Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Yankee Stadium vs. Citi Field
Although I’m strapped for cash (like the rest of the world) I decided that visiting both new stadiums early in their fledgling seasons should be a priority for me. While I’m obviously a fan of baseball and sports in general, I’m also an avid stadium and arena enthusiast. I explored the ins and the outs of both stadiums, and the following is how the head-to-head match-up played out:
Beer - We’ll start off with a must have at every baseball game – the suds. Both stadiums offer 12 oz. Bud Lights at a somewhat reasonable $6, but if I wanted to drink a bottle of water, I could pay two dollars less. Behind centerfield at Citi, there are a host of food and beverage options, including the Beer Garden, which offers over 20 different varieties of beer for $8 a piece. I tried some California Kona Lager, which wasn’t spectacular, but I won’t hold that against Citi Field. That was my own fault.
Yankee Stadium had a stand with bottled beers, such as Yuengling and Coors, for $8.50 and a one called “Beers of the World” with 16 ouncers on tap for $11. The edge here goes to Citi for both price and selection. Edge - Mets
Ambiance – My favorite part of Citi Field was the entrance way. The Jackie Robinson Rotunda is unlike anything I have ever seen at any other ballpark. It is basically just a large room with some banners, but pretty cool nonetheless. However, as you may have heard elsewhere, looking around the stadium, you wouldn’t know that you were at the home of the Mets. There is no memorabilia commemorating the great teams and players of Mets’ past, and for this they lose points. I don’t go to the ball park just to just see a baseball game, I want the complete experience. Particularly when the Mets are playing as poorly as they are right now, having lost four in a row, I may need a reminder of why I invest so much time and energy in my team.
The new Yankee Stadium, on the other hand, was filled with history. Life size posters of all the MVPs can be found in the Main Level halls and they kept the wonderful façade in tact. Although there are less seats in the new stadium than the old, the place is enormous. It took me two innings just to walk around the stadium. Unfortunately, the stadium lacked something for me. It lacks the “ghosts.” I remember the first time I walked into the old Yankee Stadium at the ripe age of 10, being completely awestruck. Perhaps my advanced age plays into this, but I don’t think the energy from the old stadium has made its way across the street yet. There were too many empty seats behind home plate (we can blame high ticket prices and the economy for this, which is a different topic altogether) and I just didn’t get that feeling. Hopefully, as the playoffs near, this will change. Edge – Tie.
Food – The food selection at both stadiums was phenomenal, but I don’t think I can in good faith pass judgment on the food quality in the stadiums as a whole yet. At Citi Field, I went with the barbecue stand. The Chipotle Barbecue chicken wings and pulled pork sandwich I sampled were both excellent. At Yankee Stadium, however, I went the traditional route with a hotdog with mustard and onions and a soft pretzel. Both stadiums had much more to offer though – Italian, Japanese, Yankee Stadium even has the beloved Johnny Rockets. Without a larger sample set, this one is still up for debate. Edge – TBD.
Visual Amenities– Both stadiums have all of the high-tech up-to-date viewing pleasures you could possibly want. Out of town scoreboards, large replay screens, you name it, they got it. However, the Yankees get the edge for two reasons. 1. The Jumbotron – I would imagine this is the largest Jumbotron at any Major League Baseball park. It is HUGE. It can be seen in (what seems like high definition) from anywhere in the park. You don’t have to strain to watch replays or see a player’s stats. It’s pretty ridiculous. 2. Old School Scoreboard – The Yankees goal was to integrate the new technology with the old sense of nostalgia, and they’ve done a pretty good job of it. In left center field, they have the old school scoreboard with the guy behind the fence that has to manually change the numbers every inning. I appreciated this solely because I thought what a great job that would be. This is how I would imagine my life would be if I was that scoreboard guy:
(I’m at a swanky bar in Manhattan and I approach a good looking lady)
Me : Hi, I’m Scott, what’s your name?
Girl: I’m Jennifer. What do you do for a living Scott?
Me: I’m the manual scoreboard changing guy at Yankee Stadium.
Girl: Want to come home with me?
Me: Sure.
Edge: Yankees
Ballpark Sightlines: I have heard a lot of people complain about the blind spots at Citi Field, but from my perspective, it looked like they’re even worse at Yankee Stadium. From where I sat, in the upper deck in the right field corner, I could not see the home run that Robinson Cano hit down the line, or a couple of the doubles that hit the wall. Of course, I was able to watch the replay on the unfathomably large Jumbotron, but it’s not the same. Also, I noticed that if you are sitting in the bleachers in dead centerfield, you literally cannot see half of the field. There is a restaurant section that juts out into the bleacher section and if you’re sitting right next to it, then you are blind to an entire half of the field. When buying tickets, beware of this and make sure you check out where your seats are before you purchase them. In Citi Field, I was in the upper deck down the left field line and could see everything perfectly. I suppose it is different in certain sections, but for now Citi Field wins. Edge – Mets.
Travel – I’ve realized that taking the train from Jersey to any of the ball parks in New York is a pain in the ass. It literally took me three hours to get home from the Yankee Stadium, taking the subway, the train to Morristown and then the drive to Whitehouse Station. Not to mention, I was sitting in Swine Flu infested trains with a bunch of Swine Flu infested people and annoying Long Islanders. The trip on the LIRR seemed a little smoother, but annoying nonetheless. Edge – Both suck. Drive with a bunch of people, brave the traffic and split the $30 parking.
Stadium Name - Although I going with Citi to be their sponsor was being pretty clever, because Citi Field isn't as harsh on the ears as the Izod Center, for example, nothing can compete with Yankee Stadium. Kudos to the Steinbrenners for not messing that up. Edge - Yankees.
Overall – It’s tough to pick a winner, because both are beautiful, but I expected more from Yankee Stadium. I expected to be blown away, and I wasn’t. My mindset was different at Citi Field, just looking to have a fun day at the ball park with some buddies and I didn’t have as much invested in the game. For those who are worried about price, though, don’t. Of course you won’t get tickets in the lower levels for anything below $50, but I spent a total of $35 to get into BOTH games. So, I encourage you all to get to both stadiums and pass your own judgments, but due to unfulfilled expectations, I unfortunately have to give Citi Field the win. Edge – Mets.
Beer - We’ll start off with a must have at every baseball game – the suds. Both stadiums offer 12 oz. Bud Lights at a somewhat reasonable $6, but if I wanted to drink a bottle of water, I could pay two dollars less. Behind centerfield at Citi, there are a host of food and beverage options, including the Beer Garden, which offers over 20 different varieties of beer for $8 a piece. I tried some California Kona Lager, which wasn’t spectacular, but I won’t hold that against Citi Field. That was my own fault.
Yankee Stadium had a stand with bottled beers, such as Yuengling and Coors, for $8.50 and a one called “Beers of the World” with 16 ouncers on tap for $11. The edge here goes to Citi for both price and selection. Edge - Mets
Ambiance – My favorite part of Citi Field was the entrance way. The Jackie Robinson Rotunda is unlike anything I have ever seen at any other ballpark. It is basically just a large room with some banners, but pretty cool nonetheless. However, as you may have heard elsewhere, looking around the stadium, you wouldn’t know that you were at the home of the Mets. There is no memorabilia commemorating the great teams and players of Mets’ past, and for this they lose points. I don’t go to the ball park just to just see a baseball game, I want the complete experience. Particularly when the Mets are playing as poorly as they are right now, having lost four in a row, I may need a reminder of why I invest so much time and energy in my team.
The new Yankee Stadium, on the other hand, was filled with history. Life size posters of all the MVPs can be found in the Main Level halls and they kept the wonderful façade in tact. Although there are less seats in the new stadium than the old, the place is enormous. It took me two innings just to walk around the stadium. Unfortunately, the stadium lacked something for me. It lacks the “ghosts.” I remember the first time I walked into the old Yankee Stadium at the ripe age of 10, being completely awestruck. Perhaps my advanced age plays into this, but I don’t think the energy from the old stadium has made its way across the street yet. There were too many empty seats behind home plate (we can blame high ticket prices and the economy for this, which is a different topic altogether) and I just didn’t get that feeling. Hopefully, as the playoffs near, this will change. Edge – Tie.
Food – The food selection at both stadiums was phenomenal, but I don’t think I can in good faith pass judgment on the food quality in the stadiums as a whole yet. At Citi Field, I went with the barbecue stand. The Chipotle Barbecue chicken wings and pulled pork sandwich I sampled were both excellent. At Yankee Stadium, however, I went the traditional route with a hotdog with mustard and onions and a soft pretzel. Both stadiums had much more to offer though – Italian, Japanese, Yankee Stadium even has the beloved Johnny Rockets. Without a larger sample set, this one is still up for debate. Edge – TBD.
Visual Amenities– Both stadiums have all of the high-tech up-to-date viewing pleasures you could possibly want. Out of town scoreboards, large replay screens, you name it, they got it. However, the Yankees get the edge for two reasons. 1. The Jumbotron – I would imagine this is the largest Jumbotron at any Major League Baseball park. It is HUGE. It can be seen in (what seems like high definition) from anywhere in the park. You don’t have to strain to watch replays or see a player’s stats. It’s pretty ridiculous. 2. Old School Scoreboard – The Yankees goal was to integrate the new technology with the old sense of nostalgia, and they’ve done a pretty good job of it. In left center field, they have the old school scoreboard with the guy behind the fence that has to manually change the numbers every inning. I appreciated this solely because I thought what a great job that would be. This is how I would imagine my life would be if I was that scoreboard guy:
(I’m at a swanky bar in Manhattan and I approach a good looking lady)
Me : Hi, I’m Scott, what’s your name?
Girl: I’m Jennifer. What do you do for a living Scott?
Me: I’m the manual scoreboard changing guy at Yankee Stadium.
Girl: Want to come home with me?
Me: Sure.
Edge: Yankees
Ballpark Sightlines: I have heard a lot of people complain about the blind spots at Citi Field, but from my perspective, it looked like they’re even worse at Yankee Stadium. From where I sat, in the upper deck in the right field corner, I could not see the home run that Robinson Cano hit down the line, or a couple of the doubles that hit the wall. Of course, I was able to watch the replay on the unfathomably large Jumbotron, but it’s not the same. Also, I noticed that if you are sitting in the bleachers in dead centerfield, you literally cannot see half of the field. There is a restaurant section that juts out into the bleacher section and if you’re sitting right next to it, then you are blind to an entire half of the field. When buying tickets, beware of this and make sure you check out where your seats are before you purchase them. In Citi Field, I was in the upper deck down the left field line and could see everything perfectly. I suppose it is different in certain sections, but for now Citi Field wins. Edge – Mets.
Travel – I’ve realized that taking the train from Jersey to any of the ball parks in New York is a pain in the ass. It literally took me three hours to get home from the Yankee Stadium, taking the subway, the train to Morristown and then the drive to Whitehouse Station. Not to mention, I was sitting in Swine Flu infested trains with a bunch of Swine Flu infested people and annoying Long Islanders. The trip on the LIRR seemed a little smoother, but annoying nonetheless. Edge – Both suck. Drive with a bunch of people, brave the traffic and split the $30 parking.
Stadium Name - Although I going with Citi to be their sponsor was being pretty clever, because Citi Field isn't as harsh on the ears as the Izod Center, for example, nothing can compete with Yankee Stadium. Kudos to the Steinbrenners for not messing that up. Edge - Yankees.
Overall – It’s tough to pick a winner, because both are beautiful, but I expected more from Yankee Stadium. I expected to be blown away, and I wasn’t. My mindset was different at Citi Field, just looking to have a fun day at the ball park with some buddies and I didn’t have as much invested in the game. For those who are worried about price, though, don’t. Of course you won’t get tickets in the lower levels for anything below $50, but I spent a total of $35 to get into BOTH games. So, I encourage you all to get to both stadiums and pass your own judgments, but due to unfulfilled expectations, I unfortunately have to give Citi Field the win. Edge – Mets.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Mark Tex-Share-A the Homers
Of the four major sports, it is popularly believed that baseball is the most individual of all. It is also believed, however, that one single player cannot make an entire team better. For example, in basketball, Lebron James is said to be the best layer in the league because of his ability to take his entire team up a notch. Mo Williams has been one of the best scorers in the league for Cavs this year because of Lebron's ability to create opportunities for him. In football, Tom Brady's pin point accuracy and football IQ made the Patriots entire offense that much more productive. In baseball, however, it's widely accepted that one player can only do what he can do, and doesn't have much of an impact on the rest of his team. To this, I say "Nay!" A baseball line-up is much more than nine individual players looking to pad their stats each night. It is a living, breathing organism which works as one to manufacture as many runs as possible. One phenomenal player's abilities go far beyond his own stats. Hall-of-Fame caliber players can impact an entire game, even when they're not at the plate. Upon deep review of the following case studies lurk the wonderful strategy and mystique of this thinking man's sport.
Two case studies in particular prove the impact that one player can have on an entire line-up. Mark Teixeira struggled early this season, but upon the arrival of Alex Rodriguez, he has turned into one of the best players in the league. Through the first 25 games while Rodriguez was on the Disabled List, Teixeira hit a measly .192. This is incredibly disappointing production from a player the Yankees invested $180 million in. However, Teixeira has been on a tear since Rodriguez's return, hitting .342 with five home runs and 13 RBIs. Rodriguez now hits clean-up in the order behind Teixeira at third, and although Rodriguez did not start the season on fire, his reputation still preceeds him. Opposing pitchers must be cognizant of Rodriguez's potential to hit the ball out of the stadium on any pitch, and thus, they cannot afford to pitch around Teixeira, risking a walk. Teixeira is seeing more fastballs and he's clearly taking advantage.
Still not convinced about the impact one player can have on a team? Admittedly, it was a given that Mark Teixeira was eventually going to turn it around. Let's put an entire career into perspective then. David Ortiz. To date, Big Papi has had an awful season. He's hitting .208, but most shockingly, he's yet to hit a home run. Is his offensive drought due to his age? No. While he may be beyond his prime, nobody could have expected his offensive production to decline this much. Did he stop taking steroids? Possibly, but testing has been in effect for the past four years, so there would have been no reason for him to stop now. The reason is one word: Manny. Since Manny Ramirez fled to Hollywood, Ortiz's safety blanket is gone. Kevin Youkilis now hits in the fourth spot for the Red Sox, and in his absence since his injury, Jason Bay has held that spot down. Youkilis and Bay are very good offensive players, but they don't instill fear in pitchers like Manny can.
Even as a young player, prior to Ortiz's arrival in Boston in 2003, Ortiz did not hit as well as he did with the Red Sox and Manny. From 1997-2002 with the Twins, Ortiz hit a home run in every 25.47 at bats. With the Red Sox from 2003-2008, he averaged one home run every 13.65 at bats. That's almost twice as often. That's not to mention baseball's most important intangible - clutch hitting. Ortiz was arguably the most clutch hitter in the game with the Red Sox for the past six years. I cringe thinking about how he smacked the Yankees around. Now, he's fallen off the radar. Things have gotten so bad for Ortiz that he just took an entire weekend series off. He's not hurt, he's just taking a break. This is unheard of for baseball's superstars, but Red Sox manager Terry Francona wanted to give Ortiz a chance to "clear his head."
Clearly, A-Rod and Manny are the two best hitters on the planet, and the proof is in the pudding. Their own offensive numbers are well documented. Both clobber the ball and get more extra base hits than Derek Jeter and John Mayer get Maxim Top 100 Women (albeit, just barely.) But the impact they have on their teammates cannot go unnoticed. The Yankees probably planned on getting about 50 home runs per season out of Rodriguez, but also knew they could tack on another ten dingers to whoever is hitting in front of him in the order. Justifying a $300 million salary to play a game is an impossible task, but in baseball terms, this argument does bring to light just how important Manny and A-Rod are, and ultimately adds to their legacy.
Two case studies in particular prove the impact that one player can have on an entire line-up. Mark Teixeira struggled early this season, but upon the arrival of Alex Rodriguez, he has turned into one of the best players in the league. Through the first 25 games while Rodriguez was on the Disabled List, Teixeira hit a measly .192. This is incredibly disappointing production from a player the Yankees invested $180 million in. However, Teixeira has been on a tear since Rodriguez's return, hitting .342 with five home runs and 13 RBIs. Rodriguez now hits clean-up in the order behind Teixeira at third, and although Rodriguez did not start the season on fire, his reputation still preceeds him. Opposing pitchers must be cognizant of Rodriguez's potential to hit the ball out of the stadium on any pitch, and thus, they cannot afford to pitch around Teixeira, risking a walk. Teixeira is seeing more fastballs and he's clearly taking advantage.
Still not convinced about the impact one player can have on a team? Admittedly, it was a given that Mark Teixeira was eventually going to turn it around. Let's put an entire career into perspective then. David Ortiz. To date, Big Papi has had an awful season. He's hitting .208, but most shockingly, he's yet to hit a home run. Is his offensive drought due to his age? No. While he may be beyond his prime, nobody could have expected his offensive production to decline this much. Did he stop taking steroids? Possibly, but testing has been in effect for the past four years, so there would have been no reason for him to stop now. The reason is one word: Manny. Since Manny Ramirez fled to Hollywood, Ortiz's safety blanket is gone. Kevin Youkilis now hits in the fourth spot for the Red Sox, and in his absence since his injury, Jason Bay has held that spot down. Youkilis and Bay are very good offensive players, but they don't instill fear in pitchers like Manny can.
Even as a young player, prior to Ortiz's arrival in Boston in 2003, Ortiz did not hit as well as he did with the Red Sox and Manny. From 1997-2002 with the Twins, Ortiz hit a home run in every 25.47 at bats. With the Red Sox from 2003-2008, he averaged one home run every 13.65 at bats. That's almost twice as often. That's not to mention baseball's most important intangible - clutch hitting. Ortiz was arguably the most clutch hitter in the game with the Red Sox for the past six years. I cringe thinking about how he smacked the Yankees around. Now, he's fallen off the radar. Things have gotten so bad for Ortiz that he just took an entire weekend series off. He's not hurt, he's just taking a break. This is unheard of for baseball's superstars, but Red Sox manager Terry Francona wanted to give Ortiz a chance to "clear his head."
Clearly, A-Rod and Manny are the two best hitters on the planet, and the proof is in the pudding. Their own offensive numbers are well documented. Both clobber the ball and get more extra base hits than Derek Jeter and John Mayer get Maxim Top 100 Women (albeit, just barely.) But the impact they have on their teammates cannot go unnoticed. The Yankees probably planned on getting about 50 home runs per season out of Rodriguez, but also knew they could tack on another ten dingers to whoever is hitting in front of him in the order. Justifying a $300 million salary to play a game is an impossible task, but in baseball terms, this argument does bring to light just how important Manny and A-Rod are, and ultimately adds to their legacy.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Shut up Roger Clemens, just shut up
Note: Not all of the stories in this blog will be about steroids. It's just the hot topic right now.
On Tuesday morning, Roger Clemens appeared on the "Mike and Mike in the Morning" radio show on ESPN radio to refute the claims that he took performance enhancing drugs. The topic has made its way to the forefront of the sports world again because a book entitled "American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime" hits the book stores this week. Clemens failed to convince the masses that he didn't cheat, but he did manage to dig himself a hole that even his roid pumped body can fit in.
Although the accusations of his steroid use were made about a year and a half ago when the Mitchell Report was released, Clemens still attempted to bring new evidence of his innocence to light.
When asked if Brian McNamee ever injected him with steroids, Clemens said, "He’s never injected me with HGH or steroids. You know guys, let me just add to it. Common sense…our family has a history of heart conditions. My brother had a heart attack in his late 40’s, my step-dad died of a heart attack."
Unless new cutting edge research has recently surfaced that I'm unaware of, step fathers have nothing to do with family medical history. Clemens, a multi-millionaire, hired a public relations firm to help him deal with the release of the new book and to help guide him while he pleads his case. This means that everything he says is vetted in front of these public relations gurus who are getting paid hundreds of dollars an hour. I guess that one slipped through the cracks.
Andy Pettitte, who admitted to taking performance enhancers."once or twice" also said that Clemens took them. On this topic, Clemens said, "Andy misremembers and there’s only been a couple of times I’ve been in contact with Andy since then because of the legal issues and we’ll let that play out, we’ll let that play out that’s all I can say about it." Andy misremembers? Pettitte had nothing to gain from outing Clemens. He said what he said because he is a good ol' Christian boy who can't tell a lie.
Roger, you took steroids. You know it, I know it, and Mindy McCready, the 15-year-old aspiring singer you allegedly had a decade long affair with knows it. At one point in time, you were the best pitcher on the planet and you were beloved by the home fans and despised by your rivals for your unmatched work ethic and dedication to the game. Now, you've taken an extremely ungraceful fall from grace, but you still can't avoid the spot light. You continue to deny the use of steroids for the same reason you took them in the first place - you crave the attention. Your legacy is now in question and depending on how voters feel in five years, you may never make the Hall of Fame, despite having Hall of Fame talent before you cheated. Now you're embarrassing yourself even more as you shamelessly continue to lie to America. It's time to put your tail between your legs, go home to your ranch in Houston and sit on the stacks of money that you fraudulantly earned.
It's well documented that all of your kids first names start with the letter 'K' because you were indeed the king of strike outs. Well, if the steroids haven't left you sterile, and you have another kid, here are a couple of suggestions so your child's name can truly reflect your real legacy: Kon artist and Krook.
On Tuesday morning, Roger Clemens appeared on the "Mike and Mike in the Morning" radio show on ESPN radio to refute the claims that he took performance enhancing drugs. The topic has made its way to the forefront of the sports world again because a book entitled "American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime" hits the book stores this week. Clemens failed to convince the masses that he didn't cheat, but he did manage to dig himself a hole that even his roid pumped body can fit in.
Although the accusations of his steroid use were made about a year and a half ago when the Mitchell Report was released, Clemens still attempted to bring new evidence of his innocence to light.
When asked if Brian McNamee ever injected him with steroids, Clemens said, "He’s never injected me with HGH or steroids. You know guys, let me just add to it. Common sense…our family has a history of heart conditions. My brother had a heart attack in his late 40’s, my step-dad died of a heart attack."
Unless new cutting edge research has recently surfaced that I'm unaware of, step fathers have nothing to do with family medical history. Clemens, a multi-millionaire, hired a public relations firm to help him deal with the release of the new book and to help guide him while he pleads his case. This means that everything he says is vetted in front of these public relations gurus who are getting paid hundreds of dollars an hour. I guess that one slipped through the cracks.
Andy Pettitte, who admitted to taking performance enhancers."once or twice" also said that Clemens took them. On this topic, Clemens said, "Andy misremembers and there’s only been a couple of times I’ve been in contact with Andy since then because of the legal issues and we’ll let that play out, we’ll let that play out that’s all I can say about it." Andy misremembers? Pettitte had nothing to gain from outing Clemens. He said what he said because he is a good ol' Christian boy who can't tell a lie.
Roger, you took steroids. You know it, I know it, and Mindy McCready, the 15-year-old aspiring singer you allegedly had a decade long affair with knows it. At one point in time, you were the best pitcher on the planet and you were beloved by the home fans and despised by your rivals for your unmatched work ethic and dedication to the game. Now, you've taken an extremely ungraceful fall from grace, but you still can't avoid the spot light. You continue to deny the use of steroids for the same reason you took them in the first place - you crave the attention. Your legacy is now in question and depending on how voters feel in five years, you may never make the Hall of Fame, despite having Hall of Fame talent before you cheated. Now you're embarrassing yourself even more as you shamelessly continue to lie to America. It's time to put your tail between your legs, go home to your ranch in Houston and sit on the stacks of money that you fraudulantly earned.
It's well documented that all of your kids first names start with the letter 'K' because you were indeed the king of strike outs. Well, if the steroids haven't left you sterile, and you have another kid, here are a couple of suggestions so your child's name can truly reflect your real legacy: Kon artist and Krook.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
On Manny Ramirez
Perfect timing. The pressure is off of A-Rod. He can come back to the line-up today and avoid the media firestorm, because now Manny Ramirez has also been caught with performance enhancing drugs. As a die hard Yankee fan, Manny has been a Hispanic thorn in my ass for the past 10 years. He broke the curse. He won two World Series with Boston, spurring them to create one of the worst phrases I've ever heard - Red Sox Nation. He's an arrogant, pompous, self-inflating ego-maniac who admittedly will play for the team that gives him the most money, even if it's the Tokyo Teabaggers. From a sports enthusiast's perspective (and near-purist) he represents everything negative about professional sports in America today. So why do I sit here, devasted over this?
For some strange reason, deep down in my heart I've always had a special place for Manny Ramirez. Of course, as described above, I have every reason to hate the guy. I should be rubbing it in every Rod Sox fans' face that yes, now it's official, Manny was juicing when the Red Sox won their titles. I should be relieved that it's not just Alex Rodriguez who has to shoulder the load of baseball's bad boy anymore. But I'm not. For some odd reason, I have always respected Manny Ramirez more than anyone else in professional sports. Why? It's two-fold: His honesty and his swing."
That's just Manny being Manny," is a phrase every baseball fan has heard. Unlike Alex Rodriguez and (God, you can send me straight to hell for this) Derek Jeter, Manny doesn't care about his image. He tells it like it is. Sure, he shoved a 60-year-old Red Sox assistant. Oh, "that's just Manny being Manny." So what if he quit on his team half way through the season last year, only to be traded and continue to go on to a devastating offensive tear right through the National League Championship Series. "That's just Manny being Manny." He doesn't care. He simply goes about his business, not caring what the world has to say about him. There is something professional and even admirable about this, in a world where image is everything and everyone sneaks around behind each other's back, making sure not to say the wrong thing to the wrong person.
From the right side of the plate, I challenge anyone to find a sweeter swing than Manny's. When Manny connects with a high hanging breaking ball and smashes it over the Green Monster, or now into the hot California breeze, it's near-perfection. They say the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball, but at times, Manny made it look like he was hitting off of a tee. Manny tends to admire his work after hitting a home run a little longer than is sportingly acceptable. You would too if you could hit the ball 500 feet with the grace and artistic style of a Greek Titan.
But now, it's all for naught. Baseball was the most glorious sport of all for a guy like me. You could take your rough "manly" sports like football and hockey. I don't care about Lebron James buzzer beaters and windmill dunks. Just give me baseball. The history, the stats, the four hour nine inning games, ground-rule doubles, rally-hats, rally-monkeys, Yogiisms, Big League Chew. Americana. Since the news about A-Roid came out, I had held out hope that maybe Manny and Pujols were not on the juice. Maybe there was a shred of integrity left in my favorite pasttime. Now, Manny has become yet another racing stripe on the shit stain that is Major League Baseball. Everything about him is now false. His obnoxious, morale-killing swagger and his home runs. They're all false. This means both the feelings of hatred and love I had for Manny, have also gone by the way-side, and thus, not only has Manny been suspended for 50 games, but my boyish enthusiasm for a simply complicated game has also been suspended.
So while other Yankee fans rejoice, I have died a little bit more inside. Whether you like him or not, Manny helped define baseball for our generation, and up until now, at the very least, he was clean. As a baseball fan, I have to make a decision. Should I turn my back on a sport that has seemingly turned it's back on me? Self-admittedly, I've always been a little naive to the cut-throat world around me, and I've tried to create in my mind an environment that incubates the pure things in life, all the while denying and shunning the bad. This environment is now continuously deteriorating and the only thing that can help me is a heavy dose of NEDs: Naivete Enhancing Drugs.
For some strange reason, deep down in my heart I've always had a special place for Manny Ramirez. Of course, as described above, I have every reason to hate the guy. I should be rubbing it in every Rod Sox fans' face that yes, now it's official, Manny was juicing when the Red Sox won their titles. I should be relieved that it's not just Alex Rodriguez who has to shoulder the load of baseball's bad boy anymore. But I'm not. For some odd reason, I have always respected Manny Ramirez more than anyone else in professional sports. Why? It's two-fold: His honesty and his swing."
That's just Manny being Manny," is a phrase every baseball fan has heard. Unlike Alex Rodriguez and (God, you can send me straight to hell for this) Derek Jeter, Manny doesn't care about his image. He tells it like it is. Sure, he shoved a 60-year-old Red Sox assistant. Oh, "that's just Manny being Manny." So what if he quit on his team half way through the season last year, only to be traded and continue to go on to a devastating offensive tear right through the National League Championship Series. "That's just Manny being Manny." He doesn't care. He simply goes about his business, not caring what the world has to say about him. There is something professional and even admirable about this, in a world where image is everything and everyone sneaks around behind each other's back, making sure not to say the wrong thing to the wrong person.
From the right side of the plate, I challenge anyone to find a sweeter swing than Manny's. When Manny connects with a high hanging breaking ball and smashes it over the Green Monster, or now into the hot California breeze, it's near-perfection. They say the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball, but at times, Manny made it look like he was hitting off of a tee. Manny tends to admire his work after hitting a home run a little longer than is sportingly acceptable. You would too if you could hit the ball 500 feet with the grace and artistic style of a Greek Titan.
But now, it's all for naught. Baseball was the most glorious sport of all for a guy like me. You could take your rough "manly" sports like football and hockey. I don't care about Lebron James buzzer beaters and windmill dunks. Just give me baseball. The history, the stats, the four hour nine inning games, ground-rule doubles, rally-hats, rally-monkeys, Yogiisms, Big League Chew. Americana. Since the news about A-Roid came out, I had held out hope that maybe Manny and Pujols were not on the juice. Maybe there was a shred of integrity left in my favorite pasttime. Now, Manny has become yet another racing stripe on the shit stain that is Major League Baseball. Everything about him is now false. His obnoxious, morale-killing swagger and his home runs. They're all false. This means both the feelings of hatred and love I had for Manny, have also gone by the way-side, and thus, not only has Manny been suspended for 50 games, but my boyish enthusiasm for a simply complicated game has also been suspended.
So while other Yankee fans rejoice, I have died a little bit more inside. Whether you like him or not, Manny helped define baseball for our generation, and up until now, at the very least, he was clean. As a baseball fan, I have to make a decision. Should I turn my back on a sport that has seemingly turned it's back on me? Self-admittedly, I've always been a little naive to the cut-throat world around me, and I've tried to create in my mind an environment that incubates the pure things in life, all the while denying and shunning the bad. This environment is now continuously deteriorating and the only thing that can help me is a heavy dose of NEDs: Naivete Enhancing Drugs.
About the Author
Name: Scott Miccio
Age: 23
Qualifications: B.A. in Journalism from The College of New Jersey
Sports Team Interests: First and foremost, I do not believe in the intra-city rivalries. So, while I'm a die-hard Yankee fan, I also root for the Mets. The Giants are my passion, but the Jets are also a hobby. I don't pay as much attention to basketball and hockey, but I'll root for all the local teams. The Eagles and Red Sox come in at the very bottom of my list.
Favorite Athletes: I arbitrarily declared Derek Jeter to be my favorite player at the ripe age of nine, before Derek even made it to the major leagues. Clearly, I made a good choice. Now that Derek is nearing the end of his career, I decided it was time to groom someone new to eventually take his place. I've chosen Mark Sanchez.
Mascot Obsession: I have a strange mascot obsession. The Phillie Phanatic is number one in my book. Runners up include Western Kentucky University's Big Red, the Syracuse Orangeman, the Stanford Tree, Wally of the (hated) Boston Red Sox, and the Michigan State Spartan.
Age: 23
Qualifications: B.A. in Journalism from The College of New Jersey
Sports Team Interests: First and foremost, I do not believe in the intra-city rivalries. So, while I'm a die-hard Yankee fan, I also root for the Mets. The Giants are my passion, but the Jets are also a hobby. I don't pay as much attention to basketball and hockey, but I'll root for all the local teams. The Eagles and Red Sox come in at the very bottom of my list.
Favorite Athletes: I arbitrarily declared Derek Jeter to be my favorite player at the ripe age of nine, before Derek even made it to the major leagues. Clearly, I made a good choice. Now that Derek is nearing the end of his career, I decided it was time to groom someone new to eventually take his place. I've chosen Mark Sanchez.
Mascot Obsession: I have a strange mascot obsession. The Phillie Phanatic is number one in my book. Runners up include Western Kentucky University's Big Red, the Syracuse Orangeman, the Stanford Tree, Wally of the (hated) Boston Red Sox, and the Michigan State Spartan.
The Pinstripe Post - A dream in the making
Welcome to The Pinstripe Post, the first ever blog dedicated to New York sports. Okay, it's not the first, and I cannot guarantee it will be the best either. However, I can promise updated content on a consistent basis from the point of view of a New York sports enthusiast. This blog will be an outlet not only for me to express sports opinions, but most importantly for you the readers to converse and debate. Expect wide ranging topics...everything is fair game. One day, I may blog about the possible financial implications of moving the Nets to Newark or Brooklyn, and the next day I may explain how David Wright's voice being so similar to that of Michael Jackson negatively impacts the Mets' chances of ever winning a World Series. I've always wanted to be a sports writer, and since that didn't work out, I'll settle for being a sports blogger. Ultimately, I hope the Pinstripe Post provides not only valid sports insight, but also a laugh and a tear here and there. I hope you enjoy becoming a fan of mine.
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