the lone member of the 50/50 club. His name is Alfonso Soriano.
(In Photo: Alfonso Soriano)
Soriano played second base for the Bombers regularly in 2001 until the end of the 2003 season. His best year was in 2002 where he had 209 hits, 39 homers, 41 steals, 102 RBI, and an even had a .300 average. That's pretty damn great! Soriano missed out on the 40/40 club that year by 1 home run, and later achieved that feat in 2006 with the Nationals as he recorded 46 Home Runs and 41 stolen bases.

Soriano had a huge future ahead of him in the Bronx and was only 26 in 2002 during his monster season. He was one of the most sought after players in baseball for his great display of speed and power. He was traded along with a player to be named later, which became Joaquin Arias, and cash for our current 3rd baseman, Alex Rodriguez.

For 2 seasons the Yankees were without an everyday second baseman, shuffling between Tony Womack, and Miguel Cairo while trying to find a permanent solution.(In Photo: Tony Womack/Getty)
The solution was in their own farm system. His name was Robinson Cano. Cano came in 3rd place in the AL MVP voting last year, and is a staple in the current Yankees lineup much like Alfonso was about 10 years ago.Now, let's compare Cano and Soriano.

• Soriano definitely wins the battle in speed as Cano has never stolen more than 5 bases in a season and Soriano's lowest single season steals is 9.

• Soriano also wins the power category, as he averaged 31 home runs per year as a Yankee, and Cano's most home runs in a season is 29.
  

• Cano does own the 2 most categories for a second baseman though and Cano is also by far a better fielder as Soriano committed countless errors. Cano also wins the batting average battle, as Soriano's highest averaged in 1 season is just .300, and Cano's has batted over .300 4 times between 2005 and now.

Finally know this. This comparison was done calculating Cano's stats from the beginning of his Yankee career in 2005. Alfonso Soriano's stats were pulled from 2000 when he was a Yankee to 2006 with the Nationals. We did this to keep it relatively equal. So, now you know, if you were to choose between Soriano or Cano, who would you choose and why?

Let me know by emailing me, will.cohen.bleedingyankeeblue@gmail.com, hitting me on Twitter, @Wccohen11 or adding me on Facebook. I will respond.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY HE'S "HUSTLE" MARTIN TO BYB

(Photo: Getty)
So we ran alittle contest and while we were overwhelmed with nicknames for Russell Martin, the ones we did receive were creative and some even perfect. But let me back up a moment. This all started because of the hot start that Russell Martin got off to this year. Many, including myself were wondering if "Martin" was a good enough nickname for well, Martin. And I wrote about it in WHY WE NEED A NICKNAME FOR MARTIN. I was serious, we did.

So, once the contest concluded, all the BYB writers got together and reviewed the entries. What did we decide? Well, it's simple. Out of all the nicknames we've received, we concluded Russell's nickname should be "Hustle" Martin. So let it be written, so let it be done.
(Photo: NY Daily News)
"Hustle" Martin totally defines Russell. It matches what he's all about. Martin's one of the only catchers in the Majors that is actually a stolen base threat, which is a rare thing for catchers.

He is all about hustle, and doing what is best for the team. He handles the pitchers well, when he's in the batter's box and when he's dealing with the Yankees rotation. The guy just defines the Hustle nickname. He is a force on both sides of the field.

So, here's to you Michael Simmons, for choosing this nickname. All of us at BYB appreciate you for sending it to us and we look forward to hearing from you in other random contests we may have. "Hustle" Martin...damn I like the sound of that. Good day Canada!



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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