The Ticket Licensee - Finale

After several weeks of trying to get decent seats at a price that is fair, I have thrown in the towel. I will not renew my ticket license. Part of this is pride and part is I don't want to pay through the nose and still not be able to see the ball at the plate. All options offered were between 356 to 416 feet from the plate.

Am I nuts, no, I am very level headed. I don't believe that sports tickets should be out of reach of fans, The Yankees and most of baseball have joined Club Nuts! They are raising seat prices because they can; especially in stadium that don't fill, ticket prices have been evaluated win the capacity crowd team comes to town. Baltimore has tripled the face value of tickets for Red Soxs and Yankee games, tickets remain at normal price level for the rest of American League East.

Baseball is a slow learner. Football banned drugs years back, Baseball just started. This morning the Jets announced the have fiscal issues, they need to furlough 50 non team employees for 2-3 weeks in June-July to meet expenses. Fans aren't biting at the Jets seat licence fee. The Jets like many are being crunched by the economy. this trend will catch up with most sports sooner than later. Payrolls will have to be cut. You can't pay out what you aren't bringing in.

I am not hysterical I did not renew, I will win in the end. Fiscal restraint is necessary, and if you won't charge me a fair price, I will not but your product. The Yankees will still be on TV and now I can work to get tickets for games I want beyond 2 seats. In the end I will do better.

For $899 I can purchase a 42 " Panasonic 1080 HDTV. For $299 DirecTV will sell me a HDTV/DVR. That total cost would only get me to 6 games in the crappy seats the Yankees offered me.

That stills leaves me plenty in my ticket budget, and I will have excellent seats for all 162 games. I can even record them for those west coast games and ESPN Sunday night stands, and watch them in my viewing time. I consider this a victory for the working man, in this case woman.

The license rant is now officially closed; time to turn to Baseball. Up next time, the American League East Pitching.

A final comment to Lonn Trost, Randy Levine, Hank and Hal Steinbrenner:

That Sound in the Bronx, It's the Boo Bird

That sound is the call of boo birds who have emerged from their nest. They were loud this weekend, in response to the Mets rout of the Yankees. They were loud again tonight, until they fled to warmer ground. One may ask what is a Boo bird.

Boo birds are distinguished by their fading chameleon coloring and inability to perch for long periods during games the Yankees lose or play poorly. Boo birds are noted for their boo call and uncontrolled cussing. Boo birds are bad sports and usually fair weather fans. Many consume excessive amounts of alcohol during sporting events. Boo birds, once an endangered species between 1996-2001 have arisen to record numbers and now can be classified as pests.

Enough already!

I've been a Yankee fan for 43 years. I've seen good and bad. I've seen bad starts that ended in playoff berths. I've seen slow starts that produced World Series trophies. There are 19 teams in the American League, 5 in the East. You can't be perfection every year. The guys are down, they don't need the fair weather fan jumping down their backs. They work for the Steinbrenners. Isn't that punishment enough?

As to tonight's game, the Jeter injury, the Hawkins high toss, the bench clearing challenge. Well that is all part of baseball. Was Hawkins right, did he do it on purpose. Right, in his mind, not in mine, I don't like head shots. However retribution is expected. Hawkins who will probably get a suspension and fine is now the Yankee clubhouse hero for retaliating for Jeter's game ending hand hit. Maybe something positive will come out of this. Someone has to light a spark under the Yankees.

I predict smoke and steam coming from Mount Hank in the next day or two. Hank has the same volcanic personality of his father, George. The Yankees don't need Hank's mouth to add to the boo birds; but they do need to pay attention.

This Yankee team is making mistakes, mistakes they shouldn't. It's time to clear the cobwebs boys. Shake off the losses and play the season one game at a time.

If for no other reason then to silence to annoying Boo birds.

A Chip Off of George's Block

In what may become a continuing comparison of Hank Steinbrenner to his Dad, George, we have the latest element; demanding a say in the starting lineup.

Many have blogged about George's mouth today, oops did I say George, I meant Hank. It's beginning to be hard to tell them apart, well Hank doesn't wear turtlenecks in summer like Dad George; well so far.

Hank like George thinks that being an owner gives him a say in the starting rotation. This despite the $$$$$ the Yankees spend on expert baseball advice. Frankly I feel that there are many on this forum more qualified then Hank or George to rate the placement of key players in the daily lineup.

Here are some facts:

• Mo is not gone yet and right now pitching well.
  
• The starting rotation can barely get into the 7th inning.
  
• Mo pitching 2 innings a game won't help his arm in October.
  
• Mo will retire one day and there is no one I have seen so far who can be as great as Mo as closer, except Joba.

The real solution is for the Yankkes to have pitchers who can pitch 8 or 9 innings. Oh did I say that? I forgot its a sacrilegious thought to demand pitchers be able to toss complete games. Shame on me. :) :)

Lets fix the problem, the problem is is two fold, Kennedy and Hughes. Get them to be solid and give you 7-8 innings and we can think about where Joba belongs. But I'm sorry, in the sorry state of NYY starting pitching, Joba must be the bridge to Mo. Unless you want to see the team lose in the late innings.

An alternative is to let Joba start and get Moose to bridge. I'd rather use Joba as the bridge.

Crown Prince Hank

Just when we Yankee fans had gotten use to a little subdued activity from the owner, he, George turns the team over to his sons. After a six month honeymoon, Hank Steinbrenner has emerged as the new "Voice of the Yankees".

While promoting the team, he has also taken up where dear old George left off shooting off his mouth. Unlike his father the most controversial things so far as been to support the team and say that suspension for the Spring Trainings brawl are uncalled for and he will appeal.

Hank it appears is a chip off the old block, and while George rides off into the sunset, son Hank is going full blast into the spotlight.

For fans like me and many of my friends it is a sign of good things to come. George is the ultimate owner, a fan with money to spend to give his team the best. I have been a bit apprehensive of the future of my beloved Yankees with the hands of leadership changing this past year. However out of all the things that have come out of Spring Training, one thing is certain, the new commitment and support of the team by the owner is still there; as echoed in the statements made this spring by Hank Steinbrenner.

With 13 days till Opening Day, something else to look forward to, a committed energetic owner.

(Hank Steinbrenner photo from the NY Daily News)