Yankees visit Virginia Tech

Love em or hate em, the New York Yankees are doing a wonderful thing today.

Following the tragedy last year, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner pledged $1 million to the Virginia Tech “Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund,” while promising to set aside a date during the 2008 Spring Training schedule to visit the campus and embrace the student body.

The Yankees are scheduled to play a seven-inning game at 3 PM ET today, and it can be seen for free live on MLB TV.

Earlier today Jeter, Arod and the whole team made a pilgrimage to the Virginia Tech memorial dedicated to the victims of the campus shootings. Here are some photos courtesy of the AP.

During batting practice, the Yankees will wear caps in the maroon color of Virginia Tech, with a Yankees logo out front and a VT logo on the side. During the exhibition game, the Yankees will wear their official cap with a maroon VT logo on the side.

After batting practice, the Yankees will autograph their caps, to be auctioned by the university.

(photos courtesy of the New York Post)

 

Take that, Mice !!

Asked what he thought about Jonathan Papelbon’s critiquing of him over his Red Sox Nation comments, Hank Steinbrenner fired back:

“Being insulted by Papelbon is like being attacked by a mouse,” Steinbrenner told The Post.

“John Henry and I traded a couple of jabs good-naturedly,” he added. “So now, all of a sudden, this player, this 20-something kid who really doesn’t know his way in the world, comes out with a personal insult. There’s no excuse for that.”

“It was nothing personal against John [Henry], nothing personal against Larry [Lucchino], nothing personal against [Terry] Francona, nothing personal against the team or the fans,” Steinbrenner said. “It was just a general comment that is the truth. I respect the Red Sox and their fans, but the Yankees are the most popular team in American sports. Ask Jerry Jones in Dallas, he’ll tell you that. That’s why they want to do business with us. So it’s just a fact.”

 

ESPN “Celebrates” Yankee Stadium

So word came out last week that ESPN will celebrate the memory of Yankee Stadium by running a series of 30 vignettes to mark the final season of the current Yankee Stadium. The series, called “Remembering the House that Ruth Built,” will feature 10 episodes (one each day) starting March 22 and leading up to Opening Day, another 10 before the All-Star Game and another 10 before the regular-season finale.

Now hearing this news, I was ecstatic to hear that I would see some classic moments of the most storied team winning some Pennants and World Titles at Yankee Stadium. And then I saw the list of the first 10 subjects:

April 18, 1923 – first game at Stadium; Babe homers, Bosox lose. Okay, first game at the Stadium, good choice.
Sept. 30, 1927 – Babe hits his record 60th home run of the season. A historical moment in baseball history, good choice as well.
Nov. 10, 1928 – Knute Rockne urges a win for Gipper; Irish respond. What the fuck ?
June 19, 1936/June 22, 1938 – Schmeling upsets Louis; Louis KOs Schmeling. What the fuck ? x2
July 4, 1939 – Lou Gehrig considers himself lucky. Oh yes, can’t leave out a dying man’s speech.
Nov. 9, 1946 – Army and Notre Dame play to a scoreless tie. Holy fucking shit. A scoreless tie ??? How was that left off the top SportsCenter highlites of all time ?
June 13, 1948 – Babe Ruth makes his final public appearance in a Yankees uniform. A moment every Yankee fan loves to celebrate.
Aug. 17, 1948 – Ruth lays in state for two days. Can’t leave out Ruth’s dead body laying at Yankee Stadium for 2 days.
June 25, 1952 – Sugar Ray Robinson loses to Joe Maxim. Are you fucking kidding me ?
Oct. 4, 1955 – Johnny Podres tosses a shutout; Dodgers win Series. Yankees losing game 7 to Brooklyn.

So let’s recap:
4 things that don’t even involve the Yankees.
3 moments of Yankee deaths/farewell.
2 Babe Ruth homers in fairly meaningless games.
1 game 7 loss by the Yankees.

It’s not like the Yankees won the World Series 16 times in those first 32 years or anything.

And I’ll tell you what. I can’t wait for Game 6 & 7 of the 2004 ALCS to be shown in entirety, uncut with special commentary by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

Fuck you ESPN.

 

2008 MLB Predictions

This is how we see the 2008 MLB season going down.

AL East:
New York Yankees – Pitching “problems” are greatly exaggerated for this rotation and that offense is still the best in the league.
AL Central:
Detroit Tigers – Some questions about the health of their rotation but that offense is too strong for the rest of that division.
AL West:
Seattle Mariners – I like their rotation more than the Angels’ staff, and I think this might be the closest race in the end with Seattle taking the west.
Wild Card:
Boston Red Sox – They come back with pretty much the same team as last year and should have no problem grabbing the Wild Card.
Sleeper Pick:
Tampa Bay Rays – They are much stronger than a lot of people think and if managed right could upset the big powers in the AL East.
AL MVP:
Alex Rodriguez

NL East:
New York Mets – The rotation looks very good and that offense is as explosive when healthy so I see them taking the toughest division in the NL.
NL Central:
Chicago Cubs – Possibly the strongest lineup in the NL but the pitching must remain healthy.
NL West:
Los Angeles Dodgers – With Torre on board and a weak division overall, I see the Dodgers pulling it out in the end.
Wild Card:
Atlanta Braves – I really like this team over the Phillies and I think down the line they will win the pressure games against them.
Sleeper Pick:
San Diego Padres – In the weak NL West, I really like their pitching to win some close games and cause some upsets.
NL MVP:
Mark Teixeira

Playoffs:

Division Series:
New York Yankees defeat Detroit Tigers
Boston Red Sox defeat Seattle Mariners

New York Mets defeat Los Angeles Dodgers
Chicago Cubs defeat Atlanta Braves

Championship Series:
New York Yankees defeat Boston Red Sox
New York Mets defeat Chicago Cubs

World Series:
New York Yankees defeat New York Mets

 

Joba Chamberlain on Jim Rome’s show