Mobb Deep Releases Survival of the Fittest EP

Hip Hop Legends Prodigy and Havoc have officially released that fire. 

 

The rap duo has been on the scene for years and they do not seem to be letting up with their new EP.

 

A track-list of the album includes six songs with their ESPN NBA Play-offs hit Survival of the Fittest (ESPN Remix): 

PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.hiphopcertified.com

 

The album gives off such creativity and what better way to display that then by having amazing cover at to go along with it. 

PHOTO CREDIT: http://hiphopdx.com

 

As for the rest of the album you can listen here, ENJOY!:

https://youtu.be/gUOhdH7Ca-I 

 

-Alexis J. Robinson​

@Alexisjanaiformayor

Mets Make April Very Confusing for Their Fans

As every season comes and goes we all know the optimism that Opening day brings. This year, In particular, has a different excitement. The Mets started off the season in Washington and Atlanta, finishing with a record of 3-3. Not bad but not good. During this time period the Mets lost closer Jenry Mejia to an 80 game suspension. Although most years this would make me nervous this year it did not because Jeurys Familia. He stepped in and promptly made himself comfortable. He would only give up 2 runs in 13 games this season. 

Image Credit: Getty Images

The Metropolitans then traveled back to Queens for their home opener. The buzz at the stadium was one that I haven’t felt since I attended opening day back in 2007. What happened next was, to Mets fans at least, a miracle. The team would go to win their next ten ballgames. Their streak was at 11. They were pitching amazing. Colon in his first 4 starts won all of them. He looked like a blast from his past. He also didn’t look like a 40 year old over weigh pitcher. De Grom although not at his sharpest still managed to get the win in his first two starts (opening day and home opener). Last but not least Matt “Dark Knight” Harvey made his return to the mound for the amazins’. He looked as if he never missed a step. He is 5-0 with a 2.41 era in as many starts. The other great thing about this is that we lost three key cogs in Wright, D’Arnaud, and Blevins. All of whom were off to flaming hot starts. As Mets fans you felt as if the team would never lose again. Obviously we were wrong.

Image Credit: Rob Foldy/Getty Images​

The stage was set for this year’s first edition of the Subway Series. The Mets and Yankees both off to good starts were heading for a crash course in the Bronx. The first night De Grom would get lit up in front of a pro-Mets crowd. Harvey would shut down the Bombers the next game. The last game, a ESPN Sunday Night prime time game, would be eventful to say the least but the Mets would eventually fall due to errors by their inept middle infielders (Murphy and Flores). Including that series the Mets would lose 7 of the next 10. Mostly impart to a stagnant offense and terrible infield defense by, you guess it, the middle infielders.

As a Mets fan if I told you in March that we would be 16-10 and 3.5 games in first you’d take it. Although I feel as if we will win a lot of ball games I still feel as if we have major question marks. To start the combination of Murphy and Flores up the middle has been terrible. They have cost us to many games already this season. Flores has shown pop at the plate but not enough to mask his defense. Murphy has been in a slump since day one and his defense isn’t helping.

Next up, The Mets offense at times has shown life. We can get on base and we don’t strike out at a high rate. Duda and Lagares have looked great at the plate. This however has not translated into runs. This past weekend we lost back to back ballgames 1-0. This can’t happen, we have to much pitching to just waste superb starts. 

All in all I still feel confident that this team is for real. It’s just the Met fan in me that makes me worry after ever loss that we may lose ten in a row. If the Rotation and Bullpen hold up and the lineup and young guns can produce life in the offense we could be looking at a 90 win team. For now Mets Fans we shall sit and wait. 

Gallo 

Twitter: @PicoDe_Gallo

Alex Rodriguez Hits 660th Home Run to Tie Willie Mays

In the eighth inning of Friday night's game at Fenway Park, Alex Rodriguez hit a pinch-hit solo home run to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. It was also his 660th career home run, tying Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time list. (Watch it here: http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v97083583) 

The crowd of 35,444 went silent when his pinch-hit homer -- the first of his career -- off reliever Junichi Tazawa on a 3-0 pitch, went into the seats high atop the Green Monster. The Yankees won 3-2 and his homer broke the 2-2 tie in the eighth inning.

He rounded the bases, touched home plate, and when he came to the bench, was greeted by all of his teammates, led by Yankee manager Joe Girardi.

The fan did not throw the ball back and I don't blame him one bit. Red Sox fan or not, that's a mighty valuable baseball.

The historic home run was never mentioned on the public address system, or on the scoreboard, and the announcement in the press box didn't occur until several minutes later.

"Willie Mays has always been a hero to me," Rodriguez told MLB Network after the game. "A year ago today, I never would've imagined even playing baseball. But a day like today, I think of my mother, my daughters, the people at the Boys and Girls Club where I learned to play baseball."

A-Rod came into the season with 654 career home runs after sitting out the 2014 season due to his Biogenesis related suspension. Needless to say, the validity of those 660 homers is in question.

The home run triggered a $6 million marketing bonus in A-Rod's contract, a bonus the Yankees are prepared to fight. They plan to claim Rodriguez's PED ties have rendered the milestone unmarketable.

"It was very emotional for me," said Rodriguez. "The last few years have been rough. To see their reaction...it was pretty emotional."

A-Rod is now tied with Mays and trails only Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762) on the all-time home run list.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Masahiro Tanaka Heads to the Disabled List

The Yankees opened the 2015 season with many uncertainties along with a roster full of expensive, aging and increasingly injury prone players loaded with talent but shrouded in skepticism about their ability to contend in the American League East.

Image Credit: Getty Images

While things were going relatively well  for the Yankees, they faced a major loss Tuesday night during the game against the Rays when news broke that Masahiro Tanaka was heading to the 15 day disabled list with tenderness in his right wrist on Tuesday, and after an MRI revealed a forearm strain in his throwing arm — an ailment frequently associated with ligament injuries. This is the second time the 26-year-old superstar landed on the disabled list for in his young big-league career. He will be shut down from throwing for 7-10 days, and Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters that the club hopes Tanaka will return to the mound in a month.

When asked if Tanaka’s latest injury could be related to the UCL issue that sidelined the pitcher last season, manager Joe Girardi said: “I can’t tell you that. I don’t know. I could be, it may not be. Something came up from his bullpen, and who knows? The thing is, we’ve got to deal with it, and we will.”

But Tanaka’s injury serves as a gloomy reminder of the Yanks’ continuous struggle to keep a healthy team as they employ the Majors’ oldest offense and a starting rotation that also features CC Sabathia, who missed most of 2014 with a knee injury, and Michael Pineda, who has made only 17 big-league starts since 2011.

It’s enough to keep Yankees manager Joe Girardi up at night, and with good reason. However, these Yankees have shown early on that they have the makeup to contend for a playoff place, even without Tanaka.

Meanwhile, their offense, one littered with question marks in March has re-emerged in April. Obviously Alex Rodriguez has been the catalyst, but Mark Teixiera is also slugging like his old self, while Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury are Showing signs of bouncing back from bad first seasons in the Bronx. It’s early, but over the past two weeks at least, the Yankees have shown they can flat out hit - even Chris Young, who was laughed out of Queens last season, has an OPS flirting with 1.000 off of the bench.

Michael Pineda, who now becomes the Yankees’ ace by default, pitched 5²/₃ innings to get the eventual no-decision against the offensively underwhelming Rays. He threw 93 pitches, which prompted the somewhat early exit. Chase Whitley, will likely remain in the rotation until Tanaka comes back. 

So while Tanaka obviously represents a major loss, thanks to the way their offense has resurfaced, and the emergence of a sub-2.00 ERA bullpen, there’s really no reason why New York can’t still win the AL East.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Yordano Ventura Needs to Calm Down for the Sake of the Royals

The Kansas City Royals have brawled their way to the top of the American League Central. Yordano Ventura was at the center of last week’s scuffle with the Athletics – hitting Brett Lawrie with a pitch before reliever Kelvin Herrera came on to throw behind Lawrie. Herrera then pointed to his head after being ejected, a gesture widely taken as a threat. Prior to that, Ventura instigated a shouting match with Angels star Mike Trout. And Thursday, he was ejected again for yelling at Adam Eaton and inciting a brawl with the White Sox – a move that ended up with six players suspended, including Ventura for seven games, and another fined.

 Image Credit: Jon Durr/Getty Images

Ventura had already set the tone by drilling Chicago slugger Jose Abreu, a move for which White Sox ace Chris Sale retaliated by hitting Kansas City’s Mike Moustakas. Among the reactions across baseball, a tweet from Dodgers pitcher Brett Anderson: “Dial it down Yordano Ventura. … dial it down, several notches.”

Image Credit: ANDREW A. NELLES AP PHOTO

The consequences were ugly. Lorenzo Cain sparred with Jeff Samardzija, his opening day antagonist. Chris Sale was furious, and later visited the Royals clubhouse in search of a fight. Volquez took a wild swing at Samardzija and received a five-game suspension. Cain was suspended for two games, as was reliever Kelvin Herrera. Both Sale and Samardzija received five-game bans. All involved parties will appeal the decision.

Ventura sounded apologetic after the game. He said it hurt him to see his teammates fighting the opposition after he failed to keep his cool. Ventura appeared aware of his reputation within the game, one debated endlessly these past few days on television, as a young pitcher unable to control his emotions.

The Royals cherish Ventura’s talent, and they lavished him with a five-year, $23 million contract before this season started. They raved about his maturity and emotional stability. Yet the first month of 2015 has called both qualities into question.

In the wake of these incidents, team officials have rallied around him while still insisting his behavior must change. Manager Ned Yost advised Ventura that opposing clubs would pinpoint his emotions to vex him. Teammates like Volquez, Jeremy Guthrie and Chris Young counseled Ventura that his talent is enough to trump any challengers.

In the wake of these incidents, team officials have rallied around him while still insisting his behavior must change. Manager Ned Yost advised Ventura that opposing clubs would pinpoint his emotions to vex him. Teammates like Volquez, Jeremy Guthrie and Chris Young counseled Ventura that his talent is enough to trump any challengers.

“Really, at the end of the day, he doesn’t deal with high-emotional situations very well,” Guthrie said. “They take him to a place that others sometimes don’t get to. It’s on both ends. It takes him to an elite performance level. But it also takes him to an emotional level that can be misunderstood and, at times, inappropriate.”

Yost speculated that opposing clubs would now utilize these tactics to hound Ventura during games. On Thursday, members of the Royals mentioned how Samardzija chirped at Ventura from the opposing dugout. Ventura did not have to deal with this treatment as often in 2014, when he was a rookie pitching third in a rotation that included James Shields.

If Yordano Ventura was pitching in the National League, this probably would've never happened. He wouldn't be nearly as reckless and confrontational as he is pitching in the American League. The reason being is that he would have to come up to bat face the opposing pitcher. In the American League, his teammates are the ones that face the retaliation. His teammates could get injured after getting beaned by the opposing pitcher or during a brawl and consequently missing playing time. 

After the major brawl against the White Sox, he and his teammates Lorenzo Cain, Kelvin Herrera, and Edinson Volquez have faced suspension. This greatly hurts the Royals because they have lost a great outfielder and three great pitchers for 5 to 7 games. This could deflate a team that has been doing very well this season. 

It is one thing to be a team that plays with intensity and heart, but the Royals need to gain control of their emotions or else they are going to be in for a long season.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Subway Series Over: Yankees and Mets Both in First Place

New York City could enjoy the fact that baseball is still king in the city, that it remains a dominant presence in our lives and in our culture, even on a rich, full weekend, even on a night when the Rangers lit up Manhattan, on a weekend when we may say good-bye to the Nassau Coliseum, when the Nets try to generate a little life in Brooklyn.

Image Credit: esbnyc.com

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said: “Its good for the city, good for baseball. I’m sure the atmosphere will be really good the next few days, because of the way we’re [both] playing. Hockey is big in this city, basketball is big in this city. But we have two teams in first place and so we have a lot of people who are very excited about that.”

And here, the people care, they REALLY care. All you had to do was walk around the Stadium yesterday, listen to the buzz, listen to the passion, feel the energy. Baseball. In April. After 17 games.

Image Credit: Uli Seit for The New York Times

“You could sense the energy and the excitement from the beginning,” Mark Teixeira said. “And then to play the kind of game we played, that made it even better.”

Image Credit: DARREN MEENAN/SPECIAL TO THE RECORD

Curtis Granderson opened the game with a leadoff home run off Nathan Eovaldi, taking advantage of the short right field porch at Yankee Stadium as he has so many times before.  Following a single by Juan Lagares, Eovaldi got some help from New York Yankees centerfielder Chris Young, who took extra bases away from Lucas Duda.

Chase Headley also helped limit the damage taking a hit away from Michael Cuddyer.  With two outs and Lagares on second, Eovaldi, who struggled with his command early, allowed a line drive double to Daniel Murphy, scoring Lagares and extending the Mets lead to 2-0.  Following a visit from pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Eovaldi rebounded to get Eric Campbell to ground out to Headley, ending the inning.

After quickly retiring Brett Gardner and Young, New York Mets starter Jonathon Niese allowed a home run to Alex Rodriguez, the 659th of his career, cutting the lead to 2-1, and leaving him one shy of Willie Mays.  Mark Teixeira reached on an error by Mets third baseman Campbell, but was left stranded as Niese struck out Carlos Beltran looking.

Eovaldi recovered in the top of the second inning, retiring Wilmer Flores on a fly out to right field, and striking out Danny Muno and Kevin Plawecki.  After a lead off ground out by Headley, John Ryan Murphy ripped a double down the third base line, past a diving Campbell.

After Stephen Drew struck out looking, Gregorio Petit drove Murphy home with an RBI double over a leaping Campbell, tying the score at 2-2.  Gardner picked up the Yankees third double of the inning, past a diving Duda, giving the Yankees their first lead at 3-2.

Gardner was driven home on a slow shift beating single by Young to where the second baseman should have been, extending the lead to 4-2.  In his first chance to catch Mays, Rodriguez doubled to left field, and Young scored on a horrible throw by Cuddyer, giving the Yankees a 5-2 lead, but Rodriguez was thrown out at third base ending the Yankees threat.

Eovaldi struck out Granderson and Lagares to start the third, and looked to have settled down, but Duda singled and was driven home on an RBI double by Cuddyer, who advanced to third on a throwing error by Drew.  Murphy picked up his second RBI double of the game, cutting the lead to 5-4.  After another visit from Rothschild, Eovaldi got Campbell to ground out, limiting the damage to two runs. Following a 1-2-3 bottom half of the third, which saw Niese make a great play on a liner from Teixeira, Eovaldi recovered to once again set Flores, Muno, and Plawecki down in order, picking up his fifth strikeout.  Leading off the fourth, John Ryan Murphy looked to once again start a Yankees rally, picking up an infield single.  Drew put an end to those thoughts by grounding into a double play, and after a Petit fly out the inning was over.

Eovaldi struck out Granderson, picking up his sixth strikeout of the night.  Lagares hit a slow chopper to Headley, which the Yankees third baseman barehanded and almost made a great play on, but instead threw it short of Teixeira picking up an error, which allowed Lagares to reach second base.

With left-handed hitting Duda coming up, Yankees manager Joe Girardi went to southpaw Chasen Shreve, and Eovaldi’s night was over after 4 1/3 innings.  He allowed four runs, all earned, on seven hits, finishing with six strikeouts and no walks.

Shreve hit Duda in the back with a slider on his first pitch, putting the go-ahead run on base.  He recovered to get Cuddyer to hit into an inning ending double play.

Gardner led off the bottom of the fifth with a chopper to shortstop Flores, in which he was called out.  Girardi challenged the play, and the call was overturned, giving Gardner an infield single.  Young reached on a fielder choice’ but Mets second baseman Murphy committed an error, allowing Gardner to go to third, giving the Yankees runners on the corners.

Rodriguez hit into an RBI fielder choice’ which should have been a double play, but shortstop Flores threw the ball into the stands, allowing Rodriguez to go to second base, and giving the Yankees a 6-4 lead.  After a walk to Teixeira, Beltran hit into an inning ending double play, continuing his season long struggles.

Following a leadoff walk to Daniel Murphy, Shreve was replaced by Chris Martin.  Campbell grounded to Drew, who flipped the ball with his glove, and was saved of an error on a heads up play from Petit, who tagged Murphy causing a force out.  On a one out fly ball to Beltran, Campbell made a mental blunder, rounding the bases thinking there were two outs, and was thrown out at first base, ending the inning.

Erik Goeddel replaced Niese to start the sixth.  Niese went five innings, allowing six runs (four earned), on eight hits.  He struck out three (Beltran twice), and walked one.  Headley greeted Goeddel with a leadoff double, and John Ryan Murphy grounded out to third, failing to advance Headley.  Goeddel struck out Drew and Petit to end the inning, stranding Headley at second.

Martin returned for the seventh, retiring Muno and Plawecki.  Girardi then brought on southpaw Justin Wilson to face Granderson, and the move worked as Granderson popped out to third to end the inning.  Following a fly out by Gardner to start the bottom half of the inning, Goeddel struck out Young for the second out.  Rodriguez then lined out to right field for the third out of the inning.

As has been the case all season, Dellin Betances was brought in for the eighth inning and looked sharp, striking out Lagares, Duda, and Cuddyer, though Cuddyer reached on a wild pitch.  Betances recovered to get Murphy to ground out to second base.  He continued his dominance of the Mets, who are now a combined 0-9 with 8 K’s against Betances in his short career.

Alex Torres came on for the Mets in the bottom of the eighth, quickly retiring Teixeira, Beltran, and Headley in order, sending the game to the ninth inning with the Yankees ahead 6-4.  Unofficial closer Andrew Miller entered for the Yankees and after retiring Campbell, hit Flores in the ankle with a fastball.

John Mayberry Jr. came on to pinch hit for Muno with Flores on first with one out.  Miller struck out Mayberry, leaving the Mets down to their final out.  Plawecki then grounded out to shortstop, giving the Yankees the 6-4 victory.

Shreve picked up the victory, the first of his career, while Niese took the loss.  Miller picked up his seventh save in as many chances, and Martin, Wilson, and Betances all received holds.

The Mets and Yankees took their battle from the field to Twitter.

It all started when the Mets mentioned the Yankees in a play-by-play tweet, referring to them as "NY (AL)." Makes sense. The Yankees are in New York and the American League, but they weren't having it. To the pinstripe crew it was a sly way of talking about them without using the team name.

The crosstown rivals meet again at Citi Field in September.

Image Credit: twitter.com/Yankees

While October is forever away, what is at hand is the Yankees (11-8) are tied for first place in the AL East with the Rays, who are in The Bronx for three games starting Monday night. Also in the present is Alex Rodriguez being one homer away from tying Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time list after homering off the top of the right-center field fence in the first inning Sunday.

Image Credit: deadspin.com

Christine O'Connor

Bad To The Bone! David Ortiz Ejected After "Bad Call" and Bryan Price's F Bombs the Media

Ortiz was ejected from Sunday's game after arguing a check-swing that was called a strike. While he fumed about that, Ortiz bumped umpire John Tumpane. That's a no-no and MLB popped Papi for it. (watch it: here)

Image Credit: csnne.com

Ortiz got tossed in the the middle of an at-bat in the fifth inning after disputing the second check-swing call of the game that had gone against him. Third-base umpire Jerry Meals made both calls but Tumpane, working behind the plate, gave Ortiz the boot after Papi and Meals started chirping at each other.

"The discussion was our disagreement with a couple check swings Jerry Meals called today," Red Sox manager John Farrell said after the game, via the Boston Herald. "We didn’t feel like on either one he went. On the first at-bat it doesn’t really have an outcome because he ends up walking. Those are quick rings on the check swing and it didn’t feel like he swung on either one."

From the league office:

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz has received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for making contact with Umpire John Tumpane during the bottom of the fifth inning of the Club’s Sunday, April 19th game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Joe Garagiola, Jr., Senior Vice President of Standards & On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement.

The ejection in what became an 8-3 Orioles win prompted a lecture from Baltimore broadcaster Jim Palmer, which quickly earned a rebuttal from Ortiz.​ Palmer didn’t travel to the game, but took his shot at Big Papi on Twitter after he jawed with home plate umpire John Tumpane. Then the three-time Cy Young winner took a jab at Ortiz's Hall of Fame chances by bringing up the 2003 failed drug test Ortiz viciously disputes.

Image Credit: twitter.com/Jim22Palmer


“That’s how he wants to get respect from us? Is that how he wants me to respect him? It’s not going to happen,” Ortiz said Monday, via FoxSports.com. “I thought that he was one of my guys … All of a sudden now he’s killing me, huh? I guess anybody who wants to get famous or make some noise comes to Papi, right?”

Palmer expectedly got some heat from the always outspoken Redsox fans on Twitter for his attack on arguably the most beloved sports figure in Boston, but he was a good sport about it and even had fun with a new hashtag.

Image Credit: twitter.com/Jim22Palmer

Reds manager Bryan Price showed the same frustration that has welled up among the team's fanbase as the team came off four straight losses and seven losses in eight games.

Image Credit: DeadSpin.com

Price attacked Cincinnati Enquirer beat reporter C. Trent Rosecrans in a lengthy and profane rant that accused the scribe of being too good at the job of accurately reporting news about the Cincinnati Reds.

The Enquirer had previously and accurately reported that the Reds’ All-Star catcher, Devin Mesoraco, wasn’t with the team forSunday’s loss in St. Louis. This enraged Price, who accused the paper of, basically, treason in a rant that totaled, by the Enquirer’s count, 77 f-bombs.

(Listen to the rant here: https://soundcloud.com/bubbaprog4/fight-gannett-censorship)

A excerpt from a transcript of the interview:

Bryan Price (BP): Can I ask you a question?

C. Trent Rosecrans (CTR): Sure

BP: I don't understand what the importance is for everybody to know if we have a player that's not here. We don't benefit from the other teams knowing we don't have a player. It does — you don't have to be a Reds fan, but it doesn't help us if our opponents know who is here and who isn't. That's what I want to know.

CTR: Well, as a fan, I'm wondering, here's a spot for Devin Mesoraco, why isn't he there?

BP: Where was the spot?

CTR: As a pinch-hitter? He's an All-Star with 25 home runs last year, I know I asked if it was a left-handed bat thing, you said no.

BP: I don't get it. It's, you know, look, I don't need you guys to be fans of the Reds, I just need to know if there's something we want to keep here, it stays here. We don't need to know that Tucker Barnhart's in the f****** airport when we haven't spoken to Kyle Skipworth. I think we owe that f******* kid the right to be called and told that he's going to be sent down as opposed to reading that Tucker Barnhart is on his way from Louisville. I just... I don't get it. I don't get why it's got to be this way. Has it always been this way where we just tell f****** everybody everything? So every f****** opponent we have has to know exactly what we have. Which f****** relievers are available, which guys are here and which guys aren't here, when they can play, and what they can do. It's nobody's f****** business. It's certainly not the opponent's business. We have to deal with this f****** b*******.

I like to talk — and I have spoken as candidly as I can with you people, if that's not good enough, I won't say a f******thing. I'll go, 'yes sir, no sir.' And I can do that. But f***, I've been as candid as I can f****** be about this team and our players, and we've got to deal with this s***, every f****** team that we f****** play has to know every f****** guy that's here and what they can and can't do? F*** me. It's a f****** disgrace. I'm f****** sick of this s***. It's f****** hard enough to f****** win here to have f****** every f****** opponent know exactly what the f*** we bring to the table every day. It's f****** horse****. I don't like it. It's what I'm saying. To make it very clear, I don't like the way that this s***'s going — at all. I don't like it. I don't think you guys need to know everything. And I certainly don't think you need to see something and tweet it out there and make it a f****** world event. How the f*** do we benefit from them knowing we don't have Devin Mesoraco? How do we benefit from that? They benefit from it. I just want to know how we benefit from these f****** people know we don't have a player here. Can you answer that? How is that good for the Reds?

CTR: I don't know…

BP: Yeah, well it's making my job f****** harder.

CTR: I'm sure it is.

BP: Well, thank you. I don't know if that's what we're supposed to do. Are we supposed to f****** open up everything here for everybody to know all the f****** time? That's all I want to know, what your expectations are, because f*** me. If I've got f****** to tell these guys, we gotta go out there and they know we don't have f****** Devin Mesoraco, what f****** benefit is that to me as a manager? And our team to win a f****** game?

CTR: He hasn't been there for a week-and-a-half.

BP: I just want an answer on how we benefit from them knowing that Devin Mesoraco isn't here.

CTR: I don't think you do and I don't know that that's my job.

BP: Your job is not to sniff out every f****** thing is about the Reds and f****** put it out there for every other f****** guy to hear. It's not your job. You want me to be candid with you? I've been candid with you. I f****** talk to you guys like men, I tell you what the f***'s going on with the team, I tell you how I'm feeling as candidly as I can and then this s***? You've got to watch this f****** s***? I've got to f****** read that on a f****** Tweet on our own people in here that we don't have a f****** player? How the f*** does that benefit the Reds? It doesn't benefit us one f****** bit. God **** we try to go out there and win f****** games and I got to come in here and then you guys f****** blow it all over the f****** place? Who we can play? Who we can't? I'll tell you what you want to know, I'm not going to f****** lie to you. I didn't tell you f****** s***.

CTR: You did not lie to me and I appreciate it.

BP: Ah, f***. I'm just, I'm f****** p****** up a rope in this f****** business. Because everyone has to know everything all the f****** time. That's not my f****** obligation, it's not their obligation. You know why f****** Billy Hamilton didn't f****** play? The other day? Because his f****** finger's hurt and he couldn't hit right-handed comfortably. Right? So that's something that I need to know and no one else needs to know. No one else needs to f****** know it, and all of a sudden it's out there. His f****** fingers are sore. It doesn't benefit us. It wasn't from you, but it doesn't benefit us one bit to f****** announce to the f****** other teams that we're playing to bring in lefties when they need to f****** get Billy out. There's no benefit. So, I'm f******, to be honest with you, I'm f****** sick of this s***. I'm sick of listening to this f****** s***, I'm sick of f****** the f****** second-guessing b*******, you guys can do whatever the f*** you want, but I'll tell you this — I'm not going to f****** tell you everything about this f****** club, because you f****** guys are going to out there and sniff it out anyway. I don't f****** like it one f****** bit. I bend over backwards to be honest and direct with you f****** guys and you stick it right up my f****** a** — and the f****** team's a**. And I'm sick of it. What do you got? If you don't got anything, get out and I'll do this f****** interview with Marty. You don't have anything? Just get out, please.

Image Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

If tempers are flaring this much already, this is going to be a really intense season (and I haven't even talked about the weekend-long Royals-Athletics brawl).


Christine O'Connor
@christineeeeO

Orioles Fan Turns His Back on A-Rod Before Hitting 656th Homerun to Tie Derek Jeter

On a 2-0 pitch in the fourth inning, Yankees' DH Alex Rodriguez demolished a 92-MPH fastball from Orioles' pitcher Bud Norris, depositing the ball deep into the left field seats.

Image Credit: Tommy Gilligan | USA TODAY Sports

The homer was A-Rod's 656th of his career, and the run tied him for 9th all-time on the runs (1,923) list with none other than former Yankees shortstop and captain Derek Jeter.

The homer made it 3-1 Yankees.

Rodriguez is doing pretty well this season for someone who missed the entire 2014 season. He is currently batting .286 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, and a .394 OBP.

However, not everyone is happy with A-Rod's success so far this season. An Orioles fan turned his back to the field every time A-Rod stepped into the box on Monday night, folding his arms and staring back at the rest of the fans sitting in section 78 in left field.

“I don’t respect him,” Tolbert Rowe told the Washington Post. “He doesn’t deserve to be watched. Absolutely not, I’m sorry. You know, and now they got all this about his tying Willie Mays’s record and the $6 million, and he has the audacity to think that he should be paid. I’m sorry. I don’t respect the guy. Not one bit.”

"He’s the worst. He’s the epitome of all that was wrong about it," Rowe told the Post. "And he’s been so successful. Maybe it’s jealousy, maybe it isn’t. But I just don’t think that he deserves to be in the class with other players that have never had … and I mean, he lied about it. I’m sorry. He doesn’t deserve my respect.”

However it is still unknown if he booed Nelson Cruz, Rafael Palmeiro, Miguel Tejada when they played for his O's. 

#FORG1V3

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

As Carlos Beltran Continues to Struggle, is it Time to Explore Other Options?

Entering 2015, the New York Yankees were planning to rely on Carlos Beltran being the No. 3 hitter they believe they signed to a three-year, $45-million contract two offseasons ago. But his 2014 season was a complete disaster. Plagued by a bone spur in his right elbow, Beltran turned the worst full-season performance of his nearly 20-year career, hitting .233 with 15 homers and 49 RBI in 109 games.

Image Credit: USATODAY.com

The Yankees' manager Joe Girardi doesn't seem too concerned about Beltran's struggle. 

"There's nothing that I see that's necessarily (wrong)," Girardi said. "Does his bat speed look different to me? No. Just he's gotten off to a slow start and hopefully the consistent at-bats will get him going."

While Beltran entered Sunday night's game against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium among many Yankees underperforming at the plate, his numbers were particularly ugly.

In 22 at-bats, the 38-year-old right fielder was hitting .100 with no homers and two RBI. He had walked once and struck out six times.

The Yankees have only played five total games, but it's worth noting that Beltran only has two hits through 20 plate appearances. Both of those hits were doubles. At this point, Beltran is one of many bounce back candidates filling up the Yankees lineup, but there are other options that can be explored to fill right field. Chris Young and Garrett Jones can both play outfield, and in more limited playing time, both have looked better than him at the plate.

Image Credit: John Bazemore AP

What do you think the Yankees should do with Beltran? Let him ride the bench? Keep him in the lineup and hope he improves?

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

When Will Stephen Drew's Time as a Starter Run Out?

Yankees fans are well aware of the Yankees lack of offense over the past two seasons. Even if Stephen Drew provides a boost on the defensive side, it's time to stop starting him in the every day lineup.

Image Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Bryan Hoch of Yankees.com reports that 25-year-old Jose Pirela, after suffering a concussion during spring training, has resumed baseball activities. Pirela would be a front-runner to replace Drew in the starting lineup. 

In his 24 major league at-bats last season, Pirela hit .333. Meanwhile, in Drew's 46 at-bats with the Yankees last year, he hit a mere .150 (while also hitting .111 in this shortt season). 

Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball last season, Drew had a .970 fielding percentage, while Pirela had a .917 fielding percentage. Even if Drew has the defensive edge, the difference in offense is just too big to ignore. Even in spring training, Pirela hit .370 and Drew hit .259, which actually isn't a low number for him. Also in 2014, Drew's OBP was only .237, while Pirela had a .351 OBP. It's clear as day that on the offensive end, Pirela has a much higher value than Drew.

Pirela is not the only option to replace Drew. Fellow minor-league infielder Rob Refsnyder was one of the final cuts in this past spring training. In his 2014 season in the minors, Refsnyder hit for a .300 average and an OBP of .389. The downfall with Refsnyder is on the defensive side of the ball, as Cashman is noted as saying that the defensive side of the game was why Refsnyder did not make the big leagues out of camp. Along with Refsnyder being a final cut, Nick Noonan was also among them. Noonan's 2014 offensive season was average, hitting .237, while his OBP was just .282. While Pirela seems like the best replacement for the struggling Drew, Refsnyder and Noonan are not far behind.

On a team that struggles terribly with their offense, the Yankees could use someone like Pirela or Refsnyder to help pick up the slack, even if that does compromise some defensive skill. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Yankees Acquire Gregorio Petit, Pedro Martinez's Take on Masahiro Tanaka, Update on Aroldis Chapman's Injury, and Kris Bryant Gets Sent to the AAA

When Brendan Ryan (the back up for the injured Didi Gregorious) went down with an injury in Wednesday's spring training game, the Yankees didn't have much of a backup plan for their backup shortstop. An MRI revealed that Ryan had a Grade 2 right calf strain, which should keep him out of action for at least a month. As Tanya noted earlier, there weren't many internal options to fill Ryan's role. So Brian Cashman made a deal with the Astros to bring infielder Gregorio Petit aboard for cash.

Image Credit: David J. Phillip

At bat, Petit might fare better than Ryan hitting anyway, as he hit .278/.300/.423 with 10 extra-base hits and a 104 wRC+ in 100 plate appearances for the Astros in 2014. At Triple-A Oklahoma City, he fared just fine as well, hitting .297/.340/.457 with an identical 104 wRC+.

Count Pedro Martinez among those who think there’s something wrong with Masahiro Tanaka. The Hall of Famer said Wednesday he believes Tanaka has been holding back on most of his pitches in spring training and predicted the Yankee ace won’t get through the season intact.

So when he says that Masahiro Tanaka doesn't look right, it might be worth listening. After missing 10 weeks last season with a torn ligament in his elbow, Tanaka is trying to return to ace form. Martinez says he won't make it.

Image Credit: usatoday.com

“I don’t see him healthy all year,” Martinez told Adam Schein on Sirius/XM's Mad Dog Radio. “And I don’t see him healthy right now. I’ll be brave enough to say he’s not completely healthy right now.”

Losing Tanaka would be critical, said Martinez. He calls the pitcher “the biggest key for the Yankees. I don’t think they can afford to lose Tanaka.”

Still, some wonder if his elbow could blow out at any time. The Yankees have talked this spring about getting him extra rest when they can. In a shaky Yankees rotation, it is crucial that Tanaka remains healthy.

Image Credit: Ralph Freso/Getty Images North America

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman left Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers with a right hamstring issue.

"We went out there to check on him and the hamstring came up, and just with that history we were extra cautious," manager Bryan Price said. "And by the sounds of it, it may be a non-issue completely."

Chapman called out catcher Brayan Pena to talk after getting Jean Segura to ground out in the fifth inning. Trainer Paul Lessard, manager Bryan Price and pitching coach Jeff Pico then came onto the field. Chapman threw a few warm-up pitches, but after a long discussion, he was taken out of the game.

Chapman was visibly upset with Price when he decided to remove him from the game after facing just one batter.

"By the time the smoke cleared, Chappy was back in the dugout and Brayan got back in the dugout after the half-inning, I just think there might've been a misunderstanding," Price said. "So it's fine. It's frustrating for Chappy but in the big picture, nothing critical."

Image Credit: prospectdigest.com

Kris Bryant's at-bats became a must watch -- and that's saying something for spring training. He hit home runs off of fastballs and off-speed pitches both high and low, inside and outside the strike zone. And he hit them to all parts of the ballpark. His best may have come on a sinker away in one game, a pitch he's had problems with in the past.

To the chagrin of many fantasy owners and Cubs fans, third baseman Kris Bryant has been reassigned to the Chicago Cubs’ minor league camp despite hitting .425 in spring training with nine homers and 15 RBIs in 40 at-bats.

Preparing for its first season under manager Joe Maddon, the Cubs also optioned second baseman Javy Baez to Triple-A Iowa and reassigned shortstop Addison Russell were assigned to minor league camp.The demotion of Bryant was expected but much more controversial.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

A-Rod's Good Day at 1B, an Update on Mark Teixeira's Injury, and Another Impressive Outing from Nathan Eovaldi

The Alex Rodriguez-to-first base experiment will last beyond Sunday. In fact, it might happen again this week.

Image Credit: Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he liked what he saw from Rodriguez in his first three innings of his career at first base in a 7-0 win over the Astros at Osceola County Stadium. He believed he could plug Rodriguez, who went errorless in three chances, into the position in the regular season if needed.

"It's not something we're looking to do," Girardi said. "But if something happens to one of our other guys, I would feel comfortable throwing him out there. I think he would handle it just fine."

Girardi added that he was impressed with the backhanded play A-Rod made on an Evan Gattis sharp grounder to end the second inning. Rodriguez momentarily bobbled the ball before firing it to starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi at first base for the out.

"That was a very uncomfortable play, that’s for sure," Rodriguez said. "Kind of an in-between hop for a righthander. I’m just glad we got a guy out. I felt like a quarterback hitting my tight end on the run. I’ve never done that before. It felt good. It was fun. It was quite interesting, after 20 years to see the game through a totally different lens. It was pretty cool."

Rodriguez had seen very limited work at first base recently, though all spring Girardi has said he'd like to consider him a third-string option there. Starter Mark Texieria has been healthy almost all spring - except for Sunday, when a pitch hit him in a minor league game and bruised his knee. And Garrett Jones will be Teixeira's primary backup, Girardi has said.

Image Credit: Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News 

Teixeira was the designated hitter in a game between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Trenton when a ball struck his kneecap. He went into a kneeling position in front of the plate after being hit by the fourth-inning pitch. He left the field with a limp, which was gone by the time he reached Steinbrenner Field.

After he returned to Steinbrenner Field from the minor league complex, Teixeira said he was "fine." He said no tests were planned. 

He won't play until Wednesday, manager Joe GIrardi said. "Hopefully it was nothing," Girardi said. "He got hit on the side of the leg here. Hopefully it's nothing. I left him back there so he wouldn't have to make a long road trip back here and that didn't work out so well."

Image Credit: espn.com

Nathan Eovaldi continued to show to impress on Sunday with a live fastball and a developing splitter. He held the Houston Astros to one hit (Jed Lowrie's second-inning double) in the first 3-1/3 innings. He allowed two singles in the fourth and both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Eovaldi then quelled the threat with two fly outs. He got the first two hitters of the fifth inning and he was done, the only negative being that he needed 89 pitches to get there. Through three starts, his spring ERA is 0.66, he has struck out 14 in 13-2/3 innings and most impressively, has yet to walk a batter.

"All of my pitches are working really well right now. I’ve just got to work on rushing to the plate," said Eovaldi, who was not as thrilled about his high pitch count.

"I worked a lot of 3-2 counts. It was just tough for me to put them away," he said. "I felt like they were fouling off every pitch. I felt like I’d get ahead 1-2, 0-2 and then they’d work the count 3-2. It’s important to me to be able to put them away with one or two pitches."

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

A Roger Clemens Movie, Titled "The Rocket," is in Development.

​According to The Hollywood Reporter, producer Teddy Schwartzman and his company Black Bear Pictures acquired the rights to the Rocket script, which follows Clemens during the later stages of his career. Schwartzman was a producer on The Imitation Game, nominated for eight Oscars at the 2015 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Image Credit: Michael Heiman/Getty

Jeffrey Gelber and Ryan Belenzon wrote the script, which delves into the latter half of the career of Clemens, one of the greatest pitchers of all time, who was nicknamed “The Rocket” for his unhittable fastball. But Clemens, an All-American at the University of Texas who started his professional career with the Boston Red Sox, also became something of a tarnished figure in the sport after his former trainer, Brian McNamee, claimed that the pitcher used steroids. The story chronicles the relationship between the two at the point in Clemens’ career when he began to lose his fastball.

Clemens was called before Congress and denied McNamee’s allegations under oath. A federal grand jury indicted Clemens on six felony counts involving perjury, false statements and obstruction of Congress, to which Clemens pleaded not guilty. He was eventually found not guilty on all six counts in 2008, one year after he retired from baseball after 24 seasons. Despite his impressive career, he has not been elected to the Hall of Fame.

The Hollywood Reporter says Warner Bros. was in contention at one point, with the thought that Bradley Cooper would play Clemens, however he doesn't have much of a resemblance to the Rocket. Perhaps Ben Affleck would be a good fit. Although it would be quite difficult to get him in the Yankees uniform.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Pete Rose Seeks Reinstatement

Rob Manfred said Monday that Pete Rose has formally reapplied to have his lifetime ban lifted. That decision would be Manfred's, so the Major League Baseball Players Association would have no jurisdiction in the matter and likely would not even be asked for its input. 

Image Credit: (Photo: Al Behrman, AP)

Manfred said Monday that he would take some time to consider whether or not to lift Rose's lifetime ban from the game. Former commissioners Fay Vincent and Bud Selig never even considered Rose's previous efforts towards reinstatement.

Rose was convinced that Bud Selig would pardon him before he left office three weeks ago, lifting his ban and finally opening the door to let the voters decide whether he'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

Rose, of course, received a lifetime ban from baseball in 1989 amid allegations that he bet on games both as a player and a manger for the Cincinnati Reds. During his playing days Rose set and still holds the record with 4,256 career hits.

Count Director of the MLB Players Union Tony Clark among those who support Pete Rose' bid for reinstatement. "I would love to see Pete reinstated," Clark said, after meeting with players for the Detroit Tigers during his annual tour of spring training according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. "He made a decision. He made a decision that was not the right decision. He made a decision that he has paid a price for."

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he thinks there will come a time "when we all kind of move on." Mattingly said he first met Rose in a spring training game when Rose was playing for the Montreal Expos. "I got a hit off somebody, and he said, '200 a year, kid. Just get 200 a year. 'Any time I see him, I love seeing him," Mattingly said. "Obviously, as a kid, I loved Pete and the way he played. I'm not going to get into all the politics and everything that goes along with that, but I love Pete and I think Pete's a great player."

"I just want to be on that writers' ballot,'' Rose says. "Let the writers decide. If they want me in, I'm in. If they don't feel I should be in, I can live with it. Once they lift my ban, I should be just like anyone else. If I've never been on the ballot, my clock should start at zero. That will give them 10 years to decide, if they need it.''

"I'll always have hope," Rose says. "That's all I've got."

Do you think the all-time MLB hit leader faced enough punishment? Or do you think Pete Rose should be banned from Major League Baseball for life? 

Let me know what you think:

@christineeeeO

Christine O'Connor