Bad Economy Equals Empty Seats For Mets & Yankees

(Originally published 4/8/11 in "The Montclarion")

The Yankees have been plagued by their lowest attendance marks in the new Yankee Stadium the first week of the season. Attendance at the Mets’ opening home series this weekend is expected to be low as well. 

A new reality is setting in for our New York baseball teams – primarily the New York Mets. The team is looking to pay off the new stadium they just built as well as the Bernie Madoff scandal. Now they are struggling to sell tickets. Their 2011 home opener, which is normally packed, is nowhere near being sold out. Thousands of tickets were being sold on third-party websites such as StubHub and eBay.


The Yankees may be fine financially, but their ticket sales aren’t going as well as in years past. Their opening day game at Yankee stadium netted them a sold-out crowd, according to ticket sales, but there were plenty of empty seats on the field level behind home plate. Games against the Red Sox, the Subway Series and other important games will bring a full house to the stadium, but the other three-quarters of the season are going to have the Yankees losing out with their best available seats.

Their full-house opening day may be overreacting, but the reality is ticket prices aren’t worth the money the teams are asking for.

Fans of the game will always enjoy the atmosphere and experience of being at the game, but the better value for their money is watching the game in crystal clear picture with first-rate sound close to the detailed action. For no additional fee they’re able to see the left fielder catch the ball against the wall or the homerun as it just makes it past the foul pole. The only seats that seem reasonably affordable obstruct views that they can see from the comfort of their living rooms. They can get 12 times more beer for the same price you pay for two at the game. They can make a quick three-course meal in your kitchen for the same price of a hotdog and a soda, and they’re also allowed to keep the cap for their water bottle at their own house.

The Mets’ cheapest seat available from the Mets themselves is $36 for a premium game. The Yankees, have their bleacher seats priced at $15 and their grandstand tickets for $20. That doesn’t include a parking fee and the money spent on gas.

The Mets are going to see themselves affected to the point where they close down the upper level of seats, concession stands and vendors, especially when they play meaningless games against second-rate teams. The Yankees will draw enough fans to get by since they’ll be playing exciting baseball for the whole season. It doesn’t seem worth it to attend a baseball game anymore; the stadiums are beautiful and the atmosphere is amazing, but in a time where gas prices are rising and jobs are becoming scarce, the cost of attending one three-hour night of entertainment just doesn’t seem worth it.

Spring Training Calls for Another Chapter of Yankees-Red Sox

(Originally published 2/16/11 in "The Montclarion" -- online only)

The Yankees' weakness may be at the back of the rotation, where they are banking on arms like Freddy Garcia to come through.

The biggest free-agent signing the New York Yankees made this 2010-2011 off-season was the $35 million setup-man Rafael Soriano, a move made to tighten up their bullpen as well as give the team an outlet to a future closer if he holds up in the New York spotlight and follows up with the great year he had last season. But other than Soriano, and other than having to retain their own (Jeter, Rivera), the Yankees’ only big move was the signing of catcher Russell Martin to a one-year contract, and bringing in Pedro Feliciano on a two-year deal to be their lefty specialist.


Their rivals, on the other hand, have taken a more aggressive approach and have recruited a couple of superstars. The Boston Red Sox traded a few prospects for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, a lefty that’s bound to take advantage of Fenway Park. Boston also signed Carl Crawford, the most coveted position player in the free-agent market with a tremendous amount of speed, agility, and power. Boston was also more conventional than the Yankees with their signing of ex-White Sox closer, Bobby Jenks, to a $12 million contract over two years – half the price, per-season, than Rafael Soriano.

So did the Boston Red Sox surpass the Yankees and Tampa Bay this season as the top team in the American League East?

Games aren’t decided on paper, but if they were, the Red Sox would have the early edge. Sure, they lost stars Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez, but Beltre only produced during his contract year (again) and is invisible every other season, and Martinez’s future is either as a first baseman or a designated hitter, something Boston has covered.

The Yankees’ only significant loss was the retirement of Andy Pettitte, but with that came the revelation that the Yankees’ starting rotation is only a notch above the New York Mets and probably of equal caliber if Johan Santana was healthy – not a good thing for Yankee fans.

C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes, AJ Burnett and two unidentified yet unnerving back-end rotation pitchers is being compared to Boston’s rotation that consists of Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester, a rotation that has a few aces and number two-caliber pitchers. Sabathia can only pitch so much, and the Yankees are hoping recently-acquired Bartolo Calon and Freddy Garcia can pitch like it was 2005.

Boston’s first six lineup spots tops the Yankees’ lineup through the same order, but tails off with the bottom three projected lineup spots, which is where the Yankees’ lineup remains solid and reliable. But which heart of the order would you rather face?

Boston is projected to have Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis batting 3-4-5 while the Yankees are projected to have Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano as their 3-4-5 hitters. I’d give it a push, at this point, before the season begins; either lineup could produce just as well as the other, though Teixeira is known to not show up until one month of the baseball season has passed.

The first two projected lineup spots are what give Boston the lead. The Yankees have Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher as the 1-2 hitters while Boston has a much younger and leaner top two hitters with Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. If Derek Jeter were a few years younger I would give it to the Yankees, but he isn’t as quick as Ellsbury is in center field, and loses some flare when it comes to attempting to steal a base. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Granderson batting leadoff with Jeter hitting two if Jeter doesn’t get off to a fast start; at this point in his career he‘s more of a contact hitter than a speed threat.*

When the season ends Boston may be the division champion, but there’s no disputing that the Yankees will be close behind and should definitely secure a wild card spot. From there the Evil Empire can topple Red Sox Nation in the playoffs, because regardless of the year, importance of the game or timing of the series, the Yankees and Red Sox always play each other well, and if it comes down a New York/Boston series – as it seems like it does every season – it can go either way.

*Projected lineups were referenced from rotochamp.com as of Feb. 13, 2011; lineups this early are never permanent and are based off of pure speculation.

Big Names in Sports Make Big News in 2010

(Originally published 12/8/10 in "The Montclarion")

2010 has brought us another exciting, drama-filled year in sports. Locally, the Jets are running their mouths as the best team in sports and hold a 9-3 record, yet they have only beaten one team with a record above .500.

The Giants were outmatched by a quarterback who hasn’t started since 2006 and has served jail time in between.

Oakland pitcher Dallas Braden and his catcher, Landon Powell, share a hug after Braden’s perfect game in April. It was the first of two perfect games during the 2010 baseball season.

The Yankees just ended the circus free agency signing with Derek Jeter that was about as exciting as Ben Stein’s voice.


The Mets have added a Terry and a Sandy to their front office; and I don’t mean the ladies that appeared in Grease.

The Islanders and the Nets seem a little lost, which isn’t a surprise.

The Devils sit just above the Islanders, which is a surprise.

The only team that hasn’t given us anything to talk about are the New York Rangers … and that’s probably a good thing.

This year brought us a lot of positive things as well. The New Orleans ‘Aints helped a city stand on its feet with an unlikely victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl. The San Francisco Giants won their first World Series since they departed New York. The LA Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in a rematch similar to the days of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The Red Bulls came close to winning the MLS championship, but fell in the semi-finals to the San Jose Earthquakes. In an attempt to bring some excitement to the MLS the Red Bulls signed international French star Thierry Henry, a contract that cost less and provided a better turnout than the David Beckham signing that happened a few years back. Beckham’s career to Americans can be compared to Carmen San Diego or Waldo; where has it gone?

Baseball saw three perfect games in a season. Well, technically, there were only two: Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics and Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies. Armando Galarraga came close to being the third, but was denied a chance at history by umpire Jim Joyce. It was a game that’s sure to live in infamy with not only the players involved, but fans of the sport as well. It was a game that’s sure to lead to further use of instant replay in baseball, another thing that will be remembered by sports fans for years to come.

USC seemed on top of the college football world, but their coach bolted to the NFL and joined the Seattle Seahawks, and their starting player during that era was revoked of his Heisman Trophy. This led to the likes of Auburn, Oregon and TCU rounding out the top three teams respectively. The only classic powerhouse college team in the top ten is Ohio State.

What we didn’t see this year was the implementation of a playoff system for college football. But when every college football team plays in a bowl game there probably isn’t a need for a playoff system.

2010 also saw the rise of MMA, a fiercer form of boxing that lets fighters use every part of their body that isn’t just below the belt. Boxing’s biggest headline is their loss of fans and funds — the people that decided MMA was more exciting to watch. Maybe it’s because the most exciting thing to happen in boxing this year was the Manny Pacquiao/Floyd Mayweather fight that never happened.

2011 is sure to be as exciting as 2010 and the drama that will ensue will surpass that of all the MTV “reality” shows. Maybe Jimmie Johnson will win his sixth straight NASCAR title, or Tiger Woods will regain his number one ranking. Maybe Roger Federer will retake the number one tennis ranking from Rafael Nadal. At this point, everything is just speculation. There is always uncertainty heading into a new year. Something new and exciting is bound to happen soon after the ball drops. Until then, we still have the rest of 2010.

It's Time for Jeter and Rivera to Get Their Money

(Originally published 11/17/10 in "The Montclarion")

Just how much are the Yankees willing to give away to keep notorious icons Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera on their team, and to make these life-long legends a staple in the Yankee pinstripes for their entire careers?

Even at the age of 41, the Yankees owe it to Mariano Rivera to pay him the money that he wants.

Since mid-1995, when both players climbed up from the minor league and joined the major leagues roster, they’ve won five World Series titles and seven American Leagues Pennants. They’ve grown up and adopted the demeanor Joe Torre presented them: calm, collect, professional and gracious. When was the last time you heard either of these players in the middle of a controversy?


Jeter and Rivera have reached the end of their contracts and face free agency. Not the first time for either of them, but this time it’s different. The conscious choice around the Yankee organization, its players and its fans is to keep the future hall-of-famers on for another go-around with the team. Opposing teams understand they aren’t going to land either of them and probably aren’t even trying to. Their baseball stories will stay here in New York City. People assumed the same last time their contracts ran out, but they were younger then and in the prime of their careers and their championship runs. Now, each is creeping a little bit closer towards retirement, and in terms of baseball years, they’re eligible to collect social security in the next year or two.

Jeter is coming off a below-average year (according to his standards) and Rivera is no longer automatic. Reasonably, they should be getting contracts that range from seven to 10 million dollars a year, at most. But they know their value to this organization as well as everyone else. It would be a perfect end and a great feel-good story to have the two most influential players of this Yankee era arise from their farm system and end their tenure as a Yankee. The Yankee organization recognizes the importance of retaining these players and has publicly announced that they are willing to give a little extra to make sure they’re happy.

But do they deserve it?

Their skills show otherwise, and even the great Babe Ruth was left off the Yankees during his final years as a player, and no one is more influential to the game than the Great Bambino. Jeter is a model most shortstops wish to be like, and most closers wish they could be as lights-out as Rivera. It would be stupid not to pay up for their talents. Paying them the extra money is like giving them a tip thanking them for the dynasty they helped build from the mid-1990’s, a dynasty that hasn’t fallen.

If the Yankees didn’t have so many numbers retired already, they might have added number two to the list. They still might, and probably should. And if Jackie Robinson hadn’t worn number 42, Rivera would have been following in Jeter’s footsteps. They both deserve a monument in Yankee stadium, monuments bigger than George Steinbrener’s when all is said and done. Their names will remain in infamy when spoken in New York City. Pay them their dues. They might not match the money they’ll earn for the future, but for all the money they helped bring to the Yankee organization, I’m sure they deserve a little reward.

An Inside Look at the MLB Postseason

(Originally published 10/6/10 in "The Montclarion"; this isn't a column but a special for that week's specific issue on the MLB postseason)

The 2010 MLB season is over and the playoffs are about to begin. The Pittsburgh Pirates sit at their rightful place at the bottom of the league, next to the Washington Nationals and Seattle Mariners. But at the other end of the spectrum we have the Philadelphia Phillies posting the best record in the major leagues, the New York Yankees returning (yet again) to the playoffs and the 20-year-old Bobby Cox bringing his Atlanta Braves to a familiar place, squeezing in with a Wild Card birth on the last day of the season.

Yankee’s third baseman Alex Rodriguez hopes to lead his team back to the World Series in the 2010 playoffs.

Since removing the ‘devil’ from their name, the Tampa Bay Rays have been impressing everyone. They’ve been a team for only a dozen years, but find themselves atop the monstrous AL East with the best record in the American League.

They’re hosting the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series, opening with Cliff Lee for the Rangers and David Price for the Rays. Lee is a more established pitcher and will demand millions this off season for his services, but he’s been struggling mightily since joining the Rangers, while David Price has been stellar for the Rays.

The jovial Rays have been limping recently, but should pose a huge threat for the Rangers. The Rays pitching outmatches the Rangers, and although Texas has Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz in their lineup, the Rays have Carl Crawford, BJ Upton and Evan Longoria to name a few. The edge in every aspect points towards the Rays. If the series reaches four games, it’s a disappointment for them. They should take this series easily.

The Minnesota Twins are back in the postseason, and they find themselves in an unfortunate yet familiar situation as well, playing the Yankees. They haven’t fared well in the past, and that trend doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

Yankee castoff Carl Pavano will be pitching the first game of the series; that alone should highlight the way this series will go, but Pavano hasn’t been having too bad of a year. That being said, the Yankees have CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and many more. The Twins have Joe Mauer but are playing without Justin Morneau who’s out of the series recovering from a concussion. The Yankees are most likely going to be meeting the Rays in the American League Championship Series, winning this series against the Twins as easily as the Rays are going to beat the Rangers.

From there it becomes a dog fight. If the Championship series does end up being the Rays versus the Yankees, it’ll be a showdown to the final game. The Rays outdid the Yankees in the regular season, winning 10 out of 18 games, but the Yankees are a more established team. When it comes down to the wire there is a much greater chance for the Yankees to be clutch than the Rays, but anything is possible. Neither the Twins nor the Braves will be able to beat both powerhouses in the American League. Getting to the World Series for them is going to be a huge uphill climb.

The Braves reach the playoffs for Bobby Cox’s last year before retiring as manager. They face a tough task against the San Francisco Giants, and sit as a weak team coming into the playoffs. Their lineup is average and their pitching is good, but the Giants are throwing Tim Lincicum and Matt Cain on the hill for the first two games. Derick Lowe and Tim Hudson have to be just as good as the Giants rotation to keep the Braves in the series. Splitting one of the first two games would be an advantage to the Braves, who would then bring it back to Atlanta to possibly close out. But being as the Divisional Series is a best-of-five format, they don’t have much breathing room if they can’t win one against the Giants pitching staff. This series will feature a lot of low scoring games. If it does go to five games, expect one of the premiere pitchers for both clubs to return, possibly for game four as well.

The feel-good story of this season belongs to the Cinncinatti Reds. Led by Joey Votto, the Reds surprised almost everyone by taking the National League Central Division that most figured would easily belong to the St. Louis Cardinals. But they open on the road against the powerhouse Phillies. This series is going to run pretty similar to the Rays/Rangers series. The Phillies have Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and a rotation that can feature three aces. Regardless of which game it is, the Phillies are going to have either Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt or Cole Hamels on the mound. It may not be luck that got the Reds to the playoffs, but they’ll need some to get past Philadelphia.

The winner of the Braves/Giants series will most likely go against the Phillies, which is a scary thought. The Phillies shouldn’t waste much energy and should be more refreshed than either of the other teams. Though the National League Championship series will be more competitive, they will still be the overwhelming favorite to reach the World Series for the third straight year. If the Reds manage to win against the Phillies, the Championship Series will be an even match. The Giants or Braves will be favored over the Reds, and will probably beat them if they get through, but any of those three teams will be less than likely to take down the team representing the American League in the World Series. The National League may have home field advantage (courtesy of winning the All-Star Game for the first time in 13 years) but the National League’s best shot at winning lies with the Phillies, and even they will have a close match with what will be the Yankees or the Rays.

The playoffs bring high adrenaline and a nostalgia for teams that’s unlike anything during the regular season. Though certain teams should win easily, it’s anybody’s game.