Mets @ Dodgers

Ike doubled and moved to third on a sac fly. Ike scored on Murphy's flyout, 1-0 Mets! Murphy doubled and scored on a sac fly by Thole, 2-0. Torres singled in the sixth, stole second, and took third on a wild throw. Wright was walked and Ike drilled a 3-run shot, 5-0 Mets!!! Bobby Parnell relieved Santana and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning as the Mets won their fourth straight.

The Death of Detroit

How a Major League Team Contributed to a City's Decline

On October 27, 1997, the Detroit Tigers announced a plan to build a brand new stadium, Comerica Park, to be opened in time of the third millennium. The public (city of Detroit) paid $189,000,000 out of the $300 million allotted for construction of the stadium.

The city, deeply in debt, is now realizing the pain.

The "Era of Expansion" has taken Detroit as it's victim. The historic stadium, built in 1912 and demolished back in 2008, could have been restored instead, with the majority of costs for stadium restorations paid for by the Tigers.
We are entering a new phase in baseball. In this year alone, Fenway Park turned 100 and Dodger Stadium turned 50. In two more years, Wrigley Field will also reach the century mark.

Preserving history not only saves the culture of days gone by and presents it to newer generations; it also saves the money of the cities and organizations that would otherwise pay for these new ballparks.

The money that Detroit spent on Comerica Park could (and should) have been spent revitalizing the downtown area and helping the city, not wasted on a new ballpark that the Tigers' didn't need.

Tiger Stadium (top) and Comerica Park

 

Yankees vs. White Sox

Curtis Granderson homered in the first, 1-0! Swisher doubled and DeWayne doubled, 2-0. DeWayne homered, 3-0. Canò homered, 4-0. Jake Peavy finished the ninth but the Yanks won 4-0.

Mets @ Dodgers

In the third Torres and Tejada singled and Wright singled, 1-0 Mets! Ike had a sac fly to score a run but Wright was tagged out trying to take second, 2-0 Mets.

In the fifth, Tejada doubled, Duda had an RBI single, Wright and Duda scored on a double by Murphy, 5-0 Mets.

In the sixth, Josh Thole singled and moved to second of Dickey's sac bunt. Ruben Tejada was (in my opinion, as in the opinions of the SNY announcers), intentionally hit, and Aaron Harang was replaced by Shawn Tolleson. David Wright grounded to short to end the inning on a force play at second.

Ike doubled in the seventh and moved to third on Duda's single. Daniel Murphy socked a three-run shot to right, 8-0 Mets! Tejada singled and drove in another run, 9-0 Mets.

Jeremy Hefner came on in the ninth to relieve R.A. Dickey and pitched a scoreless inning to give the Mets an easy 9-0 victory over the Dodgers on this beautiful Saturday morning.

"Dodging" The Bullet

2012 marks the 50th Anniversary of the historic venue, Dodger Stadium. As the Mets play the Dodgers this series, I thought I would reflect on the history and future of the ballpark.

In the late '50's and early 60's, the stadium was built, using entirely private funds, and the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, playing their first few seasons in the Los Angeles Memorial Colessium.

On Opening Day, April 11, 1962, the Dodgers played their first game, and the next day they won their first game at the stadium. It has hosted eight World Series, (including four Dodger victories), and the 1980 All Star Game.

The stadium has survived the "era of expansion" as I have dubbed it, where new stadiums seem to be popping up everywhere: New Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Oriole Park Camden Yards, PETCO Park, and Marlins Park, amoung many, many more.

Recently renovated, the stadium looks as if it could actually reach the 100-year mark, which would make it (in my opinion), the last stadium to do so. If their respective teams have the right ownership and continue to invest money into renovations for their stadiums every 40-50 years, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium can last forever.

And quite honestly,

I wouldn't want it any other way.

Dodger Stadium, 50 years young.

White Sox @ Yankees

The struggling, desperate Yankees turned to rookie Adam Warren to try to breathe life into a decrepit rotation and dying team...

Derek Jeter led off the first with a double and Curtis Granderson homered to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead!

A-Rod doubled in the second and Swisher singled. Andruw Jones doubled to score two and the Yankees led 4-0.

A.J. Pierzynski drilled a solo shot in the second, 4-1.

Gordan Beckham had a double in the third, 4-3. Youkilis grounded out to tie the game.

Chris Stewart laid down a bunt single to lead off the home third but was thrown out trying to steal.

Paul Konerko homered to lead off the fourth, 5-4 Sox.

Alex Rios singled, stole second and then took third on a bad throw. AJ singled, 6-4 Sox.

Warren departed in the third with two men on and one out. David Phelps relieved him and promptly struck out thirst man before inducing a groundout to end the inning.

Swisher singled and Jones doubled in the fourth. Layne Nix doubled to tie the game at 6. Stewart grounded out, Derek Jeter flew out and Granderson walked. Tex grounded out to end the inning.

AJ homered again 7-6 Sox.

The Sox scored on an RBI single from Alex Rios in the sixth, 8-6.



Stewart doubled on an error in the sixth. Ramírez homered, 10-6 Sox. Tex doubled and A-Rod singled. Canó singled to score a run, 10-7! Ramirez had a double, 13-7. They won 14-7 against the Yanks.

Mets @ Dodgers

In the first inning, Tejada doubled and Wright followed suit, 1-0 Mets.

David Wright socked a solo shot in the fourth, 2-0 Mets!!

Jonathan Herrera had an RBI triple in the fourth with no outs, 2-1. Juan Rivera singled to tie the game at 2.

Mike Nickeas singled in the fifth, Young laid down a sac bunt, and Andres Torres doubled to score Nickeas, 3-2 Mets!!

Young departed in the seventh and Tim Byrdak replaced him.

Wright walked for his 581st walk, setting a Mets record in the eighth inning.

Jon Rauch induced a critical double play in the eighth to preserve the Mets' lead!

Bobby Parnell pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning and the Mets defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on this wonderful Thursday night, (or ist Friday morning?)

White Sox vs. Yankees

The Yankees loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth, but Eric Chavez grounded out to end the inning.

Alejandro DeAza homered with two outs in the fifth, 1-0 White Sox.

Granderson doubled in the fifth and A-Rod doubled him home with a ball just over the head of Jermaine Dye to tie the game at 1!!! Cano followed suit and the Yankees took a 2-1 lead!!! This tied Cano for 12th place on the all-time Yankee doubles list.

Tex homered in the eighth, 3-1!!

Clay Rapada botched a double play in the ninth, and D-Rob surrendered a 3-run shot to Viciedo that essentially ended the game, 4-3 Sox.

Why the Yankees Need a Trade...NOW!

Andy Pettitte has a career ending injury
CC Sabathia is on the DL
Failing Fred just plain sucks
Hiroki Kuroda is too erratic
The Yankees offense just flat out sucks

Does this sound like a winning team to you?

That's why the Yankees need a trade, NOW!

And the man of the hour is...Zack Greinke.

I have to say it, I was dead wrong. As far back as I can recall, I always felt Greinke was an overrated player whose wins were the product of his offense. That is hardly the case as of late, however.

The Yankees have a few pieces that are expendable, namely.

Nick Swisher-The Steinbrenner's are trying to cut payroll and the consensus amoung sports journalists is that that includes letting Swisher walk following the season. If that is the case, the time is right.

Andruw Jones-The borderline Hall of Famer still has a lot of talent that can add to a contending team's playoff chances. However, with DeWayne Wise, Granderson, and Raul Ibanez, his time is running out.

Eric Chavez-Chavez has played great this season, but at age 34, he's no spring chicken. With Laynce Nix and Eduardo Nunez waiting in the wings, his tenure in New York is nearing the end.

Chris Stewart-Backup catchers are always expendable, and Cervelli is waiting.

Freddy Garcia-Despite, (or perhaps, because of) the fact that his performance has deemed him worth less than the mound dirt at the New Yankee Stadium, he will not return. Someone could take Failing Fred and put him in the bullpen and always use him as a spot starter, which may be the only thing he's good for at this age.

The fact of the matter is, as they are now, the Yankees are not a good team. Pettitte needed many wins to lift the team into the playoffs. With him gone, this team is not going to be 10 games over .500 for long. The Red Sox, Rays, Orioles, and even Blue Jays can easily overtake the team for first, second, third, or even fourth place.

And that, my friends, is not the Yankee Way.

Mets @ Cubs

Torres doubled and stole third, then scored on a sac fly by Wright, 1-0. Valbuena doubled to tie the game at 1. Duda singled and Ike doubled to score him, 2-1 Mets!! Daniel Murphy homered, 4-1!!!!!!!! Wright had a two run double and the mets took a 6-1 lead!! Murphy homered again, 10-1. Wright homered, 12-1. Scott Hairston drilled a Grand Slam to center, 16-1 Mets!! Ike doubled and Hairston singled. Murphy had a groundout to score Ike, 17-1. The Mets won 17-1.

Why The Mets Need to Ressurrect Old Timers' Day

The New York Yankees have held their well-publicized Old Timers' Day every year since 1947, and will hold it again on Sunday. The Mets once had the same tradition, and it needs to be revived.

The Mets have had some great players throughout the history of the franchise and what better way to celebrate than with an Old Timers' Day.

Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Tom Seaver, Mike Cameron, Rusty Staub, John and Matt Franco, Mike Piazza and Mookie Wilson could reunite on the field for a three or four inning exhibition game. Roger Craig to throw out the first pitch, and Ralph Kiner to join in the booth, with Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez on the field.

The ceremonies would be hosted jointly by Gary Cohen and Howie Rose.

So, what do you say?

Yankees vs. Indians

Shelley Duncan doubled after Santana singled and the Indians took a 1-0 lead in the second. Eric Chavez doubled to score two in the fourth, 2-1 Yankees!!! Pettitte departed in the fifth and runners reached first and second with no outs. Asdrubal Cabrera singled to tie the game at 2. Kipnis singled, 3-2 Indians. Canó socked a two run homer in the sixth, 4-3!!!! Joe Smith replaced Jímenez in the sixth and Chavez doubled in the sixth, 5-3. Soriano pitched a bad ninth, allowing a few runs to draw it to 5-4, but still picked up a save as the Yankees won. The doomed team NEEDS to find a new starter, (ahem, Phelps) to continue to contend.

Yankees Old Timer's Day-Who We'd Like to See

With the annual Old Timer's Day celebrations looming, there are some notable names absent from the roster.

This year, the roster again features staples like Yogi Berra, Bucky "Bleeping" Dent, Goose Gossage and Paul O'Neill. For the first time, it also features Sterling Hitchcock, Stump Merrill, Gene Monahan Matt Nokes, and even Tanyon Sturtze. Some of my favorite former players including, Darryl Strawberry, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez, Cecil Fielder and Joe Girardi, David Cone, and Homer Bush, and Graeme Lloyd among others.

However, there are litterally hundreds of Yankee legends that fans would love to attend. Here I will list some of them.

Jorge Posada-The greatest offensive catcher of his era, Posada's best season came in 2007 when he hit .338 with 20 home runs and 90 RBIs. In my opinion Posada will be elected to the Hall of Fame at some point in the future and could make a great manager someday.

Roger Clemens-The trial is over. Clemens is innocent. The man who won seven Cy Youngs and was an eleven-time All Star for the Red Sox, Yankees and Astros and was 354-184 in his career deserves to be honored at the celebration.

Chad Curtis-Recently fired as coach at a high school for sexual assault charges, his life can easily go way downhill from here. Last summer we saw what happened to Hideki Irabu, the Yankees cannot allow that to happen again.

Dave Winfield-George Steinbrenner may have burned the bridge between him and the team, but Hal and Hank need to rebuild it. A man who once held the record for the largest contract in baseball history.

Aaron Boone-Yankee fans, myself included, remember where they were when Boone socked a walkoff home run off of Tim Wakefield to send the yankees to the 2003 World Series. Since OTD is a daytime event, it would not interfere with his ESPN duties.

Scott Brosius-Previously he apeared at 2007 OTD, before his duties as Head Coach at Linfield College prevented him I guess. Still my favorite third baseman, he should make a return.

Jose Vizcaino-Everyone who saw his walkoff RBI single in Game 1 of the 2000 World Series remembers where they were. Vizcaino spent just half of a season with the Yankees, ironically, spending more time as a Met. Fans would love to see him return.

Don Zimmer-Maybe this one is wishful thinking, as Zimmer currently serves as an advisor for the Rays. I remember Zimmer best for the bench-clearing brawl and subsequent fight with Pedro Martinez in the 2003 ALCS. Now in his 64th major league season, he is truly a baseball legend.

Jose Canseco-This one would be hilarious. Canseco spent just over a month in pinstripes, but nevertheless received a ring in the 2000 World Series. The outspoken player has taken to Twitter to express his opinions and currently serves as Designated hitter for the Worcester Tornadoes in the CanAm League with Danny Sausville, my brother's pitching coach. I'll have him ask Canseco to come. Wishful thinking, maybe, but then again, he did show up to Fenway for the Red Sox' Centennial celebration...

And last but not least, Tim Raines- Eventually he will be elected to the Hall of Fame, as his voting totals have increased each year since 2009, last year garnering nearly 48% of the vote, (75% is needed for election).

These names are just a few of the many Yankee legends that warrant Old Timers' Day invites. Hopefully over the years many more players will join in the fun.

Feel free to add comments on who you would like to see at future Old Timers' Day celebrations.

Mets @ Cubs Game 75

The Mets put two men on by singles, and Josh Thole singled to score a run, 1-0. Dillon Gee singled to score Murphy, 2-0!! Soriano had an RBI groundout in the third, 2-1. Valbuena tied the game with a double but was tagged out at third to end the inning on a single by Darwin Barney. Nevertheless the Cubs took a 3-2 lead. Josh Thole led off the fourth with a bloop single and Dillon Gee followed with a walk as Randy Wells (surprisingly) departed. Rubén Tejada walked to load the bases and Wright had a sac fly and Thole scored to tie the game at 3. Lucas Duda hit into a double play to end the inning. The Mets allowed two singles with two outs but Anthony Rizzo doubled to score a run, 4-3 Cubs. The Cubs loaded the bases with a hit batter but LaHare struck out to end the inning. Scott Maine remained in the game as pitcher and recorded a flyout from Ike before an error allowed Scott Hairston to reach first. Daniel Murphy flew out before Hairston stole second. Thole flew out to end the inning. Torres singled in the eighth and stole second. Kirk grounded out as Torres took third. Tejada grounded out to end the inning. The Cubs scored two on errors in the eighth, 5-3. The Mets lost 5-3.

Knicks Free Agency

The Knicks announced that Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak have been awarded Bird/Early Bird Rights. This means that they will not contribute to the Knicks' salary cap this season. This is fantastic, as the Knicks can now spend that extra money elsewhere to improve the team. Lin, Novak, and Landry Fields are expected to be retained at a collective price of $15 million, or $5,000,000 each.

Yankees vs. Indians

The Yankees scored on an RBI single in the second by Stewart. 1-0. Granderson singled and scored two, 3-0. The Yankees scored again on a sac fly in the fifth, 4-0. A-Rod homered in the seventh, 5-0. Swisher walked and Chris Stewart had a sac fly, 6-0. Cory Wade pitched the ninth and allowed a double to Kipnis, who moved to third on a flyout. A popout to third was the second out and Damon singled to score a run, 6-1. Casey Kotchman singled to move Damon to third. Lopez homered, 6-4 Yankees. Rafael Soriano recorded the final out of a 6-4 Yankee victory.

Mets @ Cubs

Joe Mather homered in the fourth, 2-0. A comedy of errors in the eighth led to a few runs, 6-0. Ike homered in the ninth, 6-1. The Mets lost this game because of bad defense and a bad bullpen. Period.

Yankees vs. Indians

Granderson walked and Teixeira singled to move Grandy to third. Canó doubled and was thrown out at home, 2-0. DeWayne Wise homered, 4-0. Canó homered again in the fifth, 5-0. Swisher homered, 6-0. DeWayne Wise tripled in te sixth to score a run, 7-0. Hiroki departed in the eighth after consecutive hits put men at second and third. Kipnis had a sac fly, 7-1. Failing Fred pitched a solid ninth and the Yankees won an easy game.

My Trip to (New) Yankee Stadium

On June 10th for my 16th birthday I visited the New Yankee Stadium, (my first time in either venue). I was taken away by the beauty, the vistas and the overall atmosphere, (as well as the Martin walk off blast). It was a great experience.

However, there was one thing missing,

The history.

Watching the ceremonies, the centennial celebration that the Red Sox held for their home, Fenway Park, made even more of an impact on me. As does knowing of the impending celebration that the Cubs will hold at Wrigley in 2014 for it's centennial, as I was one of few who was not excited to here the Yankees were moving out of their home.

The Yankees have been host to some of the greatest players in baseball history: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Ron Guidry, Reggie Jackson, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer among many, many more.

When you watch a game played at Fenway, you know that Carl Crawford is in the same spot Carl Yastrzemski played in. You feel the history as you see the same spot where Bucky "Bleeping" Dent's 3-run blast landed in '78. The site where the Impossible Dream team played in '67. The foul pole around which Johnny Pesky drilled a game-winning home run for Mel Parnell. The bullpen, named "Williamsburg", where Hall of Famer Ted Williams, "the greatest hitter who ever lived", hit numerous home runs. The Lone Red Seat where Williams drilled a home run estimated at 502 feet. You can look at the Red Sox retired numbers and know that all of those players (except 42, Jackie Robinson), played at the same ballpark that Jacoby Ellsburry, David Ortiz and Josh Beckett play in today. When you trek through Wrigley Field, you know that the same place where Randy Wells, Starlin Castro and Dawin Barney play is the same spot that Hall of Famer Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, and even Greg Maddux played in their day. You can see where Babe Ruth called his shot in the 1932 World Series, where Billy Sianis was ejected and the "Curse of the Billy Goat" began, and the booth where Harry Caray called games for years.

The Red Sox and Cubs combined will never have more World Championships than the Yankees, they will never retire more numbers, they will never have more Hall of Famers, and they will never be the most successful baseball team, the New York Yankees. But the Red Sox and Cubs will always have something which the Yankees will never have again,

A ballpark steeped in history and tradition for the last 100 years, and, as future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez proclaimed,

The next 100 years.





                                                                              
                                                                                

Yankees @ Mets

Cedeño and Thole singled in the second and Dickey grounded out to end the inning. The Yankees loaded the bases with one out in the third. Granderson scored on a sac fly, 1-0. Swisher hit a homer, 4-0. Torres singled and went to third on a steal and error and scored on a sac fly, 4-1. David Wright flew out and Scott Hairston flew out. Tex doubled on an error, 5-1. Dickey singled, Torres singled and Wright singled to score Dickey, 5-2. Turner and Cedeño singled in the sixth, and CC loaded the bases after a single and a walk. Torres singled and scored two runs, 5-4 and CC departed for Cory Wade. Tejada singled to score another run, 5-5. Wade loaded the bases in the sixth and Kirk struck out swinging to end the inning. Miguel Batista relieved Dickey and pitched a scoreless inning. Canó homered, 6-5. Torres singled and stole second. D-Rob balked to move Torres to third but the Mets did not score. Bobby Parnell pitched a scoreless ninth and Rafael Soriano came on to pitch the ninth and retired two men before allowing a single to Duda. Ike Davis flew out to end the game.

Yankees @ Mets- Back in the New York Groove

The Mets put two men on and Murphy moved to third on an error by Jeter. They failed to score. Captain Kirk homered to lead off the second, 1-0. Thole had an RBI groundout in the fourth, 2-0. The Mets had the bases loaded in the sixth with two outs, and Chris Young singled, 3-0. Nova departed and Rapada took over. Tex walked and Swisher doubled in the seventh for his 1,000th career hit. Ibáñez homered to tie the game at 3. Young departed. Jon Rauch allowed a homer to Chávez, 4-3 Yanks. Valdespin doubled in the seventh, and Wright followed with a groundout. Duda and Murphy struck out to end the inning. Soriano put two on with one out in the ninth and Lucas Duda and Murphy flew out to end the game.

Yankees @ Mets

Justin Turner had a two-run, two-out single in the first, 2-0 Mets. Ike homered, 5-0. Nickeas and Niese singled but the Mets were halted there. Jones singled and Pettitte singled in the second, and both moved up on a wild pitch. Jeter grounded out to end the inning. A-Rod homered in the sixth, 5-1. Andruw Jones homered, 5-2 Mets. Jon Niese departed in the seventh and was replaced by Bobby Parnell. Cory Wade relieved Andy in the seventh. Wright doubled to score Quintanilla, 6-2. Miguel Batista came on in the eighth for the Mets and allowed a homer to Canó, 6-4. Clay Rapada pitched part of the eighth and was then replaced by Cody Eppley. Daniel Murphy pinch hit and was intentionally walked. Josh Thole flew out to right to end the inning. Frank Francisco got one out before back to back singles. Granderson struck out and Mark Teixeira popped out to end the game. "Put it in the books!" (Howie Rose)

Orioles @ Mets

Wright singled, and Hairston popped up. However, Adam Jones and Flaherty collided and the ball dropped, allowing Wright to go to third. The Mets failed to score, however. Mike Nickeas had an RBI single to score Turner, 1-0. Scott Hairston doubled to score two, 3-0. Dillon Gee doubled in the sixth!!!!! Wright doubled to score a run, 4-0. Betemit homered, 4-2. Gee got into trouble in the eighth, but Hardy fouled a ball off his foot for interference, and that was the second out!! Parnell got a flyout to end the inning!! The Orioles put two men on in the ninth, and loaded the bases before walking in a run, 4-3. Frank got out of the HUGE jam and the Mets swept the Orioles!!!! "Put it in the books!!!" (Howie Rose)

Yankees vs. Braves

Bourn doubled, Uggla doubled, and Freeman homered, 3-0 Braves in the first. Derek Jeter homered to lead off the first, 3-1 Braves!!! Chaves singled and Martin doubled with two outs but the Yankees did not score. Prado homered, 4-1. Heyward homered, 5-1. David Ross homered, 6-1. Chavez homered, 6-2!!! A-Rod homered in the sixth, 6-3!!! Cano immediately followed with a solo shot, 6-4! The Braves walked Martin and Jeter, allowing Granderson to slap an RBI single in the seventh, 6-5 Braves! With runners at the corners, A-Rod hit into a rally-killing double play to end the inning. In the eighth, Prado doubled and moved to third on a groundout. Dan Uggla was intentionally walked, and Freddie Freeman grounded out but Chavez botched a potential double play as a run scored, 7-5 Braves. Heyward homered, 9-5 Braves. Teixeira doubled in the eighth to put two men on. Russell Martin grounded out to end the inning and kill the rally. Failing Fred pitched the ninth and allowed a leadoff triple, and Prado singled, 10-5. The Yankees lost the game 10-5.

Yankees vs. Braves

Tex singled and Ibáñez doubled in the second. Nick Swisher doubled to score two, 2-0 Yankees!!! Jason Heyward tripled in the third, and scored ona Simmons' groundout, 2-1. Chipper doubled, 2-2. Heyward doubled to score two, but the umpires ruled Chipper failed to score and thus the Braves had a 3-2 lead. Martin doubled to tie the game at 3!!!! The Braves scored on an error in the sixth, 4-3. The Yankees lost 4-3.

Mets vs. Orioles

The Mets loaded the bases, and Wright scored on a groundout in the fourth, 1-0!! Duda homered in the sixth, 3-0. Valdespin had an RBI single, 5-0. They won 5-0.

Braves @ Yankees

Bourn tripled and scored on a flyout, 1-0 Bourn singled in the fifth, 2-0. A-Rod and Cano singled. Martin doubled, 2-1. The base were loaded for Derek Jeter, who on the anniversary of his only Grand Slam, drilled a two-run single to give them a 3-2 lead! Tex homered, 4-2. Jeter had an RBI single, 5-2. Canó homered in the eighth, 6-2!! CC finished the ninth and earned a FANTASTIC complete game victory! Ballgame over, Yankees win, THEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!!!!

Mets @ Orioles

Thole singled and Dickey doubled. Ike hit a grand slam!!! 4-0! Wright had an RBI single 5-0.

Yankees @ Nationals

Tex had a sac fly in the first 1-0. Adam LaRoche homered, 1-1. Granderson homered to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead!!!! Jones singled and Stewart followed suit as Jones went to third. Nova laid down a sac bunt. The Yankees failed to score however. Robbie Canó homered in the seventh, 3-1. Tex scored on a passed ball, 4-1. Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth and earned his 13th save of the season.

Mets vs. Reds

The bases were loaded on three singles and Chris Young walked to force in the first run, 1-0. Valdez singled to tie the game in the fifth. The Reds scored two on an error by Wright, 3-1. The Mets put two men on with two out in the eighth. Scott Hairston pinch hit and ground into a double play to end the inning. The Mets lost 3-1.

The End of An Era

Future Hall of Fame RB LaDainian Tomlinson has announced his retirement after 11 seasons. LT had two career rushing titles. His 13,684 yards and 145 touchdowns rank fifth and third all-time respectively. He had 280 yards an only one touchdown with the Jets last season. He will sign a one day contract and retire as a member of the San Diego Chargers. I knew this was coming but I really wanted LT to stick around to try and set the all-time rushing yards record. At the same time, however, I knew his time with the Jets was up. I look forward to his Hall of Fame induction in 2017 and wish him all the best in retirement. He has certainly earned it.

Reds @ Mets

Jay Bruce homered in the first, 3-0. Daniel Murphy doubled and David Wright had a double to score Murphy, 3-1! Scott Hairston doubled to lead off the second, and Josh Thole singled! Omar Quintinilla flew out, Jon Niese bunted into a fielder's choice to force Thole out. Captain Kirk flew out. Wright walked in the third and Duda followed suit. Ike flew out and Scott Hairston struck out swinging. Ludwick had an RBI double, 4-1. Duda was hit, Davis singled. Scott Hairston flew out. Josh Thole singled as Davis was tagged out. Omar Quintanilla flew out. Niese departed in the seventh. The Mets lost 4-1.

Yankees @ Nationals

Jesus Flores had a broken-bat double in the second due to the lack of defense on the part of Ibáñez and led 2-0. A plethora of errors led to a run in the fourth as Chávez (who reached on an error) scored, 2-1. Andy Pettitte struck out swinging to end the inning. Cano singled and Swisher doubled in the sixth, Ibáñez grounded out to tie the game. Swisher was tagged out at home on a grounder. Chavez doubled home Martin, 3-2 Yanks!!! Cory Wade replaced Pettitte in the eighth and DeWayne Wise replaced Ibáñez. Ian Desmond tied the game with a homer. Both teams went scoreless in the ninth, tenth and eleventh. Teixeira doubled in the twelfth on an error. Canó was intentionally walked. Stewart struck out to end the inning. Failing Fred came on in the bottom of the inning and struck out the side. Lance Nix singled and stole second in the fourteenth inning. Derek Jeter singled! Mark Teixeira doubled to drive in two runs!!!!!!!! 5-3 Yankees!!!!!!!!! Canó was walked and Freddy García struck out to end the inning. Rafael Soriano pitched the bottom of the 14th and won 5-3 and won without hitting a homer for the first time this season! Ballgame over, Yankees win, THEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!!!

Yankees @ Nationals

A-Rod's single on an error gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead an A-Rod his 1,924th RBI for 6th place all time. Tex grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Morse had an RBI single, 2-1. The Yankees loaded the bases in the seventh with one out, and Jeter singled and went to second on an error, 4-1. Granderson doubled, 6-1. He homered in the ninth, 7-1. D-Rob closed the game out in the ninth and the Yankees won 7-2!! Hughes pitched great, the Yankees offense was stellar, and as an added bonus, the helped the Mets in the NL East standings! "Ballgame over, Yankees win, THEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!"

Reds @ Mets

Bruce had an inside the park homer, 1-0. An error by his replacement, Hairston, caused another run to score, 2-0. Phillips homered, 4-0. Kirk homered, 4-1. The Reds scored in the sixth, 6-1. Hairston homered, 6-2. The Mets lost 7-3 after a run in the ninth.

Mets vs Rays

Kirk homered in the first and Bay followed in the second with a solo shot, 2-0 Mets. Joyce had a two run double, 2-2 Johnson had an RBI single, 3-2. Duda had a sac fly in the third, 3-3. Ike singled, 4-3. Zobrist had an RBI double in the third 4-4. Kirk homered, 6-4. Duda doubled, 7-4. Ike singled, 9-4. Jennings singled and Peña hit into a fielders choice to scare a run, but the Mets won 9-6.

Yankees @ Braves-How Sweep it is!

A-Rod had an RBI single in the first, 1-0 Yankees! McCann homered, 2-1. Granderson homered in the sixth, 3-2. Cody Eppley nearly got into trouble before a double play in the eighth. Rafael Soriano pitched a scoreless ninth and the Yankees swept the Atlanta Braves!!!!

Mets vs. Rays

Ike Davis doubled and Mike Nickeas had an RBI single, 1-0 Mets! Murphy hada two run single in the fifth, 3-0. Rottino had an RBI double,4-0. Davis singled, 5-0. Quintinilla singled, 7-0. Wright had a two-run double, 9-0. Jennings had an RBI groundout in the ninth, 9-1, but Dickey retired the next batter to end the game.

Yankees @ Braves

Diaz doubled, 3-0 Braves. Heyward had an RBI single, 4-0. Veldespin doubled to make it 4-2 Mets. A two run single for Murphy gave a 6-2 lead to the Mets. Ike homered, 9-2!!! The Mets scored two on RBI hits from Valdespin and Duda. 11-2. Frank shut the Rays down in the ninth and the Mets got a well-deserved and much-needed win!!

Mets @ Rays

Diaz had a three run double in the first and Heyward had an RBI groundout in the seventh, 4-0. A-Rod had a Grand slam to tie Gehrig For most all time (23)!!! 4-4!! Canó singled, Venters departed. Swish doubled, 6-4. The Yankees showed they could win down big late in a game!!

Yankees @ Braves

A-Rod doubled and Canó singled to score a run, 1-0 Yankees in the first. Raúl Ibáñez homered to lead off the second, 2-0. Iván Nova singled in the second with two outs, but Jeter struck out to end the inning. A-Rod walked and Cano doubled to move him to third. The bases were loaded for Swisher, and A-Rod scored on a wild pitch, 3-0. Jeter singled and Granderson followed suit as Jeter went to third. The Yankees went down scoreless, however. Cody Eppley came on in the eighth, and Cory Wade came on in the ninth and later Boone Logan came on to retire the Braves scoreless. The Yankees won and moved into a tie with the Tampa Bay Rays for first place.

Yankees vs. Mets

RBI single from Rottino and a double from Valdespin, 3-0 Mets. In the seventh, Martin homered to cut the lead to 3-2. Tex and ARod had RBI singles in the eighth, but Ike hada double to tie the game at 4 in the ninth. Russell Martin homered to win the game in the ninth!!! 5-4!

Mets @ Yankees

A-Rod had an RBI single in the first, 1-0. Omar Quintinilla homered in the third to tie the game at 1. David Wright homered in the fifth, 2-1. Mark Teixeira homered in the sixth and the Yankees took a 3-2 lead. Curtis Granderson homered, 4-2. The Mets put runners on the corners with two out in the ninth, but lost 4-2.

I'm Back, Back In The New York Groove!

The Mets and Yankees hook up tonight for a Subway Series matchup! Robbie Cano homered in the second, 2-0 Yankees. Cano homered again, 4-0. Swisher followed with a solo homer, 5-0. Andruw Jones homered, 6-0. It's back to back to back, and belly to belly! Omar Quintanilla doubled in the sixth for the Mets first hit of the game. Elvin Ramirez came in to pitch the sixth for the Mets. The Yankees had two men in scoring position in the seventh with no outs, and A-Rod hit a sac fly, 7-0. Swisher doubled, 8-0. Jones doubled, 9-0. Cody Eppley relieved Kuroda. Duda had an RBi single in the ninth, and Vinny Rottino This game was a complete joke, I cannot believe what I had to endure seeing...on the contrary, Kuroda pitched well.

There Ain't No Grave!

The Baltimore Orioles have signed 49-year-old LHP Jamie Moyer to a minor league contract. He was 2-5 with an ERA over 4.00 for the Rockies before being released. I truly hope he can remain in the game as a player for many years, he is a legend, a borderline Hall of Famer, and a genuine great guy. I wish him the best of the best in Baltimore and look forward to his first start against the Yankees in years!

Yankees vs. Rays

Loboton had an RBI single in the second, 1-0 Rays. The Yankees had runners on first and second and moved both up on a wild pitch from Price. Jason Nix struck out, Stewart grounded out to score a run, 1-1. Ben Zobrist singled to score Johnson, 2-1. Upton had a sac fly and scored Zobrist, 3-1. Sutton had a two-run double in the fourth, 5-1. Ibanez singled in the eighth, 5-2. Sutton doubled, 6-2. Russell Martin homered, 7-3. That was the final score as the Yankees lost 7-3. The team was really pathetic and had no chance to win even if CC pitched well.

Mets @ Nats

Duda homered in the fifth, 2-0. Murphy had an RBI single in the seventh, 3-0. Zimmerman homered in the ninth, 3-1. Frank pitched a solid inning after the homer and the Mets snapped their 3-game losing streak.

Mets @ Nats

Bryce Harper hit a three run homer in the first but Quintanilla's RBI single cut the lead to 3-1. Lucas Duda's RBI groundout in the fourth made it 3-2. Morse singled in the fifth, 4-2. Davis scored on a groundout from Quintanilla, 4-3. The Nats scored again on a flyout in the seventh by LaRoche, 5-3.

Yankees Vs. Rays

Tex hit a solo homer in the first, 1-0. Robbie Cano homered in the fourth just into the seats, 2-0 Yankees! Wise scored on a double from Swisher, 3-0. Chavez doubled, 4-0. Jennings and BJ Upton both tripled, 4-1. Matsui hit a long fly ball to right to end the game.

NFL Hot Stove

The New York Giants have announced that they have given Head Coach Tom Coughlin a 3-year contract extension. The team announced today. It begins immediately and is worth $20,000,000. He is third in Giants history with 74 wins and has changed his mind and would like to coach into his 70s. Giants Training Camp begins on July 26th and runs through August 15. Coughlin hoists the Lombardi Trophy high overhead following the Giants Superbowl XLVI victory. and finally, former Jets LB/DE, Future Hall of Famer Jason Taylor will join ESPN as an NFL analyst for the 2012 season and beyond.

Mets @ Nationals

Bryce Harper singled and scored Espinosa in the third, 1-0 Nats. The Nats scored three on Mets errors in the fifth, 3-0. But in the sixth, solo homers from Valdespin and Wright cut the defecit to 3-2 as Miguel Batista pitched the sixth. Valdespin doubled in the eighth, and Torres tripled to score two as the Mets took a 4-3 lead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ian Desmond had an RBI single in the eighth to tie the game at four. Ike walked to lead off the ninth, and Josh Thole laid down a sac bunt to move the runner up. Vinny Rottino flew out, but Valdespin flew out to end the inning. Frank Francisco worked a four-out eighth/ninth to send the game into extra innings. Henry Rodriguez pitched the tenth, and allowed a leadoff single to Scott Hairston, and stole second easily on the first pitch. Andres Torres grounded out to move Scott up to third and he scored on a wild pitch as the Mets took a 5-4 lead!!!! Bobby Parnell came on to pitch the bottom of the tenth inning and two errors on double play balls combined with a wild pitch put the tying run on third with one out. Michael Morse walked and Ian Desmond tyed the game on another error. Parnell did get out of the inning. In the eleventh, Ross Detwiler came in and walked two with two outs before Jordany Valdespin struck out swinging. Elvin Ramirez came in to pitch the home eleventh, and struck out the side after a leadoff walk. Scott Hairston homered AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6-5 Mets!! Michael Morse doubled in the bottom of the inning, and Desmond doubled to tie the fucking game. The Nats won on a walk off bloop single.

Yankees vs. Rays

The Yankees scored two in the first on an error by Elliot Johnson on an Ibanez hit, 2-0. They loaded the bases in the fourth with one out, and Russell Martin launched a GRAND SALAMI into right field, 6-0!!! Swisher doubled, 7-0. Pettitte departed in the seventh and was replaced by Failing Fred, who recorded two outs but let some runners on base in the process in what could be his last appearance as a Yankee. He set the Rays down scoreless and the Yankees won an excellent division game.

On the Bills-Toronto Series

The news is out and the Bills have signed a five-year contract extension to continue the Bills-Toronto Series through 2017. According to various sources, including CBS Sports and Fox News, the Bills will continue to play one game per year in Rogers Centre but the pre-season contest in Toronto will be eliminated completely, citing scheduling conflicts as the reason. According to sources, the Bills will comply to this deal by embarking on a $200 million-plus renovation on Ralph Wilson Stadium at some point, presumably following the 2012 season. The series has been pretty successful. I really never liked the pre-season contest in Toronto anyway, as no one really wants to travel that far for a meaningless game. Kudos to Ralph Wilson and Rogers Communications for getting this done.

Mets vs. Cardinals

The Cardinals scored first on an RBI singlefrom Allan Craig but Luca Duda answered with a solo homer. The Cards scored two on two separate fielder's choices and an error in the seventh, 3-1. Scott Hairston homered in the seventh to tie the game at 3! Allen Craig hit a two run homer in the eighth, 5-3. The Mets got a run back on a sac fly by Torres but ultimately lost 5-4. They showed power and skill in this series and they MUST Sweep the next series before they face the Yankees at the New Yankee Stadium.

Mets vs. Cardinals

Duda had an RBI single to score Torres in the first, 1-0. Jon Niese singled for his second hit of the game and Kirk followed with a homer, 3-0. The Cardinals had back to back singles with one out in the sixth, and looked to score, but on a single, David Freese was thrown out at home to end the inning!! Niese departed in the home sixth and Kirk singled to score Quintanilla, 4-0 Mets! Andres Torres tripled to score two more runs, 6-0. Bobby Parnell came on to pitch the seventh, and walked two batters before striking out Beltrán to end the inning!! Elvin Ramírez made his debut in the eighth and Freese scored on a Chambers single, 6-1 Mets. Tim Byrdak pitched to one batter in the eighth and threw one pitch to induce a flyout, ending the inning. Frank Francisco came on in the ninth and the Mets defeated the Cardinals again!

Yankees @ Tigers

Derek Jeter led off the game with a solo homer, 1-0!!! Grandy walked and ARod walked as Tex hit a sac fly, 2-0! A-Rod homered in the third, 3-0. Fielder homered, 3-1. Canó tripled and scored on an error, 5-1. Phil Hughes threw a solid ninth and had the first complete game of his career! Ballgame over, Yankees win, THEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!!!

Yankees @ Tigers

Miguel Cabrera homered in the fourth, 1-0. Berry had an RBI single in the fifth, 2-0. Cano doubled and A-Rod moved to third in the sixth. Ibáñez grounded out to score a run, 2-1. The Yankees had two hits in the seventh and Joakim Benoit came in in relief. Derek Jeter layed down a sac bunt and Granderson struck out swinging. Swisher singled to tie the game in the eighth!!! Swisher moved to third on a steal and throwing error by Santos but Jones struck out to end the inning. Miguel Cabrera homered in the eighth, 3-2. The Yankees put two on in the ninth and executed a perfect double steal with one out. A-Rod was hit by a pitch, and Canó popped out and Mark Teixeira walked to tie the game at 3!!!! The Tiger put runners on the corners with one out in the ninth and Omir Santos hit a sac fly to end the game, 4-3.

Mets vs. Cardinals

The Mets scored in the second on an RBI single by R.A. Dickey, 1-0! Kirk had an RBI groundout and Torres followed suit, 3-0 Mets. Murphy scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, 4-0. Wright homered in the eighth, 5-0. Dickey finished the ninth and threw a complete game shutout!!

Yankees @ Tigers

Quinton Berry tripled to lead off the first and scored on a Worth single 1-0. The Yankees loaded the bases in the second and Jeter walked to tie the game! A Granderslam gave the Yankees a 5-1 lead!!!!!! Ramón Santiago homered, 5-2. Fielder singled to score Berry, 5-3. Jason Nix doubled in the fourth, and then stole third. Stewart singled and Nix scored, and the Yankees had a 6-3 lead. Luis Marte came on to pitch in the fourth. Jones doubled, 7-3. Peralta homered, 7-4. A-Rod homered in the ninth and the Yankees led 9-4. The Yankees sent Cory Wade out in the ninth and loaded the bases before Soriano came in and got Miguel Cabrera to hit into a double play!!!!

Mets vs. Cardinals

Kirk singled and Wright doubled in the fourth. Duda flew out and scored a run, 1-0. Murphy tripled and scored Wright, 2-0! Duda homered, 5-0 The Mets loaded the bases in the seventh. Wright walked, 6-0. Murphy singled, 8- Johan threw a no-hitter!!!!!!!!!! Elation, jubilation. Baseball history!!!!! Howie Rose is never again going to count down the games (8,020)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!!!