Yankee Stadium Expierences: Yankees vs Mets 5-21-2011

View from the top of the Gateway Mall

The night before the Yankees had lost to the Mets 2-1, and were unable to get anything going on offense, yet the pitching was great again. That last line seems to be the story of 2011, the hitters haven't done the job, yet the pitching has held up.

After that Friday performance, I was feeling down on the team, and didn't know what to expect when A.J. Burnett faced off against Chris Capuano. I wasn't feeling like listening to Mets fans, celebrate and bash the Yanks like they had just won the world series, so a win for the bombers was desperately seeked.

Once arriving in the area around Yankee Stadium, I was saddened to see that the parking lot that normally charges $20, was not opened (I later read that they were charging $40, which makes no sense) so I tried out the Gateway Mall parking (more on that later in this post). Because I was there so early, my friend and I checked out the mall, which was really confusing to navigate because of how it is set up, either way you get a nice sight line of the Bronx from the top level.

They must sponser everything!

As the gates were ready to be opened, the lines to enter the stadium stretched a long way, most games I go to are midweek games since that is what my ticket plan is full of, but the area around the stadium on this night was very crowded. Their were more vendors outside then normal, and ton of cops just standing around on the street, it had almost a postseason atmosphere to it.

As I entered the stadium, a light rain began to fall, but it let up,  but about an hour before game time, it began to pour and everyone ran for shelter. Luckily the game was not forced to be pushed back. As it rained I stood up near the batters eye cafe to stay dry, I noticed that Mastercard now is the sponsor of that area so the signs in the area has the Mastercard logo and then says "batters eye cafe". Not to whine, but they really have sponsored everything at the new stadium, it gets annoying after a while.

After it poured it was time to head to the seats, which I was able to purchase for face value during the Yankee pre-sale back in March. They were good seats in section 237 of the bleachers, they were row 10, but they felt much lower, really good seats for the value.

View from section 237

As the game began and Burnett struggled I felt like this was going to be another game in which I saw the bad A.J., after all I have a record of 3-5 when Burnett starts and I go to the game. But after the first inning, Burnett settled down and cruised for most of the night.

I have been to Subway Series games at both Yankee Stadium and at the Mets ballparks, and I can say that this was one of the most easy going crowds. Now I'm not saying the crowd was not into it because I would say this was the most into a crowd has been into a game all this season, but their was only friendly banter and good fun ribbing between Mets and Yankee fans. Their were no fights that I saw and only at one point did someone get tossed from the bleachers ( a Mets fan, for those scoring at home).

In the end the Yankees beat up on the Mets, hitting four home runs. All of which except Russell Martins homer would have likely stayed in Citi Field, but that's something the Mets can fix when they face the Yankees at Citi Field in July.

One of the TV's was broken, in section 239.

Although the score was 7-3, most fans stayed around till the end to watch Luis Ayala shut down the Mets. Frank Sinatra played, Yankee fans were sent home happy, and the world didn't end at 6pm cause of the rapture.

Last thing, I mentioned earlier about parking at the Gateway Mall, I would no recommend it. Now of course this was a premium game that had one of the largest crowds of the season, so the parking was packed but getting out of there is a mess. They don't have anyone directing traffic, and only two spots to exit from, causing a huge mess. For the $30 you have to pay, it is more efficient to cough up the extra $5 and pay at one of the garages, closer to the stadium.

Final score:Yankees 7 Mets 3

Free Yanks tix for those who braved the rain against the Orioles

Nice offer by the Yankees, for those who went to last nights 7-4 victory in favor of the Bronx bombers. Aside from getting to see a win, you can also get a free ticket to an upcoming game of your choice in the Terrace of Grandstand.

Not a bad deal considering it didn't look like it was raining that hard, and the game was never once delayed. But a part of me wonders if this was set up on purpose. Looking at the Yankees press release, it says you can either get a free ticket OR get 50% off non suite ticket. The Yankees are practically out of Grandstand seats for the remainder of the year, the Terrace likely has limited inventory. But the more expensive seats are available and you can now get them 50% off so your still giving the Yankees your money instead of Stubhub.

If you were able to get any of the free tickets, let me know cause I'm curious to hear.

Believe in Burnett

A.J. Burnett takes the mound for the first time in 2011 against the Tigers today. Burnett comes off his worst season, but it's a new year.

A.J. has always been a bit of a head case, who can forget him getting a random black eye last year? That's why this start is important for Burnett, he needs to get off to a decent starts so the media and fans don't get on his back. Today is that perfect opportunity, the Tigers aren't that impressive offensively other then Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera and Burnett will be opposed by the hittable Brad Penny.

A win today, and the confidence train can get rolling for Burnett and the bombers.

2011 Yankees pitchers predictions

This was the big issue this winter. The Yanks missed out of Cliff Lee and then Andy Pettitte decided it was time to hang it up. The Yanks rotation has many question marks, but the bullpen looks as strong as ever. So can the Yankees hit their way into October? Or will the pitching surprise everyone, and lead the charge in the quest for title 28.

CC Sabathia: Entering year three in the Bronx, CC has given the Yankees everything and then some that they had expected from him when he signed here. He has battled for the CY Young award, and pitched phenomenal in the postseason, the biggest question is will he leave New York after this year.

Best case: 22-6 2.81 ERA 215 Strikeouts. CC wins the CY Young and leads the bombers back into the playoffs on his slimmed down back.

Worst case: 15-10 4.02 ERA 167 SO Sabathia begins to eat a box of Captain Crunch a day, his knee is an issue, or ::gasp:: he gets hurt from throwing so many innings the past few years.

My prediction: 20-7 3.12 ERA 190 SO The big man is an consistent as ever, and anchors the bombers rotation.

A.J. Burnett: Will we see bad A.J. or will we get to see good A.J.? When Burnett is doing bad, he looks lost and gets hit hard. When he is doing well, his stuff is moving all over the place and is as close to unhittable as anyone in baseball. But what A.J. shows up?
Best case: 17-9 3.88 ERA 206 SO Burnett shows off his 2008 form, shutting down the Red Sox and looking like the pitcher the Yanks signed.
Worst case: 11-13 4.89 ERA 174 SO I don't think it can get any worse for Burnett, especially after last season. The worst case has Burnett looking lost at times, getting bombed by Boston and blowing leads. The boo birds will be out, early and often.
My prediction: 13-10 4.19 ERA 186 SO Burnett comes back and has a season similar to 2009. Burnett is going to struggle at times but will also have enough starts where he will shut down the opponent.

Phil Hughes: 2010 was a break out year for Hughes, winning 18 games. But Hughes struggled in the second half of the season, and fell victim to giving up the long ball. Now their are reports that his velocity has dropped, will his wins do the same?
Best case: 19-8 3.45 180 SO. Hughes proves that he last season was no fluke, and can be the Yankees second ace.
Worst case: 12-10 4.87 ERA 152 SO. Phil takes a step back, dealing with injuries, Hughes tries to do his best but instead looks like Burnett circa 2010.
My prediction: 16-8 4.09 169 SO. Hughes falls back to earth, but is still very solid. I would be very concerned with the chance that he suffers an injury since his innings went up by 90 from 2009 to 2010. This year that could catch up with him.

Ivan Nova : Yankee fans love to see the big stars, but they also love to see the home grown kid find a way to succeed in the Bronx. Nova last year had flashes of success, but would also flash signs of being just a kid.
Best case: 15-7 3.76 ERA 155 SO. Just call his super Nova if this is the case, cause he will have blown expectations out of the water.
Worst case: 3-9 5.72 ERA 82 SO and a trip to Scranton. Nothing could be worse then the Yanks having to send down Nova because he is doing that poor. In his starts, Nova wouldn't be able to get past the opposing line up for a third time, thus leaving alot of games early.

My prediction: 12-9 4.32 ERA 134 SO. He's just a kid so lets remember to cut him a break, he will have his good starts and then have some bad starts. But has a performance that gets him a chance to start a playoff game and hold a spot in the 2012 rotation.

Freddy Garcia: Steady Freddy might not be able to live up to his nickname for much longer, but the Yanks will hope that they can squeeze one more season out of his right arm, or atleast enough juice from it to keep them afloat.
Best case: 14-7 3.83 ERA 141 SO. Garcia parties like it's 2005 again, and his shoulder has no issues.
Worst case: 4-10 5.66 ERA 67 SO. Garcia gets hurt,or struggled and the Yankees cut him and rather go with one someone in the minors or Bartolo Colon.
My prediction: 11-8 4.63 ERA 93 SO. Freddy isn't great, but gives the Yankees innings and quality starts for a fifth starter.

I'm not going to run through the entire bullpen because relievers are tough to predict. But I will give my prediction on the great Mariano Rivera.

Mariano Rivera: Simply The Best

Best case: 3-1 1.33 ERA 70 SO. Rivera finds another way to wow us all

Worst case: 2-4 3.03 ERA 55 SO. Mo cant strike any one out, and suddenly looks like a human.

My prediction: 3-2 1.83 ERA 64 SO Mo is a machine, no matter what age.

Overall I think the Yankees are going to finish in second place, due to the lack of starting depth. But this team is good enough to make the playoffs as the wild card and still win over 90 games. In fact I think the Red Sox win the division, but I'm not so sure they run away with it. Wouldn't surprise me if the Yanks only finish a game or two out.
Final Record: 94-68 wild card winners, lose in the ALCS

Looking back: How Yankees 2008 season ended

The season began on a cool night in April, Melky Cabrera hit a home run and made a nice catch in the Yankees 3-2 victory on opening night. It would all go down hill from their..

The injuries began to pile up, the largest being Chien Ming Wang getting hurt running the bases in June. The Yanks would constantly be looking up to the Rays and the Red Sox in the standings, and that's how the season ended, with the bombers in third place.

At the time I was disappointed that the last game at Yankee Stadium would not be a playoff game, but as I reflect it seems much more appropriate that the final game was a set date, that being September 21, 2008. The Yankees were able to give the stadium they called home for 85 years a fair send off, having tons of former players at the event. I rather they close out the old stadium that way, then possibly a loss in the playoffs. Only other way I would want to see the Yanks leave the stadium was holding title 27.



As it is the failures of 2008 lead to the 2009 World Series championship, and a season that will always lay dead in Yankee fans hearts. The Yanks went out and got CC, Teixiera and Burnett, had they won it all in 2008 the Yanks could have gotten sentimental and re-upped with Jason Giambi instead of Tex. I love Giambi, but Tex is the better player and the pitching is what won the Yanks a title in 2009.

Yankee Stadium Experience : Yanks vs Rangers ALCS Game 3

I had gotten these tickets in the partial plan holders pre-sale, at the time it would have been game one of the series, but once the Yankees lost the AL East it became game three. Andy Pettitte would be facing Cliff Lee in a classic pitching, the starters lived up to expectations but the bullpen let it all slip away. More on that in a bit.

But lets start out by saying that earlier in the week I had been looking on google for shortcuts to get to the 161st street garage. I finally though I found a short cut, and it may have been but we passed the exit and took a quick tour of the Bronx. After that we finally made it to the parking garage, practically three hours early and it was already crowded, even with the parking cost $40.

It was my first playoff game since the 2003 ALCS game two, but unlike back then when they were very strict with security they hardly looked in my bag prior to game three. It was strange to see the teams taking batting practice in the dark, but the stadium look beautiful and there was a buzz around the park.

I wandered out to the bleachers and realized that the TBS crew were doing the pre-game show from the bleachers (section 239 to be exact). At one point Dennis Eckersley was standing five feet away and nobody approached him. That cant be said of David Wells who was getting cheers from the fans that began to surround the small make shift studio.

The temperature was really starting to drop, and the October feel became stronger as game time was becoming closer. Once the Rangers finished up there portion of batting practice, I headed towards the upper deck to my seats, but I could see that on field level the Lobel's line stretched for at least three or four sections, totally insane.

The crowd wasn't even in its seats, when player introductions began. Of course Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte got the largest ovations, but Robinson Cano also got a large ovation from the crowd. The introductions never get old, but my favorite intros would have to be for Opening Day and the World Series. Tino Martinez threw out the first pitch to another loud ovation and just like that baseball was set to be under way.

The Yankees did hold a nice moment of silence for Freddy Sez, and showed him on the video screen. The crowd began to chant "Freddy ! Freddy !"

Prior to the game I predicted that the Yankees would win the game 3-2, I was correct about the Rangers having two for most of the night, but the final score was no where near my prediction. Andy Pettitte looked locked in the first inning, until he gave up a hit to Michael Young. The next batter was Josh Hamiltion, and he took a pitch and hit a Yankee Stadium home run, right over the right field fence. Just like that the air was sucked out of the crowd and the Yankees were down 2-0.

Cliff Lee came out and shut down the Yankees the entire night, I like that the Yankees were making him throw some pitches and fouled off a lot of tough pitches but the result was always the same, Lee was just too unhittable. The Yankees didn't have a hit for the longest time, and had only one chance all night to score. That was when Brett Gardner got a hit with no outs, stole second and was left stranded at third.

Much has been made about the crowd at the new Yankee Stadium, not being as loud. But on this night the fans had nothing to get excited about. The few times that the fans were into the game Cliff Lee sat them down, along with the Yankees. The worst part was that when the Yankees went down in the bottom of the eighth, and with the score at 2-0 some fans began to leave. Maybe those fans had the right idea since the Yankees would give up six more runs to turn the game into a laughter.

Auxilary Press Box in sections 406 and 407.

The move not to bring Mariano Rivera in the ninth, befuddled me. It was just a 2-0 game and  Cliff Lee was up to 118 pitches, so the Rangers would be going to closer Neftali Feliz. The Yankees had impressive at bats against Feliz in game two and had come back against him earlier in the season. But instead of using Mo, Girardi went to Boone Logan and David Robertson who got hit hard. The night ended with Sergio Mitre on the mound, never a good sign. Once the inning was over it was 8-0 Texas and many fans had departed.

The Yanks will have to hope from a good start from AJ Burnett tonight, or else they put themselves in a tough spot. I still have alot of faith in Burnett, but the Rangers have out played the Yankees in every one of these games, except for one inning and that was in game one when the Yankees came from behind.

Since last week I was unable to buy tickets to any of the World Series games, this looks to be my final trip to Yankee Stadium in 2010. Thank you for reading about my Yankee Stadium experiences, this season but make sure to keep reading about other Yankee related posts. Until 2011, as Michael Kay would say "see ya!"

Who will be left standing up 2-1 after game three ?

It will be Andy Pettitte vs Cliff Lee in game three at Yankee Stadium, Monday night. After Phil Hughes, got rocked in game two this has become a huge game, especially if A.J Burnett is going to be on the mound game four.  During the game I was receiving texts from friends who were saying that after the game two loss the series was over, and the Yankees were doomed. The negativity didn't end from friends, on Twitter  you would have though the Yankees had just been eliminated. But don't join in the negativity party ! Here are some reasons to feel good about the Yankees and games three and four.

• Andy Pettitte will be on the mound at Yankee Stadium. Pettitte has the most Postseason victories in MLB history, and has always showed up for the big game. The last time that Pettitte lost a game in the Postseason was in 2005 with the Astros. The last time he lost a game as a Yankee was 2003, during the World Series, when he lost game 6 against Josh Beckett.
• Cliff Lee has had his way with the Yankees this season, along with the 2009 World Series, but he is human. The Yankees hit him well in game 5 of last years World Series, and earlier this year they got to him in Texas and handed him a loss.
• Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson, both lefty batters have hit Lee well in the past. Gardner in limited at bats has hit .375, while Granderson has hit .286 with a home run in 42 at bats.
• Derek Jeter is hitting .385 against Lee, and Nick Swisher has also had success hitting .286 with two home runs.

• The Yankees will be playing at home were they had swept the Rangers this season. In September when the Yankees were battling to win the east, rumors were floating that the Rangers had no interest in playing in Yankee Stadium. Sure Yankee Stadium is not the same as it was during the old days, but to a young inexperienced team playing in front of a large crowd it could be unnerving.
• Similar to the last Point, Tommy Hunter is set to start game four. In the ALDS he struggled against the Rays. Against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, on national TV could be an issue for the young pitcher.
• The Yankees have been saying that Burnett will get the start for game four, and although some fans and media have been against the idea, it could work in the Yanks favor. Burnett this season against Texas in three starts had an ERA of 2.50, while striking out 17 batters and holding the team to a .232 average. Burnett can be wild but the Rangers are free swingers, and Burnett pitched well in last years postseason at home. Plus it would be only one start in the series for Burnett. The other option is CC Sabathia, who has an ERA close to five over his last five starts. If they used CC that would mean moving up Hughes start, it would be the first time he would have ever thrown on three days rest, along with Pettitte who is still coming off an injury and is 38 years old.

Do the Yankees really want to face the Twins this year?

Ah so the other day on Twitter, I saw that someone I followed was taking a poll on who as Yankee fans, they would like to see the Yanks face in the first round. Majority were fine with losing the division and facing the Minnesota Twins in round one, instead of having home field advantage against the Texas Rangers.

So many fans may remember the Twins as the team that the Yankees have beat up on every season since 2003, both during the regular season and during the postseason. In fact this year the Yankees have played better against the Twins (4-2) then they did against the Rangers (4-4). The Yankees faced the Twins twice early in the season when the bombers were playing much better then now, however against the Rangers they would be 1-4 outside of a three game sweep of the Rangers in early April when Texas was still struggling.

What many forget is that even last year when the Yankees swept the Twins in the first round that it was much closer then it seemed. The Twins had used up much of their pitching just to get into the postseason and were forced to start Brian Duensing in game one. Of course that was no match for CC Sabathia who dominated the Twins and gave the Yankees their first postseason victory since 2007.

Game two was not as easy for the bombers, but there were helped out by Carlos Gomez who over ran second base before Delmon Young could score. Nick Blackburn shut down the Yankees bats, even though AJ Burnett was doing the same. Eventually the Twins took a 3-1 lead, scoring two runs off Phil Hughes in the top of the eight. This was when Alex Rodriguez and his magical 2009 season came into play in the bottom of the ninth, when he hit a two run homer off Joe Nathan. To many Nathan was considered to be the best closer outside of Mariano Rivera until this season when he had season ending elbow surgery. The Yanks and Twins went to extra innings, in the top of the 11th inning of play the Twins had the bases loaded with no outs, but the Yankees managed to overcome a miracle and get out of the jam. The bottom of the 11th Mark Teixeira hit a line drive down the left field line and just like that the Yankees had a 2-0 series lead. This was a game the Twins could have easily had, but blew so many opportunity's.

In game three the Twins had old pal Carl Pavano on the mound against Andy Pettitte. From the start the Yankee hitters could hit Carl Pavano who earlier that season had quieted the Yankee bats. Pettitte was doing the same thing but the Twins drew first blood against Andy in the bottom of the sixth to give them a 1-0 lead. The Yanks had struggled against Pavano all night, but once again A-Rod came up and homered to tie the score, and moments later Jorge Posada also hit a solo shot,this time to give the Yankees the lead. Pavano struck out nine Yankees that night, and gave the Twins every chance to win. But the Twins pen gave up two more runs and the Yanks pen gave up none.

The Yankees of course won, but many forget that it wasn't as easy at it seemed. It helped in game two that the bombers had home field advantage (along with a effective Burnett), but this time they wouldn't.

The Twins this season have already won the division and are just waiting on who the opponent will be. All the talk is about the Rangers pitching since it has the big name Cliff Lee, but the Twins may have a better staff overall. They have Pavano again who is having a revival season (17-11 3.83), Francisco Liriano (14-9 3.48) and Scott Baker. The Twins also have a stacked bullpen and have three relievers that have been closers on other teams in Jon Rauch, Brian Fuentes and Matt Capps.

The Twins may not have the same offense that the Texas Rangers have, and suffered a blow when Justin Morneau went down (Morneau has begun to work out with the team, although it is unlikely he will see any game action). Jim Thome has stepped it up in Morneau's absence, Michael Cuddyer and Justin Kubel have been having great seasons as well. Joe Mauer has only hit nine home runs this season and is day to day with inflammation in his left knee. But when the playoffs come around that shouldn't stop him from at least being the DH.

The Yanks would be at Target Field for ALDS games 1,2 &5

The only thing that I do like about the possible match up is that the Twins don't steal bases. In fact they only have one player (Denard Span) that has double diget steals (26). Posada will be behind the plate, most of the postseason and it has been noted that his defensive skills have declined with age.

With the way the Yankees have played in September (12-15 record), a lot of negativity and questioning surrounds the club. The Rays also have struggled in September, practically giving the Yanks a shot at the division title over these past few days. It seems as if neither team wants the crown, but along with the division comes home field advantage and a chance to avoid a first round match up in Minnesota.

Even philosophers have a take on the Yankees...

Alright so this isn't the most exciting thing ever but earlier today myself and MJ from wcwpsports.com had to make a class presentation about philosophers and a current topic. We chose to act as radio hosts for our campus radio station and relate the Yanks and the philosophers, here ya go....


Machiavelli: 6 o clock, welcome to the Sportswire, 88.1 WCWP. Machiavelli and Aristotle with you till 7. Call us at 516-299-2790. Leading off with some 2010 Yankees Baseball and Aristotle, this team really limping their way into the post-season. They have some questions to answer don’t they?

Aristotle: You’re absolutely right and the biggest question mark is starting pitching and who they could lean on after C.C. Sabathia?

Machiavelli: Let’s start with the young guy, Phil Hughes. Yankees took an absolutely wrong approach in dealing with this guy! What’s the deal with this an innings limit? I don’t comprehend the idea of putting a 17 game winner and only letting him pitch 175 innings.

Aristotle: Disagree, it’s all about finding a medium with this guy. Nothing in excess, nothing to deficient. Save him for the long-term and don’t throw his arm out after one season.

Machiavelli: But he is your best pitcher after Sabathia this season, you need to take a head on approach with him in his final couple of games and not just limit him before the post-season, that won’t get him ready.

Aristotle: Alright, well moving on from Hughes let’s talk about AJ Burnett. This guy has just 4 wins since July 1st and is 10-15 with a 5.33 ERA. What a joke he has been and the problem I think he has right now, is that he has no idea who he is. He’s lost all confidence in his pitches, his command is all over the plate, he’s just lost his identity.

Machiavelli: So what’s the plan of action if you’re Girardi?

Aristotle: No way this guy can be relied upon in the playoffs. Let him work things out, hopefully, in the off-season where he work on his faults and become a better pitcher. Again, he needs to know who he is. There is no reason to jeopardize the good of the team by sending him out on the mound this season.

Machiavelli: Moving away from the pitchers, let’s talk about some position players

Aristotle: One of the bigger stories of the Yankees season has been Brett Gardner. Here’s a guy who has surprised everyone in left field but at the same time, might be challenged once Tampa Bay Outfielder Carl Crawford hits the open market in free agency, do you think the Yanks should pursue him?

Machiavelli: You know my feelings. If you have the money to get someone, go and get them! Don’t wait around and let another team scoop up one of the best players in the game. It will make them better and not you. You have to beat them to the punch and the Yankees organization has the tools to get him…Right now we got a caller on the line, this is St. Thomas Aquinas. Thomas, how’s it going?

St.Thomas Aquinas – Hey guys, first time caller, long time listener. I disagree with what Machiavelli is saying about Carl Crawford. I don’t like the idea of the Yankees just using all these millions of dollars and consuming and consuming. I believe in building from within. Brett Gardner started in our minor leagues, was drafted by the team…his roots are in New York. Enough of this spending spree of buying players.

Machiavelli – Well, thanks for the call Thomas, appreciate it. The Yankees going out and spending money is nothing illegal. They are simply getting these players before anyone else. Why risk being hurt by the Red Sox if they sign a big time free agent. If you can prevent it, do so.

Aristotle: So all in all, the Yankees post-season could go either way. They could either falter due to their questions in the rotation, especially with Phil Hughes and AJ Burnett. Or, they could repeat because of their young talent like Brett Gardner. No matter how it ends up, it should make for an interesting October.

Machiavelli: There you have it, the Sportswire on 88.1 FM WCWP. We are out of time for tonight, join us tomorrow where Aristotle and myself will be chatting about the debacle that was the 2010 Mets, you won’t want to miss that.

Yankee Stadium Experiences : 9/6/10 Baltimore Orioles come to town on Labor Day

Welcome back to another edition of Yankee Stadium experiences, this time it was the Yankees facing the Baltimore Orioles on Labor Day.

For most Yankee games I attend I go with someone who drives to the Bronx. This time I went via public transportation (go green!) so my morning started with taking the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station. From Penn Station, I took the A train to Columbus Circle then I hopped on the D train. The subway was a lot quicker then I had remembered from the last time I went.

Once I got to the stadium, the crowd outside of gate 6 was huge, lots of people were mulling about all around on Babe Ruth plaza. Instead I went to gate 8, their was no line at all and the security workers were just standing around chatting. I may have mentioned this before but gate 8 is always the quickest way into the stadium (also the quickest way to monument park).

Once inside I wondered around and went to gate 2, to check out the kiddie cafe cart. But instead I was surprised to see a make shift team store in its place. The store is selling former player tees and other shirts relating to 2009 events for $10. They also had pins and lanyards for $ 1 and hats ( sized 7 7/8 - 8 only) for $10. I purchased a pair of lanyards that hold tickets.

I was sitting in my usual bleacher seats, this year most of the games in my plan had been night games, I had forgotten how hot the sun is out there. After the first inning my guest and I headed for shade, so we found a place to stand on the field level. We stayed down on field level from the second inning till about the sixth inning. The entire time their was an entire section of empty bleacher cafe seats, the entire time the security guard kicked people out who sat their or even put down their food. I can understand doing that early in the game, but by the fifth you have to realize nobody is coming. Just another bad job by the Yanks security.

The game was pretty exciting even though I saw A.J Burnett pitch for what felt like the 100th time. The Yankees came back from a two run deficit but Burnett couldn't keep the birds down and they would take the lead. The Yanks bats were silenced by star relievers Jim Johnson and Koji Uehara (sarcasm referring to star) and the bombers lost the game 4-3.

The season is coming to an end and since my college starts back up tomorrow so I have sold off most of my remaining games, but my final game before hopefully the playoffs is against the Boston Red Sox.

Some pictures from the match up :

What happened to the good ol' program booth.

Kei Igawa as part of the $10 shirts

This ad I found funny for the Jets on the LIRR

Yankee Stadium Experience 9/1/2010 A's vs Yanks

It was the first day of September but it still felt like August. It was a hot,humid night and I was heading to see the Yankees face the A's.

I parked at the River Ave garage, and walked right out and went across the street to gate 8. Gate 8 is by far the quickest entrance into Yankee Stadium, even for big event like the Red Sox or Mets the lines are much shorter.

The tickets I had for the game were in section 305, I had purchased them with one of the five dollar coupons that they give out to season ticket holders. Once I got to the seats I realized it was the same section that Russell Branyan of the Mariners had hit a home run into a few Saturdays ago. When your up that high and your looking at home plate it makes you appreciate how far the ball really went.

Of course my bad luck, my seats were in the middle of a row and people kept getting up and down the entire night. I understand if people need to use the rest room or get food but it gets ridiculous after a while. The other thing was that one of the seats that belonged to myself and my guest had gum on it. I had to make sure that a bad was placed over the gum to prevent it from being on my jersey.

Oh also a quick tip on food, I have noticed that although the selection is not as good, the further towards the "wings" of the upper deck you go the shorter the food lines are. I would assume the same applies for restrooms.

Otherwise the game was alright, A.J Burnett actually pitched well this year when I went to see him and Mark Teixiera and his thumb seems fine since he drove in three of the four Yankees runs. In the Terrace section it should be noted that unlike the Grandstand their is no breeze at all.

The attendance was a tad smaller then most games this season, just creeping over 45,000 (45,222) and the crowd seemed out of it for most of the night. The biggest cheers at one point seemed to be for the wave that made it around the upper deck, but that all changed once the great Mariano Rivera came in.

One last thing some idiot in my section was wear a shirt that said "A-Hole" with the number 13. The guy was also wearing an A's hat so it was obvious who he was rooting for and who he was against. But it made my night that people kept yelling at him and giving him crap about the shirt (although they kept it fairly clean). Although I never appreciate fans of the opposing team, I would rather they wear their own teams stuff then wear a shirt bashing the Yankees. When you do that anything that happens to you during the game is your own fault.

The Yankees won 4-3 but the Rays and Red Sox also won. So the Yankees still have just a one game lead over the Rays. Next game for myself will be Monday September 6th vs the Orioles.

Headed to the game tonight...once again A.J Burnett is pitching

Tonight I'll be up at the big ballpark in the Bronx and once again A.J Burnett will be pitching. This season has been a rough one for Burnett and I think I'm being kind saying that.

In the first two games of the series against the A's the bombers have been living up to their nick name,scoring 20 runs over the past two games. The Yankees will have to beat up on Brett Anderson tonight for them to stay in the game if Burnett pitches like he has his last three starts (0-3 7.36 ERA).

So why did I say in the title that "Once again A.J Burnett is pitching" when I'm going to the game ?  Well I attend about 5-10 Yankees games a year and over the last two seasons i have seen Burnett six times. In those six starts he won two of those, and in those two starts he was phenomenal. But it the starts I have been to that he has taken the loss all of them have been blow outs, in fact the least amount of runs he has allowed in losses I've been to is six. So you may understand my frustration of once again seeing Burnett.

So expect a blog late tonight about the game, and if you want to feel like you are at the game follow me on Twitter @NYMoot.

My Thoughts on the Yankees Catching Rotation

When the season opened up Jorge Posada was going to be asked to shoulder the load at the catchers spot, even though he would be turning 39. So far this season it has not worked out that way. Posada has had a few injuries including a broken bone in his foot from a foul ball, along with two separate knee injuries, one from getting hit by a pitch and the more recent was a cyst behind the knee. With all the injuries Francisco Cervelli has played alot more then expected.

Early in the season Cervelli was on fire, especially with runners in scoring position. Many called for Cervelli to become the everyday catcher and for Posada to DH every day. Well since mid-May Cervelli has been hitting under .200 and has only thrown at 14% of base stealer's.

Posada on the other hand hasn't thrown many more runners out (17%) but has hit much better then Cervelli. Posada this season just hasn't stayed healthy enough to catch every day, and has been streaky with the bat.

Girardi recently announced that he was going to have a catching rotation. At first I liked the idea for the main fact that it would give Posada rest and he could heal all his nagging injuries, and he could still DH when he wasn't catching because Posada's bat is useful in the line up. It also meant that Cervelli would play less, I firmly believe that Cervelli is a great asset to the club for his emotion and enthusiasm he brings but when he plays often the league figures him out. This season once the league figured out Cervelli it was down hill.

During a session with the media, Joe Girardi announced that he planned to have Cervelli catch A.J Burnett and Javier Vazquez. Posada would catch Dustin Moseley,(Andy Pettitte when he comes back),Phil Hughes and CC Sabathia. That would be how the catching rotation would work, based on rotating on what pitcher was pitching.

Sure the rotation may help the Yankees at this  time but come October this could be a disaster. I'm sure most remember last postseason when Burnett had to have Jose Molina as his personal catcher, and Posada had to sit. Well the same thing this season, in the postseason what will Girardi do ? It doesn't make any sense to have Cervelli in the line up if he cant hit, and isn't a huge defensive upgrade over Posada. With this catching rotation, it is creating personal catchers for the pitching staff. Then come playoff time and Burnett or Vazquez are pitching to Posada and getting lit up because they had not gotten to work with him during the regular season, who/what is to blame? It would have to be Girardi and his catching rotation.

Sunday Preview : A.J Burnett vs Josh Beckett

It seems that every time the Yanks and Sox get together, A.J Burnett and Josh Beckett face off. Well once again tonight on ESPN sunday night baseball the two former Marlin teammates will face each other at the stadium. Its always a good match up on paper but when its game time it turns into a slug fest. Burnett was brought to the Bronx for many reasons, one was for his dominance over the Red Sox. Well since coming to the Bronx, Burnett has had his struggles with the Sox. The same could be said about Josh Beckett, the pitcher that dominated the Yanks in the 2003 World Series. Outside of the 2003 World Series, Beckett has had his struggles against the bombers, although his record is 9-6 he has an ERA of 5.95.  So with that all said lets take a look at what tonight's game could be like, from past times that Burnett and Beckett have faced off.

April 25,2009 Fenway Park

It would be the first time that A.J Burnett would face the Red Sox wearing the pinstripes. The Yankees jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first off Beckett and didn't stop their, tacking on 4 more runs, giving Burnett a 6-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth is when Burnett would run into some trouble giving up 5 runs, and then gave up another three in the bottom of the fifth. That would be all for A.J for the day and he would leave with a line of 5 innings pitched , 8 hits, 3 walks and 8 earned runs. Lucky for A.J although he blew a 6-0 lead the Yanks would get him off the hook with a 2 run homer by Johnny Damon off Josh Beckett. Beckett would also only pitch 5 innings and gave up 8 earned runs. The Yankees managed to let this game slip away from them when the bullpen blew up just as bad as Burnett. The final was Boston 16 New York 11.

June 9, 2009 Fenway Park

The Yanks had been rolling high heading into Fenway winning 6 out of their last 8 games and managed to find themselves going into the game in first with a one game lead over the Red Sox. A.J Burnett was unable to keep the momentum going just 2.2 innings and getting knocked around for 5 runs (3 ER, 2 runs scored due to a A-Rod error). Burnett's main issue was command, walking five batters. Beckett on the other hand had no issue with command giving up just two walks and while striking out eight. Beckett had the advantage on this one and pitched like it was the 2003 World Series giving up just one hit. The final score from Fenway Park ,Boston 7 New York 0

August 7, 2009 Yankee Stadium

A year ago yesterday Burnett and Beckett faced off in a classic pitchers dual in the Bronx. Burnett pitched 7.2 scoreless innings while only allowing a single hit. Josh Beckett was also matching zero's pitching seven innings, giving up just four hits and zero runs. Many Yankees fans remember this game because the game would go on for 15 innings ! Finally the bombers prevailed when Alex Rodriguez hit a 2 run home run off Junichi Tazawa to deep left field. The final Yankees 2 Red Sox 0

August 8 , 2010 Yankee Stadium

So tonight's game could go either way. We have seen the pair toss up zero's, but also get roughed up. Some players that each pitcher has to watch out for tonight.

A.J Burnett has struggled against : Marco Scutaro is hitting .316, and David Ortiz has 3 home runs and 8 RBI

Josh Beckett has struggled against : Robinson Cano .341,3 HR, 10 RBI , Derek Jeter .314 2 HR , 4 RBI and Alex Rodriguez .279 2 HR 10 RBI.

Yankee Stadium Experience: Yankees vs Blue Jays August 2nd 2010

Note : Sorry for the poor picture quality, these came from my cell phone. My camera is having trouble loading the pictures from that game.

As a student when I plan to attend a ball game, I end up sitting in either the grandstand or bleachers. My ticket plan is in the bleachers since that's almost all I can afford,but i love the view and coverage from the elements in the grandstand. On this trip I was sitting on the field level, as a birthday gift from my parents.

I left my house later then usual and was afraid of the traffic, but their was no traffic up until the RFK bridge when a bit of congestion at the toll booth delayed the trip, but we were still making good timing.

I made it into the stadium at around 6:40pm, too late for batting practice but still enough time to grab something to eat before the first pitch. I still haven't tried the Lobel steak sandwich and figured on my birthday was the best time to try it. I headed from the right field side of field level to the left field side to the Lobels stand. About two sections away I saw a random line in the middle of the concourse. I continued to walk towards the stand an I realized that it was the line for Lobels. The line was two sections long ! I understand that it is suppose to be amazing but I was not about to waste two or three innings on the line.

I headed back to my seats in right field, but stopped at section 116 for food. The highlander concession stand there had sliders and fries. Now most of the concessions at the new Yankee Stadium had high expectations and had fallen short for many. For myself when it comes to the concessions I feel they are grossly overpriced and the food isn't that great. But aside from the griping the sliders and fries might be the best deal in the stadium. You get three sliders (Buffalo chicken, beef or fried chicken your choice) and Nathans fries for $12, a steal by Yankee Stadium standards !

While I was on the line I saw a guy in dress pants and a cashmere sweater, I understand I was on field level but who would really wear that to a Yankee game? Even if your coming from work, that is something that has bothered me more and more about the new Yankee Stadium.

Anyways I finally made it back to my seat in section 110, row 29 (seats 13-15 my family was in) right in time for the national anthem. I finally sit down after all the wondering around on field level and I realized the seats we were in were obstructed ! It never said it at all on the tickets, that were ordered from Ticketmaster the first day Yanks tickets had gone on sale to the public. The section to my left (section 111) had a handicap section behind the seats. When I would look towards home plate I couldn't see the batter, all I could see was the pitcher. My mother was furious and went to complain. After an inning she came back angry and was told by the Yankees ticket office that they couldn't do anything.

The obstruction was so bad, and I was not about to sit through the entire game missing the batter especially since the face value on these seats were $90. So I made my way to the Yankees ticket office, I made sure to take picture of the obstruction. In the great hall their was no line so I talked to a guy at the ticket window who was surprisingly kind. At first he seemed skeptical that the seats were obstructed, but then I showed him the picture on my phone. He headed into the back to talk to a supervisor and when he came back he brought out new tickets in section 117A free of charge. So for all the bad press that the Yanks get about the raised ticket prices, the obstructed views and general un-fan friendliness they did get something right by switching my seats.

Section 117A has a pretty sweet view, right behind the Yanks dugout so I was able to get some real nice shots. The other cool thing is that in field level there is waiter service so you can order food and not miss any of the game. I ordered a Brother Jimmy's pulled pork sandwich that came pretty quick. The sandwich was really good and I would get it again in the future even with the $12 price tag.

The game itself was entertaining and frustrating. The Yanks had a 1 run lead until A.J Burnett imploded and gave up a record setting six doubles in the fifth inning. The Yanks attempted a come back but it fell short, Nick Swisher did hit a pair of home runs and Lance Berkman had his first RBI as a Yankee. The other upside was that Sergio Mitre,David Robertson, Boone Logan and Joba Chamberlain all pitched  scoreless innings.

A-Rod didn't hit 600, it should be noted that each time Alex was up most of the stadium was standing while section 117A and most of field level were still sitting. In fact at times it felt strange that I was one of the few fans to really stand up and cheer during certain events during the game. But I guess that is since they usually keep those types of fans out with the $300 price tag. A-Rod didn't get a hit in five at bats, striking out twice and grounding out the other times.

The final score of the game was Blue Jays 8 Yankees 6. Nick Swisher homered twice and almost had a third but it was a long fly to the wall. Following the game, while in my car I saw Nick Swisher in the car next to me. I yelled out to Swish and he nodded over and waved, he also stopped a few times to sign autographs for fans. What can you say bad about Swisher? Nothing he plays great and is great with the fans.

The field level experience at the new Yankee Stadium may not be worth the money if you actually have to pay $300 or you get with obstructed view seats (Don't ever buy section 110, row 29 , seats 13-15). But the view on field level in the infield is great, the option to order food from your seat although a limited menu is also a great way not to miss a pitch and the plush cushioned seats are comfortable.

My next game is August 9th in the bleachers against the Boston Red Sox, so expect a post with what was going on in the stands.

2010 Old Timers Day

It was that special time of the summer, when all the Yankees greats gathered in the Bronx to hear their names called one more time. Old Timers Day 2010 (For the remainder of the post it will be referred to as OTD) was more somber than most, with the passing off George Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard this past week. OTD is still a special event that only the Yankees could pull off with all the legendary players that have wore the pinstripes, outside of Opening Day,OTD might be my favorite game.

I had purchased the tickets to the game earlier in the week as a present for my father,following the deaths of two Yankee icons I knew it would be a special day. The draw back was I made the purchase on stubhub so I got stuck with crappy print out tickets.

Once I had arrived around the stadium, the crowd was larger than for most games, even arriving 30 minutes prior to the start of the OTD ceremonys. I got to my seats in section 417 and noticed that the Yanks now have a new Budweiser ad out in left field (Yes something only a Yankee nerd would notice) and that the outfield grass that had been torn up and looking dry from the boxing match back in early June, looked alot better.

The great part about sitting in the grandstand is that after row 5 you are covered from the elements, and if you are sitting near the top of the section you get a nice breeze. The breeze and being covered from the sun was a must for today with how hot it was. Prior to the start of the OTD ceremony, I spotted a gentleman wearing a "Costanza" 00 Yankees Jersey, making what I assume is a reference to Seinfeld. Since Seinfeld is one of my favorite shows, this had made my day.

As always the OTD festivities were well done, they honored the 1950 championship team and had moments of silence for the Boss and Sheppard, along with a video tribute for Bob. On a sad note Yogi Berra was unable to attend since he fell in his home yesterday. Berra was sore, but was fine other wise. I was surprised this year, it seemed like a lot of recent old timers were not there ( Strawberry, David Wells, Willie Randolph, Paul O'neill,Al Leiter, Dave Winfield, and that is just to name a few).

In what was a very classy move the Yanks introduced Bob Sheppard's wife last and all the old timers, many of whom had their names announced by Sheppard, crowded around her. The game its self is always fun to watch, possibly for the wrong reasons. I find it hysterical watching the old players out there trying to play like they did back in the day. Mickey Rivers hit a ball all the way to the warning track in right center field, which impressed me. With how hot it was out, I was surprised to see many of the old timers taking part in the game.

Between the OTD game and the current Yankees game I went to get food and get away from the annoying lady sitting next to me. I felt like I was at the old stadium up in the grandstand/terrace level it was so packed. The lines for food and the bathroom were long where ever you went, but I was able to find a sausage stand that wasn't too bad. The sausage its self wasn't anything special for eight bucks, but I was glad with the sausage to bun ratio. While we are mentioning concession stands, I feel the need to mention that if you order a drink from rolling cart stand, it comes in a bottle, unlike at the regular concession stand that only have cups and never have tops.

The real game was about to begin and I headed back to my seat in row 13. A.J Burnett gave up a run in the first inning already putting the Yanks in a bit of a hole. Burnett just didn't have it again today and gave up four runs over two innings, and was taken out of the game early because of a cut to his pitching hand.

After A.J departed to boo's from the capacity crowd, Dustin Moseley came in and pitched alright for his first two innings of work even though he threw a lot of balls. Finally in his third inning of work, Moseley fell apart and gave Tampa Bay a 8-2 lead and with the six run advantage many fans headed to the exits.

I stayed to the final out of the Rays 10-5 beating of the Yanks, and here are a few notes about the Yanks.

•  Jeter dropped his season average to .269 and left six base runner stranded.
• Robinson Cano ripped a ball to left field for a double and his only hit. Cano has such great power the other way, makes sense why he hits so well at Fenway Park.
• Burnett's record is now below .500 at 7-8
• During the 7th inning stretch, to honor Bob Sheppard they had a recording of him singing "Let me call you sweetheart"

When Jorge Posada grounded out to the pitcher in the bottom of the 9th it marked the end of a long day of baseball. It takes a true hardcore baseball fan to be able to endure a long day of baseball, even though the Yanks lost it was well worth it.