Some Evening Links

While the General Managers' Meetings continue at the O'Hare Airport Hilton, there's not much worthwhile to pass along other than irresponsible rumor mongering based on vague and non-specific quotes. MLBtraderumors.com can keep you up to date with what's going on outside the nation's busiest airport. Here are some links to get you through the night:

• AL Gold Gloves were announced today. Mark Teixeira took home his third, Derek Jeter his fourth. The gnashing of teeth over this has already begun, but let's remember, the Gold Glove is largely popularity and reputation based and not steeped in the evolving, if imperfect, defensive metrics. Hey, at least a designated hitter didn't win this year.

• Joel Sherman reports that Johnny Damon won't give the Yankees a home team discount. I'm not going to put too much stock into this at this point. First of all, it's based on what Scott Boras says. Secondly, this is typical early posturing in free agent negotiations. Thirdly, we'll continue to discuss this at length here as the Hot Stove League moves on.

• Over at River Ave. Blues, Joe Pawlikowski expresses far more succintly what I was driving at yesterday morning. This morning, Joel Sherman wrote that it appears to be the Yankees' current preference.

• Our buddy Jason at Heartland Pinstripes has a great look back at his favorite moments of this very enjoyable 2009 season.

• Rebecca Glass at This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes has an in depth four part series in an attempt to quantify just what Mariano Rivera has meant to the Yankees in the post-season. She consolidated all four parts into one post over at RAB.

• This one came through BBTF over the weekend (I swear on all that is holy that I don't read OK Magazine). A-Rod's special lady friend's kind-of-dad, Kurt Russell, weighs in on the Yankee third baseman. Normally I would dismiss this as just another Hollywood asshole giving us his opinion on something we didn't ask for in the first place, but Russell actually knows a little baseball, spending three years in the Angels' organization until a shoulder injury ended his career. He's also the uncle of former Met Matt Franco.

• Hideki Matsui reportedly will not return to Japan for next season. Be that as it may, his former club - the Yomiuri Giants - won their 21st Japan Series over the weekend. The Giants have often been called the Yankees of Japan, and not surprisingly, the two clubs have had a collaborative agreement over the past seven years.

• In non-baseball news, the Hockey Hall of Fame held its induction ceremonies yesterday. Earlier this year I took a look at the two inductees with area ties: former Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch and Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello. You can watch the acceptance speeches here, or read about how these two nearly teamed up after the lockout.

That's it for tonight Fackers. See you in the AM.

Off Night Viewing

Hey there Fackers. Once again, sorry for the slow drip of content here today. We're now approaching night three of four Yankee baseball-less nights, so at least we'll have something to talk about again soon. As for me, I've been fairly well tied up at the office today.

The company that employs me was purchased by a British corporation fifteen months ago, just like on Mad Men. The Board of Directors is coming across the pond to meet at our office for the next two days (though I'm not sure how they're traveling, we've worked out a one if by land, two if by sea signaling system). Everyone here has been a bit on edge getting things prepared for the meetings. I'm just hopeful that ours here go better than when the Brits came to visit on Mad Men (jump to the 1:40 mark).

Speaking of television, here are a few options to get you through another night without baseball:

• College Football: #5 Boise State at Tulsa, ESPN 8 PM. The other undefeated Broncos will likely have to stay that way if they expect a trip to a BCS game. This is the first of back-to-back games away from the blue field. Tulsa is 4-1, with their only loss being a 45-0 drubbing against then #2 Oklahoma. This is the first of back-to-back Wendesday night ESPN games for the Golden Hurricanes. Boise State opened the season with a weeknight game on ESPN and someone got punched in the face, so this could be fun.
  
  I spent most of last Saturday at the office getting ready for this week, so I didn't catch much college football. Being at the office did give me access to ESPN360 though, so I was able watch BC get completely destroyed by Virginia Tech while I worked - talk about adding insult to injury. I'm looking forward to watching tonight on an actual television, from the comfort of my own couch, with a few frosty cold ones.



• World Cup Qualifying: USA vs. Costa Rica, ESPN2 7:30 PM. The U.S. has already punched their ticket South Africa for next year's World Cup, so this one isn't of much consequence to them. Costa Rica on the other hand is still trying to hold off Honduras for the third and final guaranteed CONCACAF berth, so they have something to play for. A win clinches that berth for them, a tie and a Honduras win against El Savador tonight forces a tie for the spot.
  
  The U.S. will be without striker (and former BC Eagle) Charlie Davies, who was involved in a horrific one car accident early yesterday morning. Davis required five hours of emergency surgery and will likely miss the World Cup as a result. He was one of the lucky ones; one of the car's passengers did not survive the crash.



• NHL: Kings at Rangers, MSG 7 PM. I haven't yet watched too much hockey this year, but I'll try to catch a bit of this one. New Ranger (and former BC Eagle) Brian Boyle will face his former team in this one. The guy is 6'7" without skates on. The Kings feature Rob Scuderi who played for the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins last year, and the National Champion BC Eagles in 2001. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is a local guy and attended the same prep school as former Ranger (and former BC Eagle) Brian Leetch. The Rangers have a defenseman named Dan Girardi, but I've yet to hear anyone in the NYC media make some sort of poorly conceived connection to the Yankee skipper.



• Yankees Classics: 1976 ALCS Game 5, YES 7 PM. The Chris Chambliss game.



• Lastly, the second episode of the new season of South Park airs on Comedy Central at 10 PM. This one's apparently about Butters, who happens to be my favorite character.

That's it for us tonight. See you in the A.M. In honor of the British coming, here's a little Paul Revere.

Game 79: Blame Canada!

As America celebrates Independence Day weekend, the Yanks host Canada's team, the Toronto Blue Jays. On Wednesday, Canada celebrated Canada Day, marking their independence, also from Great Britain. Canada Day commemorates the British North American Act, passed by British Parliament in 1867, allowing Canada to be a sovereign nation.

So, for a little history recap, in 1775 the American Colonies go to war with Great Britain, declare their independence the following summer, and finish off the Brits in 1783. Meanwhile, our syrup sucking neighbors to the north, also under British rule since the conclusion of the French and Indian War in 1763, sit on their hands all the while, forcing our forefathers to turn to the French - the French of all people! - for military support against the mighty Brits.

After the American Revolution, just as it would for draft dodgers two hundred years later, Canada served as an asylum for American Colonists who had stayed loyal to Britain throughout the Revolution. In the War of 1812, Canada served as Britain's main staging area, and the U.S.-Canadian border was the war's main front.

Finally, in 1867, nearly one hundred years after our forefathers fought for American independence when they wanted it, Canada was given independence when the Brits were damn good and ready to let them have it. No wonder Claude Lemieux and Jason Bay have recently chosen to become American citizens.

So remember, Canada could have been in on the Great Experiment of a Democratic Republic right from the start. Instead they chose to remain British lap dogs for another hundred years.

Back to baseball. A.J. Burnett goes for the Yanks today. For the fourth straight start he'll oppose an organization to which he once belonged. He's been stellar in the last three, going 2-1, posting 0.44 ERA, and allowing just 20 baserunners in 20.1 IP while holding opponents to a .147 average. I'll take more of that today as the Yanks look to start a new winning streak. In one start against Toronto this year, Burnett gave up 5 ER in seven and two thirds, taking the loss.

Brian Tallet and his sweet stache get the ball for the Jays. He's at 5-5 on the year and has an ERA just below league average (96 ERA+). He took a no decision against the Yanks back on May 14th, allowing just two runs but walking five in six innings of work.

Jorge Posada is out of the lineup for the second straight day with a swollen thumb on his catching hand. The Cisco Kid gets what should be one of his final starts as Jose Molina continues his weekend rehab assignment with Scranton.

Enjoy the game. And why did the American Revolution take so long to complete? Blame Canada!



Blame Canada!
They're not even a real country anyway.

Finally

[You can find Part II here]

This is the third winter I've been down in NYC and this is the first real snow storm I've had the pleasure of bearing witness to. Basically every time they've predicted any significant amount of snow, it turned into a wintry mix or missed us completely. I hate wintry mixes. I hate them so much that I think I also hate Christmas music compilations and the rapper Snow by association.

Although the possibility of getting a snow day has long since passed, I still get incredibly excited when we get a healthy ground cover. Far too often growing up, I would watch the weather before I went to bed, and hear Bob Kovachic talk about the slam dunk storm headed our way, only to wake up at 5AM so excited I couldn't sleep, look out, see nothing and cry myself back to sleep. It was soul crushing.

On the other hand, when we did get hit, Sampson and I would suit up and take to the streets. And by "the streets", I mean the 50 acres of common land shared by the residents of Riverview Landing, which borders on the Mohawk River. It is serenely beautiful even when it's not covered in 10 inches of snow. There are cliffs and waterfalls, a run-down pavilion, and paths connecting everything. It's basically fucking paradise to two kids with a couple of stolen cigarettes and a water bottle filled with about two fingers worth of six kinds of liquor (so we wouldn't take too much from one bottle).

Despite the fact that I don't have any boots or snow pants, today, I got up early and took a bunch of pictures in the park. Why? Because you only live once, Fackers.

I'd guess we got about 5 or 6 inches. It was windy, so the accumulation doesn't show up as much as you'd like it to, and my camera kind of sucks, but I still think they came out really well.

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I had to make these smaller because it would have taken me 9 years to upload them all. If you would like a full size one to use for a desktop background or something, email me. If your request meets my politeness requirements, I will send you a picture or two.

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On the way to the park. 75th street, I believe.

This dog was the only life form in Central Park more excited than I was.

The Dakota (and the tip of my glove)
Oops.

Strawberry Fields

You won't believe this, but I had a nice conversation with a girl who was walking her dog, standing right over the spot pictured below. Imagine that. For once, I didn't even throw up like Stan from South Park talking to Wendy Testaburger. If you are out there, you divine being, please identify yourself in the comments as "The Uncontrollably Hot Woman From The Park With The British(?) Accent". Your move.

Daniel Webster was feeling it.

Kind of cool with the statue in the background, no?

My camera doesn't do well with capturing colors, so you really had to be there for this one.

It's not Spring yet, brah.

In The Ramble. Same exact spot as the picture on that link, I believe.

View of the Buildings on Central Park South from the North end of the Pond.

Calling any part of Central Park "Forever Wild" is pretty laughable since it's all man-made and adjacent to one of the most densely populated places on planet Earth.

I have a bit of a San Remo fetish. You can see it from our terrace and almighty Jesus, it makes for some beautiful pictures. The one on the top of this post is of it too.

Looking down Central Park West.

Risked my life for this one. You're welcome.

Columbus Circle.

You know it's the real deal when they've got news crews out.

The snow almost makes our building not look like the shitshow it currently is due to the makeover. Apparently re-surfacing the building gives them the right to change the address. 3 Columbus Circle? We are a block away from the circle. It's 1775 Broadway, assholes. In light of this, I've decided to change our address to 2347 Central Park West.

Oh, you came to this blog to read about sports? Sorry. Maybe next time.

Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

The gentleman on the left is Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, the driving force behind the city's investigation into the shady dealings surrounding the financing of the New Yankee Stadium. The scraggly haired sleazebag in the sunglasses, seen hailing Hitler, is Yankees President Randy Levine. Well today, during the hearings discussing the New Stadium financing...

The legislator, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, lashed out at team president Randy Levine and city economic development chief Seth Pinsky, challenging both to a "civil, in-your-face fistfight" over public financing of the stadium.

He added, "Mrrraah, ya see! Put up your dukes or I've got a good mind to knock ya teeth in, pal!" I got news for you Brodsky, where I come from (umm, here) fistfights aren't "civil". Too few things nowadays get settled with some good old fashioned fisticuffs. Now let's make this happen.

Here's the plan:

1. Give them two weeks to train
2. Set up a ring in the Old Stadium
3. Have the outcome of the hearings hinge on the result of the fight
4. XXXXXXXXX
5. Profit

Fool proof, I tell you. Golden Boy, make this happen! It will make Mayweather vs. Pacquiao look like chump change.

Brodsky says: "Bring it on, bitch".

If this happens, I've already prepared a reaction.