Archive for the 'New York Yankees' Category

Sep 29

Joy, Jubilation, and the Sheer Exuberance of Victory

Baltimore Orioles, BJ Upton, Boston Red Sox, Cheap is as cheap does, Chicks dig the longball, Cowbells, Dan Johnson, David Price, Evan Longoria, F*ck the Heck?, Feed your mind, Insane in the membrane, Jake McGee, Joe Maddon, joel peralta, Johnny Damon, Jordi Scrubbings, Karma is a bitch, Lifestyles of the rich famous and good looking, Magic Number, Memories, New York Yankees, Other teams envious of Rays payroll, Pink Hat Nation, Pink Sox Nation, Playoffs?, Putting us in our place, Rays look good in glass slippers, Tampa Bay Rays, there are no rules, Things that make us giddy, Too early to open a beer?, Victory!, Walk-off win, Walk-off wins make us giddy, Your thoughts please Jordi Scrubbings 6 Comments »

Our correspondent Jordi Scrubbings was at the game last night. Here is his report. You can also here Jordi tonight on “The Sully Baseball Show” which can be heard HERE…

When I was a younger, I rooted heart and soul for the New York Mets. My dad was a Mets fan and I followed in his footsteps. One of my fondest memories of my dad and I’s shared fandom was when Mookie Wilson’s grounder rolled through Bill Buckner’s legs in Game 6 of the World Series. Being young and skinny, my dad gave me a big hug and swung my around the living room. Although I was a happy new fan, he was overjoyed. The Mets lived to see another day.

Here I am today the roughly same age my dad was in 1986.  The Rays have in many ways replaced the Mets as my true heart’s desire. The Mets are my first fan love and I will never forget them, but since 2007 day-in and day-out I’ve ridden with the Rays.

Although the Rays have made the Read the rest of this entry »

Sep 23

The Continued Struggle for the Soul of the Florida Sports Fan

Attendance, Fans do silly things, Feed your mind, Minor League Affiliates, New York Yankees, Season Ticket Sales, Statistical projection, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa vs St Pete, The Trop, Things that make us giddy, Things that shine a little less, TV Ratings, We are mad as hell, We need more Cowbell, Your thoughts please Jordi Scrubbings 12 Comments »

Jordi Scrubbings is back with his take on Rays attendance…

Last year, I wrote an article for this site entitled “The Battle for the Passion of the Florida Sports Fan”. In that article, I explored how the Rays were at the short end of a fight to get attention in a rapidly expanding Florida sports scene.

This year I have continued to track attendance and viewing trends. I have saved almost every post I can find from this site, other Rays sites, Bucs sites, Florida Minor League Baseball sites, and anywhere else that talks about the comings and goings of Florida sports fans.

Before I begin to dissect the year in attendance trends, I first want to share an interesting tidbit I recently discovered.

Did you know that in 2010 the Rays drew 95% of the combined attendance total of the Bulls, Gators, Hurricanes, and Seminoles last year?

Attendance of every 2010 home game of Florida State University, University of Florida, University of Miami, University of Central Florida, and the University of South Florida at their respective stadiums was 2,087,026. This number excludes only UF’s bowl game in Tampa and the UF vs. Georgia game in Jacksonville, as they were not true “home” games.

According to Baseball-Reference, the 2010 Rays drew 1,864,999 people to Tropicana Field in 2010. And another 112,854 during the playoffs. That’s 1,977,853 people and a 95% correlation. Which means almost the same amount of people that went to Rays games last year went to see a game at one of the five major college football programs in Florida.

There is no doubt Florida is still a college football state.

A lot of people would point to the above statistic and say it should be Exhibit A why the Rays should move from Florida – they can’t possibly compete in the Florida sports culture landscape. Baseball will regarded as a novelty especially as the University of South Florida grows in popularity and prominence and Florida State gets back on track, loses to Oklahoma withstanding.

I, of course, disagree.

Last year I argued that there was an oversaturation of Read the rest of this entry »

Apr 05

Idea Of Contracting Rays Is Silly, But Can’t Be Ignored

Boston Red Sox, Bud Selig, Contraction is an ugly word, New Stadium, New York Yankees, Uncategorized Cork Gaines 22 Comments »

Yesterday we heard the latest cry from some within baseball’s inner circle looking for the Tampa Bay Rays to be contracted. This immediately led to some (once again) explaining why contraction is a silly idea and why it will never happen in Major League Baseball. But that doesn’t mean that the threat should be ignored.

We have written on several occasions why contraction is highly unlikely. But the fact remains, some in baseball want the Rays contracted. And while they may not get contraction, they may get something else that could be nearly as damaging to the Rays and our hopes of keeping baseball in the Bay Area.

But first…

Who wants the Rays contracted?

When the latest story on contraction broke only days after Stuart Sternberg and St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster exchanged words on the Rays’ quest for a new stadium, many assumed that the talk of contraction was just one of Bud Selig’s “tricks” to get the Rays out of their contract and inside Tampa’s borders.

But Mike Oznanian of Forbes.com cited “high-revenue team owners” who don’t have much of a stake in the Rays moving to Tampa.  And based on previous comments, it seems clear that we are talking about the Steinbrenners (owners of the Yankees) and John Henry (owner of the Red Sox).

What do they stand to gain from contraction?

In the early days of revenue sharing Read the rest of this entry »

Feb 21

Are The Yankees “Underdogs” This Season?

Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees Cork Gaines 3 Comments »

The Red Sox spent a lot of money this off-season making their roster better and it is to believe that they are the favorites to win the AL East. But does that make the Yankees “underdogs”?

Mark Teixeira thinks so…

“We’re the underdogs this year,” Teixeira said. “I love it. No one is picking us right now. Everyone in here should be looking forward to winning a championship. When you put on the pinstripes that is exactly what your goal should be every year. I think everyone understands that just because the public may not be picking us it doesn’t mean we don’t believe it in here.”

No one is picking the Yankees? First of all, we are not Read the rest of this entry »

Sep 22

ESPN Wants You To Think Yankees Already Won The Division

ESPN, New York Yankees, Playoffs? Cork Gaines 14 Comments »

The Rays still have two games head-to-head with the Yankees and hold the tie-breaker should the two teams finish tied at the standings. But that didn’t stop ESPN.com from declaring the race over with a piece titled, “And that’s the AL East race, folks“…

Nothing more to see here. Move along…Technically, there is more to see — two more games between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays here this week, 19 games combined for the teams after that until we wrap up the 2010 regular season Oct. 3 — but that is what it felt like Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium…Under a glimmering harvest moon, the Yankees reaped a win over the Rays that seemed as if counted for more than just one game in the standings. It felt like game, set and match.

In addition to the
Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 13

Don Zimmer On Passing Of George Steinbrenner

Don Zimmer, George Steinbrenner, New York Yankees Cork Gaines 1 Comment »

From Don Zimmer:

“I would prefer to remember him just as he was the first time I met him. I was managing the Red Sox and sitting in the dugout several hours before a game at Yankee Stadium. He was on the mound in a white shirt pitching batting practice to his son. A father throwing to his son.

“His impact on the game is impossible to measure. If you were a Yankee fan there was no better owner because he would do anything at any cost to put the best team on the field.

“My deepest sympathies go out to his family.”

Jul 13

Stuart Sternberg On Passing Of George Steinbrenner

George Steinbrenner, New York Yankees, Stuart Sternberg Cork Gaines 2 Comments »

From Stuart Sternberg:

“George Steinbrenner’s impact on both the game of baseball and in the Tampa Bay community will have an everlasting effect on us all. We send our deepest sympathies to the Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization.”

Jul 13

New York Daily News: George Steinbrenner Has Passed Away

George Steinbrenner, New York Yankees Cork Gaines 6 Comments »

[Update] The New York Daily News has a source saying that Steinbrenner died this morning at 6:30am.

[9:45am] Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was taken to a Tampa hospital last night by emergency crews. There are reports that he has suffered a “massive heart attack,” but there is no official word yet. The Tampa Tribune will be updating their site with confirmed reports. [TBO.com]

Jul 11

Yankees Are Shocked They Can’t Have Any Player They Want

Cliff Lee, New York Yankees Cork Gaines 19 Comments »

The rest of the 29 teams in baseball have long been viewed as a farm system for the Yankees by that segment of The Evil Empire that believes they should have a future Hall-of-Famer at every position. And really, it is hard to argue, considering the Yankees rarely fail to land a player they target.

But when the Yankees were unable to complete the deal for Cliff Lee on Friday, it led to the following reaction from the Yankees front office…

Yankees livid with Mariners. Believed they had deal, then M’s took it to Rangers saying put Smoak in and Lee is yours . . . Rangers jumped. Adams’ ankle injury was excuse for M’s to back out. “You just don’t do business that way,” one Yankee official said.

We know the Yankees have always been spoiled. But they have now officially blown right past “spoiled” and are now the trust-fund teenager who wasn’t allowed to buy another Mercedes.

Sep 27

[LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR] Tampa Bay Rays: 2008 AL East Champions

Boston Red Sox, Magic Number, New York Yankees, Playoffs? Cork Gaines 15 Comments »

The Rays lost (again), but our good friends to the north, the New York Roadkills put up a 19-spot on the Boston Pink Hats.

With Boston’s loss, the Tampa Bay Rays have done the impossible…The 2008 Tampa Bay Rays are the champions of the AL East.

First of all…congratulations to every member of the Tampa Bay Rays. From the lowest scout, all the way to Andrew Friedman, Matt Silverman, Gerry Hunsicker and Stuart Sternberg…congrats. You guys earned it.

And Thank You. From the bottom of our hearts. Thank you. To everybody. You guys did it! We are drinking champagne tonight. And we drink it in your honor. Thank You.