Saturday, November 28, 2009
Remembering Bob Sheppard - By Harvey Frommer
Harvey Frommer on Sports
Remembering Bob Sheppard
Back in the late 1980s on assignment for "Yankees Magazine," a stint I held down for almost 18 years, I entered the tiny public address booth high up and behind home plate at Yankee Stadium.
My objective was to do an interview with the legendary Bob Sheppard.
A cordial and elegant man, Sheppard took both my hands in his and smiling told me to take a seat and we would talk. The game was in progress. He was at work. I was concerned that my questions would interfere with his game announcements.
"No problem," he said, "Go right ahead. I have been doing this for a while now."
He had. His first game was on April 17, 1951, Opening Day. The lineup at Yankee Stadium that day was:
Jackie Jensen lf
Phil Rizzuto ss
Mickey Mantle rf
Joe DiMaggio cf
Yogi Berra c
Johnny Mize 1b
Billy Johnson 3b
Jerry Coleman 2b
Vic Raschi p
Looking back at that long ago profile I did with the former St. John's quarterback and first baseman, I see that his favorite Yankee moments included: Larsen's Perfect Game, Maris hitting 61 home runs, Reggie's three home runs against the Dodgers and Mantle's shot almost over the roof.
Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle are on Sheppard's all time favorite list. "DiMaggio's name was symbolic of the early Yankees," Sheppard said, "and "Mickey Mantle has a nice ring to it because the two 'Ms' make it alliterative. "I just loved announcing his name. And one day, shortly before he died, we were both being interviewed on a television program. All of a sudden, he turned to me and said - right there on the air - that every time he heard me announce his name, he got goose bumps. And I felt the same way about announcing him."
Hundreds of eulogies have been written and delivered by Sheppard. "They ask me to do a eulogy. I try to tailor my remarks to the person I am eulogizing. Thurman Munson, Dick Howser, Billy Martin. Mickey Mantle's seemed to strike a cord because he died the night before."
Now the man some call "The Voice of God" will no longer grace the Yankee mystique with his voice. Over Thanksgiving the 99-year-old announced his retirement as Public Address announcer for the New York Yankees:
"I have no plans of coming back," Sheppard said. "Time has passed me by, I think. I had a good run for it. I enjoyed doing what I did. I don't think, at my age, I'm going to suddenly regain the stamina that is really needed if you do the job and do it well."
Bob Sheppard surely did his job well. He was honored with a plaque in Monument Park on May 7, 2000, commemorating his 50th season with the Yankees: "For half a century," the plaque reads, "he has welcomed generations of fans with his trademark greeting, 'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yankee Stadium.' His clear, concise and correct vocal style has announced the names of hundreds of players - both unfamiliar and legendary - with equal divine reverence, making him as synonymous with Yankee Stadium as its copper façade and Monument Park."
When I began work on my "Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral and Narrative History of the House That Ruth Built," the first one I thought of to interview and to write the book's foreword was Bob Sheppard. How fortunate and honored I was that he agreed to do both.
Here is the foreword:
Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to Yankee Stadium.
By Bob Sheppard
It's hard to believe that almost 60 years have past since I first delivered this greeting to Stadium fans. I could never have imagined when I joined the Yankees that I would be the public address announcer for almost 5,000 games of baseball played on these hallowed grounds. Although I wasn't a part of the Yankees during the Ruth-Huggins-Gehrig era, I've been privileged to announce the names of almost all of the great baseball stars of the past half century. Considering that my public address announcing career as merely been an avocation to my decades as a professor of public speech, I find this most remarkable indeed.
From the old days of the Stadium's visage wrapped with a copper façade and the sounds of Bronx cheers to the recent days of the Stadium's visage wrapped with Diamond Vision and the sounds of "We Will Rock You," the Yankee Stadium has been the citadel of sport. Where in one place could so many baseball icons display their rare talents with such regularity? Where could I have viewed the transformation of Yankee fans from the jacket and tie required cognoscenti of the 50s to today's bleacher creatures. The public address announcer's chair has afforded me a virtual front row seat to Mickey Mantle's s and Reggie Jackson's' towering home runs, Joe DiMaggio's final year of his brilliant career, the magic of Don Larsen's and David Cone's perfect games, 23 World Series & dozens of playoff contests, Roger Maris' 61st homer clouted under tremendous pressure from the press and the fans, the nimble play of Phil Rizzuto, Bobby Richardson, Elston Howard, Willie Randolph, Graig Nettles & Scott Brosius, the crackling sliders of Whitey Ford & Sparky Lyle, the dazzling sinkers of Mel Stottlemyre, the sublime fastballs of Ron Guidry, Rich Gossage, & Mariano Rivera, the determined perseverance of Yogi Berra, Gil McDougald, Lou Pinella & Paul O'Neill, the steady leadership of Thurman Munson & Don Mattingly, and the recent sheer pleasure of watching Derek Jeter blossom from raw rookie into classic Yankee champion. And what other chair could have given me the opportunity to observe the strategic and individual brilliance of Casey Stengel, George Weiss, Ralph Houk, Lee MacPhail, Gabe Paul, Billy Martin, Gene Michael, and Joe Torre?
From my cat-bird seats, first in the loge along the third base line and now from the press box behind home plate, I've witnessed the Stadium go from brown & green to white & blue and now to brand new. Bounties of treasured events and memories have sprung forth from this grand cathedral for me and for several generations of Yankee fans. I extend my thanks and gratitude to Yankee owners Dan Topping & Del Webb, CBS & Mike Burke, and George Steinbrenner for allowing me this opportunity.
As author Harvey Frommer, in these pages, brings the Yankee Stadium past back to us in its full and vivid glory, I'll reflect upon my privileged past and present herein: I wish to be remembered as an announcer who carried the dignity and the style of the Yankee organization and tradition of this magnificent Stadium through the spoken word. My clear-concise-correct point-of-view has never allowed me to be a barker, a rooter, a screamer or a cheerleader. I've always aspired to be in harmony with the Yankee gestalt.
Not a bad aspiration and accomplishment for a professor of public speech who arrived at the Yankee Stadium as a New York baseball Giants' fan!
My greatest wish is that the new Yankee Stadium brings yet another four score and five years of cherished and exciting memories to new generations of Yankee fans.
Bob Sheppard added a grace, an intelligence, an elegance to the New York Yankee experience. He was one of a kind.
====
Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK, an oral and narrative history, will be published in 2010.
Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.
Remembering Bob Sheppard
Back in the late 1980s on assignment for "Yankees Magazine," a stint I held down for almost 18 years, I entered the tiny public address booth high up and behind home plate at Yankee Stadium.
My objective was to do an interview with the legendary Bob Sheppard.
A cordial and elegant man, Sheppard took both my hands in his and smiling told me to take a seat and we would talk. The game was in progress. He was at work. I was concerned that my questions would interfere with his game announcements.
"No problem," he said, "Go right ahead. I have been doing this for a while now."
He had. His first game was on April 17, 1951, Opening Day. The lineup at Yankee Stadium that day was:
Jackie Jensen lf
Phil Rizzuto ss
Mickey Mantle rf
Joe DiMaggio cf
Yogi Berra c
Johnny Mize 1b
Billy Johnson 3b
Jerry Coleman 2b
Vic Raschi p
Looking back at that long ago profile I did with the former St. John's quarterback and first baseman, I see that his favorite Yankee moments included: Larsen's Perfect Game, Maris hitting 61 home runs, Reggie's three home runs against the Dodgers and Mantle's shot almost over the roof.
Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle are on Sheppard's all time favorite list. "DiMaggio's name was symbolic of the early Yankees," Sheppard said, "and "Mickey Mantle has a nice ring to it because the two 'Ms' make it alliterative. "I just loved announcing his name. And one day, shortly before he died, we were both being interviewed on a television program. All of a sudden, he turned to me and said - right there on the air - that every time he heard me announce his name, he got goose bumps. And I felt the same way about announcing him."
Hundreds of eulogies have been written and delivered by Sheppard. "They ask me to do a eulogy. I try to tailor my remarks to the person I am eulogizing. Thurman Munson, Dick Howser, Billy Martin. Mickey Mantle's seemed to strike a cord because he died the night before."
Now the man some call "The Voice of God" will no longer grace the Yankee mystique with his voice. Over Thanksgiving the 99-year-old announced his retirement as Public Address announcer for the New York Yankees:
"I have no plans of coming back," Sheppard said. "Time has passed me by, I think. I had a good run for it. I enjoyed doing what I did. I don't think, at my age, I'm going to suddenly regain the stamina that is really needed if you do the job and do it well."
Bob Sheppard surely did his job well. He was honored with a plaque in Monument Park on May 7, 2000, commemorating his 50th season with the Yankees: "For half a century," the plaque reads, "he has welcomed generations of fans with his trademark greeting, 'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yankee Stadium.' His clear, concise and correct vocal style has announced the names of hundreds of players - both unfamiliar and legendary - with equal divine reverence, making him as synonymous with Yankee Stadium as its copper façade and Monument Park."
When I began work on my "Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral and Narrative History of the House That Ruth Built," the first one I thought of to interview and to write the book's foreword was Bob Sheppard. How fortunate and honored I was that he agreed to do both.
Here is the foreword:
Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to Yankee Stadium.
By Bob Sheppard
It's hard to believe that almost 60 years have past since I first delivered this greeting to Stadium fans. I could never have imagined when I joined the Yankees that I would be the public address announcer for almost 5,000 games of baseball played on these hallowed grounds. Although I wasn't a part of the Yankees during the Ruth-Huggins-Gehrig era, I've been privileged to announce the names of almost all of the great baseball stars of the past half century. Considering that my public address announcing career as merely been an avocation to my decades as a professor of public speech, I find this most remarkable indeed.
From the old days of the Stadium's visage wrapped with a copper façade and the sounds of Bronx cheers to the recent days of the Stadium's visage wrapped with Diamond Vision and the sounds of "We Will Rock You," the Yankee Stadium has been the citadel of sport. Where in one place could so many baseball icons display their rare talents with such regularity? Where could I have viewed the transformation of Yankee fans from the jacket and tie required cognoscenti of the 50s to today's bleacher creatures. The public address announcer's chair has afforded me a virtual front row seat to Mickey Mantle's s and Reggie Jackson's' towering home runs, Joe DiMaggio's final year of his brilliant career, the magic of Don Larsen's and David Cone's perfect games, 23 World Series & dozens of playoff contests, Roger Maris' 61st homer clouted under tremendous pressure from the press and the fans, the nimble play of Phil Rizzuto, Bobby Richardson, Elston Howard, Willie Randolph, Graig Nettles & Scott Brosius, the crackling sliders of Whitey Ford & Sparky Lyle, the dazzling sinkers of Mel Stottlemyre, the sublime fastballs of Ron Guidry, Rich Gossage, & Mariano Rivera, the determined perseverance of Yogi Berra, Gil McDougald, Lou Pinella & Paul O'Neill, the steady leadership of Thurman Munson & Don Mattingly, and the recent sheer pleasure of watching Derek Jeter blossom from raw rookie into classic Yankee champion. And what other chair could have given me the opportunity to observe the strategic and individual brilliance of Casey Stengel, George Weiss, Ralph Houk, Lee MacPhail, Gabe Paul, Billy Martin, Gene Michael, and Joe Torre?
From my cat-bird seats, first in the loge along the third base line and now from the press box behind home plate, I've witnessed the Stadium go from brown & green to white & blue and now to brand new. Bounties of treasured events and memories have sprung forth from this grand cathedral for me and for several generations of Yankee fans. I extend my thanks and gratitude to Yankee owners Dan Topping & Del Webb, CBS & Mike Burke, and George Steinbrenner for allowing me this opportunity.
As author Harvey Frommer, in these pages, brings the Yankee Stadium past back to us in its full and vivid glory, I'll reflect upon my privileged past and present herein: I wish to be remembered as an announcer who carried the dignity and the style of the Yankee organization and tradition of this magnificent Stadium through the spoken word. My clear-concise-correct point-of-view has never allowed me to be a barker, a rooter, a screamer or a cheerleader. I've always aspired to be in harmony with the Yankee gestalt.
Not a bad aspiration and accomplishment for a professor of public speech who arrived at the Yankee Stadium as a New York baseball Giants' fan!
My greatest wish is that the new Yankee Stadium brings yet another four score and five years of cherished and exciting memories to new generations of Yankee fans.
Bob Sheppard added a grace, an intelligence, an elegance to the New York Yankee experience. He was one of a kind.
====
Harvey Frommer is his 33rd consecutive year of writing sports books. The author of 40 of them including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history (Abrams, Stewart, Tabori and Chang) was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work CELEBRATING FENWAY PARK, an oral and narrative history, will be published in 2010.
Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.
Story on SAVE THE GATE Volunteer Worker Program:
Story on SAVE THE GATE Volunteer Worker Program:
http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/27/news/b1-fri_beachclmngate.txt
Sign Up & Save the Gate at:
savethegate@gmail.com
http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/27/news/b1-fri_beachclmngate.txt
Sign Up & Save the Gate at:
savethegate@gmail.com
Friday, November 27, 2009
Right mix of personalities, not talent on bloated payroll, put NY Yankees over the top
Right mix of personalities, not talent on bloated payroll, put NY Yankees over the top
By Marc Carig/The Star-Ledger
November 07, 2009, 8:21PM
Jennifer Brown/The Star-LedgerYankees captain Derek Jeter holds the World Series Trophy above his head as the Steinbrenner family applauds at a celebration on the steps of City Hall Friday honoring the Yankees and their World Series championship.NEW YORK — Scraps of plastic sheeting covered the replica Yankee Stadium facade that rings the ceiling of the home clubhouse. Drained champagne bottles sat tucked away in lockers that would soon be emptied. A few caps rested on the floor, their labels still attached, “World Series Champions,” stitched to their fronts.
Saturday morning, days after clinching their 27th world championship, signs remained of what the Yankees accomplished together.
But soon, the physical evidence in the clubhouse will be wiped away. Soon, new players will come and old ones will go. Soon, all that will remain of the 2009 Yankees will be a bond, one that will last forever.
“That bond is always there, no matter if you don’t see each other for a month, six months, a year,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “That bond is always special.”
Before taking the Yankees to the championship in his second season as the manager, he played on three championship teams during the franchise’s dynasty. He was reminded of this constantly this postseason, as former teammates Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, David Cone, Charlie Hayes and Scott Brosius each came to participate in pregame ceremonies.
With each, despite the passage of time, Girardi felt the connection.
By proving themselves as the best team in baseball — and doing it with a sense of chemistry despite a clubhouse filled with big names and even bigger paychecks — Girardi said the 2009 Yankees have earned the same destiny. They, too, will feel a bond.
“To be able to maintain that in this city, with the scrutiny that we have, and the egos that come with the big players we’re attracted to, it’s a remarkable job by our manager and our coaching staff,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
The payroll hovered at a staggering $206 million and the roster boasted some of the best talent in baseball, which has been standard operating procedure in the Bronx for years. Yet, for the first time since the fall of the last dynasty, the Yankees also discovered the right mix of personalities, too.
“If you look at it, our guys have been able to check their egos at the door,” Girardi said earlier this season, when asked about one of his favorite qualities about the team. “You have to have a sense of pride for what you do. But you don’t necessarily have to have pride.”
These Yankees, Girardi said, proved over and over that they understood the distinction.
Derek Jeter, the captain, consented to a change in his familiar spot in the batting order. Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia, who combined to fetch $341 million in free agency last offseason, emerged as steady clubhouse influences.
But the most important shift came from Alex Rodriguez, who at long last, became just one of the guys.
“I’m a baseball player,” the Yankees’ star said. “My goal was to simplify things. I’ve done that.”
To celebrate something so ordinary seems strange. Yet in Rodriguez’s case, ordinary was an achievement. Already saddled with a perception that he was self-centered, Rodriguez’s steroids admission and hip surgery only brought on more scrutiny.
But this season, Rodriguez may have best personified the unselfishness that Girardi had preached. In the clubhouse, Girardi praised Rodriguez for mentoring the team’s younger players. At the plate, he lauded Rodriguez for show a level of patience that proved he trusted the players around him to come up with big hits.
Rodriguez spoke of forming bonds, whether with other stars or with unheralded players, such as third-string catcher Francisco Cervelli.
“Whether Cervelli, CC or Teixeira, we’re all the same,” he said. “We’re all one, and we’ve enjoyed that.”
Then, Rodriguez shared a thought that would have been unthinkable at the start of the season: “I really enjoyed this year.”
Before the World Series began, designated hitter Hideki Matsui was asked what he believed was the biggest difference between the current Yankees and teams from recent seasons past. Matsui, who during his tenure watched as talented players who proved to be poor fits came and went, answered without hesitation.
“I think every year we had some really good quality, great players,” Matsui said through a translator. “But I think the biggest between this year’s teams and the prior teams is the team chemistry. I think (with) this year’s combination, everybody clicked. We have great players but everybody sort of just blended into one team. That’s the biggest difference.”
The signs of that chemistry showed as early as spring training, where golf putting contests broke out in the middle of morning drills, where Sabathia took teammates to Orlando Magic basketball games at night, and where Girardi suspended workouts one day to take the entire team on a billiards outing.
“It was just a way to have everybody connect on every level possible,” Cashman said.
Those connections produced walk-off wins, cream pies and kangaroo court fines. And they were evident again Saturday morning in the artifacts that could be seen in an otherwise empty clubhouse.
Right fielder Nick Swisher started a collage on one of his locker walls at the start of the season, featuring photos of all his teammates. It nearly stretches to the ceiling.
Reliever Alfredo Aceves began charting wins and losses on a team schedule he taped to his locker wall halfway through the season, preserving in blue marker the second-half surge that propelled the Yankees to a championship.
Catcher Jose Molina taped a photo of the Yankees to his locker at the start of the postseason, in silver ink the words “we are a team.”
Yes, all of those tangible signs of their bond will soon be gone. But what the Yankees really accomplished this season will forever remain.
“We’re champions,” left fielder Johnny Damon said. “You can’t take that away. And it’s going to be that way for history.”
© 2009 NJ.com. All rights reserved.
By Marc Carig/The Star-Ledger
November 07, 2009, 8:21PM
Jennifer Brown/The Star-LedgerYankees captain Derek Jeter holds the World Series Trophy above his head as the Steinbrenner family applauds at a celebration on the steps of City Hall Friday honoring the Yankees and their World Series championship.NEW YORK — Scraps of plastic sheeting covered the replica Yankee Stadium facade that rings the ceiling of the home clubhouse. Drained champagne bottles sat tucked away in lockers that would soon be emptied. A few caps rested on the floor, their labels still attached, “World Series Champions,” stitched to their fronts.
Saturday morning, days after clinching their 27th world championship, signs remained of what the Yankees accomplished together.
But soon, the physical evidence in the clubhouse will be wiped away. Soon, new players will come and old ones will go. Soon, all that will remain of the 2009 Yankees will be a bond, one that will last forever.
“That bond is always there, no matter if you don’t see each other for a month, six months, a year,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “That bond is always special.”
Before taking the Yankees to the championship in his second season as the manager, he played on three championship teams during the franchise’s dynasty. He was reminded of this constantly this postseason, as former teammates Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, David Cone, Charlie Hayes and Scott Brosius each came to participate in pregame ceremonies.
With each, despite the passage of time, Girardi felt the connection.
By proving themselves as the best team in baseball — and doing it with a sense of chemistry despite a clubhouse filled with big names and even bigger paychecks — Girardi said the 2009 Yankees have earned the same destiny. They, too, will feel a bond.
“To be able to maintain that in this city, with the scrutiny that we have, and the egos that come with the big players we’re attracted to, it’s a remarkable job by our manager and our coaching staff,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
The payroll hovered at a staggering $206 million and the roster boasted some of the best talent in baseball, which has been standard operating procedure in the Bronx for years. Yet, for the first time since the fall of the last dynasty, the Yankees also discovered the right mix of personalities, too.
“If you look at it, our guys have been able to check their egos at the door,” Girardi said earlier this season, when asked about one of his favorite qualities about the team. “You have to have a sense of pride for what you do. But you don’t necessarily have to have pride.”
These Yankees, Girardi said, proved over and over that they understood the distinction.
Derek Jeter, the captain, consented to a change in his familiar spot in the batting order. Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia, who combined to fetch $341 million in free agency last offseason, emerged as steady clubhouse influences.
But the most important shift came from Alex Rodriguez, who at long last, became just one of the guys.
“I’m a baseball player,” the Yankees’ star said. “My goal was to simplify things. I’ve done that.”
To celebrate something so ordinary seems strange. Yet in Rodriguez’s case, ordinary was an achievement. Already saddled with a perception that he was self-centered, Rodriguez’s steroids admission and hip surgery only brought on more scrutiny.
But this season, Rodriguez may have best personified the unselfishness that Girardi had preached. In the clubhouse, Girardi praised Rodriguez for mentoring the team’s younger players. At the plate, he lauded Rodriguez for show a level of patience that proved he trusted the players around him to come up with big hits.
Rodriguez spoke of forming bonds, whether with other stars or with unheralded players, such as third-string catcher Francisco Cervelli.
“Whether Cervelli, CC or Teixeira, we’re all the same,” he said. “We’re all one, and we’ve enjoyed that.”
Then, Rodriguez shared a thought that would have been unthinkable at the start of the season: “I really enjoyed this year.”
Before the World Series began, designated hitter Hideki Matsui was asked what he believed was the biggest difference between the current Yankees and teams from recent seasons past. Matsui, who during his tenure watched as talented players who proved to be poor fits came and went, answered without hesitation.
“I think every year we had some really good quality, great players,” Matsui said through a translator. “But I think the biggest between this year’s teams and the prior teams is the team chemistry. I think (with) this year’s combination, everybody clicked. We have great players but everybody sort of just blended into one team. That’s the biggest difference.”
The signs of that chemistry showed as early as spring training, where golf putting contests broke out in the middle of morning drills, where Sabathia took teammates to Orlando Magic basketball games at night, and where Girardi suspended workouts one day to take the entire team on a billiards outing.
“It was just a way to have everybody connect on every level possible,” Cashman said.
Those connections produced walk-off wins, cream pies and kangaroo court fines. And they were evident again Saturday morning in the artifacts that could be seen in an otherwise empty clubhouse.
Right fielder Nick Swisher started a collage on one of his locker walls at the start of the season, featuring photos of all his teammates. It nearly stretches to the ceiling.
Reliever Alfredo Aceves began charting wins and losses on a team schedule he taped to his locker wall halfway through the season, preserving in blue marker the second-half surge that propelled the Yankees to a championship.
Catcher Jose Molina taped a photo of the Yankees to his locker at the start of the postseason, in silver ink the words “we are a team.”
Yes, all of those tangible signs of their bond will soon be gone. But what the Yankees really accomplished this season will forever remain.
“We’re champions,” left fielder Johnny Damon said. “You can’t take that away. And it’s going to be that way for history.”
© 2009 NJ.com. All rights reserved.
Volunteer brigade fighting time to save Yankee Stadium Gate 2
BEACH: Volunteer brigade fighting time to save Yankee Stadium Gate 2
Friday, November 27, 2009
By Randall Beach
A call has gone out for volunteers who want to help save the endangered gate at the original Yankee Stadium.
There is precious little time to make this happen and overcome the New York City bureaucrats as well as the uncooperative Yankees ownership.
Since I wrote about the effort in this space last June, citizens from many states have joined in the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium. Although virtually all of the old stadium is doomed to be demolished, these activists still hope to preserve the original Gate 2.
Their plan is to maintain the gate as part of Heritage Field, which will replace the stadium with three ballfields. Those fields are needed because the new Yankee Stadium was built on existing baseball diamonds and other park land.
New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said the city intends to knock down the entire old stadium. “Preserving the facade would make it difficult to maximize the park space,” he said.
Moreover, a spokesman for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has repeated other city officials’ claims that restoring the gate would cost $15 million.
But the Save the Gate brigade, including Tim Reid and Mark Costello, believe it can be done for $1 million or less, especially with all of the volunteers stepping up to the plate. They also proposed raising funds through a commemorative brick drive that would place bricks at plazas around the stadium.
Reid recently e-mailed me the announcement of a “Save the Gate volunteer worker program.” It’s designed to eliminate all labor costs associated with saving Gate 2.
“Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, waterproofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others, all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure,” said the announcement.
“The more volunteers, the better!” it added.
Anybody who wants to help is asked to contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium by going to savethegate@gmail.com. If you do this, state your skill or trade and the number of days you can volunteer.
One of those volunteers is historic architect Jeffrey Bianco of Middletown.
Although Bianco told me this week that he has sometimes felt like “a voice crying out in the wilderness,” he now thinks the gate-savers are making solid progress.
“The New York City landmarks officials (the Design Commission) have heard us and agreed they’d like to see a new Parks and Recreation plan that we hope incorporates what we’ve proposed,” Bianco said.
“Knocking it all down is disturbing,” Bianco told me, and I certainly didn’t give him any argument about that. “It cuts against my grain as a Yankee fan and a Bronx native.”
Indeed, Bianco’s first job was selling peanuts at the Stadium “in the (Mickey) Mantle era.”
He said saving the gate “makes complete sense. It’s there already; it’s tremendously important culturally as a landmark.”
Bianco concluded, “The dream is for kids to walk through this gate and feel like Yankees.”
But ideas that make sense don’t always get acted upon by city officials. When the gate savers proposed their volunteer program, Benepe wouldn’t let Bianco and another architect make an on-site visit to evaluate the gate project.
In a follow-up letter to Benepe and other officials, Reid noted the volunteers would “save the city huge time and money.”
Reid has called the original Yankee Stadium “the most historic sports site in American history” and it’s tough to argue with that assessment. Reid wonders why Benepe is “dead-set on destroying all of the old Stadium, no matter what evidence and opportunities compel its preservation and commemoration.”
Reid noted Gate 2 is not scheduled for demolition for more than a month, so there is still time for the on-site visit and putting into gear the volunteer program.
But let’s face it, a month or so isn’t much breathing room when you’re dealing with bureaucrats.
That’s why Reid concluded in his appeal letter: “Time is of the essence.”
Randall Beach can be reached at rbeach@nhregister.com, or 203-789-5766 203-789-5766.
URL: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/27/news/b1-fri_beachclmngate.prt
© 2009 nhregister.com, a Journal Register Property
Friday, November 27, 2009
By Randall Beach
A call has gone out for volunteers who want to help save the endangered gate at the original Yankee Stadium.
There is precious little time to make this happen and overcome the New York City bureaucrats as well as the uncooperative Yankees ownership.
Since I wrote about the effort in this space last June, citizens from many states have joined in the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium. Although virtually all of the old stadium is doomed to be demolished, these activists still hope to preserve the original Gate 2.
Their plan is to maintain the gate as part of Heritage Field, which will replace the stadium with three ballfields. Those fields are needed because the new Yankee Stadium was built on existing baseball diamonds and other park land.
New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said the city intends to knock down the entire old stadium. “Preserving the facade would make it difficult to maximize the park space,” he said.
Moreover, a spokesman for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has repeated other city officials’ claims that restoring the gate would cost $15 million.
But the Save the Gate brigade, including Tim Reid and Mark Costello, believe it can be done for $1 million or less, especially with all of the volunteers stepping up to the plate. They also proposed raising funds through a commemorative brick drive that would place bricks at plazas around the stadium.
Reid recently e-mailed me the announcement of a “Save the Gate volunteer worker program.” It’s designed to eliminate all labor costs associated with saving Gate 2.
“Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, waterproofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others, all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure,” said the announcement.
“The more volunteers, the better!” it added.
Anybody who wants to help is asked to contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium by going to savethegate@gmail.com. If you do this, state your skill or trade and the number of days you can volunteer.
One of those volunteers is historic architect Jeffrey Bianco of Middletown.
Although Bianco told me this week that he has sometimes felt like “a voice crying out in the wilderness,” he now thinks the gate-savers are making solid progress.
“The New York City landmarks officials (the Design Commission) have heard us and agreed they’d like to see a new Parks and Recreation plan that we hope incorporates what we’ve proposed,” Bianco said.
“Knocking it all down is disturbing,” Bianco told me, and I certainly didn’t give him any argument about that. “It cuts against my grain as a Yankee fan and a Bronx native.”
Indeed, Bianco’s first job was selling peanuts at the Stadium “in the (Mickey) Mantle era.”
He said saving the gate “makes complete sense. It’s there already; it’s tremendously important culturally as a landmark.”
Bianco concluded, “The dream is for kids to walk through this gate and feel like Yankees.”
But ideas that make sense don’t always get acted upon by city officials. When the gate savers proposed their volunteer program, Benepe wouldn’t let Bianco and another architect make an on-site visit to evaluate the gate project.
In a follow-up letter to Benepe and other officials, Reid noted the volunteers would “save the city huge time and money.”
Reid has called the original Yankee Stadium “the most historic sports site in American history” and it’s tough to argue with that assessment. Reid wonders why Benepe is “dead-set on destroying all of the old Stadium, no matter what evidence and opportunities compel its preservation and commemoration.”
Reid noted Gate 2 is not scheduled for demolition for more than a month, so there is still time for the on-site visit and putting into gear the volunteer program.
But let’s face it, a month or so isn’t much breathing room when you’re dealing with bureaucrats.
That’s why Reid concluded in his appeal letter: “Time is of the essence.”
Randall Beach can be reached at rbeach@nhregister.com, or 203-789-5766 203-789-5766.
URL: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/27/news/b1-fri_beachclmngate.prt
© 2009 nhregister.com, a Journal Register Property
Volunteer brigade fighting time to save Yankee Stadium Gate 2
The New Haven Register (nhregister.com), Serving New Haven, CT
News
BEACH: Volunteer brigade fighting time to save Yankee Stadium Gate 2
Friday, November 27, 2009
By Randall Beach
A call has gone out for volunteers who want to help save the endangered gate at the original Yankee Stadium.
There is precious little time to make this happen and overcome the New York City bureaucrats as well as the uncooperative Yankees ownership.
Since I wrote about the effort in this space last June, citizens from many states have joined in the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium. Although virtually all of the old stadium is doomed to be demolished, these activists still hope to preserve the original Gate 2.
Their plan is to maintain the gate as part of Heritage Field, which will replace the stadium with three ballfields. Those fields are needed because the new Yankee Stadium was built on existing baseball diamonds and other park land.
New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said the city intends to knock down the entire old stadium. “Preserving the facade would make it difficult to maximize the park space,” he said.
Moreover, a spokesman for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has repeated other city officials’ claims that restoring the gate would cost $15 million.
But the Save the Gate brigade, including Tim Reid and Mark Costello, believe it can be done for $1 million or less, especially with all of the volunteers stepping up to the plate. They also proposed raising funds through a commemorative brick drive that would place bricks at plazas around the stadium.
Reid recently e-mailed me the announcement of a “Save the Gate volunteer worker program.” It’s designed to eliminate all labor costs associated with saving Gate 2.
“Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, waterproofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others, all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure,” said the announcement.
“The more volunteers, the better!” it added.
Anybody who wants to help is asked to contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium by going to savethegate@gmail.com. If you do this, state your skill or trade and the number of days you can volunteer.
One of those volunteers is historic architect Jeffrey Bianco of Middletown.
Although Bianco told me this week that he has sometimes felt like “a voice crying out in the wilderness,” he now thinks the gate-savers are making solid progress.
“The New York City landmarks officials (the Design Commission) have heard us and agreed they’d like to see a new Parks and Recreation plan that we hope incorporates what we’ve proposed,” Bianco said.
“Knocking it all down is disturbing,” Bianco told me, and I certainly didn’t give him any argument about that. “It cuts against my grain as a Yankee fan and a Bronx native.”
Indeed, Bianco’s first job was selling peanuts at the Stadium “in the (Mickey) Mantle era.”
He said saving the gate “makes complete sense. It’s there already; it’s tremendously important culturally as a landmark.”
Bianco concluded, “The dream is for kids to walk through this gate and feel like Yankees.”
But ideas that make sense don’t always get acted upon by city officials. When the gate savers proposed their volunteer program, Benepe wouldn’t let Bianco and another architect make an on-site visit to evaluate the gate project.
In a follow-up letter to Benepe and other officials, Reid noted the volunteers would “save the city huge time and money.”
Reid has called the original Yankee Stadium “the most historic sports site in American history” and it’s tough to argue with that assessment. Reid wonders why Benepe is “dead-set on destroying all of the old Stadium, no matter what evidence and opportunities compel its preservation and commemoration.”
Reid noted Gate 2 is not scheduled for demolition for more than a month, so there is still time for the on-site visit and putting into gear the volunteer program.
But let’s face it, a month or so isn’t much breathing room when you’re dealing with bureaucrats.
That’s why Reid concluded in his appeal letter: “Time is of the essence.”
Randall Beach can be reached at rbeach@nhregister.com, or 203-789-5766 203-789-5766.
News
BEACH: Volunteer brigade fighting time to save Yankee Stadium Gate 2
Friday, November 27, 2009
By Randall Beach
A call has gone out for volunteers who want to help save the endangered gate at the original Yankee Stadium.
There is precious little time to make this happen and overcome the New York City bureaucrats as well as the uncooperative Yankees ownership.
Since I wrote about the effort in this space last June, citizens from many states have joined in the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium. Although virtually all of the old stadium is doomed to be demolished, these activists still hope to preserve the original Gate 2.
Their plan is to maintain the gate as part of Heritage Field, which will replace the stadium with three ballfields. Those fields are needed because the new Yankee Stadium was built on existing baseball diamonds and other park land.
New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said the city intends to knock down the entire old stadium. “Preserving the facade would make it difficult to maximize the park space,” he said.
Moreover, a spokesman for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has repeated other city officials’ claims that restoring the gate would cost $15 million.
But the Save the Gate brigade, including Tim Reid and Mark Costello, believe it can be done for $1 million or less, especially with all of the volunteers stepping up to the plate. They also proposed raising funds through a commemorative brick drive that would place bricks at plazas around the stadium.
Reid recently e-mailed me the announcement of a “Save the Gate volunteer worker program.” It’s designed to eliminate all labor costs associated with saving Gate 2.
“Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, waterproofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others, all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure,” said the announcement.
“The more volunteers, the better!” it added.
Anybody who wants to help is asked to contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium by going to savethegate@gmail.com. If you do this, state your skill or trade and the number of days you can volunteer.
One of those volunteers is historic architect Jeffrey Bianco of Middletown.
Although Bianco told me this week that he has sometimes felt like “a voice crying out in the wilderness,” he now thinks the gate-savers are making solid progress.
“The New York City landmarks officials (the Design Commission) have heard us and agreed they’d like to see a new Parks and Recreation plan that we hope incorporates what we’ve proposed,” Bianco said.
“Knocking it all down is disturbing,” Bianco told me, and I certainly didn’t give him any argument about that. “It cuts against my grain as a Yankee fan and a Bronx native.”
Indeed, Bianco’s first job was selling peanuts at the Stadium “in the (Mickey) Mantle era.”
He said saving the gate “makes complete sense. It’s there already; it’s tremendously important culturally as a landmark.”
Bianco concluded, “The dream is for kids to walk through this gate and feel like Yankees.”
But ideas that make sense don’t always get acted upon by city officials. When the gate savers proposed their volunteer program, Benepe wouldn’t let Bianco and another architect make an on-site visit to evaluate the gate project.
In a follow-up letter to Benepe and other officials, Reid noted the volunteers would “save the city huge time and money.”
Reid has called the original Yankee Stadium “the most historic sports site in American history” and it’s tough to argue with that assessment. Reid wonders why Benepe is “dead-set on destroying all of the old Stadium, no matter what evidence and opportunities compel its preservation and commemoration.”
Reid noted Gate 2 is not scheduled for demolition for more than a month, so there is still time for the on-site visit and putting into gear the volunteer program.
But let’s face it, a month or so isn’t much breathing room when you’re dealing with bureaucrats.
That’s why Reid concluded in his appeal letter: “Time is of the essence.”
Randall Beach can be reached at rbeach@nhregister.com, or 203-789-5766 203-789-5766.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sheppard: 'I had a good run for it'
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sheppard: 'I had a good run for it'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESPN.com news services
Bob Sheppard, the legendary public address announcer for the New York Yankees, told MLB.com his career is over.
Bob Sheppard worked his first Yankees game in 1951.
"I have no plans of coming back," Sheppard told the Web site. "Time has passed me by, I think. I had a good run for it. I enjoyed doing what I did. I don't think, at my age, I'm going to suddenly regain the stamina that is really needed if you do the job and do it well."
Sheppard turned 99 last month. He had started working as the Yankees PA person on April 17, 1951 -- Joe DiMaggio's final Opening Day -- and continued until the final weeks of the 2007 season. A bronchial infection that September forced Sheppard to miss the postseason. He did not return for the 2008 season.
Paul Olden took over PA duties during the new Yankee Stadium's opening season. Sheppard told MLB.com, he and Olden keep in touch.
"He seems to me to be a very quiet, dignified and professional fellow taking over my job after my 50 or more years up there," Sheppard told the site. "When I can hear him in the background when I'm listening to the TV, he sounds clear. He sounds dignified. I think he sounds professional. That's what the Yankees were looking for."
Shortstop Derek Jeter has continued to use a recording of Sheppard to introduce his plate appearances.
Sheppard: 'I had a good run for it'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESPN.com news services
Bob Sheppard, the legendary public address announcer for the New York Yankees, told MLB.com his career is over.
Bob Sheppard worked his first Yankees game in 1951.
"I have no plans of coming back," Sheppard told the Web site. "Time has passed me by, I think. I had a good run for it. I enjoyed doing what I did. I don't think, at my age, I'm going to suddenly regain the stamina that is really needed if you do the job and do it well."
Sheppard turned 99 last month. He had started working as the Yankees PA person on April 17, 1951 -- Joe DiMaggio's final Opening Day -- and continued until the final weeks of the 2007 season. A bronchial infection that September forced Sheppard to miss the postseason. He did not return for the 2008 season.
Paul Olden took over PA duties during the new Yankee Stadium's opening season. Sheppard told MLB.com, he and Olden keep in touch.
"He seems to me to be a very quiet, dignified and professional fellow taking over my job after my 50 or more years up there," Sheppard told the site. "When I can hear him in the background when I'm listening to the TV, he sounds clear. He sounds dignified. I think he sounds professional. That's what the Yankees were looking for."
Shortstop Derek Jeter has continued to use a recording of Sheppard to introduce his plate appearances.
Yankees annoucer Bob Sheppard to retire
Yankees annoucer Bob Sheppard to retire
November 26, 2009 by NEIL BEST / neil.best@newsday.com
Bob Sheppard refused to use the word "retired," even at age 99 and with no plans to return to work for the Yankees.
"But," he acknowledged yesterday, "I don’t intend at this moment to see myself back as a public address announcer at Yankee Stadium, feeling the way I do now."
Sheppard has not worked since late in the 2007 season and told Newsday last month that his contract expires in February, 2010.
He has inched closer and closer to acknowledging his unofficial retirement this year, but he went a step further than he has previously in an interview with MLB.com that was posted early yesterday, saying, "I have no plans of coming back."
Reached at his Baldwin home, Sheppard hedged, but only slightly, saying, "It wasn’t a resignation. It wasn’t quitting. It wasn’t throwing in the glove."
So he isn’t ruling out a future return? Sheppard laughed.
"Let me start from the bottom: I am now 99 years old," he said. "I don ’t think a man 99 years old goes back to work after two years of separation."
For decades, Sheppard adamantly has refused to discuss or confirm his age publicly. Why now? "It’s been in the paper," he said. "It’s been in Sports Illustrated. It’s no secret."
Sheppard said the Yankees have not contacted him about returning to work and noted they hired Paul Olden as a replacement. But he said it is a moot point because he has not been physically up to it for the past two years.
"I loved it while I did it, while I was able to do it, but I’m not sure I could do it now even if they said they wanted me to," he said.
"As far as I’m concerned the Yankees made a professional choice in getting Paul Olden to fill in. And he has been good to me. He gives me a call every couple of weeks or so just to touch base . . . Listening to the radio and listening to his voice in the background, the Yankees made a reasonable selection."
In his interview with MLB.com, Sheppard explained why even a single appearance in the p.a. booth for old times’ sake might be too much for him.
"It’s not just the two hours or three hours of baseball," he said. "It ’s the trip, the preparation, the trip home, and a long, long day. I think at my age, it's time to accept the fact that I had a great run. A great run. And I only made a few mistakes along the way."
Sheppard, who began with the Yankees in 1951 and also worked for decades for Giants and St. John’s, suffered from a bronchial infection in ‘07 that dropped his weight as low as 103 pounds – 62 below where he was as a quarterback for St. John’s 80 years ago.
"Now I’m up to 136 pounds," he said. "The doctor said, ‘You’re not going to be cured and cleared until you’re 145 pounds."
He suffered a further physical setback in March of this year when he fell down some steps and suffered bruises.
Sheppard said he was "thrilled" by the Yankees’ World Series victory, but he has not yet been to the new stadium, where a recording of his voice still introduces Derek Jeter's at-bats. He hopes to visit in 2010 if he is up to it physically.
"I’d like to go up and look at it," he said. "They tell me there is a Bob Sheppard dining room there." Would he like to check out the fare? "If the price is right," he said.
< back to article
November 26, 2009 by NEIL BEST / neil.best@newsday.com
Bob Sheppard refused to use the word "retired," even at age 99 and with no plans to return to work for the Yankees.
"But," he acknowledged yesterday, "I don’t intend at this moment to see myself back as a public address announcer at Yankee Stadium, feeling the way I do now."
Sheppard has not worked since late in the 2007 season and told Newsday last month that his contract expires in February, 2010.
He has inched closer and closer to acknowledging his unofficial retirement this year, but he went a step further than he has previously in an interview with MLB.com that was posted early yesterday, saying, "I have no plans of coming back."
Reached at his Baldwin home, Sheppard hedged, but only slightly, saying, "It wasn’t a resignation. It wasn’t quitting. It wasn’t throwing in the glove."
So he isn’t ruling out a future return? Sheppard laughed.
"Let me start from the bottom: I am now 99 years old," he said. "I don ’t think a man 99 years old goes back to work after two years of separation."
For decades, Sheppard adamantly has refused to discuss or confirm his age publicly. Why now? "It’s been in the paper," he said. "It’s been in Sports Illustrated. It’s no secret."
Sheppard said the Yankees have not contacted him about returning to work and noted they hired Paul Olden as a replacement. But he said it is a moot point because he has not been physically up to it for the past two years.
"I loved it while I did it, while I was able to do it, but I’m not sure I could do it now even if they said they wanted me to," he said.
"As far as I’m concerned the Yankees made a professional choice in getting Paul Olden to fill in. And he has been good to me. He gives me a call every couple of weeks or so just to touch base . . . Listening to the radio and listening to his voice in the background, the Yankees made a reasonable selection."
In his interview with MLB.com, Sheppard explained why even a single appearance in the p.a. booth for old times’ sake might be too much for him.
"It’s not just the two hours or three hours of baseball," he said. "It ’s the trip, the preparation, the trip home, and a long, long day. I think at my age, it's time to accept the fact that I had a great run. A great run. And I only made a few mistakes along the way."
Sheppard, who began with the Yankees in 1951 and also worked for decades for Giants and St. John’s, suffered from a bronchial infection in ‘07 that dropped his weight as low as 103 pounds – 62 below where he was as a quarterback for St. John’s 80 years ago.
"Now I’m up to 136 pounds," he said. "The doctor said, ‘You’re not going to be cured and cleared until you’re 145 pounds."
He suffered a further physical setback in March of this year when he fell down some steps and suffered bruises.
Sheppard said he was "thrilled" by the Yankees’ World Series victory, but he has not yet been to the new stadium, where a recording of his voice still introduces Derek Jeter's at-bats. He hopes to visit in 2010 if he is up to it physically.
"I’d like to go up and look at it," he said. "They tell me there is a Bob Sheppard dining room there." Would he like to check out the fare? "If the price is right," he said.
< back to article
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Yankee Stadium Demolition
You can follow the demolition at:
http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4206617.php?
The CBS chopper has been tracking the demolition and photographing it.
Sad.
http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4206617.php?
The CBS chopper has been tracking the demolition and photographing it.
Sad.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Volunteer Program - Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium
Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium
___________
SAVE THE GATE
Volunteer Worker Program
___________________________________________
Now that we've won at City Hall - getting an official ruling that Old Yankee Stadium Gate 2 should be saved, if funds can be found: The Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium has created, developed and proposed to the City of New York the "SAVE THE GATE Volunteer Worker Program" designed to eliminate all labor costs potentially associated with the saving of the Gate, and other improvements to the new park design for the Old Yankee Stadium site. Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, waterproofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others - all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure. Help SAVE THE GATE and otherwise transform the Old Yankee Stadium site into the preeminent park its majestic history compels. The more volunteers the better!!! All interested parties should contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium: providing your name, applicable skill, trade or profession - as well as a brief description of the services and number of days you would like to volunteer. Help make the Old Yankee Stadium site a park worthy of its unparalleled history!!!
____________
Please Contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium: savethegate@gmail.com
___________
SAVE THE GATE
Volunteer Worker Program
___________________________________________
Now that we've won at City Hall - getting an official ruling that Old Yankee Stadium Gate 2 should be saved, if funds can be found: The Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium has created, developed and proposed to the City of New York the "SAVE THE GATE Volunteer Worker Program" designed to eliminate all labor costs potentially associated with the saving of the Gate, and other improvements to the new park design for the Old Yankee Stadium site. Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, waterproofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others - all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure. Help SAVE THE GATE and otherwise transform the Old Yankee Stadium site into the preeminent park its majestic history compels. The more volunteers the better!!! All interested parties should contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium: providing your name, applicable skill, trade or profession - as well as a brief description of the services and number of days you would like to volunteer. Help make the Old Yankee Stadium site a park worthy of its unparalleled history!!!
____________
Please Contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium: savethegate@gmail.com
Sunday, November 22, 2009
SAVE THE GATE - Volunteer Worker Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, November 20, 2009
Committee to Commemorate
Old Yankee Stadium
___________
SAVE THE GATE
Volunteer Worker Program
___________________________________________
The Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium has created, developed, and proposed to the City of New York the "SAVE THE GATE Volunteer Worker Program", designed to eliminate all labor costs potentially associated with the saving of Gate 2 at Old Yankee Stadium, and other improvements to the new park design for the
Old Yankee Stadium site.
Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, water proofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others - all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure.
Help SAVE THE GATE and otherwise transform the Old Yankee Stadium site into the preeminent park its majestic history compels.
The more volunteers the better!!!
All interested parties should contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium; providing your name, applicable skill, trade or profession - as well as a brief description of the services and number of days you would like to volunteer.
Help make the Old Yankee Stadium site a park worthy of its unparalleled history!!!
____________
Please Contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium:
savethegate@gmail.com
Committee to Commemorate
Old Yankee Stadium
___________
SAVE THE GATE
Volunteer Worker Program
___________________________________________
The Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium has created, developed, and proposed to the City of New York the "SAVE THE GATE Volunteer Worker Program", designed to eliminate all labor costs potentially associated with the saving of Gate 2 at Old Yankee Stadium, and other improvements to the new park design for the
Old Yankee Stadium site.
Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, water proofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others - all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure.
Help SAVE THE GATE and otherwise transform the Old Yankee Stadium site into the preeminent park its majestic history compels.
The more volunteers the better!!!
All interested parties should contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium; providing your name, applicable skill, trade or profession - as well as a brief description of the services and number of days you would like to volunteer.
Help make the Old Yankee Stadium site a park worthy of its unparalleled history!!!
____________
Please Contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium:
savethegate@gmail.com
Public Design Commission Hearing - 10/26/09
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, October 26, 2009
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HELPED!!!
The Hearing was a GREAT success, resulting in official disapproval of the severely flawed preliminary plan for the old Yankee Stadium Site!!!
The Parks Department has been firmly directed to overhaul the park design - either saving the Gate - or proving why they can not!
Below is the Committee's very well received presentation
As presented by Cindy Jones
Committee to Commemorate
Old Yankee Stadium
______________________________
Public Design Commission Hearing
New York City Hall
October 26, 2009
__________________________
Thank you so very much for this great honor & opportunity to speak on behalf of people around the country, who so passionately want to pay tribute to the greatest Stadium in the American history….America’s Coliseum…Old Yankee Stadium.
As Mayor Bloomberg reported only last year, in the "Official Yankee Stadium Retrospective" Old Yankee Stadium is one of New York's three most asked-about New York City international icons, along with Empire State Building, and the Empire State Building. Wherever he travels around the world, he said, people always ask about [Old] Yankee Stadium.
Dozens of international luminaries, including presidents, governors, and celebrities of every type - joined the Mayor in this book - one of many hundreds written on the history of the Stadium - voicing how very highly regarded the Stadium is around the world.
Indeed, it is Old Yankee Stadium's unmatched prominence, that compelled me to fly in this morning from my home state of Virginia, to encourage and plead to the great City of New York to "properly preserve and celebrate" this national landmark and treasure.
Commissioners, the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium request that you please Save Gate 2,
The exciting reality is that Gate 2 IS overwhelmingly original - as the two photos of Gate 2 before you make unmistakably clear - one from the 1930's and the other taken just this year. The City's original belief that Gate 2 was NOT original was wrong.
And, moreover, Gate 2 is PERFECTLY located between New and Old Yankee Stadiums -- providing a magnificent architectural, and even spiritual, Gateway, connecting our past to our future.
As Bronx County Historian, Dr. Lloyd Ultan, observed in Paul Goldberger's recent article in the New Yorker citing authoritative criticisms of preliminary park design:
“What’s missing from the park plan is the architecture of the Stadium itself.”
- later stating that a large, tangible part of the original stadium is needed to effectively communicate the original Stadium's majesty & size, like ruins of antiquity so powerfully do.
Architectural experts Rick Bell, Jeff Bianco, Phil Reina - along with so many others - the preliminary design as "lacking authenticity".
In fact, neither Babe, nor Lou, saw ANYTHING included in the current proposal!
BUT, they saw Gate 2!!
_____________________
Yankee Stadium historians across the country - including Bill Jenkinson and the City's own Dr. Ultan - emphatically agree, adding that a meaningful tangible memory from the Stadium's most glorious days is needed to properly record its irreplaceable preeminence.
As Paul Doherty, a leading authority on Yankee Stadium, put it:
"Gate 2 will serve as a cultural lamp post to the great eras of New York City's sporting dominance - second only to the Roman Coliseum in its importance to the overall history of world sports."
The essential point we all must remember is that:
If Gate 2 is not saved, nothing of the Stadium's most glorious era and architecture will be!
We also respectfully request, Commissioners, that the Old Yankee Stadium Site be called "Old Yankee Stadium Park", rather than the overly common and nondescript "Heritage Field", or "Park" of which there are so very many across the country - including one at the Cleveland Indians' Stadium right up the road in the Yankees' own AL East!
"Old Yankee Stadium Park" is clearly a far better name - one that truly "celebrates the site's rich history", as is the charter and goal of the Commission. Paul Goldberger, the renowned New York historic architect - and the City's Board Member for the National Trust for Historic Preservation - also disapproves of the name. Dr. Ultan emphatically joins him, along with preeminent historians and Baseball fans of the Stadium across the City, and country.
For similarly compelling reasons, we request the baseball area of the new park be called "Babe Ruth Memorial Field" - to both tribute New York's greatest and beloved sports hero, and to replace the original "Babe Ruth Memorial Baseball Filed" - recently destroyed to make way for New Yankee Stadium. Your very distinguished Art Commission predecessor, Williams Adams Delano, was a leading participant in the creation of Babe Ruth Memorial Field, created sixty years ago, as a "permanent" tribute to New York's (still) most beloved and immortal sports figure - New York's great Babe Ruth.
_________________
In closing Commissioners, I quote another New York great, Jackie Kennedy, who did so very much for preserving this great City's cultural treasures, and whose statement forty years ago so perfectly addresses why we must save Gate 2:
"Is it not cruel to let New York die by degrees, stripped of all her proudest moments, until there will be nothing left of history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our City, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? Americans care about their past, but, for short term gain, they ignore it and tear down everything that matters. This is the time to take a stand and reverse the tide."
Please, Commissioners, save Gate 2, at "Old Yankee Stadium Park" - not only for Babe & Lou … but, most of all, for all our children and loved ones - and all those who follow us - so they can see and even touch "The House That Ruth Built" - the greatest Stadium in our nation's history- "Old Yankee Stadium.".
__________________________________________________________________
SUPPORTING RECORDS & EVIDENCE
Books
"The Official Yankee Stadium Retrospective", Published 2008.
Articles
New Haven Register: "There Still May be Time to Save "The House That Ruth Built", September 7, 2008.
New Haven Register: "Yankee Fans Need to Move Quick to Save the Gate That Ruth Built", June 17, 2009.
New York Daily News: "Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe Confirms Plans to Level Yankee Stadium", June 23, 2009.
New Yorker: by Paul Goldberger, "The Future of Old Yankee Stadium", August 10, 2009
New York Daily News: "Old Yankee Stadium's Gate 2 Focus of Debate as Part of New Heritage Park", ["The Gate Debate"] August 17, 2009.
Daily News: "Last Pitch to Save Gate 2" September 28, 2009.
Written Expert Endorsements:
Paul Doherty, Yankee Stadium Historian, September 28, 2009 [Attached]
Brad Turnow, New York Yankees Historian, September 28, 2009 [Attached]
Jeff Wattrick, Historic Preservationist, September 28, 2009 [Attached]
Peter Comstock Riley, Historic Preservationist, September 30, 2009 [Attached]
George Mole', Captain NYPD, Bronx Urban Affairs Commentator, October 1, 2009 [Attached]
Phillip J. Reina, Architect, October 1, 2009 [Attached]
Jeffrey Dale Bianco, Historic Architect, Past President of Connecticut AIA,
October 2, 2009 [Attached]
Expert Endorsements on Archived Radio Shows:
Baseball Digest LIVE, with Mark Healy: "SAVE THE GATE" June 30, 2009
[Expert Opinions of Baseball Historians Bill Jenkinson, Linda Ruth Tosetti, Mark Healy & Tim Reid. Historic Preservation Architect Jeff Bianco]
http://www.baseballdigest.com/2009/06/29/baseball-digest-live-save-the-gate/
Baseball Digest LIVE, with Mark Healy: "Preserving the Past" October 5, 2009
[Expert Opinions of Baseball Historians Bill Jenkinson, Paul Doherty, Mark Healy & Tim Reid. Historic Preservation Architect Jeff Bianco. Historical Preservationists Jeff Wattrick & Peter Comstock Riley]
Visual Evidence
Side-by-Side Photographic Comparison of 1930's Gate, and Spring 2009 Gate: Produced by Joe Staluppi, Graphic Designer
Model of Proposed Gate 2 Monument at Old Yankee Stadium Site, Yankee Stadium Modeler, Mike Hagan
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HELPED!!!
The Hearing was a GREAT success, resulting in official disapproval of the severely flawed preliminary plan for the old Yankee Stadium Site!!!
The Parks Department has been firmly directed to overhaul the park design - either saving the Gate - or proving why they can not!
Below is the Committee's very well received presentation
As presented by Cindy Jones
Committee to Commemorate
Old Yankee Stadium
______________________________
Public Design Commission Hearing
New York City Hall
October 26, 2009
__________________________
Thank you so very much for this great honor & opportunity to speak on behalf of people around the country, who so passionately want to pay tribute to the greatest Stadium in the American history….America’s Coliseum…Old Yankee Stadium.
As Mayor Bloomberg reported only last year, in the "Official Yankee Stadium Retrospective" Old Yankee Stadium is one of New York's three most asked-about New York City international icons, along with Empire State Building, and the Empire State Building. Wherever he travels around the world, he said, people always ask about [Old] Yankee Stadium.
Dozens of international luminaries, including presidents, governors, and celebrities of every type - joined the Mayor in this book - one of many hundreds written on the history of the Stadium - voicing how very highly regarded the Stadium is around the world.
Indeed, it is Old Yankee Stadium's unmatched prominence, that compelled me to fly in this morning from my home state of Virginia, to encourage and plead to the great City of New York to "properly preserve and celebrate" this national landmark and treasure.
Commissioners, the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium request that you please Save Gate 2,
The exciting reality is that Gate 2 IS overwhelmingly original - as the two photos of Gate 2 before you make unmistakably clear - one from the 1930's and the other taken just this year. The City's original belief that Gate 2 was NOT original was wrong.
And, moreover, Gate 2 is PERFECTLY located between New and Old Yankee Stadiums -- providing a magnificent architectural, and even spiritual, Gateway, connecting our past to our future.
As Bronx County Historian, Dr. Lloyd Ultan, observed in Paul Goldberger's recent article in the New Yorker citing authoritative criticisms of preliminary park design:
“What’s missing from the park plan is the architecture of the Stadium itself.”
- later stating that a large, tangible part of the original stadium is needed to effectively communicate the original Stadium's majesty & size, like ruins of antiquity so powerfully do.
Architectural experts Rick Bell, Jeff Bianco, Phil Reina - along with so many others - the preliminary design as "lacking authenticity".
In fact, neither Babe, nor Lou, saw ANYTHING included in the current proposal!
BUT, they saw Gate 2!!
_____________________
Yankee Stadium historians across the country - including Bill Jenkinson and the City's own Dr. Ultan - emphatically agree, adding that a meaningful tangible memory from the Stadium's most glorious days is needed to properly record its irreplaceable preeminence.
As Paul Doherty, a leading authority on Yankee Stadium, put it:
"Gate 2 will serve as a cultural lamp post to the great eras of New York City's sporting dominance - second only to the Roman Coliseum in its importance to the overall history of world sports."
The essential point we all must remember is that:
If Gate 2 is not saved, nothing of the Stadium's most glorious era and architecture will be!
We also respectfully request, Commissioners, that the Old Yankee Stadium Site be called "Old Yankee Stadium Park", rather than the overly common and nondescript "Heritage Field", or "Park" of which there are so very many across the country - including one at the Cleveland Indians' Stadium right up the road in the Yankees' own AL East!
"Old Yankee Stadium Park" is clearly a far better name - one that truly "celebrates the site's rich history", as is the charter and goal of the Commission. Paul Goldberger, the renowned New York historic architect - and the City's Board Member for the National Trust for Historic Preservation - also disapproves of the name. Dr. Ultan emphatically joins him, along with preeminent historians and Baseball fans of the Stadium across the City, and country.
For similarly compelling reasons, we request the baseball area of the new park be called "Babe Ruth Memorial Field" - to both tribute New York's greatest and beloved sports hero, and to replace the original "Babe Ruth Memorial Baseball Filed" - recently destroyed to make way for New Yankee Stadium. Your very distinguished Art Commission predecessor, Williams Adams Delano, was a leading participant in the creation of Babe Ruth Memorial Field, created sixty years ago, as a "permanent" tribute to New York's (still) most beloved and immortal sports figure - New York's great Babe Ruth.
_________________
In closing Commissioners, I quote another New York great, Jackie Kennedy, who did so very much for preserving this great City's cultural treasures, and whose statement forty years ago so perfectly addresses why we must save Gate 2:
"Is it not cruel to let New York die by degrees, stripped of all her proudest moments, until there will be nothing left of history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our City, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? Americans care about their past, but, for short term gain, they ignore it and tear down everything that matters. This is the time to take a stand and reverse the tide."
Please, Commissioners, save Gate 2, at "Old Yankee Stadium Park" - not only for Babe & Lou … but, most of all, for all our children and loved ones - and all those who follow us - so they can see and even touch "The House That Ruth Built" - the greatest Stadium in our nation's history- "Old Yankee Stadium.".
__________________________________________________________________
SUPPORTING RECORDS & EVIDENCE
Books
"The Official Yankee Stadium Retrospective", Published 2008.
Articles
New Haven Register: "There Still May be Time to Save "The House That Ruth Built", September 7, 2008.
New Haven Register: "Yankee Fans Need to Move Quick to Save the Gate That Ruth Built", June 17, 2009.
New York Daily News: "Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe Confirms Plans to Level Yankee Stadium", June 23, 2009.
New Yorker: by Paul Goldberger, "The Future of Old Yankee Stadium", August 10, 2009
New York Daily News: "Old Yankee Stadium's Gate 2 Focus of Debate as Part of New Heritage Park", ["The Gate Debate"] August 17, 2009.
Daily News: "Last Pitch to Save Gate 2" September 28, 2009.
Written Expert Endorsements:
Paul Doherty, Yankee Stadium Historian, September 28, 2009 [Attached]
Brad Turnow, New York Yankees Historian, September 28, 2009 [Attached]
Jeff Wattrick, Historic Preservationist, September 28, 2009 [Attached]
Peter Comstock Riley, Historic Preservationist, September 30, 2009 [Attached]
George Mole', Captain NYPD, Bronx Urban Affairs Commentator, October 1, 2009 [Attached]
Phillip J. Reina, Architect, October 1, 2009 [Attached]
Jeffrey Dale Bianco, Historic Architect, Past President of Connecticut AIA,
October 2, 2009 [Attached]
Expert Endorsements on Archived Radio Shows:
Baseball Digest LIVE, with Mark Healy: "SAVE THE GATE" June 30, 2009
[Expert Opinions of Baseball Historians Bill Jenkinson, Linda Ruth Tosetti, Mark Healy & Tim Reid. Historic Preservation Architect Jeff Bianco]
http://www.baseballdigest.com/2009/06/29/baseball-digest-live-save-the-gate/
Baseball Digest LIVE, with Mark Healy: "Preserving the Past" October 5, 2009
[Expert Opinions of Baseball Historians Bill Jenkinson, Paul Doherty, Mark Healy & Tim Reid. Historic Preservation Architect Jeff Bianco. Historical Preservationists Jeff Wattrick & Peter Comstock Riley]
Visual Evidence
Side-by-Side Photographic Comparison of 1930's Gate, and Spring 2009 Gate: Produced by Joe Staluppi, Graphic Designer
Model of Proposed Gate 2 Monument at Old Yankee Stadium Site, Yankee Stadium Modeler, Mike Hagan
"SAVE THE GATE" COMMEMORATIVE BRICK DRIVE MEDIA RELEASE!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, October 19, 2009
OLD YANKEE STADIUM PARK
"SAVE THE GATE"
COMMEMORATIVE BRICK DRIVE
Proposed by Citizens and Groups
from Around the Country to Help
SAVE HISTORIC GATE 2
at the
"The House That Ruth Built"
For the purpose of saving historic Gate 2 at Old Yankee Stadium, baseball groups HistoryOfTheYankees.com, the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium & the Committee to Commemorate Babe Ruth - speaking for and acting on behalf of Baseball fans, historians, architects, historic preservationists, and other concerned citizens, groups, and relevant experts from New York and around the nation, has voluntarily researched and developed a
public fundraising campaign to the City of New York, entitled the "SAVE THE GATE" Commemorative Brick Drive.
This Commemorative Brick Drive will be similar to ones throughout Major League Ballparks and other leading sports venues throughout the world, such as the highly successful programs employed by the Mets at Citi Field (Fanwalk), the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, and the Cleveland Indians' "Heritage Park."
Based on Committee studies and expert estimates, commemorative bricks at plazas & walkways encompassing the new parkland and ball fields scheduled to replace the historic site of Old Yankee Stadium could generate well over 5 Million dollars (as other MLB "legacy" brick memorials have) - depending on exact design. This would provide the City of New York millions of dollars more than is needed to save historic Gate 2!!
Legacy brick plazas & walkways would also dramatically increase YEAR-ROUND tourism and visitation to the much-in-need Old Yankee Stadium neighborhood - where residents and businesses have lost critical revenues with the Stadium's closure and destruction. Saving Gate 2 will make the new park one of the most respected and profitable in the country. These brick plazas & walkways would also simultaneously enhance the currently poor aesthetics of the preliminary "Heritage Field" plan, exponentially improving the historic and cultural "disconnect" decried by historic design experts. (Adding extra elegance and attraction, the commemorative bricks can be made in magnificent blue, white and gray combinations, in unique tribute to the Stadium's unparalleled place in history.)
The Parks Department's preliminary plan for the historic Old Yankee Stadium is the highly controversial and criticized "Heritage Field", which retains absolutely NOTHING from Old Yankee Stadium. This as yet unapproved plan has been emphatically objected to by officials, experts, and fans, who regard it as historically, architecturally, and aesthetically "bland" and "inauthentic". It's MOST tragic failure is that it omits saving anything from original Yankee Stadium - a fatal flaw easily corrected with the saving of the 1920's era Gate 2. (The Parks Department abruptly withdrew from their October 5 appearance before the NYC Design Commission, where they were scheduled to defend against these widespread and well-informed criticisms in a Public Hearing before New York City Design Commission, which oversees the aesthetic and architectural suitability of all public projects in New York City.)
Parks Department has told the media (without providing any evidence whatsoever ) that the cost of saving Gate 2 - the original Stadium's most glorious remaining element - is too prohibitive, claiming (again without providing any evidence) it would cost "10 Million dollars". Architectural and structural engineering experts assess the cost at only 1 Million dollars, less than the cost of demolishing and removing the Gate. In other words, experts believe it will cost less to save Gate 2 than to destroy it!!!
In any case, the "SAVE THE GATE" Commemorative Brick Drive would eliminate any cost concern - providing up to 10 Million dollars - thereby saving a majestic part of America's greatest and most historically important stadium, thereby assuring that the historic site of Old Yankee Stadium be more properly preserved, protected & commemorated - making it one of the premier urban parks in America - rather than the unnecessary mediocre and uninspired architectural, aesthetic, cultural, and historical flop that's now proposed by the Parks' Department.
For further information, please call or write the contacts below - who can also put you in touch with historians, preservationists, architects, and other relevant experts, helping to save the gate.
SAVE THE GATE videos prepared by Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium members can be seen at:
http://www.ultimateyankees.com/savethegate.htm. See, for example: "TOP 9 REASONS TO SAVE THE GATE" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyqyl1WJuJM, a musical summary of why the Gate should be saved (to Four of a Kind's "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"), which includes a brief depiction and description of the proposed SAVE THE GATE Commemorative Brick Drive (at "Reason No. 7", 1:04 - 1:14)
###
Information provided above was derived from consultation with top authorities in the fields of Baseball, architecture, New York history & historic preservation, as well as with top "legacy brick" fundraising experts.
______
For Further Information, Please contact:
Tim Reid
Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium
savethestadium@gmail.com
OLD YANKEE STADIUM PARK
"SAVE THE GATE"
COMMEMORATIVE BRICK DRIVE
Proposed by Citizens and Groups
from Around the Country to Help
SAVE HISTORIC GATE 2
at the
"The House That Ruth Built"
For the purpose of saving historic Gate 2 at Old Yankee Stadium, baseball groups HistoryOfTheYankees.com, the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium & the Committee to Commemorate Babe Ruth - speaking for and acting on behalf of Baseball fans, historians, architects, historic preservationists, and other concerned citizens, groups, and relevant experts from New York and around the nation, has voluntarily researched and developed a
public fundraising campaign to the City of New York, entitled the "SAVE THE GATE" Commemorative Brick Drive.
This Commemorative Brick Drive will be similar to ones throughout Major League Ballparks and other leading sports venues throughout the world, such as the highly successful programs employed by the Mets at Citi Field (Fanwalk), the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, and the Cleveland Indians' "Heritage Park."
Based on Committee studies and expert estimates, commemorative bricks at plazas & walkways encompassing the new parkland and ball fields scheduled to replace the historic site of Old Yankee Stadium could generate well over 5 Million dollars (as other MLB "legacy" brick memorials have) - depending on exact design. This would provide the City of New York millions of dollars more than is needed to save historic Gate 2!!
Legacy brick plazas & walkways would also dramatically increase YEAR-ROUND tourism and visitation to the much-in-need Old Yankee Stadium neighborhood - where residents and businesses have lost critical revenues with the Stadium's closure and destruction. Saving Gate 2 will make the new park one of the most respected and profitable in the country. These brick plazas & walkways would also simultaneously enhance the currently poor aesthetics of the preliminary "Heritage Field" plan, exponentially improving the historic and cultural "disconnect" decried by historic design experts. (Adding extra elegance and attraction, the commemorative bricks can be made in magnificent blue, white and gray combinations, in unique tribute to the Stadium's unparalleled place in history.)
The Parks Department's preliminary plan for the historic Old Yankee Stadium is the highly controversial and criticized "Heritage Field", which retains absolutely NOTHING from Old Yankee Stadium. This as yet unapproved plan has been emphatically objected to by officials, experts, and fans, who regard it as historically, architecturally, and aesthetically "bland" and "inauthentic". It's MOST tragic failure is that it omits saving anything from original Yankee Stadium - a fatal flaw easily corrected with the saving of the 1920's era Gate 2. (The Parks Department abruptly withdrew from their October 5 appearance before the NYC Design Commission, where they were scheduled to defend against these widespread and well-informed criticisms in a Public Hearing before New York City Design Commission, which oversees the aesthetic and architectural suitability of all public projects in New York City.)
Parks Department has told the media (without providing any evidence whatsoever ) that the cost of saving Gate 2 - the original Stadium's most glorious remaining element - is too prohibitive, claiming (again without providing any evidence) it would cost "10 Million dollars". Architectural and structural engineering experts assess the cost at only 1 Million dollars, less than the cost of demolishing and removing the Gate. In other words, experts believe it will cost less to save Gate 2 than to destroy it!!!
In any case, the "SAVE THE GATE" Commemorative Brick Drive would eliminate any cost concern - providing up to 10 Million dollars - thereby saving a majestic part of America's greatest and most historically important stadium, thereby assuring that the historic site of Old Yankee Stadium be more properly preserved, protected & commemorated - making it one of the premier urban parks in America - rather than the unnecessary mediocre and uninspired architectural, aesthetic, cultural, and historical flop that's now proposed by the Parks' Department.
For further information, please call or write the contacts below - who can also put you in touch with historians, preservationists, architects, and other relevant experts, helping to save the gate.
SAVE THE GATE videos prepared by Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium members can be seen at:
http://www.ultimateyankees.com/savethegate.htm. See, for example: "TOP 9 REASONS TO SAVE THE GATE" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyqyl1WJuJM, a musical summary of why the Gate should be saved (to Four of a Kind's "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"), which includes a brief depiction and description of the proposed SAVE THE GATE Commemorative Brick Drive (at "Reason No. 7", 1:04 - 1:14)
###
Information provided above was derived from consultation with top authorities in the fields of Baseball, architecture, New York history & historic preservation, as well as with top "legacy brick" fundraising experts.
______
For Further Information, Please contact:
Tim Reid
Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium
savethestadium@gmail.com
Welcome!
Welcome to the official blog spot for The Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium. This blog will be used to share press releases, concepts, thoughts, ideas, plans, etc. all pertaining to old Yankee Stadium and Gate 2.
We welcome input and ideas from everyone.
Start following us today and help get involved in commemorating old Yankee Stadium and helping to save gate 2!
You can visit our website at: www.ultimateyankees.com/ccoys.htm
Thanks....
The Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium - CCOYS
We welcome input and ideas from everyone.
Start following us today and help get involved in commemorating old Yankee Stadium and helping to save gate 2!
You can visit our website at: www.ultimateyankees.com/ccoys.htm
Thanks....
The Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium - CCOYS
BRIAN CASHMAN AND JOE GIRARDI TO ATTEND RED CARPET PREMIERE
==> BRIAN CASHMAN AND JOE GIRARDI TO ATTEND RED CARPET PREMIERE
SCREENING OF OFFICIAL WORLD SERIES FILM
As a loyal Yankees fan, you are invited to join Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, Michael Kay, John Sterling, Suzyn Waldman and other Yankees personalities at the red carpet screening of the Official 2009 World Series Film. Red carpet screenings start at 7:30 PM and 9:45 PM at the Ziegfeld Theatre, ceremonies begin at 6:30 PM.
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SCREENING OF OFFICIAL WORLD SERIES FILM
As a loyal Yankees fan, you are invited to join Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, Michael Kay, John Sterling, Suzyn Waldman and other Yankees personalities at the red carpet screening of the Official 2009 World Series Film. Red carpet screenings start at 7:30 PM and 9:45 PM at the Ziegfeld Theatre, ceremonies begin at 6:30 PM.
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Friday, November 20, 2009
SAVE THE GATE - Volunteer Worker Program
Committee to Commemorate
Old Yankee Stadium
___________
SAVE THE GATE
Volunteer Worker Program
___________________________________________
The Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium has created, developed and proposed to the City of New York the "SAVE THE GATE
Volunteer Worker Program" designed to eliminate all labor costs potentially associated with the saving of gate 2 at Old Yankee Stadium, and other improvements to the new park design for the Old Yankee Stadium site.
Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, waterproofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others - all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure.
Help SAVE THE GATE and otherwise transform the Old Yankee Stadium site into the preeminent park its majestic history compels.
The more volunteers the better!!!
All interested parties should contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium: providing your name, applicable skill, trade or profession - as well as a brief description of the services and number of days you would like volunteer.
Let's make the Old Yankee Stadium site a park worthy of its unparalleled history!!!
____________
Volunteers Should Contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium:
savethegate@gmail.com
Old Yankee Stadium
___________
SAVE THE GATE
Volunteer Worker Program
___________________________________________
The Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium has created, developed and proposed to the City of New York the "SAVE THE GATE
Volunteer Worker Program" designed to eliminate all labor costs potentially associated with the saving of gate 2 at Old Yankee Stadium, and other improvements to the new park design for the Old Yankee Stadium site.
Join with other architects, engineers, construction foremen and laborers, iron workers, cost estimators, lawyers, historians, preservationists, painters, masons, waterproofers, safety and security professionals, insurance and contracts experts, among others - all helping to save this irreplaceable treasure.
Help SAVE THE GATE and otherwise transform the Old Yankee Stadium site into the preeminent park its majestic history compels.
The more volunteers the better!!!
All interested parties should contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium: providing your name, applicable skill, trade or profession - as well as a brief description of the services and number of days you would like volunteer.
Let's make the Old Yankee Stadium site a park worthy of its unparalleled history!!!
____________
Volunteers Should Contact the Committee to Commemorate Old Yankee Stadium:
savethegate@gmail.com
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Jeter having a beach ball
Jeter having a beach ball
By EMILY SMITH and DAVID K. LI
Last Updated: 10:29 AM, November 19, 2009
Posted: 2:17 AM, November 19, 2009
It's good to be Derek Jeter.
The star of the world champ Yankees has been spending his post-postseason down time frolicking on the beach with his squeeze, "Friday Night Lights" babe Minka Kelly.
The shortstop and his gorgeous gal pal are staying at a luxury beach house in St. Barts.
SEE MORE PHOTOS OF DEREK JETER AND MINKA KELLY'S CARIBBEAN VACATION
A photographer snapped red-hot shots of the super couple yesterday as they swam, dived, snorkeled and played volleyball in the Caribbean paradise.
Kelly, 29, sizzled in a yellow bikini bottom and turquoise top.
The buff Jeter, 35, sported fashionable blue and white checkered swimming trunks -- a treat for female Yankee fans who usually see the stud only in pinstripes.
The couple arrived over the weekend, and only a handful of other guests have caught glimpses of them on the beach.
The Yankee captain, a perennial bachelor, seems to be running the bases exclusively with the smoking-hot Kelly.
The two were spotted partying at 1OAK in Chelsea immediately after the Yanks' World Series triumph, and they stood hand in hand in the Bombers' victory parade.
Page Six reported in August that Jeter and Kelly have been coyly telling pals to be prepared for a wedding soon.
david.li@nypost.com
By EMILY SMITH and DAVID K. LI
Last Updated: 10:29 AM, November 19, 2009
Posted: 2:17 AM, November 19, 2009
It's good to be Derek Jeter.
The star of the world champ Yankees has been spending his post-postseason down time frolicking on the beach with his squeeze, "Friday Night Lights" babe Minka Kelly.
The shortstop and his gorgeous gal pal are staying at a luxury beach house in St. Barts.
SEE MORE PHOTOS OF DEREK JETER AND MINKA KELLY'S CARIBBEAN VACATION
A photographer snapped red-hot shots of the super couple yesterday as they swam, dived, snorkeled and played volleyball in the Caribbean paradise.
Kelly, 29, sizzled in a yellow bikini bottom and turquoise top.
The buff Jeter, 35, sported fashionable blue and white checkered swimming trunks -- a treat for female Yankee fans who usually see the stud only in pinstripes.
The couple arrived over the weekend, and only a handful of other guests have caught glimpses of them on the beach.
The Yankee captain, a perennial bachelor, seems to be running the bases exclusively with the smoking-hot Kelly.
The two were spotted partying at 1OAK in Chelsea immediately after the Yanks' World Series triumph, and they stood hand in hand in the Bombers' victory parade.
Page Six reported in August that Jeter and Kelly have been coyly telling pals to be prepared for a wedding soon.
david.li@nypost.com
Five Cuts: No doubt, this year the best team won the World Series
Posted: Thursday November 5, 2009 12:27PM; Updated: Thursday November 5, 2009 12:45PM
Tom Verducci>INSIDE BASEBALL
More ColumnsEmail Tom
Five Cuts: No doubt, this year the best team won the World Series Story Highlights
The Yankees were the best team for the past five months (they went 76-30)
Series MVP Hideki Matsui didn't start half the games and never played the field
The Phillies' demise came down to two at-bats in the third inning of Game 6
1. Sometimes Goliath wins, or, if you prefer the most appropriate analogy after World Series Game 6, Godzilla kicks butt.
Really, who could argue that the Yankees were the best baseball team for the past five months (they went 76-30, a .717 winning percentage, and never faced a crisis game), and that there was no way the Phillies were going to beat them with only one pitcher, Cliff Lee, who could hold them down. I liked what Hank Steinbrenner said in the winning clubhouse about how the front office viewed the team back in spring training: "We knew we had the best team in baseball."
After years of seeing upstarts, hot teams and cursebreakers win the World Series and playoff baseball reduced to "a crapshoot," we got an old fashioned, the-best-team-won World Series. In most every winning clubhouse players blather about how "no one expected us to be here" and "we had to overcome a lot of adversity to be here," but it was kind of refreshing to see the favored horse bring a win home by a comfortable margin.
By no means was it all easy. It's a credit to general manager Brian Cashman, whose moves for Damaso Marte, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira were inspired, and manager Joe Girardi, who pulled a nice Tom Coughlin by smoothing his rough edges without compromising who he is. Winning with the best team takes overcoming the pressure that you're supposed to win, and that's not as easy as it sounds. Cashman and Girardi struck the right cord in allowing this team the room to have its fun and still be prepared.
The Yankees are the first team to lead the league in runs and home runs and win the World Series since the great 1984 Tigers. They won a championship with three starting pitchers in the postseason, the first time that has been done since the 1991 Twins. They won every game in the World Series not started by Lee. They won the World Series with four pitchers (three starters and Mariano Rivera) getting 75 percent of the outs.
Don't look for Cinderella here, or even a Kirk Gibson moment for perpetuity. The lasting moment of the Series might be Johnny Damon swiping two bases on one pitch, though a lack of preparation by the Phillies helped make it so.
The World Series gave us six games for the first time in six years -- the longest such drought in Series history -- but none of the games was decided by one run. It was the first time since 1987 that we didn't get any one-run games in a Series of at least six games. Was it a great World Series? Not really. But was it won by a great team? Absolutely.
2. It's tough to argue against a guy with the area code of Nashville for a batting average (.615) winning the MVP Award. Hideki Matsui truly was a monster at the plate. But Matsui didn't start half the games and never played an inning in the field. If you wanted all-around contributions, you could look to Derek Jeter. The Yankees shortstop batted .407 and, at 35, became the oldest shortstop to play for a world championship team since Pee Wee Reese of the 1955 Dodgers.
Jeter is a career .321 hitter in the World Series, including .381 in clinching wins. Jeter has scored seven runs in his five clinching wins, including at least one in each. Only Joe DiMaggio (7) has more clinching wins with a run scored than Jeter, who is tied with Bill Dickey.
3. The end of the Phillies came down to two at-bats in the third inning, both of which they mangled. The first occurred when Jeter hit a one-out line drive to center field. Shane Victorino misread the ball and broke back. He hesitated, then broke in, but it was too late. The ball, hit with topspin, bounced into his glove for a single. Starting pitcher Pedro Martinez should have been pitching with two outs and nobody on base in a 2-1 game. Instead, a Yankee rally was ignited by Victorino's gaffe.
Philadelphia may have been able to work around the mistake if not for one last fatal move by manager Charlie Manuel, starring in Grady Little, the Sequel.
The bases were loaded with two outs when Matsui came to bat against Martinez. Matsui's last four plate appearances in the World Series against Martinez had gone like this: home run, home run, walk, single. Manuel had left-hander J.A. Happ warmed in the bullpen. But no, Manuel stuck with Martinez.
It is the best and worst quality about Manuel: his iron-clad belief in his players. He believed too much in Martinez at that moment. There was no indication that Martinez had anything to get Matsui out. Nothing. At least Little was dealing with a Martinez who had stuff. This Martinez came out throwing fastballs as weakly as 83 mph. The folks at mlb.com kept reporting that Martinez was throwing a ton of changeups, but those were really very poor fastballs.
Matsui slammed a two-run single. The Yankees were up 4-1, and were not about to be caught.
Look at it this way: In the absolute best-case scenario, Martinez retires the next four hitters and is pulled from the game. So it was not as if Manuel was expecting much length out of Martinez. If he wasn't going to allow Martinez to go through the order a third time, why in the world would he let him pitch to a left-hander with the bases loaded and the game in the balance?
"We can go down 4-1 and we can definitely rebound there," Manuel said.
Uh, no, Charlie. First, Manuel is an excellent manager but he's not the guy you want running an elimination game. He just doesn't bring the required urgency to the situation.
Second, Manuel and the Phillies got lulled into losses because they were used to coming back on closers such as Huston Street and Jonathan Broxton. They were up against the great Rivera this time and Manuel underestimated that task. Getting down 4-1 after three innings is a huge problem when Rivera is looming to cover the last two innings. That means you are under the gun to make up three runs before the Yankees get 12 outs, and that assumes you can hold the Yankees offense to nothing in the meantime.
4. Martinez left the Phillies clubhouse before it was open to the media. He left alone, until a small group of reporters began walking with him through a hallway toward an elevator. It was difficult to ask Martinez questions because a drunken fan kept shouting at him, mixing praise and who's-your-daddy insults. It was a bizarre scene, certainly not one befitting a great pitcher like Martinez. He was a man on the run, escaping through the shadows as a drunk heckled him.
Martinez did reveal that he was bothered by flu-like symptoms. "I had a little trouble breathing out there," he said. That was news to Manuel, who said, "He didn't say anything about that."
Martinez did seem out of sorts against Matsui, as if that low curveball that Matsui golfed into the seats in Game 2 fried his circuits of creativity. In the second inning, Martinez threw Matsui eight pitches. Every one of them fit in the narrow range of between 83 and 89 mph, the last of which Matsui walloped for a two-run homer. Too many pitches with the same look is the last thing you would expect from Martinez. He paid dearly for it.
In the third inning, too, Martinez showed little change of speeds against Matsui. His pitches were 81, 90 and 90 mph. Martinez got beat on a fastball up -- it was not elevated nearly enough -- on the very pitch after Matsui pounded a fastball hard that barely curved to the foul side of the right-field line. So Martinez twice had Matsui 0 and 2 in the game. He threw seven pitches on those 0-and-2 counts and never could put him away. With a strange, steady diet of fastballs, he got beat twice on that pitch for a total of four runs.
Now, about the second coming of Little ... Way back in the 2003 ALCS, in The Grady Little Game, Martinez also had Matsui at 0 and 2 when he tried to throw a fastball up and in. Matsui ripped it for a double in that huge eighth inning comeback. Martinez should have been out of the game then, too. Little came to the mound for that at-bat but inexplicably left him in as left-hander Alan Embree waited in the bullpen for a call that did not come.
Manuel pulled his own Grady Little in Game 6.
Back in that 2003 ALCS, speaking about the Matsui double, Martinez said, "We've probably thrown Matsui 80 pitches up and in, and he's never hit that pitch."
Well, guess what: Matsui solved Martinez. Beginning with that at-bat, Martinez has faced Matsui 13 times. He has retired him only five times, none in the past five plate appearances. Matsui is 6 for 11 (.545) with two walks. And that is the matchup Manuel wanted?
"When he got there, Pedro, he knows how to pitch," Manuel said of the Matsui at-bat. "He's got experience, he knows how to pitch and everything, and you know, I had to let him face that guy."
Asked to explain the at-bats by Matsui, Martinez was not interested in giving any explanation. "It's over," he said. "He got me. That's it."
5. Final thoughts and observations: Martinez lasted only four innings in Game 6 (and even that was too long). Only two future Hall of Famers ever lost a World Series clincher by lasting so few innings: Bob Lemon (1954) and Early Wynn (1959). ... How pesky was Johnny Damon? He fouled off 22 pitches in six games. Like Melky Cabrera in Game 4, Damon left Wednesday night's game with a strained muscle in his leg. The Yankees' outfield at the time they clinched the World Series consisted of Jerry Hairston Jr., Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher. ... Andy Pettitte walked five batters and at one point took the uncharacteristic move of airing out home plate umpire Joe West while walking off the field after the inning. ... Speaking of the umpires, not only did we get through the Series without a game-deciding blown call, the umpires did a very solid job on the whole. ... The World Series MVP Award won't change the chances of whether the Yankees re-sign Hideki Matsui. Ray Knight, Jack Morris and John Wetteland all left their teams after winning the award.
Tom Verducci>INSIDE BASEBALL
More ColumnsEmail Tom
Five Cuts: No doubt, this year the best team won the World Series Story Highlights
The Yankees were the best team for the past five months (they went 76-30)
Series MVP Hideki Matsui didn't start half the games and never played the field
The Phillies' demise came down to two at-bats in the third inning of Game 6
1. Sometimes Goliath wins, or, if you prefer the most appropriate analogy after World Series Game 6, Godzilla kicks butt.
Really, who could argue that the Yankees were the best baseball team for the past five months (they went 76-30, a .717 winning percentage, and never faced a crisis game), and that there was no way the Phillies were going to beat them with only one pitcher, Cliff Lee, who could hold them down. I liked what Hank Steinbrenner said in the winning clubhouse about how the front office viewed the team back in spring training: "We knew we had the best team in baseball."
After years of seeing upstarts, hot teams and cursebreakers win the World Series and playoff baseball reduced to "a crapshoot," we got an old fashioned, the-best-team-won World Series. In most every winning clubhouse players blather about how "no one expected us to be here" and "we had to overcome a lot of adversity to be here," but it was kind of refreshing to see the favored horse bring a win home by a comfortable margin.
By no means was it all easy. It's a credit to general manager Brian Cashman, whose moves for Damaso Marte, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira were inspired, and manager Joe Girardi, who pulled a nice Tom Coughlin by smoothing his rough edges without compromising who he is. Winning with the best team takes overcoming the pressure that you're supposed to win, and that's not as easy as it sounds. Cashman and Girardi struck the right cord in allowing this team the room to have its fun and still be prepared.
The Yankees are the first team to lead the league in runs and home runs and win the World Series since the great 1984 Tigers. They won a championship with three starting pitchers in the postseason, the first time that has been done since the 1991 Twins. They won every game in the World Series not started by Lee. They won the World Series with four pitchers (three starters and Mariano Rivera) getting 75 percent of the outs.
Don't look for Cinderella here, or even a Kirk Gibson moment for perpetuity. The lasting moment of the Series might be Johnny Damon swiping two bases on one pitch, though a lack of preparation by the Phillies helped make it so.
The World Series gave us six games for the first time in six years -- the longest such drought in Series history -- but none of the games was decided by one run. It was the first time since 1987 that we didn't get any one-run games in a Series of at least six games. Was it a great World Series? Not really. But was it won by a great team? Absolutely.
2. It's tough to argue against a guy with the area code of Nashville for a batting average (.615) winning the MVP Award. Hideki Matsui truly was a monster at the plate. But Matsui didn't start half the games and never played an inning in the field. If you wanted all-around contributions, you could look to Derek Jeter. The Yankees shortstop batted .407 and, at 35, became the oldest shortstop to play for a world championship team since Pee Wee Reese of the 1955 Dodgers.
Jeter is a career .321 hitter in the World Series, including .381 in clinching wins. Jeter has scored seven runs in his five clinching wins, including at least one in each. Only Joe DiMaggio (7) has more clinching wins with a run scored than Jeter, who is tied with Bill Dickey.
3. The end of the Phillies came down to two at-bats in the third inning, both of which they mangled. The first occurred when Jeter hit a one-out line drive to center field. Shane Victorino misread the ball and broke back. He hesitated, then broke in, but it was too late. The ball, hit with topspin, bounced into his glove for a single. Starting pitcher Pedro Martinez should have been pitching with two outs and nobody on base in a 2-1 game. Instead, a Yankee rally was ignited by Victorino's gaffe.
Philadelphia may have been able to work around the mistake if not for one last fatal move by manager Charlie Manuel, starring in Grady Little, the Sequel.
The bases were loaded with two outs when Matsui came to bat against Martinez. Matsui's last four plate appearances in the World Series against Martinez had gone like this: home run, home run, walk, single. Manuel had left-hander J.A. Happ warmed in the bullpen. But no, Manuel stuck with Martinez.
It is the best and worst quality about Manuel: his iron-clad belief in his players. He believed too much in Martinez at that moment. There was no indication that Martinez had anything to get Matsui out. Nothing. At least Little was dealing with a Martinez who had stuff. This Martinez came out throwing fastballs as weakly as 83 mph. The folks at mlb.com kept reporting that Martinez was throwing a ton of changeups, but those were really very poor fastballs.
Matsui slammed a two-run single. The Yankees were up 4-1, and were not about to be caught.
Look at it this way: In the absolute best-case scenario, Martinez retires the next four hitters and is pulled from the game. So it was not as if Manuel was expecting much length out of Martinez. If he wasn't going to allow Martinez to go through the order a third time, why in the world would he let him pitch to a left-hander with the bases loaded and the game in the balance?
"We can go down 4-1 and we can definitely rebound there," Manuel said.
Uh, no, Charlie. First, Manuel is an excellent manager but he's not the guy you want running an elimination game. He just doesn't bring the required urgency to the situation.
Second, Manuel and the Phillies got lulled into losses because they were used to coming back on closers such as Huston Street and Jonathan Broxton. They were up against the great Rivera this time and Manuel underestimated that task. Getting down 4-1 after three innings is a huge problem when Rivera is looming to cover the last two innings. That means you are under the gun to make up three runs before the Yankees get 12 outs, and that assumes you can hold the Yankees offense to nothing in the meantime.
4. Martinez left the Phillies clubhouse before it was open to the media. He left alone, until a small group of reporters began walking with him through a hallway toward an elevator. It was difficult to ask Martinez questions because a drunken fan kept shouting at him, mixing praise and who's-your-daddy insults. It was a bizarre scene, certainly not one befitting a great pitcher like Martinez. He was a man on the run, escaping through the shadows as a drunk heckled him.
Martinez did reveal that he was bothered by flu-like symptoms. "I had a little trouble breathing out there," he said. That was news to Manuel, who said, "He didn't say anything about that."
Martinez did seem out of sorts against Matsui, as if that low curveball that Matsui golfed into the seats in Game 2 fried his circuits of creativity. In the second inning, Martinez threw Matsui eight pitches. Every one of them fit in the narrow range of between 83 and 89 mph, the last of which Matsui walloped for a two-run homer. Too many pitches with the same look is the last thing you would expect from Martinez. He paid dearly for it.
In the third inning, too, Martinez showed little change of speeds against Matsui. His pitches were 81, 90 and 90 mph. Martinez got beat on a fastball up -- it was not elevated nearly enough -- on the very pitch after Matsui pounded a fastball hard that barely curved to the foul side of the right-field line. So Martinez twice had Matsui 0 and 2 in the game. He threw seven pitches on those 0-and-2 counts and never could put him away. With a strange, steady diet of fastballs, he got beat twice on that pitch for a total of four runs.
Now, about the second coming of Little ... Way back in the 2003 ALCS, in The Grady Little Game, Martinez also had Matsui at 0 and 2 when he tried to throw a fastball up and in. Matsui ripped it for a double in that huge eighth inning comeback. Martinez should have been out of the game then, too. Little came to the mound for that at-bat but inexplicably left him in as left-hander Alan Embree waited in the bullpen for a call that did not come.
Manuel pulled his own Grady Little in Game 6.
Back in that 2003 ALCS, speaking about the Matsui double, Martinez said, "We've probably thrown Matsui 80 pitches up and in, and he's never hit that pitch."
Well, guess what: Matsui solved Martinez. Beginning with that at-bat, Martinez has faced Matsui 13 times. He has retired him only five times, none in the past five plate appearances. Matsui is 6 for 11 (.545) with two walks. And that is the matchup Manuel wanted?
"When he got there, Pedro, he knows how to pitch," Manuel said of the Matsui at-bat. "He's got experience, he knows how to pitch and everything, and you know, I had to let him face that guy."
Asked to explain the at-bats by Matsui, Martinez was not interested in giving any explanation. "It's over," he said. "He got me. That's it."
5. Final thoughts and observations: Martinez lasted only four innings in Game 6 (and even that was too long). Only two future Hall of Famers ever lost a World Series clincher by lasting so few innings: Bob Lemon (1954) and Early Wynn (1959). ... How pesky was Johnny Damon? He fouled off 22 pitches in six games. Like Melky Cabrera in Game 4, Damon left Wednesday night's game with a strained muscle in his leg. The Yankees' outfield at the time they clinched the World Series consisted of Jerry Hairston Jr., Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher. ... Andy Pettitte walked five batters and at one point took the uncharacteristic move of airing out home plate umpire Joe West while walking off the field after the inning. ... Speaking of the umpires, not only did we get through the Series without a game-deciding blown call, the umpires did a very solid job on the whole. ... The World Series MVP Award won't change the chances of whether the Yankees re-sign Hideki Matsui. Ray Knight, Jack Morris and John Wetteland all left their teams after winning the award.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Yankees decline $1.25 million option on Mitre
Yankees decline $1.25 million option on Mitre
NEW YORK (AP) The New York Yankees have declined a $1.25 million option on pitcher Sergio Mitre.
The right-hander was not on the Yankees' postseason roster. Mitre now becomes eligible for salary arbitration.
The 28-year-old Mitre had elbow ligament replacement surgery in July 2008 and agreed to a minor league contract with the Yankees last offseason. He sat out the first 50 games while serving a suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.
Mitre joined the Yankees in late July and went 3-3 with a 6.79 ERA in nine starts and three relief appearances.
NEW YORK (AP) The New York Yankees have declined a $1.25 million option on pitcher Sergio Mitre.
The right-hander was not on the Yankees' postseason roster. Mitre now becomes eligible for salary arbitration.
The 28-year-old Mitre had elbow ligament replacement surgery in July 2008 and agreed to a minor league contract with the Yankees last offseason. He sat out the first 50 games while serving a suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.
Mitre joined the Yankees in late July and went 3-3 with a 6.79 ERA in nine starts and three relief appearances.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Former Yankee Wetteland hospitalized for 'mental' issue
Our Thoughts and Prayers are with John and his Family.
Former Yankee Wetteland hospitalized for 'mental' issue
By ANDY SOLTIS
Last Updated: 7:36 PM, November 12, 2009
Posted: 6:20 PM, November 12, 2009
Former Yankees World Series MVP John Wetteland was rushed to a hospital today after police responded to his Texas home for a report of a possible suicide.
Cops from the Denton County sheriff’s office rushed to the 43 year-old one-time closer’s home after they received a phone call at12:30 p.m. that a possibly suicidal person was inside.
A person identified Wetteland then walked out of his Bartonsville house with his hands up saying that he "needed help," according to Texas TV station, CBS 11.
Officials said Wetteland was later hospitalized with what was described as a mental health issue.
Police in Bartonsville refused comment until later today.
Wetteland, who said he abused drugs and alcohol as a teenager, later became a born-again Christian and Bible school teacher.
During his 12-year pitching career in the major leagues he pitched for four teams, beginning with the Dodgers and Expos.
His peak came with the Yankees during 1995-1996. He led the American League with 43 saves in 1996.
He set a record that year with seven post-season saves and tried another record with four saves in the World Series
But he left the Yanks as a free agent after that season and signed a 4-year, $23-million contract with the Texas Rangers.
He was plagued by arm problems but managed to be selected to his third and final All-Star game in 1999.
He retired when his Rangers contract expired in 2000, with a total of 330 saves and a career ERA of 2.97.
Wetteland’s major league career resumed in 2006 when he was hired as bullpen coach of the Washington Nationals.
He was fired early in the season and served for two years as an assistant baseball coach and Bible teacher at Liberty Christian School near his home.
He returned to the majors before the 2009 season when he was signed by the Seattle Mariners to be bullpen coach for new manager Don Wakamutsu.
A Mariners spokesman said yesterday he had no information on his hospitalization in Texas.
Wetteland met his wife Michelle while he played for the minor league San Antonio Missions. They have four children.
Former Yankee Wetteland hospitalized for 'mental' issue
By ANDY SOLTIS
Last Updated: 7:36 PM, November 12, 2009
Posted: 6:20 PM, November 12, 2009
Former Yankees World Series MVP John Wetteland was rushed to a hospital today after police responded to his Texas home for a report of a possible suicide.
Cops from the Denton County sheriff’s office rushed to the 43 year-old one-time closer’s home after they received a phone call at12:30 p.m. that a possibly suicidal person was inside.
A person identified Wetteland then walked out of his Bartonsville house with his hands up saying that he "needed help," according to Texas TV station, CBS 11.
Officials said Wetteland was later hospitalized with what was described as a mental health issue.
Police in Bartonsville refused comment until later today.
Wetteland, who said he abused drugs and alcohol as a teenager, later became a born-again Christian and Bible school teacher.
During his 12-year pitching career in the major leagues he pitched for four teams, beginning with the Dodgers and Expos.
His peak came with the Yankees during 1995-1996. He led the American League with 43 saves in 1996.
He set a record that year with seven post-season saves and tried another record with four saves in the World Series
But he left the Yanks as a free agent after that season and signed a 4-year, $23-million contract with the Texas Rangers.
He was plagued by arm problems but managed to be selected to his third and final All-Star game in 1999.
He retired when his Rangers contract expired in 2000, with a total of 330 saves and a career ERA of 2.97.
Wetteland’s major league career resumed in 2006 when he was hired as bullpen coach of the Washington Nationals.
He was fired early in the season and served for two years as an assistant baseball coach and Bible teacher at Liberty Christian School near his home.
He returned to the majors before the 2009 season when he was signed by the Seattle Mariners to be bullpen coach for new manager Don Wakamutsu.
A Mariners spokesman said yesterday he had no information on his hospitalization in Texas.
Wetteland met his wife Michelle while he played for the minor league San Antonio Missions. They have four children.
Jeter, Teixeira win Silver Slugger Awards
11/12/09 6:00 PM EST
Jeter, Teixeira win Silver Slugger Awards
After winning Gold Gloves, Yanks duo gets another honor
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira will have more keepsakes to add to their trophy cases from the 2009 season. Both Yankees were announced on Thursday as American League Silver Slugger Award winners, indicative of being the top offensive performers at their respective positions.
It had already been a good week after the World Series victory for both Jeter and Teixeira, who were informed on Tuesday of their selection as Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners. Now, they have received much-deserved credit for their offensive contributions.
Jeter, who won his fourth consecutive AL Silver Slugger Award, batted .334 with 107 runs scored, 27 doubles, 18 home runs, 66 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 153 games in leading New York to the crown.
It marked Jeter's 11th year with at least a .300 average, the 35-year-old's highest average since 2006 (.343) and the seventh time in his career he logged 200 or more hits.
In a season when he surpassed Lou Gehrig's franchise record for career hits, Jeter ranked second in the Majors in hits and fourth in batting average.
Jeter also ranked third in the AL in on-base percentage (.406) and tied with teammate Johnny Damon for fourth in the AL in runs scored, finishing third in the Majors with 66 multihit games.
Teixeira, 29, won his third Silver Slugger Award and first since 2005 after hitting .292 with 103 runs scored, 43 doubles, 39 home runs and 122 RBIs in 156 games for the Yankees.
The switch-hitting first baseman led the AL in RBIs and tied the Rays' Carlos Pena for the league lead in homers, joining the Cardinals' Albert Pujols as the only players to have at least 100 runs scored, 40 doubles and 35 homers in 2009.
After a slow start to his first season in pinstripes, Teixeira's year turned for the better on May 8, when Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup.
From that date through the end of the regular season, Teixeira batted .310 and led the AL in homers (34) and RBIs (107) over that span as the Yankees went 88-43 to finish with a Major League-leading 103 victories.
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by Major League coaches and managers.
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Jeter, Teixeira win Silver Slugger Awards
After winning Gold Gloves, Yanks duo gets another honor
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira will have more keepsakes to add to their trophy cases from the 2009 season. Both Yankees were announced on Thursday as American League Silver Slugger Award winners, indicative of being the top offensive performers at their respective positions.
It had already been a good week after the World Series victory for both Jeter and Teixeira, who were informed on Tuesday of their selection as Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners. Now, they have received much-deserved credit for their offensive contributions.
Jeter, who won his fourth consecutive AL Silver Slugger Award, batted .334 with 107 runs scored, 27 doubles, 18 home runs, 66 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 153 games in leading New York to the crown.
It marked Jeter's 11th year with at least a .300 average, the 35-year-old's highest average since 2006 (.343) and the seventh time in his career he logged 200 or more hits.
In a season when he surpassed Lou Gehrig's franchise record for career hits, Jeter ranked second in the Majors in hits and fourth in batting average.
Jeter also ranked third in the AL in on-base percentage (.406) and tied with teammate Johnny Damon for fourth in the AL in runs scored, finishing third in the Majors with 66 multihit games.
Teixeira, 29, won his third Silver Slugger Award and first since 2005 after hitting .292 with 103 runs scored, 43 doubles, 39 home runs and 122 RBIs in 156 games for the Yankees.
The switch-hitting first baseman led the AL in RBIs and tied the Rays' Carlos Pena for the league lead in homers, joining the Cardinals' Albert Pujols as the only players to have at least 100 runs scored, 40 doubles and 35 homers in 2009.
After a slow start to his first season in pinstripes, Teixeira's year turned for the better on May 8, when Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup.
From that date through the end of the regular season, Teixeira batted .310 and led the AL in homers (34) and RBIs (107) over that span as the Yankees went 88-43 to finish with a Major League-leading 103 victories.
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by Major League coaches and managers.
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Jeter, Tex take home Gold Gloves
Jeter, Tex take home Gold Gloves
Captain picks up his fourth; it's first as Yankee for slugger
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Hoisting the World Series championship trophy behind second base in the Bronx last week represented the ultimate team accomplishment for the Yankees. But on Tuesday, two Yankees were lauded for their individual defensive achievements.
Shortstop Derek Jeter and first baseman Mark Teixeira were named to the Rawlings American League Gold Glove team, taking home the awards for the fourth and third times in their Major League careers, respectively.
Jeter's Gold Glove is the first since the last of his three consecutive berths in 2006 and represents no small accomplishment for the 35-year-old, who rededicated himself to defensive improvement after turning a cold shoulder to some criticism in recent years.
"I've said it time and time again -- playing championship-caliber baseball starts with pitching and defense," Jeter said. "I think those two components were certainly the foundation for our success in 2009. I've always taken a great deal of pride in my defense, and being honored with a Gold Glove is an accomplishment I will never overlook."
Teixeira's first Gold Glove since 2006 was accredited to him for an aspect of his game that proved every bit as vital to the Yankees' drive to a World Series title as his AL-leading 39 home runs and 122 RBIs.
"Solid defense is the most underrated component of winning baseball, but it is something I have always taken pride in," Teixeira said. "Winning a third Gold Glove means a lot to me, especially when good defense helped our entire team reach the ultimate goal of a world championship."
Though he struggled at the plate in the postseason, hitting .180 with two homers and eight RBIs while the Bombers dismissed the Twins, Angels and Phillies, Teixeira said the saving grace was that he never allowed his defense to falter.
"I've always been cognizant of the fact that you're not going to get a hit every time up," Teixeira said. "You want to hit 1.000, but if you don't, you can't take it out to the field. One strikeout in a game is not going to be the game, but one big error with men on base in the eighth inning might be the difference between a win and a loss."
2009 AL Gold Glove winners
Position Player Team
C Joe Mauer Twins
1B Mark Teixeira Yankees
2B Placido Polanco Tigers
3B Evan Longoria Rays
SS Derek Jeter Yankees
OF Torii Hunter Angels
OF Adam Jones Orioles
OF Ichiro Suzuki Mariners
P Mark Buehrle White Sox
Making only four errors in 1,275 chances, Teixeira also saved numerous errors by other infielders with his wide-ranging scoops of errant throws. Adding Teixeira's Gold Glove defense to the mix created a ripple effect that helped Jeter as well as second baseman Robinson Cano and third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
"That guy has changed the whole infield," Cano said. "Before, I had to pay attention to my left, to my right. Now, when they have a pull hitter, I stay away from the line. He can cover the whole first-base side, and I can move toward the middle so Jeter can move over a little bit. He's not good, he's great."
In the opening act of an eight-year, $180 million contract, Teixeira posted a .997 fielding percentage in 2009. He ranks second among all active first basemen in career fielding percentage at .99625, fractionally behind former Yankee Doug Mientkiewicz (.99626).
"He's done this all season long for us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Diving plays -- he had a play early in the season where he dove to his right, threw from his knees to throw to home plate and save a run and save the game for us.
"He's a complete player, whether it's defensive, baserunning, offensive. Thinking, talking about the game, he's a complete player. And his defense has saved us a number of times this year."
For Jeter, the long hours in the gym obviously paid off. Committing just eight errors in 2009, his fewest in any full season of play, Jeter posted a .986 fielding percentage to match his highest all-time mark from 1998, pacing all AL shortstops.
"The difference is his hard work -- what he does in the winter, the way he takes care of himself," Girardi said. "He continues to work during the season, and he's been great. We've seen him make plays to the left, to the right, that have been great plays."
Derided in some circles for a perceived lack of defensive range, Jeter earned praise from many of those same stat-based analysts for his improvement, thanks in large part to a workout regimen focused on lateral movement. He targeted explosive movement, which also helped him on the basepaths.
"Whatever weaknesses we may see develop in our players, we talk to our players about it," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "We look for ways to attack it. He changed his workout routine to improve his lateral defense, and that took place before last year. He's been better the last two years."
Jeter's final Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), a metric formulated to calculate the number of runs above or below average a fielder saves, was 6.6, up from -0.5 in 2008 and a career-low -15.3 in 2007.
"He plays hard every day, every play," Girardi said. "He never takes a play off. He never takes a pitch off. Physically, you see him play beat up. You see him play sick. He's still the great leader of this club."
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award was established in 1957 as the greatest measure of fielding excellence. The award is presented annually to 18 players -- one for each position -- in both the American and National Leagues.
Winners are selected by Major League coaches and managers prior to the conclusion of the regular season. Managers and coaches may not vote for players from their own club and only vote for players in their own league.
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Captain picks up his fourth; it's first as Yankee for slugger
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Hoisting the World Series championship trophy behind second base in the Bronx last week represented the ultimate team accomplishment for the Yankees. But on Tuesday, two Yankees were lauded for their individual defensive achievements.
Shortstop Derek Jeter and first baseman Mark Teixeira were named to the Rawlings American League Gold Glove team, taking home the awards for the fourth and third times in their Major League careers, respectively.
Jeter's Gold Glove is the first since the last of his three consecutive berths in 2006 and represents no small accomplishment for the 35-year-old, who rededicated himself to defensive improvement after turning a cold shoulder to some criticism in recent years.
"I've said it time and time again -- playing championship-caliber baseball starts with pitching and defense," Jeter said. "I think those two components were certainly the foundation for our success in 2009. I've always taken a great deal of pride in my defense, and being honored with a Gold Glove is an accomplishment I will never overlook."
Teixeira's first Gold Glove since 2006 was accredited to him for an aspect of his game that proved every bit as vital to the Yankees' drive to a World Series title as his AL-leading 39 home runs and 122 RBIs.
"Solid defense is the most underrated component of winning baseball, but it is something I have always taken pride in," Teixeira said. "Winning a third Gold Glove means a lot to me, especially when good defense helped our entire team reach the ultimate goal of a world championship."
Though he struggled at the plate in the postseason, hitting .180 with two homers and eight RBIs while the Bombers dismissed the Twins, Angels and Phillies, Teixeira said the saving grace was that he never allowed his defense to falter.
"I've always been cognizant of the fact that you're not going to get a hit every time up," Teixeira said. "You want to hit 1.000, but if you don't, you can't take it out to the field. One strikeout in a game is not going to be the game, but one big error with men on base in the eighth inning might be the difference between a win and a loss."
2009 AL Gold Glove winners
Position Player Team
C Joe Mauer Twins
1B Mark Teixeira Yankees
2B Placido Polanco Tigers
3B Evan Longoria Rays
SS Derek Jeter Yankees
OF Torii Hunter Angels
OF Adam Jones Orioles
OF Ichiro Suzuki Mariners
P Mark Buehrle White Sox
Making only four errors in 1,275 chances, Teixeira also saved numerous errors by other infielders with his wide-ranging scoops of errant throws. Adding Teixeira's Gold Glove defense to the mix created a ripple effect that helped Jeter as well as second baseman Robinson Cano and third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
"That guy has changed the whole infield," Cano said. "Before, I had to pay attention to my left, to my right. Now, when they have a pull hitter, I stay away from the line. He can cover the whole first-base side, and I can move toward the middle so Jeter can move over a little bit. He's not good, he's great."
In the opening act of an eight-year, $180 million contract, Teixeira posted a .997 fielding percentage in 2009. He ranks second among all active first basemen in career fielding percentage at .99625, fractionally behind former Yankee Doug Mientkiewicz (.99626).
"He's done this all season long for us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Diving plays -- he had a play early in the season where he dove to his right, threw from his knees to throw to home plate and save a run and save the game for us.
"He's a complete player, whether it's defensive, baserunning, offensive. Thinking, talking about the game, he's a complete player. And his defense has saved us a number of times this year."
For Jeter, the long hours in the gym obviously paid off. Committing just eight errors in 2009, his fewest in any full season of play, Jeter posted a .986 fielding percentage to match his highest all-time mark from 1998, pacing all AL shortstops.
"The difference is his hard work -- what he does in the winter, the way he takes care of himself," Girardi said. "He continues to work during the season, and he's been great. We've seen him make plays to the left, to the right, that have been great plays."
Derided in some circles for a perceived lack of defensive range, Jeter earned praise from many of those same stat-based analysts for his improvement, thanks in large part to a workout regimen focused on lateral movement. He targeted explosive movement, which also helped him on the basepaths.
"Whatever weaknesses we may see develop in our players, we talk to our players about it," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "We look for ways to attack it. He changed his workout routine to improve his lateral defense, and that took place before last year. He's been better the last two years."
Jeter's final Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), a metric formulated to calculate the number of runs above or below average a fielder saves, was 6.6, up from -0.5 in 2008 and a career-low -15.3 in 2007.
"He plays hard every day, every play," Girardi said. "He never takes a play off. He never takes a pitch off. Physically, you see him play beat up. You see him play sick. He's still the great leader of this club."
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award was established in 1957 as the greatest measure of fielding excellence. The award is presented annually to 18 players -- one for each position -- in both the American and National Leagues.
Winners are selected by Major League coaches and managers prior to the conclusion of the regular season. Managers and coaches may not vote for players from their own club and only vote for players in their own league.
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2009 CY YOUNG AND MVP AWARDS
IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2009 CY YOUNG AND MVP AWARDS
Los Angeles - The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announces its third set of postseason votes, naming the 2009 Cy Young (CY) and Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winners.
The AL CY was won by Zack Greinke, of the Kansas City Royals, with the NL CY going to Chris Carpenter, of the St. Louis Cardinals. AL MVP and NL MVP winners were Joe Mauer, of the Minnesota Twins, and Albert Pujols, of the St. Louis Cardinals, respectively.
Results are as follows:
IBWAA American League (AL) CY:
Winner: Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals)
2nd Place: Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners)
3rd Place: CC Sabathia (New York Yankees)
4th Place: Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers)
5th Place: Roy Halladay (Toronto Blue Jays)
IBWAA National League (NL) CY:
Winner: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)
2nd Place: Adam Wainwright (St. Louis Cardinals)
3rd Place: Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants)
4th Place: Josh Johnson (Florida Marlins)
5th Place: Javier Vazquez (Atlanta Braves)
IBWAA AL MVP:
Winner: Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins)
2nd Place: Mark Teixeira (New York Yankees)
3rd Place: Derek Jeter (New York Yankees)
4th Place: Kendry Morales (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
5th Place: Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers)
6th Place: Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals)
7th Place: Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays)
8th Place: Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners)
9th Tie Carl Crawford (Tampa Bay Rays)
9th Tie: Kevin Youkilis (Boston Red Sox)
IBWAA NL MVP:
Winner: Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals)
2nd Place: Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies)
3rd Place: Hanley Ramirez (Florida Marlins)
4th Tie: Prince Fielder (Milwaukee Brewers)
4th Tie: Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado Rockies)
6th Place: Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants)
7th Place: Chase Utley (Philadelphia Phillies)
8th Place: Andre Ethier (Los Angeles Dodgers)
9th Place: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)
10th Pl: Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers)
Voting took place between September 15 and October 4, the final day of the regular season.
The association's Rookie of the Year (ROY), Manager of the Year (MOY), Comeback of the Year (COY) and Executive of the Year (EOY) awards were announced Monday, November 9, 2009 and Tuesday, November 10, 2009. Winners are as follows:
IBWAA AL ROY: Elvis Andrus (Texas Rangers)
IBWAA NL ROY: Tommy Hanson (Atlanta Braves)
IBWAA AL MOY: Ron Gardenhire (Minnesota Twins)
IBWAA NL MOY: Jim Tracy (Colorado Rockies)
IBWAA AL COY: Aaron Hill (Toronto Blue Jays)
IBWAA NL COY: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)
IBWAA AL EOY: Brian Cashman (New York Yankees)
IBWAA NL EOY: Dan O'Dowd (Colorado Rockies)
The IBWAA was created in July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative voice to the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
Among others, IBWAA members include Kevin Braun, freelance writer and former copy editor at Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Tim Brown, YahooSports, Peter Golenbock, baseball author; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, former Dodgers reporter, Los Angeles Daily News; Ron Kaplan, New Jersey Jewish News; Kyle Lobner, Managing Editor, BrewCrewBall.com; David Pinto, owner/author, BaseballMusings.com; Gabriel Schechter, of Never Too Much Baseball; Dan Schlossberg, baseball author; and Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register.
Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.
IBWAA selections for Hall of Fame, class of 2009, will be announced January 5, 2010.
For more information on the IBWAA, please visit the temporary webpage here, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html. In the coming months, the IBWAA can be found at www.InternetBaseballWriters.com.
Contact:
Howard Cole
Acting Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com
Los Angeles - The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announces its third set of postseason votes, naming the 2009 Cy Young (CY) and Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winners.
The AL CY was won by Zack Greinke, of the Kansas City Royals, with the NL CY going to Chris Carpenter, of the St. Louis Cardinals. AL MVP and NL MVP winners were Joe Mauer, of the Minnesota Twins, and Albert Pujols, of the St. Louis Cardinals, respectively.
Results are as follows:
IBWAA American League (AL) CY:
Winner: Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals)
2nd Place: Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners)
3rd Place: CC Sabathia (New York Yankees)
4th Place: Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers)
5th Place: Roy Halladay (Toronto Blue Jays)
IBWAA National League (NL) CY:
Winner: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)
2nd Place: Adam Wainwright (St. Louis Cardinals)
3rd Place: Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants)
4th Place: Josh Johnson (Florida Marlins)
5th Place: Javier Vazquez (Atlanta Braves)
IBWAA AL MVP:
Winner: Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins)
2nd Place: Mark Teixeira (New York Yankees)
3rd Place: Derek Jeter (New York Yankees)
4th Place: Kendry Morales (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
5th Place: Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers)
6th Place: Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals)
7th Place: Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays)
8th Place: Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners)
9th Tie Carl Crawford (Tampa Bay Rays)
9th Tie: Kevin Youkilis (Boston Red Sox)
IBWAA NL MVP:
Winner: Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals)
2nd Place: Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies)
3rd Place: Hanley Ramirez (Florida Marlins)
4th Tie: Prince Fielder (Milwaukee Brewers)
4th Tie: Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado Rockies)
6th Place: Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants)
7th Place: Chase Utley (Philadelphia Phillies)
8th Place: Andre Ethier (Los Angeles Dodgers)
9th Place: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)
10th Pl: Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers)
Voting took place between September 15 and October 4, the final day of the regular season.
The association's Rookie of the Year (ROY), Manager of the Year (MOY), Comeback of the Year (COY) and Executive of the Year (EOY) awards were announced Monday, November 9, 2009 and Tuesday, November 10, 2009. Winners are as follows:
IBWAA AL ROY: Elvis Andrus (Texas Rangers)
IBWAA NL ROY: Tommy Hanson (Atlanta Braves)
IBWAA AL MOY: Ron Gardenhire (Minnesota Twins)
IBWAA NL MOY: Jim Tracy (Colorado Rockies)
IBWAA AL COY: Aaron Hill (Toronto Blue Jays)
IBWAA NL COY: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)
IBWAA AL EOY: Brian Cashman (New York Yankees)
IBWAA NL EOY: Dan O'Dowd (Colorado Rockies)
The IBWAA was created in July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative voice to the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
Among others, IBWAA members include Kevin Braun, freelance writer and former copy editor at Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Tim Brown, YahooSports, Peter Golenbock, baseball author; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, former Dodgers reporter, Los Angeles Daily News; Ron Kaplan, New Jersey Jewish News; Kyle Lobner, Managing Editor, BrewCrewBall.com; David Pinto, owner/author, BaseballMusings.com; Gabriel Schechter, of Never Too Much Baseball; Dan Schlossberg, baseball author; and Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register.
Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.
IBWAA selections for Hall of Fame, class of 2009, will be announced January 5, 2010.
For more information on the IBWAA, please visit the temporary webpage here, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html. In the coming months, the IBWAA can be found at www.InternetBaseballWriters.com.
Contact:
Howard Cole
Acting Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2009 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AND MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2009 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AND MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Los Angeles - The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announces its second set of postseason votes, naming the 2009 Comeback of the Year (COY) and Executive of the Year (EOY) award winners.
The AL COY was won by Aaron Hill, of the Toronto Blue Jays, with the NL COY going to Chris Carpenter, of the St. Louis Cardinals. AL EOY and NL EOY winners were Brian Cashman, of the New York Yankees, and Dan O'Dowd, of the Colorado Rockies, respectively.
Results are as follows:
IBWAA American League Comeback of the Year:
Winner: Aaron Hill (Toronto Blue Jays)
Second Place: Russell Branyon (Seattle Mariners)
Third Place: Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers)
IBWAA National League Comeback of the Year:
Winner: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)
Second Place: Troy Tulowitzski (Colorado Rockies)
Third Place: Rafael Furcal (Los Angeles Dodgers)
IBWAA American League Executive of the Year:
Winner: Brian Cashman (New York Yankees)
Second Place: Tony Reagins (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Third Place: Jon Daniels (Texas Rangers)
IBWAA National League Executive of the Year:
Winner: Dan O'Dowd (Colorado Rockies)
Second Place: John Mozeliak (St. Louis Cardinals)
Third Place: Ned Colletti (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Voting took place between September 15 and October 4, the final day of the regular season.
IBWAA Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards will be announced Wednesday, November 11.
The association's Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year awards were announced Monday, November 9, 2009, with the winners as follows:
IBWAA American League Rookie of the Year: Elvis Andrus (Texas Rangers)
IBWAA National League Rookie of the Year: Tommy Hanson (Atlanta Braves)
IBWAA American League Manager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire (Minnesota Twins)
IBWAA National League Manager of the Year: Jim Tracy (Colorado Rockies)
The IBWAA was created in July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative voice to the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
Among others, IBWAA members include Kevin Braun, freelance writer and former copy editor at Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Tim Brown, YahooSports, Peter Golenbock, baseball author; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, former Dodgers reporter, Los Angeles Daily News; Ron Kaplan, New Jersey Jewish News; Kyle Lobner, Managing Editor, BrewCrewBall.com; David Pinto, owner/author, BaseballMusings.com; Dan Schlossberg, baseball author; and Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register.
Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.
For more information on the IBWAA, please visit the temporary webpage here, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html. In the coming months, the IBWAA can be found at www.InternetBaseballWriters.com.
Contact:
Howard Cole
Acting Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com
Los Angeles - The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announces its second set of postseason votes, naming the 2009 Comeback of the Year (COY) and Executive of the Year (EOY) award winners.
The AL COY was won by Aaron Hill, of the Toronto Blue Jays, with the NL COY going to Chris Carpenter, of the St. Louis Cardinals. AL EOY and NL EOY winners were Brian Cashman, of the New York Yankees, and Dan O'Dowd, of the Colorado Rockies, respectively.
Results are as follows:
IBWAA American League Comeback of the Year:
Winner: Aaron Hill (Toronto Blue Jays)
Second Place: Russell Branyon (Seattle Mariners)
Third Place: Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers)
IBWAA National League Comeback of the Year:
Winner: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals)
Second Place: Troy Tulowitzski (Colorado Rockies)
Third Place: Rafael Furcal (Los Angeles Dodgers)
IBWAA American League Executive of the Year:
Winner: Brian Cashman (New York Yankees)
Second Place: Tony Reagins (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Third Place: Jon Daniels (Texas Rangers)
IBWAA National League Executive of the Year:
Winner: Dan O'Dowd (Colorado Rockies)
Second Place: John Mozeliak (St. Louis Cardinals)
Third Place: Ned Colletti (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Voting took place between September 15 and October 4, the final day of the regular season.
IBWAA Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards will be announced Wednesday, November 11.
The association's Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year awards were announced Monday, November 9, 2009, with the winners as follows:
IBWAA American League Rookie of the Year: Elvis Andrus (Texas Rangers)
IBWAA National League Rookie of the Year: Tommy Hanson (Atlanta Braves)
IBWAA American League Manager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire (Minnesota Twins)
IBWAA National League Manager of the Year: Jim Tracy (Colorado Rockies)
The IBWAA was created in July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative voice to the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
Among others, IBWAA members include Kevin Braun, freelance writer and former copy editor at Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Tim Brown, YahooSports, Peter Golenbock, baseball author; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, former Dodgers reporter, Los Angeles Daily News; Ron Kaplan, New Jersey Jewish News; Kyle Lobner, Managing Editor, BrewCrewBall.com; David Pinto, owner/author, BaseballMusings.com; Dan Schlossberg, baseball author; and Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register.
Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.
For more information on the IBWAA, please visit the temporary webpage here, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html. In the coming months, the IBWAA can be found at www.InternetBaseballWriters.com.
Contact:
Howard Cole
Acting Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com
Ten ideas for building the 2010 New York Yankees
Ten ideas for building the 2010 New York Yankees
John Harper
Originally Published:Saturday, November 7th 2009, 7:26 PM
Updated: Monday, November 9th 2009, 12:17 PM
Daily News Photo Illustration
Hey Yankees, keep Hideki Matsui (l.) and return Joba Chamberlain (third from l.) to the pen.
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A year ago the Yankees made no pretense of their intention to outspend the world for the biggest names on the free agent market and make the necessary changes to atone for the sin of missing the playoffs in Year 1 A.T. - After (Joe) Torre.
Worked out rather nicely, didn't it?
So now they're world champs again, largely because GM Brian Cashman spent the Steinbrenners' millions wisely last winter on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, free agents who were each more appealing than anyone available this winter.
And as a result, the Yankees head into this offseason buoyed by the comforting thought that there's really nothing broken that needs fixing.
Yet they have some issues, to be sure. They have their own key free agents on which to make decisions, concerns about overall age in the lineup, and questions about how best to use their young pitchers.
Some of these are issues are connected in one way or another, making for some tough calls.
Specifically, the Yankees have to decide whether Jorge Posada's defensive shortcomings, which seemed more noticeable than ever in 2009 - only partly because of his clashes with A.J. Burnett - are significant enough to make him more of a DH and less of a catcher, knowing it will cause hard feelings if they do.
If so, is whatever they believe they'll gain from such a move worth cutting ties with World Series MVP Hideki Matsui? Obviously they can't have it both ways.
Johnny Damon could figure into such a decision as well, since the Yankees have had internal discussions about upgrading defensively in left field and making Damon, if he returns, more of a DH as well.
On the pitching side they have to decide whether to go ahead with their stated intent to have both Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes in the starting rotation next season, even though Hughes was a revelation as an effective late-inning reliever and Chamberlain seemed to finally find his fastball again, only after going back to the bullpen for the postseason.
Perhaps influencing this decision is the status of Andy Pettitte. You have to figure he'll be back for another year, but late in the season he expressed how difficult it was for him after his wife and kids had returned to Houston because school had started.
"My oldest boy is in high school now and I want to be there to see him play ball and everything," Pettitte said. "It's a hard thing for me to deal with, and the decision gets more difficult for me every year."
Chances are he'll be influenced by his postseason success and the possibility of becoming a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate, but you never know. Who really believed Mike Mussina would retire a year ago after a 20-win season?
In any case, if Pettitte returns and Chien-Ming Wang is making progress returning from shoulder surgery, the Yankees will have flexibility to consider where Chamberlain and Hughes best benefit the team.
If both of them do start, who fills that important set-up role? Was Damaso Marte's rather stunning postseason a sign that he can be counted on consistently? Is David Robertson ready for more responsibility? Is Mark Melancon ready to fulfill the organization's belief he will be a late-inning fixture eventually?
With such issues in mind, it won't be a quiet offseason - they're the Yankees, aren't they? But going in it appears it will be more about changing the oil and tuning the engine than shopping for the hottest new ride on the market.
With such parameters in mind, we offer thoughts on the best way for the Yankees to put themselves in position to repeat, breaking the decision-making that lies ahead into 10 categories:
1. THE MVP DILEMMA
Were the Yankees swayed by Hideki Matsui's clutch hitting in the postseason, not to mention his six-RBI performance to put away the Phillies in the clinching Game 6?
As much as the Yankees could benefit from opening the DH spot for Jorge Posada and others, I'd try to bring Matsui back on a one-year deal, even if Johnny Damon returns as well, hoping his desire to remain in pinstripes would sway him.
It's worth remembering that once Alex Rodriguez came back from hip surgery, the Yankees lost very few games to injury among their regulars. Considering their age, they may not be as lucky next season. A couple of injuries after a departure by Matsui, and suddenly they'd be desperate for offense.
2. BRING BACK DAMON
Matsui and Damon each proved they still have tremendous value, but if I had to choose I'd have to take Damon because he still can play an adequate left field. He's a home-run hitter in the new Yankee Stadiium, and he can still run.
It just can't be more than a two-year deal. If Damon wants to stay as much as he has said, he needs to be reasonable at the negotiating table. If Scott Boras talks him into demanding a three-year deal, the Yankees should sign Chone Figgins and shift him to left field. Figgins has played just 12 games in the outfield the last three years, but has the speed to move back to it.
3. NO MORE JOBA DEBATE
It's still hard to know exactly what to make of Joba Chamberlain as a starter after his season was disrupted by the Joba Rules. But in the postseason he answered the question of whether he could still throw smoke as a reliever, and beyond that, he just looked more comfortable coming out of the pen again.
Though he gave up a big home run to Pedro Feliz, the Yankees to a man were raving about how electric his fastball was against the Phillies.
It will be intriguing to see him return to the rotation without limitations next season, which appears to be the Yankees' plan, but more than ever it appears he has the mentality of a reliever.
4. AS FOR HUGHES?
Phil Hughes lost his confidence in the postseason but let's not forget that he changed Yankees' season by moving into the bullpen and dominating in the setup role. If he takes that same attacking style back to the starting rotation, where he too is apparently ticketed, Hughes should still develop into a dependable starter.
The problem is that the Yankees may well have their own Hughes Rules for him next season, with the same intent of limiting his innings because he only pitched 90 innings between Triple-A and the majors in 2009. If so, you would hope the Yanks learned from screwing up Chamberlain's season, and will have Hughes build toward a limits-free stretch run.
5. PETTITTE PLAN
Andy Pettitte's ongoing pull toward his family, as well as his desire to pitch only for the Yankees, makes life easy for Cashman, enabling him to continue signing the lefthander to one-year deals.
Pettitte's strong season and clutch postseason make re-signing him practically a must for the Yankees, adding a needed level of certainty if they are determined to put both Chamberlain and Hughes back into the rotation.
Ideally, they'd be better off putting Chamberlain - or Hughes - in the bullpen and signing a free agent such as Randy Wolf as a back-end starter. Chad Gaudin and Ian Kennedy could provide depth, while a successful comeback by Chien-Ming Wang from shoulder surgery by May or June would be a luxury.
6. BEHIND THE PLATE
Jorge Posada's defense is an issue that's not going away, especially as he turns 39 next year. Joe Girardi's willingness to let Jose Molina catch A.J. Burnett in the playoffs was an indication of his feelings about the importance of defense behind the plate, and if Matsui is not re-signed, Girardi is likely to ease Posada into more of a DH role.
In that case, they need to re-sign Molina. He's such a brilliant defensive catcher that the Yankees can carry his bat in the lineup for, say, 80 games. They like young Francisco Cervelli behind the plate as well, and they believe 20-year-old Jesus Montero will be a star, ready to take over in a couple of seasons.
7. HOW MUCH FOR JETER?
Derek Jeter's strong season with the bat and the glove at age 35 puts off for awhile any serious discussion about how long he can play shortstop, but the Yankees have to decide about a new contract for their captain.
They are fortunate that Jeter, ever the team guy, doesn't seem inclined to make getting it done now an issue. His leverage probably will never be higher than it is right now, and he could surely use public pressure to force a new deal.
If he's content to wait, the Yankees would be smart to use the time to see if he maintains the same high level next season. Even so, they're going to have to overpay for all he's done and means to the Yankees, perhaps four years for $90 million, and then figure out a way to gracefully move him to left field when he's 38 or 39.
8. CONTENT WITH CANO?
Robinson Cano's abysmal postseason confirmed what scouts say about him, that he's an undisciplined free swinger who is always going to put up numbers during the season against a lot of mediocre pitching, but should be an easy out on a big stage against elite pitching.
It doesn't mean the Yankees should trade him. Indeed, he improved his focus in 2009 after his late-season benching in 2008, and for the most part played a brilliant second base. But it does mean the Yankees shouldn't rule it out, in case some team sees him as their No. 3 hitter and is willing to give up a golden arm for him.
9. WHAT'S ON THE STOVE?
The Yankees won't spend $423.5 million on free agents this winter, but surely they'll make at least one splash. If Damon goes elsewhere, they'll likely get involved with Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, although there is talk they'd prefer to sign Figgins and move him to left. If the price is right they might do that even if Damon stays, figuring they can rotate Damon as a DH and use Figgins to spell Alex Rodriguez at third base as well.
It's not likely the Yankees will overpay for John Lackey, this offseason's top free-agent pitcher. Cashman wants his young pitchers in the mix, and would likely be interested only in a short-term deal for a veteran, such as Randy Wolf.
One thing for sure, the Yankees will be in the hunt for 20-year-old Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, the lefty who throws 100 mph. They'll probably have to outbid the Red Sox to get him.
10. WHO'S IN CENTER?
Melky Cabrera proved he can be a solid center fielder, which is plenty on a team with so many offensive stars. The Yankees can live with him and Brett Gardner holding down the position, especially since they have high hopes that Austin Jackson, who had a solid season at Triple-A, will eventually be good enough to take over.
John Harper
Originally Published:Saturday, November 7th 2009, 7:26 PM
Updated: Monday, November 9th 2009, 12:17 PM
Daily News Photo Illustration
Hey Yankees, keep Hideki Matsui (l.) and return Joba Chamberlain (third from l.) to the pen.
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A year ago the Yankees made no pretense of their intention to outspend the world for the biggest names on the free agent market and make the necessary changes to atone for the sin of missing the playoffs in Year 1 A.T. - After (Joe) Torre.
Worked out rather nicely, didn't it?
So now they're world champs again, largely because GM Brian Cashman spent the Steinbrenners' millions wisely last winter on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, free agents who were each more appealing than anyone available this winter.
And as a result, the Yankees head into this offseason buoyed by the comforting thought that there's really nothing broken that needs fixing.
Yet they have some issues, to be sure. They have their own key free agents on which to make decisions, concerns about overall age in the lineup, and questions about how best to use their young pitchers.
Some of these are issues are connected in one way or another, making for some tough calls.
Specifically, the Yankees have to decide whether Jorge Posada's defensive shortcomings, which seemed more noticeable than ever in 2009 - only partly because of his clashes with A.J. Burnett - are significant enough to make him more of a DH and less of a catcher, knowing it will cause hard feelings if they do.
If so, is whatever they believe they'll gain from such a move worth cutting ties with World Series MVP Hideki Matsui? Obviously they can't have it both ways.
Johnny Damon could figure into such a decision as well, since the Yankees have had internal discussions about upgrading defensively in left field and making Damon, if he returns, more of a DH as well.
On the pitching side they have to decide whether to go ahead with their stated intent to have both Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes in the starting rotation next season, even though Hughes was a revelation as an effective late-inning reliever and Chamberlain seemed to finally find his fastball again, only after going back to the bullpen for the postseason.
Perhaps influencing this decision is the status of Andy Pettitte. You have to figure he'll be back for another year, but late in the season he expressed how difficult it was for him after his wife and kids had returned to Houston because school had started.
"My oldest boy is in high school now and I want to be there to see him play ball and everything," Pettitte said. "It's a hard thing for me to deal with, and the decision gets more difficult for me every year."
Chances are he'll be influenced by his postseason success and the possibility of becoming a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate, but you never know. Who really believed Mike Mussina would retire a year ago after a 20-win season?
In any case, if Pettitte returns and Chien-Ming Wang is making progress returning from shoulder surgery, the Yankees will have flexibility to consider where Chamberlain and Hughes best benefit the team.
If both of them do start, who fills that important set-up role? Was Damaso Marte's rather stunning postseason a sign that he can be counted on consistently? Is David Robertson ready for more responsibility? Is Mark Melancon ready to fulfill the organization's belief he will be a late-inning fixture eventually?
With such issues in mind, it won't be a quiet offseason - they're the Yankees, aren't they? But going in it appears it will be more about changing the oil and tuning the engine than shopping for the hottest new ride on the market.
With such parameters in mind, we offer thoughts on the best way for the Yankees to put themselves in position to repeat, breaking the decision-making that lies ahead into 10 categories:
1. THE MVP DILEMMA
Were the Yankees swayed by Hideki Matsui's clutch hitting in the postseason, not to mention his six-RBI performance to put away the Phillies in the clinching Game 6?
As much as the Yankees could benefit from opening the DH spot for Jorge Posada and others, I'd try to bring Matsui back on a one-year deal, even if Johnny Damon returns as well, hoping his desire to remain in pinstripes would sway him.
It's worth remembering that once Alex Rodriguez came back from hip surgery, the Yankees lost very few games to injury among their regulars. Considering their age, they may not be as lucky next season. A couple of injuries after a departure by Matsui, and suddenly they'd be desperate for offense.
2. BRING BACK DAMON
Matsui and Damon each proved they still have tremendous value, but if I had to choose I'd have to take Damon because he still can play an adequate left field. He's a home-run hitter in the new Yankee Stadiium, and he can still run.
It just can't be more than a two-year deal. If Damon wants to stay as much as he has said, he needs to be reasonable at the negotiating table. If Scott Boras talks him into demanding a three-year deal, the Yankees should sign Chone Figgins and shift him to left field. Figgins has played just 12 games in the outfield the last three years, but has the speed to move back to it.
3. NO MORE JOBA DEBATE
It's still hard to know exactly what to make of Joba Chamberlain as a starter after his season was disrupted by the Joba Rules. But in the postseason he answered the question of whether he could still throw smoke as a reliever, and beyond that, he just looked more comfortable coming out of the pen again.
Though he gave up a big home run to Pedro Feliz, the Yankees to a man were raving about how electric his fastball was against the Phillies.
It will be intriguing to see him return to the rotation without limitations next season, which appears to be the Yankees' plan, but more than ever it appears he has the mentality of a reliever.
4. AS FOR HUGHES?
Phil Hughes lost his confidence in the postseason but let's not forget that he changed Yankees' season by moving into the bullpen and dominating in the setup role. If he takes that same attacking style back to the starting rotation, where he too is apparently ticketed, Hughes should still develop into a dependable starter.
The problem is that the Yankees may well have their own Hughes Rules for him next season, with the same intent of limiting his innings because he only pitched 90 innings between Triple-A and the majors in 2009. If so, you would hope the Yanks learned from screwing up Chamberlain's season, and will have Hughes build toward a limits-free stretch run.
5. PETTITTE PLAN
Andy Pettitte's ongoing pull toward his family, as well as his desire to pitch only for the Yankees, makes life easy for Cashman, enabling him to continue signing the lefthander to one-year deals.
Pettitte's strong season and clutch postseason make re-signing him practically a must for the Yankees, adding a needed level of certainty if they are determined to put both Chamberlain and Hughes back into the rotation.
Ideally, they'd be better off putting Chamberlain - or Hughes - in the bullpen and signing a free agent such as Randy Wolf as a back-end starter. Chad Gaudin and Ian Kennedy could provide depth, while a successful comeback by Chien-Ming Wang from shoulder surgery by May or June would be a luxury.
6. BEHIND THE PLATE
Jorge Posada's defense is an issue that's not going away, especially as he turns 39 next year. Joe Girardi's willingness to let Jose Molina catch A.J. Burnett in the playoffs was an indication of his feelings about the importance of defense behind the plate, and if Matsui is not re-signed, Girardi is likely to ease Posada into more of a DH role.
In that case, they need to re-sign Molina. He's such a brilliant defensive catcher that the Yankees can carry his bat in the lineup for, say, 80 games. They like young Francisco Cervelli behind the plate as well, and they believe 20-year-old Jesus Montero will be a star, ready to take over in a couple of seasons.
7. HOW MUCH FOR JETER?
Derek Jeter's strong season with the bat and the glove at age 35 puts off for awhile any serious discussion about how long he can play shortstop, but the Yankees have to decide about a new contract for their captain.
They are fortunate that Jeter, ever the team guy, doesn't seem inclined to make getting it done now an issue. His leverage probably will never be higher than it is right now, and he could surely use public pressure to force a new deal.
If he's content to wait, the Yankees would be smart to use the time to see if he maintains the same high level next season. Even so, they're going to have to overpay for all he's done and means to the Yankees, perhaps four years for $90 million, and then figure out a way to gracefully move him to left field when he's 38 or 39.
8. CONTENT WITH CANO?
Robinson Cano's abysmal postseason confirmed what scouts say about him, that he's an undisciplined free swinger who is always going to put up numbers during the season against a lot of mediocre pitching, but should be an easy out on a big stage against elite pitching.
It doesn't mean the Yankees should trade him. Indeed, he improved his focus in 2009 after his late-season benching in 2008, and for the most part played a brilliant second base. But it does mean the Yankees shouldn't rule it out, in case some team sees him as their No. 3 hitter and is willing to give up a golden arm for him.
9. WHAT'S ON THE STOVE?
The Yankees won't spend $423.5 million on free agents this winter, but surely they'll make at least one splash. If Damon goes elsewhere, they'll likely get involved with Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, although there is talk they'd prefer to sign Figgins and move him to left. If the price is right they might do that even if Damon stays, figuring they can rotate Damon as a DH and use Figgins to spell Alex Rodriguez at third base as well.
It's not likely the Yankees will overpay for John Lackey, this offseason's top free-agent pitcher. Cashman wants his young pitchers in the mix, and would likely be interested only in a short-term deal for a veteran, such as Randy Wolf.
One thing for sure, the Yankees will be in the hunt for 20-year-old Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, the lefty who throws 100 mph. They'll probably have to outbid the Red Sox to get him.
10. WHO'S IN CENTER?
Melky Cabrera proved he can be a solid center fielder, which is plenty on a team with so many offensive stars. The Yankees can live with him and Brett Gardner holding down the position, especially since they have high hopes that Austin Jackson, who had a solid season at Triple-A, will eventually be good enough to take over.
IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2009 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AND MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
IBWAA ANNOUNCES 2009 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AND MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Los Angeles - The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announces its first set of postseason votes, naming the 2009 Rookie of the Year (ROY) and Manager of the Year (MOR) award winners.
The AL ROY was won by Elvis Andrus, of the Texas Rangers, with the NL ROY going to Tommy Hanson, of the Atlanta Braves. AL MOR and NL MOR winners were Ron Gardenhire, of the Minnesota Twins, and Jim Tracy, of the Colorado Rockies, respectively.
Results are as follows:
IBWAA American League Rookie of the Year:
Winner: Elvis Andrus (Texas Rangers)
Second Place: Andrew Bailey (Oakland Athletics)
Third Place: Jeff Niemann (Tampa Bay Rays)
IBWAA National League Rookie of the Year:
Winner: Tommy Hanson (Atlanta Braves)
Second Place: Chris Coghlan (Florida Marlins)
Third Place: J.A. Happ (Philadelphia Phillies)
IBWAA American League Manager of the Year:
Winner: Ron Gardenhire (Minnesota Twins)
Second Place: Mike Scioscia (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Third Place: Joe Girardi (New York Yankees)
IBWAA National League Manager of the Year:
Winner: Jim Tracy (Colorado Rockies)
Second Place: Joe Torre (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Third Pl Tie: Bruce Bochy (San Francisco Giants)
Third Pl Tie: Fredi Gonzalez (Florida Marlins)
Voting took place between September 15 and October 4, the final day of the regular season.
IBWAA Comeback of the Year and Executive of the Year awards will be announced Tuesday, November 10, 2009, with the announcement of the association's Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards coming Wednesday, November 11.
The IBWAA was created in July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative voice to the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
IBWAA members include Kevin Braun, freelance writer and former copy editor at Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Tim Brown, YahooSports, Peter Golenbock, baseball author; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, former Dodgers reporter, Los Angeles Daily News; David Pinto, owner/author, BaseballMusings.com; and Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register.
Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.
For more information on the IBWAA, please visit the temporary webpage here, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html. In the coming months, the IBWAA can be found at www.InternetBaseballWriters.com.
Contact:
Howard Cole
Acting Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com
Los Angeles - The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announces its first set of postseason votes, naming the 2009 Rookie of the Year (ROY) and Manager of the Year (MOR) award winners.
The AL ROY was won by Elvis Andrus, of the Texas Rangers, with the NL ROY going to Tommy Hanson, of the Atlanta Braves. AL MOR and NL MOR winners were Ron Gardenhire, of the Minnesota Twins, and Jim Tracy, of the Colorado Rockies, respectively.
Results are as follows:
IBWAA American League Rookie of the Year:
Winner: Elvis Andrus (Texas Rangers)
Second Place: Andrew Bailey (Oakland Athletics)
Third Place: Jeff Niemann (Tampa Bay Rays)
IBWAA National League Rookie of the Year:
Winner: Tommy Hanson (Atlanta Braves)
Second Place: Chris Coghlan (Florida Marlins)
Third Place: J.A. Happ (Philadelphia Phillies)
IBWAA American League Manager of the Year:
Winner: Ron Gardenhire (Minnesota Twins)
Second Place: Mike Scioscia (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Third Place: Joe Girardi (New York Yankees)
IBWAA National League Manager of the Year:
Winner: Jim Tracy (Colorado Rockies)
Second Place: Joe Torre (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Third Pl Tie: Bruce Bochy (San Francisco Giants)
Third Pl Tie: Fredi Gonzalez (Florida Marlins)
Voting took place between September 15 and October 4, the final day of the regular season.
IBWAA Comeback of the Year and Executive of the Year awards will be announced Tuesday, November 10, 2009, with the announcement of the association's Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards coming Wednesday, November 11.
The IBWAA was created in July 4, 2009 by Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as an alternative voice to the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).
IBWAA members include Kevin Braun, freelance writer and former copy editor at Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Tim Brown, YahooSports, Peter Golenbock, baseball author; Tom Hoffarth, Media/General Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News; Tony Jackson, former Dodgers reporter, Los Angeles Daily News; David Pinto, owner/author, BaseballMusings.com; and Gary Warner, Travel Editor, Orange County Register.
Association memberships are open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available.
For more information on the IBWAA, please visit the temporary webpage here, http://www.baseballsavvy.com/internetbaseballwriters.html. In the coming months, the IBWAA can be found at www.InternetBaseballWriters.com.
Contact:
Howard Cole
Acting Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com
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