2009 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Back to the Stadium on Saturday!  Batter's eye (on, not IN) seats, which should be neat!

The oversized mall with a steakhouse you mean.

Even in her present state, the REAL Stadium looks better.

[pilferk]

We had a GREAT time....save for the final outcome of the game.

I can't get enough of the Yankee museum.  I notice something new every time we walk through.

The line for momument park is UNREAL (we skipped it this time..but I'll be back on the 18th).  20 minutes after the gates opened, it was mammoth in size.

The seats, on top of the batters eye, were really an interesting spot to watch a game.  We really liked 'em, and I think they're well worth the discount price...but hell if I'd pay $100 apiece for 'em. 

Got to see a couple of home runs head toward us (one in each bullpen) that made you jump out of your seat.  Tex's home run was a SHOT to the 2nd deck off to our left.  Got to see a nice comeback, was REALLY excited when Mo came out to pitch, thinking we had a good shot in the bottom of the 9th...and quickly wanted to hide from the shelling.  Ah well, he came back well on Sunday, and later we found out he'd had the stomach flu for the 24 hours previous.  Hell if I coulda done that well after puking for the entire day before.

Watched a TB fan, who was in the bleachers to our right, and VERY vocal, take a couple of "beer baths" during the Yanks rally.  Guess he got the last laugh, though.

Melky threw us up a ball during batting practice (which I caught WITHOUT a glove, I might add).  Happy Birthday to me!

The Cheesesteaks are REALLY good (whiz, wit for me, American witout for my wife) as were the garlic fries.  The stinking credit card machines crapped out early in the game, though...and of course we hadn't brought much cash (we use our Visa check card, mostly)....so I had to go on a atm hunt and pay the ridiculous service fee.

$5 bottles of water, when the beer is only $6 (at some places for some sizes) might be a little nuts.  Next time, I bring my own sealed bottle in, and fill at the fountains!

Apparently one application of SPF 50 sunscreen will STILL result in sunburn..but not agony inducing sunburn.

All in all, a great birthday present!

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Even with the number of balls flying out of the bandbox, none have been hit into the 3rd deck.


They should have at least tried to bring the tier level in around the foul poles.

[pilferk]

Even with the number of balls flying out of the bandbox, none have been hit into the 3rd deck.


They should have at least tried to bring the tier level in around the foul poles.

Tex has hit a couple that have been REALLY close to the 3rd deck in Right.  One has bounced off the upper fascade over the party suites, and one has bounced INTO a party suite.  There's ONE other I remember (but can't remember who hit it..Damon, maybe...Right has been his bitch) hitting off the fascace JUST out of reach of someone reaching out from the 3rd deck (man, you gotta be BRAVE to make that stretch).

Someone will hit one there, eventually.  It's not like the upper-deckers were super common at the old house, either. 

Next game, on the 18th, we're in 3rd row, bleachers section 203....the heart of bleacher creature country. Should be a blast.  Barring rain outs pushing the rotation back or injuries shuffling things, Joba is scheduled to pitch that day.  I'll have seen Wang (in the 22-4 debacle), CC, and Joba...just missing Andy and AJ.

[pilferk]

Are you gonna sing with the Creatures?!  I love that tradition!  The Roll Call is fun, but it's no Gangbang Song.

You sorta have to, don't you?

"Box seats suck, Box seats suck".

[cotis]

Yanks smacked the Mets up today, 9 runs off Santana.



anyone want to join a fantasy baseball league? Yahoo MLB Fantasy. draft tomorrow at 4PM. let me know! have 4 open spots still!

[cotis]

Yeah but the Mets are your bottom boys.

You guys need to figure out how to beat the Sux.

You ain't kiddin. I mean, we'll win atleast one right? Haha, I would put money on them going at it hard when BOS comes to YS next time...

Wang won't be starting anymore, the offense will back up CC and AJ will bounce back like he did today.

[pilferk]

You ain't kiddin. I mean, we'll win atleast one right? Haha, I would put money on them going at it hard when BOS comes to YS next time...

Wang won't be starting anymore, the offense will back up CC and AJ will bounce back like he did today.

I thought Wang was going to get one more start on Wednesday??  Maybe things changed over the weekend....

And...while the 0-8 record DOES hurt, by the same token we're only 2 games behind them in the standings.  That means that we're 6 games better than them vs "everyone else".  If we can pick up just 2 or the remaining 10 (and you gotta hope we can do better than that) and keep our pace over everyone else, we should be in good shape.

I mean, even WITH the losses, we've got the 2nd best record in the AL (as of this morning).  They hurt, but they're not crippling (yet).

Back to the stadium this Thursday for the Nats game.  We should win THAT one, right?

[cotis]

You ain't kiddin. I mean, we'll win atleast one right? Haha, I would put money on them going at it hard when BOS comes to YS next time...

Wang won't be starting anymore, the offense will back up CC and AJ will bounce back like he did today.

I thought Wang was going to get one more start on Wednesday??  Maybe things changed over the weekend....

And...while the 0-8 record DOES hurt, by the same token we're only 2 games behind them in the standings.  That means that we're 6 games better than them vs "everyone else".  If we can pick up just 2 or the remaining 10 (and you gotta hope we can do better than that) and keep our pace over everyone else, we should be in good shape.

I mean, even WITH the losses, we've got the 2nd best record in the AL (as of this morning).  They hurt, but they're not crippling (yet).

Back to the stadium this Thursday for the Nats game.  We should win THAT one, right?

Wang is getting another start Wednesday -- if he can't beat the Nationals then I say goodbye to him. If he doesn't perform -- Hughes will be in the rotation.

I think it's amazing that despite all the loses to them, as you said, we've still got the 2nd best record in the AL. A lot of people refuse to eithet remember or acknowledge that.

I'm going to a few games against Baltimore in July and one other one, I forget right now. How have you liked it so far?

[pilferk]

I'm going to a few games against Baltimore in July and one other one, I forget right now. How have you liked it so far?

I like it, from a "place to see a game" perspective.  But I've been in pretty good seats, so far.  I've done the Audi Club (which is that glassed in area in Left Field...and includes free food and beverage (but not booze,normally) twice, and on top of the batters eye, once (which was a neat place to watch a game, worth what WE paid for them, but nowhere NEAR worth "face" at $125 a seat). 

Lots to see and check out.  I LIKE monument park, but some people think it feels too much like a cemetary.  The Yankee museum is neat, and every time I walk through I notice something different.

Food has been top notch.  The stuff in the Audi Club is REALLY good, but even the regular park offerings (Cheesesteaks and Garlic Fries.....drool) are very good.  Prices are..well...ball park prices.  $5 for a bottle of water (ye gods), $10 for a cheesesteak, $6 for a dish if ice cream...you get the drill.  There are some affordable options (a $3 hot dog, a $6 beer) though, if you look around.

And the park, itself, is beautiful.  Love the great hall, love the exterior fascade and the frieze along the upper rim.  Just a nice setting, overall, IMHO.

Thursday in the bleachers should be cool.  Nice to visit the creatures this season! Hope the weather holds out.  Then my wife and I go in August, 2nd row, Right field, right behind the Sony sign in Section 107.  I'm REALLY looking forward to that one.

[cotis]

How much did the Audi Club seats put you back?

[pilferk]

How much did the Audi Club seats put you back?

Ummm....free?   Got them through a friend, both times.  We'll do THAT again, next year.

You can get them for $140 face, or $100 when they're on e-saver (the yanks discount program)

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ticketing/esaver.jsp

The $100 is WELL worth it.  The food is offered starting 2 hours before game time and runs through the 7th..it's all you care to eat...and it's GOOD stuff.  Soft shelled crab, flank steak, shrimp, rotisserie chicken, high end, really good stuff.  There's usually something offered like sliders, or sausage and peppers, too.  And the desserts are awesome.   It's sorta set up like a buffet, but not really.  There's like 5 or 6 cooking stations, each offering 2 or 3 selections (+ starch and veggie), everything is made right there while you watch. PLUS there's a couple different areas set up with a whole bunch of different breads AND a station set up with different salads and desserts.  OH, and a couple tables set up with hot dogs/buns/fixins...so you can get that game day hot dog fix.  All the coffee, tea, soda, water....whatever...you can drink.  They have a full bar, and beer, but that's extra.  Still, beer was only $6 (and I only had to buy booze on my 2nd trip) if you bought bottles, which isn't too bad.  I think draft was a little bit more.

And the seats are neat.  Its a 3 tiered area (the game day seats are...but there's a full "restaurant style seating" area behind those seats), but the tiers are set about 3 feet (height wise) apart...so you're not staring at anyone's head.  The furthest seat (the 3rd tier) is set about 12 feet from the glass, I'd guess...and you're RIGHT on top of left field, fair side of the foul pole (mostly..some seats I think are JUST foul).  They're not IDEAL seats....but they're comparable to main level seats, which are pretty darn good.  You eat at your seat: There's a full place setting there, complete with salt and pepper, and a little piece of Yankee Stadium sod as a centerpiece (which, FYI, you can't keep...I asked).

We had a blast.  The first time was for the Friday night cubs exhibition and it was with the guy who provided the tickets, me, and one of our mutual friends.  Great time, and the "ticket guy" picked up the bar tab.  The second time was with my wife....for the 22-4 Wang debacle.  Wasn't much of a game to watch, but it was a GREAT "date night".  We had fun in SPITE of the game.

My only complaint is that you do feel a bit removed from the action.  Crowd noise is much less, and it's a much more subdued atmosphere up there.  That's not to say everyone up there are sticks in the mud..they're not.  But it's not like down in the bleachers, let me tell ya.  Still, you can leave the area and go walk around the concourses during the game if you want to feel a little closer to the action.  Just keep your ticket with you.  They're REALLY particular about who walks into the "welcome area" for the club.  We were asked to see tickets (and saw others likewise asked) more times than I've EVER been asked, before.

[faldor]

I went to Philly this past weekend and caught the Phils/Sox game on Saturday night.  There was an hour rain delay or so after the 1st inning which kind of sucked.  Although our seats were towards right field and underneath the overhang so we never got wet, so that was nice.  But they stopped selling beer in like the 3rd inning, although maybe that saved me a couple of bucks in the long run.  Sox won, so it was a successful trip overall.  Nice park, and nice Philly fans too.  I had heard some horror stories but I thought they were just fine.  One thing I will say about the city itself, they're obviously known for their Philly Cheese Steaks.  Well we went to the 2 hotspots in town, Geno's and Pat's.  I got mine from Pat's and I've gotta say I wasn't all that impressed.  I mean it was good, but I had heard so many mouthwatering good things about them that it just didn't live up to the hype.  I actually got a cheese steak inside the stadium that I thought was a lot better.


An aside, Sox are going with a 6 man rotation for the time being with Smoltz coming back.  See how things play out, if Dice K can right the ship or not.  Can Penny keep pitching well?  What will Smoltz bring to the table?  How long will Clay Buchholz continue to terrorize AAA hitters?  Awaiting answers for all the aforementioned questions.  One thing I know for sure, it's good to have pitching depth.  I hope they don't trade away from a position of strength just because they have that depth.  Not unless it clearly makes the team better.  Right now I don't see a deal that would make that happen.

[pilferk]

Supposedly, they've put Penny on the trading block...we'll see if there are any takers.

Incidently.....looks like rain at the Stadium tomorrow...and cold.  Gonna be a crappy day to take in a game, especially from the bleachers.

Ahhh well.....what are you gonna do.

[faldor]

Supposedly, they've put Penny on the trading block...we'll see if there are any takers.

Incidently.....looks like rain at the Stadium tomorrow...and cold.  Gonna be a crappy day to take in a game, especially from the bleachers.

Ahhh well.....what are you gonna do.

I don't think they'll trade Penny anytime soon.  It'd be foolish to do so at this point when you don't know what you're gonna get from Smoltz and Dice K is struggling mightily.  And while Clay is ripping it up at Pawtucket, that's a far cry from the big show, so who knows how he'd do with the big club.  At this point the only real glaring need on the team is for a SS and I don't think the options out there are very attractive or plentiful.  Maybe a 4th OF, but you're not trading Penny for a 4th OF.  Now that Ortiz has started to hit, the need for a power hitter has been lessened, so a trade is no longer necessary.  Unless they get the right deal, of course.  So far, I haven't heard anything close to the "right" deal.  Ken Rosenthal said the Sox discussed trading Takashi Saito to the Rangers for Hank Blalock but Texas backed off when Josh Hamilton got hurt.  So Penny isn't alone on that block.  But I don't see anything happening until the offers are increased a bit.

[AxlsMainMan]

Jays swept the defending champs

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Went to my seventh Dodger game last night.

I'm 6-1!

And if my friend doesn't work on Sunday, we are heading down to Anaheim to catch the third game of the Freeway Series.

I love baseball.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Anyone still following baseball?

[AxlsMainMan]

I was hoping to catch Joba pitch against the Jays in August, but I'll be seeing Tool then

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Joba...nothing special.  All hype, no game.