Kevin Long gives tee-rrific reason for going to Mets from Yankees: Report

The Yankees fired hitting coach Kevin Long in October, only to see him land with the Mets in the same position soon after.

Long, who had been the Yankees hitting coach since 2007, had a few good reasons to sign with the cross-city rivals including a hitting philosophy which will match the Mets' style of play.

But it was a wardrobe concern which won the coach over.

"I have a lot of 'I Love New York' shirts," Long joked during an appearance on SiriusXM MLB Network Radio. "So I figured why not just go to the other side of town? I don't have to get rid of those shirts."

I wonder if Long, who has already started working with his new team, knows that you can buy 10 of the ubiquitous tees for 10 bucks — even at most Manhattan tourist traps.

It's one of the best only deals left in NYC.

But if those Citi Field renovations work out as planned, Long might be wearing "I Love Short Fences" t-shirts by next summer.

Murdered transgender woman identified as brother of Clippers' Reggie Bullock: Report

The body of a transgender woman found brutally murdered in Baltimore has been identified as a sibling of Los Angeles Clippers guard Reggie Bullock.

Mia Henderson — who was born Kevin Long — was found by police in an alley in the northwest part of the city in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Bullock paid tribute to Henderson in two tweets send on Wednesday with the hashtag "#RIPKEVIN."

"All I can say is my brother showed me how to live your own life. Love you so much man. Gone but not forgotten," Bullock tweeted.

He followed it up with, "At least I sent the last love you to my brother."

Atleast I sent the last LOVE YOU to my brother
— Reggie Bullock (@ReggieBullock35) July 16, 2014

Police have not identified any suspects or established a motive, and they don't know yet whether there's any connection to the slaying of another transgender woman in the area last month.

Investigators also say they are looking back at cases that are several years old to see if there are any similarities with this latest murder, but they aren't saying how Henderson was murdered. 

"We do know that there was trauma to the body to indicate that there was a homicide," Major Dennis Smith of the Baltimore City police told WJZ.

Bullock is heading into his second season with the Clippers. The Baltimore native was a first-round draft pick last year out of the University of North Carolina.

A-Rod says he's ready for 'monster' year

Talk is cheap but not when it comes from the $275 million mouth of Alex Rodriguez.  If what A-Rod said yesterday can be taken at face value, New York Yankees fans might want to take it to the bank.

"I want to be a force in the middle of our lineup, someone who drives in a lot of runs to win a lot of games," Rodriguez said.

After hitting coach Kevin Long heard those words, he smiled and said, "I've been waiting for him to say that.  That's what he needs to do.  That's who he needs to be.  Do that and he'll be a monster."

It sounds like A-Rod is feeling pretty good after battling injuries and playing in only 99 games last season.

Rodriguez's optimism about being a "force" and someone who "drives in a lot of big runs" has to be music to the Yankees ears.  That what the organization signed him for— not batting .111 with three RBIs in the first round of the playoffs.

"Like Kevin Long always says, 'Production and damage,' that's what it's all about," Rodriguez said.

More music.

Rodriguez struggled last season and it culminated with a horrible five-game series against the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS which ended the Yankees season.

The 37-year-old clean up hitter wasn't much of a force and didn't drive in big runs or win games but claims he's turning back the clock.

"I used to do so much so early, it was too much," he said.  "It's just about feeling good.  The skill is there.  This approach worked for me in '09.

"I've learned to just trust the process and that has taken time," he said.  "I always want to go out and do more."

Long agrees with his student's new philosophy.

"He just needs to make sure he takes his 'A' swing," said Long.  "I think he is finding the exact amount to do now.  He used to overdo it physically and mentally, he used to over-think processes and get himself in trouble up there."

The hitting coach believes A-Rod should just simply commit "100%" to the fastball and react to everything else to regain his swing.

"The more he simplifies, the better he is," said Long.  "That's what he is doing when he is talking about driving in runs.

"He's a monster," he added.  "I still think he's capable of doing big and special things.  If he's healthy, he'll do them."

Yankees Granderson Picks Up Slack For Slumping Gardner

No one would have doubted that a New York Yankees player would be tied for the AL home-run lead at this point of the season, but nobody would have ever predicted his name would be Curtis Granderson.  The Yankees center-fielder is on fire over the last five games.  He is batting .421 (8-for-19) with four home-runs and six RBI's over that span.

The Yankees head into Baltimore for a scheduled three-game set against the Orioles--tonight's game has been called due to rain--as the AL East leaders and Granderson is the biggest SCUD on the Bronx Bombers.

Nine games into the season, Granderson was hitting .156 at the back of the order.  Since then, the 27 year-old has gone from batting ninth, then eighth and now second.  He has lifted his average to .273.

"I talked to [hitting coach] Kevin Long and he liked my at-bats and my swing," the rejuvenated player said.  "I wasn't really out of whack and there was no need to change.  It was a matter of an inch and being late."

Granderson always had a little pop in his bat, but heading to Camden Yards this weekend, he has homered in three straight games and, after struggling against lefthanders (.218 lifetime), is also taking them yard this year, hitting .353 (6-for-17), with three HR's and five RBI's.

Gardner, meanwhile, is stuck in a rut.  He has as many hits (six) as Granderson has home-runs and is carrying a minuscule .128 average and .196 OBP to the plate.

The 27 year-old right-fielder finally won the lead-off spot this season but, after his pitiful start, has been bumped down to batting ninth and watching lefties from the bench.

Two years ago, a slump like this cost Gardner his starting job to Melky Cabrera, but don't expect manager Joe Girardi to replace his speedster at one time.  Just expect to see Andruw Jones in the line-up against lefthanders.  Jones, another one of the Yankees scrap-heap pick-ups, has seen limited play and is hitting .250 with one homer.

Gardner knows he is rooted in a bad slump is hoping he can turn it around; much like Granderson has done over the last seven games.

"I feel like every day is an opportunity to come out here and turn it around," said Gardner.  "I don't think about too much long-term stuff right now."

The Yankees have been shuffling the struggling Gardner and inconsistent Derek Jeter at the number one and two spots all season and felt they had to pull Gardner after a horrible game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.  The speedy Gardner blew a sac-bunt and was thrown out stealing--his third time in six attempts this season.  Speed is considered Gardner's saving grace.

"The last thing you want to do when you're not swinging the bat well is to get the most at-bats on the team," hitting coach Kevin Long said.  "It's a smart move.  He a smart kid, so he gets it.  He doesn't have to be happy about it, but at this point in time, it's the best thing to do."

Gardner has been hitting the video rewind button pretty hard lately; while trying to find out where he is failing at the plate. 

"If you can be successful for a couple of months, there's no reason that I shouldn't be able to find that and get back in that groove again," he reasoned.

N.Y. Yankees Digging the Long Ball and Not Much Else

The New York Yankees are tied for the league lead in home runs with 18 but still look anemic at the plate.  A .236 team average is something the team is not used to--even if it is only nine games into the season--and seems worse when you realize four regular starters are well below the Mendoza Line with two others barely above it.

The Yankees No. 4 and No. 5 hitters,  Robinson Cano (.324) and Alex Rodriguez (.321), are batting at least 115 points over the leadoff and No. 2 spots--Brett Gardner (.167) and Derek Jeter (.206).

Out of the Yankees 70 total hits this season, 18 have gone over the fence.  They are on pace for a record 324 jacks and only 1260 hits.

Hot starts by Jorge Posada, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are faded memories.  The sliding threesome went 0-for-9 with 8 strikeouts against Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.  They have combined for nine home-runs but, with an average of .182, Teixeira is the stud of that bunch.  Take away the homers and those three are a combined 6-of-81.

Yankee hitting coach Kevin Long hasn't heard the Steinbrenner alarm yet--thanks to the awful start by the Red Sox and he puts on a happy face when asked about the slumping players.

"I've felt good about our offense thus far and I still do," Long said after the Sox ace struck out ten Yankees on Sunday.  "This isn't any time to hit the panic button just because Josh Beckett came out and threw the ball really well."

True.  But how does he justify the lack of hits against pitchers who didn't throw the ball as well as Beckett so far this year?

It seems unlikely that Jeter or Gardner won't pick it up at the top of the order or that Mark Teixeira won't be rattled from his annual April swoon.  And there's no way that the DH Posada or outfielder Granderson will still be batting .138 and .172, respectively, at the end of the season, but there has to be concern--even with a 5-4 record.

If anything the Yankee hits have been timely.  They were sixth in runs scored (50).

Manager Joe Girardi knows nine games do not make a season.  "You can't make too much of a few at-bats," he said.  "You can't just do it because early in the season you're going to see guys have ups and downs.  You're going to see it, and then as they start getting more at-bats under their belts, they start to get more consistent."

The Yankees may be hiding their lack of hits behind their home-run onslaught.  Everyone knows chicks really dig the long-ball, but I don't think hitting coaches do.