Derek Jeter wants what!!?!??!

According to the ticker on the bottom of ESPN, Jeter's agent wants a 4 or 5 year deal worth around $23 to $24 million a year? 

He made $22.6 million last season - he thinks he's better than he was last year (when he hit .270)?  Give me a break.  Take 4 years, $80 million and shut up.  Or take a walk.  I will still be a Yankee fan.

I was speaking to a guy in my building, he says they need to sign him.  He takes his kids there to see Derek Jeter.  Good point, however, I go to enjoy a baseball game - not see an aging shortstop.

If that is really what he wants per year, he needs to take a good hard look in the mirror - he is NOT worth that price tag.  No one is.  Take a walk you greedy prick.  You get paid for what you do - and the Yankees have always done business that way.  The Yankees will still sell tickets, concessions, apparel without Derek Jeter on the roster.  Guaranteed.

The Yankees aren't afraid to spend on aging talent - FACT.
A-Rod is not worth his salary - FACT.
Jeter is not worth $23 million a year he's asking for - FACT!

Post Baseball Blues

Trying so very hard to dig up some news in the baseball world now that the season is over (97 days til Pitchers & Catchers report).  I'll admit, pouring over the internet finding Brian Wilson interviews will never get old.  I watch the Jim Rome interview at least three times a week.  He was on Leno the other night, basically a lot of the same material he covered with Rome (except that The Machine made an appearance).  The CheapSeats interviews are always a treat, you can find those all over You Tube.

Chief Wahoo makes an appearance on all four Indians uniforms this coming season.  I love the throwback grays.

Derek Jeter somehow won a Gold Glove this year.  To all the haters out there who think he's lost a step (which he has) and has nothing left in the tank (.270 BA in 2010), sorry.  He had the best fielding percentage (.989) in the American League.  Here's the breakdown among AL shortstops:  seventh highest amount of chances (553), third in double plays turned (94), committed the fewest errors (6), fourth highest in innings played (1304), and was second in games played (151).  So you can sip on those numbers for a bit and let me know if you still think it's a joke that he won.  I think they got it right.

Joe Miller and Joe Morgan are OUT as ESPN Sunday Night Baseball analysts - this one was a long time coming. 

The other night on "Undercover Boss", Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts was in the spotlight.  He sold hot dogs, changes the scores in the board at Wrigley, cleaned restrooms (where he was asked to leave), helped park cars (where his cover was almost blown), and was a part of the grounds crew.  It was awesome to see a man in his position with his type of money do something of this magnitude.  The five people he worked under were all under-appreciated in their field of work - in fact, the bathroom attendant was the same guy who flips the scores.  Each and every one of them got a well-deserved "gift" when all was said and done.  Bathroom/Scoreboard guy was given his wish - a staff family appreciation day and swimming lessons for his daughter (by Northwestern's swim coach).  Hot Dog vendor was given a plaque on the wall and a $1,000 gift.  Parking Lot attendant was told that the Cubs are going to pay for his classes to get his ESL degree.  The field maintenance guy was given a paid internship with the Cubs marketing department.  Why, I ask, can't something like this hap

Publish Post

pen to me?

The Giants decided not to pick up the option on World Series MVP Edgar Rentaria.  This was the case with the Yankees last year with 2009 WS MVP Hideki Matsui.  There is something to be said about having veteran guys help lead your team to a World Series - get rid of them.

I am sitting here for an exhibition basketball game - we're playing a Division II school and are losing.  1:00 left in regulation, so I gotta get on the ball and get this clean-up underway.

Much love!

Game over, Season over - Yankees choke

  In what is shaping up to be a miserable way to end a season (at home to the Texas Rangers), Yankee fans are looking for someone to blame, someone to point their fingers at.

  AJ Burnett - Everyone in America thought he'd lay an egg.  But you can't tell me that after that dominant first inning you weren't a little geeked up by the possibilities?  Ultimately, Girardi's decision to intentionally walk David Murphy coupled with the fact that Burnett missed his spot by 22" to Yankee-killer Bengie Molina (who has owned the Yankees in past playoffs) cost them the game.  AJ Burnett is not the goat.

  Nick Swisher - Les Carpenter, of Yahoo Sports, was quoted as writing, "Alex Rodriguez, who made $33 million this season, is hitting a robust .133 in the LCS. At least he has two RBIs.  That’s more than Nick Swisher with his .067 average or Derek Jeter with but one RBI."

  Nick Swisher isn't getting paid nearly as much as A-Rod ($33M vs. $6.85M) but is getting named as a goat in this series?  No one expected Nick Swisher to do what he did this year.  Was it a pleasant surprise - yes.  Was he supposed to be the savior?  Never.  Nisk Swisher is not the goat.

  I am getting sick of writing about this team and this game, so I am going to cease immediately.  Ultimately, it is a great team that choked in the 2010 ALCS.  Simple as that. 

  Cano was a beast; Pettitte was dominant (Lee was just more dominant); Teixeira didn't have a hit but his defense saved some runs (that ultimately didn't matter); the starting rotation, outside of Pettitte, was piss poor; the bullpen was even worse.  It just wasn't in the cards. 

  Freddy is probably rolling over in his grave at how bad this team played.  Oh well, there's always 2011.  Chances are the Red Sox will still be in their downward spiral.

 

RIP: Bob Sheppard, 1910-2010

   The Yankees also lost another great one, long time PA announcer Bob Sheppard, who passed away on Sunday just a few months short of his 100th birthday.  He was affectionately known as "The voice of God".

   The new guy, who's name escapes me, does every batter who steps to the plate - all except Derek Jeter.  There is a taped recording of Sheppard announcing Jeter as he walks to the plate.

   PA announcers rarely get their due respect, but Sheppard sure is getting his.  A New Yorker through and through - born in Richmond Hill, Queens, worked in the Bronx (Yankees) and New Jersey (NY Giants), educated in Brooklyn (St. John's Prep) and Manhattan (Master's at Columbia), and passing away at his home in Long Island (Baldwin).

   Bob Sheppard - "Now batting for the Yankees, number 2, Derek Jeter, number two."

   May you rest in peace.  Alongside The Boss.

RIP Bob Sheppard, "The voice of God" (1910-2010)

RIP: George Steinbrenner, 1930-2010

   The world lost an outstanding human being yesterday.  RIP George "The Boss" Steinbrenner.

   NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away yesterday at the ripe old age of 80.  He was a lightning rod of criticism as well as a pillar of strength for an organization that was going nowhere when he acquired it.  He could have had the Indians, and quite possibly turned them into a perennial powerhouse, but was outbid in his efforts to purchase the club back in 1973. He is, and I know it's been said before (like 1,000 times yesterday), solely responsible for the outrageous salaries that athletes make today.  He was never afraid to spend his money, so long as he believed in the individual.  He put a lot of pressure on his players, and ultimately on himself.  When you have the highest payroll in sports every year, there is an extreme pressure to succeed.  And succeed he did.

   During his time as owner of the Yankees, they won 7 World Series Titles, 11 American League Pennants, 16 AL East Titles, and 3 Wild Card berths.  Not a bad body of work.  And from what people say, he was a hell of a man off the field as well - community service, charity work, donations, giving a guy who he found spray painting Yankee Stadium a job.  The list goes on and on.

   Had he not won 7 World Series', we may not have celebrated his life as you've seen in the past day or so.  But he did, and people of all walks of life speak only great things of The Boss.

   He was a character on 13 Seinfeld episodes and never physically appeared on the show.  George Costanza worked for him (if you can call it work) and was one of the most hilarious parts of the show.  He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1990.  He was a huge fan of General George S. Patton.  He signed Hideki Irabu to a huuuuuge contract - and it backfired, the guy sucked.  He also signed Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter.  He gave Joe Torre a chance when he was hardly established as a manager.  The Yankees are the Yankees because of him.  The old Stadium was "the house that Ruth built" and the new Stadium is "the house that George built".  Pretty amazing stuff. 

   Jerry Jones even looked up to him.  Donald Trump looked up to him.  Bobby Knight, for Christs sake, looked up to this man.  Why?  Because to George Steinbrenner, winning was second to breathing.

   Thanks George.  You will always be "The Boss" to Yankee fans worldwide.  Rest In Peace.

RIP George Steinbrenner, "The Boss" (1930-2010)

Relax!

   I'm talking to my readers, not referring to the Frankie Goes To Hollywood hit. (featured in Zoolander)

   I know more and more of you are probably having a tough time falling asleep at night without getting your daily fill on WRT, and for that I apologize.  I am on vacation and haven't had a chance to log on to post.  I just found the only spot in the whole place that has an internet connection (albeit a poor one), so I am sitting inside for a few with Nathan by my side.  LMD is out watching the third installment of the Twilight saga (Eclipse??)

   I have had a nice time thus far, beach is great (the water is frigid), the food is good (fresh seafood), and the living's easy.  It's vacation, isn't that what it's all about?

    4:00pm is rapidly approaching, which means one thing while down here in Sea Isle City - Dirty Martini's at McNutley's.  I tend to arrive around 4:15 to 4:30, but today I have to be early - it's my day to buy the first round of $3 Dirty's.  McNutley's is the prototypical dive-bar - frequented by no more than fifteen people at any given time.  The bartender works 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off.  The crowd is pro-Philadelphia sports, anti-New York Sports, though they are typically very civil when discussing the two cities. 

   The beach this morning was awesome - sun was shining without a cloud in the sky.  As soon as I began sweating, I took a dive in the frigid water.  I only lasted about 10 minutes before my extremities started tingling.  I did my best to try to eliminate this brutal farmer's tan, but it is still visible.  I guess I need to be out in the sun for longer than 90 minutes.  I used some Banana Boat SPF 50, as I have since the first time here when I was lobster-fied after Day 1, resulting in a miserable week-long vacation (three years ago).

   The Yankees have struggled against the piss-poor Mariners so far (Cliff Lee and Felix the Kid).  Let's hope they can salvage the home-series today as C.C. takes the mound against Ryan Rowland-Smith.  Looks like they're up 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth.  Cano teed another one up (his 16th HR) and Teixeira grounded out to SS in the 1st to score Jeter. 

   Cano is a beast.  He's 1-2 today but overall this season is hitting .354 with 16 HR and 54 RBI.  He's got 10 HR's off LHP's and only 6 against RHP's.  And as hitter-friendly as the new Yankee Stadium is, he's hitting 21 points higher away from the Bronx.  Stay hot Robbie.

   Time to get a shower in and mentally prepare for McNutley's.

   With July 4th right around the corner, I am very excited to see the Stars & Stripes hats come out.  Here's what they look like:

    Man, I love the Stars and Stripes.  Happy Fourth of July Weekend everyone, enjoy yourself.  

   USA!  USA!  USA!

Rants, raves, ridicule, and riots

Rant:  Bravo to Yankees OF Brett Gardner.  This little flea has scored more runs (42) than Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez.  He is on pretty often (.395 OBP) and tends to get himself into scoring position by stealing some bags (20 SB/4 CS).  He sees more fastballs than any other hitter in the majors except David Eckstein, he leads the AL in pitches per plate appearance (4.52).  He is the best role player in baseball, bar none.  He can probably hit HR's in the grand scheme of things (he has only 3 in 194 AB) but he knows his job is to get on base, and he's done that very well so far.  He's the kind of guy every team needs, a little pest that is never (or very rarely) an easy out.  He has probably developed his toughness by being told he was too small his whole life - 5'10", 183 lbs. is small by MLB standards.  Don't let nobody hold you down Gardy, you the man!!

Rave:  Here's a sweet Lego rave I found on the internet.  I didn't know LEGO was around and prospering.  The DJ looks like an aviator, and the ravers look like prisoners.  Looks like a good party to me, but I wouldn't show up.  For starters, I hate crowds.  Secondly, I hate loud, base-filled techno.  Third, I hate the Jersey Shore scene and the drug scene, both of which are intrinsic to a rave.  I am a bar guy, and if I walk in and I can't sit down or play Golden Tee, I'm probably leaving after one drink.

Ridicule:  Kansas City Royals, you are a joke.  Your 24 wins are more than only six other teams, and you refuse to score runs for last year's Cy Young Award winner, Zack Greinke.  Surprisingly, you aren't in the cellar in the AL Central, the Indians are two games worse.  Here's the shake down:  Greinke is 1-8 with a 4.05 ERA.  You've won only two of his thirteen starts, and have scored only 40 runs in those games - a dismal average of 3.08 runs per game - give me a break.  You score 4.34 runs a game on average, no wonder there are always rumors that he wants to leave.  If I was him, I'd demand a trade to a contender.  Granted he's not putting up numbers like last year, but who the hell does?  Score some runs for this kid already. 

Riots:  You know what, with all the kids at all these camps and clinics, I'm not sure even half of them want to be there.  I think their parents makke the decision for them to play baseball.  Here's what may go through some of their heads when (and if they ever) get to first base.  Kids don't seem to have the same drive as we had when I was growing up.  I'm not trying to knock the kids or anything, it's just a trend that keeps rearing its ugly head.  Anyway.

He gone!

Bad showing

Where have all the clutch performers gone?  We needed guys to step up today, and no one seemed to deliver.  We didn't help ourselves - 8 walks and a hit by pitch - 2 scored.  Can you guess the final score?  7-5 bad guys.  Did our freshman SS make an error, yeah - but even still, we had two outs with only one run allowed and it ballooned into a 6-run fourth inning.  Pitcher's need to be able to get an out - one single, solitary out, in a row.  They've gotten one out in a row thousands of times in their baseball lives.  We threw up 0's all day (except for a solo HR in the B6), and had a chance at the end.  It just wasn't meant to be today.

Got a big one tomorrow at 3pm.  Big is actually an understatement.  Lose, and the season is over.  Win, and live to play another day.  Whoever is tougher tomorrow will prevail.  Backs to the wall, fight your way out.  We need to deliver the first punch, right in the mouth, early on.


Yankees won both - 1-0 in the suspended game from yesterday (Jeter hit a HR 399' to left center).  The bullpen patched together the shutout.  In today's scheduled game, they won 3-2, behind a Nick Swisher HR to right field.  Mariano closed out both games, earning saves in both, his 9th and 10th of the year.

Boston finished off a surprising sweep at The Trop, beating the Rays 11-3 behind Adrián Béltre's 6 RBI. 

The Magic are up 13 on the Celtics with 8:59 left in the game.  Celts lead the series 3-1.  Maybe Dwight Howard read my blog and decided to grow a pair and play like a man - he's got 17 points, 7 boards, 5 blocks, and only 1 foul.  Go Dwight Go!

Big one tomorrow.  Act as if.

Blah Blah Blah

Mr. Softie just stopped by - well, we stopped him, he was parked down the block.  Lindsay got herself a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate.  I didn't get anything, times are tough here in the Bronx, I had $4 in my wallet.  Pathetic, I know.  Gotta provide for the wife and kid (or in our case, Nathan).   She ate the ice cream coated in the chocolate and fired the rest in the garbage.  Oh well, next time I'll ask Mr. Softie if he can coat the ice cream in layers.

Just started reading a new book, my favorite author, Chuck Klosterman.  The book, Downtown Owl, is a novel about the small town of Owl, ND.  He's written for The NYT Magazine and The Washington Post and his previous books have covered topics ranging from the relationship of rock music, mortality, and love (Killing Yourself to Live:  85% of a True Story) to the history of glam metal (Fargo Rock City:  A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural Nörth Daköta) to previously published columns and articles on pop culture (Chuck Klosterman IV).  I just like his writing style, give him a shot.  You'll probably chuckle to yourself like I do.  Nathan's been trying to learn to read Downtown Owl:

Yankees vs. Mets - not looking too good for the Yankees so far.  Bay kills the Yankees.  Stupid throw by Russo out in LF - C.C. needs to get out of this jam - I hate José Reyes, stupid hair, nonchalant actions - just stay on the DL foo!  Damn, 2-0 Mets.  Alex Cora, seriously?  See, there goes Bay, HR to deep left-center.  Crap!  I'm going to switch topics, this game isn't going how I had anticipated.

Today's Birthdays:

Cleveland Rocks, Cleveland Rocks!! Happy Birthday to comedian Drew Carey, who's 52 today.  I think he's still the host of the new The Price is Right.  When I'm home weekdays (which is never), I'd watch it.

Author, sports-columnist, radio-personality Mitch Albom, who's books my mother loves, is also 52 today.  I hate his hair, it's always covering his ears and just looks stupid, but he's great on "The Sports Reporters" on ESPN.  Keep up the good work Mitch, and cut the hair over your ears.  But Happy Birthday nonetheless.




Game's on - C.C. singles, Jeter singles, Gardner is so fast but hits into the 4-6-3 DP.  Will someone please step up and get some hits off Santana?  Teixeira blows!  Game's off - channel surfing instead. 

Back to work tomorrow.  Graduation was a success, everyone walked across the stage for the first time ever.  It was about 100° in the gym, but they had 8 fans that cooled off the faculty.  Parents, family, and friends suffered in the sweltering humid gym.

Flipped it back on and back off - Joe Morgan is a moron.  I was hoping his new job as special advisor for the Reds would help ease him off the SNB set, but no such luck.  Him and Jon Miller - match made in heaven for a black and white silent film.

I'm done with this game for good - Food Network is going on, even if it means I have to watch "Down Home with the Neely's". 

Monday tomorrow - time for some zzzz's.

Sunday Not-So-Funday

Today is shaping up like it's gonna be a wash - woke up this morning at around 6:15am, took Nathan out for a walk (he took care of business), felt some raindrops come down (forecast says 30% chance of rain), and remembered I have to break down 3,600 folding white chairs at 3:45pm after the commencement ceremony. 

I also saw that the Yankees lost to the Mets, 5-3, the Magic look like they just want to end their season already, showing no fight whatsoever against the Celtics, and I saw the Flyers shut out the Canadiens for the third time this series to bring them one win from a Stanley Cup appearance.  Are you kidding me?

I took Nathan out last night when the Yankees had bases loaded and one out in the 8th inning, expecting to hear a neighborhood erupt after a big hit - I was let down.  There was no big hit - all they did was get a bases loaded BB and a FC groundout by Derek Jeter.  I walked back in to see Mark Teixeira strike out in the 9th, and ultimately turned the game off, not wanting to see K-Rod's antics following the final out of the Mets win - apparently every save requires a song and dance.  Just take a flyer from Mariano and shake the catcher's hand, and talk about the inning. 

I flipped on the Magic-Celtics Game 3 - and immediately turned it off.  Boston was up 75-47 going into the 4th quarter.  Looking at the box score, Dwight Howard (7 pts., 7 reb.) is highly overrated.  I mean like Hideki Irabu overrated.  He's so coy and funny in press conferences, but he has way too many games where he doesn't even show up - you're supposed to be an NBA Superstar - nope.  I'll take a pass.  Nice shoulders though.

And Michael Leighton is a name Flyer fans are loving right now - the hottest goalie in the NHL shut out the Habs for the third time this series (111SA/108 SV) and have the longshot Flyers a game from the Finals.  I'll be honest, I haven't watched a whole lot of NHL Playoff hockey this year, but if the Flyers are in the Finals, I'm watching - I was a huge Flyers fan growing up, I have no idea why, I think I used them on NHL '94 all the time, with Lindros, LeClair, Renberg, Desjardins, Brind'Amour, the immortal Ron Hextall in net.  The wraparound was a classic goal scoring move.  Let's go Flyers!! 

Time to head to the diner again, I am getting close to being able to memorize the menu.  Then it's off to send off our seniors from ever sitting in a college classroom again.  Congratulations guys.  The only thing left for them to do in college after today is play baseball - good for them.

Signing off!

Sunday Funday

Not so fun for the Yankees.  After winning the first two games of their series with the Twins, the immortal one, Mariano Rivera walked in a run with the bases loaded and followed that up by allowing a grand slam to Jason Kubel, as the Yankees blew a 3-1 lead in the top of the eighth inning today in the Bronx, eventually falling 6-3 to the Twins.  I watched from the seventh inning on, and was in total shock when Rivera blew it.  Hey, the guy is human.  He just fools people into believing he isn't.  Jon Rauch let up some hits in the 9th, but got Jeter swinging, Gardener swinging, and Teixeira looking to end it.  They must have been scared by his tattoos.

On a lighter note, brunch with Paul and Jenny was good - even though the Bloody Mary's we ordered had bird food in them.  Or so it seemed - there was so much pepper corns, and all other sorts of stuff that looked like bird food in it, it made it almost undrinkable.  It was a shame because the BM was actually pretty good.  But then again, I've only had a BM two other times, and both were made by a person under the influence of alcohol.  The omelet was great - had bacon and cheddar.  Lindsay got goat cheese and mushrooms.  And they made these donuts, cinnamon sugar, holy crap.  I could have eaten 45 of them.  Easy.

In our celebrity sighting of the day, while at the Beer Garden at The Standard after our brunch, Lindsay and Jenny wandered off to the restroom and when they came back, I was told to come take a look inside.  Thinking there was someone famous in there, I walked back in with Lindsay and saw Jesse Tyler Ferguson sitting at a table inside.  For those of you who don't know who he is, he plays Mitchell on ABC's Modern Family, probably the funniest show on television.  We were in the meatpacking district, so seeing celebrities is not too far-fetched down there.  Here's a look at who I'm talking about: 

So Sunday is almost over, weekend is almost over, and setup for graduation is almost set to begin.  Awesome!! (sarcasm).  I am exhausted, Lindsay is sleeping on the couch, Nathan is passing out on the window sill.  I am trying to hold it together enough to get this post done, take Nathan out to pee, and pass out.

See you tomorrow suckaaaaaaaa!!