Everyone is concerned. They want to know what New Jersey governor Chris Christie said to the fan at a Milwaukee Brewers game in Wisconsin. But I’m not. I don’t care about that. I want to know about the skills Christie demonstrated in his left hand.
A bowl filled with nachos and cheese and the like, or a loaded hot dog as some are reporting, managed to stay perfectly perched, resting in comfort as the New Jersey governor bend awkwardly over to scold the fan. I wanna know about the kind of balance required to pull of such a feat!
But for those who insist on knowing about the one-sided conversation, reports say Christie asked the man whether he wanted to “act like a big shot” and then told him to “be careful.”
The moral of this story – be careful if who you make fun of at a Yankees game. You just might get sued for $10 million.
A man caught on camera snoozing at a Yankees game last month is suing ESPN, the New York Yankees, and announcers Dan Shulman and John Kruk, court documents said.
Andrew Rector is asking for $10 million for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress because of comments made to millions of viewers during the live telecast of the April 13 Yankees vs. Red Sox game.
According to the lawsuit filed in New York, the Rector claimed he was show in a false light, that his reputation was damaged and it was no one’s business if he was napping.
The lawsuit claimed the announcers insinuated Rector is “stupid”, “not worthy to be a fan”, “a fatty cow that needs two seats at all times”, and “socially bankrupt.”
Tony Gwynn passed away today at the age of 54, thus ending a battle with cancer dating back to 2010.
Gwynn was very private about his medical struggles but he had attributed them to years of chewing tobacco use.
Gwynn was a player of legendary proportion. A 15 time all-star, 5 time gold glove winner, 7 time silver slugger and an insane 8 time NL batting champ. Tony played the game like few could.
He was also an amazing ambassador to the game and his work off the field truly showed what a great person he was. Tony received the Roberto Clemente Award in 1999 for best exemplifying the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.
Gwynn’s number 19 was retired with the padres and in 2007 he was elected the National Baseball Hall of Fame on his very first ballot with a whopping 97.6 percent of the vote.
Today we found out some very sad news about the head of the MLB Players Association. Michael Weiner lost a 15 month battle with brain cancer. He has died at the early age of 51. Weiner was an active leader for MLB players and his positive impact on the game of a Baseball can not be overstated. Even through his 15 month battle, Weiner continued to work. He did not use his condition as a reason to quit but instead was an active leader until the very end.
Many players and Baseball writers took to twitter to express their sadness about the passing of Michael Weiner.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote:
“@Joelsherman1: Forget about his union work and intellect, Mike Weiner was as nice a person as I have met. Utter sadness, respect to his family #RIP”
MLB pitcher, David Aardsma wrote:
“@TheDA53: My heart goes out to the Weiner family. Michael was one of the most brilliant people I have ever know. We have lost a great great person!”
Mark Fiensand of the Daily News wrote:
“@FeinsandNYDN: Very sad to hear of Michael Weiner’s passing. Did great things for the MLBPA and the entire game, but more important was a quality person.”
“@FeinsandNYDN: Michael Weiner once told me there were few things he loved more than being with baseball players. His love for the game showed in his work.”
Former MLB player, Aaron Boone wrote:
“@AaronBoone_ESPN: Baseball and the world lost a good man today. R.I.P. Michael Weiner”
These were just a few tweets of the many pouring onto twitter. All of them follow the same theme. Michael Weiner was not just a great union head, he was a great friend and person. He will be sorely missed.
It was the night of March 31st 2013. Many of us Yankee fans were getting ready for Opening Day the next day. It was late, already dark for several hours. When out of the cold windy night I heard an unfamiliar sound. Between the gusts of wind on this particularly chilly March night, I heard the sound of chains rattling. The sound continued for some time, seemingly getting closer with each rattle. I began to feel my nerves jumping with each thrash of metal that now sounded like it was outside my bedroom door. I locked the door hoping whomever was out there would be stopped, but I was mistaken. The door swung open with brut force and the chains were thrown at my feet.
Connected to these many links was a familiar man. Though it couldn’t be him, it was, staring me directly in my eyes. I said, “what are you doing here?” Nervous yet excited to hear his answer, hear him speak. He told me of a crime committed against the game of baseball. He said it was a injustice to the game. I asked him who was to blame expecting any answer other than the one I received. “Yankee fans.” He replied in a stern voice. I told him he must be mistaken. That we Yankee fans are among the best in baseball. He emplored me to listen to his reasoning but I interrupted.
“You see sir, this city is the greatest city in the world and so is this team. Winning is our legacy and October is our birthright. We live and die by the World Series.” I believe I spoke passionately, enough to sway him and make him see that we Yankee faithful could not be guilty of a crime. To my surprise, I only angered him. “You do not see the error of your ways!” He said, but continued “there is still time for you to learn what I never did, during the coming months you will be visited my three ghosts. The Ghost of Seasons Past, Present and Yet To Come.” And with that, he was gone. I woke up the next morning believing I had some strange dream the night before. The season started that day.
Before long I was visited by the first ghost. The Ghost of Seasons Past:
He emplored me to pay close attention to Mariano Rivera. Mo had already announced that this would be his last year but after spending almost a full season on the DL with a torn ACL, you wondered how affective he would be this year. The ghost showed me that it was wrong to wonder. Mariano would not blow his first save until late May and would be just as dominant as ever. In his final act, he would take us back to 1996 and show us just how truly special his career is. Watching him has been like watching a man frozen in time and the ghost expressed to me how much I need to cherish the past and be grateful that some things haven’t changed. But then the ghost left and late May is where it all went south for this team.
Everyone was hurt and the guys that weren’t hurt, couldn’t hit to save their lives. No righty power was present. The team would constantly lose low scoring games. The Ghost of Seasons Past was right but this team wasn’t the same anymore. No way they can win a World Series. And as if things couldn’t look any bleaker during the Yankees hitting woes, the Ghost of Seasons Present showed up.
The Ghost of Seasons Present:
The ghost showed me players that the Yankees had failed to re-sign this past offseason. He showed me Nick Swisher that by the All Star break, was having his usual offensive year that could have strongly benefited this Yankee team, but he was doing it in Cleveland.
The ghost then showed me Russell Martin who’s offense had not only improved but who also had become a clutch hitter for the Pirates. A leader for the Pirates as well, being not only a presence at the plate but also behind it. Martin was helping them become one of the best teams in baseball. Meanwhile our catcher was hurt and linked to a steroid scandal and we were stuck with a lack luster tandem of Chris Stewart and Austin Romine.
The ghost finally showed me a player that wrote himself into Yankee playoff history. A player that tied an October game in the bottom of the ninth with one swing and later won it with another. He showed me Raul Ibanez. Ibanez at 41 was having a prime season. One of the league leaders in home runs through the All Star break, missing out on him hurt badly. Especially with the injuries to Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixiera and Alex Rodriguez, the team’s home run threats.
Realizing this could just be a lost season. A season decimated by injuries, the anger faded but the disappointment was still strong as the Ghost of Seasons Present left and the final ghost arrived.
The Ghost of Seasons Yet To Come:
This was the ghost I feared the most. This was the ghost that showed me what the Yankees would be like without its beloved captain. Derek Jeter broke his ankle last October only to re-break it in march. He then came back after the All Star break only to injur his quad in the first game. He came back about 2 weeks later only to injur his calf. He’s provided a small spark each time he’s come back but the ghost was showing me just how little time could be left in the story book career that I and many like me have been blessed to whiteness since day one. The ghost made me realize how much I need to stop obsessing about certain things and just enjoy watching the team I love play the game I love. The players won’t always be the same but the game always will. I have to cherish it no matter what. Find the joy in it even when they’re down because that is the whole point of baseball. It’s a game meant to entertain.
The final ghost left me and I awoke the morning of August 31st. I hadn’t missed it. The season wasn’t over! And miraculously, the bruised and battered Yankees are only 4.5 games out of the Wild Card. Jeter is back again and with the return of guys like Rodriguez and Granderson and the addition of Mark Reynolds, things are looking up. Austin Romine has really come around and shown this team he belongs here and with a gift from the Ghost of Seasons Past, Alfonso Soriano, the Yankees are a threat from both sides of the plate, capable of making any pitcher pay.
They may not make it to October, but they are fighting. They are grinding it out. We Yankee fans are a proud bunch but if October doesn’t end with a parade it’s “bah humbug!” We need to realize that October is not a right, it’s a privilege. And maybe a visit from these 3 ghosts will make us smile a little easier, cheer a little louder and beam a little brighter when our team grinds it out hard enough to have the honor of October baseball. This year, or seasons yet to come.
I think that’s what The Boss’ ghost was trying to teach me, trying to teach us all.
The Miami Biogenesis Clinic scandal has seemingly reached its peak. Major League Baseball and former NL MVP, Ryan Braun, have come to an agreement. Braun has admitted to using PEDs and has apologized for letting everyone down. The plea deal will be in effect immediately and he will serve a suspensions without pay for the remainder of the season, about 67 games. The agreement between the league and Bruan does a lot to boost the credibility of Anthony Bosch. Bosch was the head of the Miami clinic.
All of this information is bad news for Alex Rodriguez who is believed to be up next to face the music. CBS Sports writer, Jon Heyman, was the first to break the Bruan suspension and he believes that we will see the same situation if not worse for Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez is now faced with a decision. He can either let the league take their action and accept or fight it or he can use his injury to state that he is physically unfit to continue playing at the professional level and retire to ensure he collects every dime of his contract. It seems regardless of what he decides, we will know soon.
Allow them to reintroduce themselves as ROC Nation. Robinson Cano has stunned the baseball world by firing Scott Boras in the middle of extension talks with the Yankees. Boras is the biggest agent in baseball so for Cano to fire him during negotiations is bizarre. As if this wasn’t a strange enough development, soon after ESPNs Buster Olney reported the split, word circulated that Cano had found new representation. Cano signed a deal with hip hop mogul Jay Z.
At first I thought reports had to be wrong but apparently Jay Z has started a new endeavor. He has partnered with CAA talent agency to start his own sports management agency by the name of ROC Nation. Jay Z’s first client is Robinson Cano. When reached for a statement, Boras told members of the New York media that he hadn’t heard from Cano about a split but a tweet from Cano told a different story.
Rumors have been swirling and sources have been speaking. The word is that former Boras clients, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixiera had been in Cano’s ear about firing Boras. They allegedly told him that parting ways with Boras could only help his image with the fan base. Rodriguez and Teixiera both have fired Boras in the past, but only after major contract negotiations. Cano is the first major name to ever bounce the super agent before a big pay day.
Another rumor swirling is why Boras was not alerted of this blockbuster deal. The rumor is that the Yankees offered Boras a 6 year deal worth $27.5 million a year and Boras told the Yanks “no way” without consulting with Cano. If that is true, it makes sense why Boras would be the last to know about his termination.
As for Cano’s decision to sign with Jay Z, a lot of thought has gone into that. Sources say the Cano wants to be a name brand both on and off the field. Sweeny Murti from WFan said he was told Cano wants to be like Jeter and sees that only being possible in New York. Cano sees Jay Z as the best way of accomplishing all this. All in all, this move seems to be the first win of the season for the Yankees. The likelihood of Cano staying in pinstripes is much greater now that Boras is out and Hova is in.
It’s that wonderful time of year again. No matter what team you prefer, you can be optimistic about the season ahead. No matter what moves your team made in the off season, it’s Opening Day and everyone is tied for first place. Here in the Bronx though, we know something that others don’t realize. No matter what moves your team made and no matter what “Sports Illustrated” says, this is our house and this is our time. Opening Day in the Bronx marks the beginning of a new pursuit for another championship. That’s because as far as we are concerned, the World Series has a home, and it’s home is on 161st Street and River Avenue. Welcome to the Bronx, where Opening Day might as well be a holiday.
Yankee Baseball is deeply rooted in the Bronx. The Yankee’s began their storied history with a brief stint as the Baltimore Orioles. They were formed in 1901 as one of the American League’s original eight teams. The organization moved to New York shortly after, in 1903. In upper Manhattan’s Hilltop Park, they played as the Highlanders until 1913 when the team’s official name was changed to the Yankees. In 1923, the Yankees moved directly across the Harlem River into the Bronx. Yankee Stadium was opened and there it stayed until 2008 when its heir was built. Bronx natives as well as other Yankee fans, have packed the house year after year starting with Opening Day on April 18, 1923. Not much has changed in that regard since that day. Yankee fans are among the most loyal fans in baseball. Despite the traditional weekday scheduling, Opening Day in the Bronx promises to be a max capacity event.
If you are a Yankee fan then you know what I’m talking about. It’s that day of the year when the kids get to play hooky from school while the adults play hooky from work. It’s a day for tradition, and we as Yankee fans know a thing or two about tradition. Every year, my brother, my friends and I get bleacher seats for the home opener. We all take the day off and wake up early. We meet at my house for breakfast and then its onto the train and down to Stan’s. We get to the bar no later than 9:30am because after all, we are celebrating our holiday. Stan’s is a haven for Yankee die hards, especially on this particular day. Everyone is there for the same reasons; eat, drink and be Yankee fans.
I don’t know if you have been to other stadiums but I have. Baseball really is an amazing game no matter where it’s played, but it just has this special aura in the Bronx. It belongs here. Even with a new $1.3 billion mammoth of a stadium, Opening Day still feels special. We have the only perfect game ever thrown in the World Series, we’ve got Mr. October and Mr. November, and we started standing on two strikes. We’ve blown ‘em away and we’ve walked ‘em off. We have pulled off upsets and we have swept opponents aside on the way to 27 World Championships, and all that starts with Opening Day. This year has the makings of an interesting season. Everyone seems to be underestimating our Bombers. Labeling this team as underdogs is a crucial mistake and they have everything it takes to make teams pay.
Tradition means everything to us fans. It’s a way of starting off the season on the right foot. After all, if we break tradition we may jinx our beloved Yankees. Lets keep the traditions going and lets enjoy another beautiful Yankee game. We deserve it because we have the greatest team in the world and we are the greatest fans in the world. It’s time we do our pre-game rituals and then head to the stadium. Scan your ticket, grab a beer, find your seat and quiet down because role call is about to begin. It’s Opening Day, and all is right in the Bronx.
So come that special morning, you will find me at Stan’s bright and early. That’s our tradition. What’s yours?
Pitchers and catchers have officially reported to spring training and baseball is now underway. I can confirm that baseball people are doing baseball things in both Florida and Arizona. As camp gets underway, many teams still have issues to work out and even though not a single game has been played, baseball writers all over America have already made their predictions for the World Series.
I’m not a believer in an off season champion. Just because you look good on paper doesn’t mean it will translate. But in the spirit of spring training, I will make my own World Series prediction based solely on what teams look like on paper. The World Series will be played between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals. Toronto will have beaten the Angels to arrive in the fall classic and the Nats will have beaten the Braves in the NLCS. Your world champions will be the Washington Nationals. What a great 2013 season that was! So exciting!
Like I said, I don’t believe this will be the outcome of the season. This is what I believe would happen if “on paper” meant anything after a 162 game season. I made these picks because I think that the Braves and the Nationals are two of the most well built ball clubs we’ve seen in a while but I think the Nats are slightly better. The Angels are always a dangerous team and with Hamilton they just got even more dangerous. They likely have the best hitting outfield in the league and Pujols at first. I also think that Toronto is going to have their turn this year. They had a shot last year until they were riddled with injuries. But that’s the thing. These are my predictions but I don’t think they will happen because after 162 games, players get hurt or have off years or don’t mesh well together. Meanwhile other players have surprisingly great years and stay healthy and a teams vibe carries them somewhere no one ever saw coming.
So there you have it, my prediction that won’t happen. So if you are a fan of any of the teams I picked to lose, don’t worry, there is still a chance.
Last night, the Anthony Bosch saga continued with the exposure of four more names linked to the alleged PED pedaling clinic. Among those names, most notable is Ryan Braun. Braun tested positive for banned substances but appealed in December of 2011. The appeal went in his favor because it was proved that the lab responsible for testing did not handle the blood sample properly. Many felt that though he won the appeal, it was just a technicality. Now being linked to the Miami biogenesis lab only makes it more believable that Braun is a tainted player.
The three other names newly linked to Bosch’s lab are Danny Valencia (Orioles third baseman), Jesus Montero (Mariners catcher and former Yankee top prospect) and Francisco Cervelli (Yankee catcher). All parties have denied guilt with similar statements. Of course, there is a possibility that these four players are not guilty of using PEDs. All four players were listed in the records for Bosch’s lab. However, unlike A-Rod and the others, these four players only had dollar amounts next to their names. No mention of what substances were purchased but still, the suspicion is now there. If the allegations are true, the Yankees are particularly in trouble. Not only is their star third baseman implicated in this situation, now so is one of their very few catching options.
Beyond the implications for teams that have a player linked to this clinic, what does this mean for baseball? I’ll tell you right now that this is not good. Baseball had completely recovered from the blow steroids dealt to the game about a decade ago. In fact, the game had reached new heights seeing the highest international following ever and some of the highest viewing ratings and attendance ratings. The game was certainly taking positive steps to ensure its survival but now with this lab linking so many players to performance enhancing drugs, it seems the game we love is still tainted. If guys like Ryan Braun to guys like Francisco Cervelli are taking PEDs, it really leaves nobody out of the realm of possibilities. We are back to second guessing stats and questioning every athlete.
Baseball needs to really step up and set ground rules here. The MLBPA makes it difficult to make big changes to policy because these players are in a union. However, it is imperative that the league start to setup stricken guidelines as far as which wellness clinics are aloud near these players. The game depends on it. This already happened to baseball and the game nearly drowned. This time around, a half-assed attempt to clean up the game will not suffice to save it. There needs to be real changes made. However, nothing can change until (and I must admit that I am growing tired of these words but it will probably not be some time until we can stop using them) MLB concludes their investigation.
On that note, MLB has asked the Miami New Times to turn over their information so as to aid in MLB’s investigation. The newspaper is still deciding if they want to help.
Today at 10am, Joe Torre released a provisional 27 man roster for the World Baseball Classic. Above is a break down of that roster. The team has some powerful bats in Ryan Braun, Mark Teixiera, Giancarlo Stanton and David Wright. I like the team that was put together but I don’t love it. This is why Baseball was eliminated as an Olympic sport. Countries continuously brought their top talent and the U.S. shows up with a B team.
You have to love the strong outfield on Team USA but where is Josh Hamilton, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper? The infield looks pretty strong but where is Troy Tulowitzki? He was rumored to be on the roster but then come 10am and his name was left off. Another person who was oddly left off the roster is Andy Pettitte. He was confirmed to be on the team but was left off the roster due to his contract being uninsured. Pettitte is 40 years old and was injured for 3 months last season. So his contract was too risky to insure should he get injured.
Pettitte would have been a nice addition to what I think is a drab rotation behind Cy-Young winner R.A. Dickey but, where is David Price, Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander? That would have been a great group of guys to see on the mound along with Dickey. Nothing against Torre’s team, he obviously did his best but I’m wondering why all these guys said no to representing the United States.
The World Baseball Classic is very popular throughout the world but as long as MLB players keep turning down the opportunity to put on the red white and blue, it’s never going to be very popular in the U.S.
Team USA will begin there quest to dethrone Japan on March 8th at 9pm ET.
Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey – has been much in the news over the last few months. Republicans have been searching for a presidential candidate for the 2012 elections to go up against President Obama, and Christie matched the fiscally conservative ideals Republicans claim to believe in.
For example, the governor, in an effort to save some extra cash for the state of New Jersey even went as far as cutting education spending and necessary funding for teachers. What else was he expected to do? The state needed money and teachers make too much. So cutting their take home pay is what this fiscally conservative governor did.
But now, it would seem that New Jersey is bringing home the dough. You know, rolling in cash… like flushing it down the toilet or something. Jersey apparently has so much money, that the fiscally conservative Republican governor saw no problem with taking the quick way to his son’s baseball game – using the State’s Police Helicopter that was purchased with $12 million of New Jersey’s taxpayer’s dollars.
Right before the lineup cards were being exchanged on the field, a noise from above distracted the spectators as the 55-foot long helicopter buzzed over trees in left field, circled the outfield and landed in an adjacent football field. Christie disembarked from the helicopter and got into a black car with tinted windows that drove him about a 100 yards to the baseball field.
And who exactly will have to cover the bill for the pilot and crew, and the fuel for Christie’s trip? Well the people of New Jersey of course. They’re making enough money, remember? They’re good.
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