C'mon Yankees, you used to be so much more hardcore

There is absolutely no way that today's conditions were worse than these:





A younger, pre-juice Pettitte was as effective as ever in the snow.

Love the conversation between Sterling, Kay and Giuliani about the West Side Stadium. They were all really stumping for it. Good to see that the Stadium stayed in the Bronx.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

They'll probably squeeze this one in, but it won't be pleasant!

UPDATE (12:11 PM) - Right now it is raining lightly at the stadium - more of a mist than a steady rain, but uncomfortable to say the least. This should be the case for most of the day. If you check out the radar (via weather.com instead of the usual Wunderground), you will see that the bulk of the heaviest precipitation is going to miss the area to the North, which is good news for baseball in the Bronx. As always, it will be up to the grounds crew, but I really think they are going to squeeze this one in. If it were my call, I would have postponed the game last night and would have had everyone reconvene on Tuesday when temperatures are supposed to be in the 60's. But I'm not on the Yankee Stadium grounds crew am I?

Well folks, since it isn't raining yet and it is 8 AM, the idea of an early cancellation by the Yankees is pretty much out of the picture. The forecast still hasn't improved much, but since the rain isn't going to really roll in until later, the game will probably be started and I would assume finished. Click on the radar on the right hand side of the page for a live look at the precipitation in the area.

The comfort level for this game is going to be about as low as it can be for a Yankee game. Wear layers and try to bring something water resistant for the top layer. Obvious stuff, but if you paid a bunch of money for tickets to the final opening day in the current Yankee Stadium you are going to want to be able to at least somewhat enjoy the game.

Tuesday still looks to be warmer, but the forecast has gotten rainier for Tuesday as well. Luckily, later in the week things clear out, so this first game should be the only one with weather concerns.

Enjoy the game, people - I'll be at work watching it on a 3 inch cell phone screen.

and of course I'll be...


ANTI RAIN DANCE!


HYAAAH HYOOOAH HYAAAH HYOOOA!

Talking about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

Ask NYYSI - The readers get their Yankee ticket-buying questions answered

Over the past couple of months, fans from all over the country have written in with Yankee ticket questions, hoping that we here at NYYSI could help them out with some very specific ticket quandaries. Here are some of the questions and answers so we can help out more people who may have the same issues. If any readers of this blog have better answers to any of the questions, or can add to anything I wrote, please do so in the comments section!

Barbara asks:

Do you know when group sales tickets will be available for purchase? Also every year I purchase 100 tiks for the company I work for... Every year we are sent the worst tickets imaginable. Last year we ended up 4 rows from the top which made it very difficult for some of the older people to climb. Can you give me some advice as to how we can get better seats.

I believe that group tickets are available now, and if they are anything like the rest of the tickets, they are going fast. I can't pretend to be an expert on group tickets as I have never purchased them before. I have to be honest and tell you that your seats will probably be in a pretty bad location, if you can get them at all. The Yankees sell SO MANY seats (already approaching 4 million in advance sales) that they don't need to depend on groups anymore. My father used to go with a group every single season in the 80's to Opening Day at the stadium. Once the Yankee started winning in the 90's (and attendance rose dramatically), the Yankees stopped offering group tickets to Opening Day. It is a business and the Yankees want to get as many people to purchase FULL PRICE tickets as possible. For more group information, call 718-293-6000, email groups@yankees.com or go to http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ticketing/group.jsp

Jake asks:

We are from Cincinnati and I am going to start the trip with the 6.20-6.22 series with the reds yanks. Now I am an average guy, looking to have a good time but not break the bank. I get the impression from what you say that the tier reserves behind the plate would be a best value for a guy like me. I understand that the bleachers can be rowdy, and I don't know how that would be as far as out of towners getting heckled or whatever. What are your thoughts on this? I pretty much just want a decent view of the field, and be able to walk around the stadium etc. as this will be our first/last time there and we are huge baseball fans. I also wanted to ask about the Sat. and Sun games that are day games. I am assuming in late June it will be blazing and I was curious if the tier reserve seats are shaded at 1:00 games, or what the best bet would be for not burning up.

I definitely think you should try to get tier reserved MVP or Tier box MVP (more expensive) for that series. Make sure you get the tickets behind the plate (sections 1-8 approximately). Unfortunately, because it is a weekend series, the tickets will be snatched up quickly no matter the opponent. The good news for you is that Yankee fans will have a lot of other games they are going to try to get tickets to before that one.

For a 1:05 game, the bleachers will be BAKING in the sun. I can't pretend to have much experience sitting in the bleachers. I have been a Yankee fan all of my life, and I have sat there before, but very rarely. Some people love the bleachers because they are lower down toward the field and they feel closer to the players. Personally, I like the tier because if you are sitting in the right sections, you get a great birds eye view of the action and you can tell what is going to happen on a ball hit up the middle before anyone else in the stadium. As for the sun baking you in the tier sections, if you sit in the tier reserved, you will have minimal time frying. If you get there early it will be in the sun, but the sun quickly goes behind the stadium.

My last thought is that if you sit in the bleachers, you don't have free reign to walk around the rest of the stadium. You are confined to the Bleachers. If you sit in the tier reserved, they are all the way upstairs, and it is a hike getting out of the stadium, but you can get there early and walk around as much as you'd like. Definitely try to get to the game AT LEAST an hour and 15 minutes early (or earlier) so you can go check out monument park. Even if you aren't a Yankee fan, you can appreciate the history of the players and how beautiful it is.

Heather asks:

Coming to to New York in September and will be going to the game on the 16th. Found tickets online in Tier Reserved MVP 10 in Row D... these are aisle seats which we need to have (and seem hard to come by). With that low a row will we have people constantly walking in front of us, assuming there is a concourse there? The price seems reasonable at $28 a piece. Any feedback you could give me on these seats would be much appreciated.

Row D is far enough up that the people in the walkway won't be in our way. The first couple of rows are bad, but Row D should be good. Those are within foul ball territory, so be alert! The price is definitely not bad!

Nick asks:

I am flying out to New York and am unfamiliar with Yankee Stadium. I am looking at purchasing tickets in the MVP Tier 2 Row S. Are these tickets (section/row) a good place to sit in Yankee Stadium? Thank you for your help.

Nick, the section is very good, and you will get a birds eye view. However, you will be about 7 or 8 rows from the VERY top of the stadium. The seats in the upper deck are on a VERY steep incline, and you will be almost all the way up. The fans are very good in that area, and the view is from right behind home plate, but you will be far away. 10 rows down would be great seats in my opinion, but those are still good if you like to get a view of the ENTIRE field of play.

So, be aware that you will be near the top of the stadium. However, like I mentioned in the article I think those are some of the best value seats in the house.

That being said, I wouldn't pay more than $25-$30 per seat for those seats unless it was a "premium" game. However, if the going rate is more than that, you may have to pony up the cash. I can't say that I have taken a peak at the going rate for games yet. This tends to be when the market is at its best for sellers and at its worst for buyers. If you wait another month, prices will start to trend downward.

Grant asks:

I'm coming out from Vancouver to make my first and only trip to Yankee Stadium. I am bringing my Grandfather, and his right leg is unable to bend do to a war injury. Therefore he needs a seat with an aisle on his right side and preferably not alot of steps to his seat. He does not need a wheelchair seat, but the aisle is critical. I was hoping to sit in sections 237 to 275. I need 4 seats total and was wondering how the sections are numbered and how many seats per row? I have not found a detailed seat by seat map of the stadium. If I bought say, sec. 255 row C(4 tix) would that get me the aisle seat I need?

Unfortunately, I am more familiar with Upper Deck seats, and even there I don't remember individual seat numbers.

I BELIEVE that seats in those sections go 5 across. Therefore, if you purchase 4 tickets, you are ALMOST guaranteed an aisle seat. However, I can't be sure of that. I would recommend calling 718-293-6000 and asking a ticket office representative. Be forewarned, they are cranky and angry in the ticket office, so it will take a little bit of luck to get a helpful person.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful and give more concrete info.

Good luck, and enjoy the stadium!

John asks:

I live in Cambridge, MA, and am planning on getting tix to the 7/20 day game. I fit into that category you mentioned - someone who needs to get to a game at The Stadium before it closes.

I found somebody willing to sell me tix in section 320 (down the LF line) for $130, which looks like advanced sale face value.

Do you know how the seats are in that section? Is there anything to avoid, as an example - the normal box loge seats (i.e., not field box) at Fenway sell for about $95 - however, if you have tix in one of the first 3 or 4 rows, the seating, in my opinion is horrendous, because it has the concourse that separates field box from loge box right in front of it, and you spend the first 2 innings watching a constant flow of fans, and it doesn't get much better. Ergo, I NEVER buy seats in those rows, I'd rather be further up in the grandstand - so, is there anything similar to avoid at Yankee Stadium?

Lastly, I will be going to the game either with my wife and 6 month old daughter, or with my 76 year old father - as the game is a day game in July, do you know how much direct sun box 320 gets in general, or is there shade cover from the Loge and tier levels? I can't have my daughter or my elderly dad bake in the July sun. If the 320 box section is not good, what sections do you suggest would be better - I imagine either the main reserve, which looks further back, or the loge level.

Anyway, thanks for any advice you can share.

Now, those seats that you are considering purchasing are indeed a good deal at face value from a cost perspective. However, like you mentioned about similar seats at Fenway, these seats face the same issues. If you are in low rows, you will have the annoyance of early inning foot traffic impeding your view. In addition, a lot of these seats down the line face left field instead of home plate, and you are stuck starting at Hideki Matsui's head the entire game, or contorting your body (and having other people's heads in your way) the entire game to see the action.

My expertise is more confined to the Upper Deck of Yankee Stadium, but I spend a lot of time in the area of the field you are talking about during batting practice and before games. I often comment how I wouldn't trade my nosebleeds for tickets in that section because of the poor seat angles/views. However, it all depends on the specific seat/section you are in. I would check out the official seating chart to get a view from the seats (as presented by the Yankees). http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/seating_pricing.jsp

As for the sun issue, you would definitely be safest in the back rows of the main reserved, or anywhere in the loge level. The Upper deck is more exposed, and the lower levels of the main reserved and box seats are baking for most of the game.

I would recommend trying to get seats in the loge. Look in the section 20-30 range in the Loge level. Face value is actually cheaper, but you will be a little more protected from the sun. Especially if you get seats in the loge down the right field line.

Hopefully some of this has been somewhat helpful. I'd definitely recommend going onto Craigs List (http://newyork.craigslist.org) and seeing if you can find any good deals. However, since you have more specific needs in your seat location, I think that Stub Hub, while potentially more expensive, will give you the best choice and the most convenient method of finding the section you need. I hate to suggest Stub Hub because of the extensive fees, but I think it may be the best for your situation.

John asks (follow-up):

How is Loge Level down the left field line, near the pole? I think that as long as it is OKAY, and as mentioned below, probably eliminates the foot traffic that low rows in the Main Boxes have, I'd be happy. I really need shade - if I can be between the bases, great, but as long as the seats aren't horrible I'll be fine

From what I recall, those seats aren't terrible. I think they are probably better than the seats in the same stadium location on the lower level. Good luck, and before buying tix, check out this blog post I made:

http://nyystadiuminsider.com/2008/03/nyysi-saves-you-money-cheap-yankee.html

If you are buying on StubHub you can save $20 or $10 with the fancodes I provided in that post. Its really good stuff.

Brandon asks:

Have you ever sat in the main reserve location? It seems like this has a blocked view, and was wondering your thoughts. We are planning on going to a night game and then to a day game. I was thinking about buying bleacher seats for Saturday. Would two guys from Texas get beaten up if we sat out there?

It depends greatly on the section how good of a view you will have. The outfield sections tend to be worse of a view, because there are a lot of people's heads in the way and the seats face the wrong direction a lot of time. As long as you don't get drunk while wearing Texas Rangers garb and start talking trash about Derek Jeter, you will be fine.

Amy asks:

We are planning on our first (ever) Yankees game this year. We have been looking on StubHub for seats and found some in Main Reserved 24 Row A. They're cheaper than some of the other Main Reserved tickets and was just wondering if you knew if there's something about Row A that we don't know. Is there a bar in front of your face, etc., ? Are there any sections that you would absolutely not choose, unless you had to? Any other seating advice would be appreciated, like I said this is our first Yankees game.

Main reserve seats are tricky because they are actually tucked away in the back section of the 2nd half of the lower bowl of the Stadium. For example, there is a section of field seats that is closest to the field (obviously). Then, there is a walkway. Behind the walkway are the main box seats. There are about 20 rows of those seats (I am approximating here) and then there is a bar. Behind that bar is the main reserved section and there are about 6-10 rows back there. So, your main reserved, section 24 tickets are all the way out in the outfield, and all the way back.

A lot of these lower level outfield seats face in wacky directions, so I don't really recommend them. I would always prefer something in the tier box section between sections 1-10 over more expensive lower level seats in the outfield. On the other hand, those main reserve, section 24 seats are shaded for most of the game which can be a big deal in the dog days of summer. Of course, the air can also get pretty stagnant with the low overhang of the loge level, so on a hot day the shade isn't going to be much of a reprieve.

One more positive of those section 24 seats is that you are close to one of the main exits to the stadium, so you can get out quickly once the game is over. The closer to home plate you are, the longer it takes to slowly file out of the NARROW corridors once the game is finished.

Amy asks (follow-up):

We've narrowed it down to two areas -

Main Reserved MVP 6 Row H - $80/ticket
Tier Box MVP 612 Row F - $65/ticket

That really depends on your preference.

MVP 6 Row H you will be all the way back in the lowest deck, but out
of the sun and closer to the field of play. Plus, you will be able to
get out of the stadium at the end of the game quicker.

In the upper deck in 612, you will have a great birds eyes view and
will be in prime foul ball territory, but you will be exposed to the
sun and the elements and it will take a while to exit.

You can't go wrong either way.

If it were my money, I'd save the $30 and sit upstairs. However, if
budgetary concerns out of the way, I'd probably sit downstairs.

Chris asks:

I am looking at some bleacher seats and am wondering if the first row closet
to the field (on the wall) is row 1 or row A? Is it the same for the other
sections in the stadium too?

From what I know rows are always letters so there is no "Row 1". But in the
bleachers double lettered rows come first like AA-LL before Row A.

Therefore, row A may be the 13th row.

It is only like this in the bleachers, but in the rest of the stadium, certain sections have multiple rows that are A. For example, in the main reserved section in the outfield, row A is seats 1,2,3,4 and then a row back is row a seats 5,6,7,8.

Steven asks:

My girlfriend and I are coming to New York April 16th and would like nothing better than to check out the Yankees play Boston the 16th or 17th. Am I out of luck at getting tickets? Or do you have some last minute advice?

You are DEFINITELY NOT out of luck. Here are a couple of last minute suggestions:

1) Get to New York City early on the 16th and go to the box office. The Yankees offer a program for season ticket holders to trade in their tickets to a game up to a certain amount of time before a game if they can't make it. Usually more tickets are released day of game, but not always.

2) Hit up http://newyork.craigslist.org in the days preceding the game. A lot of times, season ticket holders find out they can't make the game on short notice and need to dump their tickets fast, so they take face value or less. Most of the time these people can email the tickets via their account with the Yankees, if you don't want to have to meet them in person (you would pay via PayPal).

3) Stubhub.com is ALWAYS an option. Obviously, you are going to pay a little more there, but if you read this post:

http://nyystadiuminsider.com/2008/03/nyysi-saves-you-money-cheap-yankee.html

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

Get your raincoats and umbrellas ready for Yankees Opening Day 2008

Update (3/30 12:19 PM): Well, things aren't really looking any better. This rain event isn't going to be a deluge, but the chance of precipitation is going to increase as the day moves on. In addition, it is going to be cold with temperatures not escaping the middle 40's. As for Tuesday, it is definitely going to be warmer, but there might not be as much sun as was originally expected. My opinion is still that the Yankees should make an early decision on Sunday night to postpone Monday's game. Tuesday will be a better day for baseball, if not perfect. We'll see what the Yankees do.

UPDATE (3/29 10:54 AM): Models seem to be coming more into agreement on a rain event on Monday that would wash out the home opener. The only good news is that Tuesday looks to be clearing out by Mid-morning and the potential for temperatures to reach the 60 degree mark. The Yankees would be smart to pay close attention to this and make an early cancellation on Monday if possible. That way at least people won't head to the Stadium and then have to come back AGAIN on Tuesday. The Yankees have made some bad decisions when it comes to calling games (remember the Detroit ALDS game in 2006?), so I wouldn't count on the Yankees doing anything smart.

One of the main reasons that I am never too upset about my season ticket plan not including Opening Day is because of the crappy weather that is bound to happen each year at the beginning of April.

It looks like 2008, the final season at the current Yankee Stadium, will be no different.

Monday

Rain likely. Highs in the lower 50s. Chance of rain 60 percent.

As it stands now, Monday is set to be a washout. However, we are still over 72 hours out, so there is plenty of room for forecast errors.

Keep an eye on the weather for the Bronx

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

NYYSI Saves you money: Cheap Yankee tickets for REALLY cheap

Here is my success story:

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees Tickets
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
04/06/2008 01:05 PM
(Event time subject to change. Check local listings.)

Quantity: 2
Section: Tier 6
Row: V
Comments: Upper Level Behind Infield
----------------------------------------
BILLING INFORMATION
----------------------------------------

Subtotal: $12.00

Commission: $1.20
Shipping: $11.95
Discount: - $20.00

Order Total: $5.15

and:

Seattle Mariners at New York Yankees Tickets
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
05/02/2008 07:05 PM
(Event time subject to change. Check local listings.)

Quantity: 2
Section: Tier 6
Row: V
Comments: Upper Level Behind Infield
----------------------------------------
BILLING INFORMATION
----------------------------------------

Subtotal: $16.00

Commission: $1.60
Shipping: $11.95
Discount: - $20.00

Order Total: $9.55

In any case, I hope this helps someone - please report back in the comments section...

EDIT (11/30/08): This discount is obviously no longer active.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums!

Read the full post, after the jump

Mrs. Godzilla

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/20080327

"Matsui slipped off and tied the knot with his 25-year-old bride in a New York chapel on Wednesday, somehow managing to keep his relationship below the radar of not only the Japanese media contingent trailing his career in the United States, but also his Yankees teammates."

He drew a picture of her to show the press:



Of course the new Mrs. Matsui will have to take a backseat to Hideki's one true passion in life - endless oceans of pornography. In fact, we almost named this site:

Read the full post, after the jump

A-Rod has only one love

Recently Jose Conseco has gone after Alex Rodriguez claiming that not only did he introduce him to a steroid distributer but that A-Rod was interested in his wife.

He should know there is only room in Stray-Rod's heart for one.


Window reflections lie

In all seriousness though, check out this blog post by Deadspin.com's Will Leitch about how nobody cares about steroids anymore Read the full post, after the jump

Don't worry Derek, its just Spring Training.... Right?!

Derek Jeter is having a Spring to forget. In 50 plate appearances, DJ has 0 RBIs. To put that in perspective, Wilson Betemit has 9 RBI and is batting under .200. OK, so as rotoworld.com points out, that is probably more of a statistical oddity than anything to be concerned about.

However, with 4 GIDPs in 50 PAs, Jeter is among the league's worst in Spring Training. Check out the list here:

link

Being that he has less ABs than most of those guys, he has among the worst DP rates. Lets hope it is just a Spring aberration and not a continuation of a trend that began last season. We all remember watching Derek appear to age before our eyes in 2007 as he was among the league leaders with 21 GIDPs.

It isn't time to hit any sort of panic button over Spring Training statistics. What will be VERY interesting is to see what sort of a start to the season El Capitan has.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

Forever immortalized...

They say you haven't made it till you've been made into a Yankee smiley in the NYYSI Forums so here we present our favorite blogger with





Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

When bloggers go bad - Peter Abraham, the egomaniacal beat blogger

Update: 11:20 PM. I have a bit of a conscience, so I have removed the pictures. It is not right to make fun of the way someone looks in such an obvious, non-funny way. That was sophomoric, and I'm better than that. As for the rest of this post, I suggest you read it.

I will preface this by giving Peter Abraham the same compliment I have always given Peter Abraham: he changed the way beat writers attacked covering baseball.

Now the bad. While Abraham claims to be the bloggers best friend (for example his blogger month this past February where he lent a day to many different Yankee bloggers) it is all a front. In reality, Abraham is all about getting the attention and looking like a hero to what he believes are his fans.

Exhibit #1.

February 1st, I post the following blog entry:

Want to head down to Florida for Spring Training Baseball? Read this for some money saving tips!

then, I sent Abraham the following email:



(click to enlarge)

Basically, I was giving Abraham the chance to use my idea, but at least give me a hat tip on his blog.

In a few hours, nary a mention of my email, my suggestion or my tip.

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/02/02/spring-training-travel-guide/

Notice the URL is "Spring Training Travel Guide" and notice the time - not even 12 hours after my post. If you click the link, you will see that he changed the title of the blog post to 2nd annual Spring Training Travel Guide. This is because I called him out on stealing my idea for a post, so he had to scramble. This is one petty fat man.

Exhibit 2.

No email to prove my suggestion to Abraham for this blog entry, but I have the following:

Some important 2008 Yankee Ticket on-sale dates

(2/21 - 7:30 PM)

and of course, a little over 12 hours later on Abraham's blog:

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/02/22/time-for-tickets/
(2/22 - 8:57 AM)

Once again, no hat-tip in the direction of NYYSI.

Could these have been coincidental occurrences? Of course. However, it is highly unlikely.

Fast forward a few days, and suddenly Abraham is complaining about Kaybli, Nick and myself posting links to NYYSI in his blog comments. If you have ever waded through the comments on the LoHud Yankees blog, you will know that the majority are asinine at best and unreadable at worst. For whatever reason, I have always taken part in these blog comments, trying my best to raise up the level of conversation.

All of a sudden, my inbox was getting flooded with threatening emails from Peter Abraham for "spamming" his blog.

Here are some samples:

There I am accused of "trying to make a buck". Check out NYYSI - not an ad anywhere. This site is not about making money. It is about getting good Yankee Stadium information out to the general public and Yankee fans in particular.



Here, I am once again accused of "spamming". All I was doing was taking part in the "conversation" in the blog comments, just like anyone else. Keep in mind, the blog has the option of creating whatever name you want, and linking to whatever site you want. Abraham has many of his little pet female bloggers posting in his comments with names that "promote their blogs" and "clutter his comments section with spam". I guess I understand him not coming down on these types - he has probably never gotten any sort of admiration from a female in his life.

Finally comes the hilarious email where he threatened legal action by CCing his legal department:



wow. So, my response to that:



I can't go on any further with this garbage. It is clear that I have wasted far too much time and energy on this "battle" with a wacko beat blogger gone awry. I will readily admit that I am embarrassed I have let it get this far. I just hope before you fellow Yankee bloggers out there think of Peter Abraham as friendly to bloggers or "one of us", you will take a look at this story and realize that Peter Abraham is about one thing: himself.

Update: 3/25 7:53 AM. Thought I'd give Abraham a fair chance at a response (from the comments section below:

Quite professional, publishing private e-mails that were labeled as such.

Meanwhile, if you check the archives of my blog from January 2006 and the archives of The Journal News from that month, I wrote a "Spring Training Travel Guide." Shocking as this may be to you, you didn't invent the idea of travel tips.

And it's unethical and unprofessional to post "come read my blog!" in the comments section of somebody else's blog.

You have posted links to your blog or other such pleas for readers 89 times since Feb. 1.

I'm just asking you to leave my readers alone. People have e-mailed me complaining about your spam.

Thanks

Sure is a lot of research you did there. 89 times? You should look into this word:

ob·ses·sion (əb-sěsh'ən, ŏb-) Pronunciation Key
n.

1. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety.
2. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

Just say YES to Bob Lorenz

If you have been watching the tediously boring Yankee Spring Training games of late, you will have noticed that YES post game anchor Bob Lorenz has been in the booth. He was in the booth with Michael Kay doing color for the VT game and lately has been in the booth with Kenny "LOOK OUT" Singleton as Spring Training has been winding down.

I'm not sure if this is some sort of experiment, or if they just couldn't get anyone else, but Lorenz has a great voice for a color guy and really offers a contrast from the similarly generic sounding O'Neill/Cone/Flaherty/Leiter. His experience doing the post game shows on YES allows him to know ALL he needs to know about the current (and past) state of the Yankees.

Therefore, this Yankee blogger is taking a stand and calling out for YES to ditch some of the nostalgia and bring in a color guy that brings something different to the table - give Bob Lorenz a chance during the regular season and let Nancy Newman handle the studio.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

Finally some concrete information on new Yankee Stadium 2009 Pricing in the "cheap" seats

The AP is reporting on the new Yankee Stadium 2009 pricing with splashy headlines about how much more expensive things are going to be.

However, buried at the end of the article is this juicy bit of information that has me pretty excited as a season ticket holder in the Tier Reserved MVP section:

As for the regular seats, the Yankees hope to send out a relocation plan in April. Through Thursday, the Yankees had sold 39,141 full-season equivalents.

Trost said there will be about 11,000 non-premium seats at field level and 12,000 at the main level. He said 25,000 seats from the final year of the current ballpark won't be increased for 2009.

"Of the non-premium seats, 88 percent will be less than $100," he said. "It's easy to say that that's not cheap, but on the other 55 percent of the ballpark is going to be $45 or less. That's over 24,000 seats. We recognize everybody can't afford the suites. At the same time, we're trying to allow those suite prices to subsidize the other seating in the stadium. Look, the bleachers are $12, will be $12. The grandstand is $20 and $25, will be $20 and $25."

The "he" in the quotes is Lonnie Trost, COO of the Yankees.

This is clearly good news as it looks like next year will NOT see a price increase for the Tier Reserved, MVP seats.

However, I am in section 1 right now (DIRECTLY behind home plate) and have around 4 years of seniority. The HUGE question remains - where will my seats be located in the new stadium?

As soon as I receive that relocation guide in the mail, I will post the exciting information here.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

A Shameless Plug for our Yankees Message Boards

All 12 of you loyal NYY Stadium Insider readers may not know this yet, but we have a great little Yankees message board brewing over in that sidebar to the right. Kaybli and myself have spent the past few months handpicking some of the most interesting and thought-evoking Yankee message board posters from around the internet as charter members of our board. The results have been spectacular. We have already had many great analytical and informative posts without the garbage that you find on many Yankee message boards.

There is never a dull moment on the NYYSI Yankee message board when you have a batch of Yankee smilies like these to choose from:

So, with the season a week away, I urge all readers of this blog to check out the message board, create a username and talk Yankees with some of the most interesting Yankee fans on the planet!

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

Will one of these pitchers send a message to the punk Elliot Johnson

Yankees play the Rays tonight in some ultra-exciting Spring Training action. The over-excited Elliot Johnson is leading off for the Rays. You may remember him for this dirty play that has sidelined the Yankees best catching prospect for 3 months:




So, which one of these guys sends a message tonight?


Rasner? Mo? Bruney?


Ohlendorf? Veras?

My money is on none of the above. However, it is always fun to speculate!

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump