Tagged: spring training

November 8, 2010

The Nominees For The 2010 She-Fan Video Award/Twitterette (WINNER UPDATE)

I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to Twitter last year. I figured the last thing I needed was yet another social networking site, having already jumped into the Facebook experience as well as interacted with other baseball fans on this blog. But something surprising happened after my first few tweets: I fell in love with Twitter. I enjoy the immediacy of it, the brevity, the ability to read what everybody’s talking about all over the world, the rush of learning breaking news before it appears elsewhere, and, of course, the chance to connect with a whole new cast of Yankee fans.

Thanks to Twitter, I got to meet face to face with several of those fans, some of whom were gracious enough to submit to the She-Fan Cam. I present their videos to you now and ask you to take a look at these four terrific women and vote for the 2010 She-Fan Video Award/Twitterette. Here they are…

(Drum roll)

1) Amanda (Twitter name @amandarykoff). Back in January, she was visiting her newborn nephew in Santa Barbara and stopped by my house for a “tweetup” – my very first. She discussed football in the video – a subject that would normally make my eyes glaze over – but she was so entertaining and enthusiastic about it that I wasn’t bored in the slightest. She really knows what she’s talking about, doesn’t she?

2) Stephanie (Twitter name @stephsamps). I was in Tampa for spring training in March, and she and I had arranged a tweetup at Steinbrenner Field. It was an unseasonably cold night in Florida and I was shivering and ready to bolt. She, on the other hand, was happily telling me all about her sightings of players whom she gets to see often since she lives there. There’s no question she loves her Yankees.

3) Denise (Twitter name @SunnySoCal). She and I had been tweeting about how we wanted to meet up at a Yankees-Dodgers game in LA in June. So she drove up from San Diego and I drove down from Santa Barbara and we sat together and had a blast, even though the Yankees lost. (A.J. had one of his meltdowns.) To say that she has a crush on A-Rod is an understatement, but she showed remarkable restraint in the video.

4) Gayle (Twitter name @gcf123). She’s a season tickets holder at the Stadium – lucky girl – so it was no fluke that she was there the September day I was at the game and we finally got to meet. How she manages the country’s top musical artists and travels around the country with them and yet still finds time for her Yanks is a testament to her fandom. She made some very accurate predictions in the video, btw.

So there you have it – the nominees for the 2010 She-Fan Video Award/Twitterette. Can you pick a winner, people? Even those of you who aren’t Yankee fans? Yes, of course you can. And this time only ONE VOTE per customer. None of this, “But I like two of them.” Just one!

Next up will be the big showdown for the 2010 She-Fan Video Award/Best Yankee Fan Video Period. Get ready for a very tough field.

UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER! ACTUALLY, WE HAVE THREE WINNERS!

After a day of voting, we had a three-way tie between Denise (@SunnySoCal), Amanda (@amandarykoff) and Gayle (@gcf123) for the 2010 She-Fan Video Award/Twitterette. Golden fans go out to each of them!

You liked all four nominees, naturally, but in the end this race was almost too close to call. So congratulations to Denise, Amanda and Gayle and thanks to Stephanie too. You were all such great interview subjects. You guys rock.

March 2, 2010

On the Eve of Spring Training Game #1…

I thought it would be fun to put myself in a Yankees frame of mind with a little mood food. Not that I wasn’t jazzed before I watched this video or that Girardi’s team building trip to the arcade wasn’t worth writing about (sort of). I just needed something really Yankee-ish to look at – something that reminded me why I love this team, its history and all the pleasures it’s brought me. Yes, the video’s long and it’s been around awhile. And Yankee haters should avert their gaze or they’ll turn to salt. But for those who’ve got the time, watch and enjoy…and let’s discuss.

* I loved how the video moved so easily from black-and-white to color.

* I noticed for the first time how Babe Ruth’s lefty swing wasn’t all that different from Ichiro’s, the way he moves toward first base as he swings.

* I forgot how huge Lou Gehrig was – a cement block.

* I didn’t really need the audio when it’s introduced in the modern clips; there was something pure and simple about the old days when the footage spoke for itself.

* Jim Abbott threw a no-hitter. Think about it, people. He didn’t have a right hand.

* When Jeter dives into the stands, it still makes me go, “No! Don’t hurt yourself!”

* The players of yesterday really aren’t that different from today’s; they all love the game.

Good luck tomorrow against the Pirates, Yankees. I’ll be watching.

February 28, 2010

Van..coo..ooo..ver

Oh, sorry. I’m still singing that song from the closing ceremonies tonight. I kept thinking there was probably a less repetitive way to have those white snowboarders salute their host city, but I quibble. The truth is I really enjoyed the evening, starting with NBC’s round up show, which was sort of a Cliffs Notes of the Olympics.

I loved seeing the highlights of Bode, Shaun, Evan, Apolo and Lindsey doing their thing – full-blown cultural icons now. And a big hat tip to Sid the Kid (amazing hockey game), Joannie Rochette and Kim Yu-Na. I still need to be convinced that ice dancing is a sport and I could live without one more commercial for Jerry Seinfeld’s “Marriage Ref,” but all in all it was a great event with so many memorable moments. Just one question about this.

When the athletes walk around holding little cameras, video or otherwise, what do they hope to get? How can their images not be blurry, tiny, not worth the trouble? Oh, and who knew William Shatner was Canadian?

So now that the Super Bowl is over and the Olympics are over and the Oscars will be over a week from tonight (the equivalent of the Super Bowl for me), there will be Yankees baseball. In less than two weeks I’ll be in Florida getting my first look at Grandy and the other newbies, not to mention the returning crew. Girardi hasn’t announced the starting pitchers for the games I’ll be going to but it doesn’t matter. Just being there will be a thrill. Before I get to Tampa, I’m speaking at the Blake Library in Stuart (on the east coast of Florida) on Saturday, March 13th. The event is called Baseball @ the Blake, and I’ll be there to talk about the She-Fan book along with Lew Paper, the author of “Perfect: Don Larsen’s Miraculous World Series Game and the Men Who Made It Happen.” Here’s the blurb from the Blake’s online bulletin.

2:30pm Jane Hell er, Confessi ons of a She-Fan

Popular and prolific author Jane Heller

will discuss her first nonfiction book,

Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course

of True Love with the New York

Yankees, a chick-lit look at baseball, love

and marriage. In search of answers and

hoping to inject some excitement into her

marriage, she literally followed the Bronx

Bombers with her husband through the rest of

their challenging 2007 season. Books will be available for

sale and signing following her talk.

If anyone’s in the area on the 13th, I hope you’ll stop by and say hello. I’m supposed to speak for 30 minutes. Any suggested talking points?

After the library gig, it’ll be on to Tampa and spring training. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say farewell (unless nobody picks him up) to Edwar Ramirez, who was DFA-ed to make room for Chan Ho Park. Edwar was….Well, let’s just say he had a good change-up. Best of luck to you, Edwar, and may you put some meat on those bones.

February 26, 2010

What Will Tuesday’s Team Building Activity Be?

According to LoHud, Joe Girardi is planning something for the Yankees’ off day on Tuesday. Last year, he roped everybody into playing pool together and it was said to promote a spirit of bonding and togetherness.

(Mo won, naturally.)

So what will this year’s activity be? Here are five suggestions for Joe.

1) Skydiving.

OK, maybe not. Could be dangerous, especially for CC, whose parachute might snap and send him hurtling to the ground. Not a good way to start the season.

2) Trapeze.

Talk about a way to build trust. On the other hand, I’m just not sure I trust Jorge to catch A.J. Not until they’ve worked together a few more times.

3) Body Surfing.

I know it’s been a little chilly in Florida lately, but it’s not the North Pole (or even New York). Girardi could have everybody grab a board and hang ten. Whoever rides the most waves without getting water up his nose wins.

4) Cooking.

What better way to establish closeness and camaraderie than to have the players prepare a gourmet meal together – sort of an Iron Chef competition. Girardi and the coaches could be the judges, and whoever pleases their palate would become the Yankees Iron Chef.

5) Watch Avatar.

It’s the safest, injury-free choice of all the activities. All the players would have to do is sit through the movie together wearing 3D glasses and act riveted. Whoever doesn’t fall asleep wins.

I’ll be looking forward to hearing which option Girardi picks. Any guesses?

February 19, 2010

Maybe I Should Have a Yankees YouTube Show Like Him?

On second thought, maybe not. I don’t have a leopard bedspread, and you probably need one to have your own Yankees YouTube show.

By the way, I don’t remember Javier Vazquez ever being a Met. Maybe he was kidding? I do agree with him about Vazquez giving us innings.

But he says of the starting rotation, “The Yankees got a lot of old arms.” We do? Pettitte’s up there, but CC and AJ aren’t and Joba and Hughes really aren’t. Hopefully, I’d be more accurate on my show than he is on his. I also wish I had a New Yawk accent like he does. It would make me sound more authentically Yankee fan-ish. And in his intro, he has photos of himself with lots of star athletes. I only have this one.

For now, I’ll let him “report” from his bedroom while I stick to this blog. But we’ll see what the future holds. Maybe one of these days, I’ll have a SheFanVideos Channel on YouTube. Oh, wait. I already have it.

February 14, 2010

If I Lived In Tampa, I’d Be At The Airport

As everyone knows, this is the week that pitchers and catchers report. Sure, there are some players who came to camp early. But for the most part, Yankees will be arriving and if I were in Tampa I’d be staking out the airport.

Maybe I’d see CC unloading his luggage.

Or Andy hopping into his rental car.

Or A.J. practicing his pie throwing on some poor, unsuspecting passerby.

Maybe I’d see Jorge waiting for people to ask for his autograph.

Or I’d catch Cervelli hanging out with some very interesting looking friends.

The point is, if I were there I might see Yankees – lots of Yankees. After the long, long off-season, the sight of them would be very welcome indeed. I’m even psyching myself up for him. Yeah, it’s been a long off-season.

January 19, 2010

I’m Going Insane Without Baseball!

It’s January 19th – not too much longer until pitchers and catchers report – but it FEELS like forever. Unless you’re a Mariners fan celebrating the long-term signing of King Felix or a Rockies fan cheering for the deal with Huston Street or a Giants fan getting excited about Bengie Molina, there’s NOTHING to do today except:

– Think about how the Yankees still need a left fielder. (Already did that.)

– Buy spring training tickets. (Already did that.)

– Check out what various bloggers have to say about the Yankees. (Already did that.)

– Contemplate the fact that A-Rod does better in odd years than even ones. (Already did that.)

– Support friends who root for the Jets. (Already did that.)

– Make a donation to the rescue efforts in Haiti. (Already did that.)

– Suggest to my husband that we adopt a Haitian orphan. (Already did that. He said no.)

– Cook something amazing for dinner. (Already did that. We’re having chicken in wine sauce.)

– Rehearse what I’m going to say at my event at Borders tomorrow night. (Already did that. It’s supposed to pour for the 4th day in a row, so who knows if anyone will show up.)

– Write a blog post for tonight. (Just did that. Sorry it’s not very interesting.)

– Try to snap out of my no-baseball funk. (All ideas for accomplishing this are much appreciated.)

– Watch a movie about a woman crazier than I am right now. (In progress.)

March 4, 2009

My First Night In Yankeeville

Since I flew into Orlando and then drove to Tampa in a really lame Chevy Cobalt (when you step on the gas, it’s like stepping into a bucket of oatmeal), I didn’t get to town until dark – AND got lost trying to find the Marriott, even though there was a big sign that was hard to miss.

But I’m here now and ready to rumble. At dinner in the hotel restaurant, I quizzed the waitress about the Yankees.

“Seen any players come through lately?” I asked.

“Yes, but I didn’t know who they were.” She giggled and explained in a thick accent that she was German, in the states on a work visa. “These big guys came in for breakfast and ordered all this big food. It wasn’t until the other waitresses told me who they were that I got excited.”

Figures. If I’d waited on any Yankees, I would have asked them a million questions.

For example…

Do you prefer sausages with your eggs or bacon?

Scrambled or sunny side up?

OJ or grapefruit juice?

Decaf or regular?

No, not the stuff of Kate Couric, but it’s late and I’m absolutely beat after getting up at 5 am for our cross-country flight out of LAX.

They showed the movie “Four Christmases” with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, and, with the exception of a few funny lines, I was singularly unimpressed. Even worse were the flight attendants. Seriously. I’ve always met the nicest, most helpful flight crews. But these women were about as friendly as she was.

Tomorrow I’m taking out the video camera and hoping to find some interesting people to talk to – fans and non-fans alike. I hope the citizens of Tampa are ready.

Oh, before I say goodnight, thanks to everyone who guided my plane to safety. There were a few bumps and I drank the usual kerosine to take the edge off. But I survived!

February 18, 2009

She-Fan Headed For First Stint On Blogger DL!

Wouldn’t you know it? I came into spring training feeling great – in my best shape yet – and was totally ready for the press conferences, the workouts, the obligatory team meetings, everything that accompanies being a Yankee fan. I was even geared up for the WBC, having signed up for MLB.TV Premium and convinced myself that the whole affair wasn’t just a silly exhibition.

But then it happened.

I experienced a sharp, searing pain in my lower left molar.

I’m talking about this kind of torture.

I whined to my husband Michael, who suggested various home remedies.

Ultimately, I had no choice but to submit to an examination by an actual dentist – something I dread almost as much as facing Roy Halladay.

The diagnosis? A cracked tooth and…”pulp death.”

“You need a root canal,” said the dentist, who launched into a description of the procedure.

I demanded a second opinion. “I’m flying to Birmingham, Alabama,” I said defiantly. “Dr. James Andrews will know if I need surgery or not.”

The dentist laughed and said I could get a second opinion if I really wanted one but that my toothache would only worsen as the day went on.

“Fine,” I said. “Schedule it. But I’m not missing significant time with my team.”

“Team?”

“Never mind.”

So I’m set for tomorrow – 1 p.m. Pacific Time – and I’d better not miss anything big while I’m in the chair utterly helpless like this guy.

No steroids revelations. No Manny signing. No anything until I’m back on my feet.

And that could take awhile. I assume I’ll be out of it in the car going home.

And then I’ll probably sleep off the Vicodin for a few hours.

But as soon as I come to, I’ll be at the computer, I swear. This game is about playing the right way, no excuses or shortcuts, even if it means blogging hurt.