Scenes from the 2008 All Star Fan Fest

At the bottom of this page are my photos from Fanfest

The 2008 DHL All Star Game Fan Fest

My niece, nephew and their parents, along with myself went to Fan Fest today. We weren't sure what to expect, we had hopes there would be something for everyone. We weren't disappointed.

Most definitely it was an event for baseball fans.

There were clinics for the young children, and plenty of catching, fielding and stealing for young and big kids. There was also plenty of history on display.

There were items available to be bought at the live auctions Monday and Tuesday. Also the Hall of Fame and The Yogi Berra Museum had items on display.

Mostly it was plenty of fun for all.

Free stuff is available. You get mini Baby Ruth as you walk in the door along with a bag for your free loot. You also received a MasterCard tap card. With that I won an All Start Pennant. I also acquired an All Star Blanket, a Rally cloth and a MLB T-Shirt, all for free.

There are also mock ups of the All Star Clubhouse with uniforms laid out for several of the AL and NL players. It was the best $30.00 I've spent for entertainment in a while. A family of four can get in for $90.00. I highly recommend you check it out before it ends on Monday night.

I have also included photos from the event on my page.

Yankees-Red Soxs as It Should Be

It was the closest to the rivalry as it has been in a few years last night; starting with A-Rod's angry home run blast to left field. The elements were all there, a close game, a home plate umpire with a good eye (the same can't be said for the 2nd base umpire), a dangerous pitching jam, frustrated managers, heroes, villains, and hot headed fans.

The 3 most impressive things from the Yankees were Joba getting out of his jam without excessive damage, youngsters stealing bases, and Brett Gardner's last at bat. A sign of hope for a team that seems to be treading water.

The last 3 years it has been the youth movement that has carried the Yankees to the playoffs. The veteran Yankees could learn a great deal from the youngsters. The little things, careful at bats, speed, stolen bases and patience win you games; and to make the playoffs the Yankees have to climb two impressive Alps, The Boston Red Soxs and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Brett Gardner's 10th Inning at bat was however the most impressive. As I sat there, fearing who would come in from the bullpen in the 11th, I watched the youngster foul off pitch after pitch from John Papelbon. Papelbon is no slacker and in the terms of closers, while not quite at the caliper of Mariano Rivera, he will be if he stays healthy and continues to play. Papelbons' appearance on the mound in the 10th was not what I wanted, with the bottom of the order coming to bat. However those youngsters in the bottom of the order did the little things, Cano's blooper single, Melky's sacrifice and finally Gardner's long at bat, that took the speedy Cano to home giving the Yankees the win.

The New York Post Strikes Out Again

The New York Post, as could have been predicted, air the A-Rod saga on Page 1 today. Shame on Rupert Murdoch.

While I am sure there is a lot of self-centered self interest behavior on both sides of A-Rod, Cynthia, and Madonna, does the Post need circulation so badly as to play to the scandal?

The New York Post, noted only for it's sports section has always been a rag, for paper training the puppy or lining the bird cage. Despite my not so warm feeling for A-Rod as a human being; he and his wife do not deserve to have their lives played on the the front or any pages of the New York Post or any other media other then to comment on his athletic abilities. His personal life, however messed up, should not be rolled out in the daily headlines.

Shame on the Post and Rupert Murdoch, the king of gossip, who obviously wouldn't recognize real news if it started him in the face.

NYY Insanity & the All-Star Roller Coaster Ride

It's been a month since I posted, not because I was not watching baseball, I was. I have been swamped at work. I work in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry as a consultant. Right now we are very busy, busy with good compliant clients and with clients with significant issues. Through all this the only thing that keeps me sane is baseball; and on that not my sanity is beginning to slip too.

My friend Danny reminds every year, that the Yankees play differently after the All-Star Break. Well the All-Star Break is 8 days away, and I am certainly hoping he is correct; or the team is looking at no playoff s this year.

I didn't vote for any Yankees as All-Stars this year, because you cannot vote for pitcher. If so my vote would have gone to Mike Mussina. Mussina who I expected less of this year has proven many wrong. He has given his all, and is one of the many reason the Yankees are in 3rd and not 5th in the Al East.

Yes an argument could be made for the position players, however watching this Yankee Roller Coaster since April, I don't see where any have consistent met All-Star criteria. If I was forced to send two, it would be Jeter and Molina. And then I still don't think they deserve the trip.

Unlike amateur sports, the professional All-Star roster is supposed to represent the best of the best. On paper that is what the Yankees are. However off paper and on the field for the the 1st Half of the season, they get a C+. I expect my All-Stars to be at least A- performers.

Take Friday's July 4th game. The Yankees were leading with a 3-0 lead at he end of the 1st, that should have set the Yankees' tone for the game. Rasner should have been replaced before he pitched to Youklas in the 5th; but he was left in. After that the Yankees did notching. This is not how the Yankees play Boston. Yankees Boston is 2-1 or 15-14 blowouts. The Yankees played tired, almost heartless. That has to change. Mediocrity does not earn 1st place.

I will be at the game Sunday night. Considering the game is late, and I will be bleary eyed for work the next day, I am hoping that the real New York Yankees show up. However I am not getting my hopes up.

It is unfathomable to think that this New York Yankee team, paper A+ team of All-Stars looks like mutts on the fields.

The Yankees need to start playing baseball to the caliper they are and not coasting. Right now they might get a C for talent, but they get a big fat F for effort.

They should all be in clinics over the All-Star break, because right now they all could use work on the basics.