[Oh So Sharp]

They have a saying over there ‘all the chicks dig the home runs’…lol

The ‘See ya’ is kind of patented by Michael Kay, who is the Yankees commentator, think its copywrited or something, so no other announcer says it…..or there is a ‘understanding’ between commentators…lol

If we take the Sept 5 game….the first of Arod’s home run, no on was on base so that counts as 1 run, there is an icon on the top left of the screen which shows you whether there is anyone on base and if so where…the second home run, you can see that there is a runner on 3rd (Jeter) so that counts as 2 runs….also, what was amazing was he hit those 2 home runs in the same inning, so the yanks batted around….

Double plays are important too, basically this means getting 2 guys out in one play….Jeters a master at these…

Go to June 1, click on ‘Jeter’s flip starts DP’

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/multimed … &ym=200706

Also, here he makes a great defensive play

Go to June 29, click on ‘Jeter’s jump throw’

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/multimed … &ym=200706

All this talk about A-Rod, you might be surprised to know Jeter is my favourite player….he’s been a Yankee all his life, a true Yankee if you will…there was a play where he caught the ball by diving into the crowd…can’t find it at the moment….his head was bleeding after that, not only did he catch the ball, he wanted to continue playing that game….he’ll die for the team…

Players can only be considered into the Hall of Fame 5 years after they have retired…..then the writers have a vote….the mentioned 3 players are guarenteed going by what they have achieved already in their career….

Yes, Arod, he’s like Federer, Tiger Woods and maybe Kauto Star, in other words, we could be watching a future best player/horse ever….all the Jeters and Arod’s of this world have foundations and regularly take time off to teach and influence youngsters….wish the football ‘stars’ over here would do more….

[Oh So Sharp]

No problem Maggs…..and yes, you did get some of them right.

The Yanks score more runs than any other team, so if you like to see a lot of scoring and home runs, they are the team. Most baseball connesuers prefer low scoring games or ‘pitchers duel’s, but not me….although the Yanks also give up lots of runs, which is why the haven’t won the World Series since 2000. Hopefully, with our younger pitching staff this year, that might change…

As the batting line-up is more or less the same each day, it is the pitcher on the day who is more likely to determine the outcome of a game.

Also, a team needs a good ‘closer’ to pitch the 9th inning. We have Mariano Rivera (or Mo as we call him), who is one of the all-time greats, although he only has 2-3 years left….he used to make his baseball glove out of milk cartons when he was a kid growing up in Panama, so, he’s another success story.

In baseball, there is also a ‘Hall of Fame’, which is voted upon by baseball writers (shame they don’t have that in football, cricket etc)….it is not easy to get into as there are many requirements, but Arod, Jeter and Mo are definates.

Here is an example of Arod in action, but there isn’t a direct link….

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/multimed … &ym=200709

Go to where it shows the highlight on Sept 5 and click on where it says ‘A-Rod’s two homers’….and then ‘use original version’

I love it when the commentator says’ SEE YA’!!! lol

Here’s a couple of game winning Home runs again from Arod, as he answer’s his critics…

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/multimed … &ym=200704

Go to April 7, and click on ‘Arod’s walk off slam’

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/multimed … &ym=200704

Go to April 19th and click on ‘Arods walk-off HR’

Note that he was the last man hitting on both occasion, bottom of the 9th inning, 2 outs…..you’ll see in the April 19th game, most of the fans have gone home as the Yanks were trailing throughout the game…

Also, here is when Arod became the youngest player to hit 500 home runs…

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/multimed … &ym=200708

Go to Aug 4, and click on ‘A-Rod hits No.500

[Oh So Sharp]

Bl**dy hell – and I thought cricket was complicated

Thats just a bit of it Paul….lol

[Oh So Sharp]

No problem….used my loaf and applied the old cut and paste this time..lol

1. There is a pitcher and a catcher, but behind the catcher is another man who seems to be like an umpire/ball boy. He passes a fresh ball to the catcher but otherwise I’m not sure of his role, or who’s side he’s on. Also when the catcher catches the ball sometimes this man standing behind him puts his fist up as if to say, "that’s good, job done"..why is that?

He’s known as the homeplate umpire and is the main man. His main role is to call each pitch, whether it is a ‘strike‘ or a ‘ball’.

Basically, there is an imaginery ‘strikezone‘, a vertical rectangle from just below the batters chest to his knees (this may not look technical but as you’re watching a game, you should be able to distinguish whether a ball is in or out of the strikezone. obviously, you’ll get borderline calls and then its a case of ‘Have a word Ref!!!’ but in American style, lol).

When he puts up his fists it means strike. Some umpires are very animated, not only do they pump their fist, but you hear them shout ‘Strrrrrrrrike’! If he doesn’t do anything it means the pitch is a ‘ball’ (outside the strike zone). There are slight variations regarding the strikezone range, some umpires have a smaller strikezone, others, have a larger one (oooo ah misses, lol) whatever the size (cause in this game, size does matter) they need to be consistant in their calls. He should remain neutral.

2. The Batsman sometimes is out without having run anywhere. Am I right in saying he gets 3 goes at hitting the ball and if he doesn’t make a run then he’s out?

No. The batter doesn’t have to score a run or he’s out. If he hits the ball and its a ‘fair ball’ (inside the white lines) he has to run and try and get on base. If he gets on 1st base, thats whats known as a single, if he’s able to get on 2nd base its called a double, if he manages to get to 3rd base from that hit its called a triple and if he hits it out of the park its a home run.

Now, if he already has a team mate on one of the bases and he hits the ball fair, and his team mate is able to come home and touch home plate, that is a run scored and the hitter is credited with an RBI (Run Batted In) This is one of 4 main stats when accessing a player’s performance, along with Home Runs, Batting Average and Hits (we’ll talk about those later).

If in the same scenario, the hitter has a team mate on a base and he hits a home run, then 2 runs are scored and the hitter gets 2 RBI’s. If there are 3 men on the bases, this is known as a bases loaded situation and the hitter hits a home run, then 4 runs are scored….this is known as a grand slam.

There are several ways a hitter can be out.

– If he has 3 strikes against him.
– If he hits the ball and the opposing team catches it.
– If he hits the ball and they throw his out before he reaches 1st base.

3. It seems the best run to hit is a Home Run but I noticed the ball was hit so far out of the field of play. Yet on other occasions they refer to a foul, as if the ball hasn’t landed where it should but I don’t see where it’s gone. Is it outside the white lines or something, don’t understand why it’s a fouled ball.

Yes, if you imagine a tennis court, and a player hits a ball down the line and it is outside of the line, it is foul or out. So on a baseball field, you also have lines on each side of the field and they go all the way up to each side. Once it reaches the end of the field, you have foul poles on either side….this is to indicate whether home runs are fair or foul.

Home runs are the most spectacular ways to score, for instance, we talk about ARod….he currently has 518 in his career so far. The current record is 763. He is on pace to get over 800 lifetime, and at the moment, he has reached his total younger than any player in history, including Babe Ruth. What makes him more remarkable is that not only does he hit load of home runs, he plays his fielding position (3rd base) as well as any other player. Most hitters are just that, hitters, but to be able to have a great all-round game and be able to steal bases (relates to your question 5) is what makes him stand out.

4. They come and go at an alarming rate. I saw Derek and ARod but only briefly. ARod hit a real good one, ran off to first base and I never saw him again. Do they get run out at a base if the baseman catches the ball first before they get to the base? I think that’s what happens.

Yes, thats exactly what happened. Also, as this is a friendly game, the coach uses more players than in a usual game. Normally, a hitter would have 4-6 at- bats during a game.
If we took a typical Yankees line-up with their fielding positions

Johnny Damon (Centre Field)
Derek Jeter (Short Stop)
Bobby Abreu (Right Field)
ARod (3rd Base)
Jason Giambi (1st Base)
Hideki Matsui (DH)
Jorge Posada(Catcher)
Robinson Cano (2nd Base)
Melky Cabrera (Left Field)

Like cricket, the better hitters hit at the top of the line up, but as its the Yanks, hitters 7-9 would hit at a higher position if they played for another team….

Johnny Damon hits first, also known as a lead-off hitter, this poistion requires someone who is good at making contact on the ball and getting on base….hitters 3-6 are the power hitters. ARod hits at #4 which is also known as the clean-up spot i.e, one big hit and he clears the bases……If we compare him with Jeter for example….Jeter is more renowned for his key hits, in pressure situations, hence his nickname Capt Clutch…..he is not a home run hitter (although he gets his share) more so for getting important hits in key stages of a game…therefore, he is as valuable to the team as ARod, just in a different way…..once the #9 hitter has had his turn, it starts all over again with hitter #1…

5. I noticed on a rare occasion the Pitcher would suddenly turn and throw the ball to one of the Basemen, why would he do that?

He is trying to prevent the runner at first base advancing to 2nd base, thus, stopping him stealing a base. If a runner is at 1st base and his team mate gets a hit, the most likely scenario is he gets to 2nd or 3rd base…..if however, he started on second base, the chances are that he would get to home plate and score a run…basically, he is trying to gain an advantage by stealing a base and the pitcher is trying to hold him.

I still don’t really understand the scoring. Here was an early score as example:
Min 1 NYY 2 / 2nd / 2 out / 3-2
now I understand it was the 2nd round, 2 were already out and the 3-2 refers I think to the 3 times he’s hit the ball and 2 times he’s missed the ball, right? But I don’t know how Min got 1 and NYY got 2 – 1 and 2 what exactly? this is the 2nd round so how come there are like 3 goals so to speak….sorry, I hope you can understand what I mean here.

The first numbers is exactly that, that is the current score, Min has 1 run so far, Yanks have 2…..you’re correct on the second and third bit….the 4th bit is the tricky bit but very important…that is known as the count. Lets take the final box score from the game:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Minn 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 3 0 7 11 2
Yanks 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 11 0

The important bit is the ‘R’ which means Minnesota won the game 7 runs to 5. The ‘H’ and ‘E’ are just for info purposes….’H’ means the number of hits each team had during the game, ‘E’ means the number of errors commited by each team…the other numbers are just a breakdown of how many runs each team scored during that particular inning.

The Count

Lets take the 3-2 count as you have shown for an example. That means there are 3 ‘balls’ and 2 ‘strikes’. If the next ball thrown is a strike, then the hitter is out (3 strikes and you’re out). If the next ball thrown is a ‘ball’ (outside the zone) then the hitter WALKS to 1st base (walks are no good, just like in football, giving an opponent a free-kick just outside the box). If there is already someone at 1st base, that runner goes to second base and the hitter goes to 1st base.

Each time a player fouls a ball, that is counted as a strike. So lets use an example of a new at bat.

Jeter fouls off the 1st pitch, so the count is now 0-1. He leaves the next pitch as its outside the zone, now the count is 1-1. He fouls of the next pitch, count is now 1-2. He lets the next pitch go by, and again, it is outside the zone, count now is 2-2. He fouls off the next pitch….now, as he already has 2 strikes against him and he has fouled off again, he doesn’t get a third strike as he already has 2 against him, so the count remains 2-2 and they continue….therefore, the pitcher has to throw a strike, or get Jeter to swing and miss to get Jeter out.

A strike called against a hitter is, when he lets a pitch go by and it is in the strikezone, or, if he swings at a ball and misses, or if the hitter fouls off a ball…..if the count is at 2 stikes the fouls arn’t taking into account (as mentioned before) and they continue until he is struck out, swings and misses, or he gets a hit..etc

oh, and how many throws does a Pitcher get before his round is over.

Normally between 90-110 picthes per game. Pitchers usually have 4 days rest and pitch every 5th day. That is why it is important for any team to have a good rotation of pitchers…this year for the first time in quite a while the Yankees have gone with their youngster (except for Andy Pettitte) therefore, much anticipation in Yankeeland….

We can talk about the stats/numbers to look out for in pitchers next time (thats if you’re not bored silly by now, lol) but here are the main stats for hitters:

Home Runs, RBI’s, Hits, and avg (batting average) A good hitter has an average of or above .300 (30%). Its a strange game, it means that a hitter will fail 70% of the time and is still considered a success. Ted Williams is the only man to hit .400 for a season in the history of the game.

The pitching side is quite interesting also. There are many pitches such as , fast ball, curve ball, slider, change up, knuckle ball etc….its a fascinating contest as the hitters are trying to guess what pitches are coming up…

Again Mar, let me know if you need clarification on some of the stuff as there’s a lot to take in..lol

[Oh So Sharp]

I can’t believe it….I just spent about an hour trying to answer your questions and then clicked on ‘submit’ and it asked me to log in again. This is the second time it has happened….guess there’s a time limit to how long it take to make a post??? I should have saved it…..

Anyway, glad you got a chance to watch the game Mar…..I don’t know whether I could sit through a game not fully knowing the rules, I can tell you…lol

I’ll respond to your questions tomorrow….

[Oh So Sharp]

Hi Maggs..

Oh yeah, its on now isn’t it? Its pretty much just a stretching exercise, so the atmosphere and intensity wouldn’t be there as for a normal game….anyway, at least its in Yankees Stadium..

I haven’t seen the film but have been meaning to order it…..what I meant was I watched Lou Gerhigs speech in its entirity.

Other films that I have seen and liked can be found in most places are :

Bull Durham, The Rookie, Eight Men Out and the Babe Ruth story (the most recent one, staring John Goodman….of Roseanne fame…he does look a bit like the Babe..lol)

Over the years, I must have made 30.000 plus posts (currently have 11,000 next to my name but have been banned a few times, like most of the people there for attacking trolls etc, lol) which may sound impressive and sad, but most of the posts are made during the GDT (gameday threads) so its like ‘Great pitch’ or ‘Nice shot’ or ‘WTF was that’?? lol…not many in depth ones…..certainly not like the ones I am posting here….can you imagine 30,000 of these….I’d be in hospital!! lol….I’m mainly there for the humour….so they don’t get many in depth analysis from me….just a few light hearted batter….sometimes they get it, sometimes they don’t, but I’m sure they love it anyway…..

I can watch most sports but cant get into ice hockey. Have tried numerous times when the NHL have been on TV….just can’t get into it..

I have been a fan of the Federer Express since he beat Pete Sampras at Wimbledon back in 2001….definitely going to be an all-time great…..hope he does win the French this year although I would be surprised….I was pleased for Mauresmo too….she really is technically good in her all-round game, some say she’s too masculine, and a ‘choker’ on the big points/occasions…..so it was good to see for put that to bed…

Whenever I see Murray, I think..hmm, spoilt brat, Mr attidude problem….not easy for me anyway, to support him….also applies to Henman, although was him, its more the dullness…

I like Snooker….used to play Ronnie O’ Sullivan in his amatuer days…but thats another story…

[Oh So Sharp]

Hi Mar…

No problem whatsoever…I have most of it saved anyway, so it’s just a matter of a quick cut and paste…

Also, please don’t feel obligated to watch the games, it would be great if you did, but the most important thing is that is has been great chatting to you, and even if you’re not into baseball, I’m sure they’ll be other things to chat about……like the weather…lol

None of this has been any effort at all…….its actually done me good as its got my juices going and the seasons about to start..lol

I’ve been trying to get Mrs Sharpy into baseball for years, but nitto……she knows a few of the Yankee players, but thats it….

I agree, Gary Cooper did over do that speech, I’ve watch the actual speech in its entirity numerous times and it never fails to move me each time I see it….

I don’t know what it is about this team, but controversies, tragedies, miracles, myth, mystic, aura seems to follow them…..sometimes, fact is stranger than fiction…..from Babe Ruth, Lou Gerhig, Joe Dimaggio (he was married to Marilyn Monroe) Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris (as shown in the film 61*) Thurman Munson and onto today with A-Rod and his media circus…

The roll call is a chant from the ‘proper’ fans ( a bit like the Kop end at Liverpool or the Stretford end at Man Utd) and they sit in right field section of the stadium…..its always better for the players to acknowledge the fans quickly as the chant starts right after first pitch…..so the game is actually going on..lol

The baseball forums isn’t moderated that well and you get a lot of kids mucking about on there, saying things like’Yankees suck’….unlike a racing forum for instance, where you do get the odd weirdo, but kids generally arn’t that interested..

I used to follow cricket a bit and it is totally different from that game…..I also used to think why would a grown man play a game similar to rounders….until I understood the game of baseball….

I had to learn the game from scratch…..from all the rules, why stats are so vital to the game…the history, tactics etc…..my brother-in-law got a crash course from me…lol….

I totally understand where your husband is coming from….its like ‘WHY Baseball???????’……’where did that come from’???? lol…..its not like equestrian or show jumping….at least there are potential links from horse racing……but baseball???? lol

[Oh So Sharp]

Hi Mar

Yes, it is just friendlys, they play vitually everyday for the whole of March and call it ‘Spring Training’. Although I can watch all the games on mlb.tv, I don’t usually bother and only get the ‘buzz’ when the season starts….however, if you have it on NASN, you can get the chance to see the players in action…

This whole Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Barry Bonds saga….its a bit cloudy….it was actually not illegal up until a few years back and I think the controversy is more to do with the ethical side of things…

I was watching an old dvd last night, a film called 61* based on a true story of the Yankees of 1961. Whilst watching it, I was thinking ‘this would be a nice intro into the world of baseball for Mar….the intregrity, passion, traditions, pride and dedication of the sport depicted in a 2 hour movie’ (yes, it was a pretty long thought, LOL)….NOT the Clemens saga!!! lol

Also, a history of the Yankees (which lasts for about an hour) is probably the best intro…..it includes one of the most famous speeches (in the US anyway) ever made….by Lou Gehrig…’the luckiest man on the face of the earth speech’….here is a short clip of the actual speech..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LFprYLW3_U&NR=1

…and here’s a film version…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhdXbXiP … re=related

Basically the guy knew he was going to die and still had the courage to make a speech to all the fans…

Here’s another unique Yankee’s tradition…the roll call…..the fans call out each of the players names and will only stop when they have been acknowledge..lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bVi4xTh7BU

Remember Mar, if you are planning to watch a game, let me know if you want me to explain the rules a bit more….

[Oh So Sharp]

hi Lee,
I’m delighted to hear this wonderful news! …hope you enjoy the rest of your time there and pick a few winners

I’ve found another one!!! Yeeeeeeeeeeha!!!!!!

…I think I have too – a fellow Matt Chapman fan

oh you might convert me yet, I shall be having a very close look. Somewhat shallow but it may be their looks that’s the deciding factor

Actually Mar, I was doing a (tame) expression of a cowboy…..just remembered Chapman says that a lot too…

Just found out…the first game on terrestial TV featuring the Yankees is on Sunday 13th April on Channel 5 (not Channel 4 as I stated before, its always on Channel 5) it starts at around 1am (Monday morning) against……you’ve guessed it, the dirty sox….

You’ll have to watch the game now..lol

I guess you go for the more rugged type and not too young……hmmm…from the Yanks, maybe Jason Giambi (the Giambino), Bobby Abreu (Mr Smooth, Dude Love, Mr Loverman) or Mike Mussina, not rugged, but late 30’s…..the things I do to get you interested…lol

[Oh So Sharp]

Fenway Park is one of the oldest stadiums with lots of traditions and small so it is quite ‘intimate’, i.e, you’ll get a good view….look out for the green monster!!!!

[Oh So Sharp]

No problems Mar, will keep you posted.

Its been a pleasure discussing the game with you, feel free to ask me any more questions, I’ll check back here regularly and besides…..I need a few tips from you for Cheltenham!! lol

I’ve got my brother-in-law to become a Yankees fan, I think my work is cut out trying to convince you..lol….anyway, you’re entirely right, people support teams for some many reasons and sometimes, it is unexplanable….

I’ve found another one!!! Yeeeeeeeeeeha!!!!!!

[Oh So Sharp]

Hi Lee…

Their first home game is on April 8th against the Detroit Tigers who are a very good team, one of the favourites to win the World Series this year.

Yes, you can take your beer(s) to your seats, although I’ve been told the food and drink atthe stadium is quite expensive.

The Red Sox are the current champions and also won it in 2004. Their stars players are, batting: Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, star pitchers are Josh Beckett and their closer Jonathan Paplebon (you can impress your mate with a few name dropping..lol)

Their basketball team the Boston Celtics haven’t won the world championship since 1986. Their Ice Hockey team is the Boston Bruins..

As for the Superbowl…..glad it was a New York team that did them…..otherwise the Yankees forum would be inundated with posts from Bostonian’s like ‘WE OWN YOU’…..’BOSTON IS THE SPORTS CAPITAL OF AMERICA’ etc etc lol

Lee, please wear a Yankees shirt to the game…..you’ll get a lot of attention..lol

I envy you…..enjoy the game..

[Oh So Sharp]

Yes Mar, it is big buckeroonies indeed! They do play 162 games a year, plus if they go all the way to the World Series, it could go up to 181 games. Nevertheless, no one is worth that much in my mind..

Ok, I’ll keep an eye out on the NASN schedule and Channel 4 and will let you know when you can see A-ROD in action….he’ll probably play rubbish when you see him, knowing my luck..lol

A few of those pictures were photoshopped. The one you mentioned was supposed to be A-ROD and his wife (using Jeters head instead)..lol…also, the one that has him and Jeter with a couple of other blokes, semi naked was also ‘touched up’..lol

They used to be best friends when they weren’t on the same team, but recently confessed that they are more like colleagues….think its the pressure of being who they are and playing for a team that attracts such media frenzy….

Jeter is one of the most elegable batchelors in the US. He has dated the likes of Mariah Carey, Jessica Alba and a former Miss Universe….a bit of a playboy but always professional when playing baseball and unlike a lot of sports stars, never gets into trouble…i.e, face splashed accross tabloids falling out of nightclubs etc….he is the face of baseball and a great role model for kids….

Arod is a bit of a hot head….he’s good and he knows it…but nevertheless, would start training at 5am and the last to leave the training field…

Ok, consider it done (the banner)….just trying to decide of what colour to use..lol

Only a week and a day to go before Cheltenham…..I’m going to do some serious (form) book studying…lol

[Oh So Sharp]

Hi (M)argaret (so I was right! lol)

Thanks, and appreciate you taking an interest. Doesn’t happen much in the UK, so I might be harping on a bit too much..lol

I’ll be the first to admit that I understand how the Yankees are so dispised and how unfair it is to a certain extent. And yes, it is similar to the Goldophins, Coolmores, McManus’ of this world. But hey, what can I do, I’ve fallen for them…

Although I haven’t been to a game (yet) from what I can gather and from all the games I have watched, there is definitely no hooliganism at the game…they don’t take no crap…lol….in addition to speaking to my internet yankee mate, whose been going to the games for 30 odd years….

Ok, but he was around 80 odd years ago….he’s a legend, icon in fact…a bit like the Arkles, Ali’s of this world. A popular phase over there is ‘he’s the Babe Ruth of basketball, or fishing, or knitting or trainspoting….of anything!’…..like a ‘standard’ bearer…a bit like ‘he’s the next Arkle’. Certainly in the US, he’s like a national treasure..

Andy Petitte is a Yankee…..its a long story about supposed drug enhancement taking……I’m biased of course…

The top earning player is, surprise, surprise a Yankee, and many predict he is going to be the best player of all time (he’s batting figures also proves it) Alex Rodriguez or AROD…..(I laughed when some people called the tennis player Andy Roddick AROD for short….actually, he was embarrased too and told them to drop it, there’s already an AROD..lol)

He earns around $35 million a year. He’s also a ‘hunk’ according to Mrs Sharpy and she has a bit of a crush on Derek Jeter (Mr New York…dam you Jeets!! lol) who is the captain of the Yankees…..and earns around $30 million a year. Here’s a short vid (from a non-yankee fan) basically taking the pi$$…but its quite funny of the mentioned 2:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CvIGHqtrF9g

They’ve been accused of having an affair with one another, you know, the top 2 earning players, both playing for the Yankees, pretty boys etc….lies I tell ya, lies!! lol

lol, yes, it is a bit militery, and Boston are more happy-go-lucky….ok, you can join them so we can have heated debates…..but its better on the ‘dark side’….as the yanks are known…..the Empire Strikes Back..lol

Ok thanks, I’ll check out the General Sports section…might be the only one who is interested in baseball and be all by myself , but hey, you never know…lol

Would definitely send you pics….I’ll even hold up a sign if I’m at a game saying ‘Are you watching this Ugly Mare??’…..lol….that would get them thinking…

I follow the Yankees minor league teams just to see what prospects they’ve got. Actually, as mentioned before, the Yanks have shyed away from purchasing the big names and unlike previous years, they haven’t traded their top prospects for free agents, thats why this year, we have 3 of the top ‘rookies’ pitching for us…..

Hey, its once a year, feet up, cupboards full, sit back enjoy, win a few quid!!lol

Sweet!! Just noticed I’ve now got 2 stars (yes, 2, count ’em folks!!) …..actually, thought I was a Triple Crown winner ……lol

[Oh So Sharp]

Also, forgot to add, M..

When I started following them back in 97, they won the World Series the following 3 years, 98-00. During the 2001 season, just before the play-offs, the 9/11 tragedy in New York occured. Baseball was cancelled for about 2 weeks…..nobody was in the mood, understandably…..however, it was decided afterwards that the best way forward was to carry on and get on with life ‘don’t let the ba$tards get you down’…..the Yankees made it to the World Series again in spite of all this, and even though they were on the verge of winning 4 straight World Series and dominating the game of baseball, the majority of the country and even some of the Boston Fans were behind them…..that struck a cord with me, had a lump in my throat….it was very touching.

In the end the Yankees lost 4 games to 3 to Arizona but not only was it one most the most exciting World Series of all time (most Amercians would vote for that) because the games were so close and unbelievable comebacks……but the character shown by the players and coaches in light of what happened a few weeks before, meant to some, as their greatest ever achievement, more than any of their 26 previous World Championships…..Lets go Yankees!!!

I’m not a fan of Bush at all, and this video may look cheesy to some, but:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=w8WhoiuU3Og&feature=related

[Oh So Sharp]

Hi M

Thats exactly what I used to think as well, but overall, its less predictable than say Premiership football, where the winners have been either Man Utd, Arsenal or Chelsea for the past 13 seasons, Blackburn in 94-95 being the last team outside of the said 3 to win it.

If you compare that with the last 15 Superbowl or World Series winners, you’ll see that its not as predictable. Part of the reason, and I’m not an expert in this particular field is the draft picks. Basically, each year, the rookies i.e, college kids who are entering pro baseball for the first time are ranked, say #1-200. The Major League team who finishes with the worst record gets the first pick, and the top teams pick last. Its more technical than that but thats just the jist of it. So how do teams like the Yankees who consistantly finish with the best record compete? They buy all the top free agents (established stars) out there who are available (although, this year in particular, they have been promoting their youngsters in their farm system, i.e 2nd team)

Sorry M, I didn’t explain myself clearly before….although the Yankees have 4 other teams in their division, they play the other 9 teams in the league (from the other 2 divisions) regularly as well. The division is like a mini league.

Yes, Yanks/Mets is a great rivalry but the biggest rivalry perhaps in all of American sports, certainly in baseball is the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Firstly, not only are they in the same league (American League) but also in the same division. Secondly, it started about about 80 odds years ago, when the Boston Red Sox had to sell their star player, and you may have heard of him….Babe Ruth (perhaps the most famous sportman in America of all time)….to the New York Yankees to pay of a few debts….since then the Yankees has rattled up 26 World Series wins and only up to 2004, Boston never won it….hence whenever the Yanks played Boston, Yankees fans carried signs like ‘Curse of the Bambino’ (which was one of Babe Ruths nicknames)

Even though these 2 teams would meet on average 15-20 times a year, each game they play is like the World Series…..great atmosphere and intensity.

A game could last anywhere between 2 hours to 4 hours. There are no time constraints. They play 9 innings each, 1 inning consists of 3 outs. So for instance, the team who is batting would try and score as many runs before the pitching team gets 3 of their players out i.e strikeout, caught, run out etc…(I can explain in more detail when you plan to watch a game)

Why the Yankees? When I first got involved in baseball, the Yankees weren’t exactly dominating the game (they won the World Series the year before for the first time in about 17 years). It was a combination of their history, the way they celebrated past players (they have a section at the end of their ballpark called Monument Park, where they have plaques of past players and retire numbers, so future players cannot wear that particular number i.e Babe Ruth #3, Lou Gehrig #4, Joe DiMaggio#5 etc)

Also, the Yankees are a no nonsense team. No one can grow a beard or a have long hair, and unlike the other baseball teams, none of the players have their names on the back of their shirts, just a number, which suggests that no one is bigger than the team (which is quite ironic, as the Yankees have more superstars than anyone else) A recent example of this is Johnny Damon, who the Yankees bought from Boston. He was known as the caveman or Jesus because of his long hair and beard, once he joined the Yanks, he had to shave it off….lol…..I’ll send you a ‘before and after’ if you like…lol

A lot of people think its all snobbery, but I think its respect and professional….thats why the Yankees are the most hated team in baseball but at the same time the most popular.

They are the richest team in American sports and only second to Man Utd in the richest team in the world. Don’t know about you, but wherever I go in London, I always see people wearing ‘NY’ caps, more to do with fashion than being a fan of the team..lol

They are also the most successful sports franchise in history, more championships than any other team in sports. They are the team of the century.

I am a fan or both, probably a slight edge on the Flat, although Cheltenham is my favourite time of the year….when I wake up on the Tuesday of each Cheltenham festival, it feels as if its my birthday…..only it last 4 days!! lol

[Oh So Sharp]

Hi (U)M…..lol

Yes, similar to the Manchester teams in terms of differences in success, but the Mets have a massive budget as well…..this bit may be boring, but here goes…

There are 30 teams in the major leagues, and like basketball, ice hockey, American Football, there are no promotions or religations. In baseball, there are 2 leagues, American league and National league and 3 divisions in each league. This never changes so say for example in the Yankees division, there are the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (who always finish last).

At the end of the season only 4 teams from each divsion will go on to the post season, or knockout stage. As there are only 3 divisions in either league, the 4th spot goes to the team who has the best record but who have finished second in their division known as the wild card.

So for example:

New York Yankees wins the Amercan East with 100 wins
Detroit Tigers wins the American Central with 98 wins
Seattle Mariners wins the American West with 95 wins
Boston Red Sox gets the wild card for their 91 wins, best 2nd place finish

Normally, the Yankees who have the best record would play the wild card team Boston, Detriot would play Seattle, but because Boston are in the same division as the Yankees, this will not apply, so the Yankees would play Seattle and Detroit would play Boston.

The winners of each game would play for the American league pennant (League Champions) and the winner of that would play the National league champions in the World Series.

So as the Mets are in a different league, they only play them in 2 instances. The first is if they actually won their respective leagues and faced each other in the World Series, happened in 2000…..Yankees won…hehe…

The second would be in July where there is a whole month of ‘interleague’ play,which was only recently introduced. This gives the opportunity for cities with 2 teams like Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets and teams based near each like San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics to play each other and attract bigger audiences…

I heard about the name thing but as I am aware that isn’t going to happen. There is still the Washington Redskins and in baseball, the Cleveland Indians…their argument was it was to celebrate the culture and not intended to offend.

I haven’t got NASN but do know they show live baseball.Iwatch all their games on the internet on mlb.tv. Baseball is on Channel 4 each Wednesday and Sunday night/early morning.

They do tend to over use that ‘There’s no limit’ song and with regards to ‘New York, New York’…..the Yankees play the Sinatra version whenever they win……they play Liza Minelli’s version whenever they lose…..nice…lol

Corals and Ladbrokes say I’m the only guy they know of who actually bet on the games (some people bet on the main thing, the World Series) yet they still display prices for every single game daily???? lol

He and his wife are great. We’ve both quite cautious so it took him 4 years before he asked me my occupation! lol…Would be doing some sightseeing and dining out etc…..have you been to New York before and if so, anything/where you recommend?

I still support Liverpool and have done so since the late 70’s…(I know, I know, not surprised that I’ve gone off football supporting them and why would I support them if I’m based in London)

Anyway, I still follow them but as mentioned before, not as obsessively as before…..some people might say ‘so you’re not a REAL fan and never have been then?’….and I say ‘ does my face look like I give a toss’????? lol

[Author]

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