Rain Delays; Oh the Joy!

After a rain delay that lasted over 2 hours, the Yankees were able to get the game in. So far it is the bottom of the 7th and the are down 6-3 to the Red Sox. Lester has looked really well tonight, with the exception of two homeruns that were knocked out of the park. He has pitched 7 innings, while striking out nine and only giving up 6 hits.

Some notes from the game

• Not a great outing by Phil. 4 IP, 7H, and 3ER probably wasn't what he was hoping for tonight. Perhaps it was because the weather conditions were lousy and he had to wait over 2 hours to pitch. Hard to use that as an excuse though as it didn't really have an effect on Lester.
  
• Horrible throw by Jeter to first. Had that been Cano, people would have been killing him for his lackadaisical fielding.
  
• I think Jose Molina forgot to wear his contacts tonight. Someone please lend the man a pair of working eyes.
  
• Disappointed tonight by the guys at YES. In discussing the top second basemen in the American League, the announcers failed to even mention Aaron Hill of the Toronto Blue Jays. How can you discuss the second basemen within the American League East and not even slightly mention the hot start that Hill has had so far? He's a huge reason why the Jays are where they are so far.

Other notable baseball events from tonight:

• Zach Greinke pitched another amazing game. He is now 6-0 on the season. In his start tonight against the Chicago White Sox, he pitched a complete game shutout; giving up six hits while striking out 10.
  
• Marlins won tonight on a throwing error by Paul Janish of the Reds. The game lasted 14 innings and was over 4 and a half hours long.
  
• Did anyone see the two guys sitting behind home plate during the Jays game tonight? They were dressed as umpires and played the part quite well. It was comical from the 2 innings I saw on ESPN.
  
• Victor Martinez is freakin' hot lately! He is hitting .379 with 39 hits. This is coming off an injury from last year too.
  
• Brian Tallet had a no hitter going into the 7th inning until Michael Kay used his powers to jinx him (kidding, kidding).
  
• The Dodgers are 10-0 at home (not including the game tonight). How crazy is that? Torre must be having a ball in Los Angeles.
  

Scott Richmond

I am really intrigued by this starting pitcher on the Toronto Blue Jays. While I know hes nothing besides average, I think it's great to see a guy come up from the minors and succeed, kind of like in the same way Aaron Small did when he was on the Yankees. In order for the Jays to be successful this year, they are going to need some of their young guys to step up. They have been dealt with such a handful of injuries to their pitching staff that this is going to be a necessity until they can come back healthy.

A closer look on Richmond. He is a 28 year old guy from North Vancouver, BC. He is the first Canadian pitcher to appear for Toronto since Paul Quantrill made his debut in 2001.

His repertoire of pitches consists of a fastball, two-seam fastball, slider, change-up and curve. I have seen some clips of his curveball and it is as sick as a 12-6 curve can get. What I have read online is that it is his strongest pitch that he uses to get out lefties.

This is what they had to say in 2008 when he was called up:

"TOR: RHP Scott Richmond (0-0, -.-- ERA)
Richmond was summoned from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, when the Jays placed Tallet on the DL. The 28-year-old Richmond will be making his Major League debut on Wednesday. The Jays have indicated that the right-hander will be a part of the rotation for at least the time being. Richmond replaces Parrish, who was moved to the bullpen. In Double-A New Hampshire, Richmond was 5-8 with a 4.95 ERA. After being promoted to Syracuse, he went 0-2 with a 2.53 ERA, holding opponents to a .210 (25-for-119) average. He walked six and struck out 31 across 35 innings."

He was called up last year and I think I can recall him pitching a game against the Yankees. Of his 5 appearances in 2008, he had a record of 1-3 with an ERA of 4.00. This is a small sample size and would be hard to make any positive or negative assumptions about the type of pitcher he truly is. It is also noted that he pitched a CG shutout in '08, but when I looked further into that it was against the Orioles and was a game that was shortened in the 6th inning due to rain.

He made the team in 2009 out of spring training. He is 4-0 with an era of 2.70. His wins have come against Texas, Minnesota, Baltimore, and Kansas City- so you can take what you want from those stats. I have read from sites such as THIS in which they state Richmond is somewhat overrated and is tired easily.

While he obviously isn't an ace and isn't going to be at the top of the rotation, I say give the guy a chance.

Where'd the weekend go

The rain washed away my Sunday of Yankees baseball, so i basically went to the library sale and bought 500 books which led to me coming home and falling asleep for countless hours. This isn't a good thing being that I am up to my head in homework for Grad school.

I wish that ESPN or TBS or the MLB Network would cover a Jays game. I have really been wanting to see the stuff that Scott Richmond has on the mound. From the clips I have seen and the things I have heard, he has a dominating curve ball that looks pretty sick. The Jays swept the Orioles today and Richmond is now 4-0 on the season. Also, Aaron Hill is still on a tear and is hitting .361 for the season.

So big news. Christina actually wore a dress last night. I am quite proud of this accomplishment so I will share a picture to the all of 2 people that probably read my blog!

That will be the last time I wear a dress for a while. Unless someone else decides to get married soon. It was fun while it lasted!

Quick post

Great win last night by the Yanks. I being the loser I am, fell asleep in like the 7th inning and missed the whole she-bang. Oh well, I guess thats why they have a Yankees encore. Ramiero Pena looked great and so did the Melk Man.

My man, Roy Halladay is 5-1 already. He's such a great pitcher.

Wedding today, so will be missing most of the game, and will be wearing a dress in the process. This should be quite an interesting sight....

Anyhow, hopefully we'll see a big game from Sabathia. They have won four straight, and a win today to make it five must be a record of some sort.

You can't always get what you want...

Is this debate about Joba Chamberlain ever going to end? I have a feeling that for the entire season we are going to be hearing fans and the media going back and forth about whether or not Joba should be a starter or if he should be in the bullpen.

I will admit, I was one of those fans who thought Joba should be in the pen. I have to also admit though that I listen to Mike Francesa quite often, and was suckered into the mindset that he had about how Joba is better as the guy who will eventually take over as the closer of the team once Mariano retires.

I have since then developed my own opinion and contemplated the pros and cons that erupt from both sides of the spectrum. On one hand, Joba had great success as the 8th inning man and it proved to be a great combination of having Joba being the bridge to Mo.

But you have to look beyond that. Joba was brought up as a starter through college and in the minor leagues. The reason the Yankees placed him in the pen was due to the fact they needed a boost to their bullpen and knew they needed to restrict the number of innings that he could pitch. It was designed as a temporary solution, not one that was going to continue long-term.

It's as easy as this: The man has 4 developed pitches. It would be hard to, if not impossible, to find a guy in the Major Leagues that has so many strong pitches and is being designated as a 8th inning man. Rivera, like Joba, was brought up in the minor leagues as a starter. But unlike Joba, Rivera has only 2 successful pitches that are part of his repertoire. Plus, with Rivera still the closer, you are wasting the talent that Joba has so that can he pitch the 8th inning of a game that could be a meaningless blowout.

Simple stated, you get more out of Joba as a starter. Perhaps a situation will arise where the Yankees are desperate for a closer and the switch to a starting role in the Major Leagues hasn't worked out well for him down the road. You never really know what can happen, but for now, you need to keep him where he is at. Where he has been at since a player in college. I am sure the is just the beginning of the debate of where Joba should be pitching, especially once Wang comes back and if Hughes is showing success in the major leagues. I guess time will tell, but regardless there will always be a group of people on either side of the argument that will be complaining.

Random Baseball Stuff

Since I had night class, I wasn't able to catch the whole game, so all I can really gather is that the Yankees had a very exciting inning during the 7th and that the rest of the game appeared to be very quiet on both sides.

Some other things to add:

• Posada has a pulled hamstring. While I hope it is nothing serious, I am glad to see that was the reason for running ridiculously slow to first Monday night. I was not thrilled to see Posada's lackadaisical playing, especially when the Yankees had already been looking like they were asleep for the entire game.
  
• Looks like Phil had a great game. I am looking forward to watching the encore to see how him and Melancon pitched. From the score, I take it I will be pleased with the results.
  
• The Joba in the bullpen debate has erupted again. Ay yi yi....
  
• Gary Sheffield had a triple. What?? I can't wait to see that replay. Mets still lost. They look terrible and their starting rotation is brutal (with the exception of Santana).
  
• King Felix pitched another stellar game, improving his record to 4-0.
  
• Blue Jays win again! Yay! Richmond looked good yet again and is now 3-0 on the season. Its insane how well some of their offensive players are doing. Hill is hitting .371 (5HR and 20 RBI) and Lind is at .314. I hope Alex Rios starts to heat up soon. He is hitting a mere .237 but will heat up soon as the weather starts to improve.
  
• Tomorrow should be a good game as Greinke goes for his 5th win of the season.
  
• Boston lost in the 9th inning against Cleveland. It is about time they lose.
  
• The Nationals are terrible. No need to really say much more. They need to start putting money towards that team before they hit the garbage.
  
• The Phillies are hot and have won 5 straight. I really like the crafty lefty Jamie Moyer, who is like 50 years old and still pitching strong, despite the fact his fastball is probably like 85mph. However, while his record is 3-1, his ERA is at a hefty 5.09. Ouch. It looks like hes been blessed by a strong Phillies offense for the games he has started.
  

Sunday Baseball.

Roy Halladay is 4-1! The man is on fire!!!

Hopefully a win for the Yanks tonight. Will be interesting to see if Melancon is put into the game tonight. I would think so since the pen is drained. But perhaps Pettitte will give us 9 innings. Okay small chance of that happening which means we will probably see Mark in the game..

I wish I could watch the game but instead I'll be at work. Gotta love having 12 jobs!

Thursday Night Baseball

• BJ Ryan is back on the DL again, along with JC Romero. I am shocked that Toronto is 12-5. Their starting pitching is so injured along with their bullpen now. Even though the season is young, it really does amaze me how well they are doing.
• Scott Richmond, the starter for Toronto today, had a freaking sick curveball. I love watching a guy when his stuff is really working and he gets people swinging at balls in the dirt.
  
• Wang did decent today but it appears as if he is going to try to figure his stuff out in AAA. Hopefully he can work on whatever he needs to work on
• The Mets are terrible and have lost 4 straight. I was watching the game today and they look horrendous. It's like Johan Santana is the only guy awake on the team. The Cards made some great defensive plays today too which were pretty sweet.
  
• It's interesting to also note that on a Thursday day game, the Cards were able to sell out a majority of their luxury box seats behind home plate. Hmmm Yankees?
• Pujols is on fire. He has 6 hrs and 21 rbis so far in this young season.

The ties that Albany has within Major League Baseball

After hearing Al Leiter briefly discussing his time with the Albany- Colonie Yankees, I thought it would be interesting to see what other notable alumni have developed out of the once popular Double-A Yankees that called Albany their home from from the years 1985-1994. The names I was able to find were alarming and it is pretty awesome to see the amount of talent that came up right in front of my eyes when I was a child.

Managers of the A/C Yankees:

• 1988: Stump Merrill- Yankees Manager from 1990-1991
  
• 1989: Buck Showalter- Manager of the Yankees, Diamondbacks, and Rangers
  
• 1990 Rick Down, who later spent time as the hitting coach for both the Yankees and Mets

Alumni (Currently on the Yankees):

• Derek Jeter (1994)
  
• Mariano Rivera (1994)
  
• Andy Pettitte (1993-1994)
  
• Jorge Posada (1993)

Additional Alumni

• Bernie Williams (1989-1990)
  
• Al Leiter (1987)
• Bob Geren (1987)- Current manager of the Oakland A's
• Fredi Gonzalez (1987)- Current manger of the Florida Marlins
• Casey Close (1987) Derek Jeter's agent
  

Other former greats: Gerald Williams, J.T. Snow, Roberto Kelly, Hal Morris, Doug Drabek, Pat Kelly, Randy Velarde, Andy Stankiewicz, Russ Davis, Sterling Hitchcock, Deion Sanders, Brad Ausmus, Russ Springer, and Mike DeJean.

Interesting baseball notes....

• We see everyone complaining about the lack of attendance at Yankee Stadium, but can you imagine the sight of under 7,000 at the Marlins/Pirates game on Monday night. The game was delayed due to rain and by the time play resumed, only a few thousand people were left in the stadium. During the final few innings, only a couple dozen fans could be seen in the stands... I cant even imagine that.
• My boy Roy Halladay finally received his first loss of the season. It had to happen one of these days
  
• Cliff Lee is off to a terrible start. Was last year a fluke?
  
• I think Matt Holliday would look amazing in pinstripes.
  
• Leiter mentioned his brief stint at Double-A Albany during the telecast on YES. I know myself and my friend were glowing when hearing this. Him and Bob Geren were on the team in 1987.
  
• Nice walk-off by the Melkman tonight. While I say that, and congratulate him I am by no means hopping on the Melky bandwagon. I still think hes terrible and I don't want him our starting CF. I'd rather stick with Brett Gardner.
  
• Toronto is off to a hot start. While I am shocked by this, I do not think they will be able to keep it up. Their starting pitching is too young and the back of their pen scares me. Hopefully BJ Ryan can figure his stuff out.
  

I love Vernon, but this was an odd interview.

That girl sure asks some retarded questions.

Looking foward to tomorrow

The A's come into town tomorrow and will be invading the Bronx. Not only am I excited to see the return of the Giambino, but my main man Matt Holliday is finally in the American League and I will finally be able to see him in action. Hopefully he can prove me right and continue to put up the same numbers he was able to put up while in the higher altitude of Colorado at Coors Field.


In addition, the Loquacious Lefty himself will be making his debut on the YES Network tomorrow which is very exciting. A lot of people seemed to think Leiter left YES, but it appears they have just lessened the number of games he will be calling this year. I know that leaves many Yankee fans and members of the media very upset.

Lets hope for a good game tomorrow. I guess the weather doesn't look so promising but lets cross our fingers they can get a game in as it is the only night I have this week that isn't being occupied by teaching the darling children and going to grad school.

What a great game

Well, this sure has been a great game, currently it is 22-4 Cleveland, but at this rate with the bases loaded and the way the ball has been flying out of the park, it could easily be 26-4. It is insane how balls that appear to be easy outs are flying out of the park. The person who built this park turned out to be a real genius.... (as we speak, the ball just fell short of being a grand slam, they were lucky someone hadn't let one loose to assist the ball in departing).

Anyhow, I'm not quite sure why i am still watching this sad of a game. At least I can say I am not one of those poor fools that spent 2,625 dollars to sit in the prime real estate. However, the 4 hours of game time would have at least made me feel like I got a little bit of time to make up for all the money I spent... 4 hours of food could go far.

In sum, I feel for the Wanger. He looks so lost out there. Swisher has so much energy out there and I am loving it. Lastly, the seats in the lower levels were dreadfully empty. Its quite sad. I know my booty would love to be in those seats. And I would have stayed for this entire dreadful game too.

I think i have some issues...

So to honor the first place Blue Jays (for the short time being anyway), and because I am a loser and for some reason love this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjdqEo2NiWM

Swisher is great

I am starting to really like Nick Swisher. Not only was he a cool guy when I saw him down in Tampa, but he has been off to a great start and he is quite a character. Heres a link of him pitching last night. Sadly he pitches a lot better than Phil Coke does. Plus hes a lefty so he could make a career out of this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq1cvShfOok

Want to see a game with a group of friends, there are still tickets available!

Given it is the opening year of the new Yankee Stadium, I figured tickets were going to be pretty hard to come by. I was going to try to get together a group of 10 or so friends to go down to the stadium, but I know how tough it can be to get so many seats together, especially given the fact the Yankees are so popular. I found a game during the week in June that I thought would be easier for us to all attend, and I was quite amazed by the results of the search.

Its hard to see, but for 2,625 a ticket, I can get all of my friends together for a game. Now, those tickets don't include the 59.70 convenience charge for EACH ticket along with the 2.50 to print each at home or the up to 22.50 to have it shipped to you. So in adding all that up, it would cost a total of 27,072 for the 10 of us to see the game. Of course, this wouldn't include the tolls, gas and parking that we would also be paying.

I was surprised that they had so many seats together and that those tickets were for sale to the general public. I thought the legends suits were sold to full season ticket holders. It looks like there are going to be a lot of empty seats this year in the lower level.

The New Yankee Stadium- Protest is Still Intact

To make a long story short, I did end up going to the exhibition game at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. The assignment I had to do was postponed to the following day due to a death to a family friend. I figured this was a once in a lifetime thing (I am never going to be able to afford 2,600 so sit in these seats again) so I made the decision to just go for it instead of sitting at home wishing I had went.

The drive was uneventful. I made it to the stadium in a little under 2.5 hours, which is pretty good considering I wasn't going 90 the entire way. Parking at the stadium is always eventful but getting there early is always the way to go. The have this new system to paying for parking which is pretty stupid if you ask me. Just so you all know, the machine doesn't take Discover, which left me pretty annoyed. If you pay with cash, you have to pay at this pay station which can get quite crowded, depending on when you are paying for the ticket.

As for my seats, they were beyond amazing. Here's a little background about the 2,600 seats. For one, they are padded and there is a tremendous amount of leg space. There are only about 7 or so rows in each of the sections, which are secluded from the rest of the stadium by means of a concrete wall. The is a separate entrance next to gate 4 that is specifically for those that have tickets in this section. Upon entering the gate, there are about 10 security guards, 3 of which are there to check your ticket. After making it through all those people, you make your way towards restaurant, to which you are greeted by more people that want to see your ticket. Words cant even describe how fancy this restaurant is, you would never know you were at a baseball game.

The food is all included (as it should for the money you pay for these seats) and you have the choice of eating in your seats or at the restaurant. I cant understand why someone would pay 2,600 dollars for a regular season game, have amazing seats, and end up sitting inside a restaurant, watching the game on a TV screen. I am pretty sure you can do the same thing at a bar or a different restaurant for a hell of a lot cheaper.

The last thing I have to mention is how amazing the bathrooms are. People seats in this suite are provided with their own bathrooms which make all others look like crap. There were 3 flat screen tv almost like embedded in their mirrors that were behind the sinks.The are these lights that are part of the floor, which really put my ADD into action. Its hard to really explain how gorgeous it was, I was amazed. The one thing I will add though is that a man clearly must have designed the layout of this because no one in their right mind would only put 4 stalls in one bathroom, especially for a women's bathroom.

I am glad I ended up going, since I know I will never be able to sit this close to a game at Yankee Stadium ever again. I will say this though; from what I experienced, it is hard to believe that any real fan will be sitting in these seats. People who can afford to fork out 2,600 dollars for one game and need a restaurant downstairs clearly aren't attending the game to watch baseball. The section was empty for this game, and I am going to assume it is going to be quite empty for the regular season, whether it be from people not showing up or simply that they are sitting downstairs eating their fillet mignon in their 5 star restaurant. While I enjoyed the treatment of sitting down there, it left a sick taste in my mouth realizing how much this stadium has taken away from the average fan and has catered to the wealthy. And you cant say it hasnt, just look around and see how many seats are in the lower deck compared to those in the upper and more affordable seats (which are farther away from the field).

Complaining- Because that is what girls do best.

I think there is something wrong with me, something seriously wrong with me.

I just turned down a FREE ticket for the April 4th game against the Cubs. Not only was this ticket free, but it is 5 rows from the field, behind home plate. You know, the same seats that cost 2,625 for regular season. The same seats that give you all you can eat food.

And why did i turn these seats down? Because I am a freaking loser who has to teach a lesson for my Master's program. My professor has screwed us all over and we are way behind schedule so everything has to be pushed to the end, to which we are working nonstop.

I will never have the opportunity to afford these types of seats again. I know it is only a exhibition game, but just being able to sit that close for a game is great. I go to games by myself all the time, but the only thing I try to do is get decent seats so that I can actually see the game. I don't need people to talk to, fancy food, I just need a decent seat and a book to keep score.

That concludes my complaining. I guess my silent protest is still intact.

Is this Really a Baseball STADIUM???

The more I hear about the new Yankee Stadium, the more it makes me not want to see a baseball game in the Bronx. After reading several articles about the new stadium, including this specific article from the New York Times, I just can't figure out whether this place was built to watch a baseball game or to attend a business meeting at a 4 star restaurant.

First of all, I don't really see the full purpose of having a restaurant in a stadium in the first place. The Yankees always have to outdo everyone though. Toronto has a restaurant, so what do the Yankees do, well they add a Martini bar, and about 4 other restaurants.

Florance Fabricant of the New York Times states that there are a number of perks that are available to those who have seat located in the various club and suite areas. Which of course, I guess, if you are one of those individuals that are paying 2,500 to see a baseball game, you probably aren't there to see the game in the first place. So I guess to accommodate a person of that class, the Yankees needed to add in a few high class restaurants.

Fabricant states:

"A number of restaurants and dining areas will be for their exclusive enjoyment. And the food will be prepared at open cooking stations run, from time to time, by Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame, April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig, chefs from Le Cirque, and cooks from Elaine's.

Some chefs will be at the stadium for one evening and others may make multiple appearances. "I'm tickled about it," Ms. Bloomfield said. "I love baseball and it sounds like fun."

Yeah lady, I am really tickled about it myself. If anything, "tickled" would be the last word I would use to describe this nonsense. I just don't understand why they added all of this unnecessary crap to a baseball stadium. Real fans do not go to a baseball game for all this stuff. The mastermind behind this project (we all know whom that is) is a real joke. I hope there is a big pole sitting in front of his seat at the new stadium.

Community Work

It's always good to see current and former baseball players taking the initiative to give back to the community around them. Recently, I was reading an article in the local paper about Billy Connors, a former player of the who briefly pitched for the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. While he is currently known for his work as a Vice President and player personnel of the New York Yankees, Connors also holds ties to the community in which I have grown up in for my entire life.

A Schenectady native, Connors is notably remembered in this area for his contribution as a player in the 1954 Little League World Series in which he defeated the Colton Lions of Colton, California and led Schenectady to the World Series title.

In 2004, Connors and his fellow teammates were honored for their work on the field, an accomplishment that seems hard for some to believe happened 50 years ago. He had stated that, "It’s a wonderful thing being honored by Little League. Little League has been a big part of my life and it’s a great thrill receiving an award that honors Bill Shea because I played for New York Mets and I know how important Mr. Shea was to Little League Baseball and Major League Baseball.”

While Connors currently resides in Tampa, Florida, he still finds time to give back to the community that served him when he was a child growing up. He has recently announced the formation of the Billy Connors Scholar-Athlete Award Fund which was created to benefit students within the Schenectady city schools. A baseball coach in the Schenectady area stated that, “The scholarship is aimed at acad­emics first, then leadership qualities and athletic skills. That’s the way Billy wanted it.”

As an individual working in the teaching field in this area, it is great to see individual step up and donate money that will directly help students financially be able to attend college so that their can fulfill their dreams. I hope that more athletes will follow the example that Connors and so many others have so graciously taken the time to do. In the end, it is the children that are the future and we are in a time right now where schools are unfortunately getting hit hard with the economic times and it is the children that are paying the price.

To raise money and honor Connors, a dinner has been planned for Friday, April 3rd, at the River Stone Manor in Glenville, New York. The proceeds from this event to go toward the scholarship that has been setup by Connors. Hopefully he will be able to see the impact that he will have on the lives of individuals within the community of Schenectady. We are all proud of his continuous accomplishments both within the field of baseball and also off the field as an individual.

Bummed to be home

I wish I was still in Tampa. I already miss being at the ballpark everyday, being out in the sun and watching batting practice. In looking back at the trip, I have to say this was the best spring training I have been to by far. A few notes about the trip:

** Swisher seems like a cool kid. Hes got some sweet blue kicks that he proudly showed us during batting practice. I think hes probably one of the happiest guys out there to be playing baseball. The man always has a smile on his face; its great to see.

** Tino Martinez is now on the "list". This is not a good list to be on either.

** Shelley Duncan seems like a nice kid. He really has the passion for the game and always hustles and puts in his all. I hope the best for him; you never know what can happen down the line.

**Some guy at Lakeland tried to tell me that CC is a terrible pitcher and only had 1 good year. I guess its important to mention he was a redsox fan who didn't even have a clue about his own team.

** I sat next to an interesting character who was wearing a real peanut shell as an earring. It was quite the sight and he was quite the drunk. Reggie Jackson had to hear an earful of this guy.

**Lastly, I have become fixated on the fact that Al Leiter thinks i am insane. It may be true but I wish that notion wasn't based the title of my blog

Last day in Tampa: :(

Well I guess the end of this trip had to eventually come. I am off to Lakeland in a few minutes for my last spring training game. I have had such an amazing time this year and have been fortunte to meet so many amazing people. If I had more money I would to have stayed much longer but coming down here is pretty expensive.

It stinks the Yankees only played 2 road trips since i've been here- both being in Lakeland. Joker Marchant Stadium is beautiful but I would have loved to visit Clearwater again (their ballpark is amazing) and also check out Dunedin where the Blue Jays play. I guess there is always next year right?

Its always cool when you run into people that are from your area. I ran into 2 really sweet people that were ushers that happened to live about 2 minutes from my house and also ran into a couple at the game who have a son that went to school with my brother. Not only did I run into people I knew but I met some nice fans from all over the US and was talking baseball nonstop for basically the whole trip, something I unfortunately am not able to really do at home. I ran into the same people just about everyday and it was cool to see some familiar faces. One lady was a teacher from CT and was jut as big of a baseball fan as I am. I also ran into a bunch of guys that were great and kind of enough to introduce me to this really sweet guy who sold me some tickets and had so many cool stories to tell. Hopefully I will be able to meet these guys again next year during spring training.

Autograph wise- i made out really well. I got Sabathia, Matsui, Teixiera, Swisher, Coney, and Singleton. Swisher was great with the fans and signed for just about everyone on any given day. Him and Damon are awesome with the fans which is something I love to see. David Cone signed two of my balls which was great, he was a really nice guy also (despite what he says) and took a lot of time to sign for the fans. Kim Jones also seems like a really nice lady and she also stopped to sign autographs for people which was nice.

All in all, this was a great trip, probably the best spring training by far. I was given a great opportunity to see parts of Legends Field which was really amazing and is something I owe to one really nice guy. It is great that people finally can take me serious and given me a chance even though I am a girl. It is possible for females to love the game of baseball and not be into it just because Derek Jeter is "hot".

Time to head to Lakeland, the end of a vacation always sucks.

Pictures from Friday's game

Before the game started

Exchanging of the lineup card

C.C warming up

Tino :)

(I know the pictures are kinda small on here, but if you click on them, they appear much larger)

First day in Tampa!

After a long day of getting lost (sadly I have a GPS and still managed to get lost), I ended up getting to the stadium around 3:30. When i arrived, I approached the ticket office to find some seats for the game. Now understand, I have been going to games for at least 6 years and I have never had a problem buying tickets. When i got there, the lady told me that all of the tickets were sold out and that they had only the standing room tickets that are in the outfield. I decided to pass on that and hope that more tickets were released.

Well anyhow, I lucked out and ran into a nice man that sold me his tickets for a little bit under face value. He was just looking to get rid of them since he already had tickets. These seats ended up being right behind home plate, i guess in the players family section.

Some interesting notes:

1. I ended up sitting behind John Sterling. He was busy reading printouts of the NY Post and Daily News that were about A-Rod. The best part is that he was apparently sitting in someone elses seat and was asked to move, or in this case leave I suppose as I did not see him sitting in the other rows in the area that were open.

2. I am really starting to get annoyed with the Yankees. Every single year they end up adding another element to the stadium that makes it more unfriendly to the fan. First it was raising the fence around the side field. Then it was not allowing the fans to stand near the railing to take pictures. Then the following year they told the fans they couldn't stand to take pictures around where the pitchers warm up. Now get this. You are NOT allowed to take pictures unless you are in your seat or are outside the stadium. A guy was threatened right in front of me by the cop to obey him or he would be kicked out. This place is a real joke.

3. Reggie Jackson is a real piece of work, aka a real jerk. He actually started yelling at the fans today because they were interrupting his conversation with another person by yelling his name. Apparently when Reggie is on the field, none of the fans are supposed to call out his name. he then proceeded to tell us all that hes great with us and always signs and that we shouldn't be bothering him. Its funny because in the 5 or 6 years I have been going to Spring Training, I have never seen him sign for anyone, instead he mocks people pretending he is going to sign and then spits in their face and walks away.

4. I met some of the nicest people today. Yankees fans in Tampa are great and are one of the main reasons I love coming down here so much. They know so much about baseball and there are so many people with such great stories to tell

5. Damon is great with the fans, as is Swisher. he was hilarious today. Damon was signing and in the background we hear Swisher yelling "Johnny Johnny, can I have your autograph." Sure he was mocking us but it was still funny.

6. I was sitting next to the scouts, and saw Gene Michael and a bunch of the medical people for the Yankees. Was quite fun.

Ill try to post pics later

It Never Ends

Reports are indicating that Alex Rodriguez with need surgery to remove a cyst from his right hip and will be out for a good 10 weeks. If true, this will be a huge blow for the Yankees, and also for Alex. Who do the Yankees use to replace him? Would you stay within the system and go with a guy like Cody Ransom or do you look elsewhere?

I leave for Tampa tomorrow; this should be interesting. I plan on updating with pics and news when I am at a computer. It should be plenty busy down there i bet.

Countdown to Tampa

Quick Post- Procrasting a paper of course

This will probably be one of my shortest posts, which is good cause I tend to ramble. Anyhow, regarding this A-Rod nonsense, I don't know about you all but I am sick of it. I am just sick of the lies. Tell us the truth if you must speak, and be done with it. This is my last post about him but these are the few points I came up with as I was contemplating this on my way to my night class.

1.) I hear everyone (mostly A-Rod himself) mentioning how he was naive and young. Really though, he wasn't that young. This is not an 18 year old- the guy was 25. Regardless, he made a mistake. People around you were using it. You wanted the edge. You did something stupid. The end. But no. It never ends, now we have my cousin Vinny thrown into the mix and the importing of the steroids from the DR. Not surprised by that really.

2.) This is my favorite excuse. Well 103 other guys name are on the list, he wasn't the only one. Very true. I actually was listening to ESPN radio on my way to class and I heard all these callers making excuses for A-Rod based on that notion. Everyone else was doing it, blah blah blah de dah. Guess what people. Yes, everyone else was doing it. Yes, a lot of people using probably haven't bee caught. But guess what??? HE DID GET CAUGHT. Now this is really no comparison to steroids, but I'm sure a lot of you out there have been caught for speeding, not stopping at a stop sign, or talking on the cell phone, or all of the above (ahem...) Anyhow, the excuse of, well officer, everyone else speeds, it wasn't just me, doesn't cut it. It doesn't matter that 10 guys in front of you were doing the same thing. That stinking officer pulled YOU over and now you have to face the consequences. That's life. (This whole spiel is starting to make me feel guilty now hmm..) I will just use the notion that speeding is nothing compared to steroids.

All in all, when we look at the larger story, this is what it is. A guy that we had all hoped was clean, wasn't clean. He cheated just like everyone else (let me clarify, just like many of the players. Not fair to label everyone as cheaters). Its extremely disappointing, especially for the fans who had hoped to see a light at the end of the steroid nonsense. I don't care how many or who else did it. He cheated, and in the end he will have to live with that decision. But for now, I think we all have to move on, myself included. It is the beginning of a wonderful season and I just cant wait to see the new guys we have acquired and the team in action.

Pictures that I have taken from past years in spring training

Al Leiter, one of my favorite players in baseball!!

March 2007- Mariano, Veras, and.....

George Steinbrenner. This was taken in 2006 I think. He signed one of my spring training programs.

El Capitan

2007- A-Rod and all the guys before the game started

A-Rod and Melky.

Tampa- The Place to Be in Februrary and March

Here are some of the pitchers in Tampa. I think it is from my trip in 2006.

It's that time of the year again. Today is the official start of spring training in which the pitchers and catchers are required to show up at the beautiful complex in Tampa, Florida. It has been a long off season and it is at this point that I begin thinking of reasons why I must get to Florida. This will be my 6th year coming down to Tampa for spring training and I am more excited then ever.
There is a trick to that trade that you need to know when heading down to Tampa. I have visited Tampa in February and March and the atmosphere is completely different, depending on when you for. First and foremost, there aren't generally games the team plays in Feb. This may be different this year because of the World Baseball Classic. The practices are free to the public. That is the positive aspect in going to training in the month of February. You can enter the field free of charge and watch the players in any seat that you would like. The downfall is that the practices are short and the players are just working on certain drills

When you go to Tampa in March, you are able to watch a lot more baseball. The players generally come out to the fields around 10ish for a game that starts at 1pm. I generally get to the field about 5 hours before game time. I enjoy meeting other Yankee fans and there is generally a lot of fans waiting at the complex, so it can be hard to find a spot around the fences. The only thing that I cant stand is that there is a security guard at every level of the field. If you do not have tickets for that seat, then you can not go down and watch the players and get autographs. There is also a few security guards that take their job entirely too seriously and they tend to walk around yelling at children while riding on that big scooter thing that has one large wheel (not sure what its called)


Legends Field (or GS Field) consists of three field. You cant entire the main field until 1.5 or 2 hours before game time. Generally, most of the players practice on the two fields that surround the main field. If your going, and you want autographs, try your best to place yourself behind the fence where there are little openings. This is where you can hand the players the things that you want them to sign. If you aren't around there, you will have to throw them the objects. There are a lot of big guys around, and they will push and shove you until they can get their own autograph. I have been pushed and shoved more times then I can count.

The Yankees have a beautiful field and it is great to scout the talent of the young guys that they have around. This year will be different without the big stars. No A-Rod or Jeter, and also when you look at the other teams, many of their big stars will be going too. I am disappointed I wont be seeing Vernon Wells and Alex Rios from Toronto, but I guess it will give me the opportunity to check out the young and upcoming talent.

BTW- Does anyone know how I can get the pics to go at the end of my post? I have been trying everything, and I cant figure it out :(

A-Rod: A Man of Many Names

The news that A-Rod tested positive for steroids was an announcement that caught me off guard. While we have reached a point where its hard to be surprised by baseball players testing positive for steroids, I for some reason had developed this belief that A-Rod was one of the "clean" guys, to the same manner that many of us believe, and hope, that Derek Jeter himself is also clean.

At first I was surprised. Then as I thought more about it, I wasn't as surprised. I was, if anything, more disappointed with this news. I am someone that has a very strong opinion about the use of steroids and I have researched the topic as a thesis for one of my college courses. The thing that kills me about this also is when people say that steroids do not have effect on a players ability to play the game. Lets get the straight once and for all people. THESE GUYS ARE NOT RISKING THEIR HEALTH AND TAKING STEROIDS IF IT HAS NO BENEFIT TO THEM. Why would you take something that doesn't give you an edge. Hey lets just take steroids for the hell of it everyone, cause its the cool thing to do. Yea right.

This whole debate or discussion or whatever you call it has left me angry. It befuddles me how I hear people making excuses and justifications for the use of steroids. The biggest factor, one that I often hear people making, is that steroids weren't illegal to use in baseball until 2004 (or whatever year it as). This answer kills me because steroids have been ILLEGAL to possess in the United States since 1991. Hello people, it shouldn't matter if it was illegal in baseball or not; its against the law!

Regardless of it being the law or not, I am just sick of this A-Rod nonsense. I am sick of people making excuses for this guy, and all of these other players that have been caught using steroids. While I am glad A-Rod admitted using, well wait, he really never technically admitted to using steroids per se did he? He pulled another Giambi I suppose, in a more detailed manner than the ever vague Giambi was.

Lets just look at A-Rods so called "confession." This is based purely on my memory, so hopefully its as accurate as what I can recall.

1. The first minute or so he tells us that he is guilty of something. I don't recall him using the word steroid. But it appeared to be a big step. It was strange actually hearing this come from him though. It seems more real than reading it in a newspaper article.

2. As the interview progresses, it starts getting more interesting, and less believable. He starts mentioning the word "culture" about 12 times. He has also managed to call himself an idiot, stupid, and something else I cant recall. Ok, I agree, was stupid. We all make mistakes.

3. Now is where he starts to lose me. I really think Alex doubts our intelligence at times. Now hes claiming that the drugs he got were basically at a GNC. He is making insinuations that he had no clue what he was taking. That it was a variety of things and he was just giving what people were handing him. That statement to me is unbelievable. I can remember reading articles about how meticulous A-Rod is about what he eats and what goes into that body of his. That's strike one.

4. Strike two comes as he tries to tell us all that he was so "young and naive" and how he did it because he wanted to live up to his contract. First of all, Alex is no dummy, and he certainly wasn't young. The years he is claiming that he first began using steroids would place him around the age of 25 or so. Not nearly at a tender age of 18 or 19 when I would perhaps believe a young and impressionable player might succumb to the temptations of steroids without really knowing the consequence.

5. Do we all really buy that he started in 2001 and just suddenly stopped in 2003 when his neck began to hurt?

6. He goes on and on about how great it feels to finally be honest. Yet, to me it seems like a majority of this interview was lies. So much for honesty. Maybe he really tries to convince himself that he is being truthful, just like the interview he had with Katie Curic. I mean, just look at his comments about the Selena Roberts. He makes silly claims that he should know would be documented, and sets himself up again with more lies.

Are we all really this stupid? Or does he just hope we will be? I guess some people did fall for him. There is a point where we all do need to get over all this and move on. Its hard though as fans, especially if these players are guys that kids unfortunately look up to. In the end I blame Bud Selig and the players union who turned a blind eye. This was obviously prevalent for many years and all these people cared about was making money. Well, they got their money all right and I hope they are satisfied.