Last Week's Review: 1-2 and 3-3 on the season.  Darn Dolphins (beating the Bills)!


This Weeks' Fearless Picks:

Jets lose a close game at the Bills.

Cowboys lose a must win game at the Giants.  Let's see which Giants team shows up.

Posted by The Tank in NY.

It was hard to tell what was more historic Wednesday evening.  Senator Obama's purchase of 30 minute of prime time TV ad time just before the game, the uniqueness of continuing a rain delayed game, or the dramatic finish?

First, congratulations to the Phillies for beating the Rays in the fifth game, 4-3.  I was unfortunately wrong in my prediction of the Rays winning in six games.

Bottom Line: The Mets and Yankees have lots of work to do as the World Series teams are teams in their division.  It is a miracle that the Mets contended as Lidge saved 51 consecutive games going back to his time with the Astros at the end of 2007 while the Mets had no bullpen to speak of.  The Mets must get K-Rod or a similar talented closer.  The Phillies clearly have the better bullpen, manager, chemistry, etc.

The Yankees have their work cut out for them too.  Mike Mussina will announce in a few days if he will return or not.  That will affect the degree of desperation that the Yankees go after CC Sabbathia or other premier starting pitching free agents. 

Posted by a concerned Tank in NY.

Last Week Recap: I was 1-3 last week.  I am 6-4 on the season.

This Week's Fearless Picks:

#8 Florida loses at #6 Georgia.  This will be an offensive barn burner.

#1 Texas wins an offensive shootout at #7 Texas Tech.

Local Teams Outlook:

Louisville wins at Syracuse.

Posted by The Tank in NY.

Last night's World Series Game 5 game looked more like a mud football game than a baseball game.  The announcers were making more football analogies "making the fair catch signal" than baseball ones.  It was so bad that one of the umpires suspended the Infield Fly Rule either because the rain was so bad (or because he couldn't see too well). 

MLB dodged a big bullet as Carlos Pena singled home Upton to tie the game at 2 with 2 out in the top of the sixth inning.  The rain was so bad that the World Series was suspended at the bottom of the 6th inning with a 2-2. 

Imagine if the Rays didn't tie the game and the rain continued.  If the umpires had the grounds crew to come out and the weather worsened which it did as forecasted.  The Phillies would have won the World Series 2-1 in a rain shortened game.  How would you have liked that?  OK, probably most people don't care about the Rays or Phillies but fair is fair.

People should demand that MLB mandate retractable roofs that I wrote way back in 2006 as climate change continues to take its toll.  Rain delays didn't help the Yankees and Mets in 2006.

Citizens Bank Park in Philly is a brand new stadium.  They have no excuse.  When will MLB learn?  Maybe when TV ratings go down as people don't want to watch rain delays and watch other things like I did on Saturday night (Ohio State versus Penn State) or last night (C-Span).

Posted by a frustrated Tank writing in the pouring rain.

It's that time of year again for my cousin Mirko, his best friend Lubo, and I to put our money where our mouths are with annual NBA teams.  Well, no money but lots of bragging rights on the line.

2007-2008 Recap: I was unfortunately correct last year as I predicted a Celtics victory in the Finals.

2008-2009 Outlook: The Lakers make up for their poor performance in Game 6 of the Finals and take it home this year.


Eastern Conference:
1. Boston Celtics
2. Orlando Magic
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. Philadelphia 76ers
7. Chicago Bulls
8. Toronto Raptors

Dark Horse: Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, NJ Nets.

Conference Champion: Celtics

Western Conference:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. New Orleans Hornets
3. Utah Jazz
4. Phoenix Suns
5. Houston Rockets
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. San Antonio Spurs
8. Portland Trailblazers

Dark Horse: Golden State, Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers.

Conference Champion: Lakers

NBA Champion: Lakers


Local Teams: It's a mixed bag for our local teams this year.  You can't get more painful than the Knicks' 23 wins.  I have a call into Heather Locklear for some pain killers and a date. 

Seriously, I like Coach D'Antoni and his up tempo style.  He doesn't have the players he wants/needs yet (Lebron and/or D-Wade) but the team seems energized.  Everyone wants to move on from the post-Isiah Thomas era.

Knicks: 34 wins.

The Nets made lots of changes in the off-season.  Nenad Kristic signed with a Russian team.  I can't believe that Vince Carter is starting his tenth season in the NBA.  The Nets success will depend upon the success of rookie Chris Douglas-Roberts.  If the newcomers can adjust and gell, the Nets can make a run at the playoffs.

Nets: 32 wins.

Posted by an psyched Tank in NY.

After a 90 minute rain delay to start the game, 45 year young Jamie Moyer pitched a great game for his hometown Phillies.  He was in line to get the win but the Rays tied the game at 4 in the 8th.

Taking a page from the classic movie "Major League", Bruntlett took one for the team and was hit by a pitch.

With Victorino trying to bunt, Balfour threw a wild pitch and Bruntlett advanced to third on the wild throw to center field.

Joe Madden brought in right fielder and former infielder Zobrist to play in the unorthodox five man infield.  Zobrist traded his outfielder's glove for an infielder's glove   

After two intentional walks, Ruiz came to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs.

Ruiz chopped a ball half way down the third baseline.  Longoria scooped the ball up, dove, and overthrew Navarro.  Bruntlett scores and the Phillies won 5-4.  The Phillies unfortunately lead the World Series two games to one.

Tonight's / this morning's game ended at 1:48 a.m., a few minutes after Steve and I left the best All Star Game ever in July.

Posted by a tired and disappointed Tank in NY.

Last Week Review: I was 2-1 last week and 2-1 on the season..  The Raiders played better than I thought and the Jets disappointed.


This Week's Fearless Picks:

The Giants lose at the Steelers.  Though Santonio Holmes' season (and career) might be up in smoke, the Steelers are 5-1 and have home field advantage.  Let's see who gets the better of the rivalry between 2004 Draft class quarterbacks Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.

The Jets beat the Chiefs.

The Bills beat the Dolphins.

Posted by The Tank in NY.

Last Week Review: I was 5-1 last week and season.  I suspected a Rutgers upset over Connecticut but didn't pick it.  I would have been perfect.  Darn it!

This Week's Fearless Picks:
#8 Texas Tech wins at #23 Kansas.

#6 Oklahoma State wins at #1 Texas.

#7 Georgia loses at #13 LSU.  This is the second toughest game of the week to pick.  This is a game of the year nominee in the making.  Georgia is tough but home field advantage makes the difference.

#3 Penn State loses at #9 Ohio State.  This is the toughest game of the week to pick.  This is a game of the year nominee in the making.  Ditto home field advantage.

Posted by The Tank in NY.

Yes you read that correctly. After long deliberation, Steve has decided to let bygones be bygones and root for the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. The reason is very simple, the Phillies represent the National League, and the National League East for that matter. They clearly were the better team this year down the stretch zooming past the Mets and taking care of business in the NLDS and NLCS.

This is a holdover from childhood. You root for your league. This year is very hard, but I am doing it. (While still hoping that Jimmy Rollins goes 0-entire series.) Last year I rooted for the Red Sox since I wanted it to enhance the rivalry with the Yankees and in 2006 I was still too shell-shocked to root for anyone. I am back supporting the National League.

The Tank picked the Rays to win the World Series and he may be right. The Rays have better pitching, but the Phillies have a rock star line up. Good pitching shuts down good hitting so the Rays may have an edge. The Rays don’t have any super duper stars in the lineup, but rather a ton of young guys who all seem to hit .300 and have speed.

Last night Philly ace, 24-year-old lefty Cole Hamels, won the game 3-2. Yesterday was a must-win game for the Phillies since Hamels is their ace and the Rays have more depth compared to the Phillies in the back end of the rotation. Hamels can’t pitch each game, so the Rays have to win tonight if they want to stay in the game. However, the Home Run park up in Philly may give the young Rays hitters a chance to explore. Anything can happen.

Posted by Steve in New York

Unlike the other major two party Presidential candidates, The Tank is taking a stand that the Tampa Bay Rays will win the World Series in six games over the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Senator McCain claims that Senator Obama is flip-flopping on the issue as both states represent important swing states:

"At a small rally at a factory in Bensalem, Pa., McCain said, "'I'm not dumb enough to get mixed up in a World Series between swing states, but I think I may have detected a little pattern with Senator Obama. When he's campaigning in Philadelphia, he roots for the Phillies, and when he's campaigning in Tampa Bay, he shows love to the Rays.'"

If there is a Game 6, Senator Obama has purchased 30 minutes of TV on Fox which will broadcast the World Series.  The start time of the game will be delayed.

The Rays have the momentum and home field advantage gained when Steve, Kathleen, Jack, and I attended the greatest All Star Game ever at the Stadium in July.  We'll see how cold the Phillies bats are after a long time off as the Rockies were last year and the Tigers in 2006.  

Senator McCain should take a stand and Senator Obama should stop his alleged flip-flopping.  That's why I launched this Baseball Integrity Presidential bid.  If there is no baseball integrity, what can we expect on other issues of the day? 

Posted by The Tank on the road to the White House.

Though SATT focus on baseball and football, the NHL is in full swing.  The 2008-2009 season started with two victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague.  The Rangers had momentum coming back home and lead the Eastern Conference with 13 points though the Canadiens have three games in hand and are only two points back.  I have listened to some games on the radio and intend to get to the Garden to watch some of the action in person this season.

The Rangers lost young prospect to Alexei Cherepanov at 19 years of age to heart issues during a recent game for Avangard Omsk in the Russian Continental Hockey League (KHL).  Alexei broke Pavel Bure's record goals record.  Alexei was learning the professional hockey ropes from teammate and former Ranger Jagomir Jagr.  Alexei had a bright future and it's tragic that he passed so soon.  May his memory be eternal.

Posted by a saddened Tank in NY.

Averted Apocalypse #1: After blowing a seven run lead on Wednesday night with only seven outs left, the Rays lost to the Red Sox in a possible ALCS clincher in Game 5 and in Game 6 on Saturday night. 

As Steve blogged the other day, I feared the Rays would lose Game 7.  Given my loyalties to the Yankees and Mets, I would face the worst baseball apocalypse, a Red Sox - Phillies World Series. 

I would be faced an emotional challenge as formidable as the one I did last month in Nepal.  But, I would have nowhere to run or hike to.  How would I cope?  Who would I root for?  I have always rooted for a team in some game, except Georgetown versus Notre Dame in the 2007 Big East Tournament.

The Rays spared me and the world such a fate by winning Game 7 last night by 3-1.  I am really grateful to the Rays for that.  I agree with Editor in Chief and Perma Guest Outlaw Jack and grateful to him for pointing out the magic factor, the Zim, AKA Don Zimmer.  Zim was an under appreciated factor in the Yankees success in the past decade.  He was the "check and balance" in many of Joe Torre's decisions.  Torre knew how to manage the players' egos and keep the media in check.  Torre was a true manager and Zim was the chief strategist whose baseball instincts were impeccable.  After Zim was unceremoniously let go from the Yankees, the Yankees have yet to win another World Series.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Zim resides in Tampa and is currently a senior consultant to the Rays.

Given the Rays small market and fans nationwide focused on Mannywood versus the Red Sox, Fox TV executives are officially on suicide watch.

Go Rays!


Averted Apocalypse #2: Joba Chamberlain was arrested on Driving Under the Influence (DUI) charges over the weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Joba was wrong and apologized for his reckless actions.  Most importantly, no one was hurt, thank God!  The innocent citizens of Lincoln, Joba, and the Yankees dodged a big bullet, touch wood.

Posted by a grateful Tank in NY.

Last year's were solid, touch wood.  I almost went wire-to-wire with the Patriots as I did with the Colts in 2006.  But, I am grateful the Patriots lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl.  I haven't wanted to be so wrong in my life.

After being embarrassed by SATT friend Braylon Edwards and the Browns, the Giants bounce back in a big way and beat the 49ers.

The Jets take care of business in Oakland.  It may not be pretty but a "win is a win is a win".

Bills win a close game versus San Diego.  This is a really tough game to pick as the spread is "pick 'em".

Posted by The Tank in NY.

Welcome back college football fans!
 
Rules: I pick Top 25 teams playing each other.  It's not fair to pick a ranked team over a "cupcake".  I challenge myself in picking games between ranked powers.  I also pick some local favorites, i.e. Syracuse (mine), Rutgers (Kathleen's team), etc.  (Steve doesn't follow college football.)

I don't know what to make of Rutgers other than the fact that they are a disappointing 1-5 going into today's game at home.  Rutgers played in a bowl game last season so I'm not sure what is going on.

Top 25 Match ups:

#1 Texas holds off a tough Missouri team.

#4 Oklahoma bounces back from their disappointing loss to Texas last week and beats #16 Kansas at home.

#10 Georgia beats #22 Vanderbilt at home. 

#12 Ohio State goes into Lansing and beats #20 Michigan State.

Local Teams:
Syracuse loses at #19 South Florida.

Connecticut wins at Rutgers.  By recent reputation, you would think that Rutgers would be 5-1 and Connecticut would be 1-5.  Coach Schiano is a very good coach who recruits well.  Beware of a Rutgers upset.


Posted by The Tank back in the college football groove.

This is Steve checking in from Novi Sad, Serbia in complete disbelief. First off, Steve is in denial about the Phillies going to the World Series. Having been in Europe since October 3rd, I missed most of the playoffs and it seems for good reason. A Phillies-Rays World Series, come on? How boring. In addition how much more would hurt a Mets fan, Jimmy Rollins holding the MVP trophy or Scott Kazmir? No, I was rooting for LA vs Boston to rub it into the Yankees face that 1. Boston is still the better team and 2. the Yanks should never have fired Joe Torre. Plus the added bonus of watching Boston freak over Manny playing against them. With the Red Sox were down 3 games to 1, a Rays-Phillies World Series looked rock solid.

But something happened on the way to the Rays-Phillies World Series. Boston woke up and forced a game 6.Sounds familiar? Seven outs away from the World Series the Rays have one of the worst post season chokes of all time and give up a 7 run lead.

Can the young Rays team recover from such a crushing loss? Probably not. Watch for a Red Sox-Phillies World Series. Nightmare for the Tank who claims to be both a Mets and Yankees fan. :)

Posted by Steve in Novi Sad, Serbia.

The Phillies finished off the Dodgers last night in Mannywood, I mean Hollywood.  Manny Ramirez wasted no time and filed for free agency today.  Wow!  Manny joked that he deserves more money because gas costs more.  Manny hasn't stopped being Manny.

Fox's worst nightmare will come true if the Rays win tonight or over the weekend.  Fox wanted Manny going against the Boston.  Boston is down 3-1 but if anyone can come back, the Red Sox unfortunately have and can. 

However, props to Editor in Chief and Perma Guest Outlaw Jack for the bringing up the possible omen of the fire at the famous Citgo sign that towers over the Green Monster. 

Go Rays!

Posted by a concerned Tank in NY.

I'm not a Dodgers fan.  But, Kurt Gibson's home run against the As won Game 1 of the 1988 World Series exactly 20 years ago today.  The magic of baseball is that it can change with the swing of a bat. 

The late great Jack Buck's call of the home run "I don't believe what I just saw!" was equal to the feat itself.  Gibson limped around the bases and pumped his arm.  The As were favorites to win the World Series but Gibson's home run propelled the Dodgers to victory.

I was a freshman in college when it happened.  Wow!  Time flies!

Posted by The Tank in Nostagliaville.

The Giants went into last night's game in Cleveland on top of the world as the undefeated World Champions at 4-0.  Cleveland was coming off a bye week at 1-3.  Their excellent coach, Romeo Crennel, job was on the line. 

Translation: The Browns were due for a win and the Giants were due for a loss, especially since it was the first Monday night game in Cleveland since 1995.

The Browns won 35-14.  A key play was made by a friend of the blog, Braylon Edwards, who I met at last year's NFL Draft.  Braylon caught an 11 yard touchdown pass to put the Browns up 27-14 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.  Braylon and I are pictured below.

Yes, Tennessee is undefeated at 5-0.  But, New England has lost Tom Brady for the season and San Diego and Indianapolis are not as good as I and others thought.  At 2-3, the Browns' season is not lost and have a chance to make the playoffs.  The Giants better hope that Browns stay hot and do a favor of beating the Redskins on Sunday.  In sports, anything can happen. 

Posted by The Tank in NY.

The Tampa Rays routed the Red Sox 9-1 this afternoon at Fenway Park this afternoon.  This is huge because the Red Sox are tough at home AND the Rays took a 2 games to 1 lead over the Red Sox. 

As I write this post, the Dodgers have 5-3 lead on the Phillies.  The Phillies have a 2 games to 1 lead over the Dodgers.  Last night's game featured a benches clearing incident which resulted in fines for seven players and coaches.  Manny was held back from a fight.  Nothing unifies a team like a fight and Manny may have increased his value in Mannywood, I mean Hollywood. 

Posted by The Tank in NY.

It hasn't been easy but I am getting back into football.  I watched parts of some good college games yesterday including #5 Texas beat #1 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, North Carolina beating Notre Dame in a barn burner, and then Florida beat up on defending national champion LSU in the night cap.

I watched the Jets beat the winless Bengals today which was a solid win.  But what really got me going was Matt Schaub running into the end zone to beat the Dolphins with about 3 seconds in regulation.  A quarterback draw to win the game.  Yeah, that's football!  Though I kind of felt bad for a dejected Chad Pennington on the sideline but not too bad because the Dolphins are an arch-rival and my brother-in-law's team. 

I needed that to get out of my two week plus baseball funk. 

Posted by an energized Tank in NY.

Due a sharp hamstring pain last Saturday morning, I passed on running Greta Gallop's, the half marathon honoring nine time NYC Marathon Women's Champion and cancer survivor Greta Waitz.  It pained me because of the hamstring pain itself.  More importantly, I am running for cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in honor of Greta.  (We are pictured below after last year's Greta's Gallop.) 

However, I erred on the sign of caution and signed up for this morning's 20 mile Running Center training run.  I started running (not racing) at a good pace, touch wood.  After we finished the first loop of the reservoir, one of my fellow runners shouts "Howard Stern!"  I thought she was listening to a recording on her iPod of previous Howard show.  Nope, it was the real guy running with a blue running head band.

Howard was unfortunately running in the other direction.  We missed an opportunity to talk and see if I could guest host for him. 

Congratulations to Howard for his recent wedding with Beth Ostrovsky!  Good luck to Beth who will be joining me (touch wood) and about 38,000+ of our closest running friends in the NYC Marathon three weeks from tomorrow!

You know I always want to meet celebrities like Howard Stern.  However, I'm focused on the run against cancer.  Please sponsor me below at this fundraising permalink OR copy and paste the link below into a browser:

https://fredsteam.mskcc.org/fundraising/Controller?action=userHome&user_id=35640&event_id=113

Many thanks in advance for your support in these difficult economic times for a great cause.

Posted by a grateful Tank running against cancer in Central Park.

I'm not quoting Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in her recent Vice Presidential debate against Senator Joe Biden.  But, the old adage is directed at former Yankee and current Dodger manager Joe Torre.

The Dodgers have fallen behind the Phillies 2-0 in their best of seven NLCS.  To their credit, the Phillies defended home field advantage.  The Dodgers need to go home and defend their turf.  We'll see what happens. 

Posted by a somewhat apathetic Tank in NY.  I'm still not yet totally ready for football, hockey, and basketball.

I joined Aussie Rod and hundreds of my closest fellow Aussie citizens for the Aussie Rules Grand Final, AKA the Australian Football Super Bowl.  (BTW, I hold honorary Aussie, Canadian, Dominican, Kiwi, and Puerto Rican citizenships.)  We gathered at BowlMor Lanes in the Village on Friday night on late Friday, September 26, 2008.  JH unfortunately can't make it but is with us in spirit. 

I love baseball, football (soccer), basketball, hockey, and other sports but Aussie Rules is my favorite sport.  It's my favorite because it basically combines the best of "hot potato" and "kill the guy with the ball".  You have to bounce the ball and then pass it to another guy within three steps.  Seriously, it combines the athleticism of football (soccer) with the team work of rugby without the injuries caused by American football's metal helmets. 

Aussie Rules is a fast moving game with 4 quarters of 20 minutes of moving time.  It's a high scoring game where six points are awarded for a goal (like a touchdown in American football), one point for a behind (like an extra point in American football), and you add them together.  Therefore, if you see 13 + 15 = 93 points, it is 78 points for the goals (13 times 6) + 15 (15 one points for behinds) = 93 points.  You'll often see points in the high double digits or low triple digits.  

Back to tonight's action.  Geelong was the defending champion after winning their first title in 44 years last year.  Hawthorne was the second seeded team.  The game was close in the first half but Hawthorne pulled away in the second half.

To get in the spirit of the game, I impersonated one of the umpires who signals a goal.  (I just came from the Mets loss at Shea to the Marlins so I wasn't in the best of moods.)
 

Hawthorne won the game 115 - 89.  Congratulations to Hawthorne for winning the Grand Final! 



Mega thanks to Aussie Rod for the invitation! 

To learn more about the world's best sport, Aussie Rules Football, please check out the NY Magpies Australian Football Club website for rules, schedules, and other fun information. 

Posted by The Tank reporting live from BowlMor Lanes in the Village. 

The MLB post-season has witnessed a perfect storm for the New York baseball fan. 

(1) The Yankees and Mets didn't make the playoffs.

(2) Arch-rivals like the Red Sox, Phillies, and Dodgers remain.  How can you root for those teams?

(3) That only leaves the Tampa Rays.  Though I like Manager Joe Madden and many of the players, it's hard to root for the Rays given my friend Robert's personal row with the owners after the 2007 season and the poor customer service he has received over the years. 

I have attended several Rays games over the years since 2002 including Mariano's 300th save in May 2004.  Most fans are fans of out of town teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, etc.  It's so bad that Rays players complain that there are more fans of other teams than the Rays fans in their building, Tropicana Field.  Maybe success in this post-season will change this trend in future years. 

Who Should The Tank Root For: I really can't root for any of the teams but the Rays are the least odious.  In the meantime, I am trying to transition into football, basketball, and hockey. 

Posted by a conflicted Tank in NY.

ESPN 1050 reported that Mariano Rivera thankfully had successful shoulder surgery earlier today.  He can't pitch for three months but will hopefully be ready by the beginning of the season, God Willing. 

The Yankees should play it safe by keeping Joba as a reliever.  He should be Mariano's successor a few years down the line anyway.  The biggest factors will be Andy and/or Moose return, what happens with Hughes/Kennedy/etc, and who the Yankees are able to get in free agency.

Across town, the Mets MUST break the bank to get K-Rod or someone of comparable talent.  The good news for the Mets is that K-Rod is done pitching for the season as the Angels lost to the Red Sox in four games.  If Omar doesn't sign K-Rod, Steve must replace him ASAP.  It will be time for Coup d'Omar.

Posted by The Tank in NY.

Yesterday's post took me to Monument Park.  We were hustled along the third baseline to the dugout. 

What a view of the field!  Incredible! 

Home Plate behind me




I go to the dugout to view the field from the players and managers perspective starting with Derek Jeter's spot on the top step.




Chilling in the dugout.




I wanted to make a pitching change but the bullpen phone was locked. 




Richie the Tour Guide answered our questions.




I finally made it from the Bleachers to the seats right by the dugout. 




We had a group photo with new photos to capture the memories forever.




Time for a photo with the 21st Century Thurman Munson and Reggie Jackson. 




As I left the Stadium, I went to buy a "Yankee Universe" t-shirt which symbolizes the Yankees partnership with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  To sponsor me in the 2008 NYC and 2009 North Pole Marathon fundraiser for cancer research at Sloan-Kettering, please visit the following fundraising link -- many thanks in advance.

Outside the Stadium, autograph seekers waited for hours like this gentleman below to get players' autographs.  Judging by his jersey, he has met several Yankees over the years. 




Before I left the Stadium for good, I got some final souvenirs of plaster and real authentic Stadium dirt stored in the plastic bag.




Posted by an emotional Tank reporting live from Yankee Stadium in the Boogie Down Bronx.

Yesterday's post took me from the press box to the field along the third base line.  It's now time to pay respects to past Yankees in Monument Park, the goal of my quest before the final game at the Stadium two weeks ago.  

Upon entering Monument Park from left field, you see the retired numbers in order from left to right and then the plaques in the back.  You have to start with the guy who built the place, Babe Ruth.




My favorite player was/is/will forever be Thurman Munson, R.I.P.  I was nine years old when he died; I immediately cried upon hearing the news as my Dad and I were driving home from the Otsego County Fair in Morris, New York.



One legend after another.  Joe DiMaggio.




Mickey Mantle.





May the memories of victims of September 11, 2001, be eternal, R.I.P.



The Yankees class continued as they tipped their hat to a great American, Jackie Robinson, for breaking baseball's color barrier and have his retired number in Monument Park.




My only criticism of the hour long tour is that the security guard literally chased us out of Monument Park to get to the dugout (post coming up tomorrow).  I would have spent about five to ten more minutes in Monument Park and five to ten fewer minutes in the dugout.  Therefore, I had to hustle to get one final photo of Thurman by the retired numbers. 




Posted by an escastic Tank reporting live from Monument Park in Yankee Stadium in the Boogie Down Bronx.  I made it.  I now have closure. 

I checked everyday for a ticket to the "Yankee Stadium Behind the Scenes Tour" after unjustly being denied entry to Monument Park before the last game at Yankee Stadium with Dave the Rock Climber, Erin the Engineer, and Ron the Giants Fan. 

I have so many photos that I will break it up into multiple parts.  You know I am a member of the press but just wanted to remind you... 
 

The view from the Press Box.  Not Bad, eh?




The Final Starting Line-Up




Time to make our way down to the field...




We then went down the third baseline to Monument Park (separate post tomorrow).  The view from the famous Left Field Foul Pole.




I finally made it onto the field.  Woooooooo!!!!!!  What a thrill!!!!!!!



Where the Warning Track meets the field...




The Left Field Wall just behind me is where Aaron Boone's 2003 ALCS Game 7 Home Run landed right next to my friend Otto...

 


The Bullpen...




To be continued with more photos from Monument Park tomorrow...

Posted by a grateful Tank reporting live from Yankee Stadium in the Boogie Down Bronx. 

The NY Mets today resigned Omar Minaya for a four year extension to stay on as GM. Omar showed smarts by signing Pedro Martinez in 2004 to lure Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, and eventually Johan Santana to the Mets. He also showed smarts by locking in David Wright and Jose Reyes early to long term contracts.

Omar has more failures than successes. He gave a huge contract to Mota *after* admission of performance drug use. El Duque, Louis Castillo, Moises Alou, and the lack of any moves for the bullpen after last year’s collapse. Omar has showed time and time again that he will make bad moves.

What would Steve do if he were announced the GM today?

Sign a free agent pitcher and closer. Get some bullpen help. Let Pedro and Perez go. Let Delgado go. Trade “home run” Heilman. Trade some decent players away for minor league depth. Here is my opening day lineup:

C Brian Schneider

1B Daniel Murphy

2B Argenis Reyes

SS Jose Reyes

3B David Wright

LF Endy Chavez/Angel Pagan

CF Carlos Beltran

RF Ryan Church

Then go sign CC and K-Rod and some middle relief.

Posted by Steve, who forgot to get his resume in to the Wilpons in time.

Fight Club 1

On Thursday, August 28^th 2008, New York Fight Club brought us 12 full contact kickboxing, Muay Thai and SanDa fights. 

To see all the pics from this event, check out the pic site.

The event opened its doors at 8pm in the Freeport Recreation Center in Freeport, N.Y. and lasted about 2.5 hours.  There were 8 amateur fights in total.  The show was headlined by our boy, “Ill” Al Iaquinta who dominated his opponent, as usual.  As a fight fan, it is always good to see live fights, especially so close to home (I live in New Hyde Park, a 20 minute drive for me) and on a Thursday night.  I wasn’t always paying attention to which fight camp each fighter was out of, but I did get videos of each fight this time, so we’re even!

The fights were sponsored by Bikram Yoga in Carle Place and Aquaflex, the first sports drink with Hyaluronic Acid in it.  I never heard of Hyaluronic Acid and it doesn’t sound like something I’d like to pour into my mouth, but the guys over at Aquaflex believe in it so take a look at the site to read some articles about what it does for you.  If anybody has actually drank the stuff, let us know.  Steve could use all the help he can get while scaling Mt. Everest.  If you work for Aquaflex and want to send Steve and the Tank a case, holla achya boy!

I was accompanied by a beauty who will remain nameless, because if I give S&TT readers her name, you’ll be stalking her on facebook, myspace, or whatever social networking sites nice girls like her use to communicate with their friends and field requests from random perverts like yourselves (and by yourselves I mean us).  Nameless beauty was my photographer for the night.

For readers new to combat sports, kickboxing, Muay Thai and SanDa are all disciplines that along with many others make up mixed martial arts (MMA).  Each fight had its own rules depending on the discipline and sanctioning.  From a spectator’s perspective, you definitely notice the lack of takedowns, elbows, and ground fighting you’re used to seeing in MMA while watching The Ultimate Fighter or UFC pay-per-views.  The hunger these amateurs had to fight and win more than made up for it!

Thanks to the promoters who gave me front row passes to cover the event.  I was even seated in-between the nameless beauty and the Bikram Yoga girls.  It is good to be me.  Now lets get to the action!

Bout 1
Super Welterweight (147-153.9 lbs) – San Da
Jon Christ (Separation Anxiety)
vs.
Doug Miller (NY San Da)

Congratulations to Christ who is made his amateur debut.  He opens Round 1 up with a high kick.  Miller scores a takedown.  When the two fighters are back on their feet, Miller lands a high kick of his own.  Miller moved around well on his feet, throwing nice combos with his hands.  Miller scores another series of takedowns, culminating with a shot for a single leg takedown (single) into a sweep.  After the referee standup, Christ throws a spinning backfist but Miller winds up taking him down anyway to end the round.

At this point I would be willing to bet Steve’s first born (that he is aware of anyway) that Miller wrestled in high school.

Round 2 Christ opens with a leg kick and surprise surprise, Miller takes him down with a trip.  Miller scores with a couple of more takedowns.  Miller throws a spinning backfist.  As the two clinch, Miller throws Christ down using a pie face.  Yes, I said pie face.  I’m guessing that was not something he was taught to do in a fight during his training.  In Millers defense, it did get Christ down to the floor.

Round 3 was very similar to Round 2 with Miller dominating the round. 

Miller wins by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-26)

Bout 2
Super Light Heavyweight (175-182.9 lbs) – Thaiboxing
Kevin Murphy (Emerson Souza BJJ)
vs.
Doug Bonner (New Generation Karate)

Bonner comes out to Queen’s We Will Rock You.  He looks focused for his amateur debut.  Murphy comes out and controls the pace to open Round 1.  Murphy unleashes a barrage of punches capped off with a high kick to the head which forces the ref to break up the action and award points to Murphy.  Nothing exciting for the rest of the round as the round ends in a clinch.

Round 2 opens up with Murphy landing a kick to Bonner’s ribs.  The ref separates the two and immediately following the separation, Bonner returns the favor, kicking Murphy in his ribs.  The two clinch again and the ref breaks it up. Bonner ends the round by sending Murphy to the floor with a viscous straight right hand to the head.

Round 3 opens with a slugfest!  Bonner nails Murphy with a sidekick, Murphy is hurt, but Bonner does not capitalize.  Both fighters are notably exhausted at this point.

Murphy wins by a questionable split decision in a close fight (29-28, 27-28, 28-27)

Bout 3
Super Middleweight (160-166.9 lbs) – San Da
Ivan Gomez
vs.
Kevin Jansen

Jansen is being cornered by “Ill” Al Iaquinta.  The decorated amateur mma fighter, wrestler, and our boy gives some last minute advice to Jansen as he gets ready to fight.

Round 1 sees Gomez coming out with red, white, and blue headgear (style points!).  Gomez lands a knee and transitions into a takedown.  Jansen answers with a single leg takedown of his own.  Jansen gets another single.  When the two are on their feet again Gomez throws a nice combination.  Jansen has his mouth wide open and looks very tired.  Jansen is punching but they don’t look like they have anything behind them.  Gomez’s strikes look crisper now. 

Round 2 opens and Jansen is now being coached by the Miletich N.Y. coaches who joined Iaquinta in his corner!  Uniiiiiiiiiiitttttttyyyyyyyyyyy (check 2:27 of this video to get the reference, it is funny shit) !!!!! Jansen gets a takedown and when the two fighters are stood up he throws a flurry of kicks and punches.  Looks like Team Miletich is motivating this kid.  Instructions from Jensen’s corner are flying.  Jansen’s punches don’t seem to have much left on them.  Jansen gets another takedown.  Back on his feet, Jansen throws a huge haymaker but misses and almost falls down.  Gomez gets a takedown off of the miss.    Jansen throws a combo to end the round.

Round 3 sees Gomez opening up with a leg kick.  Jansen counters with a takedown.  Back on his feet, Jansen throws a nice uppercut but a stinging right hook by Gomez counters it.  The two clinch and the ref breaks it up.  Gomez throws a nice leg kick and follows up with a punch and Jansen is stunned.  Gomez doesn’t capitalize.  Jansen gains his composure back and as soon as he does he eats a nice straight right hand.  Jansen ends the round with a nice flurry.

Gomez wins by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Bout 4
Super Welterweight (147-153.9 lbs) – San Da
TJ Gullo
vs.
Ian Morgan (Separation Anxiety)

Gullo opens the round with some nice punches, working well on his feet.  Morgan throws a couple of nice leg kicks.  Gullo answers with some leg kicks of his own.  Morgan throws a nice combo ending in a leg kick.  Gullo retaliates with his own.  The crowd is really getting into it now!  Morgan is reigning down blows on Gullo with some nice combos and really turning it up.  Morgan sends Gullo reeling to the floor and the ref stops the fight.

Morgan wins by referee stoppage at 1:53 of Round 1

Bout 5
Welterweight (140-146.9 lbs) – Thaiboxing