A few baseball thoughts

The Yankees have missed the postseason for the first time since 1993.  The 1994 postseason was cancelled due to a labor conflict and in 1995, the Yankees qualified as the first wild card team. Since then, it's been an amazing run, and hopefully, they can start a new run next year.  The Yankees finished six games behind the Red Sox for this year's wild card.  Here are my thoughts on what went wrong this year:

- They didn't trade for Johan.  In the long run, I think this is the right move.  The cost was high both in players and money.  Even though the players that were rumored to be involved in the deal had down years, the long term remains to be seen.  However, for this year, if they had Johan, they make the playoffs.

- Health.  It's not an excuse, especially when you have a payroll in excess of $200m, but Darrell Rasner was third on the team in games started.  Sidney Ponson started the same number of games as Chien-Ming Wang.  Losing Matsui meant losing one of the few guys on the team that understands situational hitting.  Losing Posada meant losing a proven clubhouse leader.

- The manager.  Joe Girardi wasn't my choice.  However, by choosing Girardi over Don Mattingly, ownership was sending a message that they wanted to change things up.  Donnie would have been too similar to Joe Torre.  In my opinion, Girardi struggled heavily when it came to dealing with the players.  When things were going bad, it seemed that his intensity was causing them to press.  His intensity ruled the clubhouse rather than the calm confidence that exuded from Torre's clubhouse. He didn't communicate well with the players, and I don't think his in-game management was aggressive enough.

- No one stepped up.  They needed someone to step up and carry the team offensively.  They needed big hits.  They didn't get them.  Aside from Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon, I don't remember anyone having an explosive week where they carried the team.  ARod finished with great numbers, but they were pretty empty.  Again...they pressed in big spots.

- The kids.  This is the last year that I will consider Cano a kid.  He missed Larry Bowa kicking him in the ass and keeping him focused.  He completely regressed and might have punched his ticket out of town.  Melky, Hughes, Kennedy, and Shelley Duncan all disappointed, and that's an understatement.

If Cashman is back, and I think he should be, he has a lot of work to do in the off-season.  They get some help in that Wang should be back and healthy.  They will have a full year of Xavier Nady, and hopefully by June a healthy Posada.  There are lots of questions, and it will be interesting to see how he shapes next year's team.

Some other thoughts on the season:

- The Mets lose to Florida on the last day of the season and it costs them a playoff spot for the second year in a row.    They lost a 3.5 game lead with 17 games to go.  Johan was amazing on Saturday and Oliver Perez was good, but the bullpen did them in as it had so many times this year.

- CC Sabathia pitches Milwaukie in to the playoffs.  He is the jewel of the free agent crop this off-season, and he made himself a lot of money down the stretch.  He went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA for the Brewers and should get some MVP votes.

- Manny Ramirez also deserves some MVP votes after hitting .396 with 17 HR's and 53 RBIs in 53 games. However, he is still a jerk for the way he left Boston.

- I am rooting for Joe Torre to win the World Series.  However, if Lou Pinella leads the Cubs to their first title in 100 years, that would be great too.

- I am really rooting for the White Sox to win their make up game with Detroit tomorrow.  That will cause the Twins and White Sox to play a one-game playoff on Tuesday to determine the Central Division winner.  Is there anything better than the one-game playoff?

- The Twins traded Johan and lost Torii Hunter to free agency and are still in the hunt.  Impressive.

One final note...it was 10 years ago that the baseball world was swept up in the chase to break Roger Maris' single season home run record by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.  Roger Clemens won the pitching triple crown leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts and capturing yet another Cy Young Award.  While that season and those players certainly helped bring baseball back from the disaster of 1994, McGwire and Clemens are now baseball outcasts. It's a shame.  It's also hard to believe that it was 10 years ago.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"

JN

The Farewell

Settle in...this is a long one.

Sunday night, we said goodbye to Yankee Stadium. I had a lot of emotions during the week leading up to last night's game. I was pretty upset. I have long called Yankee Stadium "my most special place on the planet". Unfortunately, I was focused on the fact that I would never get to walk up the tunnel again and see the green grass, the blue seats, and peer around The Stadium and remember all of the great memories. After last night's celebration, I am now able to focus on all of the great memories I have, savor them, and look forward to The New Stadium.

My father first took me to Yankee Stadium in 1980. I remember going with my Uncle Steven, and the car broke down on the way there. I remember being worried about missing the National Anthem. Since then, there have been hundreds of games and countless memories. Some of the great memories are:

- Two games in the Division Series in 1981 against the Brewers (caused by the strike).

- One game in the ALCS against the A's in 1981. My Uncle Steven took me. He doesn't like baseball, but exemplifies what it means to be an uncle.

- Game 2 of the 1981 World Series. I kept score, Tommy John was perfect through 3 innings, I still have the scorecard.

- Old Timer's Day 1984 where I met Catfish Hunter in the stands.

- Countless doubles in to the right field corner by Donnie Baseball in the 80's.

- Too many losses in the early 90's. I got my driver's license just before the season started in 1991. They lost 91 games that year, but we went to a lot of games. Me, Katz, Gideon, Pilch, Jeremy Kaufman...lots of games. We could get there right before the first pitch and buy tickets right near the scouts behind home plate.

- In 1992, the guys wanted to go to the game, but I was pitching that afternoon against Essex Catholic, the best team in the conference. We made a deal that if we won, we would go. I hit a walk off single in the bottom of the 7th. We celebrated all the way back to the locker room and as we were changing, we looked at each other and said..."We're going to the game!".

- Reggie Jackson Day in 1993 with Jon Geller. We caught a ball each during BP. I gave mine to a young kid, probably 3 years old, as a souveneir of his first game.

- Game 2 of the Division Series in 1995. Donnie Baseball's last game at The Stadium. He hit one out. Jared and I sat in the front row of the loge...ran in to Keith before the game. Yelled "Run Jorge, Run" even though we didn't know who Jorge was when Ruben Sierra hit one off the top of the wall to tie the game. Went crazy when Jim Leyritz' ball cleared the wall in right in the 15th inning and just said "Jimmy F*$&ing Leyritz" 100 times on the way home. Incidentally, the winning pitcher in that game was Mariano Rivera.
- Opening Day 1996 in the snow. The debut of the YMCA and they gave us free tickets for...
- Doc Gooden's no-hitter. It was the week in between finals and graduation. I drove up from Trenton State. Our seats were in the corner of the upper deck, but we watched from behind home plate. So far, my only n0-hitter in person.

- All of the home playoff games in 1996. The Jeffrey Maier game...when Derek tied it up, and then Bernie won it. When Bernie hit that home run, Michael Levine and I felt the upper deck shake.

- Going to all six World Series games in 1996. It was bleak when I left for Atlanta, but when I got back, we were on the verge. Girardi's triple, Jared catching a foul ball, Mariano to Wetteland, Charlie Hayes' catch...the first championship that I was old enough to experience...nothing is sweeter.

- The brawl against the Orioles in May 1998 when Benitez drilled Tino after Bernie took him deep. Strawberry led the charge out of the dugout and GLloyd came from the bullpen throwing punches. When it spilled in to the O's dugout, it got really interesting.

- The Chuck Knoblauch game in 1998.

- Game 2 of the World Series in 1998. The second pitch was a foul ball right off of my hand. If I wasn't keeping score, I would have had it.

- The clinching game in 1999. Keith and I were in the second to last row at the top of The Stadium. The guy in front of us was passing a bottle that he snuck in. The guy two seats over from him took his seat apart with a ratchet set before the game even started. We snuck down in the late innings and sat with Scott and the boys. We didn't leave until they kicked us out.

- The Clemens/Piazza game in 2000. I was on my way upstairs and stopped to see Mike, Ross, and Sivin on my way. No one had any idea what was happening.

- All three games of the 2001 World Series at The Stadium. The President throwing out the first pitch of Game 3, Tino and Jeter Game 4....Brosius AGAIN! Game 5. For Game 5, I was with Gideon...it was all about the lucky jacket.

- Watching Barry Bonds hit the longest home run I had ever, and have ever, seen off of Ted Lilly in 2002. All I could do was clap. It was that impressive.

- Game 7 in 2003 with Keith yelling "Boo!" to all of the Sox fans on the way in. "Do you hear the ghosts?" They were there. Mussina bailing out Clemens, Giambi's two homers, Jorge's big hit, Pedro's meltdown, Mariano throwing 3 innings, and then...Aaron Boone (who didn't start the game). Mike, Keith, Ross and I yellling when the ball sailed past us. Seeing Mariano collapse on the mound.

- My father and I were there the night Jeter dove in to the stands against the Sox in 2004. John Flaherty won the game in extra innings.

- April 2005 we saw ARod hit a three run homer, a two run homer, and then a grand slam in his first three at-bats off of Bartolo Colon. I was with Jeff Garibaldi in his seats...sixth row in the center of the Yankee dugout. It's a shame that he won't have the same seats in The New Stadium.

- Countless Opening Days.

- Countless Playoff Games.

- Two World Series clinchers.

- Taking my daughter to her first game...June 21 against the Reds. Carrying her as we past The New Stadium. Watching her and Christine walk up the tunnel towards the field. I will miss the tunnels in The New Stadium.

- The Home Run Derby with balls flying all over the place. Josh Hamilton put on an amazing show.

- The All Star Game with Jared...the Hall of Famers in the pregame ceromony were worth the price of admission alone, but we got an amazing game also. We were rooting hard for DJ or Mo to be the MVP, but with the game going to extra innings, it wasn't to be.

- This past Tuesday night...seeing Jeter get his hit to pass Lou Gehrig. Jared and I took our fathers for one last trip. On the way out, we talked about a lot of the games I mentioned above. Such great memories.

- And the last one...Sunday night...with my dad...who took me to my first game.

Sunday night was a celebration of everything that came before it. All 85 years. They introduced many of the Yankee greats, including many members of the teams that meant so much to us the last few years. The last to be introduced was Bernie...for his first trip back since he stopped playing. The ceremony lasted for an hour...and then the game started.

The Yankees won 7-3. I kept score. Pettitte came through when he had to. The bullpen was great. Damon and Molina hit home runs. Giambi got a hit that was aided by the ghosts when the 3rd baseman and shortstop looked at each other while the ball dropped. Enter Sandman played for the last time in Yankee Stadium (see the video below...it's a new multimedia wrinkle) and Mariano emerged from the left centerfield wall. Next year, the bullpen moves back to rightfield, so it will be odd seeing Mo emerge from the other side of the outfield.

After two outs, Girardi pulled DJ so he could get one last standing ovation...one last curtain call.

After Mariano closed it out, the team poured on to the field, and Sinatra sang New York, New York. It was almost as if they won the World Series. They gathered around the mound, and then Derek Jeter, our captain, delivered an amazing speech, thanking us, the fans.

The players then did a lap around the warning track, similar to 1996. I was looking for someone on a horse! We soaked it in a while longer, watched the players take pictures with their families on the mound, and then almost simultaneously, my father and I decided it was time to go.

I am not upset that I will never get to see The Yankees again in The House That Ruth Built. I have my memories, and I look forward to new memories in The New Stadium. I will make those memories with my friends and my family, and I can only hope that Avery (and any future offspring) feel half as connected to The New Yankee Stadium as I am to The Yankee Stadium.

If you read this far...thanks. Please feel free to leave a comment with your favorite Yankee Stadium moments. You'll be surprised just how much fun it is.

Hope springs eternal...see you in the Bronx...April 16th. It's a date. Memory #1.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"

JN

What's better than a great tailgate?

There are a few things better than a great tailgate.  However, when you are in the moment of the tailgate, the sun is shining, your friends are all around, the beer is cold, the music is on, and the food is great, there isn't any place you would rather be.  Thursday night, the Giants opened their season after winning last year's Super Bowl with a prime time game against the Redskins.

The tailgate started a little later than we wanted it to.  Our intention was to get there around 11:30, but we found out around 11 that they would be enforcing the new rule that opened the parking lot five hours before game time.  Some of the guys camped out at Scott's, but Jared and I stayed local so we could make sure we were at the gate when it opened.  We drove back to the Meadowlands after getting some lunch around 1:30.  There were many people already lined up when we got there, but got a strategic spot on the shoulder and when they opened the gates, we were able to get our spot in lot 18C.

There is something special about the first game of the season, and it was more special in light of the Super Bowl win.  There are some people at the tailgate that I only see in the parking lot at Giants games, so many I haven't seen since December.  Guys like Al, Young Craig, Frank, Richard, and Andrew to name a few.  It's great to catch up and while every group has some guys that no one likes, it's a really great group. Then of course, there is the core of the group that I do see in the off season and great to see them as well.  Seeing Scott, Keith, Hank, Fresh, Strauss, Strauss (unrelated), and of course Jared...it's the best.  If I missed anyone, I apologize in advance.

The tailgate menu has had very few changes and that's because it works.  Clams with hot sauce, wings, steak, and sausage and peppers.  Lots of beer, and many of the boys are partial to Guiness these days.  If that sounds good to you, please stop by before any Giants game.

So after a great tailgate with most of the day being over 90 degrees, I changed my shirt and went in to the game.  Strahan popped out of a 20 foot Super Bowl trophy with the real thing and hyped up the crowd.  The Giants played great in the first half, but settled for field goals and gave up a late TD so they led 16-7, which ended up being the final.  A very workman like victory over a team that they should have beat.  A good start to the season, but more important...another great day with friends in the parking lot.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."

JN

Old friends...new kids

It's great to catch up with old friends. It's even better when they have new children that they bring along. Today, I was lucky enough to have a house full of friends and kids and it was great.

Ken and Carrie along with their five month old son Owen were on their way to a bbq in Northern NJ and stopped by on their way. Soon after they arrived, the Ira and Aly walked over from next door and Abby and Noah. Not too long after, Andy and Lisa arrived with Will and their baby girl, Ellie. All the while, my nephews Nicholas and Anthony were helping with the food and with Avery as they stayed over last night. At one point, it was eight adults and eight kids in the house.

We hung out, ate, played outside, played inside, and just caught up. It was abundantly obvious that my friends are enjoying being parents as much as I am. At the end of the day, I thought about just how long I have been friends with Ken, Andy and Ira. Ken and I met in 1992 as we lived in the same dorms and had some classes together. He had a Bruce concert shirt that he wore, so we hit off immediately. Andy and I met in 1993, his freshman year, my sophomore year as Joe Lewin told me that Andy had some Bruce bootlegs that he might let me borrow so I could copy them. Ira and I went to Israel together in the winter of my junior year 1994/1995, which was his senior year. I don't normally quote the Grateful Dead, but..."What a long strange trip it's been."

To still be friends with people 14, 15, 16 years later...it's very special. That we are all in the same place in our lives right now, married with small children, certainly makes it easy to relate to what each other is going through.

Later in the day, my sister Sari and brother-in-law Jeff came over for dinner. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, Sari is pregnant. She and Christine spend time talking about pregnancy and parenting. I am really excited in a lot of ways, but I am very much looking forward to Sari and Jeff joining the parenthood club.

Five years ago tonight I was at Giants Stadium for the 10th Bruce show at Giants Stadium. I attended all 10, and many more that summer. I went with Ira. After the show, Ira went home to his wife and daughter. I went straight down the shore...it was the last night ever at The Tradewinds. I started drinking immediately as I was crashing locally. I was on stage with Brian Kirk and the Jirks as the last song ended and spent the rest of the night drinking on the beach. While I am still attending Bruce shows, I couldn't be further from that place in my life right now. I wouldn't change it for anything...and if I had to bet, neither would Ken, Andy, or Ira.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."

JN

Amazing Happenings

Some might think that with the end of the Bruce tour and the apparent demise of the Yankees season that I might have the end of summer blues. NOT SO! There are some amazing happenings to report, so I am happy to share...

MY SISTER SARI IS PREGNANT! My brother-in-law Jeff and sister Sari are expecting their first child which is due April 11, 2009. I can't welcome them in to the best club I have ever been lucky enough to be a member of. Parenthood. They are both truly two of my favorite people and I couldn't be happier for them and my entire family.

While everything after that is completely secondary, there is one other piece of good news. The basement project is finally done in my house. We started the project a few months ago, and I could not be happier with the outcome. All of the credit goes to my wife Christine as she picked everything except the TV. The general contractor was Steve Garguilo of Garguilo Builders and he did an amazing job. This week, The Media Room of Montville installed the TV, surround sound, etc. They also did a tremendous job in designing the set up, recommending the TV, and executing the plan. Christine is calling it The Man Cave, so if I am missing, you can look for me there.

And if that wasn't enough, Avery is getting cuter and cuter every day. She's crawling now so she is all over the place, but loves to smile and clap her hands. She's just amazing!

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive!"

JN

Random thoughts...

Just a few thoughts...

- It's good to know that when things are tough, Hank Steinbrenner will give up and make excuses. Of course, he said he is not giving up on 2008, but when you are looking ahead to next season with over 25% of this season left, what does that say to the fan base? Here's one of the quotes, "We're going to win it next year. If we need to add a top veteran pitcher, we'll do that. We'll do whatever we need to do. Next year we'll be extremely dangerous." Does that mean that I shouldn't watch or go to any more games this year? Will I get a refund from Hank for the remaining games? Maybe he should take a page out of his father's book and try to inspire the team...not make excuses for them.
- Has anyone noticed that Joe Torre's Dodgers are pretty much tied for first place in the NL West? Looks like I might have a rooting interest in October after all. Somehow, I think Joe would have had the Yankees in the hunt this year...or at least playing with some heart. Heck...he got Manny to cut his hair. The guy can do anything.
- Today marked the end of an era. WFAN officially announced that Chris "Mad Dog" Russo will be released from his contract. There will be no last show. Mike and The Mad Dog are officially over. Mad Dog is rumored to be heading to Sirius, while Mike might be looking for a new partner. While I know that they haven't been getting along, after 19 years, they should have had one last hurrah.
- Brett Favre's a Jet, which is great news for the Giants. Nothing like winning the Super Bowl and being under the radar in your own city.
- Good luck to Michael Phelps. Six down...two to go.

That's all for this week. "It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."

JN

Summertime Bruce

There are certain things that, for me, are just right. My daughter taking a nap on my lap, October baseball in the Bronx, Friday night dinners at my parents' house, and Bruce in the summertime. Some would argue that for me, any time is a good time for Bruce. However, there is something special about the summertime. Bruce played Giants Stadium three times this week, perhaps for the last time.

First, let me talk about the tailgate. Because of the construction of the new Giants Stadium, the parking lots have been reconfigured in the last year, forcing us to move our tailgate from Lot 17A to Lot 18C for Giants games, and for Bruce shows also. We tailgated Sunday and Thursday...and took Monday off. I have to work sometimes...right? The attendance for the tailgates was stellar. It was a great mix of people I see often, people I don't see enough, people I just see at Bruce shows, and people I haven't seen in a long time. The roll call for both Sunday and Thursday included my sister Sari, brother-in-law Jeffrey, Dave and Jodi Katz, Spider, Fresh, Greg S, Jeff Koko, and my partner in crime for Bruce...Sammy. It was also great to see Greg V. and his new wife, the rest of the Koko Family, the Nugget King Rob Fisher, Gordon, Greg, Jen C and her 8+ month pregnant sister Adrienne, Back Nine Schein, and of course, Beckerman. If I missed anyone...I am sorry...but I am typing pretty late. The menu was WindMill hot dogs, burgers, a special recipe of bites of a steaks that Spider likes to call Steak Tips, and of course....a lot of cold beer.

The tailgates started at 3:30 both days and lasted until about 8. Great weather, great food, great friends, and great music. Oh by the way...afterwards, there were concerts.

As for the shows, they were tremendous. I can't really judge which of the three I enjoyed more. One didn't stand out from the rest like some of the other epic stands. Of the 55,000 people there each night, I am confident that no one had a better time than me. Some might have had an equally good time, like my sister Sari on Thursday, but no one had a better time. Over the course of the three nights, Bruce played 53 different songs. Each show was over 3 hours, and there was a great mix of hits, old, new, obscure, etc. I always say when I head in to a show that I want to hear something I have never heard before. This stand, I heard four songs I have never heard before: Held Up Without A Gun (played for only the third time ever), I'll Work For Your Love (one of my favorites off of the new album), Summertime Blues (a great cover), and Drive All Night (I had heard it solo, but never with the band...amazing).

The musical highlights were many. Jungleland (twice), Drive All Night, Incident, Held Up Without A Gun, Cadillac Ranch, Badlands, etc. As good as the music was, Bruce was better. He was working the crowd, taking sign requests, and connecting with people. Sitting near the front all three nights, it was great to see Bruce interacting with the fans, especially the small children. Being a father now, that stuff really hits home for me. The first night, he played Growin Up for a 10 year old fan named Rosie. Also that night, he sang a verse of Girls in their Summer Clothes to a young fan in the front row while holding her hand and looking right at her. Monday night he gave his harmonica from Promised Land to a 7 year old fan with a sign asking for the harmonica. He was great.

There was a lot of anticipation for these shows since they went on sale in December, and it lived up to everything we hoped it would be. If you were there with me, thanks for contributing to a great time. If you weren't...I hope you can join us next time.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."

JN