Perfect Day...

Ten years ago today, David Cone pitched his perfect game at Yankee Stadium against the Montreal Expos. Cone might have pitched a perfect game, but I seem to remember having a perfect day.

I started watching the game when I got home from work. Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner had recently reconciled their differences and Yogi was being honored at The Stadium. I remember watching the ceremony and thought it was great that even though Yogi was being honored, he caught the ceremonial first pitch rather than throw it. Don Larsen did the honors.

I didn't get to watch the entire game as I had plans that night (more on that later). So, in about the 5th inning, I jumped in my car and sped up the Garden State Parkway. I was meeting my father and some other people for dinner. I pulled in to the restaurant about 20 minutes late and waited in the car for Cone to get through the top of the 8th. When he did, I raced in to the restaurant and looked for the TV. They didn't have one. I went over to the table and explained that I couldn't stay. I looked at my father and said "Coney's perfect through 8...I gotta go." Needless to say, he understood.

I don't remember what restaurant it was, or even what city, but nowhere in the immediate area could I find a place with a TV, so I sat in my car and listened as Cone completed his perfecto. What was more amazing than anything else was that he didn't walk anyone. Cone was not a control pitcher and was known for nibbling around the plate. It was amazing. It was also the Yankees third no-hitter in the last four years (Doc Gooden in 96 and David Wells in 98). Coincidentally, each of those years, they had also won The World Series.

When the game was over, I went back in to the restaurant, and told everyone the story of the game. After dinner, we were all going to see Bruce and the E Street Band at the Meadowlands Arena (then called Continental). It was the 2nd of 15 shows at the arena that summer. At the time, my father had a connection with someone that could get us some "working crew" passes so we could wander around backstage before the show. I didn't know why we were having dinner if we had these passes, but I was going with the flow.

When we got to the arena, we got the passes and made our way to the area right behind the stage. Nothing was going on, so we were just hanging out. About five minutes before the show, Paul O'Neill walked by. I gave him a big high five and asked him how come Coney wasn't with him. He said he was supposed to come, but with all of the excitement, he decided to bail. Still, it was amazing to see Paul on such a special day.

A few minutes later, Bruce and the band appeared. We were off to the side, not close enough to be in the way, but close enough to see. As each band member made his/her way up the stairs, Bruce shook everyone's hand, patted them on the back, and basically offered encouragement for a great show. As he made his way up the stairs, my father and I make our way towards our seats, which were pretty close to the stage.

I would see 12 of the 15 shows on that stand, but this show will always standout as it was my first time seeing Jungleland live. I gave me chills...literally. To have shared it with my father made it all the more special.

Tomorrow...my father and I are going to Old Timer's Day at The New Yankee Stadium. It certainly has the potential to be another perfect day.

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

JN

Happy 4th of July Weekend

A Happy 4th of July Weekend to everyone. Some random thoughts at the end of a great weekend.

- Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's famous speech. The speech was delivered by a dying man, yet he considered himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth." The speech focused on his family, his teammates, the Yankee management, and even the New York (baseball) Giants, but he didn't focus on himself. He was a man that played with power, grace, and humility and was a true role model, even at the end. All of Major League Baseball honored him on Saturday, rightfully so. However, couldn't they have gotten someone better than Dave Otto in Chicago???

- In 1998, Southside Johnny played The Tradewinds on 4th of July weekend. I remember right before the show, coming out of the men's room and standing there was Little Steven. He was looking for the men's room, so I pointed him in the right direction. I was too nervous to say anything. That night, Little Steven played two songs with The Jukes, including Hearts of Stone (Bobby had to remind him the chords), and Jon Bon Jovi sat in for the entire show playing rhythm guitar and singing back up. It was also Jeff Kazee's first show with The Jukes. It's been all down hill since, right Jeff?

- July 1, 2004 was the night that Derek Jeter jumped in to the stands after catching a pop up to end the 12th inning. The Yankees came back to win that game in the 13th with key hits from Miguel Cairo and John Flaherty. The Yankees swept that series and it was still a time when, as Yankee fans, we thought it was our birthright to beat The Sox. All of that would change about 14 weeks later and baseball hasn't been the same since.

- July 1, 2000 was the night Bruce ended the 1999-2000 tour with the 10th show at The Garden. I think this show deserves a blog entry of its own, but it will have to wait until the 10th anniversary, next year.

- July 3, 2009, Christine and I took Avery and our nephew Anthony to The New Yankee Stadium for the first time. It was Anthony's first trip to The Bronx for a game, but Avery went to one game at The Stadium. I hope it was the first of many trips for both. A great day, and the Yankees even delivered a win.

- July 6, 2009...tomorrow Jared and I make our first trip together to New Stadium. He hasn't been yet, and I am really looking forward to showing him the new ballpark. Nothing will ever replace The Stadium, but they did build a heck of a building.

That's all for now...

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

JN

Some things I think...

First of all, a very happy birthday to my dear father, Philip D. Neuer, Esq., MCR.  A great dad, friend, and now grandfather.  Happy 63rd.

Now...to some things on my mind today.

I think my wife is amazing.  One week after bringing my daughter to the tailgate party before the Bruce show at the arena, she stayed up late last night making my father an Oreo cheesecake...from scratch.  Last week, she decided not to go to the show, but came with Avery to the parking lot to hang out pre-show.  It was a perfect day.  It was Avery's first tailgate.  It was Aunt Liz and Uncle Alan's first Bruce show.  I got to sit with my mother and David.  I got Sari in to the pit.  Bruce played Incident.  What more could I want?

I think the Bruce shows I saw on this run were great.  While I wish he would play more from the new album, I go to the shows with the mindset that I will have a better time than anyone else in the arena.  There are some that say he isn't challenging the audience enough. Meanwhile, he is not playing hits, he is taking requests, and while he might not be digging deep in to the catalog, he gives it his all every night. The new album has a very positive tone.  We aren't living in a very positive time for many.  Therefore, I think the place in the show where the new songs would go has been reserved for three songs, Seeds, Johnny 99, and The Ghost of Tom Joad, that speak to the times we are living in even more so than the new record.

I think my cousin, Mike Levine is amazing.  They had the annual Texas Hold Em last week and raised over $200,000 in a terrible economy.  Since Matthew was diagnosed with FSGS, Mike has been a crusader for the NephCure Foundation, taking on the challenge head-on.  They got some great PR the same night as the poker event with a segment on Fox News.  Here is a link for those that are interested.  Link to story.

I think Mark Cuban is a genius.  For those that don't know Mark Cuban, he is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, HDNet, and other ventures.  He was the guest on The BS Report (Bill Simmons' podcast) this week and after 40 minutes I wanted to quit my job, move to Dallas, become a Mavericks fan, and work for him.  He thinks the next big growth industry will be genetic research.  I am not betting against him.

I still think Joe Girardi is a weak manager.

I think the season finale of Lost was amazing.  Anyone not watching this show should take the next seven months to catch up on DVD.

I think MLB Network is my favorite channel on television right now.  The nightly highlight shows are amazing.  One host and two former players go through the highlights and will cut to a live game if something exciting is happening.  Any baseball fan not taking advantage is missing out.

I think I like my iPhone almost as much as I liked my first TiVo.  It's close.

I think making the entire floor general admission for the Giants Stadium show was Bruce & company's way of screwing the ticket brokers.  I am not sure if it will work, but I give them credit for trying.  I am happy Bruce will be the last musical act at Giants Stadium.  If I had to bet, I would bet Bon Jovi is the first musical act in the new, yet to be named stadium.

I still think the Giants should go get Anquan Boldin.

I don't think ARod is responsible for the Yankees turnaround.  I think the starting pitching has been much better, taking the pressure off of the bullpen.  Yes, he has gotten some big hits and provides better protection for Big Tex, but I won't give ARod all of the credit.

I think Big Papi should start taking some better supplements.  We may live in a society where you are innocent until proven guilty, but every time Papi can't catch up to a 90 mile an hour fast ball, he is proving he was on something.  Kudos for him if he is clean now, but wow...he has stunk the first two months of the season.

I don't think I care Manny was juicing.  Is the 50 game suspension really a good punishment?  For someone as lazy as Manny, they should have made him play those 50 games, but not paid him.  So he lost $8m.  He doesn't care.  The punishment is in the public scrutiny.  The punishment is also more for the team than the player, although, the Dodgers are still playing really well.  Good job Mr. Torre.

I think that's enough for now.

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

JN

The House That Stick Built

Yankee Stadium was always known as The House That Ruth Built.  Babe Ruth arrived in New York in 1920 and by 1922, Yankee Stadium was under construction.  It opened in time for the 1923 season and Babe christened the new stadium with a home run in the first game.  

I think that the New Yankee Stadium should be known as The House That Stick Built.  

Gene Michael, whose nickname is Stick, deserves the credit for the Yankee Dynasty of the late '90's.  He was the general manager from 1990 - 1995.  During that time, he layed the ground work for the great Yankee teams that were to come.  

Now, you might be saying, "Sure...he built the team, but he didn't build the new stadium."  You might be right.  However, consider the following:

- In 1996, the Yankees attendance was 2,250,877.  In 2008, the attendance was 4,298,655.  In the years in between, the team set attendance records ten times.

- In 2002, the Yankees launched the YES Network.  They reported $60m in revenue from the network last year, but that doesn't include their ownership stake in the network.

- George Steinbrenner was suspended from baseball from 1990 - 1993 while Stick was busy assembling the core of the team.

- He was responsible for bringing Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Paul O'Neill among others to the Bronx.  In addition, he was patient with the young players including Bernie Williams allowing them to mature rather than trade them for established players.

- He signed Jimmy Key as a free agent.  While Jimmy Key was only on one of the championship team, his signing was vital to the team's success.  In the early 90's, the Yankees were not a favored destination for free agents.  In fact, that same winter, Greg Maddux turned down more money from the Yankees to sign with the Braves.  Key's signing helped turn around the perception among players in the game.

Many people are calling The New Stadium The House That George Steinbrenner Built.  Without Gene Michael's work, the Yankees would not have won the four championships between 1996 and 2000.  Without those championships, the Yankees brand would not have the cache that it has today.  They likely would not have the YES Network and they certainly would not be the largest road draw in baseball.

Other people are calling The New Stadium The House That Derek Jeter Built.  Without Mariano Rivera (among others), Jeter would not have four rings.  As great as Derek is, he is not Babe Ruth.  He didn't change the way the game is played.  He doesn't dominate the game.  He is our captain and he is great, but Derek didn't build the stadium.

I know the Mets also moved in to a new stadium this year. I also know that they didn't win four championships.  I know they also have a network.  I think that the Yankees success helps the Mets.  The Yankees popularity helps raise the awareness of baseball in the city.  Is it a coincidence that the Mets attendance figures trail the Yankees? Is it a coincidence that the Mets launched their network four years after the Yankees?  If the Yankees hadn't built a new stadium, the Mets wouldn't have been able to either.

So, you could actually say that Gene Michael was responsible for building both stadiums in New York.  You could say he was responsible for launching two television networks.  I do say that he is more responsible than anyone else for the four champioships.  More responsible than Joe Torre, who couldn't have done it without the players.  More responsible than George Steinbrenner who would have ripped up the team had he been involved.  More responsible than Jeter, Mariano, or anyone else who couldn't have done it without their teammates.

Enjoy The House That Stick Built.  I'm sticking with my theory until someone convinces me otherwise.

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

JN

March 18, 1999

Ten years ago today, I attended my 22nd Bruce show.  It also happened to be my first show seeing Bruce with the E Street Band.

The show was billed as an hour long rehearsal and as you can see by the ticket stub above, the ticket price was $20, plus Ticketmaster fees.  It was the first time Bruce had played Convention Hall and he talked about seeing The Who and The Blues Magoos in the building. 

My expectations were high, but I figured we would get about an hour and fifteen minutes, but I couldn't wait.  My seats were directly behind the soundboard.  As I was standing waiting for the lights to go down, I noticed the set list taped to the equipment.  I didn't want to look...but I had to.  Yes, I HAD TO.  When I started reading the list, my first thought was, "he can't do all of those songs in an hour."  He didn't.

The band came out, one by one, and Bruce came out last.  He then approached the mic, counted off, and a force more powerful than I had seen on stage before took over.  They launched in to Prove It All Night, and did they ever.  With Bruce and Steven trading "yeah"s on the same mic and a searing guitar solo from Bruce, I was mesmerized.  From there, they launched in to Two Hearts, one of my favorites, with Bruce and Steven again sharing the same mic for much of the song.  I knew that I needed to be at as many shows this coming summer as possible.

I won't go through song by song, but it ended up being a 23 song show that last two and a half hours.  He debuted My Love Will Not Let You Down, which was on Tracks, and closed with a new song which would become a staple of the tour, Land of Hope and Dreams.  It was apparent that they were still trying to figure things out as the band assumed that after 10th Avenue Freeze Out they would break for intermission.  They started to walk off stage and Bruce called them back and said that they didn't need an intermission any more.  The show truly blew me away.  The following night, Bruce played for two hours and forty five minutes with a 25 song set including the premiere of Give The Girl A Kiss and the first live performance of The Promise since 1978, played solo by Bruce on piano.

He called the show a re-dedication of the band and it was exactly that. Over the last 10 years, there have been many more shows in Convention Hall, both rehearsals and holiday shows and The E Street Band has been an ongoing concern with new albums and new tours, including another starting next month.

It seems like yesterday, but ten years is a long time.  I had only recently started in real estate.  I was making no money.  Let me repeat that for emphasis.  I was making NO MONEY.  Yet, all I could think about when I left those shows was that I couldn't miss a show.  I couldn't risk missing something magical.  I said that I needed to attend every show possible in case he played Incident, Jungeleland, or Frankie.  I saw all three that year.

It's been a great ride...and I can't wait for it to start again next month.  Show #147 is scheduled for April 22nd in Boston, unless of course he schedules a rehearsal show in Convention Hall before they hit the road.  I am going to hit Boston, Philly, Nassau, and East Rutherford on this leg of the tour.  Who's in?

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

From Badlands...played 3/18/99 and every other night that tour.

JN

The NEW Yankee Stadium

I made my first visit to The New Yankee Stadium today.  I was invited on a small tour, but I will leave out the details of who got me in, just in case we weren't supposed to be there.  I have a feeling  I will be writing a lot about The New Stadium in the coming weeks.  I have some ideas that I am kicking around, but for today, I will stick to the facts and leave my thoughts for future posts.

I arrived a bit early and wandered around River Avenue for a few minutes.  There were many people working on the exterior, and I would find later, hundreds of people working inside.  They are in the home stretch with the first event April 2nd.  One worker was hanging banners of current players along the exterior of the building, the images of which were amazingly clear.

Once we went inside, the first stop was the weight room.  Needless to say, they spared no expense.  I was surprised to see a Muhammad Ali quote as the dominant image above the mirrors.  It was a quote I have never seen before, but obviously very appropriate.  "The first is won or lost far away from the witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."  Next stop was the trainer's room.  I had heard stories of a scale that has been around for decades.  It was used to weigh all of the greats, and all of the not-so-greats throughout the years and it was there.  

We walked through the room with the whirl pools, peaked our heads in the steam rooms, stopped in the men's room, and then walked through the doors to the Yankee Clubhouse.  Immediately, someone pointed out Derek Jeter's locker.  Can you blame me for sitting down to take a picture?  It was one of the larger lockers and right near the door.  The room is a large oval shaped room each locker has a spot for a small flat screen monitor (not yet installed).  None of the equipment or name tags were in place, but this is an impressive room.

On the outside of the curved wall, across from the manager's office, in black, is a large Yankee logo, the interlocking NY, with the famous Joe DiMaggio quote underneath, "I'd like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee."  Us too.

From there, it was through a tunnel and then in to the Ketel One Lounge, which is for Legends Suite ticketholders.  The high rollers.  The quality and sharpness of the images amazed me.  We came in the back door, but at the main entrance is an amazing picture of Lou Gehrig.  Once I walked past Gehrig and up a small ramp, I was in the seats along the firstbase line.  It's really amazingly impressive.  The frazee hangs along the top, all around the park.  All of the seats are new, dark blue.  The monuments in Monument Park were still covered, so we didn't go out to centerfield.  They were working on the infield as well...everyone getting ready.

We then went up to the suite level.  We entered Suite #44, which is the Steinbrenners' suite.  They had recently ripped up the original carpet because they didn't like it and will replace it this week.  The suite is probably three times the size of a normal suite and is in the same position as it was in The Stadium, just above the visitor's dugout.  

From there, we were off to the press box and in to the TV booth.  Again, none of the equipment was in place, but the view was from directly behind home plate.  See for yourself.

Our tour was coming to an end, but not before we made our way to The Great Hall.  This is the main corridor for The New 

Stadium and the hanging banners had color photos of recent greats on one side and black and white photos of Yankee legends on the other.

They spared no expense in making this the premier sports venue in the country.  Again, I will provide some more in-depth thoughts in a later post, but with larger 

concourses, better site lines, more bathrooms, more concessions, more restaurants, more of everything...no one will leave unimpressed or unhappy.  Hopefully, they did as good of a job putting together this year's team as they did putting together the stadium.

If you want to see the rest of the photos, shoot me an email and I will send a link.  

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

JN

Who's who...and some random thoughts

About a week ago, I received the following email with the subject line "Blog Topic" from my good friend Rob Fisher.

"Redskins=Yankees
Giants=Red Sox
Discuss..."

Since I am happy to take requests, I have been thinking about it over the last week.  I have given it a lot of thought, done some research, and I am happy to report that I have several scenarios for debate.  After all, part of the reason why we follow sports is to debate our opinions.

First of all, the Redskins can't be the Yankees.  While the team has won championships, it certainly was not in the recent past.  The Redskins have a long history of spending and not winning.  I do agree that they typically spend on aging stars, possibly past their primes, similar to the Yankees.  However, I think they more resemble the Dodgers of the late-90's and early part of this decade.  The Kevin Brown/Shawn Green Dodgers.  The Dodgers that spent almost as much as the Yankees, but never had anything to show for it.  To me, that's what the Skins have.  Nothing to show for all of Daniel Snyder's spending.  Further, all of the coaching changes, is yet another similarity.

So if the Redskins aren't the Yankees, what team most resembles the evil empire?  If you want to talk about winning, the Yankees resemble the Patriots.  Both teams were underdogs in their first championship year.  The Yankees weren't supposed to beat the Braves and the Pats certainly weren't supposed to beat the Rams.  They each had unprecedented runs of success in recent history.  They each have an icon.  Derek Jeter is certainly baseball's answer to Tom Brady, or visa verse.  While Joe Torre and Bill Belichick will never be mistaken for having similar styles, they each had questionable resumes prior to becoming geniuses.  Was the 2007 AFC Championship Game similar to the Red Sox beating the Yankees in 2004?  Definitely.  Neither has won a championship since.

Do the Giants represent football's answer to the Red Sox?  I don't think so.  Both were built by smart GM's, not a lot of free agents, and maybe some free spirits, but I think the Giants need a sustained run of success and another Super Bowl win before they can be put up against the Sox.  For now, I think the Sox and the Steelers might be more suited for comparison.  Jerome Bettis could be Big Papi in pads.  The Steelers have won twice in recent history, same as the Sox, coming out of nowhere for the first one and as the favorite the second time around.  

Always fun to debate one side or another...I would love to hear your thoughts if you are reading this.  I fixed the comments section so it's easier if you want to comment.

Some random thoughts:

- I am sick of ARod and am glad he will be out for at least the first month of the season.  Maybe the Yankees will get back to the brand of baseball that brought them four rings. Moving the runner, sacrifice flies, pitching and defense.

- U2 doing five nights of Letterman was just damn cool.

- At this point, Max almost can't be replaced as the drummer for the E Street Band.  He can be replaced on Conan.  Without Max, the spontaneous nature of the show would be out the window.  I truly hope they figure out how to make this work.  Due to healthy concerns, this very well may be the last ride for the E Street Band and it would be a shame for a sub to be sitting in.

- Bill Simmons' podcast keeps getting better. If you aren't listening, you should start. His columns are great too, but the podcasts are truly entertaining.

- The economy certainly hasn't put a damper on the concert tours.  The Allmans, Bruce, Clapton/Winwood, and U2 are on my radar.  

- I am enjoying the World Baseball Classic so far...but I can't wait for Opening Day.

That's all for now..."It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" - BS

JN