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Results tagged ' Derek Jeter '
Early off-season yapping
Here we are roughly a month and four days removed from the Yankees' ugly elimination in the American League Championship Series at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, a nasty sweep to end the season.
But Karma, I suppose, always comes back to collect because the Tigers went on to get broomed themselves by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Giants have now captured two world titles in the last three years. What makes it funny to me is the fact that the football Giants and the baseball Giants were both champions in 2012.
The "Romo" factor also made me believe the sports gods work in mysterious ways.
Allow me to explain.
On Oct. 28 the San Francisco Giants closed out the Fall Classic – the same day the New York Giants faced off with the Dallas Cowboys, beating them 29-24. The football Giants defeated a Romo (Tony) while the baseball Giants ended the World Series with another Romo (Sergio) on the mound.
Fascinating. But maybe I'm over-thinking things.
At any rate, the Giants will enter the 2013 season wearing the title of defending champs. As for the Yankees: they remain the last American League team to win the World Series, three years ago in 2009.
Now, all the attention is focused on off-season news, and building the team for next year. There hasn't been a "big bang," so-to-speak, at least not yet. The Yanks' front office hasn't made a blockbuster move, but then again, the off-season is remarkably young.
The Baseball/General Managers Winter Meetings will take place next month in Nashville, so perhaps by the time they conclude, there will be a lot more to consider.
Until then, quite a few minor things around baseball and the Yankee community have transpired.
- Robinson Cano finished fourth in the AL MVP voting while Derek Jeter finished seventh. As much as I wanted to believe either Yankee could win the MVP, no one was beating Miguel Cabrera. The Triple Crown sealed the deal for him. At least Cano and Jeter both captured Silver Sluggers for their respective efforts.
- Just last night, the Yanks and Hiroki Kuroda agreed to a one-year deal. I had read Kuroda, 37, was deciding whether or not to pitch here in the states next season or return to Japan. After such a solid year in pinstripes in 2012, I for one am glad he opted to stay in America – and not just in America, but in the Bronx.
- Mark Teixeira didn't have the best year offensively, but he still proved what a fantastic defender he is at first base, claiming a Gold Glove Award. Cano also took one home – and home to the good old U.S.A., I guess, because he recently became a U.S. citizen.
- Rafael Soriano opted out of his contract, after declining the Yankees' qualifying offer. Good luck, buddy.
- Nick Swisher is as good as gone, also declining a qualifying offer. His absence will obviously create a void in right field the Yankees will need to fill.
- The Yankees' 2012 first round draft pick Ty Hensley favorited a tweet of mine. It was "Skyfall" related. If you haven't been to the movies lately, treat yourself to "Skyfall." It will blow your mind.
- Raul Ibanez wants to come back. Being the player who did the heavy lifting and carried the team toward the end of 2012, he may have earned a chance to play in New York again.
- Two classics, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, have expressed interest in pitching next year. I don't really have any predictions or ideas on what to expect. If anything, Pettitte will come cheap if he returns and Rivera will probably be looking for a sizeable amount of money. I think I'll just kick back and see what happens with these two.
- There will apparently be a Broadway play about the Yankees. I'm not much of a theatre guy, although I have seen "The Lion King," "Beauty & the Beast," and "Mary Poppins" on Broadway in New York. I might have to get some tickets, however, to see this Yankees production. If and when I do, you can be sure I will write a full review of it.
- Ichiro sent some favors to the woman in Seattle who manned the "Ichi-meter." What a guy.
- According to MLB trade rumors, the Yankees (among other teams) are interested in shortstop Stephen Drew and catcher Mike Napoli. Again, I'll kick back and see what happens. Both players would be key additions to any team.
- The Toronto Blue Jays decided they want to try and be contenders. I almost wish the season started tomorrow – that's how anxious I am to see if all these additions pay dividends for them.
There will undoubtedly be a lot more to report on as the off-season continues and the MLB hot stove cooks, or boils, or broils, or bakes, or does whatever the heck it does.
In the meantime, everyone have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Top 12 of 2012
Following the untimely and bitter end of the 2012 season last night, the Yankees are undoubtedly heading back to Yankee Stadium to clean out their lockers, and are going to prepare for what will be about a five month layover until Spring Training kicks up in February.
Now that the season has come to a close, it's time to reflect on everything that made 2012 a great baseball season. There's no need to dwell on the tragic ALCS sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, so instead, let's take a look back at some of the best moments and times of this past season.
Just a note, I'll be including some personal highlights as well; some moments that made it personally a fun season for me, as a writer, a reporter, and most importantly, a fan. Without any further ado, Yankee Yapping is proud to present its Top 12 of 2012!
12. Catching up with Bernie Williams
Believe it or not, one of the best highlights of the season (for me) came before the season even began!
While I was covering a high school girls' basketball game in February, I happened to be sitting next to none other than the former Yankee center fielder, Bernie Williams. His daughter Bea led her team to a win, and getting to sit next to a Yankee legend – and a proud father – while it happened was truly an honor.
Read all about my evening with Bernie here!
11. The return of Andy Pettitte
He had an itch to come back, and he went ahead and scratched it.
In March, retired longtime Yankee favorite Andy Pettitte announced that he would be coming out of retirement. He signed a contract, got back in shape, and unfortunately it didn't work out for him in the end.
Pettitte was sidelined for the majority of the season after getting struck in the left ankle with a come-backer on June 27 – fracturing his fibula.
I've discussed my feelings on the whole "coming-out-of-retirement" spiel, but when Pettitte went down, I legitimately felt bad for him, knowing he wanted to pay dividends for the Yankees. At the very least, however, he pitched well in the postseason, as he always does.
10. Home opener shutout
There is nothing like Opening Day. Spring; the feeling of new life is in the air, and baseball is back.
The Yankees made their home opener this year one to remember, beating Albert Pujols and the LA Angels 5-0 behind a brilliant start from Hiroki Kuroda. The Yankee win was one of the first of their 95 victories in 2012, setting the table for yet another strong, winning campaign.
9. Beating up the BoSox
On April 20 the Yankees' most hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox, honored Fenway Park; their home that turned 100 years old. Red Sox Nation could only hope a nice ceremony and a champagne toast would be followed by a Red Sox win over the Yankees.
No such luck.
The Yankees beat the Red Sox quite decisively, 6-2, ruining their centennial celebration.
And it only got sweeter the next day.
Boston rebounded from the loss with a bang, touching up the Yanks for nine runs through the first six innings. Leading 9-1 in the seventh, the Red Sox had seemingly answered their loss with a win, but things are rarely what they seem in Beantown. The Yanks came back with a vengeance; plating seven runs in the seventh and adding another seven in the eighth, clawing their way back for a huge, 15-9 win over Boston.
Without question those two losses took a lot of air out of Red Sox Nation, and the BoSox went on to have one of their worst seasons since the 1970s.
8. A YES contribution
On June 8 the Yankees absolutely clobbered the Mets, beating their inferior cross-town rivals, 9-1. Robinson Cano led the way with two homers off Mets' ace Johan Santana, and Nick Swisher and Andruw Jones followed with homers of their own.
As a matter of fact, the Yanks smacked three consecutive homers that night.
During the game, I submitted a tweet to the YES Network, and they used it on their "Extra Innings" postgame show – marking the third time they have used my insight on TV.
Hosts Jack Curry and Bob Lorenz even agreed with my comment.
More YES Network action to come later.
7. A win over Atlanta
There's nothing like going out to your first game of the season. It took me a couple months, considering covering Minor League Baseball basically consumed my summer, but on June 18 (three days after my birthday!) I finally got out to the big ballpark in the Bronx.
The Yanks hosted the Atlanta Braves in an inter-league showdown, and backed by a dominant, complete game performance from CC Sabathia, won 6-3. The victory kept a 10-game Yankee winning streak alive; Cano and Mark Teixeira each going yard to pace the Yanks at the plate.
I did get out to one more game on Aug. 31 – yet it wasn't as memorable, the Yankees losing 6-1 to the team they eventually ousted in the ALDS, the Baltimore Orioles.
6. Welcome, Ichiro!
The Yankees made a splash before the trade deadline, acquiring Ichiro from the Seattle Mariners. The 38-year-old veteran outfielder joined the team on July 23, and certainly did a fine job on both sides of the field.
Ichiro played in 67 games for the Yankees – and 162 overall, proving just how durable he really is. In those 67 games in pinstripes he recorded 73 hits and scored 28 runs with 14 stolen bases, 13 doubles, and five homers.
Yes. He's still got it. Much like Derek Jeter, Ichiro has shown he is ageless. And he certainly helped propel the Yankees down the stretch and into the postseason.
Domo arigato, Mr. Suzuki.
5. YES Network Games
Another game, another YES Network appearance.
On Aug. 6, my tweet was used on the YES Network, during their "YES Network Games" competition. Michael Kay even admitted my question was difficult, although he, John Flaherty, and Meredith Marakovits all came up with the correct answer.
It's only too bad the content and nature of the question in a way foreshadowed the season's end.
4. Not so fast, Oakland
The 2012 Yankees had a handful miraculous late-game wins under their belt – maybe not as many as the '09 Yankees – but when the Bombers fought back this season, you could be sure they would win.
Case in point: Sept. 22 at home vs. Oakland.
Tied 5-5 in the top of the 13th, the A's were able to score four times and take a 9-5 lead.
Facing a surefire loss, the Bombers showcased some resiliency, and battled back to knot it up at nine, highlighted by a game-tying, two-run homer off the bat of Raul Ibanez. Ichiro later scored on an error for a 10-9 Yankee victory.
To think, while all this was happening I was hanging out with (of all people) Hulk Hogan.
3. Taking the tour
Game after game, the Yankees sit in their dugout; chill in the clubhouse. On Sept. 30 I got a taste of what that feels like.
The Yankee Stadium tour is offered year-round and on Yankee off-days during the regular season. It was something I had wanted to do for awhile, and I finally had my day.
Read all about my Yankee Stadium tour here!
2. Raul Ibanez's heroics
Baseball in October is sometimes defined as, "unlikely hero." And the Yankees certainly had one this year.
At the end of the regular season and into the postseason, Raul Ibanez proved to be the Yankees' most clutch player. With game-tying and game-winning hits, he made a name for himself and earned the respect and love of all Yankee fans.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth on Oct. 2 vs. Boston, Ibanez slammed a two-run home run, tying it all up, 3-3. Three innings later he came up and sank the Red Sox with a walk-off single – a hit that gave the Yankees a 4-3 win over their humiliated hated rivals, but more importantly, kept them alone in first place in the AL East going into the game number 162 of the regular season.
Talk about enough drama for one season. But it was only the beginning.
Against the Orioles – the team that crept up on the Yanks for first place in the AL East towards the end of the year – in Game 3 of the ALDS, Ibanez put on an encore performance.
Down 2-1 this time in the ninth, Ibanez swung his bat hard, lifting the ball deep into the New York night and into the seats for another incredible, game-tying homer. He came up, again in the 12th, and clubbed another death blow; another long ball to give the Yankees a 3-2 victory, sending the Bronx faithful home with smiles on their faces.
Two game-tyers and two game-winners within eight days of each other. And he still had some left.
Last Saturday in Game 1 of the ALCS when defeat looked imminent, Ibanez tied the game with one swing yet again, taking Detroit closer Jose Valverde's offering into the seats in right field.
Sadly for Ibanez and the Yankees the magic stopped there. But there's no question that Ibanez had the best October of any Yankee player on the roster.
1. Getting past the O's
The ALCS may not have ended the way the Yankees would have hoped for, but if nothing else, they should take winning the ALDS away from this postseason as a huge step in the right direction.
After all, the Yankees had not beaten a team in the ALDS not named the Minnesota Twins since 2001, when they beat the A's. By the numbers, the Yankees were 4-0 vs. the Twins in the ALDS – and 0-5 vs. everyone else. The biggest question on my mind entering October was, "if it's not the Twins, can the Yankees even win?"
Yes, they can. And moving forward, hopefully it gives them confidence. Let's say (hypothetically) the Yankees are up against the Chicago White Sox, or the Texas Rangers, or the Angels – or even the Tigers again in the ALDS next year. With the win over the Orioles this year, they now know they can win an ALDS against a team other than the Twins.
Beating the Orioles may have taken a lot of effort, but perhaps it gave them some knowledge.
Honorable Mention: The Hudson Valley Renegades
As I've written about several times, I had the pleasure of covering the Hudson Valley Renegades this season, a MiLB team. The 'Gades were a huge part of my summer. I spent many nights in the Dutchess Stadium press box, watching the team battle to win after win.
The Renegades went on to beat the Tri-City Valley Cats in the New York-Penn League Championship Series, winning their first league title since 1999 – and only their second league title in team history.
I had so much fun covering the Renegades, and it meant a lot when their manager, Jared Sandberg, told me that not only had he read several of my articles about the team/game recaps, but he was impressed with how well-written they were.
Very encouraging to hear, especially from a former big leaguer and the nephew of a Hall of Famer.
It's tough to say goodbye to the 2012 baseball season, because it was one heck of a time.
My only hope now is that 2013 will be just as awesome.
In peril and fading fast
Funny, how in a matter of 48 hours, everything changes. On Friday Yankee Universe was in a state of euphoria. Fast forward to now and Yankee Universe is in a state of flux.
The Yankees had no times to rest after ousting the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS, but still celebrated with happiness and champagne in the clubhouse. The good feeling of moving on to the last round before the World Series was short-lived however, given the circumstances surrounding the first two games of the American League Championship Series.
New York dropped Game 1 of the ALCS on Saturday night, even after staging an incredible game-tying comeback in the ninth inning, and then proceeded to drop Game 2 yesterday without plating a run.
Just like that, the Yankees are down 0-2 in a best-of-seven, heading into the Motor City.
There are several reasons – well, culprits – for the Yanks' deficit. It's difficult to single out just one player, or one event in which the Yankees squandered a chance to take a lead or win an ALCS game. Therefore, it's only fitting to place the blame on all those who deserve it – basically all of the Yankee hitters that are guilty of folding in key spots.
Nick Swisher
On Saturday in the top of the 12th, the game tied 4-4, Nick Swisher misplayed a ball struck by Delmon Young in right field. Miguel Cabrera scored as a result and later in the frame Don Kelly came to the plate on a single by Andy Dirks.
The miscue proved to be the difference in the game, the Yankees losing Game 1, 6-4.
The situation may have been forgivable had it not cost the Yankees the game – and if Swisher wasn't batting .154 with eight strikeouts, no homers, and one RBI for the playoffs. What added a fair amount of fuel to the fire was the fact that later in the inning the Yankees' worst nightmare manifested itself, Derek Jeter suffering a postseason-ending ankle fracture.
Swisher didn't help his cause, not only barely acknowledging the bleacher creatures before Game 2, but also claiming the fans blamed him for Jeter's injury.
"I missed that ball in the lights and the next thing you know I'm the reason that Jeter got hurt. It's kind of frustrating. They were saying it was my fault."
Nobody can rightfully blame Swisher for Jeter's injury; it wasn't his fault, and injuries in baseball can never be predicted. However, Swisher shouldn't make excuses or in any way call out the fans. The media jumped all over it, saying he blamed the fans for his current trifles.
He's always been a fan-favorite, but there's already been plenty of chatter about whether or not Swisher will return next year. If he doesn't turn things around in Game 3 and moving forward, his leave will not be very gracious; Swisher might bow out of the Bronx in a not-so-endearing fashion.
Curtis Granderson
In the final game of the ALDS on Friday Curtis Granderson lifted a solo home run to help put the Orioles away. Many Yankee fans probably thought the round-tripper was the end of his terrible funk, considering he struck out nine times in the Division Series with a batting average of .158.
If the fans thought that, they were wrong.
Granderson hasn't yet recorded a base hit in the ALCS, and added five more strikeouts in seven at-bats. His BA has sunk to a measly .115 and his on-base percentage is a joke: .207.
While I was covering a high school football game on Friday, I happened to be standing on the sidelines next to the school's baseball coach. Before the football game began we were discussing Granderson's batting stance and mechanics. The coach mentioned that Granderson's stance and his swing look incredibly awkward, and he's always trying to uppercut the ball.
This writer can't argue. Looking at each of his strikeouts this postseason, he's whiffing on breaking balls in the dirt, swinging under them; almost as if he's trying swing a nine iron, and horribly missing the tee. His swing isn't level and it's costing him.
His offensive neurosis is inexplicable but in a lot of ways isn't surprising. Granderson homered 43 times during the regular season and knocked in 106 runs. But if you sum up his home run and RBI total, it doesn't even add up to the number of times he struck out this season: 195.
Bottom line, when he hits, he hits. When he misses, boy does he miss. And he has been missing a lot lately – the wrong time to go ice cold.
Robinson Cano
Another classic case of a hitter going from juggernaut to jugger-not.
Robinson Cano set a career-high in home runs in 2012 with 33 and finished the year with a solid .313 batting average. He closed out the regular season with a bang, homering twice while knocking in six in a 14-2 win over the Red Sox – a nice hitting show to end the year.
Too bad it was curtains for Cano's hitting show once the postseason began.
The Yankees' second baseman is batting a mind-boggling .063 this postseason with no hits thus far in the ALCS. Instead of lifting the ball he has been beating it into the ground for easy outs, mostly pulling it to the right side for the first baseman to make unassisted plays.
Unlike Granderson, Cano's offensive slump has been surprising. He has always had an easy, effortless, and otherwise sweet swing. It seems as though he's been swinging late at pitches he normally hits, fouling them off then missing them altogether.
If the Yankees want to win, he needs to straighten himself out. Cano has been the best hitter on the team throughout the year – and when your best hitter isn't hitting, winning is rare. Trailing by two games in the ALCS, Cano must come alive, because .063 just will not cut it.
Alex Rodriguez
Notorious for being a poor producer in the month of October, minus 2009, it doesn't come as a shock that Alex Rodriguez is struggling as much as he is. It seems as if every key spot which requires the Yankees to score a run comes down to A-Rod – and in each of those spots, he fails.
Unfortunately, with every failure comes boos and jeers from the Yankee faithful.
Rodriguez struck out nine times in the ALDS and tacked on three more Ks in the first two ALCS games. Not that it's saying much, but his batting average (.130) is at least better than Granderson's and Cano's. He hasn't doubled, tripled, homered, or driven in any runs this postseason.
At this point, it's a safe bet to say it's a mental issue with Rodriguez. Even at his worst times, he has never been this bad.
Is he pressing and trying to do too much in every trip to the plate? Yes.
Is he really this bad, though? I don't know.
In Game 5 of the ALDS Rodriguez was benched – which I saw mostly as a "mental health day," hoping he'd take the day off and come back with a vengeance. It proved to be ineffective as it was, because he went right back to not hitting when the ALCS started.
At this point, I don't know what the answer is for A-Rod. Hitting Coach Kevin Long can only do so much, and extra batting practice can only go so far. Rodriguez's swings are some of the weakest hacks I've seen him take.
My advice would be to get him to a psychiatrist. Or maybe just give him a hug and hope for the best.
Other Problems
- Derek Jeter is out for the remainder of the playoffs. It comes as a huge blow to the Yankees, being that the Captain was one of the only players actually hitting. Jeter left the postseason with a .333 BA, a double, a triple, and two RBIs. His ankle fracture will take three months to recover from, and he won't be with the team in Detroit. The Captain will be in Charlotte, NC seeing a specialist for his injured ankle.
- Second base umpire Jeff Nelson made a costly mistake in Game 2 yesterday, calling Omar Infante safe when he was obviously out, trying to get back to the base. The blown call proved to be a game-changer because the Tigers, clinging to a small, 1-0 lead in the inning, went on to score two runs following the blunder. Not that Nelson should be blamed for the Yankees' dead offense, but different scenarios are possible with a 1-0 lead and a 3-0 lead in the late innings – just ask Raul Ibanez.
- RoboCop…errm…Justin Verlander is starting Game 3. Verlander, the reigning Cy Young Award winner and AL MVP doesn't exactly have his work cut out for him; not that he ever really does, considering how dominant he always is. Facing a nearly extinct Yankee offense without Jeter, Verlander and the Tigers must feel invincible going into tomorrow night's game.
- The Yankees stranded 12 runners on base in just three instances in Game 1, leaving the bases loaded three times. With that, they made postseason history. And no, not in the good way.
On the Bright Side?
- CC Sabathia will start Game 4. Even if the Yankees drop Game 3 tomorrow, it's possible they salvage a game in this ALCS, what with the big ace on the hill in Game 4.
- June 3. Phil Hughes pitched a complete game, four-hit shutout in Detroit, the Yankees winning 5-1 – a victory over Verlander. He'll match up again with Verlander tomorrow night; the history on the Yankees' side.
- The starting pitching overall this postseason. All four of the Yankee starters have gone out and given the team a chance to win. In fact, every start has been a quality start. The problem lies in run support, as the root of the losing problem stems from the non-existent offense.
Nothing has really fallen the Yankees' way over the first two ALCS games. Perhaps losing Game 2 will be a wake-up call, and the bats will come alive; the offense finally breaking out and scoring some runs for the battling starting pitchers.
Maybe Joe Girardi needs to call an angry meeting. Maybe A-Rod needs therapy. Maybe Brian Cashman needs to storm the clubhouse and recreate the scene from Moneyball that portrays A's General Manager Billy Beane lighting a fire under his players, calling them out on their dead bats.
Something needs to happen. Or else this could very well be the end of the 2012 Yankees.
Yanks oust O's, now out for RAWR-demption
It wasn't the Twins, but the Yankees still won.
Coming into the 2012 playoffs, the Yankees were 0-5 against teams not named the Minnesota Twins in the American League Division Series. Finally, they got over the hump; eliminated a team other than Minnesota with a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles last night to advance to the American League Championship Series.
Although they did leap the ALDS hurdle, it will only get more difficult for the Bombers from here. Waiting for them in the ALCS are none other than the Detroit Tigers – the team that not only beat them in five games in last year's ALDS, but booted them in four in the first round of the 2006 postseason.
The Yankees have a lot going for them in the ALCS, but at the same time, a lot is working against them.
- The possibility of only facing Justin Verlander once. It took five games for the Tigers to finish off the Oakland A's in the ALDS, and the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner and MVP pitched twice. In a best-case-scenario, they deal with Verlander once and be done with it.
- Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, and Derek Jeter's numbers vs. Detroit's Game 1 starter, Doug Fister. Teixeira has a homer and four RBIs in 12 at-bats lifetime off Fister, while Swisher holds a homer and two RBIs over his head. Jeter owns a .385 batting average with two RBIs off him. If they can swing the bats the way they have in the past off Fister, they might be able to take some wind out of the Tigers' sails, right from the start.
- Andy Pettitte starting Game 1. It kind of goes with the "taking the wind of out the Tigers' sails" motif. Pettitte is battle-tested in the postseason, and if he takes the ball tonight and gives the Yankees quality, there's a good chance the Bombers can get a quick, 1-0 series lead. Pettitte always affords them a chance to win.
- June 3. Phil Hughes, who hasn't been consistent this year to say the least, pitched his way to a complete game, four-hit victory in Detroit. Hughes only allowed one earned run to the lead the Yanks to their 5-1 win – and it's worth noting he outdueled Verlander for that win. The long ball was a problem for Hughes this season (35 homers allowed, second most in the majors), but if he turns in a performance like he did in Game 4 of the ALDS, it's good news for New York.
- CC Sabathia and a rested bullpen. Sabathia really strutted his stuff in the ALDS – especially in the clinching game last night, going the distance. Not only did he give the Yankees an extreme amount of confidence going forward, but he rested a rather taxed bullpen, what with two ALDS games going beyond nine innings.
- The Tigers' bullpen. Jose Valverde blew a key save to keep the Oakland A's alive, and is notorious for flirting with disaster. In a close, late-game situation the Yankees can easily capitalize on his mistakes. Valverde saved 35 games for Detroit during the regular season, but he's not exactly Mariano Rivera, or even Rafael Soriano.
- Obviously, the way the Yankees have been swinging the bats. Offensively, the Yankees had about one inning in the ALDS – the ninth inning of Game 1 – in which the bats were clicking on all cylinders. Other than that one frame, the Bombers have been (to put it mildly) struggling at the plate. Swisher, Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Ichiro, and, well…virtually everyone might benefit from some extra batting practice.
- The psyche of Alex Rodriguez. It's no secret when it comes to the postseason, A-Rod is constantly being thrown under the microscope; then being ragged on for folding at the plate. Outside of the 2009 playoffs, it's not unfair to say Rodriguez has been an October goat. In the four games he played in the ALDS A-Rod was 2-for-16 with no homers, no RBIs, and the stat that sticks out like a sore thumb: nine strikeouts. He was benched for the deciding game because of his poor performance in the ALDS, but he has an opportunity to channel his inner 2009 and put it behind him. In my opinion, it's a mental issue – one that he must get over in order to be successful.
- The King with three crowns. Miguel Cabrera, for his entire career, has never been an easy out for the Yankees; in fact, he's a Yankee killer. And if you're talking about the all-time champion Yankee killers – players like Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz – Cabrera must be mentioned in the same breath. It's going to be quite the task pitching to him, and the guy behind him, big Prince Fielder. The poisonous 1-2 punch in the heart of the Tigers' batting order will undoubtedly pose the biggest offensive threat and potentially supply the Tigers with plenty of offense.
- Verlander. Kind of tough to ignore the giant elephant in the room. Verlander may not have had the best season numerically vs. the Yankees, but he's still one of the most feared pitchers in the American League. Like Sabathia he closed out the ALDS with a brilliant complete game gem. I'd like to see what it'd be like if he matched up with Sabathia in the ALCS; a showcase of virtuosos and a pitcher's duel would be my bet.
- Postseason history vs. Detroit. The Yankees were able to get over beating a team not named the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, but now can they get over a team that has twice eliminated them in October?
Well, now that I mention it…
The last time the Yankees faced a team in the ALCS that had twice eliminated them in the ALDS: the Angels, in 2009. They were able to get over the halo hurdle in six games, then go on to claim the World Series. If the Yankees are lucky, history will repeat itself.
But they have to tame the Tigers if they want it to.
Before the ALDS, my cousin C.J. from Baltimore (yeah, I know about the A.J. – C.J. thing, heard it a million times) wrote me a little message on Facebook:
"Here come the O's, buddy. Gonna be a good series!"
I responded, "Definitely! O's have a fire in them, but it'll be tough to cool off Robinson Cano. May the best team win."
Obviously it wasn't tough for them to Cool off Cano, but the Yanks still won. I wrote back last night,
"Good series, cuz. O's battled like warriors, came up just short. Hope the Yankees can knock off the Tigers now!"
C.J., the class act he is, replied, "Aw man, what a classic series. Already can't wait for next year. Best of luck to you guys!"
I'd just like to thank C.J. for being (in a way) a gracious loser; not making me, a Yankee fan, feel bad about winning the ALDS, him being an O's fan – and even going as far as wishing me luck (as a fan) in the next round.
Thanks again, Ceej. And it was a classic series. I hope the Yankees and O's meet again in the playoffs next year. I'm up for another series.
No one told Raul
Nobody must've told Raul Ibanez that the Orioles were 76-0 this year when leading after seven innings. Before he stepped up to the plate for Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth with one out, they probably didn't mention to him that the Baltimore closer, Jim Johnson, led the league in saves with 51.
Ibanez came out of the batting cage, to the on-deck circle, and eventually the plate; the Yanks trailing 2-1. The 40-year-old, notorious for being a low-ball hitter, took Johnson's offering deep over the right field wall, a solo home run to dramatically tie the game up, 2-2.
In the bottom of the 12th, they once again probably forgot to tell Ibanez that the Orioles had previously won 16 consecutive extra-inning games, because Ibanez caught lightning in a bottle twice. He pounded the first pitch he saw over the wall in right and into the second deck – a shot that traveled even further than his game-tying home run – for a walk-off homer and a 3-2 Yankee victory in Game 3 of the ALDS.
Just like that, the Yankees lead the series, two games to one.
Rodriguez has been in a serious playoff funk: 1-for-12 out of the three hole in the lineup with no RBIs and seven strikeouts.
Manager Joe Girardi looked like an absolute genius, pinch-hitting for him in that spot.
"I went to him {A-Rod} and told him 'you're scuffling a little bit right now' and we got a low-ball hitter and a shorter porch in right field, and left field, obviously," Girardi said to the media after the game.
"Raul's been a great pinch-hitter for us and I'm just going to take a shot."
What's perhaps funny is the first thought that entered my mind after Ibanez tied the game in the ninth. I remember covering a sectional high school baseball game in the spring, and the Head Coach made a similar move that paid dividends. The team wound up winning the game because he chose to pinch-hit one kid for another – and the pinch-hitter knocked in what turned out to be the deciding run with a sharp, RBI single to left field.
Afterward during my interview, I asked him if there was any rhyme or reason to making the move, and he simply told me,
"I figured I'd give it a shot and it worked out well…it made me look good."
With the huge, dramatic hits, I'd say it's a safe bet Ibanez will be in the lineup tonight. Having spent the past two games on the bench without starting, and coming up huge in two key spots, I think he's earned it; perhaps Girardi should let Nick Swisher take a day, allow Ibanez to patrol left field tonight, and move Ichiro to right.
That would be my move, anyway.
Really though, an unsung hero of last night's win was Hiroki Kuroda. Aside from two mistakes – pitches he left up for Orioles rookies Ryan Flaherty and Manny Machado to hit out for home runs – he was about as solid as they come.
Kuroda pitched into the ninth inning and let up only those two runs on just five hits. He only walked one batter and struck out three, giving the Yankees a stellar performance from a number three postseason starter.
Derek Jeter also deserves a fair amount of praise, knocking in the Yankees' first run in the third with an RBI triple. The Captain also fouled a ball off his left foot in the first inning, giving himself a bone bruise – yet stayed in the game, valiantly, until the ninth inning when he was lifted for Jayson Nix.
You'd have to kill Jeter to keep him out of a postseason game, because he was adamant about playing today; shrugging off his foot pain and declaring he'd be ready for Game 4 tonight.
Phil Hughes (16-13, 4.23 ERA) will take the ball for the Yankees, hoping to close out the ALDS on a high note. Hughes has struggled mightily this year with command, serving up 35 home runs to opposing hitters, which was second most in the league.
The Orioles roughed Hughes up on Sept. 2, shellacking him for five earned runs in five innings on eight hits. The key for him tonight will be to keep his fastball moving and to not hang his breaking pitches. If his fastball has tailing action on it and his off-speed pitches drop, he'll be fine. If not, the 26-year-old righty – and the Yankee bullpen – will be in for a long night.
He'll be opposed by lefty Joe Saunders (9-13, 4.07 ERA) who beat the Texas Rangers in Baltimore's Wild Card play-in game last Friday. Saunders also handed the Yanks a loss on Sept. 8.
However, quite a few Yankees have enjoyed a strong amount of success vs. Saunders in their respective careers. Last night's hero Ibanez has homered off Saunders, the struggling Curtis Granderson has a home run off him, and the goat of this postseason thus far – Rodriguez – has even taken Saunders deep twice.
Don't be surprised to see Nix in the lineup tonight: he has gone yard off Saunders three times in his career. If the Bombers are swinging the bats the way they have vs. Saunders in the past, it'll be a good night to be wearing pinstripes.
Much like it was last night.
End of the Year Awards
The Yankees were winless, in fact 0-for-58 this year, when trailing after eight innings entering play last night. They couldn't have picked a better time to change that in game number 161 of the regular season; needing a victory to remain a game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles in first place.
Thanks to the timely hitting and clutch offense of Raul Ibanez, the Bronx Bombers put on a drama show, beating the last place Boston Red Sox 4-3 in a bona fide thriller. The Yanks' win now sets up these possible scenarios for today:
- A Yankee win over Boston: New York takes the AL East.
- A Yankee loss to Boston and an Orioles loss to Tampa Bay: New York takes the AL East.
- A Yankee loss to Boston and an Orioles win over Tampa Bay: a New York vs. Baltimore game at Camden Yards on Thursday to determine the AL East winner and the second Wild Card team.
What's more, pending the outcome of the Oakland A's/Texas Rangers game this afternoon, the Yankees have a chance to enter the postseason with the best record in the American League. If the A's beat the Rangers – and the Yanks win tonight – they'll go into October as the top seed, having won the most games of any team in the AL.
While we'll all have to play the waiting game for division winners and playoff seeds, it's that time of the year to hand out end-of-the season awards. There are a number of Yankees who have stood out this year, and they deserve to be recognized in one way or another. So without any further ado, here are the 2012 Yankee Yapping awards!
Most Valuable Player
Winner: Derek Jeter
It always seems that just when you think the Yankee Captain is done, he just adds more to his mind-bogglingly illustrious career. Last year he made history, clubbing a home run for his 3,000th hit – a nice, astronomical number to go along with his five World Series titles, seven pennants, his '96 AL Rookie of the Year, his 2000 World Series MVP, his 2000 All-Star Game MVP…you get the picture.
On Sept. 14, as part of a 19-game hitting streak, Jeter put another notch on his accomplishment belt, passing the legendary Willie Mays on baseball's all-time hits list, Jeter now in 10th place all by himself.
Jeter will finish this season with a batting average above .300 and he currently has 215 hits, which leads the majors. He's also at double digits in home runs (15), and if he scores a run tonight, he'll have 100 runs scored, as he currently sits at 99 for the year.
With more history made this season and a fine offensive campaign, Jeter has earned arguably the most prestigious accolade of his career: the Yankee Yapping MVP. Congrats, Derek!
Best Season from a Newcomer
Winner: Raul Ibanez
After last night, it's only fitting Raul Ibanez claims this distinction.
I'll be the first to admit, when Ibanez was signed by the Yankees basically on a dime, I was confused. A 40-year-old designated hitter who was chosen over Johnny Damon?
It didn't make sense to me at the time. In fact, I dubbed him, "Grandpa Ibanez."
The joke was on me, because grandpa showed me – and everyone – that he still has a lot of baseball life left in him; with 91 hits, 62 RBIs, and 19 homers – none more important than his blast in the ninth inning of last night's game.
Not only did Ibanez prove his worth at the plate, but for an aged player signed to be a primary DH, he did a nice job playing left field for Brett Gardner, who sat out most of the year with injuries. Ibanez showed, despite his age, he was worth the signing.
And for that, Raul, we thank you. Congrats on a great season.
Walk-off Hero
Winner: Russell Martin
All season long, Russell Martin was thrown under the microscope for hitting below .200. But all the chatter and criticism probably motivated him to swing the bat better, because look at him now: hitting .210 with a career-high 21 home runs.
All of his long balls were meaningful, but two stand out in my mind.
On Sunday June 10, Martin came up to the plate in the ninth inning against Jon Rauch of the Mets. Tied 4-4, Martin launched a ball deep in the air to left field for a solo, walk-off home run, giving the Yanks a 5-4 win to complete a weekend sweep of the Mets.
Then on Friday Sept. 21, he duplicated the feat vs. the Oakland A's.
Knotted at one in the bottom of the 10th, Martin lifted what turned out to be another game-winning home run off Oakland reliever Sean Doolittle to push the Yanks past the A's 2-1 in a crucial game the Bombers needed.
With a flair for the dramatic, Martin got it done. Congrats on not only persevering in terms of your batting average, but also saving the day with some power (twice) this year, Russell.
Ace of the Year
Co-Winners: CC Sabathia & Hiroki Kuroda
Considering the fact CC Sabathia spent time on the disabled list this year, it almost surprised me that he finished with the numbers he did. His 2012 totals aren't what you'd expect from an ace, but nonetheless, 15 wins with only seven losses and an ERA of 3.38 isn't too shabby.
What helped put Sabathia in the running for this award was that, despite his DL stints this year, he still logged 200 innings and struck out 197 batters. Plus, having struggled mightily throughout the month of September, Sabathia turned it around to finish strong, striking out 29 batters over his final three outings of the season – going 2-0 over those three games with the Yanks winning all three of them.
And then there's the guy who piggy-backed him.
Although his 15-11 record isn't exactly indicative of a standout year, Hiroki Kuroda did a fantastic job this season – better than his record indicates. Basically being thrown into the role of ace in Sabathia's absence, Kuroda pitched extremely well, albeit he didn't receive the type of run support I'm sure he would've hoped for.
Kuroda pitched 212.2 innings – and obviously that total will go up tonight, as he's starting this evening's game. Opponents are only hitting .249 against him, and he's given up less than a hit per inning going into his final start (198 hits allowed).
There's no doubt Kuroda proved his value through his impressive pitching this year, and teamed up with Sabathia to make a pretty fearsome 1-2 punch. Congrats on the award, fellas.
Reliever of the Year
Winner: Rafael Soriano
The Yankee clubhouse was said to have the feel of a morgue on May 3 when Mariano Rivera blew his knee out shagging fly balls in Kansas City during batting practice. The great Rivera was carted off the field and diagnosed with a torn ACL, his season over and the Yankees unsure of his future.
Superman lost his cape. Or, Thor lost his hammer.
Manager Joe Girardi tried plugging David Robertson into the closer role, only for him to blow his first chance at a save. As it turned out, Robertson wasn't the right fit for the closer role, and in fact, scuffled in a lot of his appearances throughout the year; currently with a 2-7 record.
Enter the man whom I call "the silent assassin," Rafael Soriano.
In 46 save opps this season, Soriano has nailed down 42 – quite impressive for a reliever who wasn't the closer for a full year. When Rivera went down, Soriano stepped up in a huge way, a way the Yankees needed.
Without him, there's no telling where the Yankees would be right now; perhaps eliminated from playoff contention, without his spectacular ability to finish off opponents in the final inning.
Congrats on a wonderful season, Rafael. You won Yankee Yapping Reliever of the Year.
Slugger of the Year Award
Winner: Robinson Cano
It seems as if the Yankees' second baseman has made his whole life baseball. Aside from maybe Derek Jeter, personally, I don't think there's a player who works harder than Robinson Cano. In my mind, he's one of the best all-around players in the game today.
Cano went through a couple of dry spells this year at the plate, but that didn't stop him from hitting .308 with 31 homers and 88 RBIs. He clubbed a pair of grand slams this year and kept the Yankees in many games with his clutch hitting and flashy defense.
On Monday Cano smacked his latest home run, a moon shot that caromed off the Mohegan Sun sports bar over the center field wall at Yankee Stadium. Prior to the game Cano's cousin (also a ballplayer, who actually played for the Hudson Valley Renegades – the team I interned for in 2010 and covered this year) was tweeting.
He posted, "Add 'ya heard!' to the end of all your tweets."
I tweeted to him, "Robinson Cano will hit a homer tonight. YA HEARD!" He replied simply with "!!!"
Sure enough, I called that shot. I had to point that out after it happened.
Overall Cano had yet another remarkable season. There are only more good things to come in his career, and at this point in time, he's the best hitter on the team. Congrats, Robinson!
Home Run Champion
Winner: Curtis Granderson
For the second consecutive season, Curtis Granderson has smacked 40 home runs or more, this year currently with 41 dingers. When it comes to hitting for power, Granderson sure knows what the heck he's doing, and has emerged as one of the premiere power hitters in the AL.
On April 19 this season, Granderson proved that.
In a game at home vs. the Minnesota Twins, he cracked three homers in the first four innings, becoming at the time only the 12th player in MLB history to go yard three times in a single game. On the strength of his power surge, the Yanks went on to beat the Twinkies, 7-6.
Although he can hit for power, Granderson must improve on his average stroke. Going into tonight's 162nd game, Granderson is only batting a measly .230 at the plate – hitting for average probably being the only facet of the game he seems to struggle with.
But this isn't the "Batting Average Champion" award. It's the Home Run Champion award. And Curtis, you've earned it. Congrats!
Best Trade Deadline Pickup/Earned a 2013 Contract
Winner: Ichiro
The Yankees added two pieces before the trade deadline passed. One being a small pickup, Casey McGehee – a utility man a lot of fans probably forgot about, by now. But there's no way anyone forgot about the second player the Yanks traded for.
Ichiro joined the team on July 23 and since then has basically not stopped hitting. He brought 12 years of excellence with the Seattle Mariners when he was swapped, and has reached base safely 77 times (72 hits, five walks) in the 66 games he's played in pinstripes. He has also ignited the team on the base paths, stealing 13 bags.
Something tells me Ichiro is going to perform well in October, in what will be his first postseason since 2001. And although he's somewhat up there in age, 38 (he'll turn 39 on Oct. 22), I feel he deserves a chance to come back to the Yankees and play in pinstripes in 2013.
Ichiro is a lot like Jeter: ageless. It doesn't matter how old he is because his numbers have never really seen a steady decline; he is always close to 200 hits a year.
For his experience and veteran know-how, the man from Japan – in my humble opinion – earned another season in the Bronx, and was a solid acquisition over the summer.
Domo arigato, Mr. Suzuki. Congrats!
Well there you have it. Congrats to all the 2012 Yankee Yapping award winners, and make sure to check back here at the Yankee Yapping blog throughout the playoffs. I'll be posting previews, recaps, and I'll be writing about anything newsworthy this October.
Also check out the YY Facebook page and my Twitter for postseason news, updates, and of course my witty observations!
The Grand Tour
With the Texas Rangers' win over the Los Angeles Angels tonight, the Yankees have officially clinched a spot in the postseason this year, but they will go in knowing full well it took almost all 162 games to get into the party.
This afternoon was an indication of that.
Tied with Baltimore for the AL East lead entering play today, the Bronx Bombers weren't helping themselves when they trailed the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 after five innings; Phil Hughes pitching about as poorly as it gets in a hugely important game.
Thankfully for him, the offense bailed him out.
The Yanks pieced together an epic rally, shredding away at the Jays' four run lead, scoring one run in the sixth, three in the seventh, and two in the eighth and ninth innings for a necessary 9-6 victory.
Unfortunately for the Yanks, the Orioles also won their game this afternoon, beating the Red Sox 6-3 at home, and thus leaving the AL East in a stalemate going into the final three games of the 2012 regular season.
While the Yankees staged their comeback on the road, I spent the better part of my day at their home – Yankee Stadium. My friends and I were fortunate enough to take a tour of the ballpark, a trip I've wanted to go on for a long time.
We even took the tour with Ichiro's brother!
Just kidding. But he looked almost exactly identical to him.
The first stop on the tour was the Yankee museum inside the Stadium. Our tour guide, a nice guy by the name of Tim, showed us the new Mickey Mantle exhibit. He then told some neat stories (most of which I already knew about) highlighting Mantle's career.
For instance, during the 1951 World Series Mantle tore all the cartilage in his knee chasing down a fly ball struck by Willie Mays of the Giants – one of the multiple injuries Mantle suffered over the course of his legendary career.
I first learned of that story in the movie 61*
From the museum, we journeyed to Monument Park, behind the center field wall. I've been to Monument Park a number of times, and never knew the story behind the door.
According to Tim, there originally was no door linking the Yankee bullpen to Monument Park. Mariano Rivera made a special request for a door to be put in – all because of his pre-appearance ritual. Before every time Rivera runs in from the bullpen, he goes into Monument Park and rubs Babe Ruth's monument.
Don't ask me why. For luck, I suppose? Like he needs it…
At any rate, it was a nice little factoid; nothing I knew about before. I also bent over and picked up a rock from behind the Monument wall, and discreetly put it in my pocket for keeping. I'm not sure if was allowed to do that or not…
But I won't tell if you don't. I just wanted to keep a piece of the day – and Yankee Stadium – for myself.
After our tour of Monument Park concluded, we made our way to the Yankee dugout, which in my opinion was the best and most fun part of the tour. We were allowed to snap pictures and make all the funny poses we wanted. My friends and I actually came up with a small running joke for this picture:
I was told I could be "Ellen Page's boyfriend." Don't ask.
We then decided to pretend we were in the middle of a heated game, and posed as if the Yankees crushed a walk-off home run. We made sure to take full advantage of the dugout photo-ops.
I've always dreamt what it was like to be in the Yankees' dugout – and it was pretty cool knowing that, in only a matter of hours, the entire team would be back and buzzing; right in the same spot I was in, as the Yanks come home to host Boston tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday to close out the year.
Before we left, I sat down and slid my rear end across the entire bench, then declared,
"Derek Jeter always sits on this bench. And now I did, too."
The two security guards laughed hysterically at my shenanigan.
We were then taken into the clubhouse, but with one small caveat: no pictures allowed. The organization feels the clubhouse is the Yankee players' personal space, and snapping photos inside that personal space isn't right.
I have to agree – if I was in their shoes, I wouldn't want people coming in and taking pictures of my locker and my personal belongings which it holds.
Some things I did take notice of, albeit I don't have pictures – and some clubhouse facts from Tim:
- Boone Logan has a Yankee lawn gnome in his locker.
- Jayson Nix had a bottle of what looked like prescription pills in his locker. And an iPhone charger.
- For most of the season, Derek Jeter has two lockers: one for his baseball equipment and one for fan mail and gifts from his sponsors. In fact, Tim said, "If they could fit a Ford truck into this clubhouse, they would, and it would be right in that locker with the rest of Jeter's stuff."
- With all the September call-ups, Francisco Cervelli is using Jeter's second locker, for now.
- David Aardsma, who was just activated, didn't have a name/number plate above his locker. That was to be expected, however. He hasn't pitched at Yankee Stadium yet.
- Ichiro's locker is the same locker Hideki Matsui used.
- The visiting clubhouse is "big and nice, but not as big and nice as the Yankees' clubhouse."
- When leaving the new Stadium, the players don't have to leave from the outside of the building – unlike the old Stadium.
The elevator from the clubhouse took us right up into the Great Hall where the tour started, and Tim gave everyone a little souvenir: a Yankee Stadium tour keychain. My friends and I then took a walk over to the Hard Rock Café for some lunch, which surprisingly was very affordable and not overly pricey. (My friend Alicia over at Ballparks on a Budget would appreciate it!)
We watched the Yanks take the win over the Jays as we ate, and before we left, we basically got a little bonus. It turns out part of the frieze from the old Stadium is now sitting outside Heritage Field. We went over and took some photos with it, and I placed my hand on it; kind of touched it with my heart, in a way.
As much as I like the new Stadium, I truly enjoyed the original House that Ruth built. And it felt only right to pay homage to a relic.
Overall, it was one of the best and most fun days of my life.
Was I the happiest kid in New York today?
Yes. But then again, I was probably the happiest kid alive.
Something to hang our hats on
Tonight Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale dominated the Yankees, and for as crummy and as inconsistent as Phil Hughes has been this year, he didn't pitch poorly. Hughes, allowing just two runs in a solid seven innings pitched, came up on the short end of the stick – as did the Yankees, losing 2-1 and getting swept in three games at the hands of the pale hose.
The best part of this trip to Chicago for the Yankees, aside from leaving: Derek Jeter, who homered in all three losing efforts. It marked the first time in the captain's career he went deep in three straight games.
Thankfully for the Yankees, they will not play the White Sox again during the regular season. However if the two teams meet in October, Chicago can head into the series with a positive mindset, knowing they took five of seven games from New York this season.
If you saw my tweet from earlier tonight, the White Sox scare me.
But the Yankees can concern themselves with the postseason when the time comes, and for now worry about fending off the Tampa Bay Rays – who have pulled to within three games of the AL East lead. That once comfortable nine-game division gap has thinned and the Rays now have a chance to swipe the East from the Yanks.
Better pitching and series wins are what the Yankees need to put first and foremost in their minds down the stretch and into September.
For tonight, though, I'd like to make reference to something that not a lot of people really know about; perhaps it's my way of dealing with the recent sweep and being at the mercy of the White Sox.
If you follow football, which is rapidly approaching, you know that the New York Giants won the Super Bowl in February, beating the New England Patriots, 21-17. Their last game before the Super Bowl, as most fans know, took place in San Francisco. The Giants beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship game on a game-winning field goal booted through the uprights by Lawrence Tynes.
What most people don't know is that Kyle Williams – San Francisco's punt returner who fumbled the ball, setting up the Giants' game-winner – is the son of White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams.
That's right. The White Sox GM's son was the goat of the NFC Title game.
Chicago may have completed its little sweep of New York tonight, but if you ask me, the NFC Championship game is proof of why Chicago is called the "second city" and New York is number one – which they've proven 27 times in baseball and most recently in football.
It may not be much, but hey, it's something to hang our hats on.
Yes Indeed
Last night the Yankees continued their recent string of inconsistency, losing 7-2 to the Detroit Tigers in the opening game of their four-game series at Comerica Park. Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano accounted for the only two runs the Yanks plated on the night, mustering the lone RBIs. Last night's game may have been more appropriately titled, "The Justin Verlander Show."
Verlander was a virtuoso, shutting down the Yankees with a brilliant 14-strikeout performance over eight innings of work. Ivan Nova on the other hand kept his winless streak alive, falling to 10-6. He only tossed 5.1 innings and let up seven earned runs on 11 hits on the way to the loss. Nova hasn't won a game in five consecutive starts.
The boys from the Bronx didn't do much better tonight, dropping a 6-5 decision to the Tigers, a ninth inning rally falling just short. Russell Martin clubbed an RBI double to plate Eric Chavez after Ichiro singled to bring in Raul Ibanez, but they couldn't get that tying run – or potential winning run – across the dish.
In the seventh Ichiro doubled to bring home Nick Swisher, and Chavez smashed an opposite-field two-run homer in the fourth to highlight the Yankees' night on offense.
Like Nova, starter Phil Hughes struggled. He was pounded for eight hits and allowed four earned runs in the 4.1 innings he pitched. In the fourth he all but lost command, throwing 42 pitches, laboring through the frame. Hughes now falls to 11-9 and his ERA – which was 3.96 heading into tonight's action – is back up to 4.10.
The Yanks have now gone 9-13 since July 15; a losing record, although New York still sits atop the AL East standings at 63-46, four and a half games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.
While the Bombers were getting bombed these past couple of nights in the Motor City, I enjoyed yet another little accolade. Well, something to blog about, anyway.
The YES Network has recently been featuring the "YES Network Games" during its broadcasts; a mini in-game contest in which viewers can tweet in questions to the announcers. If they pick your question, they will show it on TV (along with your Twitter handle) and the announcers have a half-inning to come up with an answer.
If their answer is correct, they get a point, and my guess is, whichever YES announcer has the most points at the end of the season wins. During the day yesterday I tweeted in my question:
Lo and behold, during the bottom of the sixth inning of last night's game, my name and question appeared on the YES Network. I thought for a second I had Michael Kay stumped. He seemed a little unsure of himself.
But he came up with the correct answer, Jaret Wright, as did Meredith Marakovits and John Flaherty. I immediately attempted to tweet Kay back, trying to tell him to tell Flaherty that I met him in 2009. Flaherty actually came to my college (Mercy) and I met him and wrote an article about him for the student newspaper.
He must not have seen it though, because I didn't hear back from him.
However, I did hear from a number of people who saw my name on TV. In fact, two of my friends, Mike and Sean – who coincidently enough are also local sports reporters – each texted me and told me that they saw my name on YES. Mike's text was pretty cool:
"I see you made it on YES. You are the man. It was Jaret Wright. Funny that was your question. I was just thinking about that disaster of a series in the beginning of tonight's game. I at least went to Game One of that series before things went downhill. Take care, A.J."
Sean's text was just as nice:
"Just saw your name on the YES broadcast. Remember me when you're famous, broski. LOL."
I simply replied, "I hope I'm famous someday, Sean. I hope."
This now marks the fourth time YES has used my name. On June 8 they used my tweet on their "Extra Innings" show after the Yankees squadoosh'd the Mets 9-1, and they've used my Facebook comments in 2009 and 2010. My good friend Virginia over at "Eat, Sleep, and Breathe Yankees" wrote on my Facebook wall,
"Seriously, YES should just hire you already."
That comment sparked a little Twitter hashtag rally – namely among my close friends Brian and Jenn, and my cousin Joe – called, @YESNetwork #HireAJMartelli
I would absolutely love to work for YES; in a way it'd be like a dream. With a lot of support, encouragement, and perhaps some good luck, maybe some day that dream will come true.
Makin' Moves
Despite going 2-5 on their recent road trip which included a sweep at the hands of the suddenly "Moneyball" Oakland Athletics team, the Yankees still possess the best record in baseball at 59-39 and continue to sit atop the AL East, looking eight games down at the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays, and 10 1/2 games down at the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.
A number of things have happened in Yankees Universe and the baseball world in general these past couple of days. Therefore in the spirit of old-fashioned blogging, I figured I would give some thoughts, opine on some topics, and even throw in a story or two – just for old time's sake.
Ichiro Joins the Yankees
Before Monday's series opener vs. the Mariners huge news broke via the Twitter wire: the Yankees had acquired Ichiro Suzuki from the Mariners in exchange for minor league pitchers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar.
Just like that, Ichiro is a Yankee.
The news came as a shock to most Yankee fans, as well as me, seeing as how Ichiro spent his entire MLB career with the Mariners. Not only that, but the move was on no one's radar; nobody saw it coming. It was obviously a trade General Manager Brian Cashman kept under wraps until it became official.
The first notion that entered everyone's mind was the jersey number. Throughout his career Ichiro has always worn number 51, a number that has meant a lot to the Yankees – being that Bernie Williams wore it for 16 years in pinstripes.
To everyone's relief, Ichiro chose to take 31, respecting Williams and the jersey number. Unfortunately Dave Winfield didn't seem to take too kindly to Ichiro taking 31.
Right on, Dave.
In his first three games as a Yankee, Ichiro has collected three hits and has stolen a base. He hit eighth in the batting order in his first two games, and led off yesterday, showing his versatility in the lineup. Plug him in anywhere and he can still hit.
This was a good move for the Yankees. With Brett Gardner's season over and Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones signed to be designated hitters and fourth outfielders, the trade makes sense. The Mariners organization is becoming tailor-made for young players and the veteran Ichiro, 38, didn't feel he fit in with them – hence why he requested the trade.
Hats off to the Mariners not only granting his wish, but commenting on how he deserves to a chance to win a title before his career ends. It's obvious Seattle isn't going anywhere this season while the Yankees, now with Ichiro's help, could potentially go very far.
After the final out was made in yesterday's 5-2 win over the M's, Ichiro waved goodbye from right field to the Mariners faithful. The fans seemed heartbroken at the thought of their golden boy for so many years leaving town.
The sight of it all made me sad. I couldn't help but remember the way I felt when Joe Torre managed his last game in October, 2007. When someone has meant so much to a franchise, I know first-hand that it's extremely difficult to see them leave.
Alex Rodriguez out 6-8 Weeks
On Tuesday night in Seattle, Alex Rodriguez was beaned on the left hand during an at-bat in the eighth inning – the third HBP in the game (Ichiro and Derek Jeter had previously been plunked). Rodriguez fell to the dirt in agonizing pain and left the game.
Afterward it became known that A-Rod has a broken hand and will miss 6-8 weeks; the Yanks are hoping to have him back by the middle of September.
Losing A-Rod is a blow, but perhaps it's better the Yankees lost him now as opposed to a time when they really needed him. For example, if this injury occurred in 2005 or 2007 when Rodriguez put the team on his back and carried it, the Yanks would be in serious trouble.
Thank God we live in the year 2012.
Because now there are several players who are capable of coming up in big spots to bring the runs home, like Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, and Robinson Cano, among others. Not to mention in '05 and '07 the Yanks were constantly battling for first place, locked in a dogfight with the Red Sox for the division.
Obviously that's not the case this year.
Although taking Rodriguez's bat out of the lineup basically takes an offensive threat and a presence out of the Yankees' arsenal, there's more than enough power to compensate for it. As far as defense is concerned, Ramiro Pena was called up to fill A-Rod's roster spot and will obviously see time at third base along with Eric Chavez and yesterday's hero, Jayson Nix.
There's also speculation the Yankees might go after Chase Headley, the Padres' third baseman, before the trade deadline on Tuesday. Headley, 28, is hitting .267 this year with 12 homers and 51 RBIs.
A-Rod looked devastated after the game; he was clearly not just in physical pain from the HBP and the fracture, but emotional pain as well. It was apparent the news of him missing more time due to another injury impacted his psyche and left him in disbelief, as evidenced by his words when he met with the press.
"It's difficult; tough break," he said, masked in a shell-shocked expression. "I never thought 'fracture' but it was. Tough blow. Tough blow."
Rivalry Renewed
The Boston Red Sox will visit Yankee Stadium for the first time this season tomorrow night, as the Bombers and BoSox get set for a three-game weekend series. The last time these teams met, the Yankees took three of four from the Sox in Beantown.
The Red Sox are coming off a losing series to the Texas Rangers while the Yanks (as it's known) just took two of three from the Mariners. Aaron Cook (2-3, 3.50) will start for Boston tomorrow night while the Yanks will counter with Phil Hughes (9-8, 4.09 ERA).
Saturday afternoon in a match-up of aces, CC Sabathia (10-3, 3.30 ERA) will toe the rubber, facing off with Jon Lester (5-8, 5.46 ERA). Finally on Sunday night, 10-game winner Hiroki Kuroda will gun for win number 11 – while Boston has not yet listed a starter for the finale.
MLB posed an excellent question a couple days ago:
Has the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry lost its luster?
Right now, I think it's almost dormant. With Bobby Valentine shooting off his big mouth about Derek Jeter over the off-season, I thought for sure the rivalry would be ignited and something would happen this year; perhaps the boiling of some bad blood.
So far, however, nothing. But I suppose it's not necessary when the Red Sox are AL East cellar dwellers and not pushing for first place at all. If Boston was in the pennant race, there might be more of a competitive element thrown into the mix.
Yet, it is clear that the days of A-Rod and Jason Varitek duking it out are long gone; Curt Schilling wanting to "make 55,000 people from New York shut up" is surely passé. It could take awhile – maybe even a number of years – before the Yankees and Red Sox go back to where they were in 2003, 2004, and even 2005.
Then again, you never know. It only takes one bean ball to start a fire.
Some Encouragement from Sandberg
As promised, I'll throw in a little story to close this one.
The last time I blogged, I wrote about my experience covering the Hudson Valley Renegades, as most readers probably know by now, the same team I interned for. I wound up covering them again last Friday after I saw "The Dark Knight Rises" (go see that movie if you haven't yet done so).
Escaping damage in the ninth inning and with some eighth inning heroics, the Renegades beat the Aberdeen Ironbirds 3-2 – the Ironbirds being a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles, for the record.
After the game I went from the press box to the clubhouse and interviewed Jared Sandberg, the Renegades' skipper, former Tampa Bay Devil Ray, and nephew of Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.
Tampa Bay Rays' 2011 first round draft pick Taylor Guerrieri once again started, and Sandberg actually noticed that I had been there for Guerrieri's previous start.
"You were here the last time Taylor pitched (against Mahoning Valley) weren't you?" he asked me after the interview.
"Yes," I answered.
Jokingly he looked at me and asked, "Oh, so you only cover the games Taylor pitches?"
I let out a chuckle and said, "Well, we're a newsweekly with so many coverage areas, so there are a lot of games and only so many we can get to every week."
Sandberg answered, "Oh, I understand. I was just kidding. Which paper are you with again?"
The Examiner," I replied.
"Oh, I saw that article from last week!" he exclaimed. Frightened, I had no idea what he was going to say next.
"That was really well-written and very nicely done; nice spread – and the pictures came out great, too."
I thanked him and told my editor about it. He was happy Sandberg saw it and basically said, "Now the pressure's on us. He might expect great articles from now on."
Honestly though, I am having a great time covering this team. They are performing extremely well, and are in first place in their division in the New York-Penn League, ahead of the likes of the Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees.
I'm looking forward to covering more of their games and I'm anxious to see how they are going to finish. When I interned for them in 2010, they ended at 39-36, missing the playoffs. At 24-13 right now, it looks as if they will indeed eclipse their 2010 record and go who knows where.
Hopefully to a League title.


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PrivacyStar Announces SMS ID and Directory Assistance for Android
CONWAY, Ark., May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — PrivacyStar, a smartphone application for Android and BlackBerry that provides users with complete control of their smartphones, today announces the addition of SMS ID and Directory Assistance (Beta) in direct response to customer requests. PrivacyStar users have blocked over 120 million numbers and filed over 150,000 complaints directly to the Federal Trade Commission. PrivacyStar and its new features are available to download on the Android Market.
"More and more consumers are receiving text messages from numbers that are not in their address book and are forced to figure out the sender based solely on the content, but PrivacyStar has solved that problem for our subscribers," said Jeff Stalnaker, CEO of PrivacyStar. "Additionally, PrivacyStar subscribers can utilize the Directory Assistance feature to easily locate places and map directions from wherever they may be at that moment. The PrivacyStar Directory Assistance is unique compared to others because it does not track your location or activity and sell it to marketers."
From the home page of the PrivacyStar Android app, simply select SMS look-up and then the text message that needs the sender information. PrivacyStar then returns the name associated with the anonymous number and users have the ability to add it to their Privacy List or to contacts for future use. Additionally, users can block further text messages by using the PrivacyStar settings option to block phone calls and text messages from that number.
Subscribers also now have access to a voice activated Directory Assistance feature that provides business and individual phone numbers along with a mapping functionality. Users simply speak or type the number they are trying to find and PrivacyStar will display the name associated and map the location of the business or individual.
In addition to SMS ID and Directory Assistance, PrivacyStar offers the following capabilities focused on allowing users to take control of their smartphone:
PrivacyStar Features and Benefits
- SMS ID (NEW) -Upon receiving a text message from an unknown sender, select SMS look-up from the PrivacyStar home page and the message that needs to be identified then take appropriate action, such as blocking the number.
- Directory Assistance (NEW) – Users speak or type the name of a business or individual they are looking to find and PrivacyStar will identify and map the location.
- Call Blocking – Block individual numbers, entire area codes, all private or unknown numbers and wildcard characters.
- SMS Text Message Blocking – Block SMS text messages.
- Caller ID – While the phone is ringing, PrivacyStar displays the name of the calling party.
- Caller Lookup – Identify unknown callers by name and take appropriate action, such as adding to the contacts list or Privacy List.
- SmartBlock – Employs crowdsourced data from PrivacyStar users to automatically block the most blocked numbers as determined by the entire user population.
- Do Not Disturb – Forwards all non blocked incoming calls to voicemail and sends a custom text message acknowledging the call.
- Report Potential Telemarketing and Debt Collection Violations – Upon the user's request, PrivacyStar captures detailed information about possible violations including date, time, number and identity. PrivacyStar allows users to easily provide this information to law enforcement authorities so they may take action.
- Web Portal – Fully integrated personal web portal to manage the PrivacyStar account, block and unblock callers, and perform number look-ups. The portal also provides additional details on violations.
- Future Proof – Easily transfer PrivacyStar user information from one device to another such as to a new smartphone.
Pricing and Availability
The PrivacyStar feature set for Android and BlackBerry smartphones is available for a no risk, free 7-day trial period. For continued service, PrivacyStar is available for $2.99 (USD) per month or for discounted semi-annual and annual periods. Consumers can easily add PrivacyStar to their monthly mobile phone bill from most of the major mobile phone providers. PrivacyStar is available at BlackBerry App World, Android Market and http://www.privacystar.com.
About PrivacyStar
PrivacyStar delivers the only network-based privacy and preference service to wireline, wireless, VoIP users and smartphones. First Orion Corp., makers of PrivacyStar, has patented numerous privacy and preference solutions and is based in Conway, Arkansas. The company provides consumers the best in phone privacy solutions.
PrivacyStar is a registered trademark of First Orion Corp. All registered or unregistered trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners.
Media Contact:
Katie Camacho
Forty Three, Inc.
SOURCE PrivacyStar

subset: commoncrawl


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Five journalists, three of them from two private Assamese news channels and two of them photojournalists of Assamese dailies, were allegedly assaulted and caned by the police at Dispur police station here on Friday night when they had gone to enquire about a clash between two groups of youth at Japorigog area.
The journalists said they wanted to know from the police as to why the police had let two of the five youths involved in the clash and detained the other three at the police station. The journalists alleged in their First Information Report (FIR) that without provocation they had been heckled and pushed out of the police station, chased and caned by Sub-Inspector Arun Barua even when they fell down on road.
The incident has sparked off widespread protest across the State with the journalists' bodies, political parties, students and youth bodies condemning the "police brutalities" on journalists and demanding stern action against "guilty police official."
The three TV journalists were David Buragohain, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya and Sazadul Rana and photojournalists— Jitu Gogoi and Surajit Sarma.
"It was around 1 p.m. in the night when we had gone to Dispur police station to gather information about a clash between two groups and wanted information on the incident as we had heard that although five had been picked up two had been let go by police because of their close connection with the ruling party. We wanted to ascertain the facts. However, the policeman on duty refused to cooperate which led to some arguments. However, suddenly a Sub-Inspector of Police rushed into the police station and without provocation assaulted Mr. David Buragohain inside the police station and heckled us and pushed of the police station. Then some other policemen on duty came chasing us and beat us brutally. They did not stop beating even when Mr. Jitu Gogoi fell down on the road," Mr. Surajit Sarma told The Hindu.
The SI Arun Barua lodged a counter FIR against the journalists, alleging that they had obstructed the policemen from discharging their responsibilities.
Keywords: attack on journalists, Japorigog clash, police brutalities


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Tags / recycle
AI PCs: It Aint Easy Being Green
For this program we will encourage residents to become more sustainable. We will have different stations that include: a "junk" swap (residents will bring clothes and books that they do not want and exchange it for another resident's unwanted items), bring a recyclable bottle/can for a raffle ticket, a game where residents learn what can and cannot be recycled, and we will give out Donuts. Thi...
Recycle Day
Recycle day completion between my two buildings
Recycle, Plant, Grow
Will be supplying and teaching residents, how to create their own self watering pots using 2-liter bottles and an old t-shirt. Will use the time to also discuss why it is important to conserve water due to the drought in California.
D3E Bottle Transformation
I will provide craft supplies, flower seeds, and potting soil so residents can transform their old bottles into makeshift flower pots. Residents will be instructed to bring empty plastic water bottles and I will also bring a few extra. I will also talk to residents about other ways they can "transform" old items into new ones--clothing, used paper, etc.
Recycle Wars!
Come decorate boxes for your floor and bring bottles to see who can collect the most!
Keeping it Green for Saint Patrick's Day
A pamphlet of information that will give some information about recycling and keeping our earth nice and green.
Recycle Challenge
Residents play a game where they will be asked to separate recyclable items from trash items. Residents that participate and successfully complete the challenge will receive a sustainable prize! We will discuss the importance of sustainable living.
60's Drive In Movie Night
Residents of Cowell/Stevenson make their own cars out of recyclable materials and bring it to the program for a contest! Then, we watch Grease the movie in the dining hall. The whole night is 60s themed and we will encourage sustainability and recycling
Reuse & Reduce in Style!
Welcome to 2014 where you no longer have to decide between Paper or Plastic. Luckily for you, we will be giving out reusable grocery bags that you can decorate and make your very own.
A2W Recycle A Valentines Day Gift
To remain sustainable, residents will be given the opportunity to create valentines day gifts or crafts for them selves using recyclables. The crafts that we will be creating will include vases made of water bottles, decorative boxes made of recycled boxes, and personalized valentines day cards decorated with recycled paper. Photos of the crafts are provided below.
Eco Thursday:Upcycle Your Life
Come learn new ways to reuse and repurpose household items!
Sustainable Garden-Planting with Recyclables
Bring your empty soda bottles, milk jugs, shoes boxes and put on your best gardening clothes 'cause we're going to build a sustainable garden!!
We're going to be:
-Making our own potting soil
-Making Our Own Planting Pots out of Recyclables
-Learning how to maintain your plant
Terrarium Making!
I worked with Porter Slugs and set up work stations for students to make their own terrarium.
DIY Tile Coasters
Residents can come down to the office to learn to make gorgeous coasters that can spruce up their apartment on a tiny budget!
Recycled Jewlery
Make jewelry out of recycled paper and popsicle sticks. Eat the popsicles and then make the bracelets.
Kresge Clothing Swap
Residents swap clothing during the event, which promotes recycling items in the community. If excess items remain after swap, clothes will be donated. Also, warm beverages will be provided during the swap.
White Elephant Gift Exchange... With a Twist
Residents of Leonardo House! Join your housemates in an epic white elephant gift exchange for the holidays! The rules are simple: bring a gift, wrap it up, and let the gift trading begin! There's just one twist... no money can be spent in the making of your present! This is a swap meet-style white elephant, where all gifts are items that you already have or can make out things you already have!...
DIY Bleach Tank
Have an old black shirt that you don't wear anymore? Recycle it and make it a new one!!
Recycle for a Change
Residents will put anything that is recyclable in bin to think green and help preserve our environment.
Campus Exploration
Step outdoors and learn the secrets of your college's campus.
Tour of secret spots and hidden gems guided by RA Garrett.


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11 East Kellogg Boulevard St. Paul, MN 55101 United States
Hotel Front Desk: 11-651-2921900
Hotel Fax: 11-651-6050189
Hotel Email: email@example.com
Minneapolis-St.Paul International Arpt (MSP)
- Distance from hotel: 11 MI/ 17.7 KM North East l
- From Airport: Take I-494 East to Highway 5 (7th Street). Follow Highway 5 to downtown St Paul. Turn right/East onto Kellogg Boulevard. At third stoplight, turn left/North onto Wabasha Street - Hotel and parking ramp on right.
St. Paul Downtown Holman Field (STP)
- Distance from hotel: 1.8 MI/ 2.9 KM North West l
- Take Bayfield Street West. Bayfield Street turns into Fillmore Avenue. Turn right/North onto Robert Street. Turn left/West onto Kellogg Boulevard. After three blocks, turn right/North onto Wabasha Street - Hotel and parking ramp on right.
- Car Parking Available
- Self-Parking Fee: 18.00 USD
- Valet Parking Available
- Valet Parking Fee: 24.00 USD
- Hotel Exterior
- Hotel Exterior
- Hotel Feature
- View from Hotel
- Business Center
- Fitness Center
- Bathroom Amenities
- Deluxe Room
- Double Bed Guest Room
- Guest Bathroom
- King Bed Guest Room
- Suite
- Boardroom
- Restaurant 11
- Downtown St. Paul Hotel - Fitzgerald Theatre
- Downtown St. Paul Hotel - Mississippi Paddleboats
- Downtown St. Paul Hotel - XCel Center
- Downtown St. Paul Hotel - Minnesota State Capitol
- Downtown St. Paul Hotel - Minnesota Wild at XCel Center
Current Settings are:
Country of Residence:
Available Languages:
To book more than 9 rooms for one stay or request a quote, please use our Easy Meetings tool or call 1-800-MEETING (in United States, Mexico and Canada).
Please enter Check In.
Please enter Check Out.
Guest Reviews
Each review and rating we receive is verified to ensure that we display only information provided by guests who have actually stayed in the hotel.


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denial.of.service Experimental Work
The entire animation was made in After Effects, with ShapeShifter. Thanks to Harry Martis (denial.of.service), who is known for his break-through work for clients like David Bowie and Banks.
Praschan Requiem Title Sequence
The long typographical morphing sequences are all made with ShapeShifter AE. Great work by Sonia Rechaux for Praschan Requiem, a French Policier, or Crime film.
Model a 3D Aquaman Logo In After Effects
Awesome tut by Chris Bobotis (brain behind the mettle plug-ins) Chris uses simple techniues to create a 3D Aquaman logo in After Effects using ShapeShifter Ae.
Amazing Spider-man Sequence Tutorial
You loved the Amazing Spider-man title sequence. So here's the tutorial that shows you exactly how to recreate it in After Effects with our ShapeShifter AE plug-in. Nancy from mettle hosts this fun tut. Download the free project file and follow along!
Expandables Title Sequences
Awesome After Effects tutorial by Chris Bobotis,(mettle.com). Learn how easy it is to get amazing results with ShapeShifter AE.
Superman by Jerzy Drozda
Jerzy Drozda Jr. aka Maltaannon created this impressive 3D morphing Superman Logo.


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Researchers Explore Appetite Effects Of Obesity Gene
A London-based research study found that children carrying the first gene that has been linked to obesity find it harder than others to tell when they're full.
The study assessed over 3,000 children to see whether the FTO gene impacts on the ability to burn calories or appetite.
Those with copies of the gene's risky variant were less likely to have their appetite "switched off" when they should be full, researchers said.
FTO is the first common gene to be linked to obesity in Caucasian populations.
According to previous studies, adults with two copies of the higher risk version of the gene are on average 3kg (6lb 10oz) heavier, and those with a single copy are on average 1.5kg heavier, than those without the gene.
The researchers set out to learn more about the way the gene works.
They tested whether children aged eight to 11 carrying the higher risk gene variation had an altered appetite through height, weight and waist circumference measurements. They also issued a questionnaire that asked parents about their child's eating habits.
Children with the higher risk version of the gene tended to overeat and to struggle to recognize when they were full, according to results.
The gene's effect on appetite was the same regardless of age, sex, socio-economic background and body mass index.
"It is not simply the case that people who carry the risky variant of this gene automatically become overweight, but they are more susceptible to overeating," said lead researcher Professor Jane Wardle.
"This makes them significantly more vulnerable to the modern environment which confronts all of us with large portion sizes and limitless opportunities to eat."
However, the effect of the gene in isolation was relatively small, she said.
She believes it is likely that many genes contributed to obesity and appetite, each making a small contribution, but together creating a substantial effect.
Dr. David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, called the research "very interesting".
"We are looking at a thousand-piece jigsaw and we have shown how the first two pieces fit together.
"It is a step in the right direction, but what we don't want to say is 'we have got the gene for obesity, therefore we can cure it' – that is not going to happen for many years to come."
The researchers, from University College London and the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London published the study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
On the Net:


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Driver, where you taking us?
from The Doors – The End Lyrics on Genius
Following on from the previous point of the blue bus being the Vietnam induction vehicle, soldiers some were willing to go into battle, however once they reached Vietnam they felt lost, that they didn't belong or scared as they were in land that was dense with jungle and was largely farmland. A sense of the unknown shrouded Vietnam, not only through difficult terrain, but also guerrilla warfare and not always knowing who the enemy were.
Additionally in relation to drugs, the "driver" may be referring to LSD or even heroin, and when tripping he doesn't know where it's taking him. It's a journey yet he's uncertain how the experience will go.
To help improve the quality of the lyrics, visit The Doors – The End Lyrics and leave a suggestion at the bottom of the page


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Latest 2007–08 Florida Panthers season Stories
A goal by David Booth lifted Florida to a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers Thursday, but the victory failed to get the Panthers into the NHL playoffs. Florida was eliminated from playoff contention when the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 2-1 and Montreal gained a point in a 5-4 overtime loss to
Jeff Carter scored early in the third period Tuesday, lifting the Philadelphia Flyers a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. Joffrey Lupul scored the other goal for the Flyers, who earned their third trip to the post-season in the last four seasons.
David Booth's power-play goal with 12 seconds left in the second period turned out to be the game-winner for Florida Sunday in a 4-2 triumph over Pittsburgh. Booth was assisted by Jay Bouwmeester and Cory Stillman on a goal that sent the Panthers ahead 3-1. Ville Peltonen tacked on another goal in the
Ray Whitney scored 1:36 into overtime Monday to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Joni Pitkanen passed from the right point to the left circle, where Whitney made the winning goal. Tuomo Ruutu and Patrick Eaves each scored and Cam Ward made 37 saves for the Hurricanes, who have won four straight games. Carolina has 87 points and is fifth in the NHL Eastern Conference, one ahead of Pittsburgh and three behind Philadelphia. Cory Stillman had a goal and an...
Raffi Torres scored twice in a three-goal third period Saturday, leading the Columbus Blue Jackets' 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Until their outburst, Columbus was on the verge of being Tomas Vokoun's seventh shutout victim this season, but Torres broke up the shutout bid with his ninth goal at 17:14 of the third.
Stephen Weiss had a goal and an assist Thursday night, helping the Florida Panthers halt a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over Toronto. Ville Peltonen and Richard Zednik also scored for the Panthers and Tomas Vokoun made 37 saves. Florida swept the four-game season series from the Maple Leafs. Florida reached 80 points for the season and is just one point out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Buffalo Sabres, led by Jaroslav Spacek's one goal and one assist Thursday night, recorded a 3-1 victory against the Florida Panthers. Spacek's eighth goal this season staked Buffalo to a 1-0 advantage at 3:04 of the first period, and the assist came on Daniel Paille's goal at 17:05 of the first. Thomas Vanek's 34th (power play) capped the scoring. Patrick Lalime was credited with 30 saves on 31 shots for the Sabres, who have split their last four contests.
David Booth's second NHL career hat trick Saturday night helped boost the Florida Panthers to a 5-3 win over the St.
Tomas Vokoun turned aside all 41 shots he faced Saturday night when the Florida Panthers skated to a 2-0 win over the slumping Boston Bruins. Radek Dvorak provided the offense by scoring his ninth and 10th goals this season five minutes apart in the third period.
Tomas Vokoun made 36 saves to post his fifth shutout of the season Tuesday, a 4-0 Florida victory over New Jersey. Stephen Weiss and Richard Zednik each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who have won four of their last five games.
- A young chicken: also used as a pet name for children.


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Single Working Women's WeekAs seen in our August 2015 Calendar
Aug 2nd - Aug 8th
Single Working Women's Affiliate Network
(773) 235 -9363
Web site:
Single working women today do it all. They bring home the bacon, fry it—and do the dishes. They earn the money, buy the groceries—and take out the garbage. They feed, nurture and clean up after the pets. This week celebrates the single women who make the modern world a better place—and who find the money, time and energy to lovingly support others. Pick a day or two and buy your favorite single working woman a gift—or do a chore for her.


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WellPoint names hospital executive Swedish new CEO
Care providers and payers also are collaborating more to improve quality and cut down on wasteful spending, and Swedish said he can bring insight into how those collaborations work best to his new role.
"I think we're all striving to create engagement with consumers that has not existed in the past, particularly related to the formation of exchanges," he said. "You have to have hypersensitivity regarding pricing strategies, transparency around quality and safety."
He said serving on Coventry's board gave him a "gimlet-eyed view" of the health insurance business, and he's run his companies with the same expectations placed upon publicly traded companies.
"We have metrics that are as good if not better than most," he said. "We've been, at Trinity Health, manically focused on a double a bond rating."
WellPoint's selection makes sense to Sarah James, who covers health insurers for Wedbush Securities. She said a big trend in the industry is vertical integration, in which health insurers buy doctor practices and clinics to streamline care and make it more efficient.
WellPoint did this in 2011, when it completed the acquisition of CareMore Health Group, which runs more than two dozen clinics that coordinate care for patients.
"To bring in someone who comes from the provider side makes perfect sense," she said.
WellPoint finished 2012 with two strong quarterly performances. But it also has been hit by enrollment losses as employers cut jobs and reduced the number of people covered by employer-sponsored insurance, and it has struggled with higher-than-expected claims coming from its Medicare Advantage business in California.
WellPoint shares fell 76 cents to $65.25 in after-hours trading.