Friday nights game was interesting...

So I went to the game way early for batting practice on Friday. It was a reaaaally steamy night. The Yankees bullpen sucked, and Ty Clip wasn't too good. But whatever. DeSalvo was booed loudly when he came off the mound. That's a real nice gesture by the fans. The guys first relief appearance of his career, he gets booed out of the place.

For some reason, the crowd was REALLY rowdy. I saw about 6 people ejected in my section alone, 5 of whome were in one party who got in an argument with some ladies. The argument was loud, and certainly wasn't appropriate for kids. That lasted about 20 minutes. IT was an annoyance and a distraction.

Then one drunk guy stood up and started declaring the Yankees were "a disappointment". He was extremely drunk. He started muttering obsceneties, and then started a fight with a fan who told him to quiet down.

I left early. I was in a bad mood, my girlfriend didn't feel well, and I was tired. I/ hate the Angels. THATS ALL.

This team needs to wake up before it's too late... And NO... It ISN'T too late. Maybe I'll post some pictures I took on Friday. Rocket goes again tonight. 5 PM EST on ESPNnews. Read the full post, after the jump

When is it time to start putting bags on our heads at the games?

Is it time to be this guy:



Just wondering...

If anyone wants to see MY idea on rebuilding the Yankees, please go here:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?S=303#S=303&F=1637&T=561576 Read the full post, after the jump

Hot Night in The Bronx!

Tonight I'll be heading to the stadium with my girlfriend as a replacement for the absent Ross. She's bringing her camera, and we're going to batting practice, so expect some good shots. Another big series, hopefully the crowd will be as rowdy as they were the other night! Hopefully I'll have an update during the game. Read the full post, after the jump

Wow... 5/23 BP update and 5/23 game experience update

Wily Mo Pena of the Red Sox just hit one half-way up in the left field upper deck during BP. UNBELIEVABLE! Ross also got a ball thrown into the stands (see pic below). Good times.





Added later (by ross):

This game was definitely the best game so far of 2007 for me. The crowd was into it from the get-go, the Yankees did their job and then Mo came in with a lights out, strike out the side inning. There were a good number of fights in the stands which is always fun to gawk at. I'll never understand how someone gets into a physical fight over what team someone else roots for, but to each their own. I'd estimate that around 25-30% of the crowd was Red Sox fans. Sounds high, but tickets are easy to get for Yankee stadium because it is a big place.

Now, to post a question to anyone who reads this blog - what is up with girls in their 20's gravitating to baseball as RED SOX fans??? Was in the World series in '04 when all these chicks hopped on the bandwagon? Most of the girls that I would consider my age (in their 20's) at the game were Red Sox fans. How does this come about? If I was a die-hard Red Sox fan, I would be sickened by it. Do they adopt the New England accent and call then the "Sawx" as well? It really grinds my gears.

Sorry for the late update on this. I forgot about it until just now. Read the full post, after the jump

Nick2Slick makes his return!

On Wednesday, I will make my long awaited return to the stadium to see the Yankees play a big game, in a big series, with the division leading Red Sox.

Things haven't looked pretty thus far, but unlike Ross, I haven't quit. I don't think a team is suddenly less worthy of my support because they aren't playing as well. That isn't what fandom is about. Whats gonna be wonderful is our climb back to the top this season. Look out!

Hopefully, the Yankees will have won 2 games at the Stadium by Wednesday, and I will get to attend the game we throw our hts back in the race, with a sweep. The season starts tonight. Any other Yankees fans on board? Read the full post, after the jump

My own form of a protest - taking a step away from the Yankees

I have decided that I have allowed the Yankees to consume my life far too much, and it is ridiculous for such a misguided, mediocre team to do this to one's life.

So, for the foreseeable future, I will only be attending/ watching games that Phil Hughes or Tyler Clippard pitch in. Those guys are the future and I am ready for a new guard. Unfortunately, there are no positional prospects coming up that I can watch and root for. I am sick of Melky, I am sick of Cano. I want to see guys playing hard every day, every at bat. I don't see that with them.

I have spent countless minutes of my life defending A-Rod, but I can't even root for him anymore. Something rubs me wrong about the entire team. It is time to step back and reclaim my life from this Yankees hell. I spend too much time on message boards, on this blog, in Yankees stadium and I can't do it anymore. It is sad, because I love watching Jeter and Mo and even Jorge (who I doubted in the past without merit) but this is a broken team as a whole. Don't get it twisted, I'm not "giving up on the season." The Yankees very well may make a run at the Wild Card. Good for them.

Until this team is overhauled and there is a totally new makeup, I'm not taking them seriously. Maybe I'll go to a playoff game if Hughes pitches. Read the full post, after the jump

My prediction: no rainouts this weekend (Subway Series weather preview)

Unfortunately for the reeling Yankees, it looks like the heaviest, steadiest precip is staying over Eastern areas such as Long Island and Connecticut.

Here is what the National Weather service has to say about it:

"Focus of heavy rain will extend across east CT and
Long Island...with precipitation spreading west towards NYC. Latest WRF
and GFS guidance both indicate a sharp cutoff for precipitation that would
end just east of NYC. Latest radar img shows area of precipitation over S New Jersey
which could clip NYC...but overall...feel precipitation west of a line from
Fairfield County Nassau County can be covered with chance probability of precipitation.
Strongest Omega and deformation zone lies over eastern New England...so
will keep categorical probability of precipitation there...mentioning heavy rain at times."

It is gonna be cold tonight, but the game will be played. There may be some scattered showers, however. So, bring your warm clothes and hope the Yankees can pull some sort of miracle this weekend and get back into things.

Saturday will probably be the WETTER of the two games, believe it or not, but the rain will be more showery in nature and shouldn't threaten weather or not the game is played.

Be sure to check out the radars on the right side of this page to check the latest conditions before heading out.

UPDATE (4:42 PM): Radar indicates that all of the precip is off sure and over Eastern Long Island. Once again, the conditions won't even be CLOSE to ideal, but there will be baseball in Flushing tonight! Read the full post, after the jump

Bad weather for the Subway series

For all of you Yankees fans venturing out to the WORST ball park in major league baseball (or at least ONE of the worst) this weekend for the Subway Series, expect BAD weather.

The game should be played on Friday night, but it will be in conditions much like that of the early April games - mid 40's, cold and damp.

Saturday looks like a washout.

Sunday could also end up being a washout, but since the game is the ESPN game, I think it will get in.

Definitely stay tuned to the weather forecasts if you are planning on heading out to the games this weekend. Read the full post, after the jump

Game 5 of 2007 for Ross (vs. Rangers 5/9) - some fans are real idiots

So, it was a pretty normal Yankee victory tonight until the 9th inning when Mo was getting some work in. After getting two impressive strikes on Sammy Sosa, some idiot fan decided to run onto the field.

This is when the fun began. I wish I had thought fast enough to take out my cell phone and take a video, because this was classic, albeit idiotic. The "fan" ran out in left field, and right up to Matsui. Hideki stood there doing nothing until the guy almost touched him. Then, he fended him off with his glove. I'm pretty sure if it was Gary Sheffield out there, the guy would have been cold-cocked and the fun would have ended. Unfortunately, Gary is at some abandoned car factory in Detroit buying his next shipment of designer steroids. Anyway, I digress.

So, after Matsui shunned this dude, he started off towards center field. That is when all of the poorly paid, mediocre at best "security guards" started closing in from all angles. Between innings there are cops everywhere guarding the field, but at this moment there were none to be found. I'm guessing they were trying to take advantage of last call on the hot dogs. Anyway, so there are about 12 of these guards running from all angles of the field towards center where this guy is running around. One of the guards catches him in center field and the guy throws a stiff arm that Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs would be proud of. That security guard was done. Next, the guy made a mad dash towards the infield with security guards in tow. As he ran by second base, he reached down and touched it. I'm assuming that didn't count against Wil Nieves' throwing out attempted runners stats, but with his bad luck so far this season, I wouldn't be surprised if it did. At this point, all of the guards were about to catch the guy. Shockingly, he had one last juke and stiff arm to fend off another would be capturer. At this point, the crowd was going crazy.

Finally, one stud security guard (more on him later) made an impressive open field tackle and ended the madness. This is when the cops came off of their apparent hot dog break and wrestled the handcuffs onto the guy in what looked to be a rather painful way.

All of this took about 3 minutes. I've gotta believe thats the most fun the Yankee stadium security guards will have all season long.

Two batters later, there was the inevitable copy-cat fan who tried to get his 15 minutes of fame. Unfortunately, he ran onto the field closer to the dugouts and didn't have nearly the pizazz of the first field stormer. For some reason this guy gave himself up right away and was held down by the same hero security guard who had saved the day just minutes before by making the open field tackle on my new fantasy football sleeper for 2007. Unlike the huge standing ovation the first guy received when he was wrestled off the field, this guy went off with a whimper and a chorus of boos.

I hate to give these idiots all of this attention by writing about them, but thats what this blog is all about and I find it pretty amusing to write about. On a serious note, fans running onto the playing field/ court at sporting events is just asking for trouble. I think the only way to fix the problem is to give these idiots more than one night in jail. If you are drunk enough and feel tough enough to spend a night in jail, that joyous run around the most famous baseball stadium ever may actually be worth it. I don't see it, but with enough $10 beers in you, who knows where your mind is.

Oh yea, the Yankees won 6-2 and have won 7 of 9 games. Just a sidebar. Read the full post, after the jump

Yankee Stadium Insider visits Wrigley Field

On Saturday, May 5, 2007 Ross from Stadium Insider visited another stadium - the historic Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL.

For being the 2nd oldest stadium in ALL of baseball, it is surprisingly convenient and enjoyable. All of the corridors are wide and walkable (or at least wider than Yankee Stadium) and the concessions are pretty good. Bathroom lines seemed like they might have been bad.

The Wrigley faithful sure do love their 7th inning stretch. You can see that below:



Rich Hill continued his string of impressive starts and the Cubs held on to win 5-3. Unfortunately the wind was coming off the lake, so the ball wasn't traveling well and it was pretty cold. Below are some pictures:













Overall a great time. I hope Wrigley Field is there forever. Read the full post, after the jump

Here is a day where is sucks to have a weekday plan (Rocket is returning)

As much as this guy is ALLLLL about the money and ALLLLL about the attention, it is going to be awesome to have him back. To have the Rocket man there to mentor Phil Hughes and possibly get him some of his 'roids (errrr I mean get him on his training regime) will be great.

I just hope he makes his return at Yankee stadium. Depending on how things fall, I think June 8th at home vs. The Pirates seems like a good date. I HIGHLY doubt they will try to rush him back for the June 1 game against the Red Sox but in his YES interview, Roger was indicating he would be ready for the end of May.

I'm also pissed off that I missed the dugouts and bullpens empty. I like the fire of Phelps and Proctor. As mediocre as I think Scott Proctor is, I like him as a 7th inning guy, especially with the fire and emotion he shows out there. Lets just hope his K/BB can get in the 1 + territory sometime soon. As for Phelps, he is a clear upgrade offensively over Minky, but the defense probably doesn't make him worth playing. At least Phelps looks like he wants to play unlike Craig Wilson (yea he was a Yankee) last year.

Well, I am still in Chicago, so I am going to miss tomorrow's game. Then on Tuesday, I have softball so I will miss that one. I am a pretty lame "Stadium Insider." Sorry about that.

I'll post some pictures from my Wrigley field experience sometime this week. Read the full post, after the jump