Open Thread: RAB turns 4
By
Four years ago today, Ben, Joe, and I launched this fine site in hopes of creating a one-stop shop for Yankees news and analysis, minors to majors to off-the-field business stuff, something we felt the interweb was lacking. The very first post was a look at some college draft prospects, in which I brilliantly proclaimed that “there’s a better chance the Yanks will draft Jesus Christ than have [Andrew] Brackman fall all the way to 30″ in the comments. Yep.
In the four years since, the site has become far more popular than I think we ever imagined, and it still blows my mind that we managed to hook on with the YES Network. That’s all because of you guys, the readers and commenters that visit RAB every day and call us out when he write stupid stuff and motivate us to get better. Thanks for the four wonderful years, here’s to many more.
* * *
This is your open thread for the evening. The NBA All-Star Game is on TNT at 8pm ET, plus there’s usually some good stuff on television on Sunday. Talk about whatever, go nuts.
93 Comments»
RAB Info
The Founders
Mike Axisa, Ben Kabak, Joe Pawlikowski
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Axisa Archives | Email
Managing Editors
Ben Kabak Archives | E-mail
Joe Pawlikowski Archives | E-mail
Contributing Editors
Larry Koestler (Archives)
Moshe Mandel (Archives)
Eric Schultz (Archives)
Weekend Writers
Hannah Ehrlich (Archives)
Matthew Warden (Archives)
Special Contributor
J.R. O'Grady (Archives)
Technical Consultant
Jay Gordon
Subscribe to RAB by RSS
Follow @RiverAveBlues
Search RAB
Yankees News from YESNetwork.com
- Brian Cashman: Mark Teixeira could begin a rehab assignment as soon as Tuesday
- Brian Cashman speaks to media about injured Yankees pitchers
- Alberto Gonzalez clears waivers, will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
- Seattle Mariners option Jesus Montero to Triple-A
- Thriving with the Yankees, Vernon Wells fulfilling his father's dream
- Kuroda leaves early as Orioles win rubber game
- New York City Football Club names Claudio Reyna Director of Football
- Yankees, Manchester City to own NYC MLS team
- Yankees, Manchester City announce NYC MLS team
- New York Yankees fall to Baltimore Orioles on Nate McLouth's homer in the 10th
Banner Design By
The Tyler Austin Watch
Happy birthday guys! As always, keep the great content coming!
Congrats guys. You’ve set an incredibly high bar.
Happy Birthday, RAB. Thanks for being awesome.
Congrats RAB. I visit the site several times every day because the articles are great. Keep it up and I’ll stay here for the rest of my life
Happy birthday to the standard-bearer.
Feliz Cumpleanos RAB
Happy 4th. Just 14 more years and we can draft you.
13, if your agent is Scott Boras, you get a GED, and go to JuCo
Or 10 if you move to the Dominican republic.
Happy Birthday RAB! Best Yankee analysis and coverage anywhere. You guys deserve the success you’ve achieved. Cheers!
Is anyone else as physched for the NBA all-star game as me?
(Oh, and happy birthday RAB)
happy birthday, fellas! no destination better for yankees news, insight, and analysis.
Happy birthday, RAB. You guys are great, this site is the best, and without you I wouldn’t have “met” a lot of pretty damn awesome people. Thank you, and keep on doing what you do.
I’m glad to say that we would have met even without RAB.
(happy sniffling)
(very small party)
Is happy dancing included?
Happy dancing is always included in the bexy/hannah parties.
Schmexcellent. 8)
Congrats guys! You have created, by far, one of my favorite Yankee blogs/places to go on these interwebs. The content is fantastic, and the comments are often insightful, batshit crazy, and/or hilarious. Now I just can’t wait for the games to get started so we can have the insanity of game threads back. Oh how I miss the knee-jerk reactions. Plus, I think this winter has driven some of us Yankee fans to the brink of psychosis.
A very happy 4th to 3 very good guys, and even better writers.
I love everything about the site except your new weekend writers. ew.
I love all three of you newbies. Keep up the good work.
Thanks. We appreciate it. At least I do.
Do the three of you get together during the week planning your overthrow of the Mike, Joe and Ben regime?!
Um.
tl;dr
This site rocks. Thanks for all you do!
Happy Birthday to RAB and congrats to Mike, Ben and Joseph. Ive been reading this site since early 2008 and it continues to be the best Yankees website around.
Happy Birthday and congrats! My only regret is that I only discovered RAB during the 2010 season, thanks to the commercial on YES. Since then I check in every day and always catch the podcast. For someone who lives and breathes Yankees, this site is a Godsend. Thanks and keep it up.
If you used to frequent LoHud or one of the various message boards, this place will seem much more rational.
I found this site through the Yankees Fanblogs sidebar on Pete Abe’s LoHud shortly after the 2008 season ended. Fortunately, I didn’t spend too much time in the comments section there before realizing how much better this place was.
Current Vegas WS odds (I’m at Hard Rock casino) …
YANKS 5-1, PHILS 9-5, BOSOX 3-1, RAYS 8-1, GIGANTES 12-1, CARDS 12-1, BRAVES 12-1
Current Vegas WS odds (I’m at Hard Rock casino) …YANKS 5-1, PHILS 9-5, BOSOX 3-1, RAYS 8-1, GIGANTES 12-1, CARDS 12-1, BRAVES 12-1
Congrats. Hopefully we get at least 4 more years.
Current Vegas WS odds (I’m at Hard Rock casino) …YANKS 5-1, PHILS 9-5, BOSOX 3-1, RAYS 8-1, GIGANTES 12-1, CARDS 12-1, BRAVES 12-1
Happy Birthday, RAB!
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/201.....new-swing/
Why so many ground balls last year?
When you block off and you can’t clear your hips and you hit the ball, you’re basically smothering the baseball. You don’t have an avenue to get the barrel to it. If we’re square and I go here (clean swing at an inside pitch) and I can clear my hips, it allows by bat head to get there, and it allows me to elevate the baseball a lot more.
If it worked before, why doesn’t it work now?
I think the game has changed where the pitching is better. This cutter is a serious pitch that’s basically been brought into existence in the past two or three (years). Mariano’s had it, but nobody else. Every guy has a cutter now. You’ve got a Jon Lester cutter that’s coming in at, let’s say 95. Try to stay inside that pitch. You can’t do it. Guys have better command in and out I would say than they ever have. There’s no secrets.OK< OK, I can't keep this up. He's old, his swing has slowed down and he's too damn sensitive to have anyone admit this publicly. There it is! I said it! If you want to fire me, go ahead!he’s too damn sensitive to have anyone admit this publicly.
Would he say anything different for anyone else?
Nope, that’s why he’s kept the job for so long.
You guys have done a fantastic job. I first found you during the Johan Santana trade talks, and have been a reader ever since. I look forward to another season fine analysis and banter.
Congrats on becoming the premier Yankees blog.
Happy birthday, RAB. Still don’t know how you managed to pick up the best comments section of any site I know of with more than one regular commenter, but I am very thankful for it.
FourMany more years!Which would you say has a wider range of over the top facial expressions?
-A bulldog in a park that just found a bone
-Season 3 of Ren and Stimpy
-Mike’s collection of Frankie Cervelli pix
This guy.
That should have been a reply to Artist.
And for those of you not into the NBA All-Star Game, we have:
Tonight on the MLB Network, the 50 most colorful shoes in MLB history.
I can’t wait for the season to start. This is has been a very slow, dark period of time. Maybe it’s been all the snow.
Happy 4th, RAB. Thanks for dropping knowledge on us all.
Congratulations. Reading RAB has made following the Yankees a lot more entertaining these past couple of years. Looking forward to another great year.
3 years ago I visited this site and how NO CLUE what the hell you guys were talking about.
*had, not how
Haha yeah same here. I think I first visited here sometime in 2008.
Damn, I never realized this before. I’m sure you all remember the Yanks went on a spending spree after 2008, signing CC, Tex and AJ. The Yanks gave up their 1st round pick for Tex to the Angels, which was pick #25 overall.
Do you know who the Angels selected with the Yankee pick? Mike Trout.
My favorite part of this was the Brewers’ owner whining about how if it wasn’t for the Yankees signing Tex and CC, they would’ve picked Trout too. Cry moar.
Yeah, I was just reading the BA article on that. But I totally forgot Trout was the Angels pick.
Not that I regret signing CC or Tex, but I hope we don’t have a similar regret with the Soriano pick.
“I hope we don’t have a similar regret with the Soriano pick.”
It’s possible. However, the odds are against it. Like 20% of late 1st rounders will make any significant MLB impact. Sure there’s a small chance you get an All-Star–probably like 5% at best–but I’ll take the top-flight proven reliever if I’m the Yankees and live with being right 80-95% of the time. If he were to earn 3 WAR for the Yankees over the next 3 years (3.7 WAR the last 3 years… which includes an injured 2008), that would still make him better than all but 21% of 30-32 picks from 1965-2005.
There are other things to consider as well. There’s also a chance the Yankees use their 1st round money to take a stud pick later in the draft that they wouldn’t take had they paid a million bucks plus to a first rounder, or sign an IFA they wouldn’t have otherwise signed. Or that they recoup one or two picks for Soriano when he leaves and grab a stud or two.
Meh. They got the 25th pick from the Yankees (and picked Trout) but they also got the 24th pick from the Mets for losing K-rod (and picked a guy named Randal Grichuk). If they only had one pick and not both, who knows how it would have played out. They might have gotten Trout anyway.
No doubt, it’s very hit or miss even in the 1st round. But a good team with loads of good scouts should have a higher success rate than other organizations.
Always interesting, although that doesn’t mean Trout would have been selected by the Yankees, in fact, I think the odds are hight that the Yankees wouldn’t have selected Trout.
Agreed. It’s interesting, though, that they took a toolsy HS CF just a few picks later… perhaps they liked Slade more than Trout, but it’s more reasonable to say maybe they pick Trout than if they took, say, a college reliever #29.
Also, despite being the “top prospect in baseball” Trout hasn’t played above A-ball yet (I realize he’s only 19 and has had a lot of success… just saying he’s still a ways away and may never make it). I’ll take Tex over the pick every time.
“I’ll take Tex over the pick every time.”
Agree. I just hope we’re still saying it in ’15 when we’re paying 35 year old teixeira 21 million and trout is makin league minnimum
I’ve been here since day 1. Your Welcome….. Without me here I’m not sure how much of a success this site would have become. I feel blessed to have helped create this brilliant piece of work.
Happy Birthday, RAB! Thanks for all your hard work to make this site such a fantastic resource for us fans.
This site is simply amazing, nothing else to say about it. Great job Mike Ben and Joe, you all built one hell of an amazing site
Happy Birthday!! Thank you for all that you do and you guys/gals are simply the best!!
It has been a blessing to be a part of it.
Congratulations, Gentlemen. Great job and thanks for all of the hard work.
You guys don’t look a day over three. Happy bday. This site makes me glad the internet was invented (by Al Gore).
Happy birthday RAB. These last few months you have done a great joba.
What you did there. I see it.
Happy Birthday RAB !! you guys do an awesome job ! thank you !
(where the heck is TSJC ?)
he had a kid, and is acting like that’s an excuse.
pssshhh, what does that even mean? WIMP.
I have 3.
/Monteroisstilldinero’d
Harpay Barthday Rabizzle! You guys have pretty much weened me off of the generic Yankees news sources that have clouded my mind for years and now I know The Truth (TM).
And a special thank you to all the commenters on here for all the arguments I rip off of you guys to use in real life situations because I’m too lazy to do any of the heavy lifting myself. You guys are awesome.
Thank you all for the best Yankees site there is.
Happy birthday guys. Can’t believe my site is a year older than yours. Seems like I’ve been reading your stuff for much longer. Definitely the best site there is, was, and will ever be. Here’s to many many more happy birthdays.
This site is amazing, I’m so glad I found it last summer. I literally read this blog almost every day. Thanks so much for the great work
Happy Birthday Guys! This is my internet my homepage, and an amazing site!
Thanks.
Congratulations on 4 years! Because of my job I don’t have time to post much anymore, but I still read it every day. It is still one of the best Yankee blogs around.
happy birthday rab. thanks for giving us a great site. well done.
Kobe Bryant FTW
Fantasy Question:
If you could keep three of the following in a fantasy league, who would you keep?
Jose Bautista
David Wright
Dustin Pedroia
Miguel Cabrera
Buster Posey
Tommy Hanson
Dan Haren
Wright, Miggy, and Posey. You don’t need Bautista and Wright, so take the latter since he’ll steal bases too. Cabrera’s a beast, DUI or not. Catchers are scarce and Posey’s a good one. Pitchers are too unpredictable, even good ones, and Pedroia … eh.
You are exactly the person that I would want to respond to this. Thanks Mike! I’m going to try to convince my league to keep 5 players
I read RAB every single day without fail (several times per day on work days…). You guys are clearly the best of the best – how you come up with interesting content 365 days a year is beyond me, but I am very thankful for it.
Here’s a shout out from British Columbia, Canada. Even thousands of miles away from Yankee Stadium, you are appreciated.
I have enjoyed this site for about 2 years. Your efforts to keep us informed about the Yankees and baseball is second to none. Also, I’m quite impressed with your humility with the celebration cake displayed in the picture.
Once again, I thank you.
Saw some video of Jeter taking BP in ST. Looks like the double tap of his front foot as a timing mechanism has been eliminated. He now just lifts his heel up on the front foot as a timing mechanism. Hope it helps.
Happy Birthday, RAB!
You’re only as good as your readers, so….I’ll try to be better this year.
I’ve only been coming here for about 2 and a half years, but it’s been great. By far my favorite sports site of any type that I check in on most, RSS feeds to my phone and everything. Congratulations and thank you for the great reads, several times a day!
Congrats in order for the excellent writing, but the site is often too fanboyish for my liking. Your inferiority complex with Boston, for one example, isn’t tempered by “Poopy Pants”, this site’s one dissenter who is allowed to post. Besides, isn’t Poopy a pseudonym anyway?
You’re either a fanboy site or baseball site concentrating on one team. Your writers suggest the latter.
They see me trollin’…they hatin’…
Happy Birthday!!!
funny how brackman fell to 30 and we ended up with jesus anyway