Today is my buddy A-Rod’s 35th birthday.  I wish he hit his 600th home run but got shutdown at the Indians.  It always happens against someone they haven’t faced before like the rookie Josh Tomlin.  They’ll get a book on him and hopefully hit him the next time. 

 

A-Rod is now homerless in five games since hitting his 599th home run. 

 

Posted by a disappointed Tank.

While America celebrated its 234th Birthday, the Yankees celebrated Mr. Steinbrenner's 80th Birthday.

The Yankees fell behind but took a 3-1 lead.  But, Toronto came back to take a 4-3 lead off newly minted AL All Star Phil Hughes.

Former Yankee Catcher Jose Molina tagged three Yankees out at the plate.  I've never seen that before.  Also from the rare department, Mariano came in late game but blew only his second game in 20 attempts.

The Yankees bailed him out in the 10th inning when Marcus Thames hit a game winning single for a 7-6 win.  Thames came off the Disabled List on Sunday morning.

It was a welcome end to an insanely hot day with temperatures around 100 degree day.  Speaking of 100, the Yankees are on pace to win 100 games with a first half record of 50-31.

The Tank's Bottom Line: The Yankees are lucky to have Major's best record given all the injuries.  Aceves, Mitre, Park, Timms, Posada, Granderson, Johnson, and others have missed significant amounts of time due to injury.  The Yankees have also suffered from scoring a low percentage runners in scoring position.  Let’s hope the Yankees click on all cylinders in the second half.

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

Today is America’s 234th birthday when we declared our independence from England.  It’s a day for baseball, barbecues, and parties.  Freedom isn’t free and we should remember the service of our troops at home and overseas.

 

Posted by The Tank.

Team USA is a lot like NY sports teams.  They never make it easy for you.  Slovenia took an early 2-0 before half.  USA stormed back and tied the game in the second half.  A third goal was disallowed by the refs. 

 

Yes, USA should have never been behind but the refs screwed up.  No one is perfect.  Why can’t they have instant replay? 

 

Most importantly, Happy Birthday to Kathleen!

 

Posted by The Tank upset at the refs but happy for Kathleen.

Today is Steve’s birthday.  I am grateful he is covering the Winter Olympics for SATT.  I hope he arranges a meeting with the beautiful women curlers and me.  :-)  Seriously, he better as he always talks about all these beautiful women at these far flung IT conferences but doesn’t produce photos or contact info. 

 

Though Steve missed last night’s fifth 2005 Antarctica Marathon anniversary dinner, he was a main topic of conversation.  There were several stories and remarks which could only be put in the Premium Content Area of SATT whenever it is built.

 

What I can share is that Kal encouraged me to manage Linda in roller derby as part of my post full marathon career.  Kal is a mind reader as I attended roller derby last year and I plan to blog on it soon.  I will have a very active post full marathon career as I am super agent to future sports stars like Kai in baseball and Gautam in football plus managing Linda to roller derby super stardom.

 

Posted by an excited Tank.

Editor in Chief and Perma Guest Outlaw Jack’s birthday is today.  I appreciate Jack’s friendship as he always sends along great ideas for the blog as well as other non-baseball interests.  For instance, he sent a link earlier this week that the Yankees trophy is touring the Far East.  It ironic that it is one step closer to Bobby Valentine’s dream of closer global baseball cooperation.  The MLB and Japan league trophies will be side-by-side. 

 

The second irony is the fact New York teams started winning since Steve and Kathleen moved to Hong Kong. 

 

The Tank’s Bottom Line: If the Yankees repeat after Steve and Kathleen move back to NYC in the fall of 2010, it will then be a coincidence.  Only time will tell.  Until then, Happy birthday Jack!

 

Posted by The Tank.

SATT and most of Team Figjam got together at Linda’s birthday party for this group photo.  Getting everyone was an impossible task.

 

 

Have a safe and happy Holiday Season.

 

Posted by a grateful Tank reporting live from Loreley on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Wow!  What a weekend! 

 

The Super Shepa Ngima tour is in full effect.  Gautam and I took him to Hayden Planetarium on Thursday.  We then went to the Museum of Natural History. 

 

 

From the North Pole to NYC, I have been trying to keep one step of the polar bears.  Ngima and I thankfully do just that.

 

 

Super Sherpa Ngima went to his first basketball game on Friday night.  The Knicks hosted the LA Clippers at the Garden.  Linda, Editor in Chief Perma Guest Outlaw Jack and his girlfriend Michelle joined Ngima.  The Knicks were down about 14 points but rallied to win 95-91.  I wish I could joined them but had to work.  It would have been my first Knicks game since the infamous Knicks-Nuggets fight three years ago.

 

All play and no work make Ngima a dull guest.  Linda pressed Andrew, Ngima, and I into Christmas Cookie making duty on Saturday. 

 

  

 

After making cookies, we watched “Elf” starring Will Ferrell.  Good food and times.   We went to watch the Saints – Cowboys game.  The Saints unfortunately lost their undefeated season.  Darn it!

 

I dressed for the Blizzard for the long walk home.  Linda and her friend Pat laughed at my North Pole gloves.  Linda started a snowball fight soon thereafter.  :-)

 

 

Today was Linda’s birthday.  Andrew, Sara, and Rob joined us and we saw “Avatar” in 3D.  Even better times.  Happy Birthday Linda!

 

The Tank’s Bottom Line: Steve and Kathleen better hurry home or “no cookies” for them.  :-)  Safe travels.

 

Posted by The Tank reporting live from NYC.

Today is my Mom’s birthday.  It’s been a tough year for her but I wanted to wish her a happy birthday.  I love you Mom!

 

Posted by The Tank.

America celebrated its 233rd birthday yesterday.  Though economic times are tough, Americans came together to celebrate at barbecues, baseball games, and fireworks displays.

 

I was fortunate to start my day at Yankee Stadium.  It was FINALLY a beautiful sunny day in the Bronx after a rainy Spring and early Summer.  I was joined by my college friend Howard who I had not seen with since he married to Melissa two years ago this month.  Congrats Howard and Melissa!

 

Before the game started, we were treated to the Marine Corps Band playing the Canadian and American National Anthems, respectively. 

 

 

The Stadium was picture perfect in the nice weather.

 

 

July 4 is also the historic day as Lou Gehrig said farewell to baseball 70 years ago.  He passed from ALS afterwards.  The Yankees honored his memory.  A fan with ALS threw out the first pitch.

 

 

After all that excitement, I wasn’t too optimistic coming into the game as Halladay was pitching for the Blue Jays and Wang was pitching for the Yankees.  That said, the Yankees played hard.  Wang was unfortunately injured after 5.1 innings.  He is probably heading back to the DL.  Darn it!

 

During the 7th Inning Stretch, the Yankees honored local veterans injured in combat.  They are pictured below.

 

 

Dr. Ronan Tynan treated us to a great version of “God Bless America.”

Johnny Damon, a son of a Vietnam Veteran, tied the game at 5 with a home run in the bottom of the 7th. 

 

The game stayed tied into extra innings.  Both teams used their bullpens extensively.  The Yankees had runners on first and second in the 12th inning when Jorge Posada stepped to the plate.  Jorge singled home the winning run, my buddy A-Rod, to win the game 6-5.

 

No victory would be complete with a pie to the face.  Posada is being interviewed below by YES.

 

 

Joba comes out as the decoy to put the pie to Posada’s face.

 

 

Posada escapes but AJ Burnett succeeds.

 

 

This is a reminder that it is grown men playing a boy’s game.  Go Yankees!

 

Howard and I celebrate the Yankee victory afterwards.

 

 

No Fourth of July would be complete with a fireworks celebration.  The NYC celebration is normally on the East River but it was moved to the Hudson to honor Hudson’s sailing the River named for him 400 years ago.  I was fortunate enough to get to 47th between 11th Avenue and the West Side Highway about a block away from the Intrepid.  Happy Birthday America!

 

 

Posted by The Tank reporting live from Yankee Stadium and 47th Street between 11th Avenue and the West Side Highway in NYC.