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Sports fans have been given a ton of great stuff in recent years.  HDTV gives you a fantastic picture.  The internet makes it easy to follow your team and read about them on great blogs (shameless plug) But there is nothing better than Tivo, or any type of DVR, because it allows you never miss a game, a play or a moment in a game.

I am giving thanks for my Tivo today because I have two events I want to watch tonight.  The first is obvious if you read this site.  But as much as I want to watch tonight's game, there is something I want to watch more, the Rangers-Capitals game.  Normally, baseball comes first, but playoff hockey trumps regular season baseball so I will be watching the Yankees-Red Sox game on delay.  Thank you Tivo!

Speaking of the Rangers, something occured to me the other night when I went to their game.  (Andy talked about great sports days the other day, Wednesday was one of those for me.  Came home from work, caught the bottom of the 14th and then headed to the hockey game)  The great thing about MSG is the way it is designed, the luxury boxes are at the top of the arena.  That means that from the ice to the roof, you only have seats and seats full of screaming, passionate fans.  I haven't been to the new Yankee Stadium, but I think they have put way too many expensive seats in the way of the real fans.  It seems like they have taken some of the homefield advantage away which is really a shame.  (And of course they are going to do the same thing at MSG)  

Anyway, enjoy the game, but don't tell me what's happening until tomorrow! 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:47 PM | Permalink

August 2nd, 1979, I can still recall the moment on that day when I heard that Thurman Munson had died in a plane crash.  I thought of that a lot this morning when I heard about Nick Adenhart of the Angels being killed in a car crash. It is always a tragedy when someone dies young and this is much worse because it sounds like it could have been prevented because the person who crashed into Adenhart was under the influence.   

It's sadly ironic that less than 24 hours after Joba Chamberlain talked about how badly he had screwed up driving under the influence this happens.  Hopefully, between this and Joba's experience more people learn that you just have to turn the keys over to someone if you have been drinking.  Sadly, it always seems that the innocent person gets hurt when someone drives drunk.  It was certainly that way for Nick Adenhart. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Andy and I braved the wind and the cold to go to Citi Field yesterday.  Actually, we didn't have to brave much because we scalped amazing seats with a wonderful indoor option.  So, we would watch some baseball in our seats and then retire to the indoor bar for an adult beverage before heading back out to the seats.  In between adult beverages and sitting in the seats, we walked around all of Citi Field, let me share some impressions.

First, the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is spectacular.  It is the full height of the stadium and makes a wonderful entrance.  They are two video screens with highlights of Robinson's career, pictures of him throughout his life and his quote "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives"  There is also a big, blue "42" right behind the main escalators that was very popular with the kids to climb on. 

The ballpark has some interesting dimensions.  The upper deck overhangs the field about 8 feet in right.  The height of the outfield fence varies all over the field.  One complaint about the layout.  From the seat I was sitting in, which goes for somewhere between $105-$250 per game, depending on opponent,(not that I paid even half that) you could not see the whole field.  The rightfield corner is out of view.  Shouldn't you get to see the whole field when you are paying over $100 per seat? The seats are very nice, comfortable and wide. It looked like all the seats had cup holders.   

There are tons of different food options and you can eat all sorts of different fare from hot dogs to crab cakes and lobster rolls.  One nice touch is the open concourses which allow you to keep an eye on the game while waiting in line.  There is a dunk tank, a couple of batting cages and a mini Citi Field for the kids to play on. I was struck by how many things there were to do that had nothing to do with watching a baseball game- and isn't that the point of the whole experience?

I really enjoyed Citi Field and I think Mets' fans- who had a dump of a stadium to go to, are going to absolutely love it.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's time to once again make some predictions that will probably be terribly wrong. (I had Pitt winning the National Championship this year)

Anyway, here is how I see teams finishing this season....

AL East

1- Yankees- There are a lot of things I worry about from Posada's health to Jeter's range, but the fact remains the Yankess had a wonderful offseason and are a deep and dangerous team.  I think they have improved the defense, offense and pitching staff.  They are better equipped to deal with the inevitable injuries they will suffer and Girardi seems looser this year.  I think it adds up to an AL East crown.  

2- Boston- Great team, great pitching, but I think just a fraction behind the Yankees.

3- Tampa- It's too bad that the three best teams in the AL are all in the same division.  I like a lot of things about Tampa, but this year they are not going to surprise anyone, they will be expected to win.  I think those expectations will be tough to live up to for a young team and they won't repeat as division champs or even make the playoffs.

4- Baltimore- The reason I pick them 4th instead of 5th?  See below

5- Toronto- I just have a feeling they are going to launch a fire sale and Roy Halliday will be pitching somewhere else and Alex Rios will be hitting somewhere else

AL Central

1- Minnesota- Joe Mauer's back worries me, but I think a full season with Liriano pushes them to the top of a bad division

2- Cleveland- Does anyone else expect Carl Pavano to pitch against the Yankees when they open the new Stadium and fire a two-hit shutout or is it just me?  Anyway, I think they just miss out beating the Twins for the crown.

3- White Sox- I think the final three spots are a toss up, but I think Chicago finishes third plus they have a big fan in the Oval Office.

4- Kansas City- I think Detroit is a mess and the Royals have some nice young players, plus Greinke could be great. 

5- Detroit- I don't like the pitching in either the rotation or bullpen and I think it is going to be a long summer for the Tigers.

AL West: 

1- Angels- Losing Teixeira hurts, but Abreu will help replace him.  Still the class of the division, but they had better watch behind them because...

2- Oakland- The A's are closing fast on them.  Giambi+Holliday+ young pitchers= a pretty good club.

3- Texas- Signs of life, but as the saying goes in Texas, the baseball season is over when the Cowboys open training camp.

4- Seattle- Bedard is an injury mess and Ichiro on the DL.  At least the fans can root for Griffey again.  

NL East

1- Phillies- I actually like the Mets a little bit better, but after the last two Septembers I am going with the defending champs. 

2- Mets- See above, but that bullpen has been reworked and looks great.  I have some doubts about the rotation, especially Oliver Perez.

3- Braves- Better than last year, but still not as good as the top two teams in the division.

4- Marlins- The best player in baseball is Hanley Ramirez and Nolasco has been amazing this spring, but I don't think they have enough pieces to make a run.  Then again, they could be the 2009 version of the Rays if everything clicks.

5- Washington- We can update that great baseball line to, "First in war, first in peace and last in the National League" 

NL Central

1- Cubs- The class of the division and possibly the league

2- Reds- I think there will be a revival on the banks of the Ohio this season.

3- Cardinals- Mediocre at a number of spots, but Pujols is amazing.

4- Brewers- Tough to lose all those players and still compete.

5- Pirates- Yes, they lost to a college team last week, but I think they are better than Houston.

6- Houston- This is another team I could see holding a fire sale in the middle of the season.  Berkman, Oswalt, Lee, they have some attractive pieces to trade.

NL West

1- Dodgers- Manny's back and that makes the difference.

2- Arizona- Love the rotation and I think they will make some noise before falling short.

3- Giants- They are on the upswing, but the offense needs to improve.

4- Colorado- I would have picked them for last, but there is no question in my mind that the Padres are terrible.

5- San Diego- The worst team in baseball.

Playoff predictions

Red Sox win the wild card and play the Angels who they beat for the 55th time in a row

Yankees play the Twins and beat them

Red Sox beat the Yankees in the 17th inning of Game 7 when A-Rod forgets to throw to first on a bunt play because he is posing for another photo shoot.

In the NL the Mets are the wild card team and they beat the Dodgers.

The Cubs take care of the Phillies

The Cubs beat the Mets, setting up a World Series between the most tortured fan base in baseball and the former holders of that title.  The Cubs win it all, putting an end to 101 years of losing.  Embracing the spirit of bipartisanship, the President embraces the team from the North Side for a change.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Later today Andy and I will take a bit of a field trip to Citi Field to take in a Mets-Red Sox game.  After watching the debut of both New York baseball palaces on TV last night, I am eager to see one in person.  Due to massively expensive tickets I have to wait until April 18th when I can use my own, much cheaper Saturday Plan seats, to see the new Yankee Stadium, so Citi Field will come first.

It's great to be headed to a baseball game again and only two days left until Opening Day! (And yes, I am aware that there is a "real" game tomorrow night, but I hate that MLB sold its soul to ESPN) 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)