Trip Report (Conclusion?)

Ok, back to it....a bit quicker this time....

Wednesday - morning, we woke up....got packed, ready to leave "Charm City", as they call it. Charming? Perhaps...parts of it are less than charming, however.....Pimlico, etc. Anyway, back to the Blue Moon Cafe, where KB and I swapped.....I had the Eggs Benedict, she went with the "Vegetarian" Potato Pancakes......both great again. Back to Whole Foods Market for some stuff....then on the road again! Getting out of Baltimore was easy, as was the drive to Philadelphia (back through Delaware, which AFAIK, is all power lines and credit card buildings.....seriously, lots of power lines/transformers/etc.). Into Philly, no problem.....got off 95 near the stadiums (not even close to our hotel, or the closer exit.....stupid MapQuest). Instead of heading up on Broad Street, we headed west, by accident (poor signage), and back the way we came....uggh. Eventually, the ship was redirected and we headed up the famous Broad Street, which isn't so broad.....Anyway, the largest street in Philly has a great way of running right into City Hall, which makes everyone do a little series of turns around it. Seriously, this could be one of the dumber things I have ever seen......until I tried to follow the streets. At least in NYC, if you're on 5th, 7th is 2 blocks over....not here. Here, you go 11th, 12th, then Broad (which should be 13th), then 13th....uggh. Then there's 17th, which we need....which stops, picks up again, etc. Yeah...horrible. Back to it....to the Wyndham (pretty nice, a step below the Marriott) where we relaxed a bit, then went walking before the Phillies game. We stumbled upon a Trader Joe's, which if you haven't been, go. Its a discount/gourmet grocery store, full of neat little groceries and such. Didn't buy anything there, either.....but neat to go. Ok, grabbed a bite at a local Au Bon Pain...then back to relax before the game.

Boarded the SEPTA Line, which brought us all the way to the game....and what a stadium! Nice, out of the way (sometimes good...), and still shiny and new. Then, i heard something that I thought I was making up.........

"DOLLAR HOT DOG NIGHT"

Yep. Hot Dogs, $1.00. Amazing. And these were good hot dogs. Hatfield's. Nice, fresh......good mustard, ketchup, relish, and a neat onion dispenser. People were buying 10 at a time, despite signs that supposedly limited them to 6 at a time. Children, men, women, nuns, etc....all linked by the same constant.....cheap hot dogs. I have to admit, I had 4. I started with 2, then staggered the next 2. They were fabulous.....and considering they're usually $4.75 at Shea for a dirty water dog, this was the most remarkable thing I have ever heard.

Back to the stadium......nice place, friendly, passionate fans. Good sightlines....which is something I see of the norm with the new stadiums (all the seats seem pretty good). Again, we had good seats (and saved $7.00 per ticket....college ID night), even with the first base bag, 15 rows back. Take a look:

Thats Nick Johnson, body double for TR

Again, great game....good ending (walk off hit by Ryan Howard), and the home fans went home happy. We went back to the hotel and fell asleep.

Thursday - Time to get up and see the historical sites, which I am going to skimp on, since they pretty much were a disappointment. The Liberty Bell was a mess....with more security than the White House. The Mint was 1000 degrees, and filled with little kids.......plus, no cameras allowed, so we went in one at a time. The new Constitution Hall was very nice, and very new....and something like 12.00 each to get in. The Betsy Ross House was small, and that cost 7.00 each, so we passed......considering it was a 2-room tour. Meanwhile, all of these neat old buildings are not separated in any way, and are surrounded by nail salons, dollar stores, bootleg CD places, pawn shops, bodegas, etc....and tons of panhandlers. If they wanted to be taken seriously, they should take the 8 block area and turn it into a historical area, keeping all that crap out. Perhaps since I have seen it all before, or the surroundings.....but very disappointed. Anyway, we stopped at the Reading Terminal Market (VERY cool), which reminded me of what I would think the Pike Place Market in Seattle to look like. The place was bustling, full of people and commotion all trying to have lunch and get out as quickly as possible. The market is full of little stands and shops, selling food, fresh fish, jams, spices, butters, meats, chocolate, pastries, etc....hard to describe. Definitely no atention paid to the facade as it looks like a place that gets hosed out at night. Well, we got what we needed (peach, apple and root beer twizzlers, as well as sweet potato butter from the Amish stand; some pastries from another), and headed back.....time to go home! A quick walk to the Wyndham, back in the car......and northbound we were......Great trip!!

Trip Report (Part 2)

Ok, back at it here.....

Tuesday - We woke up to a bright, wonderful day, much more relaxed than the full stomachs and discomfort from the night before......so, time to eat again! There was a great place that KB found online called the Blue Moon Cafe, located down the road a bit on Aliceanna Street (still a nice walk, considering it was nearly 65 degrees at 9:00. So, we went walking, and found our breakfast spot. Inside we discovered a small, wooden-floored nook that would have fit well on Lark Street, complete with the "artsy" looking help, adorned with tattoos and unusual piercings. However, the place was great...neat, trendy breakfast menu, eclectic decor...good place to start the day. I endulged with the "traditional" potato pancakes, made with chopped bacon and other nice touches.......KB started the day with vegetarian eggs benedict adorned with a side of hash browns, smothered in hollandaise sauce. Yum. We ate our meal and waddled out the door, already deciding to come back the next day before we left town. We walked to an area of town called Fell's Point, a nice little are filled with art shops, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. We had no itinerary, so it was nice to wander aimlessly. We did that for a bit, down by the water, etc. Did I mention the perfect weather? 75-80 degrees, slight breeze, not a cloud to be found. Anyway, we walked back towards our hotel.....but not before KB hawk-eyed a Whole Foods Market around the corner. Now, I thought she had died and gone to culinary heaven. Not only is she a vegetarian, but she also loves to check out other people's supermarkets.....so, this was a golden opportunity. And, it didn't disappoint. Aisles upon aisles of organic/vegetarian/earth-friendly/gourmet food choices that was among the best any of us have ever seen. From the bakery (featuring some of the nicest goods I have ever seen) to the sushi and hot bar (ditto), this place had it all. We were overwhelmed so much that we only bought a few things to drink and some cookies, and went back.
Back at the beautiful Mariott, we rested a bit....then went to explore the harbor area (featuring a large collection of shops called Harborplace). Nothing too impressive, past the scenery.....filled with great shops and restaurants (including a Tir na nOg). We did that for a bit, walking around....not realizing it was almost 4:30, andwe had 7:00 dinner reservations at La Tavola. Our way home found us walking by the Little Italy area , so we decided to check out the menu for our restaurant choice (Big thing all over Baltimore....the menus outside. Nice move.) As we were perusing the choices, a local walked by and told us, "You don't want to go there.....go check out Chiaparella's instead...." Well, we took the advice of the local (moron) and went to his suggestion......bad move. Upon arrival, we waited 10 minutes for anyone to even approach us to seat us (plenty of "we'll be right with you", though). We sat....2 minutes later, we were asked what we wanted to eat. (Should have realized something was wrong....way too quick....felt rushed). Not ready yet, the waitress told us, "well, you get salad with the meal, so Ill get that for you". Runners take your mark.....and they're off! The salads came, or whatever they were (iceberg soaked in a bleu cheese-parmesan bath....uggh)....we ordered, and 5 minutes later, our dinners arrived. No joke. They were rather good, but digestion wasnt an option......we passed on dessert and coffee (the waitress ever recommended another place, Vaccaro's, for cannolis and such). We were out in less than 45 minutes, including the wait. Uggh. We hit Vaccaro's, went home, had some cannolis, and went to bed....

The view from our room (thats Camden Yards all lit up)

Trip Report (A little late)

Ok, I'll give you the Reader's Digest version: Baltimore rocked, Philadelphia sucked.

Now for the blow by blow:

Monday- We left bright and early, on the road by nearly 6:30. We had to make a pit stop at KB's parent's house, to pick up her sister (went back to college at New Paltz....figure we'd drop her off, since it was on the way). Got driving, stopped at Ulster rest area to get coffee and stuff. Well, I really wanted some juice, but the little gift store was open, so I guess my juice craving as well as my "I Love NY" tee shirt would both have to wait. Back on the road (lots of traffic for a Monday morning) and stopped at Exit 18-New Paltz. It was nice and convenient, since SUNY New Paltz in only 3 minutes off the Thruway. Said the goodbyes, and back on the road we were. Got onto 287 South, and.....hello New Jersey! Time to fire up the cell phone and exit to the left! No, seriously, we were through Jersey, through Delaware (Hi....we're in Delaware), and into Maryland. Found the exit off I-95 for us (things were going abnormally well.....our exit was the one before all the traffic started really piling up....), and got to Eastern Avenue, which we would take for 4 miles or so. Well, this wasn't the scenery I was imagining. Went through a large urban center (urban, AKA......) and into Greek town, where I could have had souvlaki at 19 different places each called Stavros' or Dmitri's.....and adorned with a Greek flag. But it was clean...a few turns (for the better) later, we were at out hotel......the beautiful Mariott Waterfront. Wow. Much too nice for us. Got to our room, room 2005 (20th floor), and lo and behold, a harbor view. Don't believe me? See for yourself.

Yep...that was it. And that was our worst weather day of the trip. If you look closely at the middle of the picture, toward the top, you can see the B&O Warehouse, which closely guards beautiful Oriole Park at Camden Yards (more on that later). Well, we got in, took a rest, then decided to peruse the harbor area a little bit. What a nice city.....the "Inner Harbor" area (what you see above, plus more) is a gorgeous, pedestrian-friendly area filled with shops, restaurants and other Baltimore regalia. We had a little lunch/dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (chains be damned, but this is a pretty good place).....then off to the game! Got to the park early....for pictures, of course! Take a look...

Me outside Camden Yards (Thats the warehouse!!)

Me and the Bambino

The first pitch (view from our seats)

I don't really remember much of the game.....If I remember correctly, Baltimore won, 4-2. Tejada homered, but I didn't care much about the game. Ten years from now, I'll remember being at the nicest ballpark ever created, on a night that couldn't have been scripted better for baseball (69 degrees and clear), and with KB, who seemingly enjoyed the game (or maybe the company I provide). It was a shame that there was only 15,000 people at the game....like I said, it was a gorgeous night, and with all the people milling around the harbor area, I would have expected a decent walk-up. But, perhaps this thing of beauty is taken for granted....a shame too. During the 6th inning, we took a walk around the stadium and took in more of the atmosphere. We explored Eutaw Street (the warehouse seems MUCH closer to the outfield wall on TV....thats quite a poke. No wonder Griffey's HR Derby blast is the only one so far). BTW, another cool thing about Camden Yards......the field is dug out, so that the middle of the stadium is street level. They have the big scoreboard in right that is SRO (and if tall enough, can look over)....well, that is street level. Neat idea.....just another thing that makes in cozier. Anyway, I had a delectable BBQ Beef sandwich from Boog's BBQ (no Boog today).......good stuff, with extra sauce, onions and a little horseradish. Yum. Before we knew it, game was over.....we walked back to the hotel room, but not before stopping again at the Cheesecake Factory for a couple of slices for the room. Got back, ate some cheesecake, then both passed out from exhaustion/food coma. Tuesday-Thursday I will write tomorrow...more pictures here though!Neat view from the Right Field Wall

Scot Shields signing an autograph for KB (she was thrilled)


Boog's BBQ (a must-visit....they have Pulled Pork and Beef, but I was told by locals that the Beef is best.....it lived up to their word)

Mets Update (1:08)

Carlos Beltran just hit another 450+ ft. HR...... 1-0 Mets.

Ouch.....just before I was going to hit "Publish Post", Wright hit a 2-0 changeup over the left field wall.....3-0 Mets.

A Happy Recap (Mets 3, Nats 1)

My love affair with David Wright has reached a Brokeback Mountain level of awkwardness. Not really, but every day he amazes me. The RBI streak is over, but he still managed to go 2-4, 2B, 3B, and a dynamite pick on a grounder to end the game, one that my brother accurately stated, "he wouldn't have gotten" last year.
Reason #452 why I like this team....on a night where their offense wasn't as productive as prior games, the pitching and defense came through. Pedro, 7 strong....Heilman an easy 8th and Wagner for the save. As mentioned, the defense was stellar....Beltran had a strong game in center, including a great running - diving - tumbling catch. The bases loaded double play that Hernandez turned quickly (pictured) was the key point of the game, and Wright's sharp play at 3rd to end the game was the icing on the cake, so to say.

More key points:

• Beltran has looked good at the plate lately (2-3, RBI, R tonight) and has increased his average to .292. I always said he would be fine if he stopped swinging HR every time, which resulted in a lot of those pop-ups he is so fond for. The HRs will come, as long as his sole mission is to put a good swing and drive the ball....let his feet do the rest.

• The Anderson Hernandez bunt could have been one of the best bunts I have ever seen.....yeah, grasping for straws here as far as his offensive game goes. Funny, i think he could hit .215 and I would still love him, as opposed to Rey Ordonez, who I loathed.

• The Nationals are not the same team they were last year, and even last year I don't think they were the same team. Their offense is paltry.....those one-run games might end up being more and more one-run losses this year, which will allow Chad Cordero to work on the brim of his cap.
  

Don't know what to expect tomorrow.....Zambrano vs. Livan. At least we've already faced Livan, which usually works out better for the hitters. Hopefully Victor will keep going on his strong spring.

Good to see.....

You wouldnt exactly see Vince Coleman, Bobby Bonilla and Bret Saberhagen acting like this, would you?

Going on Vacation

Taking off next Monday for a few days during Spring Break. KB and I are leaving Monday for Baltimore, MD for 2 days, then a night in Philadelphia, and home in Wednesday. We have tickets for an Orioles game Monday night (against Vladimir and the Angels, looks like Weaver vs. Cabrera), do some Baltimore stuff Tuesday, and on to Philadelphia on Wednesday. We're staying in the nice Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, right on the water, thanks to an unbeliveable deal on Priceline.com.

While in Philly, we're off to Citizens Bank Park that night (vs. Nationals, Floyd vs. Livan), then home Thursday. Id also like to see the Mint while we're there (free samples?), and maybe some other historical stuff, but I already feel like I'm hogging the trip, with all the baseball. Ive been wanting to see Camden Yards for awhile now, and hitting Citizens Bank on the way home will be gravy. Lets see...that brings me to:

• Shea Stadium
• Yankee Stadium
• Fenway Park
• Dodger Stadium
• Veterans Stadium

Never got to Olympic Stadium, only a few hours away, but now gone forever. Oh well. I also never got to Angels Stadium (whatever it is called now) while I was out in LA to see my brother...we always just went to Dodger Stadium instead (very nice).

Anyway, Ill give a full report Thursday when I get home....anyone been? Any advice for places to eat/things to do, etc. in either city?

I'm International, Baby....

Well, I checked my details, and Ive got some visitors from afar (mostly coming here by hitting "next blog", but I don't care). Lets see...

• 5% of my visitors are from the United Kingdom, from such cities as Gatespool, Lancaster, Bracknell, London, Sheffield, Swallowfield, Liverpool, and more. Wow.
  

• Visits from Braga, Portugal; Milan, Italy; De Hulk, Netherlands; Gijn, Spain; Beato Annio, Portugal; Edmonton, Alberta, and many more (cheap tracking software....only last 100 guests).

Pretty neat.
Anyway, thats it...onto watch some baseball on the ticket...

WFAN news...

Just a quick update on WFAN, 660 AM (NY)......the station is now available via internet feed from their website, WFAN.com. I was listening to Joe Benigno today.....the feed has some work to do. Maybe since it was new it was being overloaded, but the audio was choppy and constantly rebuffering.

Furthermore, my hatred for Mike and the Mad Dog has grown to an all-time high. The two of them, most notably the larger one, are so anti-Mets in their talk that the objectivity line is so far behind them. Once again, yesterday....the Mets won again, looking good, and so did the Major Deegan Douchebags.....in coming-from-behind fashion against the Our Lady of Mercy Royals. Well, when Bloated and the Ignoramus took the air, it was all Yankees. When a caller called in to talk about Brian Bannister's performance, they even said..."This is not about Bannister or the Mets today...this is about Derek Jeter and the Yankees". Well, give them credit for at least saying what we've known all along. It must kill the Large One that WFAN is the Mets' flagship station, not his loved Yankees......and one would think that Russo was a Yankee fan as well, not a Giants fan.....or maybe that is just him kissing Mike's ass some more.

Guess who's back.....

Well, its only me...but, I havent been updating in awhile. Ill start with the Mets, since they should come first and foremost:

• Like what I'm seeing. Matt Cerrone over at Metsblog called this lineup "slump-proof"...at first, I disagreed, then I thought about it....perhaps he's right? The lineup is diverse, and can score in many different ways.....not like the Major Deegan Douchebags, which rely on the home run. I find it hard to believe that the lineup will suffer a power outage as well as a slump from Reyes, Nady, etc.
  

• Jose Reyes could be one of the most exciting players in baseball. Not only his speed, but his dynamic personality and athleticism on and off the field....only other people I can see in the conversation are Carl Crawford, Pujols (in a different way), K-Rod, etc. Mind you, im not talking about best player, Im talking most exciting. Watch him hit high gear when the ball scurries to the gap.....and try and disagree with me.
  

• Equation for winning = Starter (6-7 IP)+Sanchez/Heilman (1-2 IP)+Wagner (9th) = win. Its that simple.....when you start throwing variables like Darren Oliver and Jorge Roja-itez into the mix, thats when the arithmatic goes askew. How long can the starters keep this up?

• Have to love Brian Bannister so far.....solid performances, good attitude, and more youth to build on, perhaps. Now, its only been 2 games, both vs. Washington, so I'm going to call off the Cooperstown engravers, but its been a nice start.
  

• Cliff Floyd, are you out there? Looks like hes on top of the fastball about as well as I would be. Its early and all, but he looked like an ass guaranteeing a home run on TRL when he couldn't hit it out of the infield.
  

• I'm in love with Paul LoDuca. I was saying to a customer a while back that he was going to have a fight by the end of the year, and a day later, he was a step away from tackling Jose Guillen last game vs. Pedro. Even so, great quote by him the other day, in response to threats by Guillen to fight Pedro, "I think a lot of people say a lot of stuff when people are not in their face, so we'll see what happens when we're out on the field..." Great line. Hes that tough, in-your-face catcher we've been looking to get.......a real leader on the team. He's tough, calls a good game, and has those intangibles that can't be measured on the field. Im glad Omar told Bengie Molina to go scratch...we got our NY guy....

• Not to beat a dead horse, but how good is David Wright? So far : .435, 2 HR, 10 RBI, a stolen base, two walks and ZERO strikeouts. Especially with a guy that had a bit of a K problem last year, thats great to see.
  

• Carlos Beltran - what a bomb he hit off Rodriguez yesterday...Cant get the distance on it, but it was a shot....who knew?
  

Mets 10, Nationals 5.....

Oh, you HAVE to love those inter-division matchups!

More on the game later......

Goodbye, Shea Stadium.......

...Hello, "New Mets Ballpark".

Just got done watching the press conference on SNY about the new Mets ballpark. LOTS of information here...some facts that really jumped out to me....

• Breaking ground this Spring! Ouch....judging from where they are planning on putting the stadium, its going to be a mess there this summer. It is being put in the main parking lot, right beyond the outfield, as below....Well, as if driving to Shea was easy before all this stuff started.....the 7 line will be jammed this summer, full of hot, sweaty people who just had 8 $7.00 beers and sat in the sun all day.

• Sightlines!! Apparently the small size (45,000, including SRO) was built so that all the seats are wide, close to the field, and pointed toward the infield. Thats nice, because having spent some time in the upper deck at Shea, its high up there. Really high, and really steep. Anyway, I lost count of the times they said the word "sightlines"....
  

• No more "Shea". They are currently in the mix of obtaining "naming rights" for the new stadium. Thats very sad for me----as I can only expect what it will be called. Its something to say, "Im at Shea for the day...", but "Im going to Pepsi Field" doesn't roll off the tongue.

• Looks like a nice stadium....better than the first model we saw years ago, with the retractable roof, slide away field, etc. Its got that Ebbets Field look from the outside, asymmetrical outfield walls, and all the amenities of the modern ballparks. Im glad that the stadium isn't right on the water, like PNC Park, SBC Park and Great American Ballpark. Cute idea, but I was glad it wasn't a copycat park, at least in that extent.

• When asked about ticket prices, a Mets exec answered, "We'll have affordable seats.........and expensive seats". I can only imagine what that means.
  

• Apparently another reason why the park was built so small was to create some excitement about the park, and create a ticket demand. Quoting the Mets exec: "Well, we seat 55,000 at Shea now, and that hardly ever gets filled....". Maybe its me, but is that the message we want to send on a day like this? Hell, we cant fill the park now, so, when all else fails, lower our standards...

I'll miss the old park. Ill miss the memories, the big Jumbotron, the big outfield, the seats I sat in when I was younger, at my first baseball game with my father. My brother and I would take the LIRR from Patchogue to Babylon, where my Dad would meet us after work. We'd drive in together, inevitably see a 1-0 game, and leave after the 7th inning (my Dad HATED traffic). I remember where I sat in the 1986 World Series, Game 1, when the ball went through Tim Teufel's legs for the only run. I remember taking Kaytie there for her first Mets game, and getting extremely lost after the game. I remember seeing Mo Vaughn hit a ball about 20 feet from the top of the scoreboard in right field. There are a lot of good memories about the stadium...it started my love affair with baseball, with the Mets. It was a major piece of my childhood, and now it will be leaving us.

Anyway, dry your eyes....some nice info about the new stadium:
Comparisons with Shea Stadium (nice dimensions here...not a bandbox)
Fast Facts
Stadium Pictures

Id also like to get that video they made for SNY and the press conference, narrated by Gary Cohen. Anyone have it?

Mets stuff.....4/6/06

Now, the Mets. Where do I begin? Opening Day was fun...a nice time. Captain America David Wright hit a HR, and Wagner came in to close it out....on a game they shouldn't have won 3-2. Soriano was safe at home, since LoDuca dropped the ball......and Im still convinced that Vidro was safe at second in the 9th. Anyway, onto Wednesday night. Nice start...the Nady HR, the Delgado blast....Bannister pitching lights out. Then, he ran out of gas....double, HBP, 3-run HR by Nick "TR" Johnson. We got shut down by the Nats pen, then Wagner gives up the HR to Zimmerman that got out in 2 seconds....reminded me of Cleu Haywood hitting a ball off of Ricky Vaughn. Anyway, in comes Julio, and game over...5 runs, 2/3 inning.

What inspired me even in the blowout 10th was the Mets fire...they didnt give up, even down 5. They fought back, didnt roll over....but, a loss is a loss. I don't like tonight's game one bit---Pedro going, not feeling well (or into the game), and freezing cold. Beltran needs to get going, pull a 3 for 4, 2 2bs, 2 RBIs....get the crowd off him for a bit.

The bullpen doesn't worry me, as long as Julio never comes into a big game. The Mets have a little equation for winning....6 strong from the starter, 2 from Heilman/Sanchez/etc. and a close from Wagner.....that's how Monday went....a win. Throw a monkeywrench in? Look at Wednesday night.


Back in a little bit with some info on the new ballpark...

Back......baseball notes.....

Well, been awhile since I posted here. Baseball has started and is full swing. Jimmy Rollins got another hit, and now stands at 38 straight games. However, the discussion is starting about the fact that Rollins had an offseason to recooperate his body and not get the constant harassment of media type. Where do I stand on this? I dont care...I hope Jimmy Rollins breaks his ankle, not because of the streak, but because he is a star player on a team in the NL East...and in direct competition of the NY Mets (more about them later). Talk to me when he gets to 50 games.....but Im leaning towards thinking that the record should count...i mean, it technically was in consecutive games.....however, I don't feel strongly one way or another.

Now, for some random baseball notes as I procrastinate talking about the Mets:

• Tim Salmon hit his second HR of the season already. Its been a long road back for Salmon....but he always seemed like a classy guy, so good for him.

• Frank Robinson benched Alfonso Soriano last nite after not running out a pop-up against the Mets. This was 2 innings after a near-Conigliaro from Brian Bannister. Uggh....so, when does this turn really ugly, a la Marbury-Brown? I say May 1.
  

• 310-lb Prince Fielder finally got a hit, a key RBI single that was the key for the Brewers' sweep of the Pirates. Fielder had struck out something like 7 of his first 8 ABs, and the Brewer fans kept cheering everytime. Hear that Mets fans? Support your guys when they are struggling, not like the way you treat Carlos Beltran. Brewers 3 wins, Derrick "Fydrich" Turnbow, 3 saves....

• Nice game in Texas last night, as the Sox won, 2-1. Beckett was sharp, as he will be until May 15 when he has blister problems. Jonathan Papelbon came in for the save, and slammed the door shut on the Rangers on 11 pitches, 8 strikes. That was an immediate pickup in fantasy league action.....Papelbon was sharp all spring, and has had 2 lights-out outings. Foulke was bad last year, bad this spring and bad on Monday....looks straight forward. Oh....and nice OF assist by Manny Ramirez, throwing out Mark Teixiera at home. Manny isn't as bad of a defensive OF as people say....that attitude seems to be maintained by the media.
  

• Junior Griffey hit #537 yesterday, passing Mickey Mantle on the all-time HR streak and Joe DiMaggio on the all-time RBI list. In a related story, the Yankees try and bury their heads and cover things up by talking about Billy Wagner's song.
  

• Oh, the Yankees....or may I say, the 2006 version of the Texas Rangers of the last few years. They'll hit a bunch of HRs and score a bunch of runs, but it won't help if you lead the league on runs allowed and unearned runs. Jeter, Cano...thanks for playing. Jared Wright is terrible.....and that is SOME bullpen that the Yanks are sporting.....Sturtze, Myers, Villone....ugh. Keep in mind this is the same team with 5 guys making more than all of the Florida Marlins.
  

• Is there anything more depressing than the Dwight Gooden story? "I have a problem, sir, with cocaine," Gooden, dressed in an orange jail outfit, told state Circuit Judge Daniel L. Perry. "I had a cocaine relapse." Ouch.....this was a person who I grew up watching, remember asking my Dad, "What is the Smithers Clinic?" after Gooden went into rehab before the 1987 season. We all knew it was going to end this was, perhaps worse....maybe this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back, and really does straighten him out.
  

Love this song...

I know its old, but its great....been in commercials, and Mike and Mike used it when they were talking about the NCAA tournament...

Galvanize
By Chemical Brothers
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