Comments on: 2009 Baseball Resolutions

By: thelarmis

thelarmis — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:51:29 +0000

[26] ooh, i really hope you get your grandfather to a game this season!!!! i’m in NY visiting my ailing grandpa right now. my goal is for him to still be here in June, when he himself will turn…97 !!!!

By: sfiedler726

sfiedler726 — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:55:10 +0000

It’s Teixeira? Mark freakin’ Teixeira? Oh man, I’ve been misspelling that name for years!

By: Rich

Rich — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:31:51 +0000

Kay and Sterling: decent together, unlistenable apart.

By: Diane Firstman

Diane Firstman — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:31:33 +0000

[26]

Now THAT would make for a GREAT Yankee Stadium Memory write-up ….

By: Bobtaco

Bobtaco — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:53:47 +0000

I have one goal this year… and that is to get my grandfather to the new stadium for one game.

He was a concessioner in 1928. He loves the Yankees.

He just turned 97 a few weeks ago.

Last year we went on a road trip to New Orleans because his other passion is Jazz.

He’s very excited about seeing the new place and for the season to start.

Hopefully we’ll be driving up from DC sometime before it gets too hot, and after the possibility of rain/snow has mostly passed.

By: Bama Yankee

Bama Yankee — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:56:14 +0000

Also, for 3a just remember:
“I before E except after T (and X)”

By: Bama Yankee

Bama Yankee — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:49:05 +0000

Nice job, Emma. To help you with number 3, here’s a little Teixeira tribute video from a couple of years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDHjGrbXiD4

I’m sure those two dudes are singing a different tune these days… (I wonder if they’ve worked up a song about Javier Vazquez? I’m sure we could help them… it could have something in there about “first pitch Grand Slammies”) Also, I’m quite sure I saw that red Braves shirt with Teixeira on the back on the discount rack at the mall the other day… 😉

By: chazzyyy

chazzyyy — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:21:35 +0000

In short the quick throws allow you to gain muscle memory quickly, and after years of doing this you may find yourself able to a knuckle from over 100ft, albeit with mixed results. The long tossing of the knuckle is more advanced but will really solidify proper throwing mechanics and deter the classic ‘pushing’ of the pitch that is the fallback too improper gripping / improper finger spring.

By: chazzyyy

chazzyyy — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:18:02 +0000

It took me years of warming up with the knuckle to really nail it, but the biggest key to mastering that I’ve found (and this may seem unhelpful) is to practice it with quick throws, something similar to a “get rid of the ball” infielders drill. This forces you into creating a mental memory of the grip and ‘sprung’ action of the fingers to counter the spin. This helped me get over the hump–and don’t let people tell you the 2 finger is inadequate — it does the trick.

By: Chyll Will

Chyll Will — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:13:19 +0000

[21] I liked how it ended…

By: Will Weiss

Will Weiss — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:58:23 +0000

[0] Good to have you back, Emma. I thought you were going on the Will Weiss Plan for deadline efficiency.

[7] [8] The book on Leiter is that he’s overprepared and very much into Red Bull. It’s not so much self-consciousness, it’s that he has papers strewn everywhere and he can’t locate the information fast enough. I agree with you, though, Cliff. I think the YES analytics team is solid, but I’m with Emma on the continuity factor. For me, knowing I’d be sitting down and having two of the best, Jim Kaat and Ken Singleton, on the mics when the Yankees were on MSG made those telecasts appointment TV.

[16] With you on that. We also have the Long Island Ducks. Carl Everett! Edgardo Alfonzo! For $10, you can see every has-been that’s ever played for the Mets and Yankees looking like Crash Davis.

[18] MLB Network has some major potential, Shaun. Not sure about the Hazel Mae hire, given the Boston ties, but we’ll see. … I DVR’d the Don Larsen perfect game and plan on doing a bit on it for next week’s Yankee Panky. Anyone else watch it? Thoughts?

By: Chyll Will

Chyll Will — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:49:00 +0000

[5] I’m very proud of you, worthy of the ignoring that it has inspired! >;)

I’ll try out “Teixeico” to support your thesis, though at least “Brian Cashman (hasn’t!) sold the farm… ”

Emma, re: No. 7 – Fling it or push it at the plate. I kinda think the knuckleball is the only way in the world where it’s okay to “throw like a girl” >;)

By: moismycopilot

moismycopilot — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:47:47 +0000

[16] [2] I second the SI Yankees suggestion, since their park is a nice place to catch a game. It’s also a lot more accessible to those of us without cars than Scranton is.

I’m also hoping to catch games at both the new Yankee Stadium and the new Shea, and to add a ballpark or two to my total.

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:30:23 +0000

[13] Not to turn this into an insane Charlie Hustle discussion, but IIRC, Rob Neyer wrote an excellent article a couple of years ago showing that even if Rose just bet on the Reds to win, he still ought to be banned. (Or maybe it was someone else, cuz if Neyer wrote it, I can’t find it at espn.com)

Emma, re your #6, if you have TiVo, its really easy to do. For example, I watched all of MLB Hot Stove’s debut last night, except for Seligula’s opening remarks, which I “30-second skipped” a couple of times so as to miss it entirely. (Thanks, TiVo!)

Happy New Year to all! How long until pitchers and catchers again?

By: The Hawk

The Hawk — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:05:45 +0000

[4] good stuff

By: Diane Firstman

Diane Firstman — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:02:09 +0000

[2]

there’s always the Staten Island Yankees …. a nice ferry ride from Manhattan … Stadium right on the water …. family fun all night long.

(Yes, I’m serious …. I’ve been to a few games there)

By: zack

zack — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:57:50 +0000

I’d really like to get to a game this season. Last season, ironically, was the first in, oh, 20 years where I have missed a whole season, and it certainly wasn’t a good feeling. The easy solution to that, of course, would be to move back east. Details, details.

By: Emma Span

Emma Span — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:54:22 +0000

[2] Good idea, unmoderated… we should look into group rates. Maybe that way I’d only have to sell my camera and not, say, my kidney!

[7] I don’t dislike any of the Yankees’ many announcers (though Flaherty, while obviously bright, could stand to show a little more personality) — they just don’t make up the same kind of coherent unit that SNY has. Listening to Hernandez and Cohen and Darling riff off each other is a pleasure even when the game stinks; the YES guys do a solid job, but there’s just not the same kind of joie de vivre…

By: Mattpat11

Mattpat11 — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:49:12 +0000

I actually think Singleton is the best announcer in New York. That game he called by himself a few years back was a pleasure.

As for Rose, my position is sort of nuanced, I guess. As long as they can only prove that he bet on his team to win, I’d let him in. If they can ever prove that he threw games, no way.

By: rbj

rbj — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:44:50 +0000

I guess there’s one benefit to not living in the greater NY area, other newspapers don’t run A-Rod & Madonna stories. I don’t give a hoot about his or Jeter’s off-field extracurricular activities. Just perform on the diamond.

As for #2. No. Does not belong as he broke the most fundamental rule: betting on games in which he had a duty to perform. He’s on the permanently ineligible list, and why should the Hall bring in someone on that list?