Tagged: NY Post
There Was Only One Thing To Do After This One
Celebrate. Uh-huh.
Getting into the postseason is no small feat, and, like the Yankees, I decided not to let the occasion go by with merely a “Yay.” After watching the players douse each other in the visitors clubhouse at the Rogers Centre (I don’t get the post-game show here, so I had to wait for the party clips on the YES web site), Michael covered the shower wall with plastic so it would look “authentic” (a Hefty garbage bag like last year), escorted me inside, dumped champagne on my head and handed me the rest of the bottle. It wasn’t the good stuff and tasted like stale beer, but the sentiment was there even if I did end up looking like Alice Cooper. Woohoo, Yankeeeeeeees!
CC was The Man. He gave the team innings. He gave them effectiveness. He gave them the confidence to score runs. (Loved all the sac flies.) He gave them a true ace. And Mo. Well. Of course he wrapped it up. I know the division title is still up for grabs, but just knowing for sure that we’ll be watching October baseball is a thrill that never gets old. I thought back to 2007 when I was following the Yanks around the country for the She-Fan book. We were in Tampa, at the Trop, when they clinched their Wild Card berth and the Post’s Charles Wenzelberg promised he’d bring me back a champagne cork from the party. True to his word, he brought me the cork when we were in Cleveland for the ALDS. I still have it.
I keep it with my jewelry. To me, having a memento from a Yankees celebration is more valuable than diamonds or pearls.
Minka and Jeet’s First Dance at the Wedding
Ever since it was reported that The Captain and Minka were tying the knot in November, there’s been speculation about whether or not the story is a hoax. I still think it’s his sister who’s walking down the aisle at Oheka Castle.
Jeter never struck me as the castle type. On the other hand, he’s building one of his own on that private island near Tampa, so what do I know? Maybe he likes the idea of an enormous place where he and Minka can hang out with his Yankees buddies and their wives.
And the castle does have aura and mystique at night.
It’s certainly roomy enough so that all the Yankees can be invited, even Lonn Trost.
And how about the reception? It would be beautiful at the castle.
Of course, when I saw the dance floor it occurred to me that Derek and Minka will need to have the requisite “first dance.” I wonder what their special song is. And will he wear his batting helmet when he takes his bride for a spin? I doubt it, but I figured they should at least practice for the big occasion.
Waiting For My Flight To NY
So here I am, sitting in the Delta Crown Room at LAX, wondering when my 10:20 a.m. flight to JFK will ever take off.
Apparently, this is happening on the East Coast?
They’re telling us we’ll start boarding at 11:40, but somebody else said it would be more like 12:40 – if that.
How to occupy myself? I tried reading the papers, but who wants to see this in the Post?
YANKEES WINLESS VS. RED SOX
Or this in the Daily News?
Red Sox rough up Chien-Ming Wang, extend win streak over Yankees to 7
Too depressing.
I thought about walking around interviewing other passengers with the She-Fan Cam. But they’re all talking on their cell phones and looking very….intense.
So I ordered a glass of wine. Yeah, it’s 10:38 in the morning, but it’s free and I’m terrified of flying into the storm.
And now that I have a little buzz, I can free associate about tonight’s finale against the Red Sox. My flight was supposed to land in plenty of time for me to catch most of the game, but who knows at this point.
So here’s what I think will happen, weather permitting.
* CC will shut down the Sox hitters and throw a complete game.
* A-Rod will shock the clever “You do steroids” chanters with a blast into the seats.
* Melky will emerge from the slump he’s been in since his shoulder injury.
* Jeter will stop swinging at the first pitch and, instead, torment the Red Sox with his patented inside-out singles.
* Tex will go on another offensive tear.
* Cano will walk.
Alcohol is a beautiful thing.
America’s Most Wanted: A-Rod’s Cousin
We all heard A-Rod explain during the press conference that it was his cousin who told him about “Boli,” procured the banned substance for him and injected him with it.
“What’s the cousin’s name?” asked George King of the Post.
A-Rod demurred.
The manhunt was on.
As of this writing, none of the crack journalists from SI, ESPN or the New York papers have found the cousin and have not, therefore, been able to verify A-Rod’s story.
The experts at these agencies haven’t had any luck, either.
Which has left the job to the She-Fan Detective Agency of Santa Barbara, California. My staff and I have been toiling into the wee hours, and while we haven’t located our man yet, we do have “persons of interest” in the case. I’d like to share them now in the hope that someone will come forward with valuable information.
Please look closely. Have you seen Alex Rodriguez at any time with one of the following?
Pedro Rodriguez. The Dominican born U.S. citizen lives in Paterson, New Jersey, and is Operations Manager at Sprint Nextel Communications. He is married with three boys and is said to harbor a passion for baseball.
Ramon “Mone” Rodriguez. Originally from Puerto Rico, he grew up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, went to college at NYU and earned a degree in sports management. He later became an actor and has appeared on such TV crime shows as “The Wire.”
Carlos Rodriguez. A self-described “typical Argentine gym rat,” he played on the men’s professional tennis tour until moving to Belgium and becoming the coach, trainer and health and fitness guru of former #1 player Justin Henin.
Armando “Manny” Rodriguez. Born in Havana, Cuba, he graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He is currently VP, Global Sales and Marketing of DuPont-Sabanci International, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware.
Sergio Rodriguez. Born in Tenerife, Canary Islands, he is a professional athlete who plays in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers and goes by the nickname “Spanish Chocolate.”
Again, if you have information on any of these “persons of interest,” contact the She-Fan Detective Agency. We’re eager to close the case and move on to baseball. Thank you.
OMG! What Will Become Of Derek Jeter?
Just when Yankee fans thought it was safe to go back on the sports pages, there’s a story by Joel Sherman of the Post that’s driven bloggers bloggy. With spring training a mere week away, why must we be faced with the next soap opera already? And why must it star Derek Jeter?
(No, I’m not the one in the photo throwing myself at Jeet. I don’t own a Giambi jersey or a pair of skin-tight white shorts. Nor have I ever run onto the field. Well, in my mind I have, but that’s for another post.)
The gist of Sherman’s article is that Jeter’s 10-year, $189 million contract will be up in the fall of 2010, at which time the Yankees will be confronted with a Major League Dilemma.
Do they sign The Captain to another huge contract, even though he’ll be a 37-year-old with declining skills? How can they not pony up to keep the veritable Face of the Franchise – the guy who’ll have the most hits in Yankees history? If they keep him, where will they play him? If they let him walk, where will he end up? Is this a game anybody wins?
It’s enough to make me go mental.
But I pulled myself together and came up with some solutions – all of them allowing the aging Jeter to remain with the organization for the rest of his life.
1) He’s given an ownership stake in the team, becomes a Steinbrenner Son along with Hal and Hank, and changes his first name to Harvey.
2) He becomes The Yankee Emeritus, walking onto the field at the end of every game and making a “Thank you for being such great fans” speech, like the one he delivered at the Stadium finale.
3) He relinquishes his endorsements of Ford trucks and men’s cologne and instead pitches products geared for his own demographic.
4) He becomes chairman of the Yankees Assisted Living Facility, a luxurious compound for active seniors.
5) He purchases all the food for the Yankees restaurants.
6) He replaces Kate Smith and sings “God Bless America.”
Of course, what I’d really like to see happen is for time to stand still and for Jeter to be the Yankees shortstop in perpetuity. Amen.
Calling All Healthy Pitchers! Hello? Are You Out There?
No, of course nobody’s answering the phone because there aren’t any healthy pitchers. Not that are available anyway. Which must be why the latest trend in baseball is signing hurlers with a history of injuries. The Yankees? A.J. Burnett. The Red Sox? Brad Penny and John Smoltz. (I know, I know. The Yankees spent millions and the Red Sox didn’t. I’m just saying.)
The Yanks still need a #5 guy in the rotation, since Pettitte seems destined for retirement and/or many days in court testifying about The Rocket.
So back to the rumor mill I go. Yes, there was my post about Pedro the other day. But now people are throwing out names like Freddy Garcia,
who’s had shoulder surgery – twice. A-Rod played with Garcia on the Mariners and is pushing for his former teammate. According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post, Alex likes Garcia’s “fortitude.” I’m all for fortitude, but what about the actual ability to last more than an inning and get major league hitters out?
Randy Wolf is on the list,
despite his two arm surgeries. He nearly pitched a no-hitter with the Padres, but how’s his shoulder right now?
Kelvim Escobar is yet another name being bandied about.
He suffered a tear in his shoulder in ’08 but is trying to make a comeback. Swell. I feel better already.
And, finally, there’s Ben Sheets. He’s still around. Still unsigned. Still waving his medical records at GMs.
He’s had problems with his elbow, his back, his inner ear, you name it. Just look at that delivery. I’d give myself a hernia if I threw like that.
Reclamation projects are very satisfying when they work out. But surely there must be someone out there who does not have the body of a dilapidated house.
It would be great if the Yankees could depend on one or two of the rookies to fill the spot in the rotation, and maybe that’s how it’ll go. But what if Hughes/Aceves/Kennedy go down? We still need a body. Just not this body.
Was it always like this? Were pitchers fragile in the old days when I watched them as a kid? Am I simply “misremembering,” as Clemens would say? Or do today’s pitchers put more stress on their arms? I’d love to hear everybody’s opinion about this. My husband thinks it was the same then as it is now, and reminded me about Sandy Koufax, who left the game in his prime because of injury. My take is that it’s different now; that for some reason these guys get hurt younger and more often.
I’m beginning to wonder whatever happened to the robust, hearty, healthy athletes who once seemed indestructible.
It feels like this happened to them.
A Fun Read for Yankee Fans
David Horne, a member of our blogging community and a frequent commenter here, sent me a copy of the book he recently co-authored. I’m not someone who pays a lot of attention to stats, but this book is fascinating and informative. If you love Yankees trivia, this is the reference for you. Its sports-by-the-numbers approach is unique, with each number between 1 and 1,000 assigned a specific fact/record/anomaly in Yankees history. For example….
#53: The number of doubles for Don Mattingly in 1986 – the third consecutive season Mattingly led the league in doubles. He not only set a career high, but also set a franchise record for most doubles in a season.
#242: The number of home runs for the Yankees in 2004 – a franchise record. A-Rod and Sheffield led the club with 36 homers each; Matsui hit 31; and nine different players hit at least 12.
#591: The winning percentage for manager Billy Martin during eight seasons in the Bronx. He posted a 556-385 record during his tenure, plus two pennants and a World Series championship.
You get the picture. There are also short chapters on Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Thurman Munson, Paul O’Neill and others, plus a foreword by the NY Post’s Mike Vaccaro, who says about the book: “You’ll lose yourself in baseball, in history, in numbers, and in the New York Yankees. I envy you. I can’t think of a better way to pass the next couple of hours.”
Here’s the amazon link in case anyone’s interested in making a purchase.
Heather Locklear Arrested Near My House
Never a dull moment.
I was moping around tonight, mourning the loss of the finale against the Red Sox (thanks a lot, Veras) as well as the end of the season, when a friend called to tell me about poor Heather and her arrest on the main road that intersects with my street. I must be psychic! Check out my previous post about starting a neighborhood watch and catching criminals as a way to pass the time! I was only kidding, obviously, but here’s a link to the story from my local paper, complete with Ms. Locklear’s unfortunate mug shot.
I know we’ll be hearing lots of Yankees news over the next few months, and I’m somewhat consoled by that. One thing George King of the NY Post told me last year is that there really is no off-season when it comes to the Yanks; they’re always making headlines. So at least we can look forward to Girardi’s press conference tomorrow and Cashman’s upcoming announcement about whether he’s staying on as GM, plus decisions about Abreu, Moose, Pettitte and free agent signings and trades. And are they keeping the coaching staff?
It’s all a mystery at the moment. In the meantime, let’s hope the players stay out of trouble now that they’ve scattered and gone home. I don’t want to see any mug shots of Yankees.
Was It Really a “Wasted Year?”
When I was on the road following the Yankees last year, voicing my distress about the team’s horrible first half to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News, he said, “Yankee fans have to appreciate how hard it is to win.” That line made it into the book. What got cut in the editing process was what he added. “Derek Jeter always says a season is a waste if you don’t win the World Series. I completely disagree with his all-or-nothing philosophy, because it’s trickled down to the fans, and I think it’s a shame.”
And now here is Jeter, telling Kevin Kernan of the NY Post the same thing: “This year was a waste.”
Was it? Obviously, it was disappointing. Clearly, we all wanted not only to make the postseason but to win a 27th world championship. No question, we were hopeful that Joe Girardi and the kids (not just Hughes and Kennedy, but Shelley Duncan too) would succeed.
But a waste? I beg to differ. I watched just about every game this season and there were pleasures to be had. In no particular order:
* Molina throwing out runners. Great job by a second string catcher who stepped up when Posada went down.
* Damon re-emerging as a solid leadoff hitter, batting .300 and running the bases like the Damon of old.
* The Veras-Bruney-Ramirez bullpen making a strong showing for most of the season. Once Joba moved to the starting rotation and Farnsworth and Hawkins were dealt/DFA’d, they got the job done and were later joined by Robertson, Coke, Marte and Giese. Bruney was good before his injury and even better after, and Coke has been a revelation.
* Joba adjusting from the pen to the rotation, seemingly with ease. Personally, I like him in the pen as heir apparent to Mo, but either way I’m flippin’ glad he’s on my team.
* Mo having one of his best years ever. The guy is 39! Now we hear he has a shoulder problem and pitched with pain all season, which makes his performance that much more amazing.
* Mussina coming back from a dismal year to become our ace. I sure hope he gets win #20 tomorrow. No one deserves it more.
* Abreu shining yet again at the plate. Six straight seasons with 100 RBIs, 20 homers and 20 stolen bases. Not too shabby.
* A-Rod putting up good numbers in an “off year.” Love him or hate him, I’m glad he opted in as our third basemen or we’d be talking about Joe Crede. I’ll take those 35 homers and 100+ RBIs any day.
* Nady landing in Yankeeville. The guy reminds me of the gritty Tino and Brosius and O’Neill. With a little more patience at the plate, he could be outstanding.
* Gardner speeding around the bases. Who knows if he’ll be able to hit consistently, but he was a spark plug late in the season when we needed one.
* Aceves showing some promise as a possible starter next year. Either that, or he’ll end up being the “Mexican Chase Wright,” as Peter Abraham called him.
* Jeter breaking Lou Gehrig’s record for hits at Yankee Stadium. Hello, Derek? Was making history this season really a waste? I didn’t think so.
Any other thoughts while I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy?
Confessions of a She-Fan 