Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Apr 01, 2009 
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Joba Chamberlain looked more like himself in a solid outing against the Reds. Even the once recalcitrant Jorge Posada believes he should be a starter.
Bob Sheppard will not be ready for the start of the season. This notebook also has news on Jonathan Albaladejo’s happy day, sad times for Brett Tomko, Mariano Rivera, Hideki Matsui, Brett Gardner, CC Sabathia and Kevin Cash.
Alex Rodriguez is making progress with his rehab.
Columnists Sam Borden takes a look at Lonn Trost, who as the COO of the Yankees has been consumed with the details of the Stadium.
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Today is the final game in Tampa. The team flies back to New York tonight, as do I. The players do not have to report to Steinbrenner Field until 11 a.m., so look for a lineup closer to that time.
Has anyone else noticed that Gardner seems to hit a lot better from the leadoff spot than the 9 hole?
For those with the iPhone, the MLB at bat 2009 was released a couple of days ago. It promises to have GAMEDAY AUDIO for every game, even with the option to listen to the home or away game. Check it out it’s $10!
ARod who?
While I do admire Lonn Trost’s dedication to his job, I can’t say I would want to be married to him. No vacation with his family since 1996?
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....es_to.html
AJ’s road in the majors has been bumpy, but in that experience he seems to have gained insight. It’s wonderful that he’s trying to pass this wisdom down to Joba (and the other kids). I guess AJ’s been a surprise to a lot of people……….a very pleasant one.
“ARod who?”
Alex Rodriguez, brother of Francisco Rodriguez, cousin of RootyTooty Rodriguez.
Just curious – I notice that CC is scheduled to throw few pitches than he did last time out. What would be the reason for that?
Have a safe flight back to New York Pete. Looking forward to checking out the new stadium on Friday night.
Isn’t CC starting on Monday.
Hey I love Bob Shepard as much as everyone else, but can we let the man retire already and just move on with the new stadium and a new announcer already. Enough with the health watch. It’s sad, really sad, let him be. Stop with the pressure and creating this legendary “voice of god” crap.
Thank you Nettles for putting it so eloquently
Butch what are you talking about he wants to come back.
Joe Girardi should tell Brett Gardner that he’s really not the starting center fielder. He should tell him that it was just an early April Fools joke.
The joke would work best if Girardi hands him a plane ticket to Scranton after telling him the news.
“Joe Girardi should tell Brett Gardner that he’s really not the starting center fielder. He should tell him that it was just an early April Fools joke.
The joke would work best if Girardi hands him a plane ticket to Scranton after telling him the news”
you must be the poster “bovhisnaa” (check spelling) in disguise. He hates Gardner
I’m not so sure I like how he phrased it, but I agree with Butch that Shepard should retire. Even if he wants to come back, the man hasn’t had his health in quite a while, and he’s been revered by the fans for decades. He’s got nothing left to prove. I’d like to see him come back for one game at the new stadium if he’s up for it, and then he should retire.
And speaking of retirement, Bernie please, we love you too, but you’re done.
“Hey I love Bob Shepard as much as everyone else, but can we let the man retire already and just move on with the new stadium and a new announcer already. Enough with the health watch. It’s sad, really sad, let him be. Stop with the pressure and creating this legendary “voice of god” crap”
actually, this is true
in other words, let Bob Shepard maintain his dignity. And what his body of work should be remembered for.
“While I do admire Lonn Trost’s dedication to his job, I can’t say I would want to be married to him. No vacation with his family since 1996″
I wonder when is the last time Randy Levine had a vaction. I am willing to give him one
This just in! Alcohol will be served in the Yankee stadium bleachers! Cant wait for the season to start. Lets go Yankees!
New Monument Park looking sharp:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2.....403463381/
have a safe trip back pete, now on dusty bsker, who argue balls and strikes in st
All this A-Rod who stuff needs to go away. It was Spring training. Let’s see if we can put up 10 runs a game in regular season games before you start saying we are better off without him.
Re: Cashman seeking middle infielder
By the sound of the notebook, it seems Cashman isn’t fully satisfied with having to choose between Berroa and Pena. Perhaps he even wants someone better than Ransom which would push Ransom to the utility role, allow them to cut Berroa and send Pena to AAA.
“The Yankees will wait a few days to pick the final player on their bench as Cashman wants to see if a player becomes available who is better than Angel Berroa or Ramiro Pena.”
Two weeks ago when Ransom was hitting .350 there were no worries. Now he cannot really seem to hit anything, so of course Cash is going to keep a feeler out. 6 weeks without our best hitter.
I see I raised Dave’s dander by dismissing Ramiro Pena’s offensive capacities. He mentioned Ozzie Smith. A curious comparison. Ozzie played the position so capably that no defensive stat or stat package can measure his true worth. He saved tens of runs every year.
More important, he hit very competently between 1984 and 1993. He was a patient, though not powerful, hitter. He drew about 75 BB/yr during that span. Ramiro Pena is rated in the single digits on baseballcube’s “patience” scouting metric.
Also, while total RS will probably decline, we will not return to a time when an OPS of .686 (Ozzie in 1988) would represent the output of an average player.
Dave also wishes for a future with no more Hanley Ramirezes. Awesome. I don’t know what a “speedster” is, Dave, if not a guy who can steal close to 140 bases in three years. Was his 2008 .940 OPS too high for your taste? Do you resent the fact that he was only an average fielder in 2008 (allowing 0.3 more runs over the course of the season than the average SS)?
Why, in 2008, there was no man more valuable than Hanley Ramirez! Despite what the “writers of america” think. Boy, I can’t wait for a future where diminished talent is the watchword.
Have a safe trip back Pete
“I see I raised Dave’s dander by dismissing Ramiro Pena’s offensive capacities. He mentioned Ozzie Smith. A curious comparison. Ozzie played the position so capably that no defensive stat or stat package can measure his true worth. He saved tens of runs every year”
greatest defensive player, in history of Major League Baseball
vinny-b,
I love Gardner. You have me confused with someone else.
I loved watching Ozzie Smith field! And I never got the impression that his fielding was “carrying” him. During the era that he played, I always had the impression he was a good all around player. Shortstops of the time were not expected to be power hitters.
I also enjoyed watching do his acrobatics on the field.
anyone know if the first game of the season will be on TV other than YES? I live in Virginia and have no option to get YES and must rely on the likes of ESPN to give me my Yankees (too cheap for any extra innings/MLB subscription)
arod suspended
“I love Gardner. You have me confused with someone else”
Clay: I was only half-serious. Were responding to your April Fool joke suggestion. : )
Doreen:
Ozzie’s early statistics (hitting) were pretty lean. And from middle to later stage of his career, he was a very competent hitter. I give him even more credit, for the deveopment he made.
Doreen:
by the way. Agreed. He was not a showboat. Just completely on a different level, from any defensive player, who have ever seen
Hey gang, question if anyone has the answer. In the new Stadium, will you be able to get into the main part of the Stadium if you have a bleacher ticket? I think I’ve found a really good bleacher seat for Opening Day, but I also want to be able to hang out in the Stadium itself and look around. I know that when I went to the last game last season the only reason I got into the main Stadium is because I had a tier reserve ticket and the only reason I ended up in the bleachers is because I traded off seats with someone. But when I tried to go from the main Stadium into the bleacher section is was a big fritatta. And once I was there I was relegated to second class status!
Not that I minded because I absolutely loved sitting there. But I couldn’t get back into the main Stadium and had to meet my ex out on the street.
Thanks.
It was no April fool’s joke for Clay “Laptop” Buchholz when Francona informed he was being sent down in favor of Brad “Iffy shoulder” Penny.
Once again, a spring training filled with great work from Pete!
So the Yankees won the Grapefruit League. BD!
April fools! Actually it is a big deal.
I seriously don’t think the Yankees are going to do well this year. In fact, I think the Red Sox have a cracker jack team.
Okay, those are my three April fool jokes for the day.
Onward and upward.
Sheffield mentioned bein interested in Tampa. However, he said the only teams who contacted him, have been NL teams.
Phillies, etc
Did you all hear what Jorge said regarding Joba?
” He is going to be our 5th starter. We are going to need him in order to win. If he has to to throw 120 pitches, then that is what has to do.” In reaction to what Giradi said regarding his pitch count.
The last thing the Rays need is someone like Sheffield poisoning their core. I wouldn’t want Sheffield “mentoring” Carl Crawford, nor telling Maddon how to do his job. Let him go to a more established team and act out there.
“I seriously don’t think the Yankees are going to do well this year. In fact, I think the Red Sox have a cracker jack team”
definitely, April Fools joke
cracker jack team. lol
“The last thing the Rays need is someone like Sheffield poisoning their core. I wouldn’t want Sheffield “mentoring” Carl Crawford, nor telling Maddon how to do his job. Let him go to a more established team and act out there”
while i like Sheff. Tampa Bay doesn’t need him. They have been very successful with their core. Don’t see a fit
“cracker jack team. lol”
I knew you’d like that!
What are the chances that the Yankees pick up Dallas McPherson to play 3B while ARod is out? He seems like a good prospect in AAA anyway and was just released.
Now THIS really ticks me off. StubHub only provides e-tickets. So there is no way I can get the hard ticket for the game. I absolutely would want that for the very first game at the new Stadium! What a rip off.
I’m sure that means that on top of ripping you off on the price of a ticket, the seller will then go to eBay and make even more on the venture by selling the hard copy of the ticket at a premium since it is the very first game in the new Stadium.
(If I knew how to make a plissed off emoticon, I would have used that!)
trisha,
I believe you are allowed to move freely throughout the stadium.
At first I heard that nobody except field level ticket holders would be allowed to enter a certain food level food court but I have since heard that they rescinded that edict.
Out of the goodness in their hearts, now all ticket holders will be allowed to spend their money at their choice of snack bar.
also, there are now “regular” seats in front of the bleachers. section 101,103 etc.
Bob Sheppard is 97 years old for a reason. He likes to work and stay active as he’s done all his life – not sit in his favorite chair for a couple of decades waiting to die.
Hell, he was a professor at St. Johns as well not all that long ago.
The Yanks aren’t pushing him to do anything. He wants to come back and work in the new Stadium.
Bronx, this was actually section 202, first row. I seriously would have loved that. But I am really upset that I can’t get the hard ticket. Do you think I am cutting off my nose to spite my face?
“Out of the goodness in their hearts, now all ticket holders will be allowed to spend their money at their choice of snack bar.”
trisha,
I still have the email for my ticket to the 2004 game 1 world series. The only world series ticket I ever owned. Never even printed it.
One day I’m going to get it autgraphed by David Ortiz.
So then are you saying you think I should just go for it?
yeah, Giuseppe is right. Look at how quicly Steinbrenner went downhill after he quit running the team…for a lot of older folks the drive of their job is what keeps them healthy and in a good frame of mind. If Sheppard has the desire to continue announcing the games, he has certainly earned the right to do that.
Hey first row! That’s cool. Wasn’t the 10,000 $ ticket?
Actually that ticket was in 101 or 103. The sections on the RF wall.
Cameras to monitor umpires:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04.....ref=sports
Bronx, the ticket is $385. That’s probably a comparative bargain for Opening Day.
yeah don’t let a ticket stub hold you back.
One thing should be clear. This is NOT Yankee Stadium. It’s just a modern version made to look like Yankee Stadium.
I’m sure it’s not much different from the umpteen new parks that have popped up over the last decade. It’s got a nice granite facade. That’s the big difference.
Thanks Bronx. That was the advice I needed. I’m going to go for it.
And anyway, what do you really do with a ticket stub? I’m not a collector, plus I only have the e-ticket from the last game at the Stadium and that’s because I traded off with a stranger. It never occurred to me that I was giving up the hard ticket when it happened. Of course now I wish I had thought to walk him to his seat and then take the ticket from him, but I doubt he would have gone for that!
385$ ?
Hey the most valuable thing is your memories.
And really, that stub is not going to be worth anymore to someone else than it is to you.
Besides an 8 – 1/23 X 11 ticket takes up more room on the wall anyway.
“Besides an 8 – 1/23 X 11 ticket takes up more room on the wall anyway.”
Yeah it’s $385. Bleacher seats are $14. But you know you’re going to pay up the ying yang for Opening Day at the new place.
For $500+ more I could sit 5 rows from the field, right behind home plate. But I have an aversion to being behind that netting. And I might also have an aversion to paying $900 for a ticket, even though that is face value for that one and it would come from my tax money.
Bronx, I will probably end up doing my usual. Thinking about it and thinking about it and ending up losing the ticket, instead of just doing it! I’m always thinking something better might come along. The story of my life…
Pete, I think it’s a huge advantage to be able to watch the Yankees (and othe teams) live and in person including BP, infield practice, bullpen sessions,etc. as well as the games. You seem to have grasped that reality and taken advantage of such opportunities this year – which make most of your comments seem right on the money. Do other beat writers and bloggers also take advantage of this perk? Just curoius.