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Results tagged ' Mark Teixeira '
Playing Dress-Up: The Yankees' Halloween Costumes
"Witch and ghost make merry on this last of dear October days. " – Author Unknown
In one week's time, people will be dressing up in costumes for Halloween, the one day on the calendar you can be whoever or whatever you want to be. Whether it's a super hero, a movie character, or a spooky creature, Halloween is one of the more celebrated holidays in this country.
To me, Halloween has sort of lost its luster. When I was a youngster I absolutely loved Halloween. It was always a tossup trying to figure out what I should dress up as, and the thought of getting free candy just by uttering the phrase "Trick-or-Treat" put a smile on my face and got me excited.
In first grade I dressed up as Superman, one of my favorite costumes:
It was always a night of fun for me. Yet these past few years I've found myself basically doing nothing on Oct. 31, merely sitting around alone watching old horror movies like "The Exorcist" and "Scream."
This year I might change that, perhaps; maybe try to rally some friends together and relive the days of Halloween past by donning costumes. But onto the point of this entry:
If the Yankee players were to dress up for Halloween, what could they be?
Here are some suggestions…
CC Sabathia: Cleveland Brown
I could have just taken the high road and suggested CC Sabathia dress up as Fat Albert, but I figured I would change it up this time.
Put a yellow shirt and blue pants on the Yankee ace and he just might be able to pull it off. However, he might need to grow his mustache in a little more.
Hmm. Maybe Derek Jeter's father, Dr. Charles Jeter, would be better off going as Cleveland…?
Derek could even go as Quagmire!
Mark Teixeira: Jared from Subway
I don't know about anyone else but if you take the glasses off Jared, I think he sort of resembles Mark Teixeira.
Sort of.
The Yanks' first baseman, who batted just .248 this year, might be able to get one of those "Free Subway for Life" cards (Happy Gilmore reference) if he goes as Jared this year. Maybe some meaty, cold cut sandwiches can help him swing the bat a little better and get that BA back up to a respectable .300 next year.
Scott Proctor: John Cena
I know I've made mention of this in the past but Scott Proctor, who went 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA for the Yankees this year, looks an awful lot like 12-time WWE Heavyweight Champion John Cena.
Proctor was basically a real-life loser this season. Therefore, if he wants to dress up like a real-life winner, he can be Cena for Halloween.
All he would need for the costume is one of Cena's colorful shirts, a hat that reads "You Can't See Me," some wrist bands, and a pair of denim shorts.
Oh, and maybe some talent. That wouldn't hurt.
A.J. Burnett: Beavis
A.J. Burnett pitched a decent Game Four in the American League Division Series vs. the Tigers, but only had a handful of acceptable starts during the regular season. With a record of 11-11 and an ERA of 5.15, he hasn't exactly been what the Yankees were anticipating when they signed him to a lucrative contract worth $82.5 million prior to the 2009 season.
But we already knew that.
Perhaps he can help get the Yankee fans back on his side if he loosened up a little bit and dressed as Beavis from MTV's…umm…hit show, "Beavis & Butthead."
Not only do they bare a striking resemble to one another, their personalities are eerily identical. And if he doesn't like the Beavis idea, he can always go as Dennis the Menace.
Andruw Jones: Dr. Dre
I'm not sure why, but Andruw Jones has always reminded me of rap star and hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre. When both of them were young, they were well-liked and everyone knew their name.
Dr. Dre was one of the more revered rappers in the world and most people knew Jones because of the power show he put on in the 1996 World Series as a member of the Atlanta Braves.
But that was in the 1990s. If you were to ask anyone back then who Dr. Dre was, undoubtedly they'd say, "Of course!" Nowadays if you ask about him, the answer would probably be more along the lines of, "Oh yeah. Whatever happened to him?"
Same applies to Jones.
And while we all know what Jones was doing this year – batting .247 for the Yankees and hitting 13 homers with 33 RBIs as a fourth outfielder – we may never know where Dr. Dre is.
I guess we all "forgot about Dre." I believe that was one of his last hit singles; I can remember him releasing it before he vanished off my radar somewhere around 1998.
Alex Rodriguez: Anakin Skywalker
The Yankees' superstar third baseman had a sad 2011 season, spending most of it on the disabled list. Hurt, he only managed to club 16 homers, bat .276, and drive in just 62 runs.
It was one of the worst years Alex Rodriguez has had since he started; in fact, it was the first time in his career he failed to hit 30 home runs since 1997.
To get rid of some of the bad feelings from this past season, I could picture A-Rod dressing as Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars franchise. Not only are they practically each other's doppelganger, but it fits so well.
For those who do not know, Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, one of the sworn leaders of the "Dark Side." The Yankees have always been compared to the Star Wars "Evil Empire" so who better than Rodriguez – probably the most hated Yankee – to play the Jedi who turns his back on the force for the sake of evil?
It's a perfect match and it makes sense.
Bartolo Colon: Hamburglar
I have an unsettling admission to make right now. One of the last years that I went out trick-or-treating on Halloween (probably in sixth or seventh grade) I was indeed the Hamburglar, one of the McDonald's "McDonald-Land" characters.
Yep. Insert obligatory/witty Chicken McNugget joke here.
Bartolo Colon, just judging by his face, would be perfect for this costume. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if during the off-season he makes appearances at local McDonald's in the Dominican Republic as the Hamburglar for extra money.
Also, judging by his weight, it looks as though he might be the real-life Hamburglar. He is very porky.
Robinson Cano: Steve Urkel
Back in the early 1990s ABC launched its Friday night lineup known as TGIF. Shows such as "Step by Step," "Boy Meets World" and "Full House" all kept us laughing – albeit with cheesy, light-spirited, and family-oriented jokes.
One of my favorite programs to watch every Friday night was "Family Matters," a show centered around the lives of the Winslow family and their pesky, annoying, nerdy neighbor, Steve Urkel.
Robinson Cano is no nerd: 28 home runs, 118 RBIs, and a .302 batting average is nothing to shake your head at. It certainly does not put him in the same category as Urkel.
However, if you take Cano's face, put some coke bottle glasses on him, some suspenders, a nerdy shirt, and if he speaks with a high-pitched squeaky voice, you have the spitting image of the legendary doofus known as the Urk-Man.
Well, that about wraps it up folks. Hope you enjoyed my suggestions for the Yankees' Halloween outfits.
If you happen to go out next week, be safe, and Happy Halloween.
What I'll Remember About the 2011 Season
Casey Stengel once said, "Most games are lost, not won." And let's be honest the Detroit Tigers did not win Game Five of the American League Division Series – the Yankees lost it. The Bronx Bombers dropped the decisive game of the ALDS 3-2, forcing them to an early postseason exit.
It marked the first time the Yanks have been knocked out in the first round since 2007, when they were bumped at the hands of the Cleveland Indians.
And with their loss, they collectively became the second person (if you will) to break my heart this year. That's no lie. More on that later in this entry.
In the bottom of the fourth the Yanks had the bases loaded with one out and failed to score a run. Russell Martin popped out to first base for the second out, and Brett Gardner – who had been raking this entire series – popped the ball up in foul territory behind third, and it landed in the waiting glove of Don Kelly.
Then in the seventh with one out, the Yanks put the ducks on the pond again. Alex Rodriguez struck out swinging, but Mark Teixeira drew a walk forcing home a run to make the game 3-2. But Nick Swisher came up to the plate and murdered the rally with a K.
The Yankees received their first run on a solo home run off the bat of Robinson Cano in the fifth, his second of the ALDS – his first being a Game One grand slam. Derek Jeter nearly clubbed what would have been a go-ahead, two-run home run in the eighth.
With Gardner on first, the Captain launched a ball deep to the right field warning track, but it slowly lost wind and fell short of a potential game-winning round-tripper.
What can you say? It just wasn't meant to be this year.
The Tigers – not the Yankees – will now advance to the American League Championship Series to face the Texas Rangers. A rematch of last year's ALCS was just not in the cards.
The postseason magic was not there; the aura was absent. But there are a lot of memories and thoughts I am going to take away from this year. Here are a few things I'll never forget about the 2011 baseball season:
Opening Day
There is nothing like the thrill of Opening Day. Spring is in the air, you get the sense of new life, and warm, happy feelings envelope you. Baseball is back and the Yankees did what they couldn't do in the ALDS: they beat the Tigers.
Curtis Granderson punished his former team with a tie-breaking home run in the seventh inning, and threw in some defensive, game-saving web gems, leading the way to a 6-3 Yankee win over Detroit.
The Bronx Broskis started their year with a clean win over the Tigers. I think I speak for most Yankee fans when I say I wish they could have finished off Detroit in the ALDS the way they did on Opening Day.
May 12 vs. the Kansas City Royals
The Yanks hosted the Royals on May 12, and it was my first trip to the big ballpark in the Bronx this year. Just as Opening Day has a certain, special appeal to it, going out to your first game of the season is always fun.
The game turned into a stinker in a hurry, as the Royals put up six runs in the second inning. The Yanks wound up losing 11-5, really only receiving offense from Cano and Rodriguez, who both went yard.
What I remember isn't so much the game action, but the people (and more particularly a person) I was with at that game. I am not the type of writer who would bury anyone I personally know in this or any other blog or column, but let's just say (using no names) I was with the other person who broke my heart this year.
If she is reading this, I don't know about you, but I had a blast at that game; the time of my life, and I was very happy and blessed to have spent that time with you. Thanks again for the chili dog you bought me, too. I still think it was the best chili dog I ever had.🙂
This game was the only time I can ever recall seeing the Yankees lose, but still being happy at the end of the night. In fact, I was probably the happiest person at the Stadium that night, and I can only hope she shared my happiness at the game.
I wouldn't have traded the feeling I had for anything, not even a Yankee win.
June 15 vs. the Texas Rangers
On my birthday the Yankees met up with the Rangers – the same team that eliminated them from the ALCS in 2010. I once again went out to the Stadium, and wanted so badly for the Yanks to exact a little bit of revenge on Texas – and boy did they ever.
The Bombers squadoosh'd the Rangers 12-4, playing long ball to an eight-run victory.
Teixeira crushed two homers in the game, and Cano and Ramiro Pena also went deep. But the most special home run the Yankees hit probably came off the bat of Eduardo Nunez – it was his 24th birthday too!
A group of people, who I believe was Nunez's family, were sitting in front of me, going absolutely crazy after his home run.
They held up signs that read, "Happy Birthday Eduardo!" and they were all wearing "Nunez 12" tee-shirts. Plus, they all bore a striking resemblance to him – so I'm convinced to this day it was the Nunez family in the row of seats in front of me that night.
A home run must have been a nice birthday present for Nunez. And a convincing, vengeful Yankee win was a nice gift for me.
Derek Jeter Leaves the Yard for 3,000th Hit
In what was probably the biggest story of the summer, the Yankee Captain, sitting on 2,999 career hits, smacked a home run on July 9, becoming the first player to ever record his 3,000th hit wearing pinstripes.
It was a moment for the ages.
All the Yankees came out of the dugout and congratulated Jeter, hugging him and giving him his legendary credit. The only picture I take away from that moment was Jorge Posada, his teammate since 1995, embracing him in celebration right after he crossed home plate.
If you were to ask Jeter, I'm sure he would say he was happy to have reached his milestone – but even happier the Yankees won the game. The Captain has always put the good of the team above himself and the Bombers topped the Tampa Bay Rays on July 9, 5-4.
Robinson Cano Wins the Home Run Derby
The prelude to the All-Star Game is the Home Run Derby. Certain clubs show off their most powerful sluggers, and Cano participated in this year's home run contest in Arizona. To everyone's surprise, the studly second baseman won it.
Now, I have to ask, what's better than having a Yankee win the Home Run Derby?
How about a Yankee beating a Red Sox player to win the Home Run Derby!
Because that is exactly what happened.
Cano outdueled Boston first baseman Adrian Gonzalez 12-11 in the final round, becoming only the third Yankee (Tino Martinez, 1997, and Jason Giambi, 2002) to take home the Home Run Derby crown.
August 23 vs. the Oakland Athletics
This would mark my third and final trip to the Bronx this summer, a game against the A's. My good friend and fellow die-hard Yankee fan Micheal Robinson was in New York, visiting from Atlanta.
He got incredible seats right behind the wall in left field, and although the Yankees once again lost, they nearly capped an unreal comeback late in the game.
Down 6-0 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Yanks plated three runs on a three-run Swisher home run to cut the lead in half. In the bottom of the ninth Posada clobbered a solo home run, and the Yanks later loaded the bases.
We thought we were in for an improbable comeback.
With the bases chucked and two outs, Cano drew a walk, cutting the lead down to 6-5. Then Swisher came up again and clubbed a towering drive to deep left-center field. On the edge of our seats, Micheal and I slowly stood up watching the ball fly, ready for a whipped cream pie celebration…
Only for the ball to slowly die on the warning track for the final out. Yanks lose, 6-5.
Nonetheless, we enjoyed the game. It was a great night with a great friend. My record in attendance at 2011 Yankee games ended at 1-2.
Mariano Rivera Becomes Baseball's All-Time Saves Leader
On Sept. 19 at Yankee Stadium Mariano Rivera recorded his 602nd career save, passing Trevor Hoffman on the all-time saves list. Rivera, who has been lights-out at the end of each Yankee game for the better part of the past 15 years, only solidified what we have known all along:
That he is the greatest closer in the history of baseball.
In typical Rivera fashion, he mowed down the Minnesota Twins 1-2-3 in the ninth inning, wrapping up a 6-4 Yankee win. When he was finished closing the game, he humbly put his head down, and shook his catcher's hand.
But after that show of sportsmanship Rivera (of course) realized what he had done and acknowledged the love and support he received from his home crowd. Posada even pushed him back out to the mound where he was cheered overwhelmingly.
Again, in typical Rivera fashion he thanked God, his family, the Yankees, and the fans.
It was just another wonderful moment in 2011 – and in Yankee history.
Boston Losing Out of the Postseason
I know I've told this story more than once, but for one last time, I'll tell it again.
All the way back in January I was with a few friends down at a New York City bar watching the Jets' AFC Title game vs. the Steelers. Although it was a football game, me and each of my friends were wearing Yankee apparel.
In walks a drunken Red Sox fan, wearing a 2004 Championship shirt. And he began to taunt us.
"Are you guys ready for Michael Kay this year? Swisher on the track, at the wall, looking up, SEE YA! Another home run for Carl Crawford and the Red Sox lead, 7-3!"
We just laughed it off and walked away. On the way home from the bar we made fun of him for not even teasing us the right way.
"Hey, at least he gave the Yankees three runs in his little fantasy game," we snickered. "If he were smart, or maybe sober, he would have made it 15-0 in favor of the Red Sox."
Boston failing to make the postseason – when practically everyone on this planet had them picked to win the World Series – in my eyes, was just epic; one of the worst, if not the worst collapses I have ever seen.
I would have loved to see that guy's face when Tampa Bay battled back from nine games behind the Wild Card standings – and when Baltimore crushed Boston's hopes at a postseason run on the last day of the regular season.
I will never forget how that Red Sox fan basically had his team in the World Series before the season even began and they didn't even make the playoffs, going 6-20 in the month of September.
The Boston collapse proved two things to me:
1) You can never speak too soon, and
2) You can't win games on paper. The Red Sox may have had the best-looking team on a lineup card, but if the best-looking team folds like an accordion when it matters, it doesn't guarantee you anything.
Well, Yankee fans. It was one helluva season; one I'll probably never forget. It is unfortunate the Yanks could not create the magic for us and bring home Championship No. 28.
I'd like to thank everyone for sticking it out this season and reading Yankee Yapping. I promise to write as much as I can during the off-season while the MLB hot stove cooks, boils, bakes, burns, or does whatever it does.
Hopefully I'll be blogging about Ivan Nova winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award, and either Granderson or Cano winning the AL MVP.
Until then, I'll say the same thing I did when the Yanks got booted in last year's ALCS:
Keep your heads up, Yankee fans.
And just remember: we still own 27 World Titles, and we're still the best team in the world.
Back to the Bronx!
Let me tell you a little about my day, and in what direction I thought it was going in.
This afternoon I was in my car, driving of course. I was stopped at a traffic light, minding my own business. Then…BOOM! I got rear-ended by some lady who was not paying attention to the road. Thankfully my bumper was only scratched: not really any major damage to my (new) car. Oh, and if you're wondering, no. I wasn't hurt; just a little rattled at the time, although I did have a mild headache when I got home from work.
People, driving requires 100% of your attention. Remember that.
I only thought my headache was going to get more severe, considering A.J. Burnett was starting for the Yankees in Game Four of the American League Division Series, down two games to one, at the mercy of the Detroit Tigers. I'll be the first to admit, I felt very uneasy with Burnett on the mound, an 11-11 record this season with a 5.15 ERA.
His numbers alone are enough to give anyone a headache, even without getting rear-ended by a car.
Some Yankee fans, most notably Yankee roll caller and lead Bleacher Creature Bald Vinny, started a Facebook campaign: "I Believe in A.J." Despite the doubt a lot of people had concerning Burnett's ability to pitch in an elimination game, it is evident the fans got behind him.
All the faith was rewarded.
Aside from one inning, he didn't disappoint. Burnett helped lead the way to a 10-1 Yankee win in Game Four, forcing a Game Five on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
The key play in the game came in the bottom of the first inning. The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs, and Don Kelly smacked a liner into centerfield. Curtis Granderson dove, laid out and made a game-saving grab to end the inning.
Burnett owes his centerfielder dinner after a catch like that.
Had the ball gone over Granderson's head, anything could – and would – have happened. Kelly would have definitely cleared the bases and he would have undoubtedly made it to third – or even home. In perspective, it could have been an inside-the-park grand slam, and Burnett's confidence may have disappeared, allowing Detroit to run up the score.
But it didn't happen.
Burnett had walked three batters in the first (Miguel Cabrera was walked intentionally) and looked a bit jittery, but seemed to settle down nicely after the shaky frame. He ended the night with 5 2/3 innings pitched, and he gave up just one earned run on four hits. Burnett walked four batters and struck out three.
The only blip on Burnett's radar was a home run to Victor Martinez in the bottom of the fourth, and yet it didn't really matter because the Yankees had already put two runs on the board.
When Burnett left the mound, he got a lot of love from his teammates. I'd say if you took one still frame from the game tonight, the picture of the infield players collectively patting Burnett on the back speaks volumes about the amount faith they had in him.
After Burnett left, yesterday's goat Rafael Soriano came in – and Granderson once again flashed the leather, making another beautiful catch in centerfield to end the inning. Not only did Granderson save Burnett, but he aided Soriano with a spectacular web gem.
The pitching and defense was there, but you need offense to win a game. And the Bomber bats came alive in this one.
The Yankees were retired 1-2-3 in the first and second innings – and it looked as though it was going to be another stagnant and dead night at the plate. But right before Derek Jeter stepped into the batter's box, I put on my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles slippers.
Right after I put them on the Captain crushed a two-run double to plate Jorge Posada and Russell Martin. The Yankees took the lead and never relinquished it.
"I think my slippers may have been the Yanks' good luck charm," I thought to myself. "I'll keep them on."
If they were a good luck charm, they were working in the top half of the fifth. The Yanks added two more runs on a double by Granderson which knocked in Brett Gardner. Alex Rodriguez later hit a sac fly to drive in Jeter.
Hanging onto a 4-1 lead, the Bronx Broskis exploded for six runs in the eighth – and batted around. A balk by Al Albuquerque sent Rodriguez to the plate, a single by pinch-hitter Jesus Montero drove in Mark Teixeira, and then Gardner plated Chris Dickerson (who pinch-ran for Nick Swisher).
And they still weren't done.
A Daniel Schlereth wild pitch allowed Montero to score, then Robinson Cano knocked Martin and Gardner in with an two-run single.
10 runs in the game. And now we're heading back to the Bronx, the ALDS tied 2-2.
The last time the Yankees played a Game Five in the ALDS was 2005, and it didn't go well for them. The Bombers played in Anaheim and were outdone 5-3 at the hands of the Angels.
This time around, however, the Yankees will not be on the road. They will be in the comfort of Yankee Stadium and essentially they have home field advantage and momentum again.
In more good news for the Yanks, the last time they played a Game Five in the ALDS at home, they beat Oakland all the way back in 2001. Strangely enough they won the '01 ALDS Game Five by the same score they lost the '05 ALDS by: 5-3.
The Yankees broke the trend tonight. They seemed to be following the 2006 ALDS script a little too closely, but now they have the chance to make a little comeback and beat the Tigers; an opportunity to punch the proverbial ticket back to the American League Championship Series.
Ivan Nova, who dazzled in Game One, will take the mound in the deciding game, hoping to keep the postseason dream alive. He will be opposed by Doug Fister, who the Yankees got to on Saturday.
If the Yanks win Thursday, the Texas Rangers await them in the ALCS – a potential rematch of last year's Championship Series.
Speaking of breaking playoff trends, the Yankees lost to the Rangers last year.
They will have to break that trend, too. But they have to get there, first. I'll be working a high school football game Thursday night at 6:00, so I'll probably only miss the first and maybe the second innings of the game.
When I get home, one thing is for sure: I am putting on my ninja turtles slippers.
Trending Topics
October 3, 2006: The Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 8-4 in Game One of the American League Division Series at home – a rather easy win, a good start out of Chien-Ming Wang, and overall a well-played game.
October 1, 2011: The Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 9-3 in Game One of the ALDS. Again, a relatively easy win in front of a partisan Yankee Stadium crowd; a good amount of offense (namely from Robinson Cano) and a good pitching performance from Ivan Nova led the way to a decisive victory for the Bronx Broskis.
October 5, 2006: The Tigers beat the Yankees in a close game, 4-3, taking game two – and home field advantage – away from New York.
October 3, 2011: The Tigers beat the Yankees 5-3, another close game, and swiped home field advantage, taking the series back to Detroit.
Noticing a trend here?
If you're wondering, the Yankees were shut out in Game Three of the '06 ALDS, 6-0, at the (greasy) hands of one Kenny Rogers. Their task tonight is to beat 24-game winner and American League Cy Young Award shoe-in Justin Verlander – a task which may prove to be very daunting.
On Saturday at Yankee Stadium before Game One was suspended, Verlander didn't look like himself. His pitches were missing up out of the zone, and he walked two batters while giving up an earned run in the lone inning he tossed.
But that could have just been an aberration.
Just as Alex Murphy was transformed into RoboCop in Detroit (I'm not holding back with the obscure Detroit/RoboCop references for this series) tonight Verlander has the chance to morph back to what he really is; erase that mediocre first inning from Game One – and do it in front of his home audience at Comerica Park.
The Yankees will counter with their ace, CC Sabathia. The big man only pitched two innings before the first game was suspended, and while he recorded four strikeouts and didn't issue a walk, he gave up a solo homer to Delmon Young in the first inning.
Over the last 10 games of the regular season, Sabathia was 4-3 with an ERA of 4.06. He allowed 87 hits in 68 2/3 innings, and gave up 31 earned runs.
Down the stretch, Sabathia seemed to struggle, yet the ace still posted 19 wins and finished with an ERA of 3.00. Even in the face of a scuffle, Sabathia showed he can still put up solid numbers.
Tonight Sabathia will have to stand toe-to-toe with the probable AL Cy Young Award winner – and the Yankee bats have to come alive, more alive than they were in Game Two. Yesterday they made Max Scherzer, a pitcher with nine losses and a 4.43 ERA this season, look like Nolan Ryan.
Cano, Mark Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez are the three key offensive players that need to lead the team at the plate – especially A-Rod. Rodriguez is 0-for-8 in this series thus far. In another strange trend, he went 1-for-14 in the '06 ALDS.
If Verlander happens to outduel Sabathia, the Yanks will find themselves in the same spot they were in back in 2006, down two games to one in the Motor City – and the pattern could continue.
Their '06 fate might be duplicated in '11.
October 7, 2006: Down two games to one, the Yankees sent Jaret Wright to the mound in an elimination game. Wright labored through two innings and gave up three runs, putting the Yankees in a quick hole they were never ever to climb out of. The Tigers went on to beat the Yankees 8-3 for the ALDS win.
October 4, 2011: The Yankees will send A.J. Burnett to the hill in what could be an elimination game; a loss tonight makes the series two games to one in favor of the Tigers. Burnett was 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA this season – and you don't have to sell any Yankee fan on how poorly Burnett pitched this year.
There is no Yankee fan anywhere in the world (at least that I know of) that has any faith in Burnett.
Tonight could make or break the series for New York. If the Yanks can pull out a win, then no matter what, at the very least they will be coming back to the Bronx for a Game Five.
But the Yankees will have to break this vicious trend if they want that to happen.
ALDS Game 1
It may have taken about 24 hours to complete – but Game One of the American League Division Series is in the books. The Yankees had to wait, but for them, a win like tonight was probably worth waiting for. The Bronx Bombers took Game One from the Tigers in convincing fashion, 9-3.
Obviously the two standouts from this game: Ivan Nova and Robinson Cano.
Nova finished what Sabathia started yesterday night, pitching 6 1/3 innings – and he nearly finished the game, although if he had, it would not have gone is the record books as a complete game because the game was suspended. Nova stood tall and refused to be rattled, only allowing two earned runs on four hits.
The walks may be a concern, as he issued four free passes, but he did strike out five.
Moving forward, the Yankees have to be feeling a lot more confident about him. Remember: Nova is a rookie, and for a rookie to basically start an important playoff game – and pitch the way he did – is impressive and reassuring.
If the Yankees are lucky, Nova will not have to pitch again until the American League Championship Series. Undoubtedly he will continue to be tested throughout this postseason. And if he duplicates what he did tonight, he will pass the playoff test with flying colors.
And then there's the studly second baseman.
Cano came up in the bottom of the fifth with the score knotted 1-1 and went oppo, crushing a double off the left field wall that plated Curtis Granderson. The play went under review, as it looked to go over the wall and come back, but in fact bounced off the top of the wall. It stood as a two-base hit.
He may not have cleared the wall in left field in the fifth, but he sure as heck cleared the right field wall in the sixth.
Brett Gardner singled to drive in Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada, but Cano then stepped up with the bases chucked and creamed a grand slam into the second deck in right field, completing a six-run sixth inning for New York.
That granny was the first slam in a Yankee postseason game since Ricky Ledee crushed one in Game Four of the 1999 ALCS – off Rod Beck (†) at Fenway Park.
You'd think a grand slam and a go-ahead RBI double would be enough for anyone in one game.
But Cano still wasn't done.
In the eighth he doubled again, this time driving home Derek Jeter, registering six of the Yankees' nine runs in the game. With his hitting show, he became the eighth Major League player to drive in six runs or more in an LDS game.
If Cano stays as red hot as he was tonight, the Yankee offense can breath easily.
Tomorrow afternoon Freddy Garcia will take the ball and hope to keep the Yanks winning. He will face off with Max Scherzer in Game Two.
I think the most important thing for the Yankees to keep in mind is that the series isn't over. Indeed it was a motivating and encouraging win, but anything can happen.
Remember: in the 2006 ALDS vs. Detroit the Bronx Bombers started with a Game One win – and then dropped three in a row to lose it all.
Complacency is not an option. They still have two games to win in this series.
And I'm sure they know that. Now it's just a matter of putting it together.
See you after Game Two.
What'd I Miss?
What was it General MacArthur said when he got back from the Philippines during World War II?
"I have returned!"
But while I was gone, there was a lot I missed. Let me see if I can get caught up on what happened during my hiatus.
Robinson Cano wins Home Run Derby
Awhile back I thought about Robinson Cano's swing and stride, and thought he looked an awful lot like Ken Griffey, Jr. – who won the derby three times (1994, 1998, and 1999). With his Griffey-esque swing, it should come as no shock that Cano was able to win the 2011 Home Run Derby in Arizona.
The studly second baseman clubbed 32 homers and beat out the likes of Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, David Ortiz, and Jose Bautista among others.
Cano became only the third Yankee to ever win the Home Run Derby, along with Tino Martinez (1997) and Jason Giambi (2002).
Woo Woo Woo. You Cano it!
Derek Jeter collects hit number 3,000 on a home run
Did we all know it was coming?
Did we all expect the Yankee Captain to hit a home run for his 3,000th hit?
Well, I know I didn't.
On July 9, Derek Jeter stepped up to the plate at home and belted a long home run off Rays' starter David Price for his 3,000th career hit, a shot that landed in the left field bleachers.
DJ3K. He did it. Just another accomplishment to put on the resume.
HBO followed Jeter around and put together a very nice documentary leading up to this 3,000th hit. It was strange to see the captain almost appear human, as to most Yankee fans he's been super human his whole career.
I think the most eye-opening part of the whole program was him sitting in his kitchen, watching Tino Martinez and Bernie Williams at Old Timer's Day back on June 26. Jeter looked stunned to see both of them there, and the first thought that entered my mind was,
"I think he knows that's going to be him, soon."
Jeter was a great champion at a time when we needed a great champion. But at 37 – and already accomplishing so much – I think he knows he's in the twilight of his career.
Nonetheless, his 3,000th hit was a proud moment for the fans and the organization. With the hit, Jeter became the first Yankee to ever reach 3,000 hits, only the second player (to Wade Boggs) to get to 3,000 on a home run, and only the second shortstop (to Honus Wagner) to ever get 3,000 hits.
Alex Rodriguez goes to the Disabled List
Like Jeter, Alex Rodriguez is getting old. With age come aches and pains, and the Yankee third baseman landed himself on the DL with a torn meniscus.
Rodriguez wasn't putting up the best power numbers before he was injured (13 home runs) but his batting average was typical for him (.295).
According to the media, A-Rod is expected back shortly; the second week in August, which would mean next week.
Although the Yanks have been winning without him, it would kill them to lose him for the postseason. He is certainly a bat I want in the lineup come October, so A-Rod: no rush. Come back when you're 100%.
CC Sabathia is 15-5
I still find it strange that CC Sabathia won 21 games last year, yet did not capture the American League Cy Young Award at season's end. The writers chose Felix Hernandez, who was one game above .500 (13-12) for the accolade, and…I still don't understand it.
The argument most people gave was that Hernandez's ERA was lower than Sabathia's; his strikeout count was higher, his WHIP was lower, and he won games for a team that gave him no run support.
All very impressive, but I still feel Sabathia should have won it.
21 is greater than 13, by my math.
But that was last year. It's over and done with. If Sabathia doesn't win it this year, it's a travesty and I will be totally convinced the writers just hate the Yankees.
At press time Sabathia is 15-5 with a 2.56 ERA. He's recorded 156 strikeouts to this point and there are still two months left of baseball, meaning he'll most likely get over 200 Ks. He's got three complete games under his belt and one shutout.
He could easily finish the season with over 20 wins again and if Sabathia does not get the award…
I will go to each baseball writers' house and rip their Felix Hernandez fatheads off their walls.
Hideki Irabu dies
It's a sad state of affairs when someone dies. The way former Yankee pitcher Hideki Irabu died was just horrible, though.
Irabu, once dubbed a fat, p***y toad by George Steinbrenner, was found dead in his California home from an apparent suicide. From what I read, he had been dead for a few days before the authorities found him.
Although Irabu never had the easiest career (even I once called him one of the worst signings ever) I would never wish death on the man, and I think it was a very crummy ending for him.
Irabu was 42 years old.
I didn't like him but I suppose, however, at one point in my life I did support him. I had an Irabu shirt as a kid…
A.J. Burnett is 8-9
I really don't have much to say about this one, except, why does this not shock me?
A.J. Burnett seemed to have started the season with a fierce tenacity; I thought this was going to be a great season for him, but I guess not. At this point, I'm not sure if he'll ever live up to being the solid number two man the Yankees signed before 2009.
Right now Burnett is up to a 4.23 ERA and has surrendered 20 home runs this season. He did not win a game in July, which is surprising, considering he usually thrives in the summer month.
All I can say is this:
At least I know another guy named A.J. in New York who's a loser. (OK, that may have been uncalled for. I am so mean. To myself).
Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira push each other in home runs
These two are ridiculous.
Curtis Granderson is looking like the guy we traded for, smashing 28 homers to this point. He has collected 104 hits so far, made the All-Star team, and although his batting average is a little subpar (.269) he is still a tough out.
If he gets his BA up by season's end, he has a case for the MVP.
Mark Teixeira has 29 homers, is slugging .509, and has driven in 79 runs. His batting average, like Granderson's, is a little low (.246) but when he is hot, he is on fire.
It's good to see these two stepping up in Rodriguez's absence; it's almost reminiscent of the 1961 Maris-Mantle home run chase – even though it's not likely both of these guys will reach any records, it's fun to watch two teammates push each other.
Talk about a deadly duo worthy of murder's row.
Not only that, but it's a relief to know these guys can put the team on their backs and carry it.
Well, looks like I'm all caught up. Coming into today's action the Yankees are 63-42, two games out of first in the AL East to Boston and five games ahead of the Angels in the Wild Card.
Not surprising.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.
And yes. I'm back.
Fight back, you bums, fight back!
Last night was embarrassing. Let's face it. The Yankees, who had just taken two out of three from the Los Angeles Angels, came home to face their hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox. Having won six of their last seven games, the Bronx Bombers were stopped dead in their tracks, losing 6-4 to Boston.
But the Yanks didn't just lose. They brought it to a new level.
In the first inning, Yankees' starter Freddy Garcia surrendered three runs, putting the Bronx Bombers in a quick hole. Already down in the game, Boston starter Jon Lester beaned Mark Teixeira in the right knee cap, forcing the Yankees' hottest hitter out of the game.
Later in the frame Russell Martin was hit, as Lester had no control at the outset of the game.
Luckily for the Yanks, Teixeira's x-rays were negative. There is a contusion on his knee and he will be reevaluated today. As for him playing tonight, Yankee manager Joe Girardi said, "probably not."
Were the bean balls intentional?
No. Lester was going to his cutter and it wasn't cutting.
Could it have cost the Yankees if the injury had been worse?
Absolutely. If Teixeira had broken his knee cap, the Yankees would be in serious trouble.
At the end of the inning: two hit-batsmen and no retaliation. OK.
The Bombers scraped one run across the plate in the bottom of the first, receiving an RBI single off the bat of Robinson Cano. They blew their chance to break out and erase the three-run first however, leaving the bases loaded to end the first inning.
Down 4-1 in the top of the fifth, David Ortiz stepped up to the plate with Adrian Gonzalez on first. Reliever Hector Noesi threw an inside pitch (middle-in) that brushed Ortiz off the plate.
Big Papi looked a bit flustered, but clearly there was no intent.
The next pitch, Ortiz crushed over the right field wall. Instead of just dropping his bat and running, he flipped the bat in a rather cocky manner, as if to show up the young Yankee pitcher.
So now: two hit-batsmen, an act of cockiness, and the Yankees were losing. Perfect grounds for retaliation and the Yanks did not respond.
May I ask why?
After Ortiz's bat flip, one thing came to my mind; I thought back to the worst movie in the Rocky series, Rocky V. In the final fight scene, Tommy Gunn and Rocky Balboa were fighting in the streets. Balboa knocked Gunn down, then Gunn's manager, George W. Duke, screamed at his protégé, "Fight back, you bum, fight back!"
My sentiments exactly. The Yanks should have fought back.
In the bottom of the fifth, New York got two runs back and cut the lead to 6-3. Nick Swisher, who had grounded out in the first to leave the bases loaded, came around and clubbed a two-run double.
The Bombers made one last ditch effort to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. Brett Gardner walked, but Captain Derek Jeter, now 12 hits away from 3,000, lined out to right field.
Curtis Granderson struck out, setting up Jorge Posada, who replaced Teixeira at first base. Gardner took second on defensive indifference and scored on a single by Posada.
Up came Alex Rodriguez, the tying run, 0-for-4 on the night. He made it 0-for-5 with a strikeout to end the game.
But there was plenty of blame to go around; enough goats in this game, other than A-Rod.
Granderson was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and left three men on base. Quietly he has gone into a little slump, and his batting average has dipped to .269.
Andruw Jones was another non-factor, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He stranded three men on base. Girardi started Jones because he is a right-handed hitter and Lester is a lefty; he hoped Jones would have an advantage, righty vs. lefty, on the Boston hurler.
I guess there is no such thing as an advantage against Lester.
What bothered me the most about the game was not retaliating against Boston following Ortiz's showboating. There was no reason for the conceited bat toss and no reason the Yanks should not have responded to it. It seemed as if the Yankees were just laying down for Boston without caring.
Plus, if they couldn't beat them on the scoreboard and they're showing off, beat them with the ball. Show some gumption and some fight by hitting back.
I couldn't help but think of May 23, 2006, when the Red Sox hosted the Yanks at Fenway. Manny Ramirez belted a long, three-run home run, but before he ran the bases he stood in the box and admired his shot.
The home plate umpire even had to intervene, telling Ramirez to get out of the box and run.
Did the Yanks fight back then?
Nope. They just let it slide.
After the game Girardi let the media know that he was not a fan of the bat flip and he took offense to it.
"I didn't care for it," the Yankee skipper said.
"I don't know if Ortiz was upset that he (Noesi) came in hard at him. I never had a problem with David; he has always played the game hard. I'm just protecting my young kid."
Ortiz's comments on the matter:
"That's Papi style," he said with a smile on his face.
"It's not the first time and it's not my last one. I'm a home run hitter. It's not like I do it all the time. What can I tell you? Just another homer for Papi."
The whole situation could mean retaliation tonight, but if history repeats itself and they just let it go as they did in '06, they won't do anything back.
Yet tonight's starter A.J. Burnett (6-3, 3.86 ERA) has a history of being wild. Whether he means to or not, there's a good possibility a Boston batter could get hit with a pitch tonight. He is 2-0 with a 3.44 ERA and 15 strikeouts in his last three starts, and it will be his first start of the season against the Red Sox.
The Yanks will face 44 year-old knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (2-1, 4.40 ERA) who took the spot in the Boston rotation left by Daisuke Matsuzaka, who needs Tommy John surgery. Over the last 10 years alone vs. New York, Wakefield is 7-13 with a 4.58 ERA – and he's been around longer than 10 years.
The Yanks have had a good amount of success vs. Wakefield, but in turn Boston (34-26) has handled Burnett in the past.
It could be a wild one in the Bronx tonight, but only if the Yankees (33-25) show some fire; if they show some hustle. If they show they won't lay down in front of their arch-rivals.
If they show some fight.
Stadium Giveaways: Priceless Treasures
Last night was a brutal night to be a Yankee fan, as the Bronx Bombers let a middle-innings lead slip away. The Seattle Mariners eked a 4-3 win over the Yanks. With the win, the Mariners are now a .500 team.
The highlight of the game was perhaps Mark Teixeira's first inning solo home run off rookie phenom Michael Pineda, his 14th round-tripper of the year. Seattle's defense played a huge role, considering Franklin Gutierrez's brilliant thievery in centerfield, robbing a scuffling Nick Swisher of a home run in the top of the fourth.
After the game I asked myself, "How would this game have played out if Swisher had hit that home run?"
Probably a lot different, because it was a one-run game.
Instead of focusing on that ugly loss last night, I figured I would lighten the mood with an interesting blog topic: Stadium Giveaways.
Whenever I purchase tickets to a Yankee game or have the chance to go to a game, the first thing I ask myself is, "Are they giving anything away at this game, and if so, what?"
There's nothing like taking a free keepsake away from the game you attend, along with memories of a day at a ballgame. Some of those Stadium Giveaways can become extremely valuable, depending on what happens in the game.
I'm not exactly sure what the precise value is, but something tells me if you went to David Wells's perfect game on May 17, 1998, and received the Beanie Baby giveaway, you have yourself a truly valuable item worth a good amount of money.
Every Stadium, not just Yankee Stadium, uses promotions as a means to bring fans out to the park and get butts in the seats. And in the spirit of Stadium Giveaways, I am going to share my favorite treasures, as well as share the action that specific game provided.
Get ready for some stories! Here goes…
Batting Glove Day, July 22, 1999
I will never forget this day, only because it was the first time I sat in the upper deck at Yankee Stadium. It was quite interesting, considering me and heights mix about as well as peanut butter and ketchup.
The Yankee batting glove was given to children 14 and younger and it was a nice prize to carry up to the last row of seats at the old Stadium.
The Yanks hosted the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and beat them by a count of 5-4.
Bernie Williams went deep for the Yanks that day and Andy Pettitte tossed six innings on his way to his sixth win of the year.
Andy Pettitte Bobble Head Day, May 24, 2001
To this day, I am bitter about this.
My eighth grade class took a field trip to Yankee Stadium toward the end of the year. We were treated to a classic Yankees-Red Sox game, in which the Yankees won 2-1.
Mike Mussina and Pedro Martinez dueled it out, each fanning 12 batters in the game. Bernie Williams supplied some Yankees offense with a home run and Paul O'Neill notched an RBI.
The giveaway story was not a happy one, however.
The Pettitte bobble head was given to fans 14 and younger. I was only 13, turning 14 the next month. Because I had hit my growth spurt and I was tall, the Yankee Stadium bobble head distributors did not believe I was actually 13; they thought I was older and thus I did not receive a bobble head.
That day each of my eighth grade classmates got a bobble head and I didn't. Words cannot describe how much that hurt me; I felt so left out. I was looking forward to a bobble head and I did not get one.
At least I still have the memory of a Yankee win over the Red Sox and a day with my eighth grade class at the Stadium. When we got back from the trip we all took a picture together. I guess I can carry that around with me instead of a bobble head.
Bat Day, June 30, 2001
Bat Day has been a longstanding tradition at Yankee Stadium, going back decades. It was my friend Vito's 14th birthday and we celebrated at Yankee Stadium.
The Yanks played the Devil Rays that day; Ted Lilly vs. Ryan Rupe. Down 4-0 in the sixth, the Bombers struck back with a three-run inning. They put up two runs in the eighth and went on to beat the Rays 5-4.
Williams crushed two homers (his 13th and 14th of the season) and Tino Martinez also went deep for his 13th long ball of '01.
I left the Stadium that day with a bat and a Yankee win. And looking back it was almost déjà vu from the batting glove game; the Yanks beat the Devil Rays by the same score and the same player (Williams) went yard.
Yankee Binder Day, August 7, 2003
Although it was only the beginning of August, the Yankees knew school was soon set to begin. And what better way to bring us back into the school spirit with a Yankee binder, featuring legends and present players?
The Bombers were hosting the Texas Rangers on that hot afternoon, and played them to a 7-5 win.
The ball was jumping off the bats that day, and a number of players had big-time home runs. For the Rangers, Rafael Palmeiro smacked his 28th homer of the year in the first inning, a three-run bomb which gave Texas a quick lead.
But the Yanks answered in the bottom half of the second with four runs, all coming from the same source. Enrique Wilson stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and clubbed a grand slam, his second home run of the year, to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead.
Soon-to-be Yankee Alex Rodriguez also homered, his 30th of the season.
Starter Mike Mussina settled down and tossed 7 1/3 innings, allowing just four earned runs on eight hits. He walked none and struck out five en route to his 12th win of the year.
Not a bad way to end a day at the Stadium.
Old Timer's Day: July 9, 2005 and July 7, 2007.
I was fortunate enough to be at Old Timer's Day twice. If you are a Yankee fan, do yourself a favor and get out to an Old Timer's Day at least once. You will not be disappointed.
Every Old Timer's Day, the Yanks issue all fans a commemorative pin.
The first time I had the pleasure of attending Old Timer's Day was July 9, 2005. The ceremonies were cut short because of rain, but the weather held up for the actual game.
The Yanks played the Cleveland Indians and lost 8-7, but nearly made miraculous comeback at the end.
Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield, and Ruben Sierra each homered for the Yankees, as the ball was once again exploding off the bats.
Darrell May started for New York and did not impress anyone, pitching 4 1/3 innings and giving up seven earned runs on eight hits. On the bright side he didn't issue any walks and K'd three.
On July 7, 2007, it was a much better experience.
We arrived at the game early, and it was a beautiful day – a contrast to my previous Old Timer's Day experience. Our seats were behind home plate and Jorge Posada's wife Laura was sitting a few seats in front of us.
The ceremony was classic; Don Mattingly, Reggie Jackson, Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, Ken Griffey, Sr., and many, many more were on hand to play in the Old Timer's game.
With the retired players divided, they split up into teams: the Bombers and the Clippers. The Bombers beat the Clippers, 4-0.
As for the modern-day Yankees, it was a slow game. They wound up losing 2-1 in 13 innings to the Angels.
What was so ironic about the whole day was that Roger Clemens started for the Yankees in their game vs. the Angels – and he was older than three players who participated in the Old Timer's Game!
May 24, 2008, Yankee Baseball Card Day
It wound up being my third-to-last game at the old Stadium, and it was a good one. All fans received a pack of collectible Yankee baseball cards.
Let's be honest, who didn't love collecting baseball cards as a kid? It certainly brought me back to my youth in a good way.
The Yanks played the Seattle Mariners and (unlike last night) beat them 12-6.
Mike Mussina pitched rather well, capturing his seventh win of his eventual 20-win campaign. The Yanks did it with their bats too, receiving home runs from Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu.
July 15, 2006, Collectible Stamp Day
This was one the best days I can remember from 2006. A day at the Stadium with my Uncle John and his two sons, my cousins Thomas and Gordon.
Each fan was issued an envelope with stamps of all-time great players: Mickey Mantle, Hank Greenberg, Mel Ott, and Roy Campanella.
Before the game the Yankees held a special ceremony behind home plate with relatives of each player represented on the stamps, including Mantle's sons.
The Yankees played the White Sox that afternoon and crushed them, 14-3.
Bubba Crosby and Andy Phillips were the only two Yanks to go yard, but they played plenty of small ball. Derek Jeter had three RBIs and two doubles.
July 22, 2009, Yankee Stadium Puzzle Day
One of my fondest memories of the magical 2009 season was going out to Yankee Stadium on July 22, when they faced off with the Baltimore Orioles. Every fan in attendance was given a Yankee Stadium puzzle.
Jorge Posada homered, backing a solid outing from A.J. Burnett. The Yanks won 6-4.
I never put the puzzle together. It's still in the box.
Hopefully this year I can get out to a Yankee game on a day they give away something neat. It's always fun to collect and reflect on each game and the memories attached to each giveaway.
Consistently Inconsistent, Yanks overcome Jays
Tonight had a warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feeling; in a way it's almost as if we were brought back to 2009, a year that the Yankees won the World Series. A year that wasn't that long ago, yet right now seems it was ages ago.
The Yankees were 1-18 when trailing after eight innings coming into tonight's game, and as fate would have it, they were down 4-3 in the ninth inning at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays in tonight's game at home. It looked as if they would be 1-19, but the Yanks made up their minds: they weren't losing.
Following a double by pinch-hitter Jorge Posada, Curtis Granderson came to the plate and came up with a clutch, two-out base hit to tie the game at four, bringing home Chris Dickerson, who pinch-ran for Posada.
Granderson promptly stole second base setting up the moment.
Mystique and aura made an appearance when Mark Teixeira stepped up to the plate and squeaked a hit past Jays' first baseman Juan Rivera. The ball trickled into right field as Granderson made his way to the plate, giving the Yanks a 5-4 walk-off win over their division rivals.
A pie to the face for Teixeira and a win for the Bronx Bombers.
In the eighth inning the Yanks scored two runs, receiving an RBI double off the bat of Robinson Cano which plated Granderson. Russell Martin then singled to bring home Cano.
The Yanks got their first run in the third when Martin crushed a solo home run into the left field stands, his ninth of the season.
CC Sabathia did a nice job on the mound tonight, tossing a complete game to save a depleted bullpen (ask Rafael Soriano, who is going to see Dr. James Andrews and is now shut down indefinitely).
He gave up four earned runs on eight hits, walked one batter, and struck out three. Really the only blemish on his ledger was a 3-run fourth inning, but he retired the last 16 batters he faced.
Sabathia hasn't been as overly dominant this year, but nonetheless is now 5-3 with an ERA of 3.17. His struggles have defined the Yankees' play as of late:
It's really not a stretch to say the Yanks have been playing very inconsistently lately. After dropping six games in a row – the longest losing streak since April of 2007 – they came alive with three consecutive wins. Then they lost one to the Mets, only to win their next two.
Following their Subway Series win, they dropped their series opener to the Blue Jays yesterday, only to win in their final at-bat tonight.
If that doesn't define a hot-cold streak, I don't know what does.
It's easy to point out some of the losses that rest on the shoulders of the offense. The one that sticks out like a sore thumb is Friday May 20 vs. the Mets, a 2-1 loss. Freddy Garcia, the Yanks' starter, gave his team a quality start: seven innings pitched, two earned runs on five hits, two walks and two Ks.
Not for nothing, it was a good outing. The offense on the other hand was a different story.
The Yanks left seven runners on base and were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Each time they had a chance to score, it somehow got away from them – and I will be the first to say the Mets' pitching did a solid job of holding the Yankee hitters down. They knew the Yanks were scuffling in terms of scoring runs and took advantage.
My friend's dad went as far as saying the Yankees made R.A. Dickey look like Bert Blyleven.
But other games, like yesterday's 7-3 loss to Toronto, are more or less on the shoulders of the pitching. Bartolo Colon seemed to be cruising, despite surrendering a first inning home run to the Blue Jays' version of Mickey Mantle, AKA Jose Bautista, MLB's leading home run slugger.
Joey Bats took Colon deep in the first, but the Yanks recovered and tied the game at one in the fourth. However the Blue Jays exploded on Colon in the sixth, scoring five runs and putting the Yanks in a hole they were never able to climb out of.
Colon's line: six innings pitched, six earned runs on seven hits, four walks and eight strikeouts.
Other than the eight Ks, it's not a pretty sight.
The bottom line is, the Yanks collectively have to step up if they want to win it all this season, they way they did in 2009. The AL East is not going to be an easy division to claim and this three-horse race (among the Yanks, Rays, and Red Sox) could even become a four-horse race.
The Blue Jays are 24-24, only 2 ½ games out of first place. If they continue to keep their heads above water, and play the way they did against the Yanks yesterday night, they may have a shot to raise a few eyebrows and finish near the top of the division – not saying they will win the east, but at the very least, they could create problems for the Yankees as a spoiler team.
Heck, even Baltimore is only 3 ½ games out at 22-24, as they won their game over the Kansas City Royals tonight. This really could be anyone's division to win if things keep going the way they are now.
But time will tell our division winner.
As for tonight…tonight reminded me of 2009. Only because the Yankees did not die when they had odds and numbers stacked against them. The '09 Yanks recorded walk-off victory after walk-off victory, and it never mattered if they were down late in the game.
In a close game, you could not beat them in the late innings. And tonight, they were down in the late innings…and they didn't get beat.
Tomorrow afternoon the Yanks will look to win the rubber game vs. Toronto and will get a much-needed day off on Thursday.
Garcia (2-4, 3.12 ERA) will gun for the win, opposed by Jo-Jo Reyes (0-3, 4.07 ERA).
Derek Jeter: Renaissance Man
The Yankees played a spirited game of long ball yesterday, smacking a total of five home runs en route to beating the Texas Rangers 12-5, taking the weekend series in Arlington.
The offensive explosion was capped with a six-run eighth inning. Four of those six runs came off the bat of Francisco Cervelli, who clobbered a grand slam home run to straight away centerfield. It was only Cervelli's second career home run (his first came in June 2009 against Atlanta).
Mark Teixeira supplied the power for the other two runs in the eighth, clubbing a two-run homer following Cervelli's slam. It marked Teixeira's ninth home run on the year.
Curtis Granderson also went yard, his 11th home run of the year. Granderson now leads the American League in home runs, his swing reinvented. It's safe to say Granderson, who clipped together a 30-homer year in 2009, has a legitimate chance to do it again this year.
But the real home run story of the day was Derek Jeter. The Captain, who had no home runs coming into yesterday's game, went deep twice; two solo home runs, one in the fifth and the other in the seventh.
Jeter has now hit safely in eight of his last 10 games and has pushed his season average up to a somewhat respectable .276. The Captain is also 40 hits away from joining the exclusive 3,000 hits club, sitting on 2,960 hits for his career.
Scott Stanford, a sports anchor for WNBC New York who covers the Yankees, tweeted, "Jeter! The guy dates numbers 2-7 on Maxim's Hot 100 List, has more money than some countries, 5 Titles, and just when you think he's done…"
I couldn't agree more. He had a Renaissance or a rebirth; it was shades of old for the Captain, swinging the bat like he did when he was younger. Jeter was, what you could call, the Renaissance man yesterday. However, what most people sometimes fail to understand is that the term Renaissance man has a certain meaning and connotation.
"Renaissance man" is used to describe a person who is well-educated, and excels at a wide variety of subjects or fields. There's no question, the Yankee Captain fits that description.
There is no need to explain Jeter's numerous accomplishments on the baseball diamond. They speak for themselves. I could go on all day listing every title and every award he has ever won.
But his love life; as Stanford elegantly said, "The guy dates numbers 2-7 on the Maxim Top 100 list." There is certainly a level of success when you consider every model and every beautiful woman Jeter has been romantically linked to.
That, to me, is what makes him a Renaissance man.
Like his titles and accolades, it's like a broken needle (pointless) listing every woman the Captain has dated. From Mariah Carey to Vanessa Minnillo; from Jessica Biel to Jessica Alba, the man has been with the best of them.
But now, in the final years of his career, has he finally settled down with one?
Minka Kelly has been Jeter's girlfriend since May 2008. By my estimation, of all the Jeter girls, she has been with him for the longest amount of time. Rumors swirled in January of 2010 the two were going to wed in November after the season ended, but Kelly told GQ Magazine that "she wasn't tying the knot anytime soon."
The Editor-in-Chief of Hollywoodlife.com said of Kelly, "It's clear she is devoted to him (Jeter). She goes to probably every game of his that her schedule allows. Being a celebrity herself, she'll understand the pressures of fame. It's helpful when you're as under the spotlight as Derek Jeter is, to have a girlfriend who does understand what that's like."
Here is my interpretation:
They will get married, but not until he is done playing.
This month marks their fourth year together and after this year, Jeter only has two years (potentially three) left on his contract with the Yankees. I think they will remain together for those final two or three years and when he retires, they will go to the altar and say "I do" to one another.
Right now, Jeter just doesn't have enough time to be a husband. The baseball season starts in April (in this year's case late March) and ends in September. The Yankees are usually playing in the postseason in October, giving Jeter another month of work.
During the months of the off-season, Jeter probably has time for her; I'm sure they spend Christmas and Thanksgiving together and with their respective families.
But just because it's the off-season, it doesn't mean he isn't working.
Jeter has his Turn 2 Foundation, a philanthropic endeavor he set up to help kids stay away from drugs and alcohol. He wanted to reward kids who turned away from drugs and alcohol and chose healthy lifestyles. The Turn 2 Foundation also features programs that reward kids for excelling in academic studies and extracurricular activities.
The Captain has to attend a number of events his foundation puts on. Most of those events, in all likelihood, go on during the off-season when Jeter has time.
Not only that, but he (and every player, for that matter) needs to go to the gym to prep for Spring Training, which starts in February. Jeter must keep his body in shape for the season; especially at his age of 36 (he will turn 37 on June 26 this year). Maintaining a good body is a huge part of an athlete's life, and Jeter is no exception.
Even when he isn't working, he's working. And it goes both ways.
Kelly is an actress and a model. As the Editor of Hollywoodlife.com said, "She goes to as many of his games as her schedule allows." Undoubtedly she is just as busy as he is. Photo shoots and time in front of the camera make up her schedule at this point in her life.
When Jeter retires there's no telling what he will do. He has said he will never be a manager; he has no desire to lead a team in that way. As Captain of the Yankees he leads by example and a manager cannot go out and play the game for the team.
Broadcasting? Doubtful. Jeter has always been a soft-spoken individual; he has never been all that critical or analytical of anything he or the team does. I cannot picture him sitting in a broadcast booth looking out at the infield dirt of Yankee Stadium, knowing the fans in the seats once worshipped him while he stood there.
Perhaps he will continue with his Turn 2 Foundation and continue to pursue philanthropy. He can also serve as a special instructor or advisor to the Yankees – just as some other Yankee greats such as Reggie Jackson and Yogi Berra do.
Whatever he does, I get the feeling he will find work. And when he is finished with his daily grind, the Captain will be able to come home and utter that oh-so-familiar phrase, and that question all spouses ask, to Kelly:
"Honey, I'm home. So, how was your day?"


text:
The bold pink lip is one of the season's freshest statements, eliminating the need for much else on your face. But if you're not comfortable with, say, magenta, sub in any pink -- from rosé to raspberry -- and you'll still look scrumptious.
Prep: 5 to 7 minutes
1 pink lipstick, gloss or stain
Cream blush to taste
Half-serving of black mascara (this is a top-lash only look)
1 pale eye shimmer
1. If you're using a gloss, simply swipe it on. If you're using a lipstick, tap a finger around the outside of your mouth to soften the edges after you apply. (A severe line will look dated.)
2. Smile and dab a hint of a rosy cream blush to the apple of each cheek, then blend outward.
3. Apply mascara only to your top lashes to make eyes appear wider but not too done.
4. To bring the look from day to evening, sweep on any pale, shimmery eye shadow.

subset: commoncrawl


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The NM State Women's Equestrian Team is always looking for quality donations to add to our program. We keep a herd of about 30 head, consisting of roughly 15 hunter seat horses and 15 western horses. Most of our horses come to us with extensive show careers. Our western horses are mostly Quarter Horses and Paint Horses. Our hunter seat horses consist of "A" Show quality Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods. Horses are ridden during team practices and are used for home competitions. On show day, horses are ridden by NMSU riders as well as riders from the opposing team. Our horses are subject to the affection and attention of 25+ riders on the NM State Equestrian Team.
We are looking for horses that have previous show experience and specialized training. In addition, they must have the temperament to tolerate various styles of talented riders. Western horses need training and show experience in the horsemanship or reining/cowhorse classes. Hunter seat horses to be used for jumping need to have been shown successfully in 3 foot and higher hunter, equitation, and/or jumper divisions. Because our fence classes are judged on equitation, we are looking for horses that are quiet enough to be used in equitation classes. We also have a need for horses that are capable of performing upper-level flat work that includes such maneuvers as shoulder-in, haunches-in, counter canter, collections and lengthening of gaits, all within a dressage ring. The NM State Equestrian Team does not start and break colts, though green horses may be accepted in the program if they have a solid foundation with potential in our events. Horses accepted into the program must be sound and able to be ridden on a daily basis with limited maintenance. However, we realize the needs of today's show horses and can accommodate specialty shoeing and joint injections.
Donating a horse is a great option for owners seeking a tax deduction. The paperwork will go through the University system and donors receive confirmation from New Mexico State that a donation has been made. The value of the donation is determined by you and/or your appraiser. If a "first right of refusal" is preferred by the donor once the horse's career is finished at NM STATE, it can be worked out with the coaches.
We currently request a 10 day trial for all possible donations (though exceptions can apply). This is to ensure that your horse will work for our program and that your horse will remain comfortable and willing while having multiple riders (all very advanced and accomplished equestrians). We also want to make sure your horse will work for our program so that we can help secure your donation for the IRS required 3 year period. We want to give your horse a new home and job for as long as he is able. During the trial, we agree upon and sign a Horse Loan Agreement between you and the NM State Equestrian Team, which is similar to a lease agreement.
If you feel your horse would be an asset to our team and are interested in speaking with someone for further information, please contact us at any time, our office number is 575-646-4795:
Hunter Seat Horses: Jessica Hensley: firstname.lastname@example.com
Western Horses: Robin Morris-Walters: firstname.lastname@example.com
If you are interested in donating your show horse to the NM State Equestrian Team we will need the following for initial review (more documentation necessary to complete and finalize donation):
- 1. A brief letter of intent to the NM State Equestrian Team stating that you wish to donate your horse. Please include the horse's registered name and number (if applicable).
- 2. Contact information of current owner and trainer.
- 3. A DVD/online link showing footage of your horse in their respective discipline and event
- 4. Pertinent veterinary/health records (previous injuries including detailed accounts from a veterinary reference, illness, regular injections, vaccinations, etc)


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Athlete Profile
Athlete: Penelope Gully
How I Eat
I eat 1-3 full cheat meals per week
Vegetarian, mostly Zone, I weigh some food.
How I Train
I workout mostly at a CrossFit Affiliate
I have a coach who determines my programming
I record my workouts
I do Crossfit Endurance workouts on my own in addition to regular CF workouts at my affiliate.
My Athletic Background
I played youth or high school level sports
I am a runner and have done multiple races including marathons.
My Experience With CrossFit
I began CrossFit with a coach (e.g. at an affiliate)
I have completed the CrossFit Level 1 certificate course
I have attended one or more specialty courses
I have had a life changing experience due to CrossFit
I train other people
I am the Endurance coach at my gym
My Work/Rest Schedule
I do multiple workouts in a day 1x a week
I strictly schedule my rest days
I typically rest 4 or more days per month
CF 4X/week CFE 3X/week 1-2 full rest days a week


text:
Asking for Trouble
By VICE Staff
Celebrate another shitty week spent getting shouted at by your parents, your boss, your landlord, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your best friend for sleeping with his girlfriend, strangers, dogs and the radio by reading this collection of stories about people getting in shit.
Illustrations by Sam Taylor. Follow him on Twitter @sptsam or visit his website at samtaylorillustrator.com.
So I'm out with a few friends in Holloway. We're all pretty drunk at this point, and we spot a guy who used to live round our flats who, we'd recently discovered, had once hit a girl friend of ours. It all kicked off instantly. We all run over and this guy's mates appear out of nowhere. Instantly fists are flying. Next thing I know, one of their guys is laid out on the floor and everyone has run off.
I think he's been knocked out, so I pick him up with the plan of dropping him off outside his house. It's only when I get halfway down the road with him that he's able to talk, and he tells me he's not just been beaten up, he's been fucking stabbed. I put him down onto a car bonnet for a sec and suddenly realise that I'm covered in his blood. I call an ambulance and explain that they need to come quick, because he's hurt pretty bad. The police turn up within minutes, to find me standing over him, covered in his blood. I'm arrested and released on bail while he recovers in ICU. He comes to weeks later and drops all charges, which is incredibly nice of him.
I toast my relief by going out and getting drunk in Holloway. On the way home, some asshole beats the shit out of me. C'est la vie.
Want more second-hand embarrassment? Click through!
Topics: stories, getting told off


text:
Great Depression II
Great Depression II
Hattip to Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. Steve Rattner, Obama's former car czar, explains in the video above how economic growth under Obama is in the toilet along with Obama's re-election prospects.
Steve Rattner, the former "car czar" for Barack Obama, explains why voters may have narrowly given Obama the edge in the debate on Tuesday night, but give Mitt Romney a 31-point advantage on the economy. You have to go all the way back to the 1930s, Rattner explains after Willie Geist presses the point, to find a President with a worse record on economic growth in a first term. Continue reading
Great Depression II
Al Lewis at MarketWatch uses the D word to describe the perpetual lousy economy we have been living through the past four years:
There is nothing more depressing than hearing about a new recession when you haven't fully recovered from the last one. I take heart in suspecting that in a still-distant future, historians will look back with clarity and call this whole rotten period a depression.
The precise definition of a depression, of course, remains as debatable as anything else in the field of economics. By some definitions, it is a long-term slump in economic activity, often characterized by unusually high unemployment, a banking crisis, a sovereign-debt crisis, surprising bankruptcies and other horrible symptoms we can find in the headlines almost every day.
It is easy to avoid seeing all of these events as constituting a depression if you somehow have kept your livelihood intact all this time. But it's important to remember that not everyone has to stand in a bread line during a depression.
Nearly one out of seven Americans receives food stamps, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's more than 44 million people. If they all stood in a line and someone photographed them using black-and-white film, they easily could be mistaken for people from the 1930s. Instead, they go to a grocery store and spend their credits like money. There isn't even a social stigma to make them stand out as any more glum or destitute than anybody else.
Last week, the Associated Press reported that America's poverty rate likely has hit levels not seen since the 1960s. Surveying several economists and academicians, the wire service predicted the official poverty rate would come in as high as 15.7% when the Census Bureau releases it in September. That would wipe out all the gains of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty.
Poverty is another word for joblessness, and our economy hasn't been generating enough decent-paying jobs for many years. Globalization, technology, outsourcing, immigration and the schemes of financiers have taken their toll. No one is certain when jobs will come back, and many of the jobs that remain don't pay anywhere near what, say, your average failing CEO gets paid. Continue reading


text:
sarah fama
I'm an adjunct English composition instructor, a freelance knitwear designer, and an occasional blogger. I think food and wine are some of life's great simple (well, not necessarily simple) pleasures.
- Website
- Location: California
- Favorite foods: Irish soda bread, sourdough bread, sushi, a well-made bowl of pasta, arugula, Gordon apples, homemade popcorn, caramel, goat cheese, dark chocolate, roasted red bell peppers, olive oil, the short rib hamburgers my husband makes, and real free-range eggs.
- Last bite on earth: Either Irish soda bread made with my great-grandmother's recipe, or a really good piece of shiro toro nigiri from Sushi on the Run in Los Gatos, CA.
Latest Comments
BraveTart's Homemade Milk Duds: All That's Missing Is the Yellow Box
These look amazing! A chocolate caramel version would also be wondeful. When I make caramels around the holidays every year, I make a chocolate version just by adding cocoa powder at the end and stirring it in thoroughly; would that work here?
A Few Not-So-Classic Ingredients Make a More Savory Shepherd's Pie
I agree with All-a-Mort, enriching the mashed potato with egg is a great idea. It helps the mash brown beautifully without any cheese, and I feel like it helps bind the mash together a bit better.
Also, I also vacillate between using wine or using beer (Guinness or something similar) to deglaze the pan, but I don't find it makes all that much difference in the end product, so I just go with whichever is readiest to hand (which is to say, whichever I feel more like drinking with dinner!)
Sous Vide Smoked Brisket
The largest brisket I could find was around 3.5 lbs, so I adjusted the spice mix downward a little bit. I cooked mine at 155 degrees for 24 hours, and although the connective tissue had definitely dissolved a lot, making the meat fall apart when sliced thin, it was very dry. All the moisture ended up cooking out of the meat. I did take Kenji's tip and cook that juice down with some barbecue sauce, which made the sauce taste fantastic, but the meat was disappointing. Is this not at all worth doing with a smaller brisket? Should I try the longer, lower-temp version instead? Would it have helped if I'd gone with the longer rest instead of using an ice bath to cool it down before putting it in the oven? I tried to pick the best-marbled brisket available, but they were all relatively lean -- for this recipe to work, is there a minimum amount of marbling needed? If so, a photo for reference would be really helpful.
How to Make the Ultimate Cherry Pie
@VeganWithaYoYo I haven't tried Earth Balance yet, but last time I did a "vegan month" I used Miyoko's vegan butter with a bit of Crisco in Kenji's pie crust, and it turned out really good. It's supposed to work 1:1 in baking applications, and it didn't have the weird off-putting aftertaste I've noticed when baking with the different types of Earth Balance butter substitutes that I've used.
How to Cook Spanish-Style Pimientos de Padrón
Love both these and shishito peppers! My usual method is to roast them at very high heat in the oven, tossed with a little olive oil and salt. This minimizes cleanup (foil-lined pan) and the stems get very crunchy and delicious. Absurdly delicious dipped in goat cheese or in the good almond-based vegan cream cheese.
Forget Raw: Roast Your Radishes for Maximum Mileage
I love roasted radishes! I wash the leaves well, dry them, then toss them with olive oil and salt and roast them along with the radishes (usually on the side of the pan, so I can take them out separately). They end up addictively crispy.
Sicilian Eggplant and Pine Nut Caponata
This was fantastic. I'll definitely be making this again. I didn't have mint, so I left that out, and I substituted half a sweet yellow onion for the scallions, but those were the only changes I made. Great on bread, and over roasted cauliflower.
Equipment: Why it's Worth Buying an Olive Oil Pourer
Kenji, now that you're in the bay area, you should make sure to check out the olive oil selection at Sigona's Farmer's Market, if you haven't done so already. It's a grocery store with two locations: one in Redwood City, and one at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. They bottle a wide variety of olive oils (all labeled by region and variety), and the bottling date is always written on the front. They always have a bunch of small bottles of different varieties set up for tasting, and the employees I've spoken to have always been helpful and knowledgeable. The oil comes in dark glass wine-style bottles, closed with a cork stopper, so I've never bothered decanting or putting a stopper in them. It's pretty awesome, especially if you manage to stop by during the brief window when they have the California Koroneki, before it sells out.
For the Best Oatmeal Pancakes, Toast Your Oats and Brown Your Butter
The teaser stills says "butts," and had me expecting a Tina Belcher reference. I am disappointed!
Make Fresh Ricotta Gnocchi in Less Time Than it Takes to Cook Dried Pasta
Oh God, that Bellwether Farms ricotta is the stuff dreams are made of...I always have a hard time not just eating it with a spoon (with a little salt and a bit of olive oil) but it does make amazing cannoli, and these gnocchi look worthy of it!
How to Make Salted Dulce de Leche Brownies
I need these for the mouth part of my face.
How to Make Dulce de Leche From a Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
I prefer the mason jar/slow cooker method. Yes, it adds a step, but being able to check the color is great, and it still lasts forever in the fridge. Also, the jars are a bit more decorative if I'm making it as a gift.
Beyond Butter: 7 Popcorn Flavors to Upgrade Your Snacking
Popcorn is the best food of all the foods! I love nutritional yeast, Lawry's seasoning mix, and curry powder as toppings (though not all at once). Curry powder works especially well when I pop the corn in coconut oil instead of olive oil (which I think is the superior popping medium).
11 1/2 Things You Can Do With a Wooden Spoon (Besides Stirring)
When I started brewing, I learned that before yeast was cultivated, people used to use the same wooden spoon each time they made beer. They didn't know that it was hosting their yeast, they just knew that they had to use that special spoon to make the beer or it wouldn't turn out right. I find the thought of the historic brewer treasuring her/his wooden spoon, and maybe even passing it down to the kids, rather charming. Not enough to start making my beer that way, but still.
Can Yeast Really Keep You From Getting Drunk?
I'll post a link if I can find it again, but the other day I watched a video a homebrewer made to document himself trying this. He seemed pretty buzzed after drinking four beers in an hour after consuming the yeast/yogurt mixture, but the most memorable part was his recap the next morning -- he'd had some very deleterious effects which had kept him returning to the bathroom repeatedly. Considering he didn't stay any more sober than usual, this really does not seem worth the effort, or the risk of getting a case of the yeast-induced runs.
How to Build a Beer Book Library
I started homebrewing quite recently, and although I really enjoy the depth of books like Radical Brewing and How To Brew, I really got started thanks to the Brooklyn Brew Shop's book. Since the recipes are all for 1 gallon, and the 1 gallon equipment probably came to less than $20 at my local homebrew supply place, it was a really low-key, non-intimidating way to start dabbling in the process. (After all, 10 bottles of undrinkable beer is preferable to the prospect of 48 bottles of swill, should things not go well!) I've made a couple of the recipes so far, and the Simcoe IPA in particular turned out great.
Manner Matters: How To Dine Out With Kids
Nice response, Molly! The only thing I'd add is that it's really useful to tell kids "social stories" before going into novel situations where a certain kind of behavior is expected (whether it's a restaurant, the zoo, on a flight, etc.) It's a technique used for kids on the autism spectrum, but it helps any kid -- tell them what to expect from a new experience beforehand (repeatedly, if necessary) so that they go into the situation with a clear sense of what will happen and what your expectations are. I found this technique really helpful for my (neurotypical) son, especially when he was a toddler.
Cook the Book: 'Yucatán' by David Sterling
Way too hard to choose! One complete fantasy would be to do a round-the-world oyster expedition, either beginning or ending with the Galway oyster festival, then taking in France, Japan, the Pacific Northwest and the East coast (Prince Edward Island!). It would be kind of like the movie Endless Summer, but with oysters.
Open Thread: White Chocolate, Yay or Nay?
A previous commenter mentioned the Green & Black's white chocolate bar, and I heartily second that recommendation. It's divine in white chocolate chip cookies. I used to be all about dark chocolate, all the time, but the Green & Black's white and TCHO's milk chocolate have broadened my chocolate horizons.
The Food Lab: 11 Essential Tips for Better Pizza
The baking steel is amazing. I haven't stopped recommending it to people since we got it, so thanks for writing about it, Kenji! I'm actually planning to make some pizzas tonight; I've got your Neapolitan dough resting on the counter after a three-day cold rise, the oven is preheating to 550, and I'm deciding what wine to open. Not a bad way to end a Monday.
Where To Get Chocolates For Your Valentine (...or Yourself) in San Francisco
I'm normally all about the dark chocolate, but TCHO's milk chocolate is ridiculously good. Poco Dolce didn't make your list either; I've only had their "tiles" a few times, but I thought the burnt caramel ones were very tasty.
Super Bowl Party Giveaway: Pat LaFrieda Sliders
My favorite sushi place is closing in less than a month, so my plan is to go there for lunch and hope that the Super Bowl will keep other potential diners away. (The place only seats 8 people, and I hate waiting in line outside.) However, I'm open to making "gorge self on Pat LaFrieda sliders" my new backup plan!
479° Has Nailed the Sweet Popcorn Game
Their toasted coconut caramel flavor is also very good.
What's the Weirdest Ice Cream Flavor You've Ever Tried?
I live for weird ice creams -- except garlic. I tried that at the Gilroy garlic festival years ago, and it tasted like ass. In the delicious/weird category, I made Irish oatmeal ice cream for my parents' Saint Patrick's Day party last year, and Irish Soda Bread ice cream based on my great-grandmother's soda bread recipe. It was a buttermilk base with sugar-plumped raisins and caraway seeds strewn throughout, and it's one of my favorite creations to date.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Made the dough today and baked off half a dozen after only a few hours in the fridge. (Patience is perhaps not my strong suit when it comes to cookies.) They were excellent as-is, so I'm really looking forward to baking the rest with the fully rested dough tomorrow!


text: Dr. Sally Chandler (with Angela Castillo, Maureen Kadash, Molly D. Kenner, Lorena Ramirez, and Ryan J. Valdez) has had her book New Literacy Narratives from an Urban University: Analyzing Stories about Reading, Writing, and Changing Technologies published by Hampton Press (April 2013). The book illustrates what researchers can learn through the study of literacy narratives — the stories we tell about experiences with reading and writing. It provides an introduction to research methods for studying literacy narratives, and five in-depth studies of literacy narratives composed by Kean University students.


text:
Smoot to present Four Freshmen
PARKERSBURG – The Smoot Theatre will present its final performance of the 2012-2013 season when The Four Freshmen take the stage at 8 p.m. May 11 at 213 Fifth St. in downtown Parkersburg.
Tickets will be $29 for adults and $15 for students high school and younger. Ticket information is available by calling the Smoot at 304-422-PLAY (7529) or online at www.smoottheatre.com.
During the performance, The Four Freshmen will be joined by the Smoot House Band.
The Four Freshmen's influence on American jazz and pop singing began in 1948 with four students at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind. Hal Kratzsch, brothers Ross and Don Barbour, and their cousin Bob Flanigan created a brand new vocal sound.
Working without written music and choosing notes by ear, they spread their jazz voicing over a wider range than other groups, and they imitated the phrasing and aggressive feel of a big band brass section.
When band leader Stan Kenton heard the group at the Esquire Lounge in Dayton, Ohio, he immediately recognized their potential. At his urging, Capitol Records signed the Four Freshmen in 1950, initiating a string of hits with "It's A Blue World," "How Can I Tell Her" and "Day By Day." The Freshmen have produced over 70 singles and albums.
Wherever The Freshmen went, they won fans and inspired vocal groups. They played nearly every college in the U.S.A., performing in all 50 states and 44 countries from Asia to Europe to Australia. Bob Flanigan retired from performing in 1992, but he continues as the group's mentor and personal manager.
There have been 22 different line-ups, and the current group consists of Brian Eichenberger, Curtis Calderon, Vince Johnson and Bob Ferreira.
While the concert is the final performance of the current season, the Smoot will remain active this summer through its annual Camp Vaudeville program for children and Camp Broadway program for teens, providing instruction and experience with live theater.


text: × Please take a short survey to help us improve our data-related literature resources. Search Results Studies Variables Publications (1) Your query returned 1 citations. Sort by: Pub Date (newest) Title Recent Additions Author Clear All Pub. Year Citation 1. 1988 George, L.K., Blazxer, D.G., Winfield-Laird, I., Leaf, P.J., Fischbach, R.L. . Psychiatric disorders and mental health service use in later life: Evidence from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. Epidemiology and Aging: An International Perspective. New York: Gerontology International. Export Options: RIS EndNote XML Results 1 - 1