Archive for April, 2011

Foreign Radio Press Box

Posted by on Tuesday, 26 April, 2011

Yankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York

CELEBRATING 30 SEASONS

April 26, 2011

The New York Yankees Press Box
Auxiliary Press
Second Row
Third Seat from the left
The view “Priceless”
This is prime realestate.
Who am I, what am I doing here?

New York Mets/Arizona

Posted by on Sunday, 24 April, 2011

CitiField
Flushing, New York

April 24, 2011 

It’s Easter Sunday.  The sun is almost shining, after all the rain of April.
A lot of fans are elsewhere.  A lot of seats are empty at CitiField.

After the 1st four weeks of baseball, the national pastime plays as usual in the Major Leagues. 

Arizona Diamondbacks 8 – 11, The New York Mets 8 – 13.
The Mets playing for a 3 game sweep of the Arizona.

Pitching for the Arizona team is the near perfect Armando Galarraga.  During 2010, an umpire’s bad call cost the Latino pitcher a  perfect game.  He is  nowhere near perfect on this aftern0on’s mound.  By the third inning he had walked 4, the “2011 amazins”  hit him 4 times and scored 6 runs, twice by homeruns.

Thus the New York Mets sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks 3 game series by score of 4-1, 6-4 & 8-4.
The second 3 game sweep in April for the Mets.

This Mets team needs a couple of months of playing good baseball putting together consistant strings of series wins in order to convince their fans that there is something special worth coming to CitiField for.

At the other New York, Alex Rodriguez records his 22 Grand Slam against Baltimore to bring him one shy of Yankees Lou Gehrig.  The Yankees have started the 2011 season 11 – 6.

In the American League  League leader standings, both Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers are 13 – 7.
The National League Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies are 14 – 6.  Cincinnati Reds are 11 – 10.

In California, the Los Angeles Dodgers managed by Don Mattingly are playing at 11 – 11.  The organization was at one time among the elite of Major League Baseball but recent events have tarnished the Dodger Blue image and tradition.

I’ve celebrated lots of birthdays reporting  baseball.  Like a gift that keeps on giving, I own 30 seasons of Media Guides.  Happy Birthday Carlos Beltran.

Let’s go Cleveland.

Remembering Bill Sannon – Play Ball!

New York Yankees – Bob Sheppard

Posted by on Sunday, 17 April, 2011

Yankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York

April 17, 2011

The Voice That Announced  Millions of Yankees Names
Today we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the very first game worked by Public Address Announcer Bob Sheppard at Yankee Stadium in 1951 (o4/17/51).  It was also Mickey Mantle’s first Major League Baseball game.  Yankees 5 – Boston 0

LINE-UP

Boston Red Sox
CF – Dom DiMaggio
RF – Billy Goodman
LF – Ted Williams
3B – Vern Stephens
1B – Walt Dropo
2B – Bobby Doerr
SS – Lou Boudreau
  C – Buddy Rosar
  P – Billy Wright   

New Y0rk Yankees
LF – Jackie Jenson
SS  – Phil Rizzuto
RF – Mickey Mantle
CF – Joe DiMaggio
  C  – Yogi Berra
1B – Johnny Mize
3B – Billy Johnson
2B – Jerry Coleman
   P – Vic Raschi

In his Major League debut,  Mickey Mantle went 1-for-4 with a 6th-inning single off Bill Wright.  

Bob Sheppard worked 121 consecutive postseason contests, including 62 games in 22 World Series from 1951 – 2006.  He worked his final Yankees home game on September 5, 2007 vs. Seattle Mariners, before being sidelined by illness.  Although he passed away on July 11, 2010, Bob Sheppard’s voice is still heard during Yankees games at Yankee Stadium in a special recording as he announces “now batting for the Yankees #2 Derek Jeter, #2”.

PLAY BALL!

“TAPE MEASURE HOME RUN”
April 17, 1953
Mickey Mantle clears the left-field wall at Washington’s Griffith Stadium with a 565-foot home run of Chuck Stobbs in the 5th inning of a 7 – 3 Yankees win.  The Yankees PR Director Red Patterson retrieves the ball and measures off the distance, it was the start of the phrase “tape measure home run”.    On May 30, 1956 Mickey Mantle connected the longest home run in Yankee Stadium History.

TOMORROW IN YANKEES  HISTORY
April 18, 1923
The original Yankee Stadium opens its doors for its Inaugural Game as the Yankees defeat Boston 4 – 1.  Starter Bob Shawkey records the win and Babe Ruth hits the park’s first home run, a three-run shot in the 3rd inning.

New York Yankees – Jackie Robinson Day

Posted by on Friday, 15 April, 2011

New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York

April 15, 2011

Throughout Major League Baseball, today is Jackie Robinson Day.  A salute to the 64th anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson made his big league debut at 1st base with the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.  On April 15, 1947, he became the first African-American player in the Majors, thus breaking the color barrier.  In tribute to Robinson on this special day, all Major League Baseball players, coaches and umpires will wear No. 42 for tonight’s games.

Mariano Rivera, the Yankees pitcher/closer is the last active player wearing No. 42.  In 1997, the number was retired throughout the Majors to honor Jackie Robinson, though players wearing the number at the time could continue using it.  The Yankees 2nd baseman Robinson Cano wears No. 24 and is named after the legendary first baseman/2nd baseman/3rd baseman/outfielder.

Jackie Robinson played his Rookie Year at 1st base.  In 1948, during his second season, he played 116 games at 2nd base, 30 at 1st base and 6 games at 3rd base. From 1949 to 1952, Jackie Robinson thrilled the fans at 2nd base.  During his career he played in 1,382 games, 745 games at 2nd base.   

As part of the pregame celebration, Major League Baseball and the Yankees held an on-field ceremony which included the first lady of baseball, Jackie’s wife, Rachel Robinson, Founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and their daughter Sharon Robinson.

Let’s play ball.

Tom0rrow in Yankees History: 
April 16, 2009
Inaugural game at the new Yankee Stadium a 10-2 loss vs. Cleveland Indians.
CC Sabathia throws the game’s first pitch, Johnny Damon records the first hit and Jorge Posada hits the first home run.

New York Mets – A Doubleheader

Posted by on Thursday, 14 April, 2011

April 14, 2011
CitiField
Flushing , New York

Colorado Rockies vs. New York Mets
The last time the Rockies and Mets played in a doubleheader was July 30, 2009.  It was the first doubleheader in CitiField’s history.

Today, the Mets celebrate a memorable day.  On April 14, 1970, at Shea Stadium the team received their 1969 World Series rings and raised the World Championship banner for the first time in franchise history.

A lot of baseball seasons have come to pass.  A lot of firsts at the “old” ballpark are remembered as the Mets continue recording  firsts at the “new”.

It has been 30 seasons since I first took a seat in the press box of the New York Mets.  My beloved Shea Stadium.  This doubleheader will probably be the last I get to see in my career as a sports reporter.   I will remember the doubleheaders of yesteryear.  They were regularly scheduled “back in the day”.  Now, they are only played due to acts of nature.  I am reminded that so much has evolved in our national pastime, not much having to do with the acts of nature, more due to the acts of man.

It is a different time.  Where have you gone Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente?  Hideki Irabu?  We have witnessed players white, black, latino, asian.  The American  game has survived in spite of gambling, wars, money, drugs, media, women in baseball.   Thanks for the memories.  Major League Baseball to be continued healthy, always in transition.

Yo Me voy, Pero Un Dia Volvere.