Pinch hitting: This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jan 03, 2009 
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January is traditionally a slow month for baseball news. So for the second year in a row, we will showcase other blogs with a series of pinch hitters.
Next up is Rebecca from This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes. Rebecca is a medieval history Master’s student at Fordham University and a recent graduate of Syracuse University. She collects swords and shot glasses, and she promises that she’ll update her blog, on a more regular basis once Spring Training starts. She loves Mo, Joba and Jose Molina, and can’t wait till her Matt LaPorta-signed bat is worth enough to pay her tuition.
Her post is about living in the Bronx:
————
How do I write about this place??
I’ve been here for five months, and still I haven’t tried it — it seems a task too daunting for a graduate student, much less a baseball blogger.
When I walk to the grocery store on Arthur Ave, and I pass the cathedral, bells ringing and all, I imagine I am somewhere in sixteenth century Spain or eighteenth century Mexico. When I can smell the freshly baked bread and I see the fresh seafood lying on display in front of the fish market, I may as well be in Florence.
The language of this place slowly filters in — a Puerto Rican/Dominican blend of Spanish spoken so fast that despite my years of study, I have to strain to understand it. I begin to spot the bodegas that are on every street corner, which sell the essentials: Agua, cerveza, galletas, dulces and the Daily News. More often than not, the News is flipped over so that the back page — the sports page — is what greets you. Every bodega I’ve been in sells the News; I’ve only found one that has the New York Times.
After all, things like the mortgage crisis and the credit default swap don’t mean much to a lot of the people here, not when they’re too busy making sure they have enough money to pay for a gallon of milk and a carton of eggs.
Most of the people I meet could never afford to go to a Yankee game even in the old Stadium. I almost have to wonder if the Yankees even belong here.
And then …
Then I remember that night in The Jolly Tinker, a dirty, dark, dank place that calls itself an Irish pub. I am sitting at a table with three classmates. There are two pitchers of beer, and J. is busy telling us his life story, something that involves parents in a rock band, Katrina, and living homeless in Manhattan for three months. One of the pub regulars walks over to our table and points out his hat, one commemorating the 2008 All Star Game at Yankee Stadium. The same one I am wearing.
“You go to the game?” he asks. His manner betrays a lifetime in this borough, hard work while the world passes him by. In his FDNY fleece with his slurred speech, he is every bit the stereotype. A baseball fan from a generation that no longer matters, his opportunity spent.
“Nah,” I say. “Couldn’t afford the tickets.”
J., sighing because I am again talking about baseball and not medieval England, slams his beer on the table, and then, in his thick southern drawl, says, “All right, that’s it, I have to say it. I hate the Yankees.”
“You’re from the South,” I say. “You don’t get it.”
The man in the hat looks at me and smiles.
————
Thanks to Rebecca for writing. She has been a loyal reader here for a long time and it’s much appreciated. Next up: Sam from the Sam I Am blog.
Great post Rebecca. One of the most amazing and great things about sports is how it can bring people together. People of different ethnicities, races, creeds and religions can bond over a sports team, and your post clearly demonstrates the power sports has to unite.
Thanks for this and describing such a vivid scene.
Bravo!
Where’s the picture from? Looks like a stage.
See, Yankee fans are very pretty.
Good job Rebecca. The theme makes me feel better about the fact that the Yankees, and the game of baseball help define my culture. Other places have their music, and their food, but in NY we have baseball. Like watching Larsen’s perfect game yesterday, history that defines who New Yorkers are as much as Tammeny Hall.
Phil: Thank you.
The picture is from the U.S.S. Intrepid. My boyfriend and I went a couple weeks ago–he’s the one taking the picture.
rebecca rocks!
There’s a lot said about how the Yankees treat the community horribly and in some respects that’s true, as there’s a definite distant relationship with the Bronx. It’s good to know, that however strained things get at times, the Yankees also are still an indelible part of the boro’s idenity for the better.
Perfect description of Tinkers, as a penniless college student at Fordham, I, like the rest of the Bronx live for the $5 Fugi film games every year. The bleachers are the real part of the stadium any way. Great Entry, hopefully I’ll see you around tinkers or the tri-bar area one day.
before the old ballyard started filling up every night and there was space to stretch out a bit, the bleachers used to be the place that had a little street feel. there would be latin music and sometimes even some drums. we used to sit there b/c in the back rows you could buy and smoke a joint and nobody would bother you.
then came the crowds and the roll-call and the street people went away.
Rebecca rocks the mic! Well done & very well written. Magnifique!
So I spent the last few days with my 2 year old Godson. He LOVES baseball. If there is a ball and anything resembling a stick, he wants to play. He plays wii baseball. He has A-Rod and Jorge Posada’s children’s books. I’m fairly certain he can read the word Baseball at this point.
I asked him today what he wanted to do when he comes to visit me this summer. He said he would like to go to a baseball game (obviously not that eloquently). He said mommy can come, so apparently it’ll be Shayne, Mommy and Fancy Andrea (that’s me). I asked who he wanted to see play, he squealed “Yankeeeeeees!”
We continued discussing. He’d like to be a baseball player when he grows up, but he only wants to play for the Yankees. After he gets drafted, he’s buying me a house. I’m treating that as a verbal contract.
Anyway–I’ve never been prouder.
And also–awesome job Rebecca. I’ve encountered some similar sentiments.
Great post. I’m a Fordham Alum (2004) and I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on both The Yankees and the neighborhood. You hit the nail on the head
Not to be overly harsh – but 4 million fans went to the stadium this past year, and the year before, and the year before.
Too expensive? Alas, there is actually an easy way to see whether or not that is true or not – at the gate.
Stereotypes? Credit default swaps? Melt-down? Just check at the gate and see where we are.
Markets actually work.
LMAO at the fact Tinker’s was in this post, very accurate description.
waitwhat
why did it end so abruptly
i was jus gettin in the story
Nice vignette Rebecca – you have an engaging style. I never lived in the Bronx, but my experience in upper (above 187th street) Manhattan many years ago was not too dissimilar, a cacophony of Dominican’s, German Orthodox Jews and Chinese Cubans…you could almost hit Yankee Stadium with a baseball from that neighborhood, that’s how close it was, but not too many folks from the neighborhood went to the games.
Hope your studies continue to go well- keep at it, you have talent!
English degree’d myself along with Milady whose doctorate is in Medieval Lit – nice job of writing!
Any other examples of your writing anywhere?
Thanks.
All right – d’freakin’uh – got the Purist Bleeds Pinstripes thing now.
I guess English majors should know how to read(!).
Nicely introspective.
A perfect vignette Rebecca. You write well, very well. Consider journalism or fiction or any writing at all.
The picture of you seems to be on the bridge of a small vessel,commercial fishing boat?
Anyway ,well done.
“Not to be overly harsh – but 4 million fans went to the stadium this past year, and the year before, and the year before.
Too expensive? Alas, there is actually an easy way to see whether or not that is true or not – at the gate.”
this is like saying because so many americans are obese, everybody must have plenty of food to eat.
Congrats, Rebecca. That was as well-written of a piece of writing as I’ve seen on any blog. Your imagery and descriptions of the sights, sounds, and people that you encountered on a walk through the neighborhood was great.
Even as a journalism major, I could only aspire to write something as well as that. Great job.
As a Fordham grad, I was sold as soon as Rebecca used the magic words “Arthur Avenue.”
Back in the day, the round trip subway cost was a $1.00 and the bleacher seat was $1.50. Beers were $0.25 a draft around the corner. Dinner was two slices at Pugsley’s Pizza.
Then we could razz Doyle Alexander when he was warming up..(save the hitter the effort, and just give us the ball now…) or Ken Griffey Senior…
Priceless memories.
Very good job Rebecca you really painted a picture. I felt like i was at that Pub with you. It is hard to get tickets but it really isn’t that expensive compared to the other sports. I have a season ticket package and i pay 25 dollars a game for 42 games. I am anxiously awaiting my new tix for this stadium but they are the same price.
Great description of the neighborhood Rebecca. I work at Roosevelt HS around the corner from Arthur Avenue on Fordham Road, and you captured the essence of the area. Almost every male student comes to school with a Yankee cap on. The students, during baseball season, will always come in and talk about the game from the night before. It is one common theme that brings all of them together. And while they may not do well in their studies, they can recite Yankee statistics without any hesitation.
Excellent read Rebecca….I felt as if I was walking and sharing a brew with you……
Nice job Rebecca, thanks for the “view.”
Rebecca,
Is Pugsley Pizza outside the gates at Fordham still going strong?
That place got me through many a drunk night.
Pretty interesting, Rebecca…thanks for the peek into your life. It sort of reminds me of The Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison) for some of the descriptors. I am here holding down the fort, cheering for the Orangemen in your absence. Keep in touch!
fordham 94 grad, the tinker with the back room, the bobby sands and jim morrison picture and the great juke box .. terrific post
Very nice entry Rebecca.
This summer, you are going to have to experience a true “Yankee Day”, as a Bronx resident.
Day game at the stadium, followed by an evening at Dominick’s on Arthur Ave.
You will learn more on that day about the world (from the various folks you will encounter) than anything you will learn in grad school.
The most fun I have in the summer is when I can do that “doubleheader”.
Nicely done Rebecca. It’s nice to have a young, bright thoughtful Yankee blogger posting here. Keep on being true to yourself and harness your passion and you will go far in the Bronx and beyond.
Great writing, Rebecca. It made me think of Todd Drew. I’m just hoping, because I’m from the South, that I still get it.
good job, Rebecca. It is nice to see a regular poster get a turn.
I presume that you are preparing to become a college teacher with a minor in sports writing.
Beautifully written piece,Rebecca. It left me wanting even more.
One question: According to Wikipedia “The medieval period in England can be dated from the arrival in Kent of Anglo-Saxon troops led by the legendary Hengest and Horsa.
Hengest is Germanic for “stallion”.
As for Horsa, “It is often said that his name is Anglo-Saxon for “stud”.”
My question is,with Hank’s horse background can he be Hengest while Hal’s better looks make him Horsa?
It’s part of the circle of life here in cyberspace that all things are centered around the Yankee universe
Ham fighters – your analogy of gate receipts proving yankee games are not too expensive to nationwide obesity, is completely absurd. There is absolutely no parallel. The original poster is completely accurate. When 2.5 mm fans come for a season, then and only then can the “too expensive” argument hold water.when nearly every game is a sellout and scalpers and stubhub are making fortunes, the actual argument is that the face value of tickets are actually not as pricey as they should be. Sorry, but that’s the reality of it.
Very nice read. Wish it were longer! Great job.
Thank you so much everyone, this has been amazing to wake up to!
To answer a few questions:
1) I don’t think pugsley pizza is still around-I haven’t seen it, but that might just be because I haven’t looked. However, there are a couple other decent pizza joints.
2) In the picture I am on the _USS Intrepid_, so it’s a little bigger than a fishing boat
3) waitwhat-PeteAbe only gave me 500 words to work with-that post is cut down from an original 1000!
Once again, thanks everyone! This has truly made my day!
Rebecca -
Good piece – can you put up the entire 1,000 words on your blog? It think it would be a great read, especially for those of us who were left “wanting more.”
Pugsleys is still around. My sister is a junior at fordham and i grabbed a slice with her and her roommates last time i visited.
Great job, Rebecca! You have a wonderful talent for writing, I hope that is in your future plans. What ever happened to the novel you were writing last offseason?
Congratulations on your graduation, good luck with your studies and hope to see you posting more during the season.
Doreen: I don’t have the original anymore, but I can certainly work on expanding what I have.
Over the holidays I spoke with 2 season ticket holders.
One has had full season plan for 16 years. Last season his tickets increased from $145 in ’07 to $250 in ’08. When he received his Relocation Plan for this year his ticket price increased to $325. He declined and won’t be coming back.
The other person I spoke to is a partial plan holder like myself. His seats last year were $50.Comparable seats this season are $100. He said he’s more than likely to decline unless he sells more than half of his games. I’m in the same boat as this person.
New ballpark or not, you will see empty seats this year in Yankee Stadium. With a little more than 90 days till Opening Day haven’t even sent Relocation Plans to the majority of season ticket holders. My guess is they are scrambling after receiving more declinations from full season ticket plan subscibers than expected.
Anthony: Thanks-where is it? I’ll have to grab a slice!
G.R.: I’m still working on it, albeit in a bit of a different format. It’s been a couple of months since I’ve had the time to get any serious writing done, but hopefully the spring will be a little easier.
Good to hear The Jolly Tinker is still alive and kicking.If only Fords was still around.Oh well.
I was a commuter when I went to Fordham, couldn’t afford the extra bucks to live in E house like my friends or get an off campus apartment somewhere. I had a friend who lived on Valentine, two on Perry Avenue and one on Hull. I remember The Web and the K & R, White Castle, McDonald’s and the Rock Brigade on Fordham Road, Sears and Alexander’s up the hill on the Concourse, and the blackout when Crazy Eddy’s was being looted until van loads of guys with baseball bats showed up to protect the store. I walked with my girlfriend in a downpour at the Botanical Gardens because she said it was romantic to walk in the rain and she was right.
There was Lamb’s, just north of Webster, full of the smell of old books, where you bought your required reading instead of being extorted at the campus bookstore. Acts like Steve Stills came to campus and played in the old gym – and yes, everybody was stoned.
I never saw the ghost of Duane Library, but I did cut class and play frisbee on Edward’s Parade in the first warm sunshine every spring, Keating Hall as a backdrop. I also did one early, early a.m. radio rock show on WFUV (I think it was called “Sunday Morning Coming Down”) and a couple of classical programs too before dropping the dream to get a “real” job.
The music of the day was Bruce, Southside, Jackson Brown and Van the Man Morrison.
Man… like it was yesterday.
What is the best way to get to Arthur Avenue after leaving Yankee Stadium?
We usually take the MetroNorth to the games,but there really not a subway within a reasonable walk to Arthur Ave is there?
If we drove, what would be the best route to drive to Arthur Ave? We drove up there last year and found it mostly by chance. Part of the “chance” were some sections we’d rather not drive through again lol.
Thanks!
Rebecca:
Thanks for the jolt back in time. And I forgot to say “Well done.”
I once “discovered” the secret underground tunnels beneath Fordham. Its like a labyrinth down there. They are supposed to be blocked off, but you can make your way down there from a few entry points in Keating Hall. Apparently they used to use the tunnels to transport cadavers back in the day when Fordham had a medical school.
drive- I’d like to know that myself. I have tom tom, but he can’t tell me which neighborhoods I want to make sure my doors are locked in.
Drive: Metronorth is the closest. It’s only a few blocks’ walk down Fordham Rd—and it’s perfectly safe if you use common sense, it’s like walking back the same distance from Walsh library, which I do all the time.
There are D and 4 train stops, but they’re further up.
Drive 4-5
Your complaints are as old as civilization. However it is a market driven business and if enough people can’t afford (or won’t) go because of the cost then the cost will drop, but not this year. in the meantime the whine will persist even if the Yankees sell 4 million seats agan, as they probably will.
Ham fighters – your analogy of gate receipts proving yankee games are not too expensive to nationwide obesity, is completely absurd. There is absolutely no parallel. The original poster is completely accurate. When 2.5 mm fans come for a season, then and only then can the “too expensive” argument hold water.when nearly every game is a sellout and scalpers and stubhub are making fortunes, the actual argument is that the face value of tickets are actually not as pricey as they should be. Sorry, but that’s the reality of it.
—
I’m not sure I follow your argument here. What do you make of stubhub and various large corporations hoarding tickets and letting seats sit empty because it’s better to sell two tickets at 350 than 10 tickets at 55, or because the exec who got the company tickets decided to skip the game and go straight to the strip club? Or because the goal is wild speculation ($15,000 for season tickets!) and not anything remotely related to actually “filling the stadium” or finding the “correct” market price?
anyways, i thought rebecca’s point was that many fans from the actual Bronx, the supposed home of the Yankees, can’t afford tickets, but that traveling seat-speculators (from, say, DC) can. If that’s your idea of a market “working”… COOL.
AROD FAN
Yes indeed it is cool. The Yankees are an international brand, not primarily for Bronx consumption. The comments about cost of tickets are based on personal agendas. The Yankees have a business plan based upon capitalizing on their unique position and very broad appeal. that is why they have spent 1.3bb on the stadium and 425mm on three free agents. To suggest that this is aimed at people on a budget (except for Yes subscriptions) is laughable.
if they have made a huge error and completely missed their target market, which turns out to be you and drive 4 5 then you can hacve the last laugh.
Vrsce,
Always the contrarion,you havent a clue.
I’m not stating a “complaint”. I relaying facts. None of these folks want to give up their seats. They are hard working people that simply cant absorb the 50% – 100% price increases. For you to imply that these loyal customers that have spent thousands to support the Yankees are “whiners” is about as ignorant as it gets.
Rebecca,
Thanks for the MetroNorth tip! It beats a $50 cab ride anyday lol.
Vrsce, my brother is a bond trader in Manhattan. He makes six figures.
Even he won’t pay for field box tickets.
lame
Rebecca,
I’d love to see you take up SJ44′s suggestion and write a day’s journal about a Yankee game.
How ’bout if you make it a Saturday game and journalize your day at the game and your trip to Arthur Ave, including directions! lol
Drive 4-5
You have been moaning about your ticket package for weeks, while suggesting that the Yankees neglect of you is due to a collapse in their entire marketing venture.
This type of hubris would make Yertle the Turtle blush. Have you no shame. Or do the Yankee’s entire fortune’s rest upon satisfying your need for their attention?
Pathetic.
I have been a season ticket holder with the Yankees for almost 15 years. I had 4 tickets. However, when my seat prices were raised to $325 a ticket, I only renewed two.
My attitude about it? Sports is a luxury purchase, not a necessity. I’m fortunate or lucky enough (depending on your point of view) to be able to afford the tickets. If the prices go up too high (which, one can argue, is happening right now), you can choose not to go and watch the games on TV.
I’m not of the opinion the Yankees “owe” us anything in this matter. Ticket sales are a supply and demand business. If the demand is there for expensive tickets, I have no problem with the team selling them for as much as they can. Its just the way it goes.
Only thing I will say is, I hope the service, especially customer service, is top notch. If you have a problem, I would hope the Yankees are VERY proactive in seeking a solution.
If you are going to charge A List prices, you have to provide A List service. If not, its just a ripoff.
I am crossing my fingers, the Yankees don’t drift to “ripoff territory” in the new digs. That would be bad for everybody.
I probably giveaway and/or sell half my tickets during the season. Cutting down just makes that task a bit easier.
Unlike other teams that keep raising prices without looking to improve the on field product (like the Florida Marlins for instance), the Yankees don’t operate in that fashion.
At least they continue to try and field a championship team. I’d feel a lot worse about ticket price increases if they didn’t pour some of that money back into the team.
Rebecca,
Very nicely done. I enjoyed your piece a great deal. This might be an interesting kind of writing for you to develop on your blog during the season.
Give us a sense of what life is like as a yankee fan in the bronx as the season unwinds. What it’s like to be so close to the stadium while faced with exorbitant ticket prices, the buzz in the air before games, traffic problems, how out of towners react to the bronx, etc.
I readers would enjoy it – it would be something different. I guess Alex Belth does something like this but he writes more about New York as a whole rather than on the Bronx.
I think focusing in on life in the area immediately surrounding the stadium would be a very different take on baseball blogging.
Thanks.
Rebecca,
Well bonds are in the tank.
Will your brother go to any games, at regular seats?
Sort of sounds like the Garden, where many young or poor basketball fans can’t afford to go see the Knicks play.
Sure, some of the ‘cheaper’ seats are going to stay about the same price as the old stadium (well for this year at least) but it sounds like that’s only for way upstairs & the bleachers. Not saying the price of lower level seats should be 20 bucks, but I am saying ticket prices in general are going out of sight for regular people.
OK so maybe a regular working class family w/ 2 or 3 kids from the burbs, or one of the other boroughs, can afford to attend a game a year. Hey maybe they’d really like to go to three or four, but its too much of an investment. Then there’s the families by the stadium. Go with 3 kids to see a single game? Right.
Wasn’t there a recent discussion about the minimal-if-at-all connection between player salaries and ticket prices?
http://community.thetimes-trib.....guers.aspx
Cuello, Pena, A.Ramirez
Pugsley’s is on 191 between Hoffman and Hughes, make sure to get a chicken roll.
My wife & I bought a new flat screen tv & high def satellite as a hedge in case we’re forced to “choose not to go and watch the games on TV.”
“At least they continue to try and field a championship team. I’d feel a lot worse about ticket price increases if they didn’t pour some of that money back into the team.”
And that, folks, is what brings us back. Well said SJ44. We’d be disappointed to be priced out,but we’ll be fans still.
“I’m not sure I follow your argument here. What do you make of stubhub and various large corporations hoarding tickets and letting seats sit empty because it’s better to sell two tickets at 350 than 10 tickets at 55, or because the exec who got the company tickets decided to skip the game and go straight to the strip club? Or because the goal is wild speculation ($15,000 for season tickets!) and not anything remotely related to actually “filling the stadium” or finding the “correct” market price?
anyways, i thought rebecca’s point was that many fans from the actual Bronx, the supposed home of the Yankees, can’t afford tickets, but that traveling seat-speculators (from, say, DC) can. If that’s your idea of a market “working”… COOL.”
My idea of the market working is that the Yankees get what they can get for their tickets and they reinvest into the team and despite people claiming tickets are too expensive, the Stadium is still always full. That, in my opinion, means that the tickets are not too expensive. Sure, tickets for some are too expensive, but what forms of entertainment in this country arent too expensive for some groups?
VRSCE: I will certainly try. I can afford to go to a couple of games, but any sort of season tickets, unless bleacher seats, are way out of my price range.
Good job Rebecca.
Similar to what Todd Drew does at Bronx Banter.
And please Pete, more guest blogs like this and not that lame Igawa thing from yesterday.
Rebecca, well done.
I found it very “O. Henry-ish”.
Vrsce: Ah, you asked about my brother–I’m not sure. he and his wife are expecting so I don’t know if they’ll have the time to go.
Vrsce,
I realize that seeing in print other folks sharing similar stories to mine is tough for someone as bombastic as you to take.
How ’bout if you just skip my posts like I do yours?
nice job rebecca going to another place than the usual and tweaking all kinds of buttons. a nice fish out of water perspective from you.
“Stereotypes? Credit default swaps? Melt-down? Just check at the gate and see where we are.
Markets actually work”
tk in dc-
since you are implying that you know precisely how markets work, tell me how a dollar gets created in the first place, and then explain why that dollar takes so long to get to the people in the bronx in rebecca’s story and gets so fast to the world you are comfortable in.
i’m not challenging you. i’d really like to know if you really do know. you were kind of implying that rebecca was naive about how markets work. consider me naive too then. so how does that dollar get created, and who gets it first?
if you really don’t know ,that’s cool, but i think might need to adjust your thinking about “free”markets a bit.
i just don’t see how a kid in rebecca’s bronx neighborhood has the same opportunity as kids in yours. how is that a level playing field for the kids ? how does a free market make up for the tough start these kids get? that’s not a question, more of a comment.
Drive 4-5
Apparently you don’t.
You may snivel all you wish, I reserve the right to point out your self centered whines. Reminds me of an old dog we used to have.
“Too expensive? Alas, there is actually an easy way to see whether or not that is true or not – at the gate.
Stereotypes? Credit default swaps? Melt-down? Just check at the gate and see where we are.
Markets actually work.”
It’s true markets do actually work – in fact they work splendidly when you can get the public to finance your shiny new toy stadium by having the city create an enormous exception in practice and underwrite $1 billion dollars of tax exempt municipal bonds.
They work even better when you feel comfortable to go back to trusted public officials and get them to push for you to get $450M more in tax-exempt bond debt under your threat that without it you won’t be able to finish the grad edifice.
Teams should be able to charge whatever the market bears for ticket prices. But if they want to do so they should take responsibility for their own operating expenses and not bilk the very people who can’t afford to attend a game for the money to build a new stadium.
But it’s laughable that they are all for market forces when it comes to ticket prices but expect massive subsidies from the public to operate their businesses.
It’s simply scorn for the public when it’s the public – not the team – that’s paid an inordinate amount of money to build the new stadium.
yes I want to read the full version…I am sure more details will add much to it.
Isn’t it the case that 60 % of the seats are the same price as last year?
Very nice piece, Rebecca. It does seem to end abruptly, shame on Pete. Give her more words!
TKinDC is correct about markets, I think, but I’m not sure how that point really relates to Rebecca’s post.
SJ44,
Teams absolutley should charge whatever the market will bear. And you hit the nail on the head about the public subsidies.
But havent the same tax free bonds been available to the Twins and Mets?
Drive,
I work in the sports business. I do believe ticket prices across the board have become very expensive for everybody, let alone the average fan. Unfortunately, in many markets, that ship has sailed and I don’t think it will go back to the way it used to be anytime soon.
I was going to go the Rangers-Panthers hockey game in Fort Lauderdale in November. They wanted 162 bucks for a good seat and about 75 bucks for an average seat. I thought that was nuts and watched the game at home.
I found out later, the Panthers charge a “premium” for popular teams that visit such as the Rangers, Detroit and Montreal. For a team like the Panthers, although I understand their strategy, I chose not to go. I don’t think charging “road premiums” is the way to rebuild your home fan base.
Here’s the rub. Teams are getting the money for the tickets. At least right now. If you can get 100+ bucks a ticket for a game, there is no incentive for the team to drop its prices.
In some markets, we are seeing some price downturns. However, its not yet being felt across the board in many markets.
Because of the size and diversity of the NY market, I’m not sure we will see a huge downturn in ticket sales. My office is still doing research on this subject for a client in another sport. But, initial research has shown a possible leveling off point in the NY market, not a complete bottoming out of the sports ticket marketplace.
Re: Baseball, I think we will get a better indication when we see walkup sales for the first 3 months of the season. Season tickets often are held (at least the good seats) by businesses. You get a better indication of fan support when you see how walkup sales pan out over the course of a season.
I know Selig and Roger Goodell (NFL Commissioner) have both warned their teams about excessive spending in the next year.
Obviously (and thankfully!), the Yankees ignored the memo. lol
Seriously though, if ticket sales were to go completely down the tubes, teams would adjust downward to offset it.
Problem is, despite all the dire economic news, we aren’t seeing a wide spread bottoming out in ticket prices in the sports at this time.
Had to skip a few to post this:
Murphydog -
SOUTHSIDE!!! Yeah. I love(d) Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes. Listened to ‘em every morning getting ready for school – I went to SJU on SI, and lived at home (parents were very great about comings and goings) and when I say every morning I mean every morning. Then, hop in the car and it was morning “Bruce Juice” on the radio. Great days, indeed!
Rebecca –
You have NO SPARE TIME! Unless you really want to, I don’t want you to do extra work to indulge me!
Now, back to the above…..
Rebecca, that was a very enjoyable read. I’ve only gotten to Yankee Stadium 9 times in my life and three were at the old YS. Since, there were kids and others along, I’ve never had the chance to explore the area. You did make the bread smell great, though, but, you can have my fish. Never got the chance to enter into those “dens of iniquity and assorted debauchery” that you describe, but, I’m sure that they’re much like those around Wrigley Field and old Tiger Stadium…not places where you’d tell or take someone of culture, but, definately a place you can’t stay out of.
Looking forward to more writings. Thank you.
Therston,
The Bleachers are the same price. Some seats in the upper deck will be actually be less than last year. The big price increases are for seats in the first 2 decks. The new Stadium is different in that 60% of the seats are in the 2 lower decks. It’s the opposite of the seating plan in the old Stadium.
That said, 55% of the seats are priced from $12 to $45.The rest are priced between $100 and $2,500.
Oh, and murphydog – I listened to Southside on an LP on my turntable. Had to get up and turn it over – in between the eyeshadow and the mascara.
Oh, and the DJ on the radio playing Bruce was Dave Herman, I think.
SJ 44
Great post,
New York was hit first by the downturn/recession/quasi depression (only fair as Wall street played a huge role in creating it) and will be the first area in the country to recover, as stocks and banking will be among the early leaders of a recovery. The Yankees may endure some short term pain but their overall business model appears sound. High ticket prices are a part of that plan.
Drive,
Different marketplaces have different ways they can do business.
Look at Minnesota right now. They are on their third extension of the blackout deadline because they can’t sellout for their playoff game tomorrow against the Eagles.
Minnesota is a football town and they are having trouble selling tickets.
Ironically, the Twins are owned by the man who may be baseball richest owner. Yet, he is loathe to spend money on his team.
The Padres are about to be sold for probably 75 million dollars less than they would have been sold for had John Moores sold the team in July.
Every market is different.
The Yankees are a global brand. They may hit the 700 million dollar mark in revenues this season, despite the economy being in the tank.
They own the largest and most profitable regional sports network in the country. Their new partnership with the Dallas Cowboys (fully funded by Goldman Sachs) in the on site luxury hospitality business is already yielding solid results.
Its a financial machine and, to that end, they will charge (and most likely get) top end prices for everything associated with their brand.
As CB points out, while they are paying most of the tab for the new Stadium, the finance terms are “friendly”, to say the least. Friendlier than if you or I decided to embark on a significant constuction project in NYC.
The Yankees are just one of a few choice franchises that seem to be beyond being affected by the economic downturn. That makes them the exception rather than the rule when looking at how they run their business.
Doreen
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Oh, and the DJ on the radio playing Bruce was Dave Herman, I think
————————————————————
Are you old enough to have listened to Bruce Lovely on WBZ in Boston on the late night shift back in the ’60s?
Great job Rebecca!
I have read in several sources that ticket prices will NOT rise for approximately half the seats. That seems pretty good if the amenities are as described.
From my own circle, it appears that the people who are unhappiest are those who’ve been used to buying places in the ‘better half’ of the seats (where prices are rising), and who would rather not attend than go and sit in the cheaper seats. They are being priced out of their preferred locations, not out of the Stadium.
Fans I know who were already sitting in the cheaper seats seem to look forward to paying about the same for a place where they will actually be able to get to a snack and a bathroom without losing a couple of innings.
GB7 -
No Boston radio for me. I did listen to the WABC guys on AM, though. Cousin Brucie was still around mid-60′s. I hit the half-century mark last February. It’s taken me all year to get used to it, but I’ll tell you, it’s not all that bad.
My husband teases me because I didn’t listen to FM radio pretty much until college. I was a bubblegum music girl, top pop 40′s all the way. I am proud to say that I am now much more eclectic and wouldn’t listen to the 1910 Fruitgum Company anymore if you paid me! I think I even correctly identified a Derek and the Dominoes song recently and knew it was Eric Clapton. That’s big for me!
Sorry for the change in subject but I’m watching the Don Larsen perfect game on MLBN and I was wondering if catchers maybe lasted a bit longer (bodies didn’t break down as much) back then because the game was much faster paced? They end up not having to squat down as much as todays catcher who nearly all have to deal with leg problems late in their careers. Even batters who stepped out of the batters box did it in quick fashion. One of Jeters’ at-bats is longer than an entire 1/2 inning (3 outs) in this video easy! Its just interesting seeing a game that fans don’t have to sit through for 4 hours.
“The Yankees are just one of a few choice franchises that seem to be beyond being affected by the economic downturn. That makes them the exception rather than the rule when looking at how they run their business.”
The best analogies to the yankees may not be the mets or perhaps even the red sox.
I think the teams that are most similar in many ways are Real Madrid and Manchester United – two of the major powerhouses in international soccer.
Both teams have massive global brands – much bigger than the yankees. Both teams are able to dwarf the respective competition in their leagues financially (though that’s changed some, particularly for Man U as extraordinarily wealthy owners have recently entered the English Premier league and are willing to spend their own money for players…).
Not surprisingly – like the Yankees – both Real Madrid and Manchester United have or are preparing to spend enormous amounts of money to improve their teams during the winter transfer period.
Leagues may not be recession proof but premier franchises very well might be.
Here’s the pricing chart for the new Stadium.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com....._plans.pdf
Not as bad as I was imagining reading some of the comments here. Looks like Field Level seats from 1st to 3rd are the seats over $100. Field level outfield are $100 or less with main,terrace, grandstand and bleachers considerably less. If having the Stadium experience is important to you, bleacher seats are available for roughly the same price as a movie ticket.
Rebecca, Thanks for your time and post. You are a fantastic writer! Come back again soon.
I think how one views the price of tickets at Yankee Stadium has a lot to do with how you view going to games. If you grew up going to a lot of games, and if you were able to parlay that into getting season ticket plans as an adult, it is going to hit you hard that the costs have risen A LOT. But if you’re like my family, who would go to a game or two a year, it’s a little easier to assimilate the change.
I view going to a Yankee game about the same as going to a Broadway show, with the same entertainment value.
It does stink, though, that people have to re-evaluate long-standing habits as far as attending games, or even, having to change seats. It’s not tragic, but it’s an annoyance, I would think.
Doreen
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
GB7 –
No Boston radio for me. I did listen to the WABC guys on AM, though. Cousin Brucie was still around mid-60’s. I hit the half-century mark last February. It’s taken me all year to get used to it, but I’ll tell you, it’s not all that bad.
My husband teases me because I didn’t listen to FM radio pretty much until college. I was a bubblegum music girl, top pop 40’s all the way. I am proud to say that I am now much more eclectic and wouldn’t listen to the 1910 Fruitgum Company anymore if you paid me! I think I even correctly identified a Derek and the Dominoes song recently and knew it was Eric Clapton. That’s big for me!
————————————————————
Well, I hit the age of 21 and liked it so much that I’ve stayed there for 38 more years. Loved the Big Bands Classical, Jazz and 50s-60s music and never changed. The early 70s had good music, and then some jerk invented disco. Outlaw country and rock-a- billy is another passion. I couldn’t get the NY stations growing up, so at night I listened to WBZ and WLS in Chicago with Dick Biondi and Clark Weber. There’s nothing today that I care for enough to listen to.
http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/.....ba-debate/
UGHHHHHH I’m so tired of this!! Why is this even an argument? If the Yankees never brought him up in 2007 NO ONE WOULD BE SAYING IT!!! They only brought him up to get his innings total up.
Doreen
Well said.
It is hard to tach an “old dog” new tricks”, especially when they want premium seats for 1980 prices. The word entitlement springs to mind.
I am from the South (and the old South, if you will)so, Miz Rebecca, I do indeed “get it.” In point of fact, I am a third generation Yankee fan that attended Yankee games with my father and grandfather long before you were a gleam in your father’s eye. (We’re not all Et-lanta fans down here, you know.)
Southeron
Baseball fans, media and even players need to become more inventive like in the old days when giving players colorful nicknames…like Sal “The Barber”, Larrupin’ Lou, Old Bisquit Pants, Old Square Pants, Cha-Cha, Dizzy and Daffy. Baseball needs more color injected into names.
jennifer face it he’s going to have to win a Cy Young in order to shut them up. Even w/ that some moron will say but he doesn’t stay at 100 mph like when he was a CL.
You want some humor read this one, long time ago but still worth a whole lot of laughs.
http://www.northjersey.com/spo.....e_was.html
This was June 8th by Ian O’Connor some of the saddest reasoning I have ever heard in my life but I LOL
“But it’s laughable that they are all for market forces when it comes to ticket prices but expect massive subsidies from the public to operate their businesses.”
cb-
as usual right to the point. people throw the phrase” free market” around pretty loosely. i love free markets, but i think many who advocate them believe in the double standards like the one you point out above.
people don’t talk usually talk about exclusives when they talk about level playing fields, but territorial exclusives are a major restraint on the baseball free market. the yankees would scream bloody murder if a team moved into new jersey and both the red sox and yankees would scream if a team moved into southern new england.
i think new york could easily handle a third team and boston a second. that would be way more effective than revenue sharing in giving the people in the bronx an option on who they are going to root for and for lowering ticket prices.
From the first paragraph alone that article gave me the best LOLs in my life.
From NYT
This is laughable…
I understand the argument, but, by this logic, Mariano should have been a starter, too. As a minor leaguer, he was exceptional in that role. [How about Papelbon -- isn't he in this same category?] And what if Mariano was a starter? Well, he never would have developed into one of the top two or three closers of all time.
——————————–
Um doesn’t this guy realize that Mo wasn’t great when he came up to the majors. Mo and Paplebon for that matter don’t have the same number of pitches……UGH!! well you can argue with dopes.
Hey !
Don’t forget to get your tickets and maybe get lucky enough to get a Peter Gammons or Theo Epstein autograph.
http://hotstovecoolmusic.org/
Doreen,
Tragic would describe how bad some of the Broadway plays my wife has dragged me too were lol.
But not being able to attend baseball games is far from tragic. The problem folks that I know have is that they are long time season ticket holders that gradually upgraded to better seats. After 15 or so years they’ve been priced out. Your point about long standing habits is right on.
Ian O’conner is a fool. I can’t take him seriously. So cause Joba isn’t a boogie man when he throws his 95th pitch he should close. Well Jamie Moyer isn’t a boogie man on his first so I guess he should hang it up.
“It isn’t humanly possible. No matter how many games he started in college and in the minors, and no matter how many Yankee scouts swear he has the stuff to become the staff ace, Chamberlain was born to seek and destroy in a quick late-night raid.”
What the hell was this crap from O’Connor? Oh brother.
randy l: is there something TKinDC said that was incorrect?
Its actually worse for Red Sox fans. They have more fans to serve, and 20,000+ fewer seats, at Fenway Park.
Additionally, they charge the most per ticket of anyone in the game. They pay a premium for the “little engine that could” BS they like to spew when comparing themselves to the Yankees.
Current market estimates have the Red Sox franchise worth 1 billion dollars. That’s not a “little engine that could” folks. They are one of about 10 (and I may be over-estimating that number) franchises in ANY US sports market worth a billion+ dollars.
Yet, they let 10 million dollars stand in the way of signing Mark Texeira. Go figure! lol
Jenn I know. I know, I swear if he ever wins the Cy Young the next day I’m going to check to see who saids “But he could have won the Rolaids Relief Award”
Folies: Hah, I’m sure you do get it
But my dear friend J. thinks that seeing the light means being an Atlanta Braves fan…
“What the hell was this crap from O’Connor? Oh brother.”
To this day I swear Ian was taken shots of Jose Cuervo or some type tequila
randy l,
I thought New York DID have a 3rd team…the Mets. They fall somewhere between the Staten Island Yanks and the Trenton Thunder
GB7 -
I miss the individuality of radio stations and even time slots of particular DJs within radio stations that we used to have. Everything now is so generic and there is no room for experimentation. I know what I listened to as a kid was also pretty generic, but the DJs themselves brought personality to the medium.
I listen to radio in my car and it’s XM (or rather, now, Sirius XM) and you listen to a particular type (classic rock for the most part for me, or Broadway, or baseball talk) and you don’t ever venture into the new and different. Occasionally, if my daughter is in the car with me, I’ll hear something new, and sometimes I’ll even like it a lot. But if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t know anything past 1980-ish (once I got married, got a full-time job, then had kids, we got stuck in Barney-land with Parachute Express and Sesame Street, with a little Raffie thrown in). We picked up again in the late 90′s when our oldest was getting into her own music rather than ours – so ‘NSync, Backstreet Boys and early Britney.
And now, off to the supermarket!
OT-Picks for this weekend of football:
Colts
Ravens
Falcons
Eagles
“Ian O’conner is a fool. I can’t take him seriously. So cause Joba isn’t a boogie man when he throws his 95th pitch he should close. Well Jamie Moyer isn’t a boogie man on his first so I guess he should hang it up.”
To his defense it was Sunday when he wrote this article, so he must have hit the bottle on Saturday and printed it w/ a hangover on Monday. I would have loved to have seen the first draft.
what the hell? i woke up to all this “Joba should be in the pen” stuff. geesh what a good way to start off the day!
S.A.: each of your picks is the road team and each is also the favorite (actually, the Falcons were the favorite but now it’s a pick ‘em game). I have a hard time believing that all 4 road teams are going to win, but then I like each of those picks individually. Hmmmmm.
I wonder if the boogie man lives under Ian O’Connor’s bed
Road warriors this weekend Nick! Road Warriors!
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/i.....AA240_.jpg
Cashman should really hold a press conference telling everyone to shut up about Joba being the pen, and he is their starter.
“what the hell? i woke up to all this “Joba should be in the pen” stuff. geesh what a good way to start off the day! ”
The Ian O’Connor article is from Jun 8th. I posted it for humor to the silliness of this situation and the lack of reasoning to it. The NYT article set Jenn. off hence why I posted the O’Connor article.
Drive 4-5 -
Yes. We’ve all gradually upgraded so much of the spending in our lives. It’s sobering to come to grips with either having to maintain the status quo, or maybe downgrade a little either in cost, frequency, or quality.
Was it you who posted that you and your wife hedged your bets by purchasing a new tv with hd? We are finally getting the same installed this week, and the person who is doing the work for us told us, to my surprise, that his business has not suffered as much as he was afraid that it would because of the downturn in the economy. Many people are deciding to upgrade their home entertainment options because over the long run, it will be cheaper to have fun at home.
It does make me think that there is a good deal of positive that can result from tightening our belts. For sure, we’ll find out just how much we like our families.
Blah-bad link
Brandon, ooh… lol, Joba is a starter. period!
I miss when Bob Klapish used to do the Yankees for the Record…so many childhood memories!
SA,
the Road Warriors were the best wrestling tag team back in the late 80s.
LOL, yeah its an off subject.
If the S F Giants interest in Manny is sincere, the Yankees could get involved with GM Brian Sabean in talks of a Winn or Rowand deal.
The Yankees do have the trading pieces.
http://www.boston.com/sports/o.....r_ramirez/
Ed:
http://i3.iofferphoto.com/img/.....animal.jpg
I like how the one dude has a spider on his forehead.
“Brandon, ooh… lol, Joba is a starter. period! ”
IDK you talk to Ian O’Connor he just doesn’t strike a blood gashing fear of endless trauma to the sensory nerves as a SP.
For if he were a CL it would be a cooler more menacing, walk the plank and Mortal Kombat-ish fatality like result that would lie in the batter’s fate.
Am I the only one starting to wonder if Andruw Jones is gonna wind up in a Yankee uniform?
After they re-worked his contract sounds like the Dodgers may just end up releasing him.
Could be worth a gamble at $400,000.
SA,
the dude with a spider on the forehead is Animal, he’s one crazy bada-s dude.
Great read, loved it. Good luck in the future Rebecca.
-If the S F Giants interest in Manny is sincere, the Yankees could get involved- -with GM Brian Sabean in talks of a Winn or Rowand deal.-
-The Yankees do have the trading pieces.-
No we wouldn’t. Both of those players wouldn’t make sense for the future of the Yankees.
Sports related ethical question:
If somebody holds degrees from 3 different Universities, which school does that person root for?
Thanks Dan =)
Tom, the one you really like?
–If the S F Giants interest in Manny is sincere, the Yankees could get involved with GM Brian Sabean in talks of a Winn or Rowand deal.
The Yankees do have the trading pieces.–
Winn is old, you could most certainly see his gray hair. Rowand became an injury prone when he crashed into too many walls.
I don’t see Jones as an option for the Yankees.
Every move they made this off-season has been under the same credo Cashman stated was their desire at the end of the season.
Improve the starting pitching, get younger, more athletic, and no bad contracts.
Every move they made, Swisher, Tex, CC and AJ, have fallen under that credo.
They need one starting pitcher to round out the roster. They don’t need Jones, Rowand or Winn. Three guys who are older, possessing bad contracts, and are on the back end of their careers.
That’s not keeping in concert with what their off-season goals have been.
The key right now is to get one more veteran starter. If Pettitte turns down the deal, there has to be someone available in January who can give them quality innings for the money slotted to that position.
That’s more important than upgrading CF right now. Its not a good move to start next season with two young guys in the rotation. It didn’t work last year and it won’t work this year.
They need another veteran arm. Hopefully, Pettitte comes to his senses and takes the offer on the table before it goes away.
Tom: I root for Syracuse over Fordham.
Rebecca,
An enjoyable read. Thanks for the post.
Wherever you got your Bachelors is the most ‘correct’, but wherever you find yourself involuntarily cheering/groaning when their wins/losses hit the crawl is the ‘real you’ answer.
That is true Ed.
I just wanted to call up the brother in law and gloat about Pitt’s win at G’Town.
His argument is that “Pitt doesn’t count” because that’s not where I went as an undergrad.
“is there something TKinDC said that was incorrect?”
Sure. Baseball does not operate like a true free market in any respect.
It operates like a cartel. And many of the dynamics and tensions in the industry are those seen in many cartels around the world. So for people to parade around the free market as the paradigm for sports is not accurate.
Why does Peter Angelos own the TV broadcast rights to all of the Washington Nationals games? Why do players have to wait 6 years before they can decide which city they want to be employed in? Why is there a draft?
How are any of those things market dynamics?
Yet when it’s in their interest – especially when it’s in the owner’s interest – they’ll talk about american capitalism until they’re blue in the face.
Case in point – Randy Levine has gone on and on about how the yankees are “paying for the stadium themselves.”
That’s just utter nonsense. This completely ignores the hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure improvements the city has paid for.
But what’s much more egregious is the way the yankees have bilked tax payers for millions by getting the city to issue tax exempt municipal bonds to pay for the stadium.
Why did the yankees simply not due what most businesses do when they need to raise money – issue corporate bonds or sell stock?
Instead they get an exemption and have the state issue municipal bonds on their behalf?
They’ve already gotten $1B of bond debt that’s paying for the stadium. Now they are demanding $450B more.
That’s just a joke.
The yankees are only worth $3B as an entity. For them to borrow 50% of their net worth would be very expensive – if not impossible. Under other circumstances they may very well have had to sell part ownership – which is what they did to cover the capital costs to start the Yes Network – that’s why Goldman Sachs owned 40% of the station.
Right now for any business to go to the credit markets and try to borrow $450M would be extraordinarily expensive. Banks still are not lending. Borrowing $450M when you are only worth $3B and have already taken on $1B in debit is simply not an easy sell in today’s credit markets.
They yankees are essentially using NY City’s as a form of no cost insurance and are doing so to borrow $1.5B at rates that are staggeringly below market costs.
In real dollars the yankees will be getting the stadium at far below the purported price of $1.5B – far below – and it’s entirely due to the mechanism of financing – tax exempt municipal bonds.
How is that the market at work? That’s the public subsidizing the yankees and the risk of building the stadium – and getting zero financial gain in return. Nothing. In any market system – you absorb risk – and that’s worth money. Unless it’s the yankees.
The yankees are a business and should charge what they want for tickets. But in turn they should be responsible for their own operations and not expect to have them subsidized by the public.
And if they are then please don’t use market arguments for how they generate revenue (i.e. ticket prices). Because their revenues are derived not from market forces but from forces that are much closer to cartels and monopolies – which are radically anti-market arrangements.
declineoptions07
My idea of the market working is that the Yankees get what they can get for their tickets and they reinvest into the team and despite people claiming tickets are too expensive, the Stadium is still always full. That, in my opinion, means that the tickets are not too expensive. Sure, tickets for some are too expensive, but what forms of entertainment in this country arent too expensive for some groups?
——————————————
Now I think you are making an interesting point. If we market the poorest bronx yankees fans as a global brand (sanitized of course–not in a way that would clean up the “dirty, dark, dank” bars, or the “iniquity and assorted debauchery”–I mean, how profitable would that be? What else would we fetishize? But in a way that is sanitized from the time that the rest of “us” live in, packaged into an anachronistic condition of victimhood “hard work while the world passes him by… A baseball fan from a generation that no longer matters, his opportunity spent…”), if we can sell that to investors from all over the world, AND THEN sell the cheap seats that they might be inclined to buy at insanely inflated prices to the world’s rich idiots, then “we” re-invest the money back into the team, then “WE” (as in, those who are not rich investors from outside the area or immobile bronx residents) will end up winning because the money will be invested in “the team.”
As long as the stadium is full, we will profit because we will be watching our team win on flat screen TVs while everyone else watches their team lose in Yankee stadium.
If this fantasy land really existed I might see your point. If the money really was “re-invested back into the team” and somehow we got to watch better baseball because of it… If “we” weren’t ripped off, just those suckers from the bronx and everywhere else, well, then I might be able to get behind the plan. But I’m just not sure that that is what is happening.
I don’t really see baseball getting that much better. I do see more Francessa’s complaining about how the coaches aren’t keeping their players in line. And, I see that I am also getting ripped off as prices are going up for me too.
Although, I could become a seat-speculator too, and that might be fun. hmmm….
Now we are seeing the stadium full. But even last season there were at least hundreds (I don’t know hte exact numbers) of empty seats deliberately kept empty by speculators to drive up the price. These seats aren’t in one section, they are all over the stadium. (There were bleachers seats sold for $150 last season! For regular games!)
And more importantly, do a couple of full seasons mean that a full stadium is the most profitable way for the Yankees to run their business forever? Or is it a marketing strategy? Fill the stadium for a couple seasons so you can build a new one that will be run like a large hotel (or time-share) chain–meaning an average of no more than 30% capacity in any given year. If you think you are profiting from the time-sharification of your stadium… COOL. Maybe we should brand you and market you to Japan.
Tom: too many variables to answer without more information. Are all three universities big sports schools? Does one have a bigger football tradition while another might be more prominent in basketball, for example?
In general, I would think it makes the most sense to root for the school you attended as an undergrad; presumably, that’s when you went to the most games. But there are all kinds of scenarios in which that might not be the case.
Aaron Rowand has not only become injury prone but his fielding has declined plus basically a platoon player now, we have enough of those. Randy Winn REALLY ? REALLY ? he’s not better than Damon, Matsui, Swisher or Nady so again why, and last time I checked the guy is so old he probably was nearly born before Candle Stick Park.
Tom
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Sports related ethical question:
If somebody holds degrees from 3 different Universities, which school does that person root for?
————————————————————
Hopefully, one is a law degree. Negotiate a deal with them…you are, after all, a free agent.
“Most of the people I meet could never afford to go to a Yankee game even in the old Stadium. I almost have to wonder if the Yankees even belong here.”- rebecca
“is there something TKinDC said that was incorrect?”
nick in sf- in sonoma- in hilton head- in alexandria
i know it’ll be a surprise, but there’s another world out there nick. rebecca did a good job in taking us there. hey, i’m not really busting you or tk in dc, i live on cape cod. when i see a person of color in the town i live in, they are probably on a visa from somewhere on a temporary job assignment. baseball always reflects the time it’s in. i’m poking fun at myself as much as you guys.
we all have to do a better job of giving everyone a fair shot. that goes for me too.
people in the bronx should be able to go see games that take place in their community. to me that’s just common sense. baseball would be better for it.
Tom,
oh i see..I root for the Gators, which I went there for a year before moving back to NY. I miss that place soo much.
Pugsley’s chicken rolls are overrated. And I can’t believe Grad students go to Tinker’s. That place is a hole in the wall built for naive freshmen. Yikes. Enjoyed the site, though.
It may make sense to rail against the system of sports economics / stadium financing — but it makes no sense to rail against the Yankees for maximizing the benefits of that system for their team.
“is there something TKinDC said that was incorrect?”
nick in sf-
forget my other answer.
what cb said .
lol.
With our offense we should be fine with Brett Gardner in CF. We need someone who can get on his horse and catch balls. Brett when he gets on base can screw up a pitcher. That is what his job will be. Catch everything hit to him, and bunt, steal etc. He doesn’t need to hit homeruns.
Tom, if location is not a prerequisite for determining the choice. Follow the best deal. Which cheerleaders wave the best pom-poms? Money isn’t everything.
This is what I’m trying to understand see the premise here is the Yankees don’t have offense BS you just paid a 1B what 23 million per yr. if he’s for real the Yankees should be alright w/ even Bubba Crosby in CF if not then the premise of him being overpaid still stands. Period the offense w/ Arod and Teix + the SP + BP should be more than enough to carry a team and if Robi Cano wakes up we are a championship contender. If not then we did absolutely nothing this offseason.
“Period the offense w/ Arod and Teix ”
don’t forget it, its an odd year this year, hopefully A-Rod redo his 2007 season. He’s only 47 homers away from 600!
yea arthur ave!
Brandon (CC & AJ now Marky Mark (they stilled over paid him) are Yankees)
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Aaron Rowand has not only become injury prone but his fielding has declined plus basically a platoon player now, we have enough of those. Randy Winn REALLY ? REALLY ? he’s not better than Damon, Matsui, Swisher or Nady so again why, and last time I checked the guy is so old he probably was nearly born before Candle Stick Park.
……………………………..
Yeah Brandon. Winn is so old, he’s ancient. Can you imagine being born on 6-9-74 ?
It must make Giambi feel young again.
I know Ed I still can’t believe people are talking about how this team needs offense at times, and then we have people bringing up Randy Winn and Aaron Rowand ? com’on, you have possibly the best offensive player in the league at 3rd and the 3rd best 1B in the league at first. Between the 2 they should have about 130 RBIs each.
“Yeah Brandon. Winn is so old, he’s ancient. Can you imagine being born on 6-9-74 ?
It must make Giambi feel young again.”
1974 we’re talking the Reggie Jackson in his prime days.
The Yankees look to have a good to very good offense but not a great one by any means.
They also have an offense which has a considerable amount of risk in it.
It’s also simply not true that having Teixeira will allow them to play Garnder in CF if Gardner hits like he did last season.
Boston’s offense still looks to be better than the yankees.
Playing Brett Gardner in CF could easily cost the team 2-3 wins. And 2-3 wins in the AL East can easily be the difference between making the playoffs and staying home.
By the way Randy Winn is a very nice ball player who has had a very solid career. He’d be a nice pick up for many teams.
If Winn could still play CF everyday he’d be a great pick up for the yankees. Not sure he can however.
“hopefully A-Rod redo his 2007 season.”
A-Rod’s 2007 season was pretty close to unearthly. Hoping for that will likely lead to disappointment.
“com’on, you have possibly the best offensive player in the league at 3rd and the 3rd best 1B in the league at first.”
no faith in ARod during his odd year? hmm…
The first 4 in the lineup are fine… after that, it is an adventure.
- Will Cano revert back to his 06-07 self? Will he still have his usual first half swoons?
- Was Swisher’s 08 an aberration? Can we live with a .250 hitter who strikes out 150 times and is the epitome of a boom or bust hitter?
- Is Nady the guy who hit .330 in Pittsburgh or the guy who hit .268 with the Yankees and looked overmatched in the AL? His career indicates that the Pittsburgh guy was an outlier.
- If we trade one of the above guys, what will we get from Gardner or Melky? Will they hit enough to warrant a starting job? Will Gardner hit the ball out of the infield?
- Posada is 37 and coming off shoulder surgery. How will that affect his bat speed? He is NOT the .338 hitter he was in 2007.
- Matsui should be fine but he is injury prone and a very streaky hitter. Is he a #5 hitter at this stage of his career?
Texiera does not cure all of the problems on offense.
Gio:
We’re grad students. Money is a hypothetical concept. But thanks for the compliment =)
Brett started to hit last year when he was given consistent playing time.
I don’t know CB.
To me, Boston has 3 huge question marks re: their offense.
The health of Ortiz and Lowell. Both guys suffered serious injuries. Its incumbent for them to return to 2007 effectiveness. Can they do that? If not, they don’t have a lot of depth to overcome any significant dropoff if either guy is not back to 2007 form.
Ellsbury. Will he blossom now that Crisp is gone? If he does, they have a real weapon. If not, who spells him (as Crisp did last year) against better pitching?
Tito made good use of his “platoon” with Ellsbury and Crisp last year. The key now is, can Ellsbury go it alone?
Youk and Pedroia. What if both guys come back to the pack a bit in 2008? If they do, the Red Sox will have trouble scoring runs. If 2008 is an accurate indicator of each guys offensive prowlness, then I would agree with you, they have a formidable offense.
Right now, mainly because of health issues, they have as many, perhaps even a little more, question marks re: their offense than the Yankees.
She is very ugly
Nice job Rebecca. Very good read.
You write with a style that belies your young age – kudos.
Off to check out your blog now.
I agree CB,
You have to forgo the defense and play Damon in CF, Nady in left, Swisher in right. The downgrade from Nady/Swisher to Gardner is significant.
We need all the offense we can get
randy l: “i know it’ll be a surprise, but there’s another world out there nick…. hey, i’m not really busting you or tk in dc…”
Well, I’m glad that your implication that I’m ignorant of the ‘other world out there’ isn’t a bust on me, since it would be awfully unwarranted and rude. I’ll repost my original comment on this subject for your benefit:
“TKinDC is correct about markets, I think, but I’m not sure how that point really relates to Rebecca’s post.”
I don’t think Rebecca said Yankee game tickets were “too expensive”, so I’m still not sure what TK’s comment had to do with her blog post.
Similarly, whether the Yankees do or don’t do enough to support the local community or allow under-privileged youth to see games is a seperate question from the narrow point of whether the free market works in setting ticket prices. So what does your beautiful paean to social justice have to do with what TKinDC actually said?
CB: I don’t disagree with any of what you wrote, but again I think TKinDC made a much more limited point about Yankee ticket prices and attendance, not the overall business model that’s financed the new stadium, whether ticket demand might be artificially inflated by the limit on baseball teams in the area, or whether the Yankees do or don’t operate in a truly free market.
Gardner looks like he is swinging a wet Newspaper.
He doesn’t even have gap power
You can’t steal 1st base. We can’t have an automatic out in the lineup.
i think one of the most amazing things about 2008 was mike mussina’s decision to listen to girardi’s and eiland’s ultimatum to pitch inside or else.
mussina was really bad in 2007. if he didn’t make the adjustment he was finished. here’s a case of an overpaid veteran being given an ultimatum, by a manager and a coach who couldn’t wear his jockstrap, that changed his and the yankee’s season for the better.
i’d like to see a similar approach taken with arod( learn how to make contact at will when necessary ), jeter (start taking some balls at other positions), posada( call the inside pitch more)( it’s no coincidence mussina went inside more without posada out of the lineup), damon( get serious about being in shape all the time), and rivera( learn how to keep runners on first).
as far as the young players, melky needs to just work his ass off, cano needs to learn to grind it out on all levels all time, and gardner needs learn how to bunt.
all this goes on behind closed doors and it’s a deal made between coaches and players. no one really needs to know about it.
Now THAT was a great guest post.
Offering perspective, insight, and reflection upon the community the Yankees call home.
Bravo!
“Boston has 3 huge question marks re: their offense.”
SJ,
I think it’s close between the Boston offense and the Yankees. And both do have significant questions.
I think this is the difference – Boston has much more concentrated risk and the yankees have a broader scope of risk.
With Boston it’s really the question of what will Papi and Lowell do at the plate. I think youkilis regressing and ellsbury are also questions but secondary ones.
With the yankees the questions are Posada, Cano, Matsui, Swisher and Nady (how much will he regress?) and then on top of that age (damon, jeter).
And Posada is at least as big a risk Papi is.
It’s very close – both teams project to score around 850-875 runs, with boston closer to the 875 and the yankees closer to 850ish.
Pitching wise the yankees look to have a substantial edge. Very large.
But I am still very leery of having a player who could be well below average offensively starting on a day to day basis and Gardner could be well below an average offensive CF. He could generate outs at an alarming rate.
“but again I think TKinDC made a much more limited point about Yankee ticket prices and attendance, not the overall business model that’s financed the new stadium,”
This is an artificial distinction, IMO. That was the point of my posts. It’s a distinction without a difference.
Ticket prices are a primary source of revenue. It’s impossible to talk about any businesses primary source of revenue without looking at it in the context of its entire business model.
But that’s what we do all of the time when it comes to discussions of “markets.” We choose to look at parts which conform to the notion of symmetric, transparent market operation without looking at the parts which don’t match up with those ideas.
Ticket prices in the new stadium are related supply and demand but also to the way the new stadium was constructed and how it was financed.
Just look at the revenue dynamics between the mets and the yankees and the way the new yankee stadium was constructed vs. citi field.
Funny how everyone rips on Melky, yet he is 10x the hitter that Gardner is. He actually looks competent at the plate. His defense and arm are far superior to Brett as well. Anyone confident that Gardner can hit a mid 90s fastball? If you watch the guys ABs, you know he is never hitting .270 nor will pitchers walk him, they will challenge him. His OBP won’t translate at the MLB level.
The guy can’t do anything else except run.
The Yankees cannot carry an automatic out in this lineup, doesn’t matter how good his defense is.
Our best overall team has Damon in CF, dead arm and all. We can live with it. The corners will have good defense, no more Abreu shying away from the wall.
Miggs: Thank you!
***
Boston actually doesn’t really scare me. I don’t think they’ve done anything to significantly improve their team…and they have some issues that are very similar to the Yankees’ issues.
CB,
That’s true re: Gardner. I’m just not sure as to whether he will be the Opening Day starter.
If he is, I’m also not sure he will last the entire season.
With so many players available, you never know how this thing plays out.
If needed, they could add somebody later in the season to plug an offensive hole.
If the kid could hit .250, bunt, steal bases and play a decent CF, I think they have enough offense to carry him. That of course, is the big question with him.
You bring up a great point about the pitching. If they can fill that 4th spot in the rotation with a veteran, its the best Yankee staff in years.
That will take a lot of pressure off the offense. Perhaps that will keep guys from falling into the bad plate habits many of them fell into last year.
It seemed to me last year, too many guys got out of their game due to the fact they couldn’t score runs. They saw less pitches, were less selective at the plate, and their situational hitting was abysmal.
This year, with an improved pitching staff, perhaps we shall see these guys go back to grinding AB’s and doing some of the little things to score runs.
If that’s the case, while I don’t expect them to score 950+ runs, I do think the potential is there for them to be a much better all around team.
Especially defensively. Something that has to improve if they want to go to the World Series.
Rebecca – Great post. I have to thank my wife, we’re on the road in Philadelphia, visiting her family, and she set up her laptop so I could check in.
I wish I could stay longer to read the comments more thoroughly (I agree with SJ44, poor starting pitching played into the hitters pressing too much), but family duty calls.
And they should start DAmon in CF; let Gardner have to force his way into the lineup.
“ESPN – Theo Epstein called Marlins GM Larry Beinfest ten days after the GM meetings and asked him if he were interested inm trading Hanley Ramirez for a package including Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz.
“No,” replied Beinfest. End of discussion. “The entire conversation,” says one club official, “lasted all of 20 seconds, a week before Thanksgiving.”
Well Duh only a moron would think Florida was that interested
nick in sf-
no slight intended. just my way of getting at the subject that rebecca brought up. all in all, i think a good conversation about a serious subject that we ( me included) can easily let slide by. hats off to rebecca for writing so well about it.
For those clamoring over Gardner’s hot September… Melky did hit .462 in Sept this year as well.
As they say, take it with a grain of salt. Same holds true for Coke/Aceves like it did for Kennedy/Ohlendorf last year.
if girardi is such a disciplinarian, then why couldn’t he control melky’s partying habbits? he came into camp chubby too. a motivated melky is a very good player
TKinDC, for reasons still unclear to me, thought the question had been raised about whether Yankee ticket prices are too expensive. His response was that, if they’re selling 4 million tickets a season, the answer is no and that the market -in this case the gate- will tell us whether the tickets are priced correctly.
He wasn’t talking about business models or revenue dynamics. Just whether the price of the ticket is too much or too little to sell the ticket. Both Joe Sixpack and Joseph WallStreet III can take sweetheart stadium financing deals into account when they decide whether or not to buy a ticket, but I think TKinDC was only talking about whether or not that ticket is purchased.
TK should really defend himself, he’s the one who made the inappropriate comment to begin with. Troublemaker!
To me it would be a crime if Gardner doesn’t atleast start out the season in CF. Let him prove he can’t handle it.
“nterested inm trading Hanley Ramirez for a package including Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz. ”
seriously what happened to Jacoby Ellsbury, the CFer of the future? LOL hahaas.
Supposedly Kevin Long thinks Gardner could hit better and has worked with him in the offseason and will continue again soon. Gardner will likely report early to the minor league complex in Tampa.
If he could learn to be a gap hitter, his speed would make up for an extra base.
“a dirty, dark, dank place that calls itself an Irish pub”
Rule of thum from years of experimentation and from a crusty old Irishman is that bottled beer is a better choice then draught in a place such as you described.
Very good Rebecca.
Rule of *thumb*
randy, I’m glad there was no slight intended, since “nick in sf- in sonoma- in hilton head- in alexandria…i know it’ll be a surprise, but there’s another world out there nick” could be interpreted as a slight by mere mortals.
Perhaps you could have gotten to the subject that Rebecca brought up in a way less open to, um, misinterpretation?
Is Tomlinson playing today?
I’m less concerned with Posada’s offense than most. He was hitting at just below his normal pace, considering he was in and out of the lineup thru June. The power was down a little, but, when he’s on a roll, he’ll hit 4-5 in a week and go two weeks without. His throwing is going to be a wait and see proposition. Play him against the non-running teams at first.
V
January 3rd, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Why is it so hard for the pinch hitters to actually have a decent post up?
————————————————————
Hey, Victor/Victoria….write a better one and submit it.
“Perhaps you could have gotten to the subject that Rebecca brought up in a way less open to, um, misinterpretation?”
good point nick. that was a bit of overkill. i’m going to make it up to you by saying who i think should be the yankee 5th starter.
the only thing is that i want eiland to tell livan to throw 15 mph faster or he’s going to get released.
is it me or does the MLB Network has false advertising? the guide said 2008 NLCS, yet its airing something else.
GB, V is the roman numeral for 5. He/she just wanted us to know his or her I.Q.
“His throwing is going to be a wait and see proposition. Play him against the non-running teams at first.”
yeah, the yankees would be kind of in a mess if jorge can’t throw. if that happens, and no other injuries to matsui or damon happen, cashman would have a real logjam at the dh spot. one way or the other a lot of money would be sitting on the bench.
V: No one’s stopping you from starting a blog and writing your own.
Tom
January 3rd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
GB, V is the roman numeral for 5. He/she just wanted us to know his or her I.Q.
————————————————————
I think he/she’s overvaluing his/her intelligence. I have ice cubes in my glass that has a higher IQ than Victor/Victoria.
“A baseball fan from a generation that no longer matters, his opportunity spent.”
This is highly offensive.
Complaining about ticket prices????
Seriously??
Supply and demand. Ever hear of it? It isn’t a birthright to attend baseball games.
“Umm they can trade Ellsbury for Hanley Ramirez”
That’s a joke. Your not getting Ramirez for Ellsbury.
If you want him start with Jon Lester….and keep going.
“Umm they can trade Ellsbury for Hanley Ramirez. The best young player in the sport. I think thats pretty decent don’t you?”
Umm, one problem here V:
“ESPN – Theo Epstein called Marlins GM Larry Beinfest ten days after the GM meetings and asked him if he were interested inm trading Hanley Ramirez for a package including Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz.
“No,” replied Beinfest. End of discussion. “The entire conversation,” says one club official, “lasted all of 20 seconds, a week before Thanksgiving.”
To be fair, Florida did think about it for 20 seconds.
# Rebecca–Optimist Prime–Staying to write the story January 3rd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
V: No one’s stopping you from starting a blog and writing your own.
Getting a chance on a blog like this and that’s the best you got? Whatever floats your boat I guess.
Let’s put it this way. At least it was better than the Igawa story from the other day.
They can certainly put together a package of players and obtain Ramirez. They have the high level talent the Marlins would want. Ellsbury, Anderson, Bucholz and Masterson would get it done. Doesn’t mean Boston would trade 4 prime talents for one player. There is a reason Ellsbury is valued around baseball. Like Peter said. You are nuts if you judge young talented players too early.
Nice post. I guess most Yankee fans come from Manhattan and New Jersey to watch the game.
wouldnt it be great to have a 10 time gold glover who has 371 HR’s and a 339 OBP at a reduced price?
enter Andruw Jones
V, I did it last year as well and it was well recieved.
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/200...../#comments
I make no pretensions that this year’s is better than last year’s, but Yankee Stadium doesn’t close every year.
I am not a professional writer, I don’t get paid to do this, I do it only for the fun of it. Pete is kind enough to let me reach a wider audience once, and I thank him for it.
And in the past year, I’ve met some amazing people, gone to more baseball games than every other year of my life combined and briefly had an email exchange with a book publisher.
Yeah, I’d say it worked out pretty well on my end.
In regards to the guest posters, should we just say good job and pat them on the back and just say thanks for the effort? Or should we actually critique them since this is the big league here. The top of the line. There shouldn’t be any little kids pat on the backs for a job well done if the job is terrible or below par. If people like Rebecca think everyone should congratulate her because she tried really hard she shouldn’t be guest posting here.
This isn’t the minor leagues, hun. If people want to criticize you, you should be man enough to take that criticism.
V-
they do have medication for misdirected hostility, you know.
that might be simpler than having rebecca talking one of her swords off the wall and cutting off your baseballs.
Since when was the trade ever Ellsbury for Ramirez straight up??
Please. Brian Cashman would give 2 fingers to have Ellsbury play CF the next 8 yrs.
“you should be man enough to take that criticism.”
there’s one problem, she isn’t a guy.
Andruw Jones??
I guess that’s the level of discussion in here.
Ed – American League, prepare to be scared! CC, Aj, and MT!! January 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 pm
“you should be man enough to take that criticism.”
there’s one problem, she isn’t a guy.
Ohhh. So because she is female we shouldn’t critique her writing or work? Really? I’m sure every female loves being second class citizens and not judged on their work. I’m sure they love being condescended to because they are female. You go, Ed!
” Brian Cashman would give 2 fingers to have Ellsbury play CF the next 8 yrs.”
maybe your two fingers, but why would he want a player who may have trouble hitting .260 once the league sees him on a regular basis?
“Cashman would give 2 fingers to have Ellsbury play CF the next 8yrs”
Ed’s also the same guy who is saying trade for Aaron Rowand or Randy Winn. That says it all about him.
V
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:11 pm
In regards to the guest posters, should we just say good job and pat them on the back and just say thanks for the effort? Or should we actually critique them since this is the big league here. The top of the line. There shouldn’t be any little kids pat on the backs for a job well done if the job is terrible or below par. If people like Rebecca think everyone should congratulate her because she tried really hard she shouldn’t be guest posting here.
This isn’t the minor leagues, hun. If people want to criticize you, you should be man enough to take that criticism.
————————————————————
I don’t recall Rebecca or anybody else asking for a critique one way or the other.
If this is a sample of your writing skills…..my suggestion is don’t bother submitting anything.
The only talent Cashman can find is if he overpays them on the open market. You’re nuts if you don’t think they Yankee front office would install Ellsbury in CF today and be happy about it.
Then again you think every rookie won’t improve or make adjustments. For real??? I guess you didn’t read Peter’s post before.
I guess you’re the same people who have given up on Hughes, Kennedy, Cano etc.
V,
go wait in the car
Hopefully Peter doesn’t ask GreenBeret7 for any posts. I wouldn’t want 500 words on how much Hughes stinks and how much we need Aaron Rowand in CF.
Thanks GB! He’d also probably jump off a cliff if he got any criticism of his poor writings. Wouldn’t want that on our consciences.
casual observer,
You actually keep posting after proposing we sign Andruw Jones for CF?
I got to respect your stones for overcoming those mental handicaps. I don’t think even GB7 would back you on that one but hey you never know. Godspeed.
V: I understand not everyone will like it. And until you’ve actually submitted work to literary magazines or book publishers, or taken creative writing workshops at a well known university, don’t tell me I can’t handle criticism.
I’m sorry the post doesn’t mean your standards, but, like I said, you’re more than welcome to try it yourself.
If I really cared about whether or not everyone liked what I wrote, I would have stopped my blog after the first troll that said “you’re an average writer”.
But there are obviously a couple of people that do like it, so I will continue to do it.
If you think you can do better, by all means, please, do so. I’d be curious to see what you have to say.
“Ed’s also the same guy who is saying trade for Aaron Rowand or Randy Winn. That says it all about him.”
okay you fricking idiot, can’t you read? I SAID HELL NO TO THAT TRADE. Whatever you read, your brain is transponding very very very slow.
don’t ever put words in my comments that I had typed.
“So because she is female we shouldn’t critique her writing or work? Really?”
do you know it was scaraism? like hehe-haha, geesh it doesnt take a genius to know that.
“The only talent Cashman can find is if he overpays them on the open market.”
and your point is ?
in 2009, yankee overpaid talent on the field will likely whip the red sox overpaid talent on the field.
i’ve never seen the rule that takes a run scored away if it’s been overpaid for.
V
you got good jokes man. that one was funny. and wats so crazy about andruw jones?
Jesus…..Registration can’t start soon enough.
Wow this blog needs registration bad. It’s gotten out of hand.
AQ: Should I let my boyfriend know that’s what you think?
By the way, he’s from a military family and his best friend does MMA.
/ban AQ
/ban V
Unbelievable. Take it somewhere else. Especially you AQ.
“Jesus…..Registration can’t start soon enough.”
amen to that.
Two things.
1. I’ve met Rebecca. She is in no way a Wildebeast and is one of the most intense Yankee fans I’ve ever had the pleasure of going to a game with.
2. that photo is so small that you can barely tell what she looks like!
3. I am ashamed to be a fan of the same team as AQ.
Rebecca has a bigger set of balls then any of you anonymous cowards who come on here and mock her.
Grow up…
Ha. That was Three things. I’m bad at counting, I guess.
aq, v,
rember as your wife left she said it was her not you?,
sorry guys it was you. stop insulting the poor girl shes trying to help out and give us somthing to read. lay off. rebecca great job. keep up the good work.
Good work Rebecca. I suggest that you’ll make the cut out of spring training. You came through in the clutch.
Hey CAS!!
HAH
Where you been?
You lose your observing privileges over at newsday?
Has Pete said registration is going to happen and if so, when?
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/p.....8_4755.jpg
Still think I need a facelift?
I’m sorry, I know I really shouldn’t sink so low…but I’m bored.
No one should reply to these fools. When you reply you give them the attention that they don’t get from anyone else. Just ignore them and their idiotic comments.
No AQ, because you give men a bad name you classless train wreck.
Stick to the sports. Rebecca – I’ve read the blog before & enjoy it. Don’t let the pig headed ones out there get you down. Keep on keepin’ on.
pat- last I heard it was working on it. It can’t come soon enough!
Good point Jennifer, and I’m back to being a silent reader.
Rebecca is beautifull.
leave her alone.
nice pic
Thanks Jennifer. Long time coming.
Jennifer: Thanks for the reminder. I think we forgot to not feed the trolls.
Eh. Thought the story was just OK. Yesterdays was better though
No problem.
I know everyone wants to stick up for other people. But sometimes it is best to ignore them.
Rebecca–Optimist Prime–Staying to write the story
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:40 pm
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/p.....8_4755.jpg
Still think I need a facelift?
I’m sorry, I know I really shouldn’t sink so low…but I’m bored.
————————————————————
Great pic, Rebecca…graduation night?
Hah, well if I had any doubts before, now I know…
Doris: Sorry you didn’t like it much, but thanks for being honest
GB: Brother’s wedding.
wow brackman way to get her hopes up. atleast i was letting her think there was a solution, now she knows she is going to go through life looking like an elf with a girlfriend who looks like rosie odonell
No prob. I give you credit though, you obviously have talent. Just not my cup of tea…
Doris: I totally understand.
AQ
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:52 pm
wow brackman way to get her hopes up. atleast i was letting her think there was a solution, now she knows she is going to go through life looking like an elf with a girlfriend who looks like rosie odonell
————————————————————
Even if what you said were true…things could be worse. She could be going through life as you….or worse….part of your family.
Rebecca–Optimist Prime–Staying to write the story
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:51 pm
GB: Brother’s wedding.
————————————————————
Ah, OK. You look happy. Finally got rid of him, huh? J/K. Congrats to him and all involved…Looking forward to more writing. How about “Knights Of The Round Table vs. Murderer’s Row”?
I love that some people spend their saturdays insulting complete strangers.
Do all the other blog sites have as many schmucks as we do here……I just wonder if it’s the same jerk changing names……Nick in SF……Cards and Chargers today….
GB: That would be interesting, except I was always more interested in Morgana Le Fey and Mordred than Arthur, Galahad and Lancelot…
pat m and gb 7-
there’s more that i miss from the good old days than just nellie fox bats.
i have a feeling aq and v would have lasted about one minute in our neighborhoods.
on the other hand, i think rebecca would have fit right in.
So do the Falcons know that this is Road Warriors weekend?
Yeesh
WOW.
This blog is getting out of control…
Pete…I think we need registration and fast!
AQ January 3rd, 2009 at 4:52 pm
wow brackman way to get her hopes up. atleast i was letting her think there was a solution, now she knows she is going to go through life looking like an elf with a girlfriend who looks like rosie odonell
————————————————–
I really do think it’s time Bellevue just gets rid of computer hour for the patients
Bring me registration.
Rebecca–Optimist Prime–Staying to write the story
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:10 pm
GB: That would be interesting, except I was always more interested in Morgana Le Fey and Mordred than Arthur, Galahad and Lancelot…
————————————————————
How about Morgana Le Fey vs. Morgana Roberts: Mud Wrestling To The Death? Lancelot Link refereeing.
We saw last year at times how well the Yankees are capable of playing the game the right way. The opening series against the Jays was textbook baseball and that stretch of 8 games I think prior to or just after the All-Star Break was fantastic – some of the best Yankees baseball in years. I think the players did revert to bad habits for several reasons, but I would expect that to change next year (I think Jeter and Cano are going to be fine..though I have no clue as to what to expect from Posada and Matsui)
pat m-
totally off topic, but this is as good a time as any to be off topic. can you hit a draw when you want to?
GB: That would be awesome.
Pete said registration is in the works.
The fact that LaDainian Tomlinson’s nick name is L.T. really angers me.
I realize that those are his initials, but, come on! There was only one L.T.
I feel the same way about Iván Rodríguez with “pudge”.
Geez this place really needs registration. I barely check in here during January now I know why.
Randy I,,,I can draw and fade with mid irons and a five wood….Even then it’s not a sure thing per say…..At my best I was a 12….Now adays after all the surgeries I happy to shoot 90….As for the schmucks that attack Rebecca, you know rather than using a Spaulding for punch ball, in this case a chin would suffice….I’d like to expand with far more reaching adjectives, but I’ll leave it at that…..
Randy L
What handicap?
I’m a 16 but if i could hit a draw when I wanted to I could probably be more like an 8.
I wish…
S.A.-Brian “The Ninja” Cashman: Showing free agents lots of love January 3rd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
OT-Picks for this weekend of football:
Colts
Ravens
Falcons
Eagles
————————————————
Watch me go 0-4 somehow this weekend
I’m a Jets fan, I don’t think I have a right to pick.
Rebecca
Bit late on this one, but v nice post. I’m intrigued at your (more than passing) interest in medieval England – as one who has grown up 10 miles from Canterbury, and studied the Plantagenets ad nauseum, I can’t see a whole lot to like! My brother emigrated to NYC 25 years ago, and I wish I had followed him. The grass is always greener I guess…
Pete
Can’t wait for registration, today really has hammered home the point
Randy L
Sorry to intrude, but is that a golf question?
This is way off topic for sports, but, what a terrible thing to wake up to for a parent
http://www.nydailynews.com/new.....avolt.html
Randy
I’m off six and can’t hit anything but a draw, too much.
I get over to Florida every year for a golf trip – you guys have no idea how great your golf courses are compared to the average here in Britain.
Lots of comments on the blog today. We Yankee fans certainly are anxious to get this season going already. Even news of Tex getting his physical and press conference would be welcome at this point.
Rebecca:
In the longer version, did you ask hat-man if he went to the game?
GreenBeret7 January 3rd, 2009 at 5:37 pm
This is way off topic for sports, but, what a terrible thing to wake up to for a parent
http://www.nydailynews.com/new.....avolt.html
—————————————-
Heard about that. Just horrible
Hey Rebecca … don’t stoop to their level.
“I’m a Jets fan, I don’t think I have a right to pick.”
Same here. I just want 1 ring thats all just one and I will be satisfied.
AROD fan: I did. If I remember correctly, he didn’t go to the game either, but it happened a few months ago so I might not be remembering accurately.
CB
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:33 pm
The Yankees look to have a good to very good offense but not a great one by any means.
They also have an offense which has a considerable amount of risk in it.
It’s also simply not true that having Teixeira will allow them to play Garnder in CF if Gardner hits like he did last season.
Boston’s offense still looks to be better than the yankees.
Playing Brett Gardner in CF could easily cost the team 2-3 wins. And 2-3 wins in the AL East can easily be the difference between making the playoffs and staying home.
——–
CB, Thanks for my lead in to my daily Manny blog. We still need more hitting IMO.
Now that there is some interest and potential movement, what if Boras comes back to the Yanks with somewhat of a discount for Manny to join the Yanks?
Do you think Manny really wants to spend the next 3 yrs in SF or LA?
The best place for him is in the AL and I would think he wants to be Yankee for many obvious reasons.
Had to post on him at least once today.
ANSKY–but I’m bored!
j/k, j/k.
Remember the fat football playing guy in the movie Varsity Blues?
The guys hating Rebecca’s picture probably look like that guy an his pet pig.
Well then have fun toying with them Rebecca … should be pretty easy given their collective IQs almost add up to as much as yours.
Aw, ANSKY, why the hate for Billy Bob? He was a nice fat boy!
Welcome back Falcons
When is Tex getting his physical? I’ll drive the guy to the hospital myself. I’ve been waiting for that press conference for 2 weeks!
Adrea –
No hate for Billy Bob or his pig really … they both probably get more action than the guys trolling here.
Al,
The Yankees offices are closed until this Monday and Hal was apparently on vacation… not sure if he is back yet. Things should start picking up again this week.
I also think they wanted to wait until all the beat writers were back before they had this press conference and not make them rush back from their Holiday break.
pat m-
the reason i asked is because when you said you had trouble hitting the low outside pitch as a lefty when you got up to double a, i knew you must open up your shoulders really fast.
that’s great for pulling the ball in baseball, but not so great for staying on the pitch on the outside corner. and even though you play golf righty, it’s the same principle. i’m guessing from the left to right movement you get on the ball naturally that you open up your left front shoulder too quickly.
ironically to hit a good fade you need to know how to hook the ball first. sounds counter intuitive, but it’s all about the club path . your club path is going to follow your shoulders.
so go on the range, take a closed stance to the ball and keep your left shoulder in there (don’t open it up quickly), swing along your shoulder line which will be an inside path to the ball. you’ll be drawing the ball in no time at will.
The Brackman Paradigm PTRS-
same advice as above. 5 handicap, but haven’t played in a while. probably an 8 if had to play today.
ANKSY: true story. Have you seen Ron Lester (the actor who played Billy Bob) lately? He got surgery and is literally about half the man he used to be:
http://blogtalkradio.files.wor.....lester.jpg
Al from BK: I’ve been wondering the same thing. I’ve got classes to let out early if i want to watch it! I teach until 12:15 every day!
They wanted to secure Teix before Christmas and once he agreed, they probably shut things down for the next 2 weeks for the Hollidays. I’m sure he still has to take a physical and cross the I’s and dot the I’s on his contract (especially with Boras), so it may be a little while more before the PC.
Rebecca,
I just had the chance to read your contribution to Peter’s blog. You are a gifted writer and I could almost see the different sights as you described life in the Bronx.
Please don’t pay attention to the moronic attacks on you in this thread. You are a very classy person. I have always appreciated even though I am a Sox fan that you are a very passionate and knowledgable Yankee, but at the same time you maintain a sense of fairness and objectivity.
Our IT guys are working on registration. I asked them to wait and make sure we had it right before we implemented it. But it’s coming.
Meanwhile, reasonable discussion about the pinch hitter posts are encouraged. But I will not stand for people being jerks.
The pinch hitters are amateur bloggers who are putting themselves out in front of a large audience. They deserve all the credit in the world for having that courage, which is far more than I can say for the anonymous dopes being critical of them.
The good news is I was able to ban a few of those dopes.
FWIW, I thought Rebecca’s post was terrific writing.
I’d bet PC on Thursday just like CC/A.J.
Yay Pete!
good job Peter and yes we do need the registration to keep away these dopes. Its these guys who make a bad name for us real yankee fans. I dont think most of us mind criticism, but when it gets to where they are commenting on someones photo and not wanting to look at it that crosses the line. If you dont like something then dont read it and dont come here, do your own thing.
Andrea
I thought you were yanking my chain with that pic of Ron Lester, so I googled him and its true the guy lost over 300 pounds. Wow. Lost about 2/3 his total weight & probably added 30 years to his life.
OK, so those trolls probably look like the pre-gastric bypass version of him.
dano-
we should all head down to south florida later this winter and have sj44 send us off to some good courses that he recommends. play some golf , see some spring training games. sounds good to me right about now with the cape cod wind chill factor about 10 degrees outside.
It seems that it’s just one or two trolls that keep coming back and changing their IPs after they get banned.
I don’t think registration is as necessary as making sure you can track these one or two trolls directly and ban them, trace their IP to the source rather than just ban the IP number. I’d imagine that even with registration, these idiots can find a way to keep coming back if its an IP-ban system.
Either way, these trolls need to be banished.
any reason my posts haven’t been going through?
ah nevermind
It’s a slow time, so here’s a list of great player nicknames. Whatever happened to Piano Legs Hickman, Twinkle Toes Selkirk and Bob “Death To Flying Things” Ferguson?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L....._nicknames
regarding the earlier discussion about how alot of people in the s. bronx cant afford to go to the games and several people’s arguments that the ‘markets are working.:
first off, whether markets work or not does not address the fact of whether any individuals can afford to go to the game. it only addresses how much money the yankees will make. the fact that the yankees can draw 4 million is great and thier buisness plan is fine by me, going to a baseball game isnt a god-given right and the yankees dont owe bronx residents a break in ticket prices (well i could make the argument here that all taxpayers in NYC and NYS, since they financed a huge chuck of the ballpark should recieve discounted tickets, but ill forgo that here).
but the buisness plan and market forces only address how much money can be made, not how many people get priced out. many people were already priced out of the old stadium, now there will be even more. this doesnt affect the yankees much, though it does affect thier neighbors.
pesonally i havent been to yankees stadium in over 3 years, not because i cant afford it, but because i choose not to pay the rediculous priced when i can watch the game on tv. but i would never cry about it, thats a choice i make.
but you cant deny that it is sad that alot of local residents can’t afford to see the yankees play. its also sad that the area lost a very popular park for the new stadium. its also sad that alot of working class families all over the greater NY area cant afford to take thier families to see the team.
sure market forces decide the ticket prices, but that doesnt mean nobody gets shut out.
Even if the Yankees made the every seat 5 dollars, the tickets would still be 100+ bucks a seat due to supply and demand/scalpers.
Only way to reduce demand is to make the tickets even more expensive that nobody will go. Or to put a low quality product on the field.
Back in the late 90′s when the Knicks were always contenders, it was a tough ticket to get. Stand on any corner near the Garden on a game night now and you can buy as many tickets as you want below face value.
“It’s a slow time, so here’s a list of great player nicknames. Whatever happened to Piano Legs Hickman, Twinkle Toes Selkirk and Bob “Death To Flying Things” Ferguson?”
was it a bad sign when i first got a job bullpen catching and my nickname was” clank” ?
Randy I, thanks for the tip…I do close up my stance when hitting my 3 Wood and my driver….I’ve been battling the left to right flight ever since I started to play…My upper body and especialy my hands just come through too fast….Tempo is the singular most challenging part of my game….I’ts even more pronounced now since having my left hip replaced twice and all the knee work…..I plan on getting some lessons and re-invent myself….I have a 7:20 tee time tomorrow, if my short game is on , I’ll ham & egg my way to a 86 ……
GB-
I was at a bar once watching the Yankees. Ken Singleton mentioned the name Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown. The bartender/owner of the bar got so excited he gave everybody a free pint.
randy l
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:37 pm
“It’s a slow time, so here’s a list of great player nicknames. Whatever happened to Piano Legs Hickman, Twinkle Toes Selkirk and Bob “Death To Flying Things” Ferguson?”
was it a bad sign when i first got a job bullpen catching and my nickname was” clank” ?
————————————————————
Either that or you should have gotten the hint every time the team bus went past an auto salvage yard, the manager stopped to bus to get a metal patch to repair your glove.
I hope I am not banned
GB7 some good nicknames there. I wish there was a Cris Berman category too, although his act gets old fast now.
I have Israel and the under
Here’s why they called him 3 fingers:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi.....ingers.JPG
Tom
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:42 pm
GB-
I was at a bar once watching the Yankees. Ken Singleton mentioned the name Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown. The bartender/owner of the bar got so excited he gave everybody a free pint.
————————————————————
That Kenny….always thinking of others. Reading those names is a joy. To pass the time, I look up info to try to figure out how the nicknames came to be. Some are easy, but, Biscuit Pants and Square Pants is a little more difficult.
“Either that or you should have gotten the hint every time the team bus went past an auto salvage yard, the manager stopped to bus to get a metal patch to repair your glove.”
not only that, but they always left me at the salvage yard. good thing i knew my way back to the ball park.
I disagree with the idea that the Red Sox still have a better offense than the Yankees. I don’t think the Yankees are head and shoulders above them, but I do think they are better. Obviously the Yankees have injury questions with Posada and Matsui, but I’d say that Ortiz and Lowell are almost as big risks. Also, Swisher and Cano might not rebound to career average years, but even if they are the worst hitters in the lineup, they are still better than Lowerie or Varitek. I think this is a pretty fair break down…
Damon vs. Ellsbury: Yankees
Damon is definitely the better offensive player, no question. His OPS was 100 points higher last year, he gets on base at a higher rate, and has a lot more power. Ellsbury has more potential to improve because he’s young, but I’d take Damon anyway, especially in a contract year. To be fair, Ellsbury is much quicker.
Jeter vs. Pedroia: Red Sox
Pedroia was great last year and has to be considered a much better offensive player based on those numbers. There’s no reason to think he won’t have another great year next year. Jeter should have a better year next year, but he would really need to have an amazing year to put up better numbers than Pedroia.
Teixeira vs. Youkilis: Yankees
Youkilis had a career year last year, and has steadily improved each year he’s been in the league. That being said, I don’t think he can repeat his numbers from last year. Teixeira gets that production regularly, so you have to like the Yankees better here.
A-Rod vs. Ortiz: Yankees
Ortiz should rebound from last year, but it would be a stretch for him to go back to his MVP hitting numbers. On the other hand, 2009 is an odd year so A-Rod will probably win the MVP again. I don’t think anyone can really argue who’s the better hitter at this point in their careers.
Matsui vs. Lowell: even?
Both of these guys are bit injury questions and similar hitters. Lowell has been more healthy over the last 3 years, but Matsui will be DHing while Lowell is playing the field, so I’d say they have equal chances of staying healthy. They’ve got similar power and are good RBI producers in the 5 hole when healthy.
Posada vs. Bay: Red Sox
Posada is another one of the Yankees injury risks, and even if he stays healthy, it will be hard for him to put up numbers like he did in 2007. If he’s healthy, you can count on him for around 20 home runs and 85 RBIs. Jason Bay is younger and is a more talented hitter at this point in his career. He’s had 30 home runs or more in 3 of the past 4 years. Gotta give the Red Sox the advantage here.
Cano vs. Drew: Red Sox
Cano had a terrible year last year, and Drew did much better in his 2nd year in Boston. Over the last 3 years, Cano has had 25 more extra base hits, but 160 less walks. Drew has played in about 50 less games over that time. Because of Cano’s terrible 2008, you have to say that Drew wins this battle, but if Cano plays like he can, it’s probably even.
Nady vs. Lowrie: Yankees
Even if Nady goes back to his career average, there’s no argument here.
Swisher vs. Varitek: Yankees
Varitek is a terrible hitter. Even if Swisher doesn’t bounce back to his career average numbers, he’s still much better than Varitek. Hell, even if the Yankees decide to put Nady or Swisher on the bench in favor of Melky or Gardner in CF, it’s probably still even.
Wow -
Sounds like I’m glad I missed some of the posts from the last few hours.
So, randy l – “Clank?” Too funny.
GB7 -
Very sad about Travolta’s son. I know a lot of people thought his son may have been autistic, though he and his wife denied that. It makes no difference in any event, except for those who would have loved to use the Travoltas to draw attention to their particular cause. But it must be a nightmare for any parent whose child is prone to seizures. I read the report of his son’s death and was really moved by it. I can’t imagine the heartache.
Did anyone else hear the announcer on that football game mispronounce “Bruce Springstreen?” I got to see Paul McCartney perform at the Superbowl in Jacksonville, FL a few seasons ago. At the time I couldn’t think of anyone I’d have rather seen. Now, I know! The problem is, isn’t there a time limit on the half-time entertainment? How is Springsteen going to do it??????
As far as “critiquing” the guest bloggers – I don’t know why if a person doesn’t like the post they can’t just be civil about it. Or silent. My mom always said if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything. Different to disagree. And Rebecca’s post certainly introduced debatable commentary regarding ticket prices and the affordability of the games for the local community. I think it was great that a “picture” piece also introduced a topic for discussion. Anyway, one can say they don’t like something without being mean, and if they are civil about their dislike, they needn’t be chastised for not liking it.
Tom
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Here’s why they called him 3 fingers:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi.....ingers.JPG
————————————————————
Yeah, some of the names can seem a bit crude or cruel because of physical deformities….relief pitcher Antonio Alfonseca’s nickname is “Octopus”, because he has 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot.
I take my kids to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex and you folks have to spend the afternoon having interesting discussions on whether or not baseball is a free market and whether the Red Sox or Yankee lineup packs more punch.
First, Rebecca, fine writing. It takes some guts to put yourself out there like that.
Second, anybody who uses a free market analogy to discuss baseball economics just isn’t thinking.
Forget stadium subsidies. Ever hear of a territorially protected franchise? That’s what baseball teams have. The supply of seats is artificially limited. When supply is artificially limited, price goes up. Capital (i.e., the Yankee and Met ownership in our case) collects all the benefit.
So don’t tell me it’s “fair” for the Yanks to charge what the “market” will bear for tickets. And I say this as someone who has had four season tickets since 1993.
The Yanks (and the Mets) gather to themselves the benefit of a market of 20 million people with a very high median income and sufficient leisure time to enjoy it. The Yanks have been wise enough to be competitive every year. Of course the Stadium is always full.
If New York were “open”, teams like Kansas City might want to move here. Or if there were not artificial limits on the number of teams, someone might start a new team here.
If we had more teams, the supply of seats would increase, and ticket prices would fall.
But that’s not our world. So the Yanks charge what they can get. The wealthier fans can buy up all the seats and mark them up and sell them on the internet, or through the Yanks’ new re-selling site, and the less wealthy fans can buy those marked-up seats for one or two games.
It’s just the way it is.
By the way, if any of you are “Clash” fans, the R&R Annex has a great temporary exhibit.
pat m -
once you get your inside path down, you can swing as fast as you want .
damn, that’s a lot of body parts replaced.
randy l
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
“Either that or you should have gotten the hint every time the team bus went past an auto salvage yard, the manager stopped to bus to get a metal patch to repair your glove.”
not only that, but they always left me at the salvage yard. good thing i knew my way back to the ball park.
————————————————————
At least they were consistant.
“So, randy l – “Clank?” Too funny.”
baseball players have a really funny sense of humor. it usually revolves around the last thing you want to hear. rick lysander stuck me with that one.
randy l -
The important thing is getting a nickname, though!
Doreen
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Wow –
Sounds like I’m glad I missed some of the posts from the last few hours.
So, randy l – “Clank?” Too funny.
GB7 –
Very sad about Travolta’s son. I know a lot of people thought his son may have been autistic, though he and his wife denied that. It makes no difference in any event, except for those who would have loved to use the Travoltas to draw attention to their particular cause. But it must be a nightmare for any parent whose child is prone to seizures. I read the report of his son’s death and was really moved by it. I can’t imagine the heartache.
————————————————————
A parent losing a child is the worst nighmare I can imagine. parents aren’t supposed to bury their children.
There was another article involving a 14 year old drinking most of a bottle of vodka on a street in NY and dying this past weekend. He paid to adults to buy it for him. That has to be a rough thing to find out from the cops.
randy l
January 3rd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
“So, randy l – “Clank?” Too funny.”
baseball players have a really funny sense of humor. it usually revolves around the last thing you want to hear. rick lysander stuck me with that one.
————————————————————
Ball players and soldiers have that in common. A warped or sick sense of humor, but, it really does help in not taking everything too seriously.
“Pedroia was great last year and has to be considered a much better offensive player based on those numbers. There’s no reason to think he won’t have another great year next year. Jeter should have a better year next year, but he would really need to have an amazing year to put up better numbers than Pedroia.”
i’m not impressed with pedroia. let’s see how he handles it being the man instead of the little engine that could. i think he’s already hit his high water mark. i don’t think he can hit pitchers who keep the ball down on him. i think the league will adjust now that the spotlight is on him.
Randy I,,,,You have a clear understanding to the game of golf….The most difficult game I have ever played….I always have to fight against blocking my hands…..I’m certain if I were to spend an hour at range with you my game would improve by 5 strokes….Did you pick up all this golf fine tuning hanging around with the pitchers in the pen….Those guys were for the most part not the best athletes but the lights out on the links…..Liked the clank comment,,were you a Rawlings guy, or a Spaulding, Wilson leather man ?????
“Ball players and soldiers have that in common. A warped or sick sense of humor, but, it really does help in not taking everything too seriously.”
agree. if you can’t laugh at yourself, being in a pressure situation probably isn’t the place you want to be. irreverence is a great tension breaker.
can sj44 pinch hit?
PAT M
January 3rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Randy I,,,,You have a clear understanding to the game of golf….The most difficult game I have ever played….I always have to fight against blocking my hands…..I’m certain if I were to spend an hour at range with you my game would improve by 5 strokes….Did you pick up all this golf fine tuning hanging around with the pitchers in the pen….Those guys were for the most part not the best athletes but the lights out on the links….. ***Liked the clank comment,,were you a Rawlings guy, or a Spaulding, Wilson leather man***
————————————————————
Sounds like Randy was more of a US Steel guy.
Sorry, Randy.
Wave Your Hat: Just as CB did, you make a lot of excellent points about the macroeconomics of baseball and why the don’t operate in a genuine free market.
However, none of these excellent points really counter what TKinDC said. Are Yankee tickets ‘too expensive’? That question is answered when Joe and Jane Fan gets to the head of the ticket line or the website and asks another question: should I stay or should I go?
pat m-
after lysander tagged me with “clank”, stan cliburn, now the twins triple a manager, took me under his wing and gave me his black wilson back up mitt to break in. it was a lot smaller than the one i was using and it made a huge difference. i still have it.
i got lucky by one day playing in a money game in sarasota, fl to get some experience when i was thrown in a foursome that included a senior tour golfer named dick rhyan. dick was one of the best ball strikers on the senior tour at the time,and he shot a 34 on the front 9 and i shot a 36. he could tell i was fairly new to the game ,and after a few beers afterward gave me a lesson he said hogan gave him as a young pro. it involved focusing on the left hand and turning the left hand over as fast as possible hitting down on the ball. with this approach , you can hit off concrete and hit the ball solidly.
within 20 minutes on the range, my irons were 2 clubs longer with a higher trajectory. he hated giving lessons and told me that was it and i had all i needed. i got around that by hitting behind him on the range and picking up his rhythm.
the big problem i had was that hogan and dick were both small guys and while i’m not big,( 6′ 210 lbs) i had too much distance. 210 yds seven irons, 2 iron was 270yds. it just got silly. i fell in love with the distance and never really got past it. agree golf is maddeningly difficult.
i will say it was fun hitting the crap out of the ball, and i did meet lots of new people on other fairways.
I’m taking that tip to the course tomorrow……That’ll certainly resolve the problem of blocking my hands….I’ve always been conscious of rolling my hands or releasing them too soon…..Great tip….7 irons 200 + , Yikes…..5 iron is what I need to get to 200 yds….
“In his FDNY fleece with his slurred speech, he is every bit the stereotype. A baseball fan from a generation that no longer matters, his opportunity spent.”
Kind of harsh, no?
“Sounds like Randy was more of a US Steel guy.
Sorry, Randy.”
low ,really low.
just when i thought we were making progress. lol.
randy l
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:18 pm
“Sounds like Randy was more of a US Steel guy.
Sorry, Randy.”
low ,really low.
just when i thought we were making progress. lol.
————————————————————
LMAO…Sorry, Randy, but cheap lines are just too easy to pass up. I admire anybody that had enough ability to get past high school ball. Best I could do was playing on the Post teams for the Army. Trouble was, they always wanted me to play in another country. I guess they figured if I was going to hurt somebody, being out of the country was the best thing for everyone.
pat m-
tom watson in his book shows the hand action.
http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Wats.....067188056X
there’s an example where he says put your left hand on a table in front of you like at address. you left hand is up and down (thumb pointing up ).
as you take your hand back on the back swing keep it on the table but rotate it so that your palm is lying flat on the table at the end of the “backswing”.
then on the “downswing”, rotate it back from the palm down position to the thumb up at impact position and continue rotating your hand on the table so that it ends up with the palm up on the table on the follow through. like you’re catching rain with the left hand.
the only twist rhyan gives to this is he says rotate the left hand as fast as you can on the downswing into the ball. he says you can’t do it too fast.
this is a very old fashioned swing thought, but i’ve found that for someone athletic with fast hands like you have it really cuts through a lot of the clutter. the new swing coaches would say this is the tail wagging the dog and they would want you to emphasize your body turning and have the hands follow. this approach i’m telling you about is the other way around, but it really works. focus on the left hand and the right hand and body will follow.
i ended up getting a set of henry- griffitts blades from rhyann and had no trouble drawing the ball with this hand action fairly soon after picking it up. good luck with it.
barnes and noble usually has that book in stock if you want to check out demo using the table example. just practicing on your kitchen table will get the idea across.
Rebecca,
Great job. Another Fordham grad here…and history major to boot. I graduated 17 years ago, so I think most of the faculty who I had for medieval history (like Fr. Pascoe) are retired.
I was at some football games in the fall, and I can tell you that Pugsley’s Pizza is alive and well. If you go out the exit in front of Walsh Hall, turn left, go about a block and its the dive that comes up on the right. Great Pizza. Say hi to Sal for me.
And I’m glad to hear the Jolly Tinker is alive and well too.
“One of the pub regulars walks over to our table and points out his hat, one commemorating the 2008 All Star Game at Yankee Stadium. The same one I am wearing.
“You go to the game?” he asks. His manner betrays a lifetime in this borough, hard work while the world passes him by. In his FDNY fleece with his slurred speech, he is every bit the stereotype. A baseball fan from a generation that no longer matters, his opportunity spent.”
That’s quite a depressing generalization about a man’s life. Perhaps you are trying to dramatize the incident, but it struck me as a bit judgemental and condescending.
“A generation that no longer matters”?? So in your opinion, there are some generations that matter more than others?
hmmmm…
I came here today just to read Rebecca’s post, remembering I liked the one she wrote last year. A number of the guests have said they want to be sportswriters-I’m not sure about Rebecca, but it seems to me someone should hire her today to write about any subject she wants.
Tinkers is awesome! I wish I was there now listening to piano man come on the juke box for what would have to be at least the 9 millionth time.