We need Bernie Back!

Alex Rodriquez and Mickey Mantle have one thing in common.......stupidity. Had Mantle behaved himself, he would have not needed uppers to play and downers to sleep. Instead Mantle painted the town red white wearing the pinstripes. He was a party boy; taking advantage of his fame. In the 1961 season, Mantle acquired a festering sore from his butt injections of uppers and downers. It effectively ended his home run race with Roger Maris, and nearly hurt the Yankees chance of wining the division.

A-Rod prefers low key, uses drugs he should not have, cheated, and now has a hip cyst and a torn acetabular labrum, he represents, while stupid, an offensive weapon against all teams. Cheating or not, Alex can hit the ball. Pitchers know that and plan strategy around his portion in the Lineup.

What other weapons are out there? One fan favorite and still scary bat, Bernie Williams. Williams a victim of Brian Cashman's stupidity a few years back was cut. Arguments by NYY coaches, Joe Torre and Tampa to keep Williams were not weighed. Cashman felt he was done; and in his new position of power cut Bernie Williams. Williams is not a power hitter, he is a switch hitter and that causes pitchers and managers to rethink their strategy. Yes the Yankees have Posada, but adding Bernie to the 40 man would be a smart move

Its time to admit you were WRONG Brian Cashman, and suck it up and re-sign Bernie Williams. Bernie represents a significant offensive distraction. Bernie can still hit. With A-Rod out Williams would be my choice for a bench player and DH for the time. (Especially since Mannie re-upped with LA).

Somehow I don't think Cashman is that smart, or George would have a few more American Leaque and World Series titles. Time to wise up Brian, you don't know squat about talent!

Chapter 10 in the A-Rod Saga

For those who came in late I will recap:

Chapter 1: A-Rod opens mouth and disses Derek Jeter, causing the first of many controversies.

Chapter 2: A-Rod comes to New York Yankees from the Texas Rangers, bringing his all about me personality into the team oriented New York Yankees clubhouse; the Yankees begin a down turn.

Chapter 3: A-Rod admits to frequenting poker clubs, reviving the Pete Rose question about gambling issues associated with sports players.

Chapter 4: Mrs. A-Rod appears at the stadium in a controversial T-Shirt, making the front pages of the Daily News and New York Post, all his money can't buy good fashion sense.

Chapter 5: A-Rod seen with mystery blond in Toronto during the Yankees stand against the Blue Jays.

Chapter 6: Mrs. A-Rod institutes divorce proceedings after A-Rod and Madonna are linked as having extramarital affairs with each other.

Chapter 7: Madonna dumps A-Rod and divorces husband Guy Richie.

Chapter 8: Joe Torre talks extensively about "the A-Rod problem" in his new book, confirming A-Rod's self centered selfish attitude.

Chapter 9: A-Rod admits to steroids, receives many invitations to discuss this from the United States Congress, the US Attorney regarding DEA Issues and Major League Baseball. A-Rod's defense: "My cousin made me do it."

Chapter 10: A-Rod develops hip cyst which could end his career, and so I begin:


Chapter 10: The Hip Cyst:

• Hip Cysts typically are sign of osteoarthritis. Not necessarily a true cysts, they are weakened areas in the bone plate; and a weakened hip joint is never a good thing, once you have pain, the damage is done.
  
• Oh by the way, Osteoarthritis is one of the indicators of intravenous drug abuse and a documented side effect of HGH abuse. By screwing around with the body's normal metabolism by taking pharmaceuticals not prescribed for your condition, bad stuff happens.
  
  Never mind not playing in the world baseball classic, something I want moved to November and not the middle of Spring Training; A-Rod has bigger issues. He could be looking at surgery to fix his hip. Quite easily depending on the size of the area, he has potential for permanent injury, ending his career. While I would like to see A-Rod and his story banished from the Yankees, you don't want a career ending injury to befall anyone.
  
  In the end he only brought it upon himself. Using illegal obtained, non prescribed, performance enhancing substance can cause health problems, just ask Jason Giambi. A-Rod could be looking at early retirement from baseball, a life with an artificial hip, walker or in a wheel chair.
  
  So here you go boys and girls, a lesson, never cheat, especially in sports, because:

Paybacks are a Bitch!

More Ticket Issues-Lack of Integrity

While I doubt feel that many employees in the NYY Ticket Office may be a little dense; they should not assume the licensess are. My latest round with the ticket office goes this way:

Monday, 9AM, March 2, 2009, Greg from the Ticket Office leaves a voice mail on my house phone about Section 132. Please call him back, he will hold the seats till Tuesday.

At 3PM, my assigned ticket rep, Rosa Muniz calls me, again about Section 132, she call the cell. We have an engaging conversation that goes like this:

Rosa: "Everything you heard is wrong, its just fans show are trying to cause trouble. All ticket holders with seniority of 2006 or higher got their requests, anyone in 2007, 2008 0r 2009 got nothing".

Personally I know that is a load of horse poop. And today I find out form another colleague, also a NYY fan, the ticket office tells them nowhere and no answers when they call.

I have till Friday to exercise my license. I am on fence, leaning towards not renewing. I have this ethical situation with what i consider fair market value. Most of the seats in Yankee Stadium are priced beyond fair market value, more towards their value from Stub Hub, then a direct dealer.

I really think it is time baseball fans stood up along with all sports fans and did something about this. Unfortunately we get seduced into ticket plans, which gives us a season of accessibility. I am not easily seduced, and I have better uses for my pile of Yankee ticket money:

1. Purchase a 42 inch flat screen and a DVR.

2. Purchase 4 tickets to Opening Day from a fair market value scalper I know.

3. Purchase tickets to games, with enough seats I can take my niece and toddler nephew.

4. Do a few road trips to away games to protest this trend in baseball to price premium games with inflated values.

5. Spend time and money of what is left to get laws passed regarding fair market value pricing.

Note: I have spent some money with my favorite Voodoo priestess, Sabrina, commissioning a doll of Lon Trost. As I sit in my scalper purchased Opening Day seats, I will be stabbing Lon in enough places that he will be in pain. Sabrina makes a quality Voodoo doll, and she practices fair market value.

Finally my greatest issue these days is with the lack of integrity, in reality bold fat lies being told to me by the Ticket Office. Fans speak to each other, after many years, I know many other licensees. We all got the same line of B/S. The New York Yankees, an organization that takes pride in the integrity of their heroic hall of fame players, is now a den of liars.

I hate liars, I think they should all have their tongues cut out.

Don't ever lie to me, the consequences will not be to your liking.

Update on my NYY Ticket License

On Friday, while I was in San Diego for business, I got a call from the the ticket office of the New York Yankees.

This was clearly in response to my emails and decline of the crappy seats in the bleachers I was offered. Hey maybe they even suspect that I was the one who wen to the Daily News. I did, after the first article, but can't take credit for the bad publicity being generated.

Now Shamir, from the NYY Ticket Office told me I had the opportunity to buy a 41 game plan of field level seats (reality the right field field bleachers, seats no benches); for the mere cost of $8020 plus tax, shipping and handling for 2 seats. I said no, put me in the pool.

The seats offered in reality would have cost $25.00 in the old stadium given there locations (see picture, gray area in right field). They are in fact where in the 1923 Stadium the Bleacher Creatures sat. Who knows where the Yankees have stuck that loyal and crazy group of fans. And the Operations Management of the New York Yankees clearly are living in fantasy land and not have no reality. They have lost their minds.

Also the person who read my letter and passed it on clearly does not get that I have not budgeted $8000-9000 for seats. I really do want what I had and I am not willing to pay more than $50.00 a seat.

Clearly the overpriced seats are not selling or I would not have received a phone call on Friday. And The call was a hard sell. Since I was in between sessions in conference, I gracefully told them they were out of their mind, out of touch with the real fans and to put me in the pool. I anticipate I will not get what I want. The Yankees are determined to stick it to the fans in hopes that someone will be crazy enough to overpay for these highly overpriced seats.

Had the seats actually been along the infield base lines I might have jumped at them. Those seats in the old stadium ran between $75-95 a piece/game. Those seats by the way are now between $300-500 a piece/game.

Despite my business travel, I heard the interview Lon Trost gave to WFAN. Clearly he too is one of the COOs that is out of touch with the economic situation. He clearly is drunk with power, believing that Yankee fans will pay anything. He does not realize that the good times have passed, and like all empires, the Yankee Empire is falling; and he is one of the reasons why.

But don't despair fellow Yankee fans, all empires rise and fall and the Yankees always go through these cycles.

Oh how I wish George Steinbrenner was still the healthy active Kaiser and in charge. Instead the inmates are clearly running the asylum.

Poll re Ticket Relocation Process

Please select and vote regarding in the poll on this page regarding the ticket relocation process.

WFAN Listens to Ticket Licensees

For 2 days now, yesterday on Boomer and Carton and today on Mike Francesca's show (also aired on the Yes Network) WFAN has listens to the stories of the ticket licensees. Still no response to the articles in the Daily News or to the 3 days of radio play WFAN has given the story. And of course, absolutely nothing out of ESPN.

Of course I expected nothing from ESPN 1050, they are owned by Disney, a company that produces high ticket entertainment. However I must admit that any Disney Park Admission is worth the value.

The Disney motto use to be will pay to come. Of course the deals Disney is offering now show you that even Disney is taking a hit from the economy. Peopel will no longer pay to come. Until recently Disney didn't have stay X nights get Y night free deals, but now they do.

I am seriously considering organizing a protest march around the new stadium during the pre-season game to be played. Anyone interested, contact me.

Is the New Yankee Stadium Cursed?

Lately, I am beginning to wonder what ghosts the Yankees may have disturbed by moving across the street. Unexplained incidents, scandals and unYankee like behavior have occurred since ground breaking including the following:

• Steinbrenner became semi-retired with rumors surrounding his health and weight loss.

• Bobby Murcer was diagnosed with brain cancer and subsequently passed away after a brave battle.

• The youth squad of pitching prodigies, Kennedy, and Hughes, along with staff ace Wang all succumbed to injuries that sent all to rehab and left the pitching in disarray.

• The Yankkes didn't even make the 2008 playoffs.

• The NY Attorney General and the US Attorney are investigating the financing and land appraisal for the new stadium.

• Leon Trost flipped the bird to the Yankee ticket licensees and relocated most to subpar seats so he can have plenty of expensive great view empty seats for his kind of people, rich.

• Jason Johnson, a pitcher with good potential acquired from the Red Soxs was diagnosed this past week with cancer of the retina, a career ending injury.

• And now of course in the latest saga of the A-Rod Steroid drama, Alex has been subpoenaed to testify before Congress and also before US Attorney regarding international trafficking in controlled dangerous substances. And of course A-Rod's admission means the drug dogs will be all over the Yankee charter for the next year. Maybe one of them will pee on Leon Trost's pants and luggage.

It makes you wonder if some Indian chief is buried in the Bronx or is it just a protest from the ghost of Yankee greats. Maybe Magic and Mystique don't want to move.

Anyway I am hoping the new Archbishop brings plenty of holy water to his first game, there seems to be something ominous lurking in the soil of the new digs.

The Daily News Keeps the Ticket Issue Alive

See today's news Sunday NY Daily News for a second article on the season ticket licenses downgrades.

Kudos to the Daily News for keeping focus on the this story on the lousy treatment of season ticket holders by Yankee Management.

A-Rod is a Goner

This morning on ESPN’s The Sports Reporters, there was more fallout on A-Rod from his latest set of lies. Clearly, the press has had enough of his excuses and of steroids. Old Time baseball writers like Mike Lupica and Bob Ryan have had enough. Clearly the Baseball Writers are rebelling, the drugs have to go and out with those who took them and their associated records.

The last element of integrity in baseball is with the baseball writers, those men and women who determine a player’s immortality in Cooperstown.

Clearly the writers are leaning to the right, only true immortals belong in the Hall of Fame. Bob Ryan went so far as to suggest a special wing for the steroid era players. However it appears the vast consensus is they don’t want to vote for any of them when they time comes. The writers are calling for action from Bud Selig. I think they will be waiting a long time.

If Selig does anything, like roll back the records books to Hank Aaron and Roger Maris, I will be amazed.

If Pete Rose won’t get into Cooperstown because of his gambling, then why allow all the steroid and HGH users into the Hall? At least this, Rose’s gambling only hurt him. It didn’t alter historical records or put Alex Rodriquez on par with Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron.

More so, the Baseball Writers seem to want A-Rod gone. The Yankees, the most respected team in baseball because of tradition and talent is stuck with him. The only way to get him out of NY is by permanent injury or paying his salary. He is however an ugly stain on the Yankees.

New York and Boston are the ultimate baseball towns. Fans in those cities may follow other sports, but baseball is special. To those fans, and maybe hat has spread elsewhere, baseball is religion. And the religion of baseball has sinned. The biggest public sinner is A-Rod, so naturally the deacons of the religion, the baseball writers want him exorcised.

Will the Yankees toss A-Rod, not unless he does not perform. As long as his offense holds up, he will stay in pinstripes. We are stuck with him until his contract runs out, or his body breaks down. But even if he lasts, the writers will not let him into Cooperstown. There minds are made up; no one will enter Cooperstown in pinstripes who has stained the Yankee legend and those Yankees who are already enshrined in Cooperstown.

As for Alex, I mailed him a roll of duct tape to apply to this mouth. Taping it shut is better than continuing to lie unconvincingly. He needs not to talk anymore. Anyway even if he does, not one will believe him. He’s like the boy who cried wolf. At least Aesop told a better fairy tale.

Corky Siemaszko, NYY Fan Hero

I'm not much for the NY Daily News, the sports only, the rest of the paper is good for under the paint can and lighting the wood stove; mostly I read the NY Daily News online. However Today on Page 7, staff writer Corky Siemaszko aired out more dirty NYY laundry, the bad deals given the ticket licensees.

A fellow Yankee ticket holder, Paula, also another person who was mislead in the ticket relocation called me to tell me about the article. Fortunately my local store still had today's news. This article will go in my Yankee scrapbook along with other NYY mementos. Right now it means as much to me as signed Bobby Murcer rookie card and my signed Tommy John baseball. Murcer and John are baseball heros, Corky is a fan hero.

This article appears directly underneath one about the money woes of Damon and Nady. It's easy to find because a banner headline on the front of the NY Daily News pointing to the Damon/Nady article reads SCAMMED YANKEES See Page 7.

It can also be found online at the following link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/02/20/2009-02-20_were_getting_yanked_over_tickets_at_new_-4.html

Kudos to the NY Daily News and Corky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!