Got an interesting email last night. I’m posting it, not because I agree with all of it, but it at least made me think a bit.

It’s from a long time Yanks fan living in upstate NY, far from metro NYC paranoia, crush, fear and loathing.

Select View Full Post to continue reading.

Somehow, I knew something like this was coming:

The New York Yankees urged a state judge Tuesday to quash the subpoena from two assembly committees investigating the use of public funds to help build thet eam’s new stadium, saying the issue has already been fully aired publicly.
[...]
“It’s one of the most exhaustively reviewed and approved public projects in the state and in the country involving a sports team,” attorney Jonathan Schiller said after Tuesday’s court hearing.

Schiller estimated it would cost the Yankees between $600,000 and $1.2 million to comply with Brodsky’s subpoena for private information from the past nine years.

Of course, not signing Marte would have freed up plenty of cash to pay for this. Either way, money’s being flushed.

I wish I was there to see Randy Levine cursing Assemblyman Richard Brodsky for “exceeding his authority and harassing the Yankees with legal action“.

I am so terribly saddened to learn that Dom Deluise passed away today. His Cannonball Run character was just so absurdly funny….

These outtakes should serve as a lasting memory to HIM:

And in “History of the World, Part 1″:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTH8_elwCpA&hl=en&fs=1]

Put this on my list of ailments that I hope not to suffer from at any point in my life:

An ailment diagnosed as an “inflamed colon” knocked Ken Griffey Jr. out of the Mariners’ lineup for Monday night’s two-game series opener against the Rangers.

Griffey explained before the game that he has experienced the same thing several times. “It just comes and goes when it wants. It feels like someone kicked you in the damn side,” he said. “I would be more than happy to demonstrate it on you. Just sign this waiver I already have printed up.”

Glad he was laughing about it.

NOTE: there will be no accompanying pictures. Google Images made me ill.

Not talking about the on-field product, but the Stadium Operations folks:

With rain falling for hours and no start time announced until shortly before 9 p.m., hordes of fans began leaving the Stadium and heading home – some who said they had been advised that the game had been called by Yankee employees who walked the concourse holding pinstriped “How may I help you?” signs.

When a 9:20 p.m. start time was eventually announced over the public address system, a crowd on the sidewalk outside Gate 6 tried to get back into the Stadium, only to have the employees working the turnstiles promptly close the doors in their faces. Panicked fans began racing up and down the sidewalk, trying to find a way back into the ballpark, while others remained at Gate 6 either pleading or demanding to be let back in.
[...]
Jason Zillo, a Yankee spokesman, said the team has a firm no-reentry policy. He also said the NYPD and Stadium security hadn’t let any fans back into the ballpark.

I understand and I totally support a firm stance on these sorts of rules, but sometimes common sense needs to intervene. When you have fans hanging around for 2 hours before being told the game was called, only to have the game start soon after, the team should have relaxed their “no readmittance” policy. It was a damp, rainy, cool night against their rivals. Couldn’t someone in a position of authority have the presence of mind to say: “The team sure could use these fans IN the Stadium”? Guess not. Rules are rules.

But this is NY and these are the Yankees and this is your New World Stadium Order. Get used to being strong-armed by security, ushers and other sorts of staff.

I can’t wait to fork over some hard-earned money to go get treated like crap.

UPDATE: Ross at NYYStadiumInsider has a great write-up on this mess:

As we mentioned in a previous post, the “How May I Help You” people are useless, and should not be trusted for any information of value, especially whether or not a game has been postponed.
[...]
The Yankees (in typical Yankee fashion) did not properly inform their employees, but people are also to blame for trusting the word of security guards and the “How May I Help You” people, instead of waiting for an official announcement of the postponement. The Yankees then added to the frustration by allowing some people back in, then closing the gates for re-entry, and then opening them once again. Combine poorly trained employees, with a complete breakdown of communication, throw in some frustrated fans who had been drinking for hours, and you have the recipe for a near-riot.

Hope Joba has other, stronger, safer members of his support system:

The mother of New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain is jailed in Nebraska and facing a felony charge after being arrested on suspicion of selling methamphetamine to an undercover police officer in February.

Good luck to the family. They sure need it.

You ask. I deliver.

There’s a “Share on Facebook” button now to the lefthand side of the page. Share away!

Not for nothing, but for $1.5 billion, I would have demanded that a retractible roof be installed. Is there really any reason why any stadium built today NOT have one? If you can’t add another $200-300 million (sure, not MY money) to the approximate $1 billion you are already spending (fleecing from taxpayers, whatever), then you shouldn’t build the stadium.

Remember, Minnesota’s new stadium will have no roof and nothing beats a late night game in October in balmy Minneapolis.

There’s just no reason why the new Yankee Stadium has to endure rainouts.

If you build yourself a mansion, you gonna cut costs and NOT put in a pool?

Here’s the situation: Two outs, ninth inning, Rays up by two. Pop-up headed towards the third base stands. Longoria ranges over, reaches into the stands for the ball, but the home-field fans reach up and touch the ball, keeping the game alive. Longoria yells at fan. Percival yells at fan after the inning eventually ends. Manager Joe Maddon chastises fan during post-game news conference about “fan etiquette”.

So what’s the obligation of us, the fans, if we’re in those first two rows and there’s a pop-up? Are we (all of us in those seats) expected to be totally aware of the situation and back off when our fielder is going for the ball, conversely going for the ball if the fielder is a visiting player?

Do teams/players have the right to expect us to do this?

When I’ve been lucky enough to sit in that seat and there’s a pop-up our way, I/we are all looking up at the ball and we have NO idea if a player is standing next to us ready to reach in after the ball. The focus is UP and everyone’s jockeying for position to grab the ball. I can’t ever remember hearing a neighboring fan yell out to let it go since the 3B (or 1B or C) is close and going for it. I’m sure we’d all like to be totally self-aware and know when to call your fellow fans off, but in all likelihood, that’s not going to happen. Even if you DID know the situation, realized the player was close and had a chance, do you really think you could get your neighbors to back off in time for the player to make the play?

So what’s the PRACTICAL fan law? If it’s in the stands, it’s fair game?

Bartman has been a recluse since 2003 as a result of something just like this. Was it worth it? Was it fair?

What are your thoughts?

**NOTE: the picture to the upper right is NOT the play in question

At some point, the running joke about Mark Prior’s injury history ceases to be funny and an overall sadness about a ravaged potential takes over. I’ve been more of the latter than the former, but just seeing this headline drives it home:

I’ve been totally underwater the last two weeks and this will continue at least thru the end of next week. I’m fighting to keep current and produce some worthwhile reading here every day. Somedays I am more successful than others, depending on my workload. (But staying employed is a good idea so that has to come first.)

I am belatedly getting to probably the best thing I have read in quite some time from the blogosphere, this from my good friend and FOTB, Shysterball. It’s a long piece but it’s more than worth the time as Craig really flexes his legal background to build and present an interesting case why he is skeptical of Selena Roberts’ ARod book. Whether you agree with him or not, it’s a compelling read.

What I do care about — and the reason I have quoted all of this stuff by and about Selena Roberts — is the culture of character assassination that has become inextricably linked to the subject of steroids in baseball. Every big name who has tested positive has not only been branded a cheater by the media, but a dirty cheater with evil and chicanery in his heart. Every assertion of innocence — even to subordinate allegations — has been met with scorn. In addition to censuring players under the rules of baseball, the media (and the public at large following the media’s lead) has further demanded that high-profile steroids users be ostracized, and that the historical record be expunged, as best it can be, of their very existence. It has been a shameful few years in this regard, and I hope and pray that one day some semblance of perspective on the subject of performance enhancing drugs in baseball prevails. But we’re certainly not there yet.

Enter Selena Roberts. The same Selena Roberts who has already demonstrated a clear interest in making Alex Rodriguez into a villain. The same Selena Roberts who smeared the Duke lacrosse players. Even if we concede that she gets the facts right in her upcoming book, can we have any faith that she presents them with even a semblance of balance, as opposed to surrounding them with innuendo, rumor, conjecture, and false sanctimony?

Great work, Craig. Reading this only makes me want to work that much harder to become better at what I do. Unfortunately for me, a post like that looks like Bob Beamon’s 1968 long jump.