Talkin Baseball Podcast

Here is the latest Talkin Baseball: The Hot Corner, we talked with Drew Fairservice from Ghostrunneronfirst.com about the Blue Jays coming to the Bronx. We of course talked about the Fred Wilpon comments and all the latest chatter about the Yanks.

Enjoy... and remember to check out the show live every Tuesday  from 7-9pm on WCWPSports.org

(Remember to click on to click on the tab to get the drop down bar and click the correct interview and episode.)

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

Have fans lost interest in the Subway Series?

As we mentioned in yesterdays post, this is the 15th season that interleague play has been apart of baseball, of course the traditionalists hate it, but attendance proves otherwise. Adding to that attendance is match ups with the inter-city rivals, like the Mets and the Yankees. But when last nights contest between the two clubs, didn't sell out and tickets could be had on the cheap on the secondary market, you must question if the rivalry in the stands still matters.

It was alarming to see tickets so cheap for a Subway Series game last night on Stubhub and other markets, but the weather was a factor with the possibility of showers all night. But also remember that tickets were likely on the cheap, because both fans have had their fair share of issues with these teams.

The Yankees have played awful after getting off to a hot start, and as we have noticed tickets haven't been selling this year, even against teams like the Boston Red Sox. If they have an issue against the Red Sox, a team that many would consider a bigger rivalry, then the same issue would be had with the Mets. But it is not just Yankee fans, that have frustrations, Met fans have had a life full of misery. This year isnt much better, as the Mets have had low expectations from the start, but have gotten off to a nice start. But that doesn't mean the Mets fans are looking for some torment at Yankee Stadium, as last year they also got off to a decent start and still fell behind .500.

Even though the Yankees did not consider it a sell out they still sold 47,000 + tickets and it was the largest crowd of the season. In large part, most of the tickets that went unsold were the most expensive seats that have had a problem selling all season. The series, has not lost any of the polish, just the teams have. The fans are still into the game, but high ticket prices and lack luster teams have killed a bit of the polish of the Subway Series in 2011.

Subway Series preview: Looking back and this weekends match ups.

Dave Mlicki beats the Yanks in the first
Subway Series game.

In 1997, the havoc began and 15 years later, the crosstown rivalry continues to grow. Although this season, the Mets are not expected to compete, they have done a fine job of proving the nay-sayers wrong. Both teams roll into the Bronx tonight on a hot streak. The Mets have won six of their last eight, and the Yankees come in riding a three game win streak after bashing the Orioles last night, before we look at this weekends match ups, lets look at the past Subway Series contests.

1997: Yankees take the series 2-1: Yesh! I forgot that they only played one series back then, this one took place at Yankee Stadium. Of course as we all know the great Dave Mlicki won the game the first night, but the Yankees would win the next two. Another strange thing about this series, they were Monday-Wednesday, so they were during the week, and the Wednesday one was a 1pm start.

1998: Yankees take the series 2-1: Once again they only played three games but this time they faced off at Shea Stadium. This is the year they moved the games to the weekends, and this would be the last of just one series.

I still have no clue how Matt Franco beat Mo.

1999: Split the series 3-3: I guess this is when Major League Baseball realized that by having six games, they were guaranteed to sell out each time and each team would get three games at home. This was the year of the famous Mariano Rivera- Matt Franco game in which the Mets pulled the upset on the mighty Yankees and beat the great Mo.

2000: Yankees win regular season 4-2, also win World Series 4-1: This is the year, it was no longer a rivalry for the fans as Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza would turn the rivalry up a notch. The Yankees would win the regular season set, including the first ever double header in which a game took place in each stadium. Aside from Clemens drilling Piazza in his melon, Doc Gooden would get some revenge beating the Mets during the double header. In the World Series, the Yankees would beat the Mets in a closer series then many remember, the Yankees won the series by just five runs and the Clemens-Piazza rivalry would heat up after the rocket man tossed a piece of Piazza's broken bat at the Mets catcher.

(Insert roid rage joke here)

2001: Yankees win series 4-2: The final time the Yankee dynasty team would beat up on the Mets, although the Mets would get revenge at Yankee Stadium beating Mariano Rivera again to pull off a 3-0 victory.

2002: Split the series 3-3: Robin Ventura would return to Shea Stadium after being traded by the Mets to the Yankees, Ventura would hit a go ahead home run against the Mets, helping the Yankees win the game. Also, I can remember that Mo Vaughn, had one of his best Mets moments when he hit a home run off the old Shea Stadium scoreboard, one of the longest home runs I ever saw. This was also the series that Shawn Estes, threw behind Clemens, talk about a few years too late.

2003: Yankees sweep the series 6-0: What can you say about this years series other then everything went right for the Yankees and everything went wrong for the Mets.

2004: Mets (finally) win the series 4-2: Of all the decent Mets teams who would expect the 2004 squad to win the series. They would lose 2 of 3 at Yankee Stadium, but swept the Yanks at Shea Stadium. I will always remember that the Yanks had just swept the Red Sox the series before, and Jeter dove into the stands, but couldn't beat the Mets, I guess that is why you can't predict baseball.

2005: Split the series 3-3: The Mets began to get better, and Dae Sung Koo had a career day against the Yanks, pitching well against them before hitting a double and scoring from second on a sac bunt. The Yanks would get some revenge the next day when they rallied back against  Roberto Hernandez to steal a victory.
 

2006: Split the series 3-3: I consider this year the rebirth of the rivalry since the Mets had the best team in the National League this season and the Yankees had the best in the American. The series began with a bang for Mets fans when David Wright won the first game of the series against Rivera again, but the Yanks would strike back the next day and beat the Mets 5-4, after getting four runs against Billy Wagner in the 9th. Also in the final, crazy game of the series the Yankees bashed the Mets 16-7. The game didnt start until 9:15pm, due to rain and Alex Rodriguez and Paul LoDuca had words after an A-Rod home run.

2007: Yet another split 3-3: The Yanks almost got swept at Shea Stadium, but Tyler Clippard had one of the best outings of his career, beating the Mets, to earn the back page title of "The Yankee Clippard". When the series made its way back to Yankee Stadium, the Mets won the first game thanks to Carlos Gomez robbing a home run, but the Yanks would win the next two to tie the series.

2008: Mets win the series 4-2: One of the worst years for the Yankees, as they lost the series and each game they loss was a blow out for the Mets. The highlight was the Yanks beat Pedro Martinez at Shea Stadium, bring back they "who's your daddy" chant for one night.

2009: Yankees win the series 5-1: The Yankees would sweep the series at Citi Field, and take 2 of 3 at Yankee Stadium, including a 15-0 victory for the bombers. But this year will always be remembered by a dropped pop up from Luis Castillo.

2010: Split the series 3-3: Sadly no dropped pop ups this year, as the clubs split the series at three games apiece. In an odd situation the Yankees and Mets had the same pitching match ups for both series, and each pitching match up was split 1-1, between the clubs.

This year the Yanks have the advantage heading into the first match up of the year, with the pitching match up favoring the Yanks in the Friday and Saturday games (Dickey vs Garcia and Capuano vs Burnett), while Sunday leans towards the Mets (Pelfrey vs Nova). Looking at the match ups between the position players the Yanks have the advantage at ever spot except shortstop (Reyes beats Jeter) and right field (Beltran over Swisher).

NYY Stars and Pinstripes Domain change! Now a Dot Com

As NYY Stars and Pinstripes moves towards our one year anniversary, we figured it is time to add something new and upgrade from being at blogspot, to becoming part of the dot com society. So instead of typing in the old long address at blogspot, you can now simply go to NYYStarsandPinstripes.com .

But don't you worry, NYY Stars and Pinstripes will still bring you the latest Yankees news and discussions about Yankee Stadium. For any suggestions, comments or complaints please feel free to send them to myself on Twitter @NYMoot. Until then enjoy!

High fives around for NYY Stars and Pinstripes

Yankees Link dump 5-18-2011

Hey we finally won!

Saw a few interesting links this morning  I should pass along....

In today's Daily News, Juan Gonzalez writes about the Yankees parking issue. While this is nothing new at all, and has been covered extensively on this site, it was nice to see some stats finally on the 2011 parking. I can't wait for the city to admit they messed up, they can than lower the prices of the lots and possibly knock some of them down and create some park land for the community around the stadium.


Also in The NY Daily News today was an article about how the Jorge Posada-Joe Girardi goes back deeper then just this season, but goes back to 2005 when Girardi was a coach. Apparently they fought over scouting reports and Jorge skipped the meetings, frustrating Girardi then the bench coach. Really interesting stuff, but after this weekend, Posada looks more and more like a diva. Also this "source" that was used makes me wonder if it was John Flaherty, since he would have been apart of those meetings.

Final article on a lighter note is from the NY Times about babies named after Yankees, of course Mickey Mantle is mentioned but naming a kid Jeter? That seems a bit obvious, either way I plan to name my first born Melky after the former Yankee great.

Talkin Baseball: The Hot Corner 5-17-2011

Tuesday means Talkin, Talkin Baseball: The Hot Corner that is, tonight the guys discussed the Yankees struggles and what the bombers could do to improve. Also they talked alot about the whole Jorge Posada issue A.K.A "Posada-gate".

Jason Collette of DRaysBay.com joined the program and talked about the Rays for over 15 minutes, that interview can be heard by simply clicking down on the tab and selecting correctly labeled interview.

For the remained of the show we discussed our favorite Subway Series moments along with what the Mets have done since we last left off.

At the end we did the weekly true/false segment and finished it off with our POW's and WOW's.

Enjoy and remember to tune in live every Tuesday from 7-9pm on WCWPSports.org