NSI Game Day Weather - World Series 2009 - Game 1 and beyond

If you're a baseball fan in New York or Philadelphia, this is what its all about - the fall classic, the World Series. Unfortunately, being a fan in this part of the country also means dealing with volatile weather, especially in October and November.

During last year's World Series in Philadelphia a game had to be suspended and continued on another day due to inclement weather. Late last night, MLB announced that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' performance of "Empire State Of Mind" before game one of the 2009 World Series would be pushed back to the pre-game ceremonies before game two because of rain in New York City. It would appear that rain is once again going to wreak havoc on baseball in the Northeast, so we have enlisted the services of Steve DiMartino of NYNJPAWeather.com to provide forecast updates. Here is what he has to say about the weather for the first games of the 2009 World Series:

An area of low pressure will be exiting the New Jersey coastal waters this evening. The brunt of the heavy rain will be over, however a few showers may linger at the start of the game. Dry conditions can be expected as the evening continues. Winds will be from the northeast around 10 to 20 mph. Temperatures will range from 50 to 53 degrees.

Game Delay Potential: MINOR: Showers at the start of the game may lead to a brief delay, but with the brunt of the rain to the east, any delay will be short.

Game Postponement: NONE: Conditions will become drier as the evening progresses, which will allow the game to be played.

Rest of The Series:

I’m calling this World Series the Northern Mid Atlantic Rumble! Let the war begin. As a Mets fan, besides this forecast, I say what World Series? Just kidding. With the game’s locations within hours of each other I am going to forecast for both home and away.

Game 2: At Yankees Stadium, Thursday 7:57 PM: High pressure will produce scattered clouds and dry conditions. Winds will be light and variable. Temperatures will range from the lower to mid 50’s through the game.

Game 3: At Philadelphia, Saturday 7:57 PM: Periods of showers in the evening with drying conditions after 8 PM. Timing of the cold front will be key just like the passage of the low pressure system for Wednesday evening. Winds will veer from the south to the west. Temperatures will fall into the 50’s.

Game 4: At Philadelphia, Sunday 8:20 PM: Periods of rain, heavy at times, with winds veering from the south to west around 10 to 20 mph. Temperatures will range from the lower to mid 50’s.

Winds for Game 1

It appears that game one here in New York will narrowly escape being affected by rain (aside from the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performance being postponed). Unfortunately, the games played in Philadelphia may not be as lucky and will likely involve dodging the raindrops. If you hold tickets to games 3, 4, or 5 we'd recommend keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts.

Read the full post, after the jump

Expect A Sea Of Red (Phillies Fans) For The 2009 World Series Games At Yankee Stadium

UPDATE (10/27 1:30 PM): The following comes courtesy of our friends at fansnap.com:

Latest prices for World Series games:

GAMES 1-2
In New York the average ticket listing is $650 for Games 1 and 2. Fans can get-in for about $350.

GAMES 3-5
For Philadelphia, the average ticket is running about $1,500 with get-ins at about $500.

GAMES 6-7
If the series goes back to New York, the average ticket listing is nearly $1,000 and the get-in prices are $450.

You may remember our bellyaching back in May about the sea of red that accompanied the Phillies' trip to Yankee Stadium. At the time, we attributed the impressive showing to the Memorial Day holiday. Yankees fans were likely heading out of town and needed to offload their tickets. Fans from Philadelphia were waiting to scoop them up at prices that were more reasonable than at Citizen's Bank Park. Yankees fans had the supply, Philly fans had the demand and everyone walked away happy.

With the 2009 World Series fast approaching, the question remains - will fans of the Philadelphia Phillies once again take over Yankee Stadium? Ticket market information is starting to stream in from our friends at Fansnap.com and all signs point to another sea of red. As of today, the Phillies average ticket prices were $1,626. The get-in price is $650. Compare that to Game 1 in New York where the average ticket listing is $769 and the get-in is $410. "If these prices hold, look for lots of red in Yankee Stadium," says Christian Anderson of Fansnap.com.

This will likely cause outrage in Yankees Universe. Fans will be called fair-weather and ticket brokers will be admonished. The truth is, there are more seats in Yankee Stadium and tickets are way easier to buy and sell due to MLB's deal with Stubhub.com. There are big brokers in Philadelphia, but not nearly as many as in New York City. If you live in Philadelphia, the cost of gas to New York City and a ticket into Yankee Stadium for a World Series game will probably be cheaper than walking around the corner to Citzen's Bank Park.

To our fellow Yankees fans, all we can do is encourage you to sell your tickets on Craigslist.org to other Yankees fans - if you insist on selling your World Series tickets. If you sell on Stubhub, you are contributing to the Philly fan takeover.

More 2009 World Series ticket price information courtesy of fansnap.com after the jump.



World Series Game 1 Phillies @ Yankees
Tickets listed = 7,500+
Average price = $769
Get-in (lowest) price = $410 (Bleachers 201)
Field Dugout Best Value = $1,250
Field Infield Best Value = $ 1,100
Field Outfiled Best Value = $611
Grandstand Dugout Best Value = $445
Grandstand Outfield Best Value = $425
Legends Best Value = $2,832
Main Dugout Best Value = $950
Main Infield Best Value = $483
Main Outfield Best Value = $450
Main Suite Best Value = $2,200
Terrace Dugout Best Value = $600
Terrace Infield Best Value = $567
Terrace Outfield Best Value = $494
Terrace Suite Best Value = $665

World Series Game 2 Phillies @ Yankees
Tickets listed = 8,500+
Average price = $770
Get-in (lowest) price = $400


PHILADELPHIA

World Series Game 3 Yankees @ Phillies
Tickets listed = 3,500+
Average price = $1,645
Get-in (lowest) price = $650
Arcade Best Value = $939
Baseline Best Value = $1,000
Diamond Club Best Value = $3,125
Infield Best Value = $650
Outfield Best Value = $825
Pavilion Best Value = $990
Pavilion Deck Best Value = $770
Scoreboard Porch Best Value = $925
Terrace Best Value = $775
Terrace Deck Best Value = $715

World Series Game 4 Yankees @ Phillies
Tickets listed = 3,700+
Average price = $1,639
Get-in (lowest) price = $675

World Series Game 5 Yankees @ Phillies
Tickets listed = 5,500
Average price = $1,650
Get-in (lowest) price = $1650

Read the full post, after the jump

UPDATE-ALCS Game 6 - POSTPONED

Update (10/24 6:00 PM): Word from LoHud Yankees is that ALCS game 6 has been postponed. Tickets for game 6 will likely be honored for tomorrow night's makeup game.

UPDATE (10/24 9:00 AM): The latest update from Steve provides some good news. The threat of delay and postponement is still "high," but there is a gleam of hope based on the latest observations:

A slow moving cold front will being advancing on the Bronx at about the time when the game is expected to start. This cold front is expected to have an extensive line of showers and thunderstorms producing heavy rain at times. Periods of rain is expected through Mid Night before tapering off to showers through 1 AM and drying out thereafter. Winds will be from the south around 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts. Temperatures will slowly fall from the lower 60’s into the upper 50’s.

Breaks in the rain may develop due to strong mesoscale lifting, which MAY give the Yankees a shot at playing this game. This will have to be monitored this evening for that potential.

Game Delay Potential: HIGH: A wall of rain is currently expected to move into the Bronx at about the start of the game. The game may start on time depending on the speed of the rain shield, but a coverage and intensity of the rainfall will likely force a delay.

Game Postponement:HIGH: The rain is not expected to taper off at this time until after mid night over the Bronx, which will likely force a postponement of the game. There is potential that strong mesoscale forcing (strong thunderstorms for example) may cause precipitation to dry out over the Bronx and giving the Yankees a window to play the game. This situation will have to be monitored by the minute this evening.

Steve mentioned that if anyone wants a more detailed (and technical) "mesoscale" discussion, you can check his new post, detailing how tonight's rain event in NYC will unfold. As the updates come in, we'll update this post.

UPDATE (10/23 9:00 PM): Steve from NYNJPAWeather.com has checked in with the following:

I’m getting a better feel on how the rain will move through the Bronx for tomorrow night. A break in the steady rainfall can be expected in the afternoon, but don’t let this fool you. As the cold front approaches in the evening, waves of steady light to moderate rainfall will move into the Bronx by around 7 to 8 PM and continue on through the evening. The rain is currently expected to end over the Bronx by around 10 to 11 PM. This rain will be heavy and likely will impact the ability to play this game.

Sunday is still looking dry and very comfortable and I would suggest scheduling the game on Sunday rather than on Saturday night.

With the lack of urgency to play the game (better weather Sunday, World Series not starting until Wednesday), Steve is probably right in assessment here. However, we should all keep in mind that exactly one week ago we all woke up to the same kinds of forecasts, and the game was played without a problem.

Somehow we feel like we have been down this road before. Before games 1 and 2 of the ALCS, weather forecasters had dire predictions of washouts and scheduling nightmares. Somehow, the games were played, and everyone was left ridiculing the people who get paid to predict the atmospheric conditions. It sucks that we have to tell you this, but Saturday's forecast is just as bad as the forecasts for games 1 and 2 of the ALCS. Steve DiMartino of NYNYPAWeather.com has developed his NSI Game Day Weather Forecast a bit early this time, and it is a rainy one:

The Yankees have not been able to dodge the impacts of rain all year, so why would the sixth game of the ALCS be any different?

A strong cold front combined with a tropical disturbance will produce periods of heavy rain through Saturday night. Winds will be from the south and southwest around 15 to 25 mph, which will be blowing out to right field. Temperatures will hold in the mid 60’s through the evening before quickly falling off into the 50’s by around mid night.

Game Delay Potential: HIGH: A wall of rain is currently expected to move into the Bronx at about the start of the game. The game may start on time depending on the speed of the rain shield, but a coverage and intensity of the rainfall will likely force a delay.

Game Postponement: HIGH: The rain is not expected to taper off at this time until after mid night over the Bronx, which will likely force a postponement of the game. There is potential that the line of heavy rainfall may “bow” eastward and push the rainfall through the region faster than expected, however this will have to be determined on Saturday afternoon to be certain. The timing of the cold front will be the key to this forecast.

Regardless of the timing of the cold front on Saturday night, strong high pressure will build into the New York City metropolitan area for Sunday with clearing skies, dry conditions, and near normal temperatures in the lower 60’s. A perfect day for the sixth game of the ALCS.

We all know by now how quickly the weather conditions can fluctuate, so we will update this post whenever Steve has something to add. As of now, we are once again left watching the radar in the Bronx, instead of getting ready for the extremely exciting, high-pressure games that are set to ensue. Retractable roof, anyone?

Read the full post, after the jump

Quick Hit: No Yankee Stadium Viewing Party Planned For Game 5 Of The ALCS

After the rousing success of the game 3 viewing party, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Yankees would once again open the doors of Yankee Stadium for game 5. Unfortunately, fans hoping to celebrate a World Series berth in "the new house" with thousands of fellow fans will have to make alternate plans.

In an email regarding a potential viewing party, a Yankee spokesperson said "[there are] no plans for that." Reports from Monday evening's viewing party were all positive, but the Yankees don't seem to be in a hurry to hold another one. The decision to have the event on Monday likely had a lot to do with the late afternoon start time. Staffing a stadium from late afternoon into the evening is probably a lot easier than for a game that will probably end around midnight. This is also speculation, but people are also more likely to drink heavily for a Thursday night night clincher, leading to other logistical issues.

We're sure fans will be disappointed, especially with the beautiful weather that is being forecast for Thursday. For people who don't have many friends who are Yankees fans, we would recommend Stan's across from the stadium - there is sure to be a rowdy, pro-Yankee crowd. ESPN Zone in Times Square has also been home to many Yankee fans during the playoffs.

As for us, we'll be at home watching with our loved ones. Why don't you do the same? Read the full post, after the jump

Yankee Stadium Open To Watch Game 3 Of The ALCS, Live From Anaheim

Well, this is something new from the Yankees (courtesy of WCBS880.com):

The New York Yankees announced Sunday that they will open the Stadium Field Level and Great Hall to the public to watch the broadcast of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series from Anaheim on Monday, October 19. The decision to open the Stadium was made after consultation with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

Turnstiles between Gates 4 and 6 will open at 3:30 p.m. for the 4:13 p.m. Game. Fans can watch the Game in the Great Hall or in the opened sections of the Field Level.

What a great idea. Those expensive high definition video boards are amazing to look at and fans will certainly enjoy the opportunity to pay $9 for beer cheer for their team with fellow fans. No word on whether they'll do something similar for game 4, but this is probably a one-time deal due to the 4:13 PM start time.

Anyone planning on heading up to the Bronx for this? We'll be stuck at work, but it seems like a great opportunity for Yankees fans to watch the game together.

Read the full post, after the jump

UPDATED: NSI Gameday Weather 10/17/09 - ALCS Game 2 - Rain Will Likely Prevent The Game From Being Played

Post-Mortem Update (Sunday 10/18 - 2:00 PM): Many of you are probably wondering how a five-hour game was played without any problem when such dire forecasts such as Steve's were issued. Here is Steve's explanation:

You should thank your friends in Boston! Well, not the people, but the high pressure over New England had strengthen due to an under-forecasted jet streak around Quebec. The high got stronger, thus pushing drier (relatively) air into the Bronx, the Hudson Valley, Connecticut, and northern New Jersey. The result in the end kept much of the rain south of Yankee stadium and over central New Jersey, were the rain was persistent and heavy all night.

Whatever the reason, I think we're all pretty happy that the game was played.

Update (5:30 PM): Steve is still very pessimistic about the chances of playing baseball in the Bronx tonight:

So far no changes to the forecast. Rain will continue to spread through the Bronx and become heavy at times.

Taking a look at the radar below, Steve is right. It doesn't look good. A delay at the onset of this game is pointless. MLB needs to decide whether they should risk starting the game with the high possibility of not being able to finish, or just postpone it. The conditions are only going to worsen, so a delay will be the wrong call. As it turns out, both managers and MLB will meet about the weather at 7 PM, according to Sam Borden.

Update (2:45 PM): Earlier today, during his chat, Steve mentioned the following that could be a gleam of hope for tonight's game being played:

If I was MLB right now, I'd pray for a STRONG mesoscale banding over northern New Jersey so the sinking air will kill precipitation over the Bronx. Otherwise, this weekend is not going to be favorable for baseball.

He further elaborated with the following:

If that banding develops, and I'm not saying that it 100% will, but if it does, then there is a chance (say 15%) that the rain will be light enough to play through this evening. The heavier and more concentrated the rain develops over northeastern New Jersey, the better chance for this to happen in the Bronx.

As of now, the rain still isn't pushing into the NYC area. The coastal storm is still expected to get cranking and dump rain on the Bronx, but until it does so, baseball will be played as planned. From reading Steve's comments above, there is at least a chance. We wouldn't feel comfortable lowering the postponement or delay status from "high," but there is a better chance of playing this game than there was this morning.

Previous post follows:

As expected, the lull between the two early season Nor'Easters allowed the Yankees to take a 1-0 ALCS lead on Friday night. Unfortunately, the rain returns today and will most likely cause a weather postponement for ALCS Game 2. On hand as always is Steve DiMartino of NYNJPAWeather.com with the official forecast:

A strong coastal low is developing off the Delaware coast this afternoon and will move through the New Jersey coastal waters tonight. This coastal low is going to produce moderate to heavy rain over the Bronx tonight with a strong northeast wind around 15 to 30 mph with higher gusts. Temperatures will be in the lower 40’s.

Game Delay Potential: HIGH: I can already see how MLB will try to play this, expect a lengthy delay as the rain rolls into the Bronx.

Game Postponement:HIGH: The rain will only get heavier as the evening continues. The combination of heavy rain and strong winds will likely prevent this game from being played.

If you are traveling to the game, it would behoove you to keep abreast of the situation all day. We will try to update when necessary but this is probably one of the easiest postponements to predict of the entire season. If we were traveling from outside of the 5 boroughs, we probably wouldn't bother heading to the game.

Hopefully the rain will subside by the end of the weekend, and the word is that the potential makeup game would be in the late afternoon on Sunday . However, some weather models are indicating that the rain is going to stick around all day on Sunday as well, putting that makeup time at risk. An ALCS weather nightmare is upon us and we'll just have to hope it doesn't affect the Yankees chances to advance to the World Series.

In other news, we forgot to post Steve's wind map in yesterday's game day weather post. As it turns out, his wind prediction was spot on and actually affected the game. Vlad Guerrero and Robinson Cano both had home runs taken away from them by the strong winds that were blowing in. If by some miracle, tonight's game is played, the winds will be similar:

Read the full post, after the jump

UPDATE: Yankees ONCE AGAIN Revise Bag Policy - You Can Bring a Bag Into Yankee Stadium

A couple of weeks ago, we created something of an uproar when we mentioned that the Yankees had brought back their post-9/11 "no backpack policy"- just in time for the playoffs. It even resulted in our very own Nick appearing on the WNBC-TV 6 PM news!

We are happy to report that when entering the stadium for ALCS game 1, the bag policy signage was back. Fans are once again allowed to bring bags that are smaller than "16x16x8." The terrorists are back on the losing side of the ledger.

We'll be sure to keep everyone updated if when the Yankees change their mind again - probably just in time for the World Series. Read the full post, after the jump

NSI Gameday Weather - ALCS Game 1 Will be Cold and Damp, But Playable

Well, this story has been beaten to death all week. There is rain in the forecast for ALCS games 1 and 2 at Yankee Stadium and there is definitely a chance of delays, postponements and general disarray. The good news is that game 1 will almost definitely go off without a hitch. Game 2 is where the problems are. As always, Steve DiMartino of NYNJPAWeather.com is here to navigate us through the raindrops.

Although the first coastal storm will be well out into the Atlantic and the second coastal storm well to the south, the Bronx will still be under the influence of some rather raw conditions.

Expect overcast skies with drizzle and scattered showers. The precipitation will remain light and intermittent. Winds will be from the northeast around 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Temperatures will be between 42 and 44 degrees through the game. Not the best playing conditions for sure.

Game Delay Potential: Minor: Showers may lead to some delays, but the conditions should remain playable for the most part.

Game Postponement: None: Showers and drizzle will be light enough to play through with no postponement expected.

Game 2: 7:57 PM vs Angels: Game 1 conditions may be playable, but Saturday night will be anything but. Rain will be heavy at times with a strong northeasterly wind around 20 to 35 mph with higher gusts. Temperatures will be in the mid 40’s. The rain is going to be a serious problem here with the start of the rain beginning well before the game is expected to start and continuing on through Sunday morning.

This is a classic good news/bad news situation. A rainout on Saturday will still reek havoc on the Yankees rotational plans. You can be sure that we'll provide updates whenever information becomes available.

If you're heading out to the game tonight, bundle up - it will be football weather out there!

Previous weather posts from this week have been consolidated and will appear after the jump.

Update (10/15/09 - 10:00 AM): Instead of starting ANOTHER weather post, here is the latest from Steve DiMartino of NYNJPAWeather.com. The big news is that he really believes they are going to get the game on Friday in. As for Saturday, that's a different story:

I think the Yankees will get into a break in the steady rainfall after 8 PM. Conditions won't be pleasant, but they will be playable. A few showers could cause some delays, but I think they'll get the game in. Temperatures will be around 40 with a stiff northeasterly wind. Not pretty at all.

Saturday night on the other hand is just going to be ugly. Steady rain, strong winds, and very cool temperatures. The heaviest rain will be stuck over central New Jersey, but clearly conditions will not warrant favorable playing conditions. I wouldn't be surprise if MLB tries to wait things out, but Saturday night is not looking good.

Better conditions can be expected by Sunday afternoon however, and if a postponement does happen, I would expect the game to be played Sunday afternoon or evening.

By now, all of the mainstream media outlets are reporting the impending rainstorm that is bearing down on on the Tri-State area. As always, we plan on providing wall to wall weather coverage on the day of the games so that everyone knows what to expect.

Unlike other rainy days in New York City this summer (there were plenty), any rainouts this weekend will seriously affect the strategy and outlook for the entire American League Championship Series. For that reason, we checked in with Steve DiMartino of NYNJPAWeather.com who provides us with an early look at the chances of there being baseball in the Bronx.

Through this period, I would say that Friday night would be the "best" time period to play, as the rain will be the lightest and more scattered than any other time period of potential game times. In short, there is a very good chance both of these games will be rained out and will have to be played at some point at the start of the week. Even much of the day on Monday looks to be rather wet.

Steve is about to kick off a live chat (8:30 PM on Wednesday night) to discuss the storm, so be sure to head over to NYNJPAWeather.com and ask your questions.

If you are interested in some of the MSM weather coverage, Joel Sherman of the NY Post has laid out some makeup options in case they can't play one of the games. Meanwhile, Sam Borden is also all over the weather situation and tells us where to get the latest information.

We're unsure what MLB will do if the entire weekend is a washout. We do know that 2009 will forever go down as the year that made a retractable roof look like a viable financial option for baseball stadiums in New York City. Read the full post, after the jump

Looking To Buy ALCS Tickets? It Will Cost You...

Christian from the invaluable Fansnap.com just checked in with some information regarding secondary market ticket prices for ALCS games 1 and 2 at Yankee Stadium:

Date accurate as of 10/13/09 at 9:00 PM

(Game #1) AL Championship Series: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at New York Yankees - Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)
Fri, Oct 16 at 7:57 PM
Tickets listed = 13,000+
Get-in price (lowest price) ticket = $164
Average ticket price = $379
Average Legends Section ticket = $2,860 (Best Value = $1,099)
Average Grandstand Outfield Section tickets = $224 (Best Value = $164)

(Game #2) AL Championship Series: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at New York Yankees - Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)
Sat, Oct 17 at 7:57PM
Tickets listed = 15,000+
Get-in price (lowest price) ticket = $57
Average ticket price = $388
Average Legends Section ticket = $2,750 (Best Value = $1265) There are single tickets starting at $989
Average Grandstand Outfield Section tickets = $248 (Best Value = $182)

Nearly one third of the tickets that were originally sold by the Yankees are back on the market. This has been the case for most games since Stubhub and MLB made it extremely easy to list and sell e-tickets. One would think this would drive ticket prices down, but the Yankees are an extremely exciting home team and the buzz in New York about the team is growing by the day. We wouldn't be surprised to see prices continue to rise in the next couple of days before games one and two.

One caveat is the weather. Steve DiMartino of NYNJPAWeather.com is hinting at some very stormy conditions for the end of the week into the weekend which could threaten ALCS games one and two. If you are on the fence about spending the big bucks on tickets for the first couple of ALCS games, an option would be to wait it out and see if people bail on their tickets because of a bad weather forecast. You'll be surprised at how many "fair weather fans" there are - even for playoff games.

Another item to note from the above chart is the average ticket price at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. With the cost of Legends Seats at Yankee Stadium, it seems hard to believe that any stadium would have a higher average ticket price. Yankees fans should keep this in mind in case the Yankees and the Phillies square off in the World Series. Philadelphia might only be a couple of hours away on I-95, but tickets are notoriously hard to come by for playoff games.

Read the full post, after the jump

Our A-Rod Prophecy Fulfilled

Yesterday started with our post about a resurgent, defiant, postseason A-Rod and continued with a prophetic, on-camera statement about his role in last night's game, seen in the FanvsFan.com clip below:



OK, so it wasn't our Mike Blowers moment, but we did say that A-Rod would "put the smackdown on the Twins again."

As we all know, the evening ended after A-Rod's 9th inning heroics and Teixeira's walk-off HR, sending the Yankees faithful home in a state of pure jubilation. We knew that would happen.

FanvsFan.com is an interesting concept for a website and is going around to sports venues around the country, talking to fans, getting them pumped up about the website. On-camera work isn't exactly our forte, but if it is for you, check out FanvsFan.com. Read the full post, after the jump

A-Rod's New At Bat Music - Postseason Swagger Directed At The Haters

Anyone who follows Major League Baseball is aware of Alex Rodriguez' perceived struggles under the bright lights of the postseason. On Wednesday night, he broke out of his postseason slump with two big hits and two RBIs. While the mainstream media has spent the entire season noting Alex's new attitude, nobody noted the defiant music that accompanied his first four at bats of the 2009 postseason.

Oh they want me to fall (fall),
Fall from the top (top),
They want me to drop (drop)
They want me to stop (stop)
They want me to go (go),
I’m already gone (already)
The shit that I’m on
I’m already home
(Hey, I’m already home yeah)

The song called "Already Home" is off of Jay Z's Blueprint 3 and features Kid Cudi (at times, over one third of the Yankees lineup walks to the plate to Jay-Z songs). The message of that chorus seems to be directed at the haters - people like the guy in the below picture who can't possibly be a Yankees fan (from a game earlier this season at the stadium):



Or the guy sitting in Section 428, Row 11, seat 10 on Wednesday night, who spent A-Rod's entire first at bat hatefully "rooting" for A-Rod, saying things like "here comes the strikeout." He was wearing a Yankees jersey, but we're unsure how he could take his fandom seriously while attending a postseason game and wishing for A-Rod to fail. This wasn't someone trying the "reverse jinx" method that some fans use to help prevent disappointment. This was someone who clearly hates Alex Rodriguez and really wants to see him fail so the cycle of hatred can continue.

A lot of Yankees fans like the ones above want Rodriguez to fall from the top - they want him to go. The fact is, he is signed until he is 42, and in his eyes, he is already home.

Read the full post, after the jump

FINAL UPDATE: NSI Game Day Weather - ALDS Game 2 - Rain Holds Off Until After The Game

UPDATE (10/9 - 3:30 PM): Here is the final update from Steve:

An area of clearing skies is working northward from central New Jersey this afternoon and will clip into the Bronx early this evening. The shower threat that moved through the Bronx the past few hours is collapsing under the influence of a strong ridge at 500 MB.

For this evening, expect dry conditions with scattered to broken cloud cover. The shower threat will be focused north and west of the Bronx through this evening with no significant impact on game conditions. In fact, with a southwesterly wind around 5 to 15 mph and temperatures in the mid to upper 60’s, conditions will be very comfortable to watch and play this game!

If you are keeping an eye on the radar this evening, don’t be alarmed by the wall of rain that will approach the New York City metropolitan area as the game progresses. Unless this game becomes a lengthy extra innings affair, the rain will hold off well after the game has ended.

Looks like we won't need to layer up tonight! Great news. Enjoy the game everyone.

UPDATE (10/9 - 9:30 AM): Here is what Steve from NYNJPAWeather.com has to say this morning:

Overcast yet generally dry conditions are expected for the second ALDS game at the Bronx. The steady, heavy rainfall will remain to the west of the Bronx until after 11 PM, giving the Yankees a long window of dry conditions to get this game in. I can’t rule out an isolated shower passing by, but these showers will be weak and fast moving. Otherwise, winds will be from the south and southwest around 5 to 15 mph, increasing to 10 to 20 mph as the evening progresses. This wind blows out to right field. Temperatures will range from the mid to upper 60’s.

Game Delay Potential: Minor: Showers may lead to a delay of the start of the game, however dry conditions will be expected for much of the evening.

Game Postponement: None: The heaviest rain will remain well to the west of the Bronx through late this evening, giving the Yankees a long window to get this game in. Lets hope for no drawn out extra innings!

Original post from last night follows:

After extremely windy, but manageable weather conditions on Wednesday, ALDS Game 2 is set to bring with it a greater chance of a weather delay. NYNJPAWeather.com meteorologist Steve DiMartino has checked in with a weather update for tomorrow. Here is what he has to say:

A warm front will move through the Bronx at about the start time of the game with scattered showers lingering around 6 to 7 PM. A dry break is expected through the rest of the evening as the precipitation remains to the west with the slow moving cold front. Winds will be around 5 to 15 mph from the southwest. Temperatures will the mid to upper 60’s through the game.

Game Delay Potential: Minor: Showers may lead to a delay of the start of the game, however dry conditions will follow as the evening progresses.

Game Postponement: None: The threat of the showers will end by 7 PM followed by dry conditions through the rest of the evening.

We assume that most people reading this post are like us, and extremely excited about watching baseball on Friday night. Savvy fans realize that if the game gets pushed back even a day, AJ Burnett will then be in line to have to pitch on short rest in the unlikely event that a 5th game is necessary. Fortunately, it appears that the game is not in jeopardy of being canceled. At worst we'll be inconvenienced by a bit of rain at the beginning, while the late-arriving workday crowd is slowly filtering in.

Of course, if anything changes during the day on Friday, we'll check back in as we always do. Read the full post, after the jump

As we watch a special season reach October...

This is what we wait for. Better yet, this is what we LIVE for. After 162, sometimes great, sometimes terrible, and often boring games, we've made it. It's time for October baseball, it's time for the 2009 MLB Playoffs. Luckily for Yankees fans, this wasn't just a boring regular season.

We watched our team transform. We watched as AJ Burnett and Nick Swisher behaved in a way many of us had never seen a player in pinstripes before. As just a 22 year old, I know I certainly haven't seen it.

We watched our perennial punching bag (And also Yankees perennial offensive leader), hit "rock bottom", as those with an addiction would describe it. Alex Rodriguez would admit to steroid use after he was outed back in February, and not long after would discover he needed hip surgery. Alex's addiction, though, was attention, and after hitting "rock bottom", it wasn't about him anymore. It was about the team, his teammates, and their quest for October glory.

We watched as power pitching and pinstripes once again became synonymous. As phenom Phil Hughes evolved into a dominant 8th inning man. As Derek Jeter made some small, yet mysterious changes, to become a better shortstop at this late stage of his career.

We watched our young center fielders pick up each-others slack. Brett Gardner touching them all for an inside the park homerun, Melky touching them all in the form of a baseball rarity, hitting for the cycle.

We watched as, for a change, two stars came to New York and shined bright right away. Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia have been worth every penny, becoming fan favorites immediately

Now we wait to see, will we watch them win it all? Will this be the year that the Yankees win the final prize? After a special regular-season like this one, we owe it to the Yankees to be loud tonight, as we watch the NEW Yankee Stadium transform into something much like the old building across the street: a venue where October glory becomes the norm. Read the full post, after the jump

What Did We Do Last October?

The Yankees have only been away from the postseason for one year, but the excitement in New York for tonight’s ALDS Game 1 seems different than in recent years. For as long as vivid memories allow, the month of October has been tantamount to Yankees baseball in my mind. Over time, unfair expectations have scoured away some of the fun and repeated early exits from the postseason have resulted in bitterness from Yankees fans. With the historic (and at times, frustrating) Joe Torre postseason era finally in the rear-view mirror and a fun-loving 103 win team firmly employed, anticipation for the 2009 postseason has a refreshingly positive vibe.

Every year, I start a countdown from 11, representing the number of games it will take for the Yankees to take home another championship. Sadly, that number has only dwindled into single digits once since 2004, when the faltered in game 5 of the 2005 ALDS. During the 2009 season, everything has felt so new. There is a new stadium, a new core group of players, new post-game traditions (walk-off pies!), a relatively new manager and for the first time since the early ‘00’s, I really believe that my postseason countdown is going to last for more than a week.

In the 3,267 days since the Yankees hoisted championship trophy No. 26, I have had the opportunity to grow up and reflect on what being a fan of a sports team means to me. I really do expect the Yankees to win another championship this year, but I finally realize that regardless of high payroll, high expectations, history of excellence, I will have enjoyed this team thoroughly – win or lose.

The Yankees go into their first round matchup as major favorites and I truly believe they will live up to the expectations and beat the Twins in 3 games. In the second round, I have a feeling that the Yankees will have their tradition ALCS showdown with the Red Sox and it will go the distance. I like the Yankees in 7 games. In the World Series, the Yankees should take down the Cardinals in 5 and the championship drought will be over. I will finally be able to take my fiancé to the tickertape parade that I promised I would take her to after we arrived too late for the celebration way back in the year 2000.

I have a feeling that many Yankees fans have similar predictions. While opposing fans will view it as "typical New York arrogance," it is simply faith in a team that has given us a season full of amazing memories. The journey to championship No. 27 begins tonight and the buzz is palpable. It just leaves me wondering – what did we do last October?

Nick will drop in later with his reflections on this season and his thoughts on the 2009 postseason. Read the full post, after the jump

NSI Game Day Weather - ALDS Game 1 - Rain Clears, Winds Remain

The playoffs are finally here! As expected, there is rain in the forecast (seems to be the theme of 2009), but it should clear the area by game time. According to our good friend Steve from NYNJPAWeather.com, the main weather impact in this game will be strong winds. Here is what he has to say:

Wind this evening

The rain will exit the Bronx by early this afternoon ensuring dry conditions for the game. The biggest impact will be the strong northwesterly winds around 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph. The direction of the wind will be blowing out towards right field and will have a significant impact on fly balls and pop ups. For example, a pop up towards third base will be pushed towards short stop the longer the ball is in the air. Temperatures at the start of the game will be in the lower 60’s and fall quickly through the mid 50’s for the duration of the game. Temperatures will feel like the upper 40’s to lower 50’s when the wind is taken into account.

Game Delay Potential: None: I don’t expect any reason for a delay as the precipitation will be east of the Bronx by the afternoon. The main threat will be the wind, which will not delay the game.

Game Postponement: None: No postponement of the game is expected.

Game 2: Friday at 6 PM: Showers will be a threat as a warm front pushes north over the Bronx. The showers may be heavy at times as the warm front moves through in the evening, however drier conditions are expected after 8 PM as the warm front lifts north. Winds will veer to the southwest around 10 to 20 mph. Temperatures will range from the lower to mid 60’s through the game.

As Michael Kay has told us 8.2 million times, A-Rod "has trouble with pop-ups," so let's hope that the wind doesn't become a factor in that sense! From a fan's perspective, the cold wind will be the worst in the upper rows of the grandstand (rows 14 and up), as well as in the back rows of the terrace section. Also, expect a strong and uncomfortable wind if you are in standing room or cafe seating areas on the field level. Bring warm clothing. We did notice recently that the main level (200's) is much warmer than the rest of the stadium on cold nights, since it doesn't have the open feel of the Grandstand and field levels.

Read the full post, after the jump

New Stadium Insider on WNBC in New York

Today, the fine folks at WNBC called and asked if we wanted to be featured on a 6 PM news story regarding the change to the backpack policy for the playoffs. Of course, we obliged, and Nick made his television debut. Don't be too tough on him, he is a TV newbie.

The snippet below is only the part of the feature that Nick was interviewed for. Be sure to check http://www.nbcnewyork.com/ for more news about this issue.

Read the full post, after the jump

What Are These Cafe Seats At The New Yankee Stadium?

Last week, we reported that the Yankees had installed what they dubbed "cafe seating" at multiple locations on the field level of the new Yankee Stadium. At the time, we commiserated the decision, since it means the end of freeloading amazing views from the field concourse, just in time for the playoffs. On the positive side, it means that more Yankees fans will be able to pack into the "new house" for a World Series run and make the intimidating noise that we have become known for.

Unfortunately, these seats remain shrouded in mystery. They were installed on the last weekend of the season, so people who visited the stadium earlier in the season have no idea what to expect. Yesterday, tickets went on sale to the general public and there was no way to check a view from "cafe seats" on Yankees.com. The pricing is reasonable (starting at $81 for the ALDS), but what the heck is the "bar stool seating" that ticketmaster.com describes? We are here to answer your questions. Below is a photo of the Yankee Stadium "cafe seating" that we snapped last weekend:

For whatever reason, there is no consistency in the cafe tables. Some of the sections on the field level feature tall tables and bar stools (as seen in the photo above), while others feature lower tables and regular chairs. If you purchase tickets in a section with the lower, regular chairs (we know that section 120B Row 28s and section 120A Row 28s are two examples), you will be forced to stand up to see the action because the wheelchair patrons in the ADA section directly in front of you will block the view. If you are in other "cafe seating" sections, you might get lucky and have the higher bar stool seating that allows you to see the field unimpeded while sitting down.

Regardless of the height of your chair, having access to these locations will be well worth the money for a playoff game. As we mentioned before, we have stood in these spots for many games during the season, and they really give you a great perspective of the play on the field.

Read the full post, after the jump

Yankees Adjust To The Economy, Rethink Legends Suites

Way back in May, we had an idea on how to fix the problem of empty Legends Suites: "a great start would be eliminating the "luxury box" feel of the Legends seats. Ditch the amenities, and make them regular seats. If you want all you can eat food, get a luxury box." Last week, (as first reported on the NYY Fans Forums), the Yankees announced revisions to their 2010 "luxury" seating options, headlined by changes to a portion of the Legends Suites.

Apparently the Yankees took our advice. They have stripped the all you can eat luxury aspect from a portion of the seats, along with making them more reasonably priced. Many different outlets have picked up the AP report, citing the pricing changes, so feel free to click through to those fine sources for the details. The essentials are that The "Legends Suite" no longer includes sections 11-13 and 27B-29. Those seats will now be called the "Champions Suite." The major difference is that they no longer include access to the all-you-can-eat Legends Suite Club. They will still have access to free "stadium food" at the seats and at select concession stands.

Between this change, and last month's announcement of similar or reduced prices for tickets in much of the stadium, it seems the Yankees are taking their focus groups seriously. That, or the economy is still largely stagnant and while the financial markets have stabilized, so has the percentage of those unfortunate people who are unemployed - meaning there are just as many without jobs. The changes we are talking about today are changes that the Yankees would have made before the season if they had time to rethink the pricing after the financial collapse of 2008. This isn't any kind of good will, this is adjusting to market conditions and ensuring that the seats are filled to capacity.

Read the full post, after the jump

The 9/11 Bag Rules Are Back For The Playoffs

It wasn't too long ago that we lauded the Yankees for finally relaxing their ridiculous post-9/11 bag rules that banned anything other than a purse or diaper bag from entering the grounds of Yankee Stadium. As Marc Carig reports, the Yankees are once again changing their tune, just in time for the playoffs.

This is definitely frustrating for fans, especially those heading straight to the game from work (the games start at 6:07 PM). However, the Yankees are likely responding to warnings from the FBI a couple of weeks ago regarding vague terror threats to stadiums. It is better to be safe then sorry, and the local bowling alleys that offer bag check will probably be happy, but isn't this some form of the terrorists winning?

Read the full post, after the jump

Check Your Email If You Purchased Tickets To Games One & Two Of The 2009 ALDS At Yankee Stadium

There has been a last minute change that will affect anyone who participated in the Yankees postseason ticket pre-sales and purchased tickets to games one and two of the ALDS.

According to reports from affected fans, ALL tickets purchased during the season ticket holder preliminary pre-sale, the season ticket holder pre-sale and the general public pre-sale will receive e-tickets - regardless of the method of delivery you chose at check out. Ticketmaster customer service representatives have been told that all ALDS tickets will be emailed to the address associated with your Ticketmaster account on Monday without incurring E-ticket fees. Details are still hazy at this point and nothing has been announced regarding ALCS tickets, so be sure to check with Ticketmaster if you have purchased tickets from ticketmaster.com for 2009 Yankees playoff games.

Full season and 41 game plan holders are unaffected by this change, since they have already received their full postseason strips in the mail.

Read the full post, after the jump

The Yankees Announce Postseason Ticket Sale To The General Public That Some Thought Would Never Happen

It was around the middle of the week when the emails started rolling in. On Wednesday around 11 AM we received the following from one such emailer: "I'm writing [to] you today to express my utter frustration and disbelief that the Yankee front office has finally accomplished what its set out to do for years...ban the general public from attending postseason games at face value prices!!" The subject of the email? "Somewhere Trost and Levine are Hi-5ing." On Friday, the Yankees finally announced the general public sale date for Yankees postseason tickets (Monday, October 5 at 10 AM on Yankees.com), but not before an MLB.com error inadvertently put Lonn Trost and Randy Levine in the crosshairs of criticism. Criticism that was actually unfounded for a change.

MLB.com is in charge of updating and maintaining Yankees.com, which is the only place that diehard Yankees fans could go to access information about the general public on sale date. The information page, (which now only refers to World Series ticket opportunities) is the location where fans learned about the convoluted preliminary and pre-sale ticket opportunities for partial plan ticket holders and the general public that we mentioned last week. Interestingly, in order to register for the pre-sale "lottery" opportunity, fans were baited into entering their credit card numbers "to prevent fraud." This also happened to coincide with an opt-out offer to sign up for free issues of an automatically renewing subscription to Sports Illustrated Magazine. MLB.com set up a system that they deemed fair for disseminating tickets to as many Yankees fans as possible. Unfortunately, a breakdown in communication led to the general public feeling left out in the cold.

"MLB.com should not have ever released today as a date as it's always been TBD" said one ticket office source who prefers to remain anonymous. This source was referring to the message on Yankees.com that listed Wednesday, September 30 at 10 AM as the date that any remaining ALDS and ALCS tickets would be released on Ticketmaster.com. On that morning, Yankees fans who were unable to score tickets during any of the previous 3 "pre-sales," logged onto ticketmaster.com right at 10 AM and were greeted by the following message:

Confusingly, the ticketmaster page listed the public on sale date as September 29 at 10 AM - one day prior. The only thing casual fans could assume was that there were no more tickets available and they would be left out in the cold. One especially emotional fan emailed, ".I suspect that there is some shady business going on, a la the shady business you speculated upon re: yankees/stub-hub relationship earlier in the year." He elaborated, "dump whatever slim alotment of tix that remain after season ticket-holders took their share onto stubhub and sell them at a significant mark-up (rather then provide them to the general public at face value?) I don't think its beyond them at all..."

Courtesy of NYYFans.com, this mock screen grab of Yankees.com started making the rounds, openly questioning the motives of the Yankees front office:

While we have outwardly speculated that there would be fewer postseason tickets available to the general public than ever before, we have never truly believed that Lonn Trost and Randy Levine were evil villains hellbent on screwing the casual Yankee fans. Those two bozos are often out of touch with the common man, but in this case we felt it necessary to reassure the overreactive emailers that word of a public on sale would come soon enough.

As we predicted, word of the public on sale came out around midday on Friday and included the bonus news that standing room only tickets would deepen the pool of tickets available. The Yankees ticket office had been working behind the scenes to scour available inventory and put together a fair general public on sale. For once, the Yankees front office and ticket office were going through the proper procedures to ensure that all fans came away feeling like they were treated equally. The Yankees.com fiasco was inexcusable and confusing, but we'll have to see on Monday if the end result is a happy group of Yankees fans.

Read the full post, after the jump

The "Buying Championships" Argument That Never Dies - The Matt Holliday Edition

On a Yankees off day during a week of meaningless games, what better topic to tackle than next year's free agents? Sadly, in a chain of otherwise innocent emails with occasional NSI Blogger Bobby, today's intended topic of conversation devolved into the tired old salary cap/payroll debate. You know it is serious when I ditch the "royal we" and get personal.

At some point recently, I decided that the Yankees need to at least make a run at signing Matt Holliday during the offseason. Sharing my opinion solicited the following responde (emphasis mine):

I LOVE this year's team because Swish is doing so well, Jeter (my favorite guy) is having a great year, and Tex is just such a good hitter. Plus like we were saying yesterday, A-Rod has seemingly learned more about hitting this year. With that said, at what point do you say enough is enough with the money? Assuming we win it all this year, maybe the next new challenge should be winning without outspending the next closest team by like $50 mi?

Bobby is usually a pretty smart guy, so I can only assume that there are other Yankees fans out there who share this opinion. I hope this doesn't at all get political, but I get really annoyed by this communist shit. This is a society built on capitalism. The Yankees are one of the biggest brands in the world, and they subsidize the rest of baseball to the tune of $100 million per year in revenue sharing. There is no salary cap in Major League Baseball, and until there is, I won’t even entertain the idea of a "challenge to not outspend the other teams by $50 million."

Put it this way - If the Yankees don’t flex their financial muscles (within the system), someone else will. Prime example(that Buster Olney pointed out earlier this week) – Magglio Ordonez had a HUGE hit the other day for the Tigers – a hit that might punch their ticket to the postseason. If he was on most other teams in baseball, he wouldn’t have had the chance to even be playing in the game. For most other teams, he would have been riding the bench, or possibly even sent home. Why? Because Ordonez has an option of $18 million for next year that vests if he reached a certain number of ABs in 2009. Sometime this month, the Tigers' owner decided that even though it was a HORRIBLY overpriced contract for 2009, he had the money to spend and decided to just let him accumulate the ABs and pay the piper next year.

My point is, the Yankees are doing everyone a disservice if they don't put the revenue they earn from being one of the biggest brands on the planet back into the team. For the Yankees to all of a sudden “challenge themselves’ because they won one World Series in 8 years is an asinine thought.

Matt Holliday is a plus defender, one of the best hitters in the game and 2009 will be his age 30 season. I haven't crunched the payroll numbers, I don't know Brian Cashman's 2010 budget, I haven't considered the draft picks that the Yankees would have to give up to land Holliday. All I know is that Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui are in their late 30’s and without contracts for 2010. The Yankees are failing as an organization if they don’t at least kick the tires on what it will take to suit Holliday up in pinstripes.

I can see the frustration from smaller market fans when the Yankees go out and sign the top free agents every year. I really can. However, I’ll never fall into the trap of feeling guilty about the Yankees advantages. They have earned them. Read the full post, after the jump