Yankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Before and After.
In and out of The Bronx. 

Yankee Stadium is like a City within a City.  When you enter the gates of this sports cathederal, it’s as Alice when she went into the tunnel to Wonderland or Dorothy upon walking the yellow brick road.  The City is different in here.  There is lots of color.  A lot of game takes place on the Diamond.  It is magical.  But as with Alice in Wonderland and Dorothy in the Emerald City, we know they both eventually return home.  

YES there was a missed opportunity.  Still, I’ve come full circle.  There is no right way to say goodby to people and a place you love and it has been 30 seasons of in-love for me.  Today is filled with final moments and reflection, en espanol e ingles.  I will indulge a moment to think of what I accomplished, after all it was 30 years.  It was the best of times in Major League Baseball.
We remember the Boss.

 It’s interleague play.  The Subway Series.  Yankees/Mets.  It’s a party of 48,293 fans of New York.   It may be cold in The Bronx but inside the sports cathederal, for me, it’s a beautiful day full of warm rememberance.

 But as like Alice and Dorothy, it is time for Raquel to return home from the Citi.

Resuming the baseball game on the field – top of the 7th inning, the Yankees beat up the Met’s pitchers – 13 players came to bat, Gardner, Jeter, Rodriguez, Cano and Dickerson connected with 6 additional hits, scoring 8 runs.  After 3 hours and 3 minutes of play Yankees 9 – Mets 3       

New York – New York
Stay tuned.

Yankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York

May 21, 2011

The New York Mets Manager said “You never know what you’re going to do offensively against a knuckleballer”.

The Yankees found this to be true from last night’s Mets game starting pitcher R.A.Dickey.  The knuckleball held the Yankees to 1ER in 6.01IP.  The first game of interleague was a win f0r the Mets vs. Yankees 2 – 1.

Game #2 – The Mets scored twice in the 1st inning against the Yankees starting pitcher A.J. Burnett.  The New York Mets fans got excited.  But, the Yankees scored twice in the 2nd inning against the Mets starting pitcher Chris Capuano.  They scored twice in the 3rd inning  and twice in the 6th inning.  Russell Martin,  Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and tonight’s DH Alex Rodriguez connected home runs.  It brought the Yankees total home runs to 70 for the season and leaders in home runs in the American League. 

At the top of the 8th inning, Derek Jeter on his road to 3,000 hit for the 2,973 time of his career.  He then stole 2nd base to tie Rickey Henderson (326) for first place on the Yankees’ all-time stolen bases list.

The 2nd game of the 2011 Yankees/Mets interleague series snapped the Yankees season high six-game home losing streak.  The Yankees did not leave a runner on base.  The final score was Yankees 7 – Mets 3.  For 2 hours 44 minutes,  the teams played to a sellout crowd of 48,286 New York fans. 

The world did not end today.

Yankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York

May 20, 2011

There’s nobody here but New Yorkers?

It was 1997.  Fifteen seasons ago, it was the start of Major League Baseball Interleague play.
Before interleague, the Yankees and the Mets played the Big Apple Series, then it was the Mayor’s Challenge and finally the Mayor’s Trophy games.  They awarded a trophy?  During 1997,  Major League Baseball instituted interleague play throughout the Major Leagues.

The teams now play The Subway Series and have shared interleague wins and losses at the old Yankee Stadium, the new Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium and Citi Field, with an overall series record of 108-77-1 tie, in favor of the Yankees.

Fittingly, today the New York Yankees Museum will feature a new exhibit dedicated to honoring the legacy of the late Principle Owner George M. Steinbrenner III.  “The Boss: Remembering George M. Steinbrenner III” aims to capture his dedication to winning, his motivation to take the Yankees to the top of baseball and his quiet generosity.  He loved the game.  

During interleague play, from his Box, the Boss so enjoyed seeing all these New Yorker Mets and Yankees fans in his Yankee Stadium.

And so, tonight, 47,874  fans celebrate New York during interleague play.

Yankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York

May 12, 2011

Thirty-five games into the season, Yankees Captain, shortstop Derek Jeter playing DH.  Yikes!
Former Yankees catcher now DH,  Jorge Posada sitting on the bench.

The 2nd inning is noted for sloppy play by the Yankees.
Two errors and a passed ball, Ivan Nova pitching for the Yankees is battered by the Kansas City line-up, scoring 6.
It’s bad pitching, bad fielding and no hitting for the Yankees.
In the 4th inning, Cuban defector, Amaury Senit  making his Major League debut, takes the ball.  Kansas City scored 8 vs. Nova.

Sean O’Sullivan starting his 5th game for Kansas City is pitching a 5th inning perfect game.  American League 2010 MVP, Yankees 2nd baseman, Robinson Cano left the game in the 5th inning of yesterday’s game after getting hit in the helmet with a pitch.  In the 5th inning of today’s game he takes his revenge as he breaks up the perfect game with a home run and puts the Yankees on the scoreboard.

Sean O’Sullivan loses focus and puts the following three Yankees batters on base. Double by Swisher, hit by Gardner and a walk to Nunez.  The sixth batter in the inning, catcher Francisco Cervelli connects with a double and scores 2 runs.  Derek Jeter follows with a sacrifice fly, scoring Eduardo Nunez.

During five innings of play – Royals 8, Yankees 4 
After scoring a 9th run in the 6th inning, Kansas City goes out 1,2,3 in the 7th.

On the Yankees Milestones List:  At the bottom of the 7th inning Derek Jeter connects his 2,963 hit to tie Cincinnati Red Stockings centerfielder Sam Crawford (2,963) for 29th place on Baseball’s all-time hits list.

At the bottom of the 8th inning, Yankees 3rd baseman, Alex Rodriguez connects the 619th homer of his career.

Kansas City with an 11 to 5 lead against the Yankees has out hit The Bronx Bombers with 16 hits.  8 hits for New York. 

On this Thursday night, 41,790 fans, at least half of those remaining at the end of the game, witness as the Yankees surrender 1st place in the American League East to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kansas CityRoyals 11 – New York Yankees 5

The Yankees will next face the Boston Red Sox.  Yea!

Un Poquito De Beisbol Con Sabor Bilingue
Yankee Stadium
The Bronx, New York

May 1, 2011

Emilio ‘Millito’ Navarro (26 septiembre, 1905 – 30 abril, 2011).  At 105 years old he was the oldest professional baseball player.  He was born in Patillas, and grew up in the baseball fan favorite town of Ponce, Puerto Rico.

With no professional ball being played in Puerto Rico during the 1920’s, he played in the Dominican Republic for the Escogido Lions.  During 1928, Navarro boarded  a ship to New York to join the New York  Cuban Stars of the Eastern Colored League.  He became the first Puerto Rican to play in the Negro Leagues.   That season he batted .337.  The 5’5″ infielder was known for his agility at shortstop, his effectiveness as a lead off  hitter and his base running skills.

During the 1930’s Navarro played in Venezuela with Los Magallanes and in Puerto Rico he organized and was the co-founder of the Ponce Lions.  He enjoyed 20 seasons playing and coaching second base.

In 1992 Emilio ‘Millito’ Navarro was voted into the Puerto Rico Hall of Fame and in 2004 the Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame.

Before the start of the 2008  First Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball held a ceremonial draft of former Negro League Players, the New York Yankees drafted Navarro.  Tino Martinez made the announcement.  In 2008, prior to the last game played at the old Yankee Stadium, Navarro threw the ceremonial 1st pitch.  Before the 30 foot toss to fellow Puerto Rican, Yankees catcher, Jorge Posada, Navarro warmed his arm and waved his hat to the fans.  They loudly cheered the oldtimer.

Emilio ‘Millito” Navarro was asked how the sport of baseball had changed and he answered quickly through a translator “high salaries, I made $25.00 a week”.  Asked for his secret to a long life, “his faith, dancing and an ocassional glass of whiskey”.  He also described  the hardships of discrimination and spoke of Jackie Robinson.  He thought Major League Baseball was making a good effort to recognize those players who suffered the cruelties of the past.

The legendary baseball hero of Puerto Rico is survived by 4 children, 11 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and 1 great, great, grandchild.

Connie Marrero lives in Cuba, at 100 years of age he now remains the oldest professional baseball player.

Viva beisbol.