Thursday, April 16, 2009

Game 10: Time To Move On

[Even if you don't feel like reading this whole post, feel free to use it as a game thread, as many of the usual suspects will be around providing the obligatory John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman jokes.]

Thanks to the heroics of the one and only Derek Sanderson Jeter last night, the Yankees come into their home opener with a winning record. The pitching match-up today squares up the 2007 & 2008 AL Cy Young winners, both of whom picked up the award with Cleveland. CC Sabathia had Cliff Lee both had poor first starts this year, but in their second appearances Sabathia shut down the Royals, while Lee continued to stumble against the Blue Jays.

In other news, Xavier Nady is scheduled for an exam on his injured elbow today, which all signs indicate lead to season ending surgery. We along with many others have been clamoring for Nick Swisher to be given the starting RF job, but it's unfortunate that is what officially precipitated it. The injury to Nady weakens the bench pretty dramatically this year and Jason from IIATMS looks into the long term implications. The Yanks still have four guys in Swisher, Gardner, Melky and Damon who could all play any OF postion if necessary, but the removal of Nady means more Melky Cabrera, which pretty much no one beside his mother is looking forward to.

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Most importantly, however, is that today marks the opening of the New Stadium. We gave you our impressions from the first exhibition game against the Cubs, and since then a number of other posts have been far more critical of the place. I understand these view points and of course there are some things I don't like about the place either.

Reading some of those posts, however, I felt like there was a certain sense of pride in not liking the New Stadium. Like that's what makes you a real Yankees fan. We're pretty cynical and irreverant around these parts, but forgive me if I'm the only one who is a little excited about having a beautiful brand new building to watch one of my favorite teams at. I went to a decent number of games at the Old Stadium (50+), which is probably a drop in the bucket compared to some other people, so maybe I just don't have the same connection or nostalgia associated with it.

The New Stadium isn't perfect, and it's never going to be the Old Stadium, but I think it's pretty fucking nice. Let's not forget that a lot of things that are better:
  • There are more and better options for food
  • The concourses in the Upper Deck are open-air
  • You can see the game when you are walking around and take in a ton of different vantage points
  • The big screen in CF is incredible
  • It's clean, bright and well lit
  • The entrance way looks like part of a museum
  • The bathrooms aren't nearly as disgusting
  • The bleachers have been transformed from a holding cell in CF to, in my opinon, the best part of the park all things considered
  • The facade is prominently featured, and pretty beautiful
  • The Bleachers Cafe is a pretty awesome place to grab a bite to eat

As New York sports fans, we've been walking the corridors and sitting in the seats of shitty, outdated Stadiums for a long time.

It's time to move on, time to get going,
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing,
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing,
It's time to move on, its time to get going.

(It's a cover version. Sorry)







[Note: We've embedded a drunken correspondent, Big Willie Style, to capture some images and the atomosphere of the game today. The best part: He's bringing an actual camera this time, so if he somehow infiltrates a luxury box again, it won't look like there was a fog machine running!]

61 comments:

  1. I'm just pissed about about the netting issue. I can't believe they were so stupid so overlook it considering the fact that they own a television network.

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  2. Let's see how it plays on TV...

    Oh wait, I can't because they are gonna cut the MLB.tv coverage before the first pitch. FUCK.

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  3. (Didn't watch either of the exhibitions on TV)

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  4. HELL YEAH! Feels like the season is officially starting!

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  5. Yeah, it really does. Watching three other teams' Opening Days has been painful.

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  6. Kelly fucking Clarkson? Seriously?

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  7. They tried for Taylor Hicks, but he was busy.

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  8. Finally, finally, FINALLY baseball is officially underway. There's only one team that matters, and I won't apologize for feeling that way. Ever.

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  9. I'm out...DVRing. No updates please!

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  10. Get em Kelly! I'm anti American Idol but she's wearing my jacket and she kinda killed it. Yea I went there.

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  11. Randy Jackson thinks she used too much falsetto, dawg.

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  12. Now this is baseball! Enough of the idiotic boos of Teix and cowbells.

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  13. Roll Call, I've missed you so.

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  14. They brought along Harold Reynolds to make sure you don't miss out on too much of the idocy.

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  15. I support H.R. and naked hugs (not necessarily in a package deal)

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  16. "And that's the first time some asshole announcer will announce the first meaningless something or other at the New Yankee Stadium."

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  17. oh good, a nerd at a desk. Thanks mlb.tv. "For more of this game, you are not allowed to watch if you are in New York City. But you can watch me talk about my text messages. So, you know, you have that going for you.... and boom goes the dynamite."

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  18. The only Opening Day I ever attended was started for the Yanks by one Carl "The American Idle" Pavano

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  19. I can't wait for Pavano to start Sunday at the stadium. I am sure he will get a warm welcome.

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  20. Cliff - If by "warm reception" you mean "battery shower" I agree.

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  21. "Chris Jacobaow--..... noooo chance I'm getting that name" -- Wailin Suzyn, you are a legend in your own time

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  22. Cliff - if by "warm reception" you mean "golden shower" I agree.

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  23. @ Grib - That's better.

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  24. Oh CBS radio commercials, I have decidedly not missed you.

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  25. David Wells is in the bleachers. That is fucking awesome.

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  26. Boomer should be given a permanent seat out there. He could be like the mascot we never had.

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  27. He'd be drunker than the Dartmouth mascot

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Keggy_the_Keg.JPG/396px-Keggy_the_Keg.JPG

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  28. Suzy - "Grady Sizmorah, he can hit, he can run, he can hit home runs..."

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  29. Sterling seems to think there are Hawaiian Restaurants in NYC... Can anyone verify this?

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  30. Was hoping for a pig roasted underground in palm fronds. And possibly some pineapple.

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  31. Cody Ransom's best play ever.

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  32. Cody Ransom, bitches!

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  33. When discussing the score board control room Michael Kay just said, ""It's like the Jetson's have invaded the Bronx." I love him.

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  34. @Laura - Hopefully when they invaded, they did so with their flying cars. I've been waiting a long time for those.

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  35. I just want a Rosie the Maid!

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  36. Any TV watchers, was the throw worthy of the heart attack it just gave Sterling?

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  37. The Posada throw-out? It was a good throw. Michael Kay kept it in check though - but apparently Bud also got really excited off camera. They are just talking about how it was a good throw because it was Sizemore stealing.

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  38. Yeah, the Posada one. Nice. That is encouraging after watching TB run all over Jorgie.

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  39. Fuck me. Bud Selig is in the radio booth.

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  40. Hip, Hip...

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  41. Yes Bud Selig was in the booth. Now the new Archbishop of NYC is in the booth... Why?

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  42. They are swapping the guests, then. You might be in for some Bernie Williams shortly.

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  43. Followed by Nellie. What happened during my Subway break besides Jorge honnronn?

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  44. Bud Selig had some grandiose praise for the New Stadium and said they Yankees were being unfairly criticized for their ticket prices

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  45. Bernie Williams was in there earlier. I love Bernie but Michael Kay wouldn't shut the fuck up about his new album.

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  46. But Frank, he plays Take Me Out To The Ballgame!!!! Isn't that GREAT???

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  47. Phil Coke w/the bases loaded, oooooohhhhhhboyohboyohboy....

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  48. fackin jose fackin veras loves fackin walking fackers. fack him.

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  49. I just came back from a meeting, did I miss anything?

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  50. I left to go to a meeting and it was 1-0, I come back and it is 10-1 what the hell?!?!?

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  51. Hahah, Laura, were we at the same meeting?

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  52. @Jay, that's pretty funny but I didn't see you there.

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  53. @Josh - Best. Chant. Ever.

    @Laura - Yeah, I'm in NYC not DC, but that would be some shit...

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  54. What Would O'Neill Do - a new show currently being pitched by Michael Kay. Glad they're over the game as much as the rest of America.

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  55. Well that was crappy.

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