Bronx, N.Y., June 1, 2002 — “It was 100 years ago today…” Well, actually, 35 years ago today the Beatles released “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” but for us (Yankee fans), we’ve had “the boys to play” for a century now. Though during that time we’ve had some of the most recognizable stars in spectator sports history highlight our unprecedented success, we’ve never been averse to getting “a little help from [our] friends,” from the little guys at the end of the bench. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 31, 2002 — I didn’t take meteorology in school, so I can’t back that up with any textbook facts. And neither weather conditions nor that part of the country have been the subject of much of my reading, so no casual research can be cited to back up my theory. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 29, 2002 — “Someone might be gainin’ on ya.” It’s a famous quote from a baseball legend, and it may be truer in this American League baseball season than it has since the day Satchel Paige first uttered it. The Red Sox and their fans had to be feeling pretty good about themselves again tonight, as they won their second consecutive come-from-behind road victory in Toronto. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 27, 2002 — Mike Thurman has gotten all kinds of respect. (Mark Thurman gets it too. Mark Thurman, the Canadian children’s author, that is.) But Mike, the former starter for Montreal? Thinking that a 10-11 record with barely AAA quality Montreal would get him a job, Mike put himself on the line. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 26, 2002 — One-hit wonder group Animotion didn’t begin to get to the bottom of that condition with their 1982 smash hit. And it will go some way to explaining how obsessed and potentially deluded I can get when you hear that I had decided I had a plausible scenario for how tonight’s game would play out once I had read the morning papers. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 25, 2002 — Sometimes it pays to be greedy. Simply because we have been Sunday season plan holders for years, Sue and I had managed to witness Perfect Games in back-to-back years. And having added to our ticketage incrementally by purchasing the B (midweek) Plan after experiencing difficulty getting 1998 playoff tickets, the last thing we needed was for me to attend an additional Saturday game. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 22, 2002 — After a day like today I simply have to tell you about “the thing about Box 622.” We signed off on purchasing our B Plan seats (in this box) in 1998 when it was a midweek nights only package of 33 games, simply because it was obvious that this was the only way we could guarantee ourselves playoff seats. The eight extra midweek day games were bestowed upon us the following year. You want playoff tickets to every game, well you’ll have to buy 41 games. We both work all day; how we would get to them we didn’t know, but we did what we had to do. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 20, 2002 — I was as anguished as most Yankee fans tonight as I made my way to the Cathedral. El duque, with a balky back and fat pitch after fat pitch in a loss last Wednesday, would not be making his start tonight. Giving every benefit of the doubt that I feel I owe to ex-Yankees that return, I was prepared to do the same with the injured (and, even worse, ineffective in A and AAA ball) Sterling Hitchcock once the inevitable happened and the $6 million man got a start. But could the preliminary events have been less fortuitous? Not bad in his mop-up duties last Wednesday, he had clearly not recovered sufficiently when called upon around 12:30 am Saturday morning in the Giambi miracle game. And here he was less than 60 hours later about to start against a Blue Jay team with some boppers. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 19, 2002 — Gorgeous, if cool, day in the Bronx, and I knew we were in for something good when I heard “The Voice.” Yes, that’s right, Mr. Bob Sheppard was on the job today. And although I was too consumed with maneuvering past 53,662 zombies dressed as Yankee fans to appreciate the difference while job no. 1 (the announcement of the lineups) was performed, Mr. Sheppard proved his value later. Major League Baseball is using the traditional seventh-inning stretch to honor those lost on 9/11, and those working to rectify it, but unfortunately the replacement announcer and the use of the old Kate Smith tape of God Bless America had reduced it to a boring exercise. Sheppard’s intro, and then the plaintive rendition of Irish tenor Ronan Tynan on that classic, restored the tears to my eyes today. It felt right. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 16, 2002 — If you like a game that is no contest, where your team dominates in every way possible, tonight was the night. The evening and night were beautiful. We scored early and often. We hit four more homers, three of them the opposite way. And that’s not uncommon in the Cathedral, but it is when the other way is to left! Continue reading →