Photos Final Game

I have posted a slide show of photos from the Final NYY Home game at the bottom of my blog.

The Last Yankee Stadium Yankee Game

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0CaNGLhuxZMXaA

This link above will take you to site where I have posted my pictures, good and not so good of Sunday's night's game. I will be posting a slide of those picture on this blog in a day or so, but this other link will enable those who actually want a photo to get one for their own scrapbook.

I never thought I would be part of something historical. However the Yankees and Yankee Stadium are history; and in recent years I have been privileged to be there for significant historical events. This game is history now, the last one ever at what will soon be labeled, Old Yankee Stadium. It surpasses the first game back after 9/11 and any playoff/World Series game I attended. Yankee Stadium , new or old will forever be historical, even after it is reduced to rubble and parkland.

Despite initial announcement, all the plans have changed. The first hint was when premium seats ticketing occurred in early summer, and then fans were told recently all ticket plans would change. A few days later the Yankees and the City of New York announced the stadium shell would not be preserved, the stadium would be demolished and made into a park. the City tool all efforts to protect Yankee Stadium Sunday, not to help the coffers of souvenir seat sales, but because nothing will be done with the stadium until the Yankees are absolutely sure new digs will be available. Until that time, no deconstruction will occur in the grand old Cathedral of Baseball.

For those still wishing a look, the Yankees are still running tours. Stadium tours will run until such time as the Yankees begin to ship operations across the street.

I will have further thoughts on Sunday's final baseball game in a few days. And while there will never be another MLB pitch thrown there, there is still a place to go and see for those who want a tour. But don't wait too long to go.

No Crying In Baseball

It was inevitable, a Yankee no Post Season year for Derek Jeter. It is amazing how many Yankee broadcasters and fans feel it is an inalienable right of Fall for the Yankees to play October baseball. The season is no officially over and the blaming has begun; but yet among the blaming their are still cries of the Yankkes are hanfinig in their for the Wild Card.

Teams are just that teams. The Yankees have no individual to blame for this failure, it is a team failure. Fault cannot be fixed on the manager, the coaches or any one player. The Yankees on paper in March looked great, but paper was starting to be shredded before April ended.

The Yankees of 1996 were a young team with some veteran players. They had an astute manager with great help. Joe Torre, Mel Stollemyre, Don Zimmer, Jose Cardenal, Chris Chambliss, Tony Cloninger and Willie Randolph.

The team had a balance of youthful energy and veteran talent, pitching and batting.

Compare these stats and draw your own conclusions:

This clearly shows the Yankees don't have pitching and don;t have the hitting required for Post Season. Home runs don't put World Series Trophies in the case, unless you have men on base when the ball goes out.

My Red Soxs friends think I am pronouncing the Yankees dead too early. I don't think they have any magic tricks. However given the Yankees lackluster performance in the the last five preseason, maybe this is the kick in the butt they need. They will wake up tot the reality they don't go to the playoffs by divine right, they get through through consistently playing great baseball.

Nine Days of Other Teams

I have just returned from 4 days in Red Sox Nation. This was preceded by 2 days in Chicago and 3 days in Milwaukee. Chicago was a side trip due to the Nor'easter that shut down Newark Airport, preventing me from getting home.

I got a chance to watch the Brewers on local TV while in Milwaukee. The Brewers have the stuff to make a run at the Chicago Cubs, they are now only 4.5 games back. More than that they have the player talent that could assure a post season appearance by the Brewers in the Fall Classic.

Right now I see the the following teams representing the NL in October, The Cubs, the Brewers, Diamondbacks and possibly the Mets. The Mets are not a sure thing. Philadelphia still lurks in the curtains. For the Mets they need to stay one step in front of the Phillies in the home streak.

Chicago is clearly the land of the Cubs. My seven hours of waiting around O'Hare for my flight to be allowed to leave taught me that the White Soxs are just that other team. The success and domination of the Cubs in the NL Central has been like a shot of Adrenalin for the long suffering Cubs fans. They are counting on this Presidential Election year, in which a man from Chicago is on the slate as the a sign of hope. They remember how the Red Soxs upset the Yankees in the last Presidential election year. They consider 2008 their chance to erase the curse of the Billy Goat.

I spent Tuesday through Friday outside of Boston. There is no Yankee baseball in Boston unless you have access to the YES Channel in your room. I don't . To ask for the Yankee channel, even if they are playing Boston is grounds for ejection or a beating, maybe both. I quietly chose to watch the Red Soxs. And I am am concerned.

I am not concerned about the Red Soxs, I am concerned about the New York Yankees. The Yankees are 9.5 game back in 3rd place in the AL East. To make the playoffs, they need to win at least 32 games. I just don't see it happening. The Red Soxs are posed to take the Wildcard and worse yet, the Tampa Bay Rays mostly likely have the AL East sewn up; unless they collapse like the Mets did last year. Frankly I don't see that happening.

This may be the first year in his time with the Yankees, that Derek Jeter does not earn playoff bonus money. Clearly he will be a spectator and not a participant this year in October. September 21 will truly be the last game at Old Yankee Stadium.

This week the NYY Yankees also announced the Opening Day 2009 will be April 16 against the Cleveland Indians. The chose being made due tot eh fanfare that will surround the opening of the new digs. No one wants a postponement due to snow. Rain however is another issue. With all the money spent on the new digs, no roof was built. I would optioned for a roof, for those early and late season games and those foul weather days in summer when thunderstorms delay the start of games.

How to Get the MoJo Back - Old Timers!

There is nothing more mystic then the gathering of the the retired New York Yankees on Old Timer's Day. This year the Yankees went all out. Just about everyone still alive and breathing made it back. Noticeable absent, was Rick Cerone and Jim Leyritz. Also absent was Jim Kaat, who considering the litany of ex-Yankees who appeared, was most likely invited. Kaat however lost his wife, Maryann on July 22 to bladder cancer, 10 days after Bobby Murcer, an Old Timer's day fixture passed away from brain cancer.

In absent of some the greatest deceased Yankees heroes, their widows were presented.. Representing their husbands were Mrs. Elston Howard, Mrs. Billy Martin, Mrs. Thurmon Munson, Mrs. Jim Hunter and Mrs Phil Rizzuto.

Given their lackluster playing of late, the active Bombers went on to beat the Angels 8-2. Moose put on a great pitching performance, and although his count was low. He left after 7 full inning leaving Yankee relievers Jose Veras and Brian Bruney to finish.

My friend Mike came with me, we also give Mike some Mojo. Mike (NY Yankee Update) has a lousy track record at Yankee games. He was until Saturday 0-8. We cured that with a visit to Monument Park, Mike's first. Mike pasi tribute to the greats, including Billy Martin. That ended Mike's curse.

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.