Tampa, FL., March 31 — We witnessed the alpha and the omega, the yin and the yang, the long and the short of spring baseball, on this our last day under the hot Florida sky. After surviving a three-hours-plus, nine-inning tie in Clearwater under an 89-degree sun with high humidity, we weren’t sure what to expect when we arrived in Legends Field this evening for the second half of a two-city doubleheader. In the early game, the Blue Jays and the Phillies had battered each other and 10 pitchers for 18 runs, six home runs, and 24 hits. Not only were we getting weary, we had dulled the points on all of our pencils.
The Sizzling Sarasota Sun
Sarasota, FL., March 30 — The weather reviews on today’s battle with the Reds in Sarasota were a smash hit, as Paul Wilson’s 1:05, first-pitch strike to Derek Jeter came under bright-blue cloudless skies; the 76-degree temp claim will be disputed by anyone sitting in the hot sun. It was hot and sticky upon our arrival last Friday and will be again on the weekend (though not in the Bronx Sunday evening), but the weather the last few days has been magnificent.
DisArmed-ageddon in Tampa
Tampa, FL., March 29 — Fans of both the Red Sox and the Yankees could be forgiven for anticipating today’s game in Legends Field since back when the Spring schedule was announced. Just five days before the season opener in New York featuring the two teams with the best rivalry in sports, enthusiasts were all agog about a potential Schilling/Johnson matchup just days before a national audience would flock to their TVs to view the official opener.
Dandy Day in Dunedin
Dunedin, FL., March 28 — Gulfcoast Florida breathed a collective sigh of relief this morning as the recent streak of hot and steamy weather broke, and we awoke beneath windy but dry skies and temperatures in the seventies. And this afternoon Yankee fans can officially relax a bit too. Bernie Williams played six innings in centerfield, and looked fine in postgame drills.
Some Things Old, Some Things New
Tampa, FL., March 27 — The first sight greeting fans arriving at Legends Field on Sunday at a certain time (roughly 11:30) was that of “new” (even though his age matches the number 41 on his back) ace Randy Johnson getting in some throwing under the watchful eyes of Mel Stottlemyre and Billy Connors. Ninety minutes later, it was “old” Yankee southpaw Andy Pettitte warming up down third in the visiting bullpen. Minutes later he was greeted by raucous applause and cheering as he took the mound with a 2-0 lead. If there is anything Yankee fans love more than members of the current 25, it’s ex-Yankees with a successful resume in the Bronx. Continue reading
Cruel to Be Kind
Clearwater, FL., March 25 — My first major league game of 2005, and it goes an extra inning and has a balk call too. And with the Yanks ready to trot out a totally revamped rotation, this one featured newbie (to Pinstripes) Carl Pavano vs. Jon Lieber, who made a mark in the Bronx last year before signing with the Phils.
Meeting a ‘Legend’
NEW YORK, N.Y., December 30, 2004 — I experienced a poignant moment the other day when I heard that Yankee organist Eddie Layton had passed away. He was taken from us just one year after retiring to a life of leisure, one final contradiction in the life of a Renaissance man who played the soundtrack to several generations of Yankee fans. I had the good fortune to meet and spend an afternoon with Eddie back in 2001, and it remains one of the greatest thrills in the life of this Bronx-born fan. Continue reading
The Lowe Down
Bronx, N.Y., October 20, 2004 — Well, that which cannot happen has come to pass. It’s a true statement on several levels, but for our purposes let’s just concern ourselves with two: First, when push comes to shove, the Yankees always beat the Red Sox. And more generally, teams who lose the first three games of a best-of-seven series in most major sports, and certainly in baseball, can’t recover from that deficit. Continue reading
Swing [at] Lowe
Bronx, N.Y., October 17, 2004 — The pictures in the Fox-TV coverage toward the end of last night’s Yankee 19-8 humiliation of the Red Sox were dominated by two views, one seen often in Fenway Park, and the other almost never. (I couldn’t tell you what Buck, McCarver, et al, were saying, as we threw that verbal tribute to the powers that be at Fox over the side in the second inning, using the radio for the audio portion of the goings-on. (But I can address the pictures they showed.) Continue reading
Enter Sandman: The Ballgame
Bronx, N.Y., October 11, 2004 — The greatest postseason closer in baseball history recorded yet another save in the Bronx Tuesday night. And as Mariano Rivera trotted in from the bullpen to take his practice throws, the Scoreboard displayed its latest gimmick, not just playing Mettalica’s Enter Sandman, but flashing the lyrics across the auxiliary boards that hang from the loge sections down each line. Continue reading