Yankee Series not won with traditional dominance--Reina

• A diminished OPS meant they would not win without pitching and outlasting. As in the dynasty years, Bronx Pitchers did more of the heavy lifting than Bronx Bombers.

"Over the course of their 15 games in the 2009 playoffs, the Yankees had an OPS of .772 and an ERA of 3.26.

• With a three-man rotation and 16 innings manned by Mariano Rivera, the Yankees shaved a full run off their regular season ERA of 4.26,

• but they lost 67 points on their OPS, most notably from Mark Teixeira (-.355) and Robinson Cano (-.325).

In terms of the Opsera, a simple formula I created that involves

• OPS and ERA, the Yankees trailed each of the previous four champions

• and clearly did not have a painlessly dominant path.

Recent Opseras of World Series Champs

• 2009 Yankees: 4.46, .772 OPS, 3.26 ERA

• 2008 Phillies: 4.91, .798 OPS, 3.07 ERA

• 2007 Red Sox: 4.77, .806 OPS, 3.29 ERA

• 2006 Cardinals: 4.59, .727 OPS, 2.68 ERA

• 2005 White Sox: 5.66,.821 OPS, 2.55 ERA

• 2004 Red Sox: 3.80,.827 OPS, 4.47 ERA

• 2003 Marlins: 2.68 .698 OPS, 4.30 ERA

• 2002 Angels: 3.97 .879 OPS, 4.82 ERA

We've become accustomed to watching a whole handful of players from the winning almost magically play above their heads with impeccable timing,

• but the Yankees seemed to win in spite of not possessing that due to their Xanadu-style depth.

• Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter outperformed their typical selves and Johnny Damon setup the 3-1 World Series lead almost single-handedly with his Game 4 double steal, while CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte had quality starts in 11 of the 15 games. I think quality starts tends to be an overused measure, particularly because it sets the bar so low for front of the rotation pitchers, but comparing a 73% rate to the regular season in which they had a
• 40% quality start rate is a significant jump and was the single biggest factor for why the Yankees had a winning percentage of .789 compared to .636 during the regular season. ...

More than imposing their superiority on opponents, the Yankees demonstrably showed that

• they would not be outlasted under any circumstance. ...

To the Brian Cashman's credit, however, the Yankees did spend less in relation to everybody else in comparison to New York payrolls of 2008 and 2005, being merely $52 million over the team with the second highest payroll. His free agency decisions

• last winter avoided half measures, the main cause of failure in that seven year drought (2)."...

"Notes

• (1) Under no circumstances can their 2001 season be cited as underachieving. They were up against the best postseason pitcher combination in recent history, playing in a post-9/11 New York and still a Mariano save away from winning the World Series.

• (2) Jaret Wright has become the picture definition of free agency's version of 'half measure.'

• (3) The Chicago school of economics favors a form of free market economics and libertarianism with very little regulation."

by Christopher Reina, RealGMBaseball.com, " 11/10/09, "New York World Series Win brings old arguments back to life"

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Heath Bell on XM 175 doesn't take Seth Everett's bait

Wednesday, 11/11/09, Heath Bell on XM 175 interviewed by Seth Everett. Following are portions I heard approximately:

• Seth: Do you think the Yankees bought a championship?

• Heath: No, teams must gel. For example, after Arod came back from his (hip) injury the team backed him (which helped him and the team). Team chemistry is important, this Yankee team reminded me of those of the late 90's in that regard.

• Seth: Regarding Yankees' Mariano Rivera, "are you jealous or amazed?"

• Heath: I'm jealous. (Bell offers new context, ie how it is unlikely coaches today would allow a pitcher coming up to be a 'one-pitch' pitcher, which is how some describe Rivera's repertoire):
• Coaches today would see guys come up and if they had only one pitch would force them to learn other pitches.*** Today they want you to have 2-3 pitches. I was worried that Mariano was being used so much. I watched his "cutter or whatever it is," it goes all over the place.

• Seth: The talk in game 6 was even that Rivera would have to get a 3 inning 'save.' What do you think of this use of a closer who usually goes 1 or 2 innings?

• Heath: It's fine. You might be sore after, but you have to go for it.

• Seth: What's the difference between pitching the 8th and the 9th inning?

• Heath: There's a BIG difference. You need confidence, thick skin later in the game. Even if you blew a game the day before, you must come in eager to face the same guys who hit off you. You need an attitude like that was just a "fluke."

Heard on XM 175 around 12:20-12:30 pm 11/11/09

• ***I recall hearing years ago (1998 or after) that Mel Stottlemyre was working with Rivera on developing another pitch. People eagerly awaited the new pitch but it never panned out. (framus)

Reference: On 11/2/09 Seth Everett mentioned that Bob DuPuy is a longtime friend. Everett also described himself as 'a Bud guy.' Not that there's anything wrong with that. (framus)

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Scott Boras chats rich MLB owners and poor payrolls on XM 175

Tuesday, 11/10 I heard Scott Boras speaking with Kevin Kennedy. Boras had a different slant than the one relentlessly pursued by an array of XM 175 hosts recently:

• Host: Lots of people hate the Yankees.

• More and more people around the country hate the Yankee team more and more. People feel it's unfair that the Yankees have more money than other teams and that they bought the championship. So it isn't real.
• Do you agree?

• People all over the country feel their team will never have a chance against the Yankees. Give us a call and let us know your take.

Boras' remarks approximated the following:

• You may have a billionaire owner the value of whose team has increased by several hundred million dollars, yet he won't spend more on payroll.

• Every team is getting $80 to $90 million from a combination of revenue sharing and MLB.com distributions. A portion of teams mainly use the money to pay down debt (instead of investing in players).

Heard around 1:45 pm 11/10/09.

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Veterans Day, World War II pilot and his Stearman

Ed Mullen, World War II, US Air Force, surviving. Fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Mets. Update: Dad tells me this plane is a Stearman, a well known plane to this day. Also, his father was a World War I veteran and a Brooklyn Dodger fan.

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MLB.com hiring for next season-resumes due 12/11

30 openings for reporter interns from ranks of college and grad students:

• "Applicants should submit a resume, 5 to 10 published articles, a list of references and a 750-word essay on why MLB.com should select you? Your clips ideally will show a variety of work, including game stories, previews and features."...

Application deadline 12/11/09, results announced by end of January. Send applications to:

• Bill Hill Assistant Managing Editor/MLB.com
• Attn: Internship Application
• 14825 N. 97th Place
• Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Job posted on Poynter.org. via Poynter.org

• For those who've dreamed of working for Bud Selig, becoming a member of the BBWAA for life, and voting for baseball awards.

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Denver Post bans predictions by beat writers

Rosenthal, Chicago Trib, 11/8/09: "There was an awkward radio moment the other day out West when guest Mike Klis, who covers pro football's Broncos for the Denver Post, was asked how he thought that week's game would go and

• Klis said he couldn't say. Really. He couldn't.

Klis told the hosts, according to Denver's Westword, that the Post had decided that allowing its news and sports beat writers to prognosticate might lead readers to question their objectivity, so

• the paper was banning their predictions....

Now, one can argue whether a prediction of who will win a football game is analysis, which is allowed, or opinion, which is verboten. The distinction (Post Editor Greg) Moore makes is:

• "Analysis is an informed and reported explanation of an event or development.

• A prediction is almost like placing a bet on the outcome. It's having a dog in the race, and you have to cover the race."

But assuming all that's being gambled is the writer's reputation for knowing what he or she is talking about, the only real risk is of looking like a dunderhead when wrong. There's an old saying:

• He who lives by the crystal ball learns to eat broken glass."...

from Phil Rosenthal column, "Predictions Policy Quiets Denver Post Writers," Chicago Tribune, via Radio Daily News

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Minnesota Twins Garage Sale draws thousands

• Fans search for bobbleheads and other souvenirs, Saturday, 11/7/09, ap

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The Fab Four-Newsday back cover

Newsday back cover, Jeter, Posada, Mariano, Pettitte, 11/08/09

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Yankees on Letterman Thursday night

Letterman hosts Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, and Hideki Matsui, 11/05/09. photo from nyyfans.com

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Hideki and Pedro 2nd inning

• World Series game 6, reuters photo

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Congratulations and thank you to New Jersey voters

• Listening to baseball games on the Jersey Shore will be better for some time to come. Thanks tonight to New Jersey voters.
• Above photo Exit 98 on the Garden State Parkway to some of New Jersey's best beaches.

Update: Mike Lupica says radio host Don Imus may have helped Chris Christie across the finish line. So thanks to the I-man as well:

• "Even as my friend Mr. Imus was dragging Chris Christie across the finish line in Jersey - no small job, let's face it - he was telling a great truth about the Garden State:

• If Christie does clean up corruption in Jersey politics, where do we go for our entertainment?"
• 11/8/09 from Mike Lupica NY Daily News column, end of p. 2, "After World Series Victory, NY Yankees will now deal with 'budget' concerns"

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Good news from the Tribune Company--no AP next week

11/3/09: "Tribune Co., owner of The Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and several other news outlets, will not use most Associated Press content next week to test whether the financially struggling company can do without it, according to a story on the Chicago Tribune's Web site.

• Tribune said it will use some AP material such as sports statistics and stories it considers vital. The Chicago-based company said it is trying to determine whether severing ties with the news cooperative next fall is a viable option."...

"Tribune Co. Newspapers won't use AP next week," from AP report via Breitbart via Drudge

• People like Bud Selig will have to find new stenographers for a week. (framus)

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Seafood paella one of Yankee favorites-Yankee chef

Zagat Buzz: "But something else happened within the past year that might have fueled the victorious (AL East) season: a new chef at the stadium. Chef Ricardo Cardona stepped in to cook for the Bronx Bombers at home games. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Manhattan, Cardona has emerged as one of the city’s eminent Latino chefs with his restaurants Sazon, Sofrito, Hudson River Café and Mamajuana Cafe. What is he feeding these champs? We caught Cardona between games to talk about the team’s favorite eats.

Zagat Buzz: Were you always a Yankee fan?

Ricardo Cardona: I became a Yankee fan while cooking for them, because I really didn’t care much about baseball before that. Once I started cooking for them, I became friends with them. I became a Yankee fan, and now I feel I am part of the family.

ZB: How did you become the chef for the New York Yankees?

RC: I used to work in a restaurant called Jimmy’s Bronx Café back in 1999–2000. The restaurant was five minutes away from Yankee Stadium. I met a family there called the Cucuzza family, who takes care of the clubhouse. They were regular customers, and we became friends. They would ask me to cater for the Yankees all the time. When Jimmy’s Bronx Café closed, we kept in contact, and they asked me to cater for them still because they liked my food....

ZB: Do the players often have special menu requests?

RC: Sometimes if they are doing special training, or are on a special diet, they will ask for something in advance. For example, Mariano Rivera once requested watercress juice. But, really, they are very simple guys. When they’re hungry, they’ll eat anything.

ZB: What’s on the menu for the World Series?

RC: Seafood paella, that’s one of their favorites. Grilled shrimp, pork chops. Skirt steak. Rice and beans....

ZB: What restaurant recommendations do you have for fans near the stadium?

RC: Well, I run a restaurant called Hudson River Café on 135th Street and Twelfth Avenue in Manhattan, and there’s the steakhouse at the Fairway too. I recommend eating in that area because of the parking. It’s easy to park your car there, then hop in a taxi to the stadium and you are there in five minutes.

ZB: Where do the players like to eat?

RC: The Latino players like to go to Dyckman Street to some of the Dominican restaurants and other Latino spots. I used to see Melky Cabrera all the time at Lua in Hoboken. A lot of them go to my spot Sofrito on 57th Street, one of the few Puerto Rican restaurants in New York. They like it because we do very homey-style Puerto Rican food there. Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera love Sofrito.

ZB: What’s A-Rod’s favorite dish?

RC: He likes lean foods – low-fat, low-butter – and sweet potato and apple purée. He actually taught my cook how to make it.

ZB: Does Derek Jeter have a favorite dish?

RC: Well, he was upset because the reporter who wrote an article in the Daily News recently said he eats pork, and that’s not true. He does not eat pork. I don’t know why that reporter wrote that. But Jeter likes grilled chicken breast. Grilled chicken on whole wheat bread is one dish he eats a lot. He is very self-disciplined. He is the captain and you’ve got to lead by example, so he eats very healthy.

ZB: Do you feel your menu affects whether the Yankees win?

RC: I wish I could say that! But I think it’s their playing."

• Zagat Buzz, 11/02/09, "Ricardo Cardona, Chef to the Champions" by Kathleen Squires

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29 newspapers not covering the World Series

"Twenty-nine of the 60 newspapers that cover major league teams during the season on the road as well as at home are not at this year’s World Series:...

Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal
Arizona Republic
Atlanta Journal & Constitution
Baltimore Sun
Cincinnati Enquirer
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Contra Costa (Calif.) Times
Dallas Morning News
Dayton Daily News
Detroit Free Press
Detroit News
Fort Worth Star Telegram
Houston Chronicle
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Oakland Tribune Orange County (Calif.) Register Palm Beach (Fla.) Post Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Providence (R.I.) Journal

Sacramento (Calif.) Bee

St. Paul Pioneer Press

San Francisco Chronicle

San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News

Seattle Times South Florida Sun Sentinel Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune Tampa Tribune Worcester (Mass.) Telegram

The Los Angeles Daily News is not covering the World Series, but its baseball writers stopped traveling during the season this year. Taking baseball writers off the road is another economic measure that newspapers have taken. Baseball teams are on the road for half the season - three months - after spending six weeks in Florida or Arizona in spring training."...

• from "Latest Signs of a Dying Industry," by Murray Chass, MurrayChass.com, 11/1/09, via BTF

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Macys ad already advertising Phillies World Champion gear

Macys ad selling Phillies World Champion gear runs in Philadelphia Inquirer, Inquirer posts apology for slip-up:

• 11/2/09: "A Message To Our Readers,

A Macy's advertisement in today's Inquirer incorrectly offered Phillies 2009 World Championship merchandise. The Inquirer deeply regrets this error. Macy's is a great corporate citizen, supporter of this region and our sports teams. We apologize for this error and any inconvenience this caused.

• Sincerely,

Howard Griffin Vice President, National Advertising Philadelphia Media LLC The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, Broad Street Publishing and philly.com"

• via Poynter.org/Romenesko

(They might be able to run the ad eventually, just not today). photo of ad via poynter.org/romenesko via Hugging Harold Reynolds

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Shane Victorino greets reporters with string of expletives- Newsday

David Lennon of Newsday reports his experience trying to chat with some Phillies after Friday's workout (well before the evening game). Media types waited in hopes some Phillies might say a few words. Players choose to meet and greet or not, reporters take the job knowing this. However:

• (Newsday): "Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Jayson Werth were conspicuous by their absence (in the clubhouse).
• Ryan Howard loudly proclaimed that he was not talking.
• Shane Victorino, after some persistent prodding, gave an interview in which

• he greeted reporters with a string of expletives and then dismissed most of the questions.

Jamie Moyer sat at his locker and chatted for about an hour - but he's not even on the active roster.

• It wasn't the type of behavior you would expect from a Phillies team that had been in this same spot only a year earlier and won the whole thing.

Was it a business-first mentality taking over? Was it exasperation with the national spotlight only four days into the World Series experience? Legitimate questions - but no one was around to answer them."...

• 11/1/09, "World Series Insider: Yanks Much Easier to Deal with than Phils"

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Andy Pettitte, Clutch Player of the Game-MLB Net

Andy Pettitte heads for home plate followed by Derek Jeter, 5th inning, World Series game 3 in Philadelphia. On the MLB Network after the game, they announced Andy's RBI single and good pitching earned him Clutch Player of the Game. ap photo

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WFAN now simulcast on Florida HD radio stations

As of October 30, 2009, WFAN Sportsradio 66 The Fan is "available to listeners in three Florida cities.

• WOCL-FM HD3 (105.9) in Orlando,

• WLLD-FM HD3 (94.1) in Tampa and

• WEAT-FM HD3 (104.3) in West Palm Beach..." via Radio Daily News

From AllAccess.com: ""From its inception, CBS RADIO has embraced HD Radio and aggressively moved to upgrade our stations with this forward-thinking technology," said VP/Programming CHRIS OLIVIERO.

• "Digital radio has afforded the industry a way to expand its audience and increase brand awareness, while giving listeners unmatched sound quality. "...********

About 2 years ago WFAN began to simulcast their PM drive show (then Mike and the Mad Dog) on 1010AM in Tampa. I thought it was a great idea, but 1010 appeared unenthused. They began preempting large portions of the show without comment or explanation. (Posted on this blog 12/6/07). Local hosts on 1010 seemed very unhappy about losing part of what they viewed as their airtime. Eventually, the association ended.

• This is a good example of how local radio stations operate, ie no one in authority is paying much attention to things that really matter. As far as HD radio, I know nothing about it. I guess I have to go buy one. (framus)

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Final out World Series game 2

reuters photo

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Still Your Daddy fan sign

Yankee fans remember Pedro, World Series game 2, reuters

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Dibs: Hughes affected by team dance with Chamberlain

After the game on XM 175, Dibs said he thinks Phil Hughes has been a casualty of the Yankees' special treatment of Joba Chamberlain. First, Hughes gets knocked out of his starter job by Chamberlain; now in the post season, they stick Chamberlain in where Hughes was just getting comfortable. He says it has to throw Phil Hughes off at this point. Noting the last 3 innings are the toughest to manage, Girardi is facing a challenge. Buck Martinez reiterates that Chamberlain should never have been made a starter.

• (As posted on this blog, I agree with those who observe Chamberlain isn't near deserving the hype he has received. The media did its part but the team was the worst offender. Experienced players have been manipulated and treated like rattles in a playpen for this guy. His violent fist pumps and facial gyrations on any and all occasions perhaps caused the team to think he'd sell tickets). framus. getty photos

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Before the game

Top photo fan in Wang jacket entering stadium; bottom, Yankee lineup before World Series game 1. photos by getty.

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George Steinbrenner at World Series game 1

Mr. Steinbrenner and daughter Jessica, vice chairman of the Yankees. ap photo

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Princeton, NJ is Mason-Dixon line for Phillies v Yankee fans--resident

• Princeton is also a dividing line for radio listeners. If you're a NY radio listener you find many stations turning to static there. Whenever I've been in the Princeton area, I've ended up listening to Philadelphia stations. (framus)

• More on geography: Longtime residents of the outlying Princeton area tell me Yardville, New Jersey is the most precise demarcation for Philadelphia v New York identity. Yardville seen on above map, red dot to the right of blue 195 sign, southeast of Trenton and directly south of Princeton. I've been in the area many times and have noted the change in accents, that is they speak with a South Jersey accent which is similar to a Philadelphia accent.

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Jeff Nelson with Joe Castellano on XM 175

These two did a great show Tuesday night, would be nice if the pairing were permanent. On topic of Posada and people stealing bases, Nelson said players steal off pitchers not catchers. Of Teixeira, Nelson said he is the type of guy who could be captain of the team someday, is always there for the media. Nelson believes team chemistry helps teams win which I've heard him say before, and he notes the 2003 Yankee team was more individuals than team. Says current Yankee team plays for the group.

• Joe Castellano is excellent at give and take with callers as well as with his booth mate. Not many guys on sports talk radio are good at give and take, being able to bounce back and forth with a co-host. Dibble of course is good at it and Kennedy is as well, but not too many others. Castellano remembered a Chuck Knoblauch throwing blunder in 2000 that involved Enrique Wilson, asked Nelson about it, and it turned out Nelson was on the mound at the time.

On the topic of umps calling balls and strikes, Nelson said the sound of the ball hitting the catcher's mitt is one of the things umpires use to judge them (balls and strikes). And that the loudness in upcoming games would make it harder for umpires to hear such sounds.

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Pete Rose taking your calls on 97.5FM in Phillie Tues. 10AM

"Legendary baseball player and Philadelphia Phillies champion Pete Rose will guest-host from

• 10 am - noon on Tuesday, October 27th on

• 97.5 The Fanatic with co-host with Dan Schwartzman."

The website lists both 97.5FM and 950AM an ESPN affiliate.

• via RadioDailyNews

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And he did

• Andy Pettitte, Newsday back cover, Saturday 10/24/09.

Joel Sherman: "Andy Pettitte was the lone figure on the field at Yankee Stadium early Saturday night. The lights were off and a strong rain was falling. Game 6 of the ALCS had been postponed about an hour earlier.

• Pettitte now had a huge workday ahead of him in 24 hours,

• but he ran, and ran on a doused warning track....

For now this can be said about Pettitte: When it comes to the postseason, no pitcher has ever started more games, won more often and won more clinching games. Sure Pettitte has benefited from pitching for superb teams and in an era with three rounds of playoffs.

• But it is one thing to have opportunity.
• Another to capitalize."...

from Sherman's NY Post column, "Andy Dandy in postseason again" 10/26/09

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Rain out views

• ALCS game 6 postponed due to rain, 10/24/09. reuters.
• Mariano Rivera in rain out dugout, ap

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Gawker Media, Deadspin named in suit by former ESPN analyst Salisbury

"A former ESPN analyst and Dallas sports radio personality has filed a civil lawsuit in Denton County against the owner of a popular sports blog for causing him to lose both of his jobs and damaging his reputation. Sean Salisbury, a Frisco resident and former National Football League quarterback, filed a petition for a civil defamation lawsuit in a Denton County court

• against Gawker Media for publishing several false stories

• on their sports blog Deadspin.com that cost him several jobs, ruined his reputation and made it difficult to find gainful employment....

"What we hope to prove is that blog sites like Deadspin are accountable," he (Harlow, a member of Salisbury's counsel)) said. "They can't simply attack someone and make a concerted effort to destroy the lives and careers of people without any ramifications.""...

• "Former ESPN, radio sports analyst Files Lawsuit Against Gawker Media in Denton County," by Danny Gallagher, McKinney Courier-Gazette, (Texas) 10/23/09, via Radio Daily News

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Louisville Slugger aluminum bat trial commences

Following the death of an 18 year old pitcher after being hit on the head by a ball batted from an aluminum bat:

• Helena, Montana: "At issue in the trial that is expected to last at least until early next week is whether anyone could have known the danger that could come from using an aluminum baseball bat, and whether the manufacturer should be held liable for Patch's death."...

"Aluminum baseball bat safety on trial in Montana," AP story by Brock Vergakis

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Part-time bloggers average $14,777 per year--Technorati

"Most bloggers are hobbyists. But there’s a minority of professional bloggers who are making more money than ever, according to a new installment of Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere report.

Bloggers can collect ad revenues related to their blogs. But they are also making money by parlaying the popularity of their blogs into

• speaking engagements, traditional media assignments, and running conferences.

Technorati said some bloggers are even reporting profits that place them squarely in the middle class.

• Among those who make money from blogging, 54 percent are part-timers, 32 percent are self-employed, and 14 percent work for corporations.

• Part-timers and full-time bloggers say the main ways they generate revenue are through display and search ads, as well as through affiliate marketing links where they get a cut from a sale after a referral.
• About 15 percent say they are paid to gives speeches. Among the segment of full-time and part-time professional bloggers,
• about 17 percent get their main income from blogging.

For full-time bloggers, the average revenue in a year is $122,222. For part-timers, annual income is $14,777. The average for the full and part-timers combined is $42,548.

• About 89 percent believe that the ads on their sites must align with their own values.

Most use self-serve ad platforms. But an increasing number are using ad networks or blog ad networks too."...

• "Technorati: Full-time bloggers are making more money than ever," VentureBeat, via RadioDailyNews

Reference: Technorati, "State of the Blogosphere 2009"

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St. Louis sports radio host starts fund to save Rams

ST. LOUIS – "WXOS-FM’s (pm drive host) Randy Karraker announced that he is stepping up to the plate in a bid to purchase the St. Louis Rams NFL franchise. Karraker made this announcement on the air this afternoon at 5:05pm on 101 ESPN....

• And although there are a reported six potential groups interested in purchasing the team, none have stood out from the rest of the competition. Rather than just sit and watch it happen again, Karraker decided to do something about it, and has created the
• Randy Karraker: Save the Rams Fund- and Fan-Raising Campaign.

Karraker says..."Whenever 101 ESPN’s “The Fast Lane” broadcasts on location, we will have the Randy Karraker: Save the Rams barrel on hand to collect donations, with all funds donated going to this grassroots cause to keep the Rams where they belong, in St. Louis.”...via Radio Daily News

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YES Network--at height of Yankee interest--will show college football replay tonight--Neil Best

• Mr. Best reports even the Mets channel is reporting from Anaheim today. But not the so-called Yankee channel, the YES Network.

Neil Best Watchdog: "The Yankees had a workout in Anaheim today. The Yankees are in the middle of the ALCS.

• The YES Network exists to cover the Yankees.

• The YES Network has its on-air personnel in Anaheim for Game 5.

So it would be a natural for the network to offer a one-hour ALCS special at 7 tonight, before the NLCS game starts on TBS.

• Wouldn't it?

• Newsday is reporting from the workout. So is ESPN.
• So is . . . SNY! (the Mets Channel)

But no. Instead, YES will show a replay of Saturday's USC-Notre Dame game at 7.

• Its only coverage today of the Yankees' biggest series in five years

• will come via its simulcast of Mike Francesa's radio show, which is on when many people are at work.

• Strange." Neil Best, "YES takes day off from ALCS," 10/21/09

I've posted on this blog that the YES Network's editorial mentality is detached from the Yankee fan. It exists somewhere else. A few years ago I wrote detailed letters to their executives which were ignored. I did receive one courtesy letter back from Woody Freiman--whose position in the hierarchy at that time didn't make him the biggest problem. His letter only confirmed what I thought anyway. There are many forces in play at the YES Network. Its significant hires were made by Leo Hindery (Hindery himself has moved on) and the majority owner is Goldman Sachs. I don't ask for a bunch of homers, but a rogue operation isn't helpful either. (framus)

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Shouting and bullying now acceptable behavior, enabled by silence of the normal

"Silence legitimizes abnormal behavior, makes it appear normal and acceptable. People become desensitized, numb." Resulting in, for example, hate speech as a way of life on the internet.

• American Thinker, 10/21: "Growing up, I was expected to be quiet. Silence is necessary to maintain secrets.

• Parents drinking? Keep your mouth shut....

Don't tell or you'll be sorry.

• When you have no words to describe your world and no one wants to hear about it anyway, a part of you goes mute. But this doesn't mean you stop observing and sensing.

When my mother flew into rages, I knew something was wrong. When my parents were rarely home, I sensed that this wasn't normal.

• Being robbed of language is a state of isolation, of suspended animation. It's like that bad dream where you try to scream but can't.

• It's the ultimate disempowerment.

Recently I wrote a couple of articles for American Thinker which included strong words like evil and trauma.

Another AT writer creamed me for using extreme language. I understand her concern about conservatives sounding irrational.

At the same time, someone needs to holler, "The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!" when they're in your line of vision.

• Uttering words is risky. They can backfire, get you in trouble. They can make you look foolish.

But there is more of a risk, I think, in stifling yourself.

• Words have the power to wake people up. Silence can lull them to sleep.

Silence legitimizes abnormal behavior, makes it appear normal and acceptable. People become desensitized, numb."....

• The author continues with current cultural examples affecting our way of life:

(American Thinker, continuing): First there's one advisor to Obama linked to Communism. The MSM (main stream media) doesn't say a word. Then there are three or five or ten or God knows how many.

• If The New Black Panthers bring billy clubs to polling sites and get away with it, that's the new normal.

The next thing we know, a union thug bites off a finger at a Town Hall....

• One of the reasons I became a psychotherapist is because I know the damage done to a person when he's robbed of words.

And I know how people can reawaken when they discover their voices....

• The problem is that people can kill the messenger. I've had to deal with a fair amount of judgment and scorn.

For instance, a friend called me "mean," when I said that her new brother-in-law was bad news. But that same friend came to me in tears when the man targeted her.

• I am not always right; I'm not psychic. I just pay close attention, and report what I see.

And this is what I see: the Progressives Are Coming, the Progressives Are Coming. ...

• Up until early last year, I was a progressive. There are no liberals in Berkeley.

We might arrive here a liberal, but after steeping in leftism, we either leave or buy into the program.

• Progressivism is not just a political persuasion. It is a cult, with deep roots in violent movements: Communism, the Black Panthers, the Symbionese Liberation Army, the Weatherman.

These groups had an artillery of weapons. Their enemy, within: capitalism, white imperialism....

• Part of the extreme fringe of progressivism? Progressivism is an extreme fringe.

• Liberals want a kinder, gentler version of the American Dream. Leftists want to slash and burn it.

• This is why many progressives will sacrifice their children to unsafe schools

• even if their kid gets a black eye. And why they'll support policies to let their granny die.

This is why they allow the streets of Berkeley and San Francisco to become a filthy netherworld

• where law abiding citizens are preyed upon, including themselves.

Because comrades-in-arms must make sacrifices for the cause.

• Most progressives are sheep-like, and just follow the leader. But many of the leaders are certifiable crazies. Mad Men.

Or sane, but noxious human beings. They shed tears about an endangered snail

• while treating people like crap....

• So, when are we allowed to speak out loud?...
• How many thugs need to rule at Town Halls; how many churches torched and fingers maimed;

• how many Talk Radio hosts demonized; before we can state the obvious: these people are soulless.

Call me names: Hysterical. Paranoid. A Fear monger. Racist. It doesn't really matter.

• Because truth is not our own. It doesn't belong to any of us. It doesn't change with the political wind.

• Truth is not here one day and gone the next. It will survive when we are long gone.

We speak, not for ourselves, but to strengthen and carry each other. ...

• We speak in a roar or a whisper; to the world or just to ourselves.

Because we have to. Because what the Left fears the most is the truth. Like a vampire, their downfall is the Light of day.

...speaking the truth is a revolutionary act.

• It is our greatest weapon, more powerful than an arsenal.

Because truth is like a genie. Once released from the bottle, it takes on a life of its own. And it gathers force and strength and ferocity until it changes everything and everyone that it touches.

• "If you asked me what I came in this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud."-Emile Zola" "Silence of the Lambs," by Robin of Berkeley, American Thinker and psychotherapist. 10/21/09 via Lucianne.com

The author described our culture today. Ordinary citizens can barely leave the house without being faced with chaos, filth, and the subhuman behavior that flourishes in these conditions. There is a message for executives at the Tampa Bay Rays who still can't figure out why attendance at games isn't better. Who in Bengladesh ventures out to a baseball game? Some citizens speak up but they'll need to do so in greater numbers. (framus)

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Kurt and Kate, ALCS game 3

• Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson, ALCS game 3 in Anaheim, getty

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Tony Bernazard close to signing with Scott Boras--Bill Madden

Bill Madden, 10/18: "Rick Peterson and Tony Bernazard, those two Mets at-odds-fellows, are about to re-surface in new jobs. Look for the Milwaukee Brewers to reel in Peterson as their new pitching coach in the next couple of days. Brewers GM Doug Melvin was given his marching orders from owner Mark Attanasio to hire a "world class pitching coach" after the Milwaukee pitchers ranked next-to-last in the NL in ERA, and

• Melvin met with Peterson at Newark Airport a week ago. How often does a GM fly halfway across the country to interview a pitching coach? Isn't it usually the other way around?

As for Bernazard, according to industry sources, he's close to signing on with - are you ready for this? - Scott Boras! How's that for the perfect marriage -

• the Avenging Agent and the hot-tempered pugilist. Boras undoubtedly sees Bernazard's acknowledged rapport with Latin players as a potential valuable asset in recruiting (and stealing) new clients."

"Bernazard and Boras? Perfect!" from Bill Madden's NY Daily News column, "New York Yankees' GM Brian Cashman Mulling Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon," 10/18/09, via Adam Rubin, via BTF.

• On Bernazard:

• Ken Davidoff: "More by force than by choice, Omar Minaya has now jettisoned two of his most controversial hires, Pena and Tony Bernazard.

Neither was good at his job, and neither had any respect whatsoever throughout the game."...

• 9/23/09, from Ken Davidoff's Baseball Insider, Newsday, "Unsolicited Suggestions for the Yankees' Postseason"

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Chien Ming Wang on field after ALCS game 2

Chien Ming Wang is about 3rd from left above photo, ap Jerry Hairston and fans as he scores winning run in ALCS game 2, ap photo

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Chris Russo in Yankee ski cap hoping to jinx them

Chris on WFAN in late summer a few years ago donned a Yankee ski cap hoping it would jinx the team into not making the post season. (Russo is a SF Giants fan). photo from Newsday originally posted on this blog 8/8/07. The weather in Yankee ALCS games 1 and 2 reminded me of this photo.

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Almost Famous Jeff Mathis bunt, 10th inning

• Arod almost collides with Mo who catches Jeff Mathis' 10th inning bunt attempt, ALCS game 2, 10/17/09. getty photo (I think there was a movie called Almost Famous.)

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Former members of Chicago Silent Majority protest media bias

"Friday, October 16.. .. The protest against media bias took place directly outside the

• studios of ABC News and CBS News during their live broadcasts.

This event was part of the Operation Can You Hear Us Now nationwide protests...a response to the state run media’s support of the Obama administration

• and attempts to ignore, insult and marginalize those who patriotically dissent.

Hundreds of people from at least five states joined the March. As usual, the protesters were outspoken but respectful and there were no arrests."..."March on the Media, ABC and CBS" Chicago Tea Patriots blog, via Gateway Pundit

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Mike and the Mad Dog reunion on WFAN from Yankee Stadium

• Mike and the Mad Dog reunion. WFAN audio, 10/16/09.

photo by Newsday, Bereswill Neil Best article in Newsday about Mike and Chris's reunion. "Mike and the Mad Dog pick up where they left off." If only it were permanent.

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Subway going past new Yankee Stadium

Before ALCS game 1, 10/16/09, getty photo

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Kate Hudson at ALCS game one

• Kate Hudson photo by Getty at Yankee Stadium.
• Greta Garbo photo from film Mata Hari.

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George Soros involved in Limbaugh NFL bid; Soros past MLB bid termed 'polarizing'

I was surprised to hear that George Soros is in Checketts' group to buy the Rams. Soros/Checketts tried to buy the Dodgers in 2003; Soros tried to buy the Nats in 2005 and was accused of being "politically polarizing." Spokesman said Soros was victimized by "rhetoric of partisan politics."

• Soros was in Checketts' 2003 bid to buy the LA Dodgers.

• In 2005 Soros tried to buy the Washington Nationals. Partisan politics was cited as a problem for Soros' bid.

• In 2009's Rams NFL bid, Soros is again in Checketts' group.

10/12/09, Bloomberg: "Limbaugh’s group is led by former Madison Square Garden President and current St. Louis Blues and Real Salt Lake majority owner Dave Checketts, who brings a wealth of sports industry contacts, know-how and credibility.

• Checketts also brings big-time backers like George Soros, who financed the duo’s failed attempt to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003.

Checketts’s ownership of hockey’s Blues is backed by, among others,

• TowerBrook Capital Partners,

which was formerly known as Soros Private Equity Partners before it was spun off from Soros Asset Management Group in 2005."...

• from article, "Rush Limbaugh's lip meets Soros cash in NFL bid," by Scott Soshnick********

Soros tries to buy the Nats

• 6/28/05, Washington Post, "Soros' Nats' Bid Irks Republicans:"

"Major League Baseball hasn't narrowed the list of the eight bidders seeking to buy the Washington Nationals and some Republicans on Capitol Hill already are hinting at revoking the league's antitrust exemption

• if billionaire financier George Soros , an ardent critic of President Bush and supporter of liberal causes, buys the team.

"It's not necessarily smart business sense to have anybody

• who is so polarizing in the political world,"

Rep. John E. Sweeney (R-N.Y.) said. "That goes for anybody, but especially as it relates to Major League Baseball because it's one of the few businesses that get

• incredibly special treatment from Congress and the federal government."

Rep. Tom M. Davis III (R-Va.), who was a strong supporter of bringing a baseball team to Virginia, told Roll Call yesterday that "Major League Baseball understands the stakes" if Soros buys the team.

• "I don't think they want to get involved in a political fight."

Democrats weren't about to let the broadsides go unanswered.

• "Why should politics have anything to do with who owns the team," Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) asked.

"So Congress is going to get involved in every baseball ownership decision? Are they next going to worry about a manager they don't like? I've never seen anything as impotent as a congressman threatening the baseball exemption. It gets threatened half a dozen times a year, and our batting average threatening the exemption is zero."

Davis didn't return calls to his office, but spokesman Robert White said, "The point [Davis] was making was

• how it would look if Major League Baseball sells the hottest team in the market to a guy who spent more money than the gross domestic product of Colombia to legitimize drugs."...

Washington entrepreneur Jonathan Ledecky , who heads the bidding group that Soros joined, said in an e-mail:

• "America's pastime should be protected from the rhetoric of partisan politics.

It's unfortunate that the negativism that permeates

• national politics today is infecting Major League Baseball and the Washington Nationals.""...***********

3/15/2003, LA Times: "Murdoch has searched for a buyer interested in the Dodgers and not the Fox Sports properties, but has found few takers....

• Despite the lousy economics of baseball, (Dave) Checketts has managed to sign up
• financier George Soros

as well as a small equity fund, sources said. The three equity investors, including Broad, have agreed to put up $300 million, sources say. The remaining $300 million will come from banks, including J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and FleetBoston Financial Corp.

(Eli) Broad could help Checketts' efforts on two immediate fronts. His prominent profile should ease any concerns among Major League Baseball about local ownership. He also would ensure

• that Checketts -- who failed to raise enough money when he tried to buy the Boston Red Sox last year -- has adequate funding to make a credible offer, sources said."...
• from article, "Eli Broad said to join in bid for Dodgers" by Sallie Hofmeister and Ross Newhan, 3/15/03

mention of Soros' 2009 NFL bid via Rush Limbaugh show

• Reference: Washington Post article, "Soros' Nats Bid Irks Republicans," 6/28/05, by Thomas Heath

(I'm surprised Checketts asked Limbaugh to join a group of which Soros was a member. I don't know if Checketts told Limbaugh of Soros' involvement but obviously Soros knew Checketts put Limbaugh's name out there. Aside from Soros' wide ranging political activity, he has an unfortunate business resume. Would Rush have agreed to have his name in play if he knew Soros was involved? I didn't hear Rush say he did or didn't know, but when he read the item today about Soros' involvement it sounded like he had not known). framus

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Pop star Fergie approved as NFL owner along with other celebs--AP

MIAMI — "Fergie may soon be on the Miami Dolphins bandwagon as a limited partner.

• NFL owners meeting in Boston this week approved the Black Eyed Peas singer as a part owner, but the team has yet to complete an agreement with her, Dolphins chief executive officer Mike Dee said in an e-mail Tuesday....

Team owner Stephen Ross has brought six other celebrities into the fold this year. The first partnership was with singer Jimmy Buffett. Musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Marc Anthony and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams subsequently bought small shares of the team....

• Ross has said his celebrity partnerships stir excitement and reflect the vibrancy of South Florida, and he envisions the Dolphins as a glamour team." "Fergie may become Dolphins partner" published in the Boston Herald

via Radio Equalizer Blog

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Checketts originally approached Rush Limbaugh, now says he's dropping him

Media proves again that if you tell a lie often enough it's seen as fact. Mark Levin mentions ESPN report shortly after 7PM which says Checketts is dropping Rush due to "complications." ESPN does not report the "complications" were a media frenzy based on lies, statements attributed to Limbaugh that he never made repeated thousands of times (about slavery, plantation owners, James Earl Ray and others). Mr. Levin said Rush will no doubt comment on this tomorrow, but he added Checketts originally came to Rush, Rush did not go to them. via Mark Levin radio show.

• ESPN also mentions Roger Goodell condemnation as backup. ESPN does not point out that Goodell identifies nothing whatsoever in the way of 'divisive' statements allegedly made by Rush Limbaugh.

Today, to get things done, just go to the media first, get their approval, then move forward. (This was done by NYC Mayor Bloomberg when he had secret meetings with NY newspaper publishers on the topic of overturning term limits enabling him to run for a third term). Since Limbaugh wasn't running the group (Checketts was) the advice goes to Checketts for his next venture.

• ESPN story: "Checketts Drops Limbaugh."

• Reference, NY Times story, "Bloomberg Said to test a term-limit Reversal," 8/22/08, by Michael Barbaro and Tim Arango

(This whole issue was a giant Christmas present to Obama and the media which are one and the same. I understand use of the word 'Christmas' has been banned, so excuse the reference. framus)

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Ideology seethes under surface of sports dudes: Goodell & the new McCarthyism

• As sports commissioners' political views become known, consumers can return the favor by staying home from overpriced games. And voting down new stadiums.

Goodell's lurch into the role of thought police was a terrible mistake especially as it was completely devoid of any statements of fact:

• "NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked Tuesday about the possibility of Rush Limbaugh acquiring a piece of the NFL's St. Louis Rams, and responded:

"I've said many times before we're all held to a high standard here, and I think divisive comments are not what the NFL is all about. I would not want to see those comments coming from people who are in a responsible position in the NFL, absolutely not."...

• It is classic McCarthyism to use unspecified charges of political wrongdoing to blacklist an individual, and that's what Goodell did yesterday.

• It was also a very divisive statement, so by his own standard, I guess Goodell will be turning in his resignation.

Goodell's decision to throw the NFL into the middle of the left-right debate in the country --and to do so solidly on the side of the left-- must have surprised his owner-employers who last I looked will gladly sell tickets to conservatives....

• The NFL was, and until recently had remained, a politics free zone which provided a common ground all football fans regardless of their political ideology.

...Yesterday's MSNBC appearance by Professor Karen Hunter of Hunter College in New York took Rush-bashing to a new low.

• Hunter bluntly declared that Rush Limbaugh had endorsed a posthumous Medal of Honor for Martin Luther King assassin James Earl Ray --a ludicrous defamation that went
• completely unchallenged by the anchor.

What can you say about such reckless and reprehensible hate speech, except that it not be welcomed on any cable network, much less NBC.

That so poisonous an environment around Rush exists as to allow such a malicious fabrication to pass unchallenged should have warned Goodell not to credit the feverish assertions of the anti-Rush mob.

• The Hunter fantasy was preceded the night before by a Chris Matthews fantasy about watching Rush be blown up, ala a villain in a Bond movie. Nice work on that front as well, but that's just MSNBC. The network is not selling to the entire spectrum of America, but to its fringe left. The NFL on the other hand needs center-right conservatives to buy tickets, jerseys, and NFL television packages.

What percentage of Dallas Cowboy fans do you think are conservative? 60% 75? 90%.

• Do you think owner Jerry Jones is happy with the Commish?
• How about every other NFL owner who ever hopes to get a public subsidy for the new stadium approved by voters down the road? Roger Goodell is entitled to be a fan of every hard left politician in America, and I wouldn't care if he did a good job as commissioner, but his lurch into the role of thought police was a terrible error, especially as
• it was completely divorced from any detailed statement of fact.

Now the NFL is in the swamp, and it will have to find its way out. You don't have to be a listener to Rush to see the hatchet job being done to him, to resent it, and to wonder what the next manifestation will be of the new McCarthyism. Indeed, fans of free speech generally should be as outraged as conservatives. I expect the children of Hollywood's long-ago blacklist victims to sign a petition and demand that the Commissioner renounce this sort of character assassination and workplace exclusion.

• If Rush and his partners have the best bid for the most money, they should become the owners of the Rams --it is that simple.

But if he is blocked, I hope Rush sponsors a NASCAR car and the NFL owners watch it quickly become the most popular car every Sunday."

• "Roger Goodell and the New McCarthyism," by Hugh Hewitt, Townhall.com, 10/14/09, via Lucianne.com ***********

(On second thought, the left isn't worried about voters. They use the courts and the media. Recent examples include ballot propositions voted on in California. The left didn't like the voters' choice so went to court to overturn them. In at least one case they were successful doing so). (framus)

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MSNBC journalist broadcasts a way to kill Rush Limbaugh

• "Analogizing Rush Limbaugh to a James Bond villian, Chris Matthews today fantasized: "at some point somebody's going to jam a CO2 pellet into his head and he's going to explode like a giant blimp."

Matthews made his remark while hosting during MSNBC's 10 AM hour this morning (10/13/09) , chatting with Politico's Jonathan Martin and Anne Kornblut of WaPo.

• CHRIS MATTHEWS: 'You guys see Live and Let Die, the great Bond film with Yaphet Kotto as the bad guy, Mr. Big?

In the end they jam a big CO2 pellet in his face and he blew up. I have to tell you, Rush Limbaugh is looking more and more like Mr. Big, and at some point

• somebody's going to jam a CO2 pellet into his head and he's going to explode

• like a giant blimp. That day may come. Not yet.

• But we'll be there to watch.

I think he's Mr. Big, I think Yaphet Kotto.

Are you watching, Rush?" via Gateway Pundit, via Newsbusters

• Where are you now Media Matters? ed.

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Rivera, Nathan co-winners of 2009 AL Rolaids Relief Award

Newsday, 10/9: "Mariano Rivera and the Twins’ Joe Nathan were named co-winners of the 2009 American League Rolaids Relief Man Award,

• the first tie in the 33-year history of the award that is given to the best relievers in baseball. Rivera (44 saves and a 1.76 ERA) and Nathan (47 saves, 2.10 ERA)

• both accumulated 132 Rolaids Relief Man points during the regular season.

Heath Bell (42, 2.71 ERA) of the Padres was the National League winner with 121 points.

For Nathan, it is the first time he’s won the award while Rivera is taking home the trophy – a silver fireman’s helmet mounted on a silver pedestal – for the fourth time,

• tying him with Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter for second place all-time behind Dan Quisenberry, who won it five times."...

How are points calculated?

"...A reliever is given two points for a win, three points for a save and loses two points for a loss.

• Beginning in 1987, blown saves also count as two-point loss.

And in 2000, Rolaids began awarding 4 points for a tough save,

• when a reliever enters a game with the tying run already on base and gets the save. "

Eric Boland, "Rivera, Nathan a big relief for their clubs"

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Twins fan apprehended on field

• Top, Twins fan runs on Metrodome field 9th inning ALDS game 3.
• Bottom, Twins fan apprehended on field. photos NY Daily News

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Not "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty" after all...Fagan

• Yankees after winning ALDS game 3 in Minnesota. ny daily news photo

• Joe Mauer at bat 8th inning v Mariano, reuters

Fagan, SportingNews.com: "Buster Olney might have penned the book The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty several seasons ago,

• but for at least one more game,

• the Yankees' old guard dictated the outcome of a playoff series."...

"Like Old Times: Yanks' Old Guard Pivotal in Win," Ryan Fagan, SportingNews.com, 10/11/09

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Joe Castiglione reads words of Bart Giamatti

• Joe Castiglione today says Red Sox radio closes every season with words from Bart Giamatti's "The Green Fields of the Mind:"

"It breaks your heart. It was designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again,

• and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come,

• it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.

• You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then,

• just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops"....

From "The Green Fields of the Mind," by A. Bartlett Giamatti

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MLB Division Series announcer lineups

via poster incognito on XMFan.com:

• "The complete (English language) announcer lineups for each series:

• Yankees-Twins

• TBS - Chip Caray, Ron Darling
• ESPN radio - Jon Miller, Steve Phillips
• Yankees radio - John Sterling, Suzyn Waldman
• Twins radio - John Gordon, Dan Gladden, Jack Morris

• Red Sox-Angels

• TBS - Don Orsillo, Buck Martinez
• ESPN radio - Dan Shulman, Dave Campbell
• Red Sox radio - Joe Castiglione, Dave O'Brien
• Angels radio - Terry Smith, Rory Markas

• Rockies-Phillies
• TBS - Brian Anderson, Joe Simpson
• ESPN radio - Chris Berman, Rick Sutcliffe
• Rockies radio - Jeff Kingery, Jack Corrigan
• Phillies radio - Tom McCarthy, Scott Frankze, Chris Wheeler, Gary Matthews, Larry Andersen

• Cardinals-Dodgers

• TBS - Dick Stockton, Bob Brenly
• ESPN radio - Jon Sciambi, Aaron Boone
• Cardinals radio - Mike Shannon, John Rooney
• Dodgers radio - Vin Scully, Charley Steiner, Rick Monday"
• posted 10/7/09

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Stop the pies from Burnett, not funny and could hurt someone-caller

Caller to WFAN's Steve Somers said he has a big problem with the AJ Burnett pie business. First, it's not funny, and second it could harm or scratch a player's eye (even if it's whipped cream). It's not worth taking any risk with players. Somers agrees.

• I notice Burnett took extra time to smear it around Teixeira's face, and some was in his eyes. It may have been funny the first time, but it's terrible now. It has nothing to do with fun and team spirit, especially as the guy hogging the glory camera most times (Burnett) isn't an everyday player. And is still a new member of the team with a reputation as a head case.

• It also takes away from the fan experience watching the post game interview and probably ruins it for the player being interviewed.

Somers also said he thought Burnett did not do a great job Friday night with his 5 walks and 2 hit batters in 6 innings in spite of what others have said. photo, Yankees stretching in Minnesota today, ap.

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MLB and Health Insurance industry only anti-trust exemptions remaining

Mark Simone mentioned this on radio today while sitting in for Mark Levin. Recent item in the news that congress might push for anti-trust exemption to be lifted on the health insurance industry which considering the timing is probably a pr move. They've had many years to make changes and did nothing. But if the exemption were removed for insurance, MLB, Inc. would be the only legal monopoly. Although Leahy says he and Senator Hatch fixed baseball pretty good by passing the Curt Flood Act in 1998 (end of page):

• "Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy, The Medical Malpractice Insurance Antitrust Act of 2005, July 28, 2005:"

"Only professional baseball has enjoyed an anti-trust exemption comparable to that created for the insurance industry by the McCarran-Ferguson Act. Senator Hatch and I have joined forces several times in recent years

• to scale back that exemption for baseball, and in the Curt Flood Act of 1998

• we successfully eliminated the exemption as it applied to

employment relations. I hope we can work together again to create more competition in the insurance industry,

• just as we did with baseball."

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Chamberlain discovers his comfort zone

Mike Francesa on WFAN relates a report he heard earlier today while driving in, in Chamberlain's words:

• When I'm a reliever, I don't have to think. I just go out there and throw.

As Francesa said, another example why Chamberlain is a natural reliever. You do not want him to be thinking too much.

• (If I may assume, thinking isn't necessarily bad for pitchers. It's just not desirable for pitchers with the emotional make up Chamberlain has). framus

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Practice day

Dave Robertson, Sergio Mitre, Andy, Sabathia above. Only a practice day but still a nice picture. all ap photos.

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