Yankee Stadium tours resume; Shea demolition begins

Yankee Stadium tours will return as of noon today and may contune through the end of the year, the Post reports this morning.

The Yankees sell the tour tickets through Ticketmaster, which has tickets on sale for dates through October 10. However, it lists tours from October 11 through Dec. 31 as “currently not on sale.”

The behind-the-scenes tour gets you into the soon-to-be demolished stadium, the locker room, dugout, press box, and across the field itself to access Monument Park.

Tickets are priced at $20 for adults, $15 for children and seniors. Use Ticketmaster or call (212) 307-1212.

As for the Mets, not only do they not offer tours of Shea, but the outfield wall is already gone, as well as some sod and field-level seats.

Earlier: Mets play, and lose, their last game at Shea Stadium
The last home games at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium primer

October 1, 2008 9:27 AM Comments (0)

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Mets play, and lose, their last game at Shea Stadium

NewYorkology contributor Scott Ross keeps you abreast of upcoming Mets and Yankees home games in New York City. Jack Donaghy convinced Ross to join the GE family in the summer of 2008. Here’s your look at the last major league baseball in New York City this year:

For the second consecutive season, the Florida Marlins came to Queens to administer the kill shot to the Mets’ post-season hopes.

Once again it was the bullpen that betrayed them. With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the 8th, Scott Schoeneweis came in to face pinch-hitter Wes Helms who promptly launched the go ahead run into the seats. On came Luis Ayala to face Dan Uggla, who promptly put the insurance run in the seats. And with that, the Mets bullpen had earned its 28th loss of the season.

Equally incredible was General Manager Omar Minaya being awarded a four-year extension last week for putting together a team that fell – really fell – short of the playoffs yet again. What he’s done to earn this is unclear.

As Minaya puts together the 2009 edition, he will be rid of the onerous Pedro Martinez contract he negotiated four years ago. Will he able to resist signing Moises Alou to another contract? Will he finally hire a major leaguer to play second base? What will he do to replace Billy Wagner? Does Carlos Delgado have another year in the tank? Will he continue to man his bench with the likes of Trot Nixon, Damion Easley and Marlomn Anderson?

Clearly his boss trusts him to address these questions. I wouldn’t.

Next Week: The Mets and the Yankees will be golfing.

September 28, 2008 6:17 PM Comments (0)

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Register before midnight for Mets' post-season tickets

For individuals who register by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, a random drawing for the opportunity to purchase up to four (4) tickets to one (1) game of the 2008 National League Championship Series (“NLCS”) that may be played at Shea Stadium will be held on or about Wednesday, September 24, 2008. Each individual selected will be notified by Friday, September 26, 2008 via the e-mail address submitted on the registration form.

September 23, 2008 9:46 AM Comments (0)

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Home games: every Shea game counts for Mets

NewYorkology contributor Scott Ross keeps you abreast of upcoming Mets and Yankees home games in New York City. Jack Donaghy convinced Ross to join the GE family in the summer of 2008. Here’s your look at major league baseball in New York City this week:

Most Mets fans would agree that the demise of Shea is a matter that evokes little in the way of nostalgia. This is not to say that the park hasn’t seen its share of great players and teams, but the most significant event in the park’s 44-year history was the Beatles concert in 1965. The stadium is a charmless concrete ashtray at the end of an airport runway. As long as Mr. Met and the top hat make the trip, whatever the new Citi Field offers is sure to be an epic improvement.

So while Yankee fans mourn the 2008 season and The House That Ruth Built, the Mets will try to keep the lights on at Shea deep into October while looking forward to their new home.

Rather than beating up on the weak sisters of the NL East last week to pad their lead over the Phillies, the Mets lost four of seven to the Braves and Nationals and now sit one game out of first.

Lucky for the Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers are in the midst of a tailspin reminiscent of the 2007 Mets, having lost 15 of their last 20 games. Things are so bad that Milwaukee fired manager Ned Yost on Sept. 15, a late-season dismissal with no precedent. With a week left in the season, the Brew Crew sits 1 ½ behind the Mets in the wild card race.

But luck is a fickle mistress. The Mets must battle the NL’s best team, the lovable Cubbies, and the league’s hottest team, the Florida Marlins. Tuesday’s match up is easily the best of the week with Rich Harden — a wildly talented if maddeningly fragile young man — going against Johan Santana, who is also slated to pitch the season finale. But every game is crucial, so get out to Shea to watch them try to exorcise last year’s demons.

And while the Mets fight for their playoff lives, consider how different things might have been if ownership had had the guts to sign Barry Bonds? As John Brittain of The Hardball Times notes, when one considers the known “abusers of women, statutory rapists, racists, steroid users, alcoholics, drug addicts, felons, men who threaten their own children with death, etc.” who have found work in the Major Leagues, it’s shocking that no one signed him. Bonds, who had the sixth-best OPS in the NL last year, was willing to work for the league minimum, $390,000. But the Mets, who managed to look past Guillermo Mota’s proven steroid use, were scared off by the suspicion of Bonds’ steroid use.

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September 22, 2008 11:19 AM Comments (0)

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The last home games at Yankee Stadium

NewYorkology contributor Scott Ross keeps you abreast of upcoming Mets and Yankees home games in New York City. Jack Donaghy convinced Ross to join the GE family in the summer of 2008. Here’s your look at major league baseball in New York City this week:

It’s sad it has to end this way.

Yankee Stadium has been home to the most successful, most storied team in professional sports history since 1923 (or 1976, depending on whom you ask). In that time the Yankees won 39 AL championships and 26 World Series titles. It was in this stadium that the game’s greatest player, Babe Ruth, single-handedly made the home run the most powerful and beloved weapon in the game. Lou Gehrig gave the greatest speech in the game’s history from the park’s mound on July 4, 1939. Don Larsen pitched the sport’s only World Series perfect game from the same mound on Oct. 8, 1956. That mound was where Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich made their livings at the time the two traded wives. In 1993 one-handed hurler Jim Abbott threw a no-hitter from that mound. And it was on that mound where Mariano Rivera, the game’s greatest closer, fell to his knees weeping with joy – and relief — after the Yankees defeated the Red Sox in the 11th inning of game 7 to secure their last pennant. And that doesn’t begin to cover the park’s history.

In a perfect world the Yankees and their fans would be preparing for one last October charge to glory. At the very least they would be getting ready to play host to the Boston Red Sox on the last three days of the season. Instead, they’ve been all but eliminated from the playoff chase and the last game ever played at the Stadium will be against the lowly Baltimore Orioles and feature a match-up between two guys named Chris Waters and Alfredo Aceves, who between them have pitched 56 innings in their careers. It’d be like a bunch of strangers coming over for Thanksgiving to tell you Christmas had been canceled.

The Yankees have been reduced to playing for pride and a few personal achievements. With his next base hit, Derek Jeter will hold the record for most hits ever at Yankee Stadium, surpassing Gehrig. Rivera’s next save will move him past Lee Smith into sole possession of second place on the all-time list. And if Mike Mussina wins his last three starts it will mark the first 20-win season of his career.

It doesn’t matter which game you go to this week, just go.

Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees
Monday @ 7:05, Mark Buehrle (13-11) vs. Alfredo Aceves (1-0), Final Season Mouse Pad Night
Tuesday @ 7:05, Gavin Floyd (15-7) vs. Andy Pettitte (13-13), Yankees T-shirt Night
Wednesday @ 7:05, Lance Broadway (1-0) vs. Phil Hughes (0-4), Final Season Snoopy Yankees Doll Night
Thursday @ 7:05 Javier Vasquez (12-13) vs. Mike Mussina (17-9), Poster Night

Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees
Friday @ 7:05, Garrett Olson (9-8)`vs. Sydney Ponson (8-5)
Saturday @ 1:05, Radham Liz (6-5) vs. Carl Pavano (3-1)
Sunday @ 8:05, Chris Waters (2-3) vs. Alfredo Aceves (1-0)

Next Week: The Yankees play out the string in Toronto and Boston while the Mets welcome the Cubbies and Marlins.

Tickets to Yankees games can be purchased here. See NewYorkology’s guide to Yankee Stadium for the rundown on how to get there, where to meet, eat and eventually, sit.

Image source: National Emblem NY Yankees Yankee Stadium Final Season Logo Patch

September 15, 2008 10:10 AM Comments (0)

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Federer takes U.S. Open trophy to Empire State Bldg

September 10, 2008 12:30 PM Comments (0)

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Home games: Despite Wagner loss, Mets look good

NewYorkology contributor Scott Ross keeps you abreast of upcoming Mets and Yankees home games in New York City. Jack Donaghy convinced Ross to join the GE family in the summer of 2008. Here’s your look at major league baseball in New York City this week:

The Metropolitans once again climbed aboard Carlos Delgado’s shoulder to salvage the last game of their three-game set with the Phillies on Sunday — and with it, sole possession of first place. With Philadelphia’s loss Monday night, the Mets’ lead is now 2 ½ games with 19 to play. As anyone from Queens can tell you, last year at this time the Mets led Philly by seven with 17 to play before going into a historic tailspin.

Will it happen again? It seems unlikely, though with closer Billy Wagner lost for the remainder of 2008 — and possibly 2009, one can’t help but wonder if there’s a bad moon rising over Shea again. But with the hapless Nationals and Braves coming to town, the Mets’ fortunes look good. They face five pitchers with a combined record or 26-42.

Meanwhile, in the Bronx, Yankee fans are faced with a dilemma reminiscent of “Sophie’s Choice.” Each game the Yankees win helps improves the Red Sox’ chances of winning the AL East. For the Yankees to make the playoffs, they would have to win all 19 of their remaining games, while the Sox and Rays would both have to play sub-.500 ball. Ain’t happenin’.

With both ballparks facing the wrecking ball this winter, time’s running out. If you want to get to Yankee Stadium one last time, on Saturday go check out Mike Mussina against the talented Matt Garza, he of the million-dollar arm and ten-cent head. If Shea’s your preference, you can watch Johan Santana spin his magic Saturday, or you can watch two wildly overpaid men – Mike Hampton and Pedro Martinez — well past their prime trying to somehow justify their contracts on Friday.

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September 9, 2008 10:04 AM Comments (0)

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Home games: great weeked theater in Mets v. Phillies

NewYorkology contributor Scott Ross keeps you abreast of upcoming Mets and Yankees home games in New York City. Jack Donaghy convinced Ross to join the GE family in the summer of 2008. Here’s your look at major league baseball in New York City this week:

Hats off to the New York Mets. When the Fourth of July fireworks fizzled to an end, the team sat in third place, 5 ½ games behind the Phillies. Since then they’ve gone 37-17 and now find themselves atop the NL East with a month to play.

Much like his cross-town counterpart Jason Giambi, many believed that Carlos Delgado was done, an expensive albatross. And like Giambi, Delgado has risen from the dead, leading the Mets’ offense in the second half by going .299/.392/.592 during the Mets’ surge, with 16 homeruns and 47 RBI.

On the other side of the ball, Johan Santana returned to the form that made him the big prize of last year’s off-season. Don’t be fooled by his good-not-great record of 12-7 – it includes a stretch of six starts during which he had a 2.48 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 40 innings, of which the Mets won exactly zero. Just as important to the Mets’ return to relevance has been Mike Pelfry, who’s gone 11-2 with a 2.98 ERA since May 31.

This weekend the second-place Phillies come to town accompanied by the ghosts of 2007. Whether the Mets deliver the kill-shot or stumble as they did last year should make for great theater, especially given both teams are sending out their three best pitchers.

The ageless Jamie Moyer faces the aging Pedro Martinez on Saturday. Moyer, as has been noted in this space before, has been winning baseball games long past his sell-by date, an art that Martinez must now dedicate himself to learning. Moyer has pitched nine seasons and won 124 games since he was 36, the age Pedro is now. Sunday’s game is even better, as Santana goes against Cole Hamels, who does as well with the ladies as he does with his nasty change-up. And you can get a Johan bobblehead!

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September 5, 2008 9:09 AM Comments (0)

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NFL hosts free Usher, Urban, Bedingfield concert today

Usher, Kieth Urban and Natasha Bedingfield today will play a free concert at Columbus Circle to celebrate last year’s NY Giants Super Bowl Championship and kick off the NFL’s 89th season.

“The concert will begin at 3 p.m. and run until 6:45 p.m at Columbus Circle, Central Park South from Columbus Circle to 5th Ave.,” according to NFL.com’s Fan’s guide to the NFL Kickoff 2008 concert celebration.

1iota is handling VIP wristbands for the event.

Check out the current view on the Columbus Circle webcams. Gridlock Sam at the NY Daily News calls it a Gridiron Alert for traffic due to all the street closures in the neighborhood.

The NFL’s regular season begins tonight in New Jersey as the New York Giants host the Washington Redskins.

Earlier: Free Sept. 4 Usher, Keith Urban concert for NFL kickoff
150 New York webcams

September 4, 2008 7:02 AM Comments (0)

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Home games: Yanks reduced to spolier role vs. Red Sox

NewYorkology contributor Scott Ross keeps you abreast of upcoming Mets and Yankees home games in New York City. Jack Donaghy convinced Ross to join the GE family in the summer of 2008. Here’s your look at major league baseball in New York City this week:

It’s time to be honest: the Yankees’ season is effectively over. Cool Standings puts their post-season hopes at 6.8 percent, while Baseball Prospectus gives them just a 4.26 percent chance of making the playoffs. With 32 games remaining, the Bombers trail the Devil Rays by 9 1/2 games in the AL East race and the Red Sox by 5 games in the Wild Card standings.

What to make of the Yankees’ demise? Not much. Empires collapse, evil or otherwise. The fact is that in 1996 the Yankees began to enjoy a remarkable string of good fortune that saw them win three titles in four years and make the playoffs annually. This is not to say they weren’t also exceptionally good, but even great teams need weird bounces, bad calls, unusual health and fluke performances to go their way.

More than anything, it was the injury bug that hit the Yankees. Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui, A-Rod, Johnny Damon, Chien-Ming Wang and rookie phenom Joba Chamberlain all missed big chunks of time.

The Yankees will be back in the hunt next season, no doubt reloaded with a new crop of big–ticket free agents. For now, however, they will have to satisfy themselves by playing spoiler, trying to keep their arch nemeses out of the post-season.

There’s an amusing symmetry to the three match-ups of the Yankees’ series with Boston. On Tuesday, Josh Beckett and Andy Pettitte engage in a showdown of former staff aces who have had to grind their way through tough seasons. On Wednesday, it’s a pair of aging mid-season stopgaps brought in because of
injuries as Paul Byrd faces Sydney Ponson. And finally, Friday offers the best pairing of the week, 2008 aces Jon “Cancer Boy” Lester – who got seriously slapped around in his last start – and Mike Mussina, who at age 39 is on the cusp of his first 20-win season and possibly the Hall of Fame.

This week presents easily the sorriest collection of promotional giveaways in recent memory. The crap DVD of the new ballpark is actually the second-best freebie of the week, after the keychain to commemorate the final season at Yankee Stadium. As of Sunday night, the fine folks at Best Buy had yet to figure out what they were going to hand out on Friday. Shockingly, this “blind date” is still better than Saturday’s calculator. Honestly, in a day when virtually everyone over the age of 15 carries a cell phone or PDA and nearly every workplace has at least one computer around, isn’t making calculators tantamount to littering? When was the last time you used an honest-to-God, that’s-all-it-is calculator? Cheap bastards.

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
Tuesday @ 7:05, Beckett (11-9) vs. Pettitte (13-9)
Wednesday @ 7:05, Byrd (8-11) vs. Ponson (7-4)
Thursday @ 1:05, Lester (12-4) vs. Mussina (16-7), new Yankee Stadium virtual tour DVD

Toronto Blue Jays New York Yankees
Friday @ 7:05, John Parrish (1-0) vs. Carl Pavano (1-0), promotion item
Saturday @ 1:05, AJ Burnett (16-9) vs. Darrell Rasner (5-9), calculator day
Sunday @ 1:05, Roy Halladay (15-9) vs. Andy Pettitte (13-9), final season keychain

Next Week: As if the road ahead weren’t tough enough for the Yankees, they have to fly to Detroit for a make-up game before heading to Tampa for a three-game set and then on to Seattle. Meanwhile, the Metropolitans go to Milwaukee before coming home to host the Phillies for a showdown that will go a long way toward deciding the NL East.

Tickets to Yankees games can be purchased here. See NewYorkology’s guide to Yankee Stadium for the rundown on how to get there, where to meet, eat and eventually, sit.

Image source: Biederlack New York Yankees Woochie Pillow

August 25, 2008 10:05 AM Comments (0)

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