The baseball season (and postseason) ended over a week ago with a confetti-filled parade for the "North American" champion New York Yankees and their fans, who waited 'nine long years' for their 27th title. You need more than two hands to count how long the Cubs have been waiting. The only other team to win two within the first decade of the 21st century is the Boston Red Sox ('04 & '07). The Phillies have a great shot at another World Series title, with midseason acquisition Cliff Lee due to be in pitching rotation for 2010. The season's awards are all but handed out, so the hot stove is burning with trade rumors and fantasy free agency signings to keep us warm all winter.

Spring training resumes in about 100 days and I hope to be employed within the next 25 days. Time really waits for no man. Blink and it'll be Opening Day. I was so happy when Mets Hot Stove premiered last Thursday. The SNY theme for Mets programming always puts me in a good mood, especially during the offseason. Many of the talks surrounding next year's Mets involve the players who will be flanking Carlos Beltran in the outfield. I have to take a peek back at the outfield patrolers in 2009.

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Tags: new york mets
Current Mood: lethargic

More than a week has passed since the final out of the World Series and my last day at Yankee Stadium. My memory of the seven-month affair is falling away from me like dreams dissolve when I open my eyes and try to piece the details back together. It was saddening to visit on Thursday only to realize that I was probably never going to walk along the field level concourse again. I made sure to knock on Yogi Berra's #8 as I made my way through the tunnel under the bleachers. Why would I mess with success? The one day I didn't remember to touch it, I remember odd things happening. The events themselves are begging to be remembered now, but that's part of the forgetting process that I've been going through this week. However, I really don't want to forget.

Yesterday, I was able to recall a moment from very early in the season. It was a day game in April/May, and miraculously not raining. The memory was of an encounter with an older gentleman who was visiting the new place for the first time. My partner and I made small talk about the products we were selling and the man decided to purchase a new lanyard for his keys. The one he chose was the popular, all-sold-out-now, navy blue with the NY and Inaugural Season logos. I transferred his keys from his old lanyard to the new, while he told us why it meant so much to him to be there. He had made a lifelong friend in a fellow fan at the old stadium, one with whom he attended games with regularity for years. That day was his first game without her, as she passed away earlier this year. The gentleman got really quiet and looked as though he was going to cry. I really wanted to hug him then but wasn't sure that would be cool. He believed that she was there with him and wanted to enjoy the day in her memory. When we wished him well and he walked away to locate his seats, I hoped that the Yankees would win, if only for the man to have a pleasant memory of the day. Did the team win? No clue, they probably did though since the weather was nice.

That gentleman was not the only person who breezed through the Great Hall with a story to share. The older fans are wonderful to talk with because they've seen it all and want to make sure no one forgets the days when Mickey Mantle was the man to wait for at the players' entrance. I was happy to have a few of this season's regulars come by to shake my hand after their last games. As much as I think I am forgetting, maybe the stuff that really mattered will stick.

During my visit this week, I noticed that the manual scoreboards had not been changed as yet. The batteries were dead in my camera so I couldn't capture the World Series clinching score of 7-3 over the Philadelphia Phillies in game 6. That probably won't get changed until right before Opening Day. It would be brilliant if they left it up for the Workout Day in April 2010!

My subject was really only a sign I noticed throughout the playoffs and at the parade. It's like A-Rod is not allowed to let Kate get away. It's a good match, if only because Kate's father Kurt Russell once said in a GQ interview that his dream job would be the position of baseball commissioner. I can already see the "Who's the boss?" tabloid covers with a picture of Alex, Kate, and Kurt. The whole dating the boss' daughter thing would be hilarious. When Selig is ready to retire, the MLBPA needs to get on hiring Mr. Russell.

The winter is coming and I'm trying not to wallow in game reruns on tv and youtube (those are more for the Mets though).

Tags: yankee stadium inaugural season

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I'm still recovering from the madness that came down on the Stadium following the final out of the World Series. The details are a jumbled mess in my head right now, but I'm going to try to get them all out. I felt coming into the day that the Yankees would be able to shut the door on the Phillies, knowing that giving the Phillies any shot at a game 7 meant a situation in which the Phillies would have taken the series. During the early innings of the game, I could already hear what John Sterling's call was going to be after the last out. It felt like game 6 was going to be it, and there was no tomorrow to think about. It made me a little sad because it meant I wouldn't really need to be at the stadium anymore. Of course then I remembered that the real work would begin just after Cano tossed the Victorino grounder to Teixeira. I've had to rely on recaps of the game to see the postgame ceremonies and watching the parade today on TV still couldn't make any of it really real. I went in to work yesterday after getting home from the game at close to two in the morning. While I was getting ready to leave again a few hours later, I got overwhelmed when the news showed Hideki Matsui receiving the MVP award. Why did that make me cry?!

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Tags: yankee stadium inaugural season

My body might still be adjusting to the time change, or maybe I'm starting to feel the season change. Whatever the cause for my tiredness, the sure thing is that the end is near. Of the postseason, that is. If the Yankees can pull off a win tonight, the series will be over and the only other time I would need to work at the stadium again this year would be for the post-parade festivities. The analysts over at MLB Network all think that the matchup of A.J. Burnett and Cliff Lee means that the series will get back to the Bronx because Burnett might not be effective on three days' rest, even though his record in such situations has him undefeated. Admittedly, no one thought he was going to be able to get it together in Game 2, but he shut us all up. A.J. knows how important this is, not only for himself but for the whole team, who couldn't hit Cliff Lee at all on Wednesday. As long as it stays close and the Yankees can get Lee's pitch count up early, maybe they'll have another shot at the bullpen. I hope that the team will make adjustments to Lee and not remain fooled by his changeup.

Last night's viewing party was successful and it was amazing to be a part of the crowd pouring out of the stadium. It was as though the game happened right on site. Fans were honking their car horns, dancing and chanting, "Let's go Yankees," while applauding the fact that one more win would bring a title back to the Bronx. I overheard two fans on the train talking about their plans to watch Game 5, hoping that the stadium would host another screening. "That was the greatest experience of my life. This is the first game I've ever been here for." The Steinbrenners struck gold with this idea and even though it's not original, the people of this community truly appreciate the Yankees for "being good neighbors", as borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. stated. It was heartwarming to see the fathers with their young sons, and mothers with their daughters come in to enjoy the building and the company of fellow Yankee fans. All this work is for them and it was fun to be part of all of it.

Updated album: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v629/cmwarbee3/Yankee%20Stadium%20Inaugural%20Season%202009/

Tags: yankee stadium inaugural season

Since starting this job working for the Yankees, there have been times when it's been hard to remember what day it is or how long it has been since a certain event happened. I had a case of those forget-me's this week when I couldn't remember how long ago the end of the ALCS was. As in the Sunday that just happened felt like two weeks ago. The first two World Series games now feel like they went by in a flash, when in reality I spent close to 27 hours at the stadium for those two days.

The first game could not be opened with the fanfare usually reserved for such games with the inclement weather so only the roster lineups were announced, with the players on the baselines. Maybe the lack of flair is the reason CC Sabathia served up two home runs to Chase Utley, and Derek Jeter decided to bunt with two strikes. The 6-1 beating the Yankees took to their egos was disappointing because it was their first loss at home this postseason, and the home games should be the best opportunity to strike first. Phillies' Cliff Lee gave an inspired performance on the mound and pitched the entire game. No one else was needed to silence the Yankee bats as Lee ended the night with 10 strikeouts.

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Tags: yankee stadium inaugural season
Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: Jay Z and Alicia Keys' Game 2 performance of "Empire State of Mind"

It has been a restless couple of days, watching the Yankees last Thursday night rally, only to drop Game Five. Then nervously waiting for Game Six, only to have it rained out two hours before the scheduled start time. Then waiting all day Sunday to finally get the fans in the building and the players on the field. Maybe I can finally get some sleep now. Last night's festivities were a sight to behold, and music to my ears as fan noise decibels finally got to a fever pitch. One fan yelled as he entered through Gate 6, "If you're not getting loud tonight, you have issues!" I did not want to have this battle rage on to a Game Seven, so when the Angels led 1-0, I started to get annoyed. The game is a blur of poor baserunning, overthrown balls, and timely hitting to me now. The first two examples of bad fundamentals by the Angels, and the last is just what the Yankees did to capitalize on those mistakes. The final score was 5-2, and the real games began not too long after with fans sniffing out shirts and hats that the players were receiving in their champagne-doused locker room. No doubt, the shirts that would declare the Angels as the winners were sent packing to the other side of the world. I still have a bit of a headache from the late night and early rising to get the Stadium ready for the apocalypse, I mean, World Series.

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Tags: yankee stadium inaugural season

I think somewhere in the back of every Mets fan's mind, this bitter end was inevitable. I remember chatting with Mets fans at Yankee Stadium early in the year, when the team was doing OK and in first place. That must have been May, the only good month the team had. In those conversations, we were always wary of getting overly excited about the team being on top of the division, like we were just waiting for the other shoe to drop. At the time, Yankee fans were ready to deny their team because the play on the field wasn't justifying the price of admission. I heard much less complaining after A-Rod returned and new life was breathed into the Bombers, and not a peep now that the team is one win away from winning the American League championship. I still see Mets fans at the Stadium, but I don't dare bring up our shared disappointment within the confines of enemy quarters, if only to hold on to what's left of our dignity and blend in with the rest of the city. A city waiting in anticipation for a winner, a city deserving of a champion, with few teams lined up to deliver. The Mets didn't expect this end either and looking at the differences between their Opening and Closing Day infielders, disaster could not have been averted. Could it?

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Tags: new york mets

When Shane Victorino hit a two-run bomb in the 6th inning to give the Phillies a score of 7-3 over the Dodgers, I knew the game was over. I was having trouble really watching the game in the first place, but I was done after that. I had to concentrate on hoping the Yankees could lock up their series so that it wasn't a nailbiter that came down to a face-off on Sunday. If the Yankees can best the Angels tonight, Mets fans in attendance for the misery feast of 2009 will be served some rivalry cake for dessert, with vinegar to wash it down. I admit selfish motives in wanting the Yankees to advance, only to stay employed for another week and to say that I was in the building for a World Series game. When my picks were Dodgers/Yankees, I wouldn't have cared which team won, even though my bracket had Joe Torre beating his former team. Now that the Phillies are in it, I will for the second year in a row be supporting the AL team instead of the NL. Not something I ever like to do.

I really want to be at work for the workout day, so that there's the possibility of Phillies sightings. How tall is Jayson Werth really? The wheels have started to turn in my head about the matchups and I've broken down the following:

Starting pitching & Bullpen
The Yankees have a 2-time Cy Young winner at the top of their rotation, who has only allowed one run in each of his three postseason starts so far. [I thought it was two, but it's only one. Maybe I'm clairvoyant and see #2 coming] Andy Pettitte is a veteran who knows how to show up for games like these, and with the only real wild card being A.J. Burnett, the Yankees don't have much to worry about. Except they can't let the Phillies get under anything, because those balls will end up in the bleachers. OK, so that's a big thing to worry about. The Phillies starters are good (especially with Met refugee and veteran Pedro Martinez on hand) but the thing they have going for them in terms of facing the Yankees is the fact that only Jeter, Rodriguez and Posada are hitting right now. The rest of the bats need to wake up before the series starts. That means you, Nick Swisher! (OK, and Mark Teixeira too.)

The Yankees bullpen has the upper hand, as long as Girardi utilizes it wisely, ie. doesn't pull people early.

Infield
The advantage is split because I would take the middle infield of Rollins-Utley over Jeter-Cano. Tex is a million times better at first base than Howard, even though Ryan has been wonderful this year at that position. A-Rod over Feliz is also a no-brainer. Catcher Carlos Ruiz led the team in batting average for the LCS, and when Posada got to play he contributed key hits in his team's wins.

Outfield
I have to give the advantage to the Phillies because Ibanez-Victorino-Werth is much better defensively (and offensively, frankly) than Damon-Cabrera-Swisher. Maybe this assessment leans more on the hitting since Victorino and Werth hit home runs last night, while the only big hit from the Yankees outfield came from the defensively-inadequate Johnny Damon. I certainly couldn't do a better job, but when he gets to a ball it's like "the ball catches him". In May, I got to watch the Phillies' batting practice and saw Werth launch several home runs into the right field seats. Of course, those swings carried over into game time and scary lion-man ran all over the field to prey on fly balls. If Brett Gardner is brought in late in the game to play center, that's cool. The other night, Swish got taken out to make room for a Damon-Gardner-Cabrera outfield. Considering he is hitting in the .100s right now, I couldn't be upset with that move. Come on Dirty Thirty(-Three), you can do it!

Barring disaster this evening, a Yankees/Phillies WS will be one to watch and will probably go down to the wire in a game 7. Then I, and other Mets fans, will be left to stomach the gloating until Opening Day on April 5, 2010. It's already going to be a long winter. Let the games begin!

Tags: new york mets, yankee stadium inaugural season

It was most likely a coincidence that the R.E.M. song started blaring in Yankee Stadium's Hard Rock Cafe and Store, upon the conclusion of the third game of the ALCS with the host Angels besting their visitors with a walk-off win in the 11th inning. It seemed like Yankees Universe might be ready to jump off the Macombs Dam Bridge when Angels' catcher Jeff Mathis lined a double off the wall and over Jerry Hairston Jr.'s head to plate the winning run. If the Yankees thought they were building up good karma for themselves by opening the stadium for their fans to watch the away game for free, there were definitely signs of it early in the day. I was set up in the store for the day, but a little bummed that I would not be able to see the game when the broadcast started and we were still seeing the Mike Francesa Show. As a result, we missed Derek Jeter's leadoff home run against Jeff Weaver. All of the Yankees runs in the game were due to the long ball, solo shots by Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada. It was funny to have the reactions in the store followed by the delayed reactions of the folks watching in the Great Hall and field level seats, five seconds later.

As time drew closer for the beginning of the game, the crowd gathering outside were chanting their devotion to the Yankees, anticipating the opening of the gates. I felt overdressed with two sweatshirts on, since the weather ended up being much warmer than I anticipated. I was grateful to be inside though, despite the blaring heat in the store, when guests came in to buy sweatshirts. During my break, I got to check out the proceedings and witnessed a Mets fan being jeered out of the building. He didn't appear to be causing trouble but once you're wearing orange and blue in Yankee territory, you can't be too surprised with what you get. Before the game, I saw on MLB Network that the Angels have never lost an ALCS after being down 2-0, and was a bit concerned after their win that the tide of momentum would be flowing in the Angels' favor. This game was a big bounceback win for them, especially considering what happened over the weekend in the Bronx.

Game 1 was much like the first game of the ALCS with CC Sabathia powering through the lineup, again only allowing one run. Solid win for sure, but another snoozer, and with A.J. Burnett on the schedule for game 2, things were promising to be more interesting. I'm not exaggerating when I say I was freezing my butt off on Saturday night. I was in for a noon call-time so when the game went into extra innings well past midnight, I wanted out. When the Angels broke the 2-2 tie at the top of the 11th, I was annoyed because I felt it was essential for the Yankees to win the two home games. No one wants to have to say that they were at the one that they lost. The Angels sent their closer Brian Fuentes in for the bottom of the inning and closer-killer, as of late, A-Rod launched a home run over the right field wall. He'd done it again! Saved a game 2 again! No one was really all that upset with staying late after that happened. Sure, I was still reeling from the exhaustion on Monday, but it was well worth it to be present for another classic. The game ended two innings later on an error that would make Luis Castillo blush.

My time card declared my actual time out as: 1:59 am 10/18/09. Crazy.

Tags: yankee stadium inaugural season

Today, I got to go in to work as part of the set-up team for the ALCS. I had no idea that it was going to rain or be as cold as it was today, but at least now I know how to dress for tomorrow. If not for the dull weather, the Angels and Yankees would have spent their workout day above ground, so that the staff could watch. I didn't even know the players were going to be in until I saw A.J. Burnett pull his car into the player entrance as I walked to Gate 8 to check-in. After spending the morning helping in the Hard Rock store, I spied two Angels playing catch outside of the visitor's dugout, in the rain, covered in red from head-to-toe. It was cold! Conan O'Brien has been joking all week about the residents of L.A. freaking out over getting rain, since they haven't had very much since June. Maybe this gives the Yankees an edge, since they've been playing in this kind of weather for most of the year. There were only a handful of really warm days this summer, and winter is definitely on its way quickly.

After working in the store, I was reassigned to the warehouse, located on the field level by the visitors' clubhouse, to prepare the ALCS merchandise that was just delivered. Soon, we started to notice players walking through the hallway to get to the team bus. I said hi to former-Met Scott Kazmir, and blushed when Torii Hunter and Chone Figgins walked by. Hunter reminds me of the guy I had a crush on in college. He managed to make my heart burn the same way the crush did. I only recognized a few other people, like John Lackey and Mike Scioscia. Jose Mota, on-field reporter for the Angels, walked by and said hi too. FOX's Ken Rosenthal hurried back and forth through the hall while talking on his phone. He really is very short. Oh, I saw Bobby Abreu too! Many of the guys with the team were really personable and greeted us without much trouble. It's going to be a fun series! My big question was why couldn't we do this work outside of the Yankees' clubhouse?!

Even though it was really rainy and I wouldn't be allowed to take pictures, I'm really bummed that I didn't have my camera with me. I will have to make sure to fit it into my jacket since staff will not be allowed to have bags this weekend.

P.S. I am very happy with my perfect score on today's MLB.com postseason trivia quiz. Two minutes to answer ten questions and I got them all, with fifty seconds to spare. :)

Tags: yankee stadium inaugural season
Current Mood: thankful