Pinch hitting: Kevin Rozell
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Feb 04, 2010 
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Today pinch hitter is Kevin Rozell, who looked beyond the roster and the front office to write about a different sort of Yankees legend.
You might know Kevin’s work from Zell’s Pinstripe Blog, but his Yankees roots run much deeper. “My Grandpa Danny was fortunate enough to see Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig play at the original Yankee Stadium when he was a child,” Kevin wrote. Kevin has been blogging since March of 2008 and hopes to eventually work for the Yankees in some capacity.
“I haven’t been around to witness all the Yankees great moments,” he wrote. “But trust me when I say that I’ve done my research and I know the history. I love watching them play, but at the same time I like to act as if I’m the GM and manager.”
———
“Hello there, everybody!” That’s one of the many catchphrases you might have heard by Melvin Allen Israel during his Yankees broadcasts. He was born on February 14, 1913, in Birmingham, Alabama. His love for the game of baseball as a young boy would play a big role in his life.
The future sportscaster attended the University of Alabama where he was a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. He served as the public address announcer at Alabama football games. In 1933, Birmingham’s WBRC was in need of a new play-by-play announcer and Alabama coach Frank Thomas suggested Israel fill the position. It was his first job behind the microphone. Israel’s first broadcast was Alabama’s home opener that year, against Tulane. He went on to earn a law degree from Alabama, but his boyhood love for baseball led him to become first a sports columnist and then a radio announcer.
Soon after graduating from Alabama in 1937, Allen took a train to New York City for a vacation, and he never turned back. While on vacation, he auditioned for the CBS Radio Network as a staff announcer. They already knew about him, as the network’s top sportscaster, Ted Husing, had heard many of his Crimson Tide broadcasts. They hired him at $45 a week. In his first year at CBS, he announced the crash of the Hindenburg. CBS suggested that Mel go by a different on-air last name, so he chose Allen, his father’s middle name. He legally changed his last name to Allen in 1943.
In 1938, Mel landed his first Major League Baseball assignment, as a color commentator for the World Series. Not long after that, Wheaties wanted Allen to replace Arch McDonald as the voice of the Senators, but Washington’s owner Clark Griffith wanted Walter Johnson behind the microphone. McDonald was moving to New York as the first full-time radio voice of the NY Yankees and NY Giants. Allen’s big break came in June 1939, when Garnett Marks, McDonald’s partner on Yankee broadcasts, twice mispronounced Ivory soap as “Ovary Soap.” He was fired and Allen replaced him. McDonald went back to Washington after only one season, so Allen became the Yankees and Giants lead announcer. He was able to do the work for both teams because only the home games were broadcasted.
Allen recounted a memory that occurred during his first full season as the announcer of the Yankees. Lou Gehrig had been forced to retire the previous year due to the disease he was fighting. Gehrig spoke to Mel in the team’s dugout and said, “Mel, I never got a chance to listen to your games before, because I was playing every day. But I want you to know they’re the only thing that keeps me going.” Allen waited until Gehrig left the dugout, and then broke down in tears.
Allen all together called 22 World Series on radio and television, including 18 in a row from 1946-1963. When the Yankees didn’t appear in the Fall Classic, he was called upon anyway to be the play-by-play man (which only happened four times in 18 years).
In 1964, he was fired at only 51-years of age. Back in September of that year, the Yankees informed Allen that his contract would not be renewed. Baseball Commissioner Ford C. Frick honored the Yankees request to have Phil Rizzuto join the broadcast crew instead. The Yankees received tons of letters from angry fans about Allen’s absence from the booth during the World Series. The team issued a press release announcing Allen’s firing — he was replaced by Joe Gargoyle — but the Yankees never gave an explanation. Years later, Allen said he was fired under pressure from the team’s longtime sponsor, Ballantine Beer, as a cost-cutting move because they had poor sales for years.
Eventually, the Yankees allowed Allen to perform as a speaker at special Yankee Stadium ceremonies. He did Old Timers’ Day, which he originally handled when he was the lead announcer. He was also able to take part in the number-retirement ceremonies. He worked for the Yankees again from 1976 to 1985 and was brought back to the Yankees’ on-air team as a pre/post-game host for the cable telecasts with John Sterling. He also started called play-by-play again. Mel announced Yankees cable telecasts on Sports Channel New York with Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, Frank Messer, and occasionally, Fran Healy. Allen made several appearances on Yankee telecasts and commercials into the late 1980s. In 1990, Allen called play-by-play for a WPIX Yankees game to become baseball’s first seven-decade announcer.
Awards and Accolades
• Inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1972.
• 1978 – Mel was the first recipient (with Red Barber) of the Ford C. Frick Award
• Inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.
• Inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 1985.
• Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988.
• Inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
• Ranked #2 by the American Sportscasters Association in its list of the Top 50 Sportscasters of All-Time (January 2009).
Allen moved to Greenwich, Connecticut in his later years and died on June 16, 1996. Years after his death, he is still promoted as having been the “Voice of the New York Yankees.” On July 25, 1998, the Yankees dedicated a plaque in his memory for Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. The plaque stands in the new ballpark today and calls him “A Yankee institution, a national treasure.”
SJ, why would Granderson 2nd? I think the Yankees got NJ for that, given his tendency to get on base. Also, Granderson has power – if he hits lefties at all, it seems to me he should it 5th. I don’t want Cano anywhere except 6th…..or lower. Given his ability, it’s a shame he limits himself in this way, but so be it. I don’t think he deserves the 5th spot; Girardi gave him plenty of chances and he was awful there.
I’m a lot more positive about Granderson and lefties than most people. First, he’s a hard worker and I believe that if you work hard, you can do anything. Then, I think having Kevin Long working with him will help. There is no way the Yankees are benching Granderson anytime soon; Cash was very honest about his issues hitting lefties when the trade was announced. If he thought that it was bad enough so that CG was basically a platoon player, he would never have given up prospects for him.
One major inaccuracy in this post. Phil Rizzuto may have replaced Mel Allen as lead announcer, but he had been a Yankees announcer since 1957. I also thought that Joe Garagiola replaced Allen on the team, but I was at school in Michigan at the time, so I am not going to swear to it.
I also think Cano is primed for a breakout season..not that he hadn’t been good in the past but I think he makes the jump to elite hitter this year. He has all the tools, just needs a little better pitch selection and concentration.
” Make the 3-ring sign and ask the man for Ballantine. ”
” How how about that ” !
Granderson adds speed to the second spot in the order. Johnson does not.
Nick’s ability to work counts can benefit him hitting lower in the order because there is no break for a pitcher. I think it makes the Yankees a better team with Nick hitting 7th (especially ahead of another guy who works counts like Swisher) and Granderson hitting second.
Paul O’Neill also had the rap of being unable to hit lefties.
Kevin Long can help Granderson in that regard and, like they did with O’Neill, they will sit him against certain lefties he can’t hit.
Folks who live for stats can’t get caught up in one season’s worth of numbers and draw conclusions on any player.
If Curtis can hit .230 against lefties, and that’s not great, he is a solid #2 hitter in any lineup.
He becomes a liability in the lineup if he is as bad against lefties this year as he was last year.
Off to try to get something (anything!) done today. Have fun y’all. Play nice.
firing Mel Allen reflects that the Yankees had started making bad decisions in the mid-1960s.
does anyone care what the ravens owner thinks about the yankees?
i love his logic about the 130 wins. in that case, whoever the highest payroll team is should always win, and the records should be solely based on salary.
i am beyond tired of hearing owners rip on the yankees. if it werent for the yankees, half these teams (in mlb anyway), would never have anyone in their stadium.
decent post, but this guy plugs his blog everywhere
I’m going to move back to Michigan. I’m going to become a legal marijuana farmer.
I always associate Allen with This Week In Baseball.
Have any of you read “The Voice” by Curt Smith? It’s a biography of Mel Allen, (supposedly the “untold story” which is nonsense)and it is almost impossible to read. It’s tedious work just trying to get through Smith’s writing style. It’s like he’s trying to be Shakespeare or something. Just horrible.
A whole lotta voices ……..
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....asters.jsp
Blake-
“He has all the tools, just needs a little better pitch selection and concentration.”
At this point and going forward I think Cano’s patience at the plate is limited. Some have pointed out that he may even be more successful when he swings earlier in the count.
Fortunately, he makes great contact. Personally, i think he always going to hack.
GB-
“I’m going to move back to Michigan. I’m going to become a legal marijuana farmer.”
Let me know if you start hiring.
Mel Allen,real name Melvin Israel, was gay.It was common knowledge to every one back in the ‘day’.He also had the habit of going into bars and speaking loudly enough so that any fan would instantly recognize his voice,which enabled him to partake of many a free drink from adoring fans.
A marijuana Field of Dreams?
If you grow it….they will smoke.
MTU
February 4th, 2010 at 10:14 am
GB-
“I’m going to move back to Michigan. I’m going to become a legal marijuana farmer.”
Let me know if you start hiring.
————————————————————
Obviously, I’m going to work hard on quality control, so I’m sure that I’ll have to do many sample tests to get it right.
Interesting post. Ovary soap made me laugh
SJ44,
Granderson would be a fine #2 hitter but I’d like to try Nick Johnson in that spot first. His OBP is just so damn good I can’t help but want him at the top of the order. I say give it spring training or a month into the season and see if his speed (lack there of) plays there. I know Nick isn’t speedy by any means but he isn’t a bad baserunner.
I do agree though that Cano is best suited in the 5 hole – if he can ever learn to hit with RISP. Like you say, it’s all in his head. He has a high slugging % and hits for a very high average. You’d think that would result in a lot of RBI’s out of the 5 hole.
GB-
“Obviously, I’m going to work hard on quality control, so I’m sure that I’ll have to do many sample tests to get it right.”
I’m available to volunteer. I’d like to help you out being a good samaritan and all.
Wow, this blog is all over the place….out of here!
Some years back, maybe 20, Mel did the introductions at a Hall of Fame game in Cooperstown. One of the people that he introduced before the game was Miss NY,
and as the fans politely applauded and she waved in acknowledgement, Mel said, (of course) Now how about that? The crowd cheered like someone hit a home run!
It was a small thing, but it has always stuck in my mind how many other people reacted
to Mel’s voice and that phrase, exactly the way I did. For lots of people now near 60 years old, THAT was the sound of baseball.
SJ44
I agree with you..much prefer Grandy in the “2″ hole. Speed kills in baseball…i think he will hit well in that spot. Agree also that Cano needs to be given the shot to be the #5 hitter. I think he’ll come of age in this spot and if those two moves work out…watch out..not even the BOSOX can match up that well 1-5.
Granderson isn’t going to bat second, Nick Johnson is. TNick’s lack of speed doesn’t begin to offset the .420 OBP. The Yanks got him to bat second and he will.
“That ball is going, going, GONE!”
My main argument for Granderson in #2 (which I agree with) is two fold.
1. If he hits a single, he can take a base and score on another single.
2. If he’s on 1st and Tex dbl’s, he scores. Nick, maybe not.
Wave Your Hat
February 4th, 2010 at 10:29 am
I don’t believe NJ will bat 2nd. Either Granderson or Cano will bat 2nd IMO before NJ.
Nick Johnson will hit second as the point of getting him is to put his .420-.430obp ahead of Tex and ARod…..
having him hit behind Jeter also means that Jeet’s obp increases meaning that Tex and ARod are constantly coming up with men on base and the Yanks will put up many crooked #’s….
Keep in mind the #2 hitter’s in the Yanks lineup last yr saw the 4th highest % of fastballs in the league. As an aside this is the reason I’d been espousing Cano for the #2 spot this season as he is the best fastball hitter on the team and led the majors last yr hitting almost .500 on first pitch fastballs. Nick Johnson, if he stays healthy, will have his best season and thrive in the #2 hole.
The Yanks are looking for Grandy to supply power in the middle of the lineup replacing Matsui’s bat and I think view his real skillset as being similar to Soriano’s and more suited to batting lower in the order in an rbi spot even though he has the wheels to hit at the top of a lineup.
SJ-
I don’t agree with you regarding Granderson batting 2nd – though I think you make a valid discussion on it.
Personally, I’d like to see Johnson in the two-slot getting on base 40%+ of the time for Teix/A-Rod.
Though I’m not completely opposed to sticking Granderson there…
I think NJ’s OBP skills far outweigh his BR abilities. He’s not going to be “clogging” the bases for Teix.
sometime in the early 60′s, on the way back home to connecticut after a yankee game, my father and i passed mel allen on the interstate. i was about 10 years old and said “hey dad , look”. my father looked over and right on cue, mel allen gave him a big wave.
growing up on maine on a farm, mel allen was a radio legend to my dad, so that was a big thrill for him.
out of the blue last summer watching a yankee game , he asked me if i remembered that time mel allen waved at us on the highway. he always gets a kick out of it.
Perhaps if this wouldn’t have been lifted word for word from wikipedia….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Allen
http://contursi.freeyellow.com.....lallen.mp3
a short cool mel allen audio
SJ, thanks. I still think Nick should bat second – I don’t care about his lack of speed. My brother lives in Florida and said that he doesn’t have a problem most times scoring from 2nd on singles or going first to third. I don’t really get why NJ batting ahead of Swish is a bigger effort for pitches to get through than having him bat directly ahead of Tex, Alex, etc….. He’s a very good hitter, so he should get more FB to hit in front of the sluggers (better .BA, less walks?). Swish is a good player, but he’s not someone you fear; pitchers will have fewer problems pitching around Nick if Swish is behind him because the likelihood is that they can get Swish out. I also think Granderson’s power is wasted hitting 2nd.
Might have misread here but the points I agree with is that Nick Johnson is too slow for batting second..better to have someone who can run and make contact. OBP gets too much play. I prefer speed and contact hitters. Example: if Jeter gets a double to lead off the game..I’d prefer somebody to move him over to third not necessairly walk. Tex can drive in the run with a sac long fly. 1998 is a good example of that type of lineup with Knobloch Jeter, Bernie.
Johnson in the 2 hole sounds great in theory because of his OBP and bat control. However pitchers are going to challenge him and avoid walking him at all costs with tex and arod coming up behind him. He would have to swing the bat to be successful in that role and he may very well do that but I don’t think you can count on the high walk totals. I like Granderson there against righties.
Betsy -Romine wasn’t built in a day
February 4th, 2010 at 10:50 am
I personally don’t think of the #2 spot in the batting order is a grinding spot. Most pitchers will be throwing fastballs trying to prevent a walk before Tex or ARod come to bat. So what are you gaining by having NJ bat there. Putting CG or RC there will supply them with more fastballs as both are very good fastball hitters.
I like NJ batting 7th after Posada and before Swish too because the SP gets no relief from their grinding.
great article. i have been a yankees fan since the early 50′s and i was very lucky to have heard mel allen for so many years. thanks for the “post”.
blake-
I’m sure if pitchers thought they could get NJ out by challenging him they would have – he has a career OBP of .420 and there is absolutely no reason to believe it won’t continue.
Getting on base is by far the best predictor of how many runs a player will score – you want the guys who get on base a lot batting before the guys who hit the long ball.
Anyway, the Yanks got NJ to bat second and he will. If he doesn’t get on base the Yanks will move him out of the 2 spot later, but that is strictly a hypothetical because he will get on base.
that mel allen audio was from the final game of the ’39 world series against the reds.
the situation was top of the tenth with the score tied 4-4 dimaggio up at bat.
http://www.baseball-reference......0080.shtml
wow. what a moment in yankee history.
i’ve just listened to it about ten times.
gives chills.
listen to it think about how long this yankee thing has been going on.
just amazing.
Mel was replaced by Joe Garagiola not Joe Gargoyle! (but it is a little funny, I guess he tried to slip that in)
http://contursi.freeyellow.com.....lallen.mp3
that mel allen audio link again
Ray, I get your point, but I still don’t see why it’s an advantage to hit NJ in front of Swish. Swisher is a fine player, but he obviously is not a good average hitter and NJ getting on base for him will be wasted (plus, the things I mentioned before are still issues for me).
“Perhaps if this wouldn’t have been lifted word for word from wikipedia….”
I wouldn’t say “word for word,” but it’s pretty damn close. The structure and sequencing is nearly identical. It is a bit of an injustice… writing about a legend, yet simply rewording a wikipedia article.
I think Granderson is going to end up batting in the 5th spot. With his power he’s likely to be a 30-35 HR guy and that’s who you want batting behind Alex.
Additionally, unlike Jorge, Granderson is going to play everyday which is going to give the Yankees a consistant top five.
I would go:
Jeter
Johnson
Tex
Alex
Granderson
Jorge
Cano
Swisher
Gardner/Winn
on another note, the comments by the Baltimore owner are laughable. Who cares how many games the Yankees win in the regular season? Whether they win 90 games or 150 games it doesn’t matter – it’s all about winning 11 games in the playoffs to Yankee fans.
I hope Damon winds up in Detroit, it would be a nice fit for him I suppose – though having him and Magglio in the corners defensively could be a little rough on the Detroit pitchers.
I don’t know how many of you heard it yesterday – but Cliff Floyd’s interview on WFAN was priceless. He said he was so shocked to be called on to pinch hit in the 2006 NLCS that he contemplated bunting because he knew the situation was going to end badly.
Seems like the Yankees made the smart move grabbing up Winn when they did, turns out Reed Johnson was never really an option since he was deep in negotiations with the Dodgers.
I still think the Yankees will add one more bat via minor league deal – Marcus Thames is the most likely guy. More power than Baldelli and more likely to stay healthy.
Girardi is going to have a plethora of options when it comes to the Lineup.
And in the, end I hope whatever ones he chooses are a conundrum to the opposing side.
Not to mention enigmatic, problematic, and utterly devasting.:)
Speaking of the Tigers, very good deal for them locking up Verlander long term. Seems to be a reasonable contract and probably was made possible by the team dealing away Edwin Jackson and Curtis Granderson.
In light of that deal (and the similar one given to King Felix) San Francisco just looks stupid trying to give Linc a 2 year deal. The baseline is there, they should just get the kid signed and move on.
Speaking of teams locking up their young players, I’m thrilled that it seems Mauer is staying in the Twin Cities. I would love to have a player of his talent on the Yankees, but as I’ve said before – certain guys should just stay with one team and Mauer is one of those guys. I just hope that the Twins don’t start dumping the players around him (Morneau, Cuddyer, Nathan) to make up for the money that they’re spending on Mauer.
Speaking of the Twins, with Delmon Young out of favor up there would anyone consider an Aceves for Young deal and hope that Delmon turns his career around?
vin
February 4th, 2010 at 11:08 am
“Perhaps if this wouldn’t have been lifted word for word from wikipedia….”
I wouldn’t say “word for word,” but it’s pretty damn close. The structure and sequencing is nearly identical. It is a bit of an injustice… writing about a legend, yet simply rewording a wikipedia article.
————————————————————
That’s why I don’t even bother reading that site. Everything that get’s written (pasted/posted) on their is somebody elses work that is passed off as original.
MTU
nice use of vocabulary
on ***there*** is somebody elses
I am looking forward to the nightly “challenge” that GTLU is going to be, because I suspect Girardi will be playing around with that lineup most of the season, and that means you guys here will think up a zillion even more mind-bending lineup combinations! Fun, fun, fun!!!
Kate-
Thanks. It helps when you make Webster your friend.
MTU
February 4th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Girardi is going to have a plethora of options when it comes to the Lineup.
And in the, end I hope whatever ones he chooses are a conundrum to the opposing side.
Not to mention enigmatic, problematic, and utterly devasting.:)
————————————————————
Looks like somebody was cleaning out their attic and found their “Creative Writing” text book.
I’m a lot more positive about Granderson and lefties than most people. First, he’s a hard worker and I believe that if you work hard, you can do anything. Then, I think having Kevin Long working with him will help. There is no way the Yankees are benching Granderson anytime soon; Cash was very honest about his issues hitting lefties when the trade was announced. If he thought that it was bad enough so that CG was basically a platoon player, he would never have given up prospects for him.
=============
Betsy I disagree with you here. Cashman knows the issues and he also understands that 2/3 of the time Granderson will be facing righties and he will be a stud against them. The idea that all of a sudden Granderson will become even average against lefties is wishful thinking and probably about around a 5% chance (sure it could happen but is HIGHLY unlikely. For you Holdem players it is about as likely as hitting your gut shot on the river.
Last year Gardner had a higher OPS against lefties than Granderson has ever had since becoming a full time player (the last 4 years). Smart money would say that at the end of the year Gardner will have a higher OPS than Granderson against lefties.
“waved back by Dickey”
“joe dimaggio rips a drive”
“crosetti comes into score”
“keller rounding third”
“crashes into lombardi”
dickey- hall of fame
dimaggio- hall of fame
crosetti- in 23 world series as a player and coach
keller- .410 lifetime OPS 5 all star teams
lombardi- hall of fame
wow, what a baseball moment in time
Wave, hope you’re right.
MTU, re: cano. I wasn’t saying he needs to be Jason giambi. Jeter is aggressive but doesn’t swing at pitches to get himself out which Cano does quiet often. There is a difference in being aggresive and swinging at pitches that all you can do with is pop up or roll over and ground out. He needs stay stay aggressive in the zone and become better at laying off pitches that he can’t drive. He does that and he becomes an MVP candidate.
GB-
“Looks like somebody was cleaning out their attic and found their “Creative Writing” text book.”
How would I ever get up there when my elevator doesn’t go to the top floor ?
It is more interesting than, “WOW!!!! “Girardi sure has a bunch of options this year”.
gb7-
i had plethora once , but penicillin cleared it right up.
Blake-
More selective might be good but I just don’t think it’s likely with Cano. He shows moments of patience then usually reverts back to hacking.
Time will tell.
Did I miss the memo? Who said NJ was brought in to be the #2 hitter? He was brought in to DH.
I doubt very seriously if Joe G has NJ batting 2nd.
Randy-
“i had plethora once , but penicillin cleared it right up.”
Sometimes you can’t just clap your hands and expect things to go away.
randy l.
February 4th, 2010 at 11:24 am
gb7-
i had plethora once , but penicillin cleared it right up.
————————————————————
Forget it, pal. You ain’t gonna sucker me into that trap. I’m too smart for you.
“Folks who live for stats can’t get caught up in one season’s worth of numbers and draw conclusions on any player”
How do arrive at the premise that Granderson’s disasterous numbers against LHP’s is somehow limited to one season? He had only one season when he wasn’t disasterous against LHP’s. “Folks who live for stats” probably should pay less attention to the one year he was decent against LHP’s and more to the balance of his career, when he has stunk against them, no?
Kate-
And on a serious note. How’s your dog ?
RayVT
February 4th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Did I miss the memo? Who said NJ was brought in to be the #2 hitter? He was brought in to DH.
I doubt very seriously if Joe G has NJ batting 2nd.
==============
One of these days I might find a post from you that I agree with…
Why put a guy with the 3rd best highest OBP in baseball (behind Mauer and Pujols) batting in front of your 2 sluggers???
RayVT-
You didn’t get the memo? You gotta pay attention, I’m pretty sure I saw you copied on it…
“Who said NJ was brought in to be the #2 hitter?”
When dealing with Boras on Damon, Cashman apparently did tell Boras he had, and I paraphrase, found a #2 hitter at less than half the price Boras was seeking for Damon. That said, just because Cashman thinks he’s a #2 doesn’t mean Joe G does.
Doreen – Ain’t it Just “Grand”?
February 4th, 2010 at 11:19 am
I am looking forward to the nightly “challenge” that GTLU is going to be, because I suspect Girardi will be playing around with that lineup most of the season, and that means you guys here will think up a zillion even more mind-bending lineup combinations! Fun, fun, fun!!!
*************
I am excited to participate in GTLU this season
Side note- I started off my day at work by spilling someone else’s lunch all over the floor. Did you ever get the feeling it may not be a good day?
MTU
Thanks for asking. She is ok. We were concerned that she was diabetic, but it turns out she has Cushings disease, which is fairly common in older dogs, and cairn terriers are one of the more suseptible breeds. She will be 15 next week, and is starting to show her age, but still has a lot of life left (probably due to our younger dog keeping her active).
Erica-
“I am excited to participate in GTLU this season”
I hear Miggs is workin” out hard this offseason in order to defend his title.
Some people have claimed to have spotted him and Joba running the outfield together.
“Side note- I started off my day at work by spilling someone else’s lunch all over the floor. Did you ever get the feeling it may not be a good day?”
On the contrary. If it were really not going to be a good day, it would have been your lunch that you spilled all over the floor.
Kate-
“We were concerned that she was diabetic, but it turns out she has Cushings disease”
Well kate, I don’t know what that is but people sometimes get “cushions” disease from watching too much baseball.
Thankfully, it clears up with regular exercise.
Frank-
Good point.
Frank
February 4th, 2010 at 11:43 am
“Side note- I started off my day at work by spilling someone else’s lunch all over the floor. Did you ever get the feeling it may not be a good day?”
On the contrary. If it were really not going to be a good day, it would have been your lunch that you spilled all over the floor.
***************
I wouldn’t have felt as bad if it was my own lunch. I would have been annoyed, but because I destroyed someone else’s I was annoyed AND guilty
MTU
LOL, I wish it was cushions, as she does lie around a lot. Cushings is a disease of the adrenal glands, causing increased drinking and peeing, especially it seems in the middle of the night. I guess that could happen from watching too much baseball as well, if many beers were consumed
Kate,
Yea cushings is pretty treatable in humans..I’m assuming its the same in dogs so hopefully she will be ok. I have a 5 yro rat terrier and I swear that dog still acts like he did when he was 1 if not even more energetic.
Chip, I didn’t even read the guy’s comments; it’s hard for me to take him seriously when he has a last name like an Italian cookie, lol.
Blake-
Sounds like it may be a case of DADHD.
Kate-
Isn’t that almost always the case (too many beers consumed).
Joe Girardi can use 3 weeks of exhibition games to mix and match the lineup as a look see.
The only hitters etched in stone for where they’ll hit is Jeter, Teixeira, Alex, and the No. 9 hitter. It will sort itself out in due time.
MTU
Yes that’s what I would call it. He requires constant attention but he’s fun most of the time.
Blake-
Just find him more rats. That should take care of it.;)
MTU
A rat would scare that dog to death .
Blake-
That’s why I refuse to “Neuter” my dogs.
Guru Man
February 4th, 2010 at 11:35 am
LOL! I looked at NJ’s stats & it looks like he only batted 2nd in the order last year with the Marlins. Before that he predominately batted 4th over the last four years.
I’ve been looking at my memos. I must be getting old!! I still even after reading McCash speak, believe NJ bats 5th to 7th in the lineup.
I believe Granderson will do better at 2nd in the order because he will be batting in front of Tex & ARod and most likely after Jeter got on base. He will see more fastballs and he can handle a fastball whether RHP or LHP. If offspeed pitches are thrown, Jeter most likely takes an extra base. With CG’s speed, he’d be hard to DP. In Det as a leadoff hitter he was pitched more closely with a lot more breaking balls. I really like the idea of CG batting 2nd.
Wave Your Hat
February 4th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Thanks Wave!! I knew I could count on you.
New post about announcers.
HOW ABOUT THAT?….the pinch hitter homers in his first at bat!!!….I’m not sure Mel’s broadcasts were responsible for the decline in Ballantine Beer sales……but I remember one day in the early 1950s that he didn’t help his cause……I was in a restaurant with my dad, when Mel came in after a game, sat down next to us, and ordered a beer….the waitress said to Mel, “that’d be a Ballantine, right?”….to which Mel replied, “Naw, don’t bring me any of that piss.”
Great post kid. Its nice to see a person his age have an appreciation for the Yankee tradition
RayVT
February 4th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Guru Man
February 4th, 2010 at 11:35 am
LOL! I looked at NJ’s stats & it looks like he only batted 2nd in the order last year with the Marlins. Before that he predominately batted 4th over the last four years.
I’ve been looking at my memos. I must be getting old!! I still even after reading McCash speak, believe NJ bats 5th to 7th in the lineup.
I believe Granderson will do better at 2nd in the order because he will be batting in front of Tex & ARod and most likely after Jeter got on base. He will see more fastballs and he can handle a fastball whether RHP or LHP. If offspeed pitches are thrown, Jeter most likely takes an extra base. With CG’s speed, he’d be hard to DP. In Det as a leadoff hitter he was pitched more closely with a lot more breaking balls. I really like the idea of CG batting 2nd.
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How do you know the breaking ball is what gives him trouble? Not saying it isn’t but you are just guessing. NJ should bat 2nd and Granderson should bat 5th against righties and 8th/9th if he starts against lefties. My real concern is late in close games, we have no answer for a lefty specialist who comes in against Granderson and Gardner. If you think about it, we probably need to separate the two of them…but we could use a stud guy who crushes lefties.
2010 New York Yankees:
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Johnson DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson LF
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Brett Gardner CF
CC Sabathia
AJ Burnett
Javier Vazquez
Andy Pettitte
Phil Hughes
David Robertson
Mariano Rivera
How about SEA rotation?
Cliff Lee- Felix Hernandez- Erik Bedard
Wow, GB7 is right, this is straight up plagiarism, cut-and-pasted from wikipedia. Just ridiculously lame.
I could have read this on wikipedia
This is lifted almost verbatim from Wikepedia. Imagine he changed some words a little to hide the plagerism. That’s how he screwed up the Rizzuto, Mel Allen Part – the Yankees insisted that Phil be the announcer for the 64 World Series announcing crew. Phil had been broadcasting since 57.
I emailed Sam about it this afternoon, but he hasn’t responded — oh well. Would’ve thought plagiarism is kind of a big deal on a newspaper site. This kid is a joke.
“Ranked #2 by the American Sportscasters Association in its list of the Top 50 Sportscasters of All-Time (January 2009).”
i just looked at the list of 50 and there’s some crap announcers on there…
please tell me how Joe Buck makes this list above Rizzuto?
i bet Joe Morgan was #51
http://www.americansportscaste.....sters.html
I left a comment on this guy’s blog about the plagerism and he deleted it. Nice!