April 7, 2014, Bronx, N.Y. — The Yankees beat the Orioles 4-2 in their home opener in frigid Yankee Stadium Monday afternoon, and after starring in the pregame, Derek Jeter played a key role in the win in this, his final year. He delivered the only Yankee extra base hit, a double down the left field that struck the wall inches below the top; had a key putout on a fifth-inning pickoff; and delivered the game’s first run with a sharp one-hopper back to the box. Continue reading
Author Archives: Dan McCourt
Baseball 101 — A Code of Conduct for Fans of All Ages
With Opening Day less than a month away, consider this a public service announcement…
Remember back when years were so unique and special that each one’s designation began with a “1”? Baseball, the finest spectator game on Earth, was played in venues where proximity to the action on the field was more important than vending opportunities, both edible and wearable; where polite enthusiasts — with true though harsh realities of place in mind — were not only engrossed with the wonder of the play before them, but realized that fellow fans were just as rapt, and that each had the right to continue this enjoyment without interruption. Continue reading
Winning Streak Whitleyed Down
Tampa, Fla., March 4, 2014 — Coming off four straight wins, David Phelps was handed the ball to start the prime time game against the visiting Orioles Tuesday night, and he succeeded, with mixed results. He almost made it through three innings and allowed one run, but his outing could have been titled “Surviving Adversity.” Continue reading
Nova, Super AND Grounded
Tampa, Fla., March 3, 2014 — Early Spring Training “disappointment” is a pretty specific condition, one the speaker should be able to defend. Six days of rain, much less cold rain, well, we’d all cut that vacationer a break. Losses – ugly losses – in every game attended? Well, the team is here to get ready, not to win meaningless games, but still, most would cut the person whining about that a little slack. Continue reading
Eight, the Hard Way
March 2, 2014, Dunedin, Fla. — Lefthander Vidal Nuno was on the mound as the Bombers took their modest two-game winning streak to Dunedin to play the Blue Jays Sunday afternoon, a carbon copy of Saturday, but just a few degrees warmer. And Nuno was pretty much what Yankee fans remembered from 2013: not a lot of straight pitches, lots of strikes, doesn’t throw too hard. Continue reading
Pitching Is Catching
Tampa, Fla., March 1, 2014 — Everything went off as advertised at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday. The place was packed with Yankee fans, Phillie fans, fans of all stripes. The weather delivered a perfect day, dazzling sunshine with temps in the mid-70s. And the Big Three of the Yankee rotation stifled the visiting batters for six frames. Continue reading
Hooters Home Run
Lakewood, Fla., February 28, 2014 — Thirteen hours after leaving our hotel Friday, we returned having witnessed a very entertaining Yankees 7-4 over the Tigers and a true yawner at Champions Field in Disney, where visiting Houston posted a 7-5 win over the Braves. I’m embarrassed to say it was quite cool at the night game to anyone living in the Midwest or Northeast, and will tread lightly (with those poor souls in mind) describing the brilliantly prefect conditions at game 1 in Lakewood. Suffice it to say that it was sunny and 45 degrees warmer than in New York, 53 digits over the reading in Detroit, when reigning Cy Young winner Max Scherzer threw ball one to Jacoby Ellsbury. Continue reading
Crazy Eights
Tampa, Fla., February 27, 2014 — It was another “one bad inning” day in Tampa on Thursday, but a good time was had by all nonetheless. Wednesday forecasts guaranteed some rain, but we awoke to a cool, partly cloudy day where sun shone on George M. Steinbrenner Field for much of the day. The only rain was what the Pirates laid on the Yankees once free agent signee Robert Coello took the mound in the eighth. Continue reading
Chasing History
Bradenton, Fla., February 26, 2014 — The season of 2014 Yankee Spring games, at least the ones against major league opposition, got off to a good start on Wednesday with a game vs. the Pirates in Bradenton. That the team scored two runs in both the first and second innings signifies this, but it doesn’t really describe it. New leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury reached base three straight times, and scored twice. And the offense at the catching position the Yanks are unveiling this year had a good debut, as lefty-hitting backstop Brian McCann hit the third pitch he saw for a sharp rbi single, tellingly a bit to the left of second base. Continue reading
A Long Complete Day
Bronx, N.Y., August 31, 2013 — Up at 7:30 on a Saturday to run a few errands because we needed to catch a train 90 minutes earlier than usual for a Saturday game, it was more with a sense of exhaustion than expectation that Sue and I sat in our Yankee Stadium seats at 11:30, awaiting Yankee personnel. Sue had received the call Friday: We were invited to be interviewed on the big screen as the ticket licensees of the game. Continue reading