Tagged: Yankee Stadium
Premiering Tonight On Comedy Central…
With absolutely nothing going on in Yankeeville, I think the Onion’s new show parodying ESPN will be the perfect way to fill the void and I intend to watch the show’s debut tonight. The folks at the Onion always deliver laughs. Remember this vid about the new Yankee Stadium?
“Artisan crafted sunflower seeds dispensers.” LOL. “Gazebo covered on-deck circles.” HAHAHA. If the new show is half as funny as this spoof was, I’ll have a very enjoyable evening.
The New Year Ushered In A New Yankees Friendship
I’m relieved to say I survived last night’s New Year’s Eve karaoke party. Actually, I not only survived but ended up having a really great time. Our hosts were gracious, everyone was in the holiday spirit and, once the machine started shooting out song after song, we all got into it. (Alcohol helped.) I’m hoarse today, so I must have been belting them out without realizing it. Anyhow, as promised, here are a couple of guests covering the Beatles. (Notice the guy in the background with the beard and glasses? That’s Michael, who claimed he didn’t sing, but as it’s plain to see he was moving his lips!)
Next up were our hosts (I promised I wouldn’t reveal their names so they wouldn’t be mortified). I hardly remembered the song “King of the Road” by Roger Miller but now I can’t get the damn thing out of my head.
The party was moving right along toward midnight when suddenly the karaoke machine started playing Neil Diamond’s….you guessed it….”Sweet Caroline.” I immediately held my ears and yelled, “God, no! Not that awful Red Sox song! I’m a Yankee fan!”
“You are?” asked Steve, one of the other guests.
“Absolutely,” I said, a little wary of admitting my allegiance in a town where most people root for the Dodgers or Angels.
“So am I,” said Steve, who explained that he grew up in Connecticut and has been a Yankee fan his whole life. “I’m really worried about the team going forward. The Red Sox made so many moves and we didn’t. I still can’t believe we didn’t get Cliff Lee.”
Well, that led to a discussion of the Bombers and our concern about the pitching, etc. Before we knew it, the TV came on and Ryan Seacrest was in Times Square counting down to midnight – and Frank Sinatra was in the background singing “New York, New York.”
“Now that song makes me feel a lot better,” I said. “We could be at Yankee Stadium right now.”
Which was not a bad way to end the evening.
Day 2 of “Operation Cliff Lee Countdown”
Not a huge news day unless you count the conflicting reports about whether Andy Pettitte will retire. One minute, a source says he’s not coming back. The next, another source says he will. My take? I’ll believe nothing until I hear Andy state his intentions in his own words, and only then will I cheer or cry.
Now, onto tonight’s Cliff Lee Countdown Video. In this one, he’s in the Bronx, about to start the ’08 All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. There are two parts that struck me. Early in the video the YES Network’s Joe Auriemma asks Lee about pitching at Yankee Stadium on such a big occasion. What does Lee say in response?
“Everybody knows the heritage that comes along with the New York Yankees. I’m completely honored and privileged to be here.”
OK, he didn’t say anything remotely like that in last night’s video with the Mariners, right? Clearly, he gets that the Yankees are the team where icons hang out. I mean, did he ever say he was honored and privileged to be in Arlington, Texas?
The other part that interested me comes at the end of the video. Joe asks if his family is there to watch him pitch.
“Yeah, my wife and kids, my parents, my financial advisor…”
Hmm. His wife was at Yankee Stadium? And she didn’t get harassed by boorish, spitting, beer-swilling Yankee fans? I think Cliffy needs to remind her of that. Or Cashman does.
The Nominees For The 2010 She-Fan Video Award/Best Yankee Fan Video Period Are…(WINNER UPDATE!)
This is the big finale – the showdown between such powerhouse video stars as Bill “Surf Dog” Connell and my own mother, the Grande Dame of She-Fans, along with a couple of surprise contenders. Who will win the golden fan in this major category?
You’ll be the judge and it won’t be easy. Without further ado, here are the nominees for the 2010 She-Fan Video Award/Best Yankee Fan Video Period…
(Drum roll)
1) Rachel, the Yankee Fan Nurse. In January, my husband Michael was a patient at Cottage Hospital here in Santa Barbara. I was understandably nervous when he was first admitted to his room, but when his nurse came in to take his history and I asked her if she was a baseball fan (I have no idea why I even brought up the subject, given the setting) AND out popped the fact that she and her husband were Yankee fans….Well, she became my new favorite person. She provided some much needed cheer and for that she deserves consideration this year.
2) Mom, the 93-year-old-soon-to-be-94-year-old Yankee fan. When I spent a month back east this summer, the trip afforded me lots of time with my mother, who was a runner up to Surf Dog Bill for last year’s She-Fan Video Award. This time the interview was so long that I had to split it into two parts. In Part 1, she discussed her affection for Mo (she uttered the memorable “Mo’s spit is different from A-Rod’s” line). In Part 2, shown here, she has a few words for readers of this blog.
3) Jane, the HOPE Week Yankee Fan. See what I mean about tough competition? I’m throwing Jane Lang and her lovable guide dog into the mix. Jane, as most Yankee fans know, was celebrated at the Stadium this summer. Although blind, she takes the train to the Bronx from NJ so she can “watch” her boys. When she was honored by Girardi and the players, she reached up and touched their faces, just as she did with mine after our interview – “to get a sense of you” is how she put it. How can Jane Lang not be a nominee?
4) Bill, the “Surf Dog” Yankee fan. Who can forget the guy with the hot dog stand here in Carpinteria, California? He singlehandedly turns even casual beach goers into diehards with his animated (OK, rabid) fandom. His cart sports a Yankees flag. He carries a Yankees wallet in his pocket. And he’ll talk about the Yankees to anybody who’ll listen – and I mean anybody. The 2009 champ, will he hold onto the golden fan? I interviewed him last month as the Yanks were still fighting for the division title. His predictions for them were a bit off, but they were spot on for the Giants!
So there you have it – four nominees that need your votes. (One vote to a customer.) Go ahead and pick a winner! You can do it!
UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!
Yikes. It wasn’t even close this time. My mother won in a landslide and poor Surf Dog didn’t get a single vote. Nurse Rachel, on the other hand, was a better-than-expected contender and, of course, a couple of you championed Jane Lang. I can’t wait to tell Mom the good news. Thanks, everybody. I know it’ll make her day when I explain that she is now the holder of the golden fan.
Nominees for 2010 She-Fan Video Award/MLBloggie (WITH WINNER UPDATE!)
In the absence of actual Yankees news and to provide a distraction from the tedious speculation about Jeter’s new contract, I’m hosting the annual She-Fan Video Awards early this year and you’re going to vote for the winners. Why wait until December when there are so many worthy candidates right now? In fact, when I pulled out the She-Fan Cam and sorted through all the vids from 2010, I realized I had to create separate categories for the award, just like the Oscars and Golden Globes do, instead of narrowing the field down to five nominees total.
So the first category is She-Fan Video Award/ MLBloggie, which means that the nominees either write their own blog on this site or comment on mine. Got it? Good. Here, then, are the nominees. Their fate is in your hands…
(Drum roll)
#1) Sue of the MLBlog “Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts.” Yes, she’s a Phillies fan, but consider these mitigating factors. In the video, which I shot during a spring training game at Bright House Field in Clearwater, she makes fun of her own players (Utley, Werth) and expresses her desire for a Yankees-Phillies World Series. It didn’t happen for either of our teams, obviously, but at least she wanted another crack at us. Take a look.
2) Harold, the Yankee fan father of Friend of the Blog Barbara. He took the time to drive up the Florida coast to hear me speak at a library, so for that alone he deserves consideration. And let’s not forget he’s been a Yankee fan longer than almost anybody who reads this blog. Sure, he was pessimistic about the Yanks’ chances to repeat in 2010, but let’s face it – he was right.
3) Emma of the MLBlog “Crzblue’s Dodger Blue World.” She’s a Dodger fan (duh), but she went out of her way to escort me around Dodger Stadium in June when the Yanks played there. She walked me up to the level where Peggy was sitting and waited while I left a note, and then she marched me up to the top level to find Jane, her fellow nominee in this category. Plus, she sang “Happy Birthday” to Jeter in the video.
4) Jane, the Yankee fan who leaves comments here as “ladyjane.” I had met her at Yankee Stadium a while ago, but this year she flew out to LA to see the Yanks play the Dodgers. She was the one who told me it was Jeter’s birthday. She goes to tons of games in the Bronx. She’s passionate about our boys. And – wait for it – Mo once handed her a baseball, which means she practically touched a god.
There you have it- four nominees, each with his/her own connection to this blog. Cast your vote for the 2010 She-Fan Award/MLBloggie by leaving a comment here and a winner will be crowned or, rather, fanned.
Next up: The Nominees for the 2010 She-Fan Video Award/Twitterette.
UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!
Yup. Congratulations to Emma of “Crzblue’s Dodger Blue World” for taking home the golden fan!
The competition was getting tight there at the end. Harold jumped out to an early lead, then Emma started racking up the votes, and then Harold had a late surge. But in the end you guys picked Emma from among four excellent nominees – no easy task since Harold, Ladyjane and Sue were great in their videos too. Thanks to all for participating and making this off-season a little less ho-hum for me. The next category will follow shortly.
Meanwhile, I’m putting in my two cents about another gold award: the Gold Glove. Fingers crossed for Tex, Jeter and Cano. Gardner’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened.
So Long, Toronto, and Thanks For The Memories
I don’t know about anybody else, but I was glad to get out of the Rogers Centre today. Just watching the games on TV made me claustrophobic.
Roof open or closed, the place gives me the creeps. Of course the Yankees’ lack of offense may have had something to do with it. I was afraid that Vazquez’s terrific performance might be wasted, just like Pettitte’s was the day before. But the Yankees actually manufactured a comeback. Who cares if our baserunners were due to walks and hit batsmen. Jeter and Cano came through big time and made a winner of Javy. Girardi got tossed for our entertainment pleasure AND Mo trotted in from the bullpen twice.
How often does that happen? What wasn’t the least bit humorous was Tex’s continuing struggle at the plate or A-Rod’s sore groin or Nick Swisher getting rung up for a checked swing that didn’t happen. Oh, well. I hope the Yankees enjoy their day off tomorrow. If they have time in Baltimore, they should go here.
I had a great time when my husband and I went there for dinner. They dump your crabs on the table, give you a mallet and let you have at it.
I think Tex, in particular, might enjoy pounding a crab into oblivion. It just might lead to this.
P.S. Anybody watch the fight at Yankee Stadium last night? How cool was Arthur Mercante Jr., the referee who took charge when somebody threw the white flag into the ring and caused all that confusion?
Baseball could use a strong presence like him. Could somebody see if he wants to switch sports?
Happy Opening Day Eve!
With the Yankees getting ready to open the season against the Angels in the Bronx tomorrow – and pass out World Series rings (!!!!) – it’s time to see how everybody voted in the Cooperstown Cookies Contest. We had a fantastic “turnout,” and I wish every single person who entered could win the tin of treats. Here’s how the votes look on Opening Day Eve:
Predictions for an Angels victory:
3-2 from Austin (http://stonebutch99.mlblogs.com)
3-2 from 4nymets
4-1 from eapurple
4-3 from Paul (http://princeofny.blogspot.com)
5-2 from Reiner (http://www.bronxbaseballdaily.com)
5-3 from Lori (http://luckylori.mlblogs.com)
5-3 from matthew
6-3 from anjakj
6-5 from geeman321
6-5 from Rays Renegade (http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com)
7-5 from carenw
9-8 from Mimi (http://mimi.mlblogs.com)
10-3 from Mark (as in our fearless leader/mlblogosphere)
And now for the predictions for a Yankees win:
2-1 from elyse
3-1 from David Whitney
3-2 from Leah (http://bullpointpen.wordpress.com)
3-2 from Mike (thefreak)
3-2 from sheweta2
4-1 from colleen
4-2 from cheshirecat
4-2 from wirishrose
4-2 from Nancie
4-3 from Melissa
4-3 from dorgal
4-3 from James Buxton
4-3 from Abby (http://aperfectgame.mlblogs.com)
4-3 from hitman461
4-3 from Devita
5-2 from phoebe264
5-2 from clemens911
5-2 from BernBabyBern (http://johnsterling.blogspot.com)
5-3 from pinstripesperson2
5-3 from michael.sundance
5-3 from disneytink
5-3 from impreza006
5-4 from Dave (dschaub)
5-4 from hsilverm
6-2 from Drew (http://mypinstripes.blogspot.com)
6-2 from debrabs
6-3 from ladyjane
6-3 from John (ooaooa)
6-4 from Courtney
6-4 from dj
6-4 from seindsfeld
6-4 from zanynyy
6-5 from Diane
6-5 from Jeff (http://redstatebluestate.mlblogs.com)
6-5 from Sue (http://rrrt.mlblogs.com)
6-5 from Rob Storm
7-0 from Lillie (latinyankeerebel)
7-3 from Peggy
7-3 from Peter (http://devilabrit.mlblogs.com)
7-4 from 27to7isnorivalry
7-5 from Pinstripe Mike
7-5 from Virginia (http://southernbelle.mlblogs.com)
7-5 from djfarenheit
7-6 from Matt (http://pittpeas.mlblogs.com)
8-2 from Jen (http://faithful.mlblogs.com)
8-3 from Kathleen
8-4 from Steven
8-4 from Mike (mikeeff)
8-5 from Mike (http://theBrooklynTrolleyBlogger)
8-6 from Buz (http://buzblog.mlblogs.com)
8-6 from Ellen
8-6 from ibrenne
8-7 from gehriggirl
9-2 from lrkaserman
9-4 from Scott (http://fotr.mlblogs.com)
9-5 from arizonacacti
9-6 from bdfc57
9-7 from Emma (http://crzblue.mlblogs.com)
11-9 from singingtoastmaster
13-4 from jojovanb
As you can see, we had quite a few multiples. The question is…Will any of the scores be the correct one? Good luck, everybody, and here’s to a great day at Yankee Stadium tomorrow!
What’s Your Lasting Image Of Game 6?
By now, everyone has probably seen photographer Robert Caplin’s time-lapse video of over 5,000 stills he took from Game 6 of the World Series. It’s been published, circulated, tweeted about, etc., but each time I watch it a different image catches my eye. (I love the music too.) Sometimes, it’s the fans filing through the turnstiles before the game. Sometimes, it’s the grounds crew preparing the field. Sometimes, it’s the flipping of the hot dogs. And sometimes, it’s the shots of Pedro on the mound. But always, it’s the appearance of Mo and the inevitability of the celebration.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7540666&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1
World Series Time-Lapse by Robert Caplin from Robert Caplin on Vimeo.
Does anyone else have thoughts about this video? Discuss!
Missing The Empire State
I’ll focus on Yankees-Phillies in my next post, complete with an exclusive “She-Fan Scouting Report,” but today I was feeling mopey. People kept asking me if I was going to the World Series and I kept having to say no. Even my best friend from high school, a Red Sox fan, called to say, “So are you flying to New York?” I told her I was staying in California. I was so ashamed.
If I hadn’t been so busy with work, I might have hopped on a plane so that I could be in attendance for at least one game. But I didn’t make any plans, so now I’ll just have to watch on TV and deal with it. Still, it’s times like this when New York seems far away and I miss it. I miss my family. I miss New York accents. I miss people walking fast and elbowing each other out of the way. And here’s what else I miss:
* Fall foliage in Central Park.
* Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant.
* Cheesecake.
* The subway.
And I miss everything having to do with Yankee Stadium:
* Freddy.
* Frank Sinatra.
* The fact that they’ve already painted the field with this.
* The fans….
Big ones…
Small ones…
And “artistic” ones.
I was so down in the dumps this afternoon, wishing there were other Yankee fans in Santa Barbara, that I left my desk and went for a beach walk. It was a gorgeous day, and this was my view as I did my five miles.
Nothing to complain about, right? I was starting to perk up until my Yankees cap began to attract some unfavorable attention. You could tell people wanted to shake their fists at me and demand, “Why aren’t you a Dodgers or Angels fan? What’s wrong with you?”
And then a mirage….or so it seemed.
No, it wasn’t a hot dog concession in the Bronx, but close. It was the Surf Dog cart owned for 16 years by Bill Connell – a local celebrity for having won a major case against the state of California last week.
A 55-year-old disabled veteran, Bill fought for an exemption for street peddlers like himself who wer
e being forced to pay sales tax on their wares. It was a victory for disabled vets and it made him a hero. And – just my luck – Bill turned out to be a huge Yankee fan. When I told him I was a fan too, he not only handed me a free hot dog but let me interview him on the She-Fan Cam – a happy ending to my day.
e being forced to pay sales tax on their wares. It was a victory for disabled vets and it made him a hero. And – just my luck – Bill turned out to be a huge Yankee fan. When I told him I was a fan too, he not only handed me a free hot dog but let me interview him on the She-Fan Cam – a happy ending to my day.
There’s No Place Like Home
I was trying not to think about the playoffs, I really was. I drove down to LA on Friday for a lunch meeting arranged by my agent with a woman producer who is interested in my novels for TV movies. We were sitting in the restaurant, talking business, when I slipped and said the word “Yankees.” I expected her to roll her eyes or stare blankly at me or launch into a speech about her love for the Angels or Dodgers, given that we were in SoCal. Instead, she beamed and asked, “Are you a Yankee fan?” Well, forget the TV movies. All we did for the rest of the lunch was discuss Jeter, A-Rod and everybody on the roster. She said Andy Pettitte was her favorite Yankee and I said wouldn’t it be great if he nailed down the victory at the new Stadium, and we went on and on about the Bombers. It was an omen; I had found yet another she-fan in the last place I expected to find one, and it had to mean the Yankees would beat the Angels in Game 6. She and I decided that it all boiled down to home field advantage.
And so, with Hollywood and the Bronx in mind, I’m posting this video to remind everybody that we’re home. We’re in our house. We survived the Wicked Witch and her flying rally monkeys, and are now safely back where we belong, just like Dorothy. The pennant will be ours.
Go Yankees.
Confessions of a She-Fan 