Baseball Book Recommendations

A Pitcher's Story (Innings with David Cone)
The Bad Guys Won (Mets)
The Worst Team Money Could Buy (Mets)
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (Red Sox) by Stephen King
A Lifetime of Yankee Octobers (Yankees)
Wild Pitch by Mike Lupica
Heat by Mike Lupica
Faithful (Red Sox) by Stephen King and Stuart O'Nan

Broadway and Baseball

I am so enthralled with baseball and broadway right now. Jen & I headed over to Troy for a Tri-City Valley Cats game. It was Jerry Jennings Bobblehead night!!! Whoohoo! It was a great time. I do wonder why I always end up near the people who know NOTHING about baseball. There should be a rule that you have to know something about a sport before they let you in. We had great seats, first row behind home plate, guess they aren't popular but we enjoyed them. It cut down on all the distractions and let us focus on the game. I have a new favorite #44 J.T. Steele - Centerfield. Anyway, the people behind us.... a girl turned to the guy in the middle of the 8th inning w/ the score tied and said, so we'll go into overtime? OVERTIME are you f*ing kidding me? Baseball has extra innings you moron. Even the guys behind us were dumb.

Not that I know EVERYTHING there is to know, but I understand stats, trivia AND rules. I don't need scary people in costumes of the Tooth Fairy, a chicken, a bunny, and a reindeer @ a baseball game. I'm there to watch the game, people watch a little, eat horrible food and relax. The costumed characters are RIDICULOUS!

I have been to A: Tri-City Valley Cats & Oneonta Tigers games, AA: Albany Colonie Yankees games, AAA: Rochester Red Wings games and MLB: Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Red Sox and White Sox games. I go to watch baseball.... and is it my fault if some of the guys are cute?

As I mentioned before, Jen said Broadway make everything better... and she's right. There is nothing like singing show tunes while you're driving around. Maybe we should take a baseball road trip and tour some stadiums.

I am also enjoying David Cone as a YES commentator. Which is making me re-read "A Pitcher's Story" by Roger Angell. Am I too old to write fan mail?

I am keeping good thoughts and prayers for Bobby Murcer. He's one of my favorite all-time Yankees.

Summer Reading List

I have already begun my summer reading... I'll update as I finish books

Finished:
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCaffrey - quick read, realistic teen angst, good story

Reading:
A Pitcher's Story - Roger Angell
The Last Best League

See a theme?

Jen says....

She posted on her blog today that Broadway makes everything better. I agree. I have been in love with Broadway since the early 90's. Here is probably my all time favorite songs:

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/l/lea_salonga/on_my_own.html

On Broadway I have seen:

Phantom of the Opera
Les Miserables (2x)
Guys and Dolls
Cats
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Blood Brothers
Angels in America Part 1
Angels in America Part 2
Love! Valour! Compassion!
Take Me Out
Beauty & the Beast (2x)
Rent
Rocky Horror Picture Show (4x)
Frogs
By Jeeves
Sunset Boulevard
Damn Yankees
Tommy
Aida
Grease!
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Jesus Christ Superstar


I think that's it...

But I have also seen touring:
Grease!
Miss Saigon
Crazy for You (Toronto)
Hairspray
Rent (3)
Les Miserables (2)
Jesus Christ Superstar (SPAC)
Phantom of the Opera

Summer Vacation

I love summer vacation. I love baseball. I LOVE David Cone. I cannot express how excited I am that Coney is on YES this season. He has been my hero since I was 12.

I still hate Joba Chamberlain. I can't explain it. I went through the drive thru @ Dunkin Donuts this morning and was greeted by a HUGE ASS picture of him next to the menu. YUCK!

Jen and I are doing our best to be social this summer. We're going to a Valley Cats game Monday. I am SUPER excited about the Jerry Jennings bobblehead. I LOVE him. I even went up to him and told him @ McGeary's one night. I had consumed a few beverages first. Ha!

I spent my first official day of Summer Vacation cleaning my apartment. I am trying to decide if I want to move or not. Moving would be a pain in the ass.

The Mets swept the Yanks @ Yankee Stadium. Hehe... Nice way to end the stadium's season. They've never done that before. Gotta love a day/night Yankee Stadium/Shea double header. The Yanks LOST 15 - 6. I am kinda disappointed that I didn't watch it now. I enjoy when the Yanks get their asses handed to them.

I am procrastinating. I should keep cleaning.

More on Willie

Emailing from work again.... Read this great editorial in our local
paper:

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=696894&category=SPORTS&BCCode=&newsdate=6/18/2008

And if the first inning of last night's game is any indication, it's
going to be a LONG season. Reyes showing up the manager in the first
at bat of the first inning as manager??? Come on! Grow up!

Willie had the highest winning percentage of any Mets manager since
Davey Johnson. He must have been doing something right? I'm not
saying that the team didn't need a change, but it's HOW they did it.
They look like clowns. At least when the Yanks higher ups had issue w/
Joe Torre, they were VERY public about it. There was no beating around
the bush. They were unhappy, we knew it.

Maybe the team needs a new GM. Like the article says, he hasn't always
made the best choices. Maybe the owners should look at the integrety
of the game and not just the $$$.

But that's just me....

"And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out..."
--- "Falling Slowly"

Grrrr....

Sorry that rant published so weird. I emailed it from work seeing as how i can't blog from there. Oh well! It was long and took my entire lunch, but I feel so much better!

I watched Omar's press conference. I should have created a drinking game for everytime he said "MY DECISION". He did take some of the responsibility though and said they were a team, it didn't all rest of Willie's shoulders.

From what I read, Jerry Manuel is quite similar in personality to Willie. They need someone like Bobby Valentine or Sweet Lou if they want real change. Valentine drove me crazy, but he riled up the team and got them to the World Series in 2000.

Girardi's job is still in question as well among Yankees fans. Now I love Joe. He was one of my favorites from when he was back on the Cubs. (Remember, I grew up watching the NL) He did great with a young, glorified AAA team in the Marlins. Manager of the Year. But can he manage the Yankees? The media is tough. The fans are tougher. He is a nice guy, hardworking. Can the players he played with respect him in a role of authority?

Brian Cashman is the biggest moron on the planet in my opinion. The GMs have too much power and glory. Steve Phillips is a prime example of that. He meddled too much and had to go. Now, as an analyst on ESPN, he rocks and has great insight. The thrill of press conferences and the power of the trade has given too much power to these guys. They take away too much focus from the game. It's all about the business and the $$$$$. Too much $$$$.

There was a great quote on "The West Wing" years ago about how ball players, men paid to play a game were paid millions of $$$$$ and teachers who are responsible for teaching America's children and building the future of this country, barely make $50K. And we allow it to happen. We spend the $50 on tickets, the $8 beers and $25 or more for t-shirts and caps. I am guilty of it as much as the next guy.

I also have to add, how ironic is it that the All-Star Game which is at Yankee Stadium for the final time and the Red Sox players are leading the votes. Hehe....

Ridiculous

Now I love baseball. Anyone who knows me knows I eat, sleep and
breathe baseball. For those of you who don't, I grew up in a family
where my dad wanted a boy and had three girls. We all like baseball
but none as passionately as me. For the first 17 years of my life I
was a Mets fan. My sister was a Mets fan, it's what I knew. I loved
Neil Allen, Keith Hernandez, Lee Mazzilli, David Cone, Kevin
McReynolds, Dykstra, McDowell, Backman, HoJo, Darling, Mackey Sasser...

At the end of May, 1989, I broke my ankle and spent the nearly the
entire summer on crutches. There was nothing else to do but watch the
Mets (had more day games back then) and read sports books. I became
devoted to reading Mike Lupica every Sunday in the Daily News. The
Mets weren't just ball players, they were my friends. I knew
everything about them, their wives, kids and dogs' names, their
favorite food.... I began studying the history of the game, the magic
of the numbers involved. I knew useless stats and definitions.

When I was 17, after the trade deadline, the Mets put David Cone - MY
ALL TIME FAVORITE ball player on waivers and he cleared, enabling them
to trade him to Toronto. I was heart broken. I had already endured
them trading Dykstra & McDowell for freakin' Juan Samuel, but
this?????? How could they do this to their fans?

I swore then and there I would never be a Met fan again....

If you've cut off the Mets, what else is there??? The Yankees. Growing
up, I had attended the Albany Colonie Yankees games so players like
Bernie Williams and later Derek Jeter had a soft spot in my heart.
Plus the Yanks had signed Paul O'Neil, I knew of him from watching the
National League. In 1995, they traded for David Cone and my love of
the Yankees was official. I discuss my favorite Yankees memories in
another blog, this one is concentrating on the Mets. I will say that
Aaron Boone and ARod are officially the reason I hate the Yankees, but
Randy Johnson & Joba Chamberlain are close behind!

By the late 90's the Mets were interesting again. All of the players I
had ever watched were gone, but they had some fun guys come over like
John Franco, Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile. I had liked Robin Ventura
since 1992 when I saw him play at the Hall of Fame Game (yet another
future blog) and was locked in the theatre with the entire White Sox
team, including Frank Thomas (who I HATE) and Steve Sax. The Mets were
fun again. The 2000 World Series was traumatic in many respects seeing
as Cone was relegated to the bull pen after a horrible season. It was
like he had left everything he had on the field @ Yankee Stadium on
July 18, 1999.

On April 4, 2003, I was sitting in Shea Stadium in a freezing drizzle
watching Cone get his final career win (#194 - I think). He was in a
Mets uniform, right where it had all started.

But the Mets did me a HUGE favor by trading Robin Ventura to the
Yankees for Dave Justice whom I could not stand. Every homerun Robin
hit in 2002, I called my sister and thanked her for. He even made it
to the All-Star game that year.

But the Yankees pulled the same stunt the Mets did, and traded Ventura
to the Dodgers for Bubba Crosby and Scott Proctor because they acquired
Aaron Boone who later hit the improbably homerun to crush the Red Sox
that October. And would tear his ACL in the off season playing pickup
basketball, prompting them to sign A-Rod.

Red Sox Nation, here I come. Now, it's not like I just jumped ship.
My cousin lives in Boston and has season tickets. Since the summer of
2000, I have been going to Fenway to see games. It was a gradual
evolution, mostly because of Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe. But Cone
ended up a Red Sox as well for the 2001 season.

When the Mets brought up David Wright from AAA, they referred to his
all that morning as a YOUNG ROBIN VENTURA. That sealed the deal, I'm a
David Wright fan. 2006 & 5/6th of 2007 were great times to watch the
Mets. Unlike the Yankees which were a collection of primadonnas, they
were fun, scrappy kids. I even grew to LOVE Tom Glavine who had been
the enemy on the Braves.

Now growing up, I never knew who the GMs were. You knew the plays, the
coaches and the manager. The GM and other executives were little
snapshots in the yearbook but meant nothing. Do people realize that
the 1996 World Champion Yankees were a team assembled by then GM Gene
"Stick" Michael and former manager Buck Showalter?

This brings me to my issue with the Mets firing Willie Randolph. He
has the same even keel temperment that Joe Torre had. It worked for
Joe for many years and up till September of last year, it was working
for Willie. It is still my opinion that bringing Rickey Henderson
anywhere near Jose Reyes is what ruined a great player. David Wright
cannot right this ship on his own and the stress of trying has affected
him this year. Billy Wagner is a great closer, better than Benitez or
Braden Looper, but he has days where he's completely mental. Pedro has
been fragile since his Sox days, maybe even before... M. Alou, whom I
adore, is old. El Duque's age has been an enigma for YEARS. Now,
Willie didn't assemble this team. Omar did and while I like Omar, he
needs to shoulder some of the responsibility. Wagner blew three saves
in a row. Willie used him in those situations b/c that's his JOB. But
the patheticness of the Mets right now is not solely Willie's fault.

And the way the management handled it, dismissing him @ 3am our
time???? How childish is that? Willie has always been a class act.
He deserved much better than he got.

I firmly believe the reason the Yanks haven't won a World Championship
since 2000 is because of the team Brian Cashman (or PipSqueek to my
mom). He goes after the players and more often than they'd like to be
reminded, the manuvers don't work out.

If you look at the teams who have been winning since 2000, Arizona, the
Angels, the Cardinals, the Red Sox (twice)... they played "small ball"
and did not live and die by the 3 run HR. They played as a team and
each player contributed. The Mets could have had that if not for last
September but the Yanks will never win it again until they recognize
that flaw and fix it. And by fix it, I do not mean hand the ball to
Joba the Hutt.

Okay, here's the link to an article defending Willie:

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25199779/site/21683474/

"And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out..."
--- "Falling Slowly"

Dating

So, I know a couple people who have had success on Match.com. And I've seen all the comercials, so I decided - hey, why not? I'm not getting any younger and the guy I am interested won't get his head out of his ass.... but that's another story.

Now, cockiness is a turn off for me. It just really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The first guy who I connected with demanded I buy him coffee before he tells me anything about himself and when I asked what he did for a living, he said underwear model. Ewwwww....

Those of you that know me, will recall the Infamous Buffalo Child Molester story from back in 2001. Meeting people on-line still kinda freaks me out and when I was in college I used to do it ALL the time.

The second guy who connected w/ me is from Rhode Island, kinda cute, & 40. Red flag: it says he lives w/ parents/extended family. Hmmm... Rest of his profile sounds normal enough although he is ultra conservative... He sends me a message practially gushing about how wonderful I am and how he thinks I'm worth getting to know. Now, the jaded person in me says this is all a crock of shit and he's desperate... but what if he's genuinely THAT nice? I don't think I could deal with that.

What's wrong with me?

Plus I don't like having to pay money. When I was in college we were in chat rooms for FREE.

But I work in a place that is 99.5% female. I am too shy and quiet to talk to people I don't know. Plus when I do go out w/ my friends, we aren't big fans of other people. LOL

I am going to be the crazy old lady with cats....

DVDSnapshot.com

So far I have reviewed:

My Boy Jack
Big Ideas for a Small Planet - Season 1
The Big Gay Sketch Show - Seasons 1 & 2
Steel City
Churchill
Numb
Jumper

Pay no attention....

to the typos. :-)

Worlds Colide

I've always managed to keep things separate. My friends at work are different than my friends I hang out w/ normally. My friends from high school are separate from my friends from college. Often it's because of location or interest...

But last weekend, I had my family hanging out with my friends in Boston. It was odd. My sisters are actually closer to their ages but it still weirded me out.

This weekend we went to Happy Hour and hung out w/ Live Nation people. It was actually a lot of fun. But BO people and LN people are usually two separate entities.

I am not sure what to make of all this blending.