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Saturday, August 31, 2013

'Here's the pitch, but first one from our sponsor,' drop-in ads in baseball radio broadcasts-Sandomir, NY Times

8/18/13, "Here’s the Pitch. But First, One From Our Sponsor." NY Times, R. Sandomir

"“Phelps painted the corner,” the Yankees radio announcer said, describing a strikeout pitch. “Painting at the corners is sponsored by CertaPro Painters. Because painting is personal.”

That, baseball fans, is called a drop-in in advertising parlance. Drop-ins have proliferated in recent years as radio stations have tried to offset the rising costs of broadcast rights. The baseball radio broadcast, for so long the soundtrack of summer with an almost sacrosanct rhythm of familiar voices, is now laden with paid advertisements for everything from the umpire lineup to the postgame wrap-up. Televised games have similarly been infiltrated, but not all of their drop-ins are read aloud. 

With the narrative of the game turned into an adjunct for quickie ads, fans who once turned down the volume on their radios between innings to avoid commercials have no escape. 

The phenomenon, playing out on airwaves around the country, is most pronounced in Yankees broadcasts. The first Yankees walk prompts, “Just walk into any of CityMD’s six convenient locations.” The announcement of the game’s umpires is brought to you by Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, a law firm specializing in asbestos exposure cases. The personal injury law firm Cellino & Barnes gets a plug when the announcers explain the broadcast’s copyright violation policy. A call to the bullpen comes with a nod to one of three sponsors: Aamco Car Care, Hyundai and the Tri-State Ford Dealers.

The postgame wrap-up show? That’s brought to you, naturally, by Reynolds Wrap. 

“They’re not tough to do, but does it feel like it slows the pace of the game?” said Charley Steiner, a Los Angeles Dodgers announcer who previously called Yankee games. “Of course it does. From an announcer’s point of view, less is more.” 

CertaPro and other advertisers said they cherished having their names embedded in the action — a promotional tool that might be more effective than 30-second commercials that listeners can ignore between innings. 

“You get people smiling about it,” said Peter Buttenweiser, the managing partner for marketing at CertaPro. Executives at CertaPro, a house-painting company, are happiest if the voice of John Sterling, the Yankees’ radio play-by-play announcer, crescendos on a called strikeout leading into the ad. 

If not for advertisers eager to be noticed, and stations equally eager to maintain a cash flow, there would be no power, pitch speed, weather, time, environment or injury “reports.” 

“You realize that they’re there to pay for the broadcast,” said Scott Franzke, who calls Philadelphia Phillies games on the radio. “So I’m certainly not begrudging that. But you still want some integrity in the broadcast.” 

Like Eric Nadel, who calls Texas Rangers games, Franzke has leeway to defer, or not use, a drop-in if it sounds out of place in a tight moment of a game. 

We have the First Financial First Run,” Nadel said. “But if it’s the first run in the ninth, I’ll use some discretion and creative judgment to wait a few pitches after the single by Nelson Cruz that put the Rangers up, 1-0.” 

The commercial colonization of game broadcasts has created fictional locations like the Hertz 24/7 broadcast booth — where Sterling and his broadcast partner, Suzyn Waldman, toil — and the Peerless Boilers broadcast booth, home to Howie Rose and Josh Lewin, the Mets’ announcers on WFAN. Peerless, listeners are regularly told, makes America’s best boilers. 

Geico has built a major drop-in outpost. It has turned the mundane 15th out of the game into a Pavlovian cue for Sterling and Rose to tell listeners that a 15-minute call to Geico can help them save 15 percent on their auto insurance

In this ecosystem, a walk is not only as good as a hit; it is a sales opportunity. 

When Yankees first baseman Lyle Overbay jogged to first base on a walk on July 4, Sterling was already into his windup — and this was his pitch: “Just walk into any of CityMD’s six convenient locations. See a board-certified E.R. doctor without an appointment.” Sterling and Waldman segued into the AT&T 4G LTE speed report. 

CBS Radio has been using drop-ins on Yankee games for at least a decade. A few years ago, the company capped their use at current levels. Sterling and Waldman declined to comment. 

Joel Hollander, a former general manager of CBS Radio, who also ran WFAN, said the quantity of WCBS’s in-game advertising on Yankee games was directly related to the rights fee it paid. 

“The bottom line is WCBS writes the check and, like the rest of sports, it’s a huge money grab,” Hollander said. “They’re paying $13 million or $14 million a year for the Yankees. It’s hard to recoup that.”  

That means giving advertisers more value for their dollars by letting them augment their 30-second commercials with drop-ins, usually in a package that carries no extra cost. WFAN, which pays far less to carry the Mets, uses fewer drop-ins. 

On July 4, WCBS had 61 drop-ins, some as short as the name of a sponsor without any embellishments, during a Yankees-Twins game. During a Mets-Pirates game the same day, there were 21 drop-ins. 

Drop-ins show how the marriage of sponsors and local baseball broadcasting has evolved from long-ago days when announcers smoked cigarettes or poured beer on the air. But Curt Smith, a historian of baseball broadcasting, said the spree of drop-ins on Yankees games created the impression “of a franchise that doesn’t care whether the broadcast is considered quality or not.” 

A sampling of several team broadcasts showed a diverse world of drop-ins. 

The game-time temperature for a Mariners-Angels game was the “environment report” for the sponsor, a maker of green products. The “caught stealing” feature on a Dodgers broadcast was sponsored by an alarm company. And, as Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox was coming to bat one game, the team’s station, WEEI, worked in a drop-in about a “wicked awesome three-day sale, featuring bologna, at Shaw’s supermarkets. 

Red Sox broadcasts are less cluttered than Yankees broadcasts but have more drop-ins than Mets games. “Our philosophy is to run a cleaner broadcast and produce the best listener experience,” said Weezie Kramer, the station group president for Entercom, WEEI’s owner. 

The WCBS philosophy divides advertisers and some listeners. Jerry Grossman, a Yankees season-ticket holder from Manhattan, said he was once aghast at the glut of advertising during games. Now he is inured to them. Paul Landaw, a chef from Bellerose Terrace, on Long Island, who listens to Yankees games but is a Mets fan, responded to an e-mail seeking comment by writing, “I look forward to providing help to your cause, driven by Jeep, of course.” 

Just as fans of another generation could instantly identify Joe DiMaggio’s place in the Yankee lineup, fans like Landaw know that Jeep’s name is usually heard at the end of each half-inning." via NY Radio Message Board

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Among comments to NY Times article:

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"scratchbaker, AZ unfortunately

I listen to close to every single NYY broadcast, starting with spring training through October (I hope!), from the pregame show to Suzyn Waldman's post-game clubhouse report. John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman have such polished and consistent inflection when they read these promo tidbits that I have learned to ignore them entirely. Rather than hearing the content, I think of them as punctuation of a sentence or the chorus of a song and tune them out. Really, if promo snippets keep the audio broadcast affordable ($19.99/season!! unlimited games!!) who cares?"
 

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Major League Baseball on pace for 253 extra inning games in 2013 breaking record of 237 in 2011. Phillies outfielder pitched 18th inning of game on Aug. 24

8/29/13, "Extra-inning games on rise, but nothing free about it," Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today Sports

"The Arizona Diamondbacks played in their National League-high 20th extra-inning game Tuesday, prevailing 10-9 against the San Diego Padres in 10 innings.

Towers can't quibble with the results, considering his Diamondbacks are 15-5 in extra-inning games, easily the best mark in the majors.

But he could do without the drama and added wear on his team, which is trying to hang on in the wild-card race. "We'll probably end up playing more like a 172-game schedule instead of 162. The good thing is we've ended up on the right side of them, but the negative thing is most of them we've created (with a leaky bullpen)," Towers said.

Towers is not the only one sweating out a growing number of longer games.

With 206 extra-inning games through Tuesday, Major League Baseball is on pace for 253 this season, which would break the record of 237 set in 2011. In no other season have more than 220 such affairs been played.

And the number of bullpen-draining, bench-depleting extended games is also on the rise. With a month remaining, there have been 28 games of 14 innings or more, compared with 20 last year.

The Diamondbacks, who have played seven games of at least 14 innings, battled the Philadelphia Phillies for 18 innings and 7 hours, 6 minutes at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday. Arizona rallied for five runs off Casper Wells — an outfielder to win 12-7 in a game that ended at 2:12 a.m., or about 11 hours before Sunday's first pitch.

The Phillies were forced to cancel Roy Halladay's minor league rehab outing and had him start for them Sunday because scheduled starter Tyler Cloyd pitched five innings of relief Saturday.

The evolution of bullpens is what some cite for the proliferation of games past regulation. With effective relievers shutting the door inning after inning, games can go into the wee hours.

"The bullpen used to be for exiled starters," Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "It's not that way anymore. Everyone has specialists. The benches aren't as deep either, not in this league."

There's a correlation between those two observations. In the past, bullpens consisted of five or six relievers. Now, the norm is seven, and some teams go with eight.

That means fewer spots on the 25-man roster for bench players, and the near-disappearance of the pinch-hitting specialist who could end a game with a swing. The American League has a few because they can be used as designated hitters, but that's not an option in the NL.

Though TV ratings have a history of picking up when games go into extra innings, Towers is not so sure the so-called "bonus baseball" is all that popular.

"I think fans truly like crisp, close, low-scoring games, less than three hours, get home," Towers said. "You have to be really vested in your ballclub to watch over seven hours of baseball."

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6 games went beyond regulation on Tues., 8/13, another 5 went into extras on Wed., 8/14.

8/15/13, "Extra special: More games going over nine frames," MLB.com, John Schlegel

"After six games went beyond the regulation nine innings Tuesday night, another five went into extras Wednesday to put the current tally at 191 for the season. The all-time record for a full season was set just two years ago, with 237 games going into extra innings in 2011, and that appears very much in jeopardy at this point.

The 2013 total is on a pace for approximately 259 extra-inning affairs this year, based on the percentage of games played thus far in the 2,430-game regular season. The pace was at 257 as of mid-June, so the possibility that 2013 will eclipse '11 remains real.

Also still on the rise are extra-long games, with 23 games of 14 innings or more played through Wednesday. There were 20 such games in 2012 -- another reason '13 is turning out to be extra special.

It's likely an era of tightened pitching and/or softened hitting -- depending on your point of view -- has been a contributing factor to this surge in overtime jobs, with fewer runs leading to more close games and more ties after nine. Perhaps competitive balance is a factor, too."...


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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

'We Heart A-rod' fan sign in Toronto Monday night















8/27/13, "Photographic proof that somebody loves A-Rod," David Brown, Big League Stew

"On the occasion of the 650th career home run for slugger Alex Rodriguez on Monday night, we also learned that, for the first time, someone loves him."...

[Ed. note: Toronto isn't the first. Arod love signs were seen in at least one other game since Arod's return]:







8/9/13, Arod fan signs in Yankee Stadium as he takes his first at bat, Tigers v Yankees, final 4-3 Yankees in 10.

(continuing): "A fan wearing New York Yankees gear at Rogers Centre in Toronto held aloft a professional-looking sign with team logos that bore the message: "We [heart] you A-Rod!" The implication could not get any stronger than that. Not everyone hates him anymore, as many of the baseball columnists of the world had us believe was the case. It's not known when this stunning reversal occurred. Possibly after the Ryan Dempster incident."...














Red Sox pitcher Dempster misses Rodriguez with one pitch, hits him in the ribs with next, 8/18/13, property of CJZero, fansided.com

(continuing): "This fan with the sign obviously speaks for all Yankees fans everywhere, because of how he is dressed, and by proxy the nation of Canada, because that's where he made his declaration. As a result, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig ought to rescind A-Rod's 211-game suspension for Rodriguez's alleged association with Biogenesis at any moment. After all, there is no suspending a beloved figure. Despite A-Rod's homer and the love that flowed from the stands, the Blue Jays won 5-2 behind R.A. Dickey."...top photo, ap/getty

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Bud Selig and the media are business partners. When this alliance overreaches, fans naturally are drawn to the player:

8/8/13, "Overcompensating," The Economist

"Moreover, details of the investigation were regularly leaked to the press, a tactic that helped put public pressure on players not to appeal their suspensions. Michael Weiner, the head of the Major League Baseball Players’ Association, did not mince words in expressing his “profound disappointment in the way individuals granted access to private and privileged information felt compelled to share that information publicly. The manner in which confidential information was so freely exchanged is not only a threat to the success and credibility of our jointly administered programme; it calls into question the level of trust required to administer such a programme.”"...via btf

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8/1/13, "Baseball’s Bullying Makes It Tempting to Root for Rodriguez," NY Times, William C. Rhoden

"Funny how Major League Baseball can make you root for the villain. Commissioner Bud Selig’s heavy-handed approach to the investigation of Alex Rodriguez has almost turned Rodriguez into a sympathetic figure. And that’s difficult."...

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Ed. note: Link for NY Times article above by William C. Rhoden, seems to be inactive at the moment. I copied it when it first came out in case you want to read it.


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Cuba's Industriales reunion game in Miami area will take place on August 31 at Fort Lauderdale Stadium

8/19/13, "Venue found for Industriales' reunion game," local10.com, Homestead, Florida, B. Candea

"Florida International University says contractual matter was reason for cancellation

"Organizers said Monday that they found a venue for a baseball game that will pit retired players from Cuba's famed Industriales team against former teammates who now live in the U.S. Alejandro Canton, who organized the game, said it will take place at Fort Lauderdale Stadium on Aug. 31.

Florida International University was scheduled to host the game, but later cancelled. The university cited a contractual matter as the reason behind the cancellation. A letter from FIU's attorneys claimed the Industriales game was symbolic speech to advocate a political message, a breach of contract.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a public records request with FIU requesting documents related to a contract the school signed with a group organizing the event agreeing to host two games. The organization said it has "troubling evidence" the contract was canceled because of fears of a hostile reaction from some community groups.

Anyone interested in tickets can call 305-649-3491." via Free Republic

Cuba’s Industriales Veterans Set to Play in Florida

- See more at: http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=98169#sthash.bDuYTfsP.dpuf

Cuba’s Industriales Veterans Set to Play in Florida

- See more at: http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=98169#sthash.6GzkPbO5.dpuf
Cuba’s Industriales Veterans Set to Play in Florida - See more at: http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=98169#sthash.6GzkPbO5.dpuf

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Friday, August 23, 2013

In Cuba a baseball player earns around $20 a month-BBC

8/22/13, "Cuban baseball greats vs US-based defectors," BBC

"Some of Cuba's greatest baseball stars are about to begin an unprecedented sporting event. The veterans play a series in the US with former team-mates who left the communist island, many playing in the Major League on huge salaries....

The US city of Miami is home to large numbers of Cuba exiles and, for many of them, a showcase match for Cuba's top baseball side appears too close to pro-Castro propaganda.

That initially complicated the search for a venue when Florida International University pulled out. But eventually organisers found alternatives. The series starts with a game in Tampa on Friday....In Cuba, a player earns around $20 a month."...(this item, subhead 'Quiet transformation') image of threadbare baseballs on Cuban field from BBC

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Thursday, August 22, 2013

Derek Jeter hits double in Scranton










8/22/13, Jeter hits double in Scranton rehab game v Pawtucket Red Sox, ap, Scranton Times







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Yankee teammates congratulate Ichiro on hit #4000


8/21/13, "New York Yankees' Curtis Granderson, second from left, first base coach Mick Kelleher, second from right, and Vernon Wells, right, congratulate Ichiro Suzuki after he hit a single for his 4,000th career hit in Japan and the major leagues" in the 1st inning v Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, final 4-2 Yankees, ap.

8/21/13, Below, "New York Yankees' Ichiro Suzuki, of Japan, bows to the cheers from the crowd after connecting for his 4,000th career hit in Japan and the major leagues, in the first inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium," final 4-2 Yankees, ap















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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Three bored Oklahoma teens murder 22 year old baseball player for East Central University in Oklahoma. Update: African American killer said '90% of whites are nasty, HATE THEM'

8/19/13, "'Bored' teenagers murder college baseball player for 'fun'," CBS Sports, by Matt Snyder

"Every once in a while you read something that truly shakes your faith in humanity. This would be one of those stories.

Christopher Lane was a 22-year-old baseball player for East Central University in Oklahoma. Friday, he was killed in a completely random act, according to police. Three boys, ages 15, 16 and 17 are in police custody for the slaying.

From the Associated Press:
"They saw Christopher go by, and one of them said: 'There's our target,'" [Duncan police chief Danny] Ford said. "The boy who has talked to us said: 'We were bored and didn't have anything to do, so we decided to kill somebody.'"
"They followed him in the car to that area, shot him in the back and drove off," Ford said.
Ford also noted that the boys said they killed Lane for "the fun of it."

Also, the police chief said that two of the three boys have previously been in trouble with the law.  Lane was a resident of Australia and had just returned to Oklahoma last week.

The local district attorney is expected to file first-degree murder charges Tuesday in Stephens County District Court."...image above, Chris Jones, age 22, murdered. "Picture: Essendon Baseball Club Source: AP"

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8/21/13, "Three (Oklahoma) teens charged over murder of Melbourne (Australia) baseball player Chris Lane," Australia Herald-Sun, Carmel Melouney, AAP

"Stephens County Courthouse heard how one of the boys accused of murdering Lane, 22, danced and laughed as he was taken into a police station to be charged after the killing on Friday.
James Edwards, 15, was treating the murder as a joke, Mr Hicks told the hearing.


Mr Hicks told the court that Edwards has previously been in contact with police, and that he had "an attitude of total disregard for law enforcement" when he was being charged over Lane's death.

"He thinks it's funny, and it's all a joke," Mr Hicks said. "I believe he is a threat to the community."
"He was cold, callous and that was the demeanour that we saw throughout the course of the investigation," Mr Hicks said.

Edwards and Chancey Luna, 16, were charged with first-degree murder and face life in prison if convicted.

Mr Hicks said that Luna had refused to co-operate with police.

They were both refused bail....The three will be tried as adults."...









 









Second, "Chancey Luna, 16, charged with first-degree murder. Source: AP"
Third, "Michael Jones, 17, charged with being an accessory to the killing. Source: Supplied"
Fourth, "15 year old James Edwards uploaded this video to Vine. Courtesy Vine"


"In a selfie clip posted on Vine on May 7, one of the alleged murderers James Francis Edwards, 15, from Duncan, Oklahoma is recorded brandishing a powerful assault rifle.
"Bitch we up them poles," Edwards says in the clip, "F--- 'em"."...

"One of the teens allegedly boasted on Facebook of two shootings, writing "Bang. Two drops in two hours"....

"An unconfirmed report said the three accused had shot and killed an animal before shooting Lane. A Duncan resident told news.com.au a mule had been shot on the day of Lane's murder."



8/21/13, "Edwards with a wad of cash.
Picture: Facebook Source: Facebook"

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Update, 8/21/13, "White House spokesman ‘not familiar with’ Chris Lane murder," Daily Caller, Caroline May

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Update, 8/22/13, "Edwards, who has been charged with first-degree murder, posted racist tweets saying he hated white people in the months before the shooting.

Edwards posted statements on his Twitter feed including a comment on April 29 where he tweeted "90% of white ppl are nasty. #HATE THEM".

Edwards also weighed when George Zimmerman was acquitted over the death of Trayvon Martin.
"Ayeee I knocced out 5 woods since Zimmerman court!:) lol sh*t ima keep sleepin sh*t! #ayeeee."

"Woods" is derogatory slang for white people. The feed also contains tweets glorifying violence, guns and gangs."...

8/22/13, "Chilling 911 call details final moments of Melbourne baseballer Chris Lane's life," adelaide.com.au



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Monday, August 19, 2013

Denzel Washington waves to fans following Yankees-Red Sox in Boston









 8/19/13, "Actor Denzel Washington waves to fans following the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees," Sunday night 8/18 game, final 9-6 Yankees, getty

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John Sterling call of Alex Rodriguez home run v Boston Red Sox in the sixth

8/18/13, Arod hit a home run in the sixth inning v Ryan Dempster of the Boston Red Sox. Dempster is the pitcher who hit Rodriguez in the ribs with a pitch in the top of the second. Sterling's call:

"She's gone! Alex Rodriguez has answered the Boston critics by hitting a tremendous home run in the center field bleachers! It's an A-bomb for A-rod! A-rod homers to center and the Yankees trail 6-4." final 9-6 Yankees



Red Sox pitcher Dempster misses Rodriguez with one pitch, hits him in the ribs with next, 8/18/13, property of CJZero, fansided.com

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Sunday, August 18, 2013

Boston fans cheer after Arod is hit by a pitch. Loop of Arod being hit in the ribs. UPDATE: Arod hits home run in Boston

Update: Arod hits home run in Boston in the sixth.

8/18/13, "Boston Fans Cheer ARod Hit By Pitch," Free Republic, by PieterCasparzen 

"After throwing at ARod several times - even behind him - when a pitch finally hit him high on his back, a large number of the fans at Fenway actually loudly cheered.
Disgusting. I'd walk off the field if I was playing for the Yankees. That's pure evil. You don't cheer a supposed professional pitcher hitting a batter on purpose.
I have NO desire to see Boston-NY games the rest of this year.
I could care less about any media-hype about supposed competition between the two teams. As far as I'm concerned it's a media scam to get a broader audience.
It's not about baseball." Yankees at Red Sox, 8/18/13



Red Sox pitcher Dempster misses Rodriguez with one pitch, hits him in the ribs with next, 8/18/13, property of CJZero, fansided.com

"ESPN Stats & Info         @ESPNStatsInfo
 
Alex Rodriguez has been plunked 21 times by the Red Sox in his career, the most by a team he's faced.

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Friday, August 16, 2013

Mark Reynolds gets first John Sterling home run call: 'You're on the Mark, Reynolds!'. Update: 8/27/13, "It's a Reynolds wrap"

9/22/13, Mark Reynolds hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third--the only Yankee run today--and John Sterling kept the same call: "It's a Reynolds wrap!"

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9/10/13, Mark Reynolds hits a solo home run in the top of the 6th in Baltimore, John Sterling kept the tag, "A Reynolds wrap!"

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Update, Mark Reynolds hits a solo home run in Toronto in top of the 6th. John Sterling went with a different tag, this time, "It's a Reynolds wrap." final, 7-1 Yankees.

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In his first game as a Yankee, 8/16/13, Mark Reynolds hit a 2 run home run in the top of the second v Red Sox. John Sterling borrowed one of the tags he's used in the past for Mark Teixeira. Final 10-3 Yankees:

"You're on the Mark, Reynolds!"

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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

'Stronger than the Storm' Jersey Shore ad on Yankee radio



8/13/13, "Stronger than the storm," Jersey Shore commercial has been running since May. I've heard it on Yankee radio. I liked the music, and I've always associated summers at the Jersey Shore with listening to Yankee games on the radio.

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Friday, August 09, 2013

Arod 'love' signs at Yankee Stadium. All fan experiences aren't defined by media. 'Staggering amount of negative noise in NY,' MLB exec, 2007







8/9/13, Arod fan signs in Yankee Stadium as he takes his first at bat, Tigers v Yankees, via bleacherreport. Maybe fans are reacting to the staggering media negativity. Maybe they're saying, you know, we get to decide what our fan experience will be like, not you.

9/21/2007, "Steadiness and Sturdiness," NY Post, Joel Sherman

"As a rival executive said recently, "I can't imagine what it was like to be them (Brian Cashman and Joe Torre) in May (when the team was as much as eight games under .500). It is staggering the amount of negative noise that comes in New York (from media and fans) when your team spends that much money, has their expectations and has their history. It is bad anywhere, but in New York it is so much louder and so much more relentless.

To stay the course, to stay yourself, I really admire that.""... 

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Update: Yankee management make it next to impossible to be a Yankee fan to begin with. They have to give Arod this letter on the day of his first game back and before the game? Why not wait a few hours and give it to him after the game?

8/10/13, "A-Rod faces fine of one day's pay," ESPN, Wallace Matthews

"Rodriguez...was hand-delivered a letter written by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman before Friday night's game against the Detroit Tigers, as first reported by ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand."...


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Thursday, August 08, 2013

'Home run swing' will cost NFL teams 15 yard penalty

8/7/13, "NFL Plans To Crack Down On Excessive Celebrations This Season," washington.cbslocal.com

"The National Football League will reportedly be cracking down on excessive celebrations and taunting this upcoming season....

The NFL rulebook states that a team will be penalized a loss of 15 yards if a player commits these acts: “sack dances; home run swing; incredible hulk; spiking the ball; spinning the ball; throwing or shoving the ball; pointing; pointing the ball; verbal taunting; military salute; standing over an opponent (prolonged and with provocation); or dancing."...

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Wednesday, August 07, 2013

Arod signs for fans in Chicago before White Sox game v Yankees













8/7/13, Arod signs for fans in Chicago, Yankees v White Sox, ap
Yahoo Sports provides a cropped version of this picture below:







The list of 12 MLB players who received 50-game bans includes three 2013 All Stars, Nelson Cruz from the Texas Rangers who was also 2011 ALCS MVP, Jhonny Peralta from the Detroit Tigers, and Everth Cabrera (reserves) from the San Diego Padres.

11/17/11, "Texas’ Nelson Cruz smashed six home runs (in the 2011 ALCS) against Detroit, the record for a postseason series."

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3 banned by MLB were 2013 All Stars, Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta, and Everth Cabrera. Nelson Cruz hit 6 home runs in 2011 ALCS v Detroit, a record for a post season series

8/5/13, "Baseball's superstar Rodriguez vows to fight mammoth 211-game ban for doping," Reuters, J. Linden, UK Daily Mail

The list of 12 additional MLB players who received 50-game bans for using banned substances includes three 2013 All Stars, Nelson Cruz from the Texas Rangers who was also 2011 ALCS MVP, Jhonny Peralta from the Detroit Tigers, and Everth Cabrera (reserves) from the San Diego Padres:

11/17/11, "Texas’ Nelson Cruz smashed six home runs (in the 2011 ALCS) against Detroit, the record for a postseason series."

"The list included 

Nelson Cruz, Everth Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta,
Antonio Bastardo, Jordany Valdespin,
Francisco Cervelli, Jesus Montero, plus minor league players Cesar Puello, Fernando Martinez, Fautino De Los Santos, Sergio Escalona and Jordan Norberto."

plAYERSsuspendedaug52013viaukdailymail 

These are the players in addition to Alex Rodriguez. images from UK Daily Mail, 8/5/13. 
 

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Five floors of NYC Dept. of Health infested with bed bugs, 2nd infestation in less than a year in 3 year old $316 million building

8/6/13, "New York City's Department Of Health Infested By Bedbugs," MedicalDaily.com, Mientka

"In addition to bureaucrats, the 21-floor midtown headquarters of New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has been infested by bedbugs.

Of the cimicid family of insects, cimix lectularious — commonly known as the "bedbug" for its preferred nesting habitat — has been for years taking a bite out of the Big Apple. The bugs feed exclusively on human flesh, typically at night without being noticed.

Five floors of the headquarter building have been overrun by the pests, local media reported, for an estimated cost of $316 million. Although bedbugs are common along the humid East coast of the United States, the city has been known in recent years as a hotbed of infestation.

The infestation at the department's headquarters is the second in the past year, in a building that is only three years old. Although some may find the infestation of the city's health department ironic, other notable landmarks in New York City have been struck by the species, including the Lincoln Center, the New York Public Library, the Waldorf Astoria hotel, and the United Nations....

In total, city residents made more than 9,200 complaints to the city about private bedbug infestations between July 2012 and April 2013, with 13,000 complaints during the preceding 12-month period. Reports of infestations had risen dramatically from only 537 in 2004.

New York's health department offers residents helpful information on bedbugs on their website."














New York City Dept. of Health building, via Breitbart

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Average age of cars and trucks on US roads hit record of 11.4 years in Jan. 2013 and is predicted to go higher-AP

8/6/13, "Can you guess why Americans keep older cars longer?" AP, Tom Krisher, LA Daily News

"Americans are keeping their cars and trucks longer than ever, and even with new car sales increasing, the average age will continue to rise, an industry research firm says.

The average age of the 247 million cars and trucks on U.S. roads hit a record of 11.4 years in January, the latest figures available from state registration data gathered by the Polk research firm.

That's up from 11.2 years in 2012, and nearly two full years older than in 2007, before the start of the Great Recession, Polk said Tuesday.

People are keeping their cars because the quality is so much better and they are trying to avoid the monthly payments, said Mark Seng, a Polk vice president. The annual percentage of cars and trucks sent to the scrap yard has dropped 50 percent since the recession, he said.

"Cars are just lasting longer," he said.

The company doesn't see the age dropping for at least five years, even though U.S. vehicle sales are running at an annual rate of around 15.5 million, which is near pre-recession levels. And it predicts that the percentage of cars age 12 or older will actually rise in the next five years.

The change creates a big opportunity for repair shops and auto-parts stores, Seng said."...via Free Republic






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Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Chicago White Sox attendance boosted by Arod presence, sold 3000 more than usual game day sales

8/5/13, "A-Rod’s suspension helped Chicago White Sox sell tickets," fansided.com, Corey Leahy

"For a team on a 10 game losing streak, selling tickets might be a little bit of a challenge. But then again, the team on this losing streak, the Chicago White Sox, just happens to be playing against the New York Yankees, and newly suspended Alex Rodriguez. Needless to say, fans jumped at the opportunity to boo the third baseman for the opposing team.

On Monday, which was game day as well as the announcement of A-Rod’s 211-game suspension, the White Sox were able to sell 3,200 tickets. That is a great number for game day sales, especially since a higher up in the organization said that the team usually sells just ‘a couple hundred’ tickets on the day of a game.

The White Sox average a little over 23,000 tickets a game, which is 7th worst in the majors. However on Monday night, the crowd jumped to 27,948, according to ESPN.

So I guess the White Sox should actually thank Alex Rodriguez; not only did he bring in more fans and spectators to U.S. Cellular Field, but he may have helped the crowd cheer on the home team as they have taken a commanding 8-1 lead over the Yankees as the game is headed to the eighth inning."

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Monday, August 05, 2013

Arod signs for fans in Chicago









8/5/13, "Track the A-Rod scene from Chicago," Fox Sports, AP photo

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Sunday, August 04, 2013

Austin Romine gets first John Sterling home run call, "Austin powers one!"

8/4/13, Austin Romine hit his first major league home run in the top of the 7th v San Diego. John Sterling's tag:

"Austin Powers one! In left center and the Yankees trail 6-3." final 6-3 San Diego. Suzyn reported on the post game that the ball was retrieved and is now in Romine's possession.

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Arod signs for fans in Trenton


















8/3/13, Arod signs for fans in Trenton, ap. Trenton Thunder beat Reading 7-5.










8/3/13, Arod signs for fans in Trenton, cropped version of above, ap



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Yankee fans in San Diego cheer Curtis Granderson














8/3/13, Yankee fans in San Diego cheer Curtis Granderson after his 7th inning 2 run home run, final 3-0 Yankees, ap

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Curtis Granderson 2 run home run in the 7th


















8/3/13, Curtis Granderson 2 run home run in the 7th in San Diego, final 3-0 Yankees, ap






8/3/13, Granderson 2 run home run in the 7th, cropped version, final 3-0 Yankees, ap

Playing in his second game since May 24, Curtis Granderson hit a 2 run home run in the top of the 7th. His first home run of 2013 was on 5/22/13 in Baltimore. Orioles won 6-3.

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Saturday, August 03, 2013

'Jeter for Mayor' sign seen at San Diego Padres game as current San Diego Mayor has scandals








8/2/13, Padres fans with 'Jeter for Mayor' sign at Yankees v Padres game on Friday. Current San Diego Mayor has had scandals lately. Final 7-2 Padres, getty 

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Media personnel try to get glimpse of Arod through fence in Tampa





8/1/13, "Members of the media look through a fence in attempt to get a glimpse of New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez at the team's minor league complex in Tampa, Fla. Rodriguez was taking part in a rehabilitation workout, ap

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Friday, August 02, 2013

Record 21 million US 'young adults' now live with their parents

8/2/13, "Record 21 Million 'Young Adults' Now Live With Their Parents," Zero Hedge, Durden

"While the 'household formation' meme remains front-and-center among bloviating Fed apologists; the sad facts are that not only is household formation actually still falling but, as a recent Pew Research study finds, a record 21 million young adults are now living at home with their parents. Since 2007, young adults have grown increasingly likely to live at home. This is a new trend with a stunning 45-year high 36% (21 million) of 18-31 year-olds back with mom-and-pop. By way of corollary, with one-third of all Italian adults living at home (and 61% of young-adults), it would seem arguing that a housing renaissance in the US is around the corner on the basis of demographics is risible at best."
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77% of jobs 'created' in 2013 were part-time:

8/2/13, "Obamacare Full Frontal: Of 953,000 Jobs Created In 2013, 77%, Or 731,000 Are Part-Time," Zero Hedge, Durden

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8/2/13, "“We Have Become a Nation of Hamburger Flippers”: Dan Alpert Breaks Down the Jobs Report," Aaron Task, Yahoo Finance

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Comment: A 7+ year economic depression with no end in sight produces more and more people with no discretionary income. I don't think Bud Selig understands this.

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