12 Days of Christmas - NYY Edition

Hello there! I know what you're thinking: Why have you girls been gone for so long? Well, here at Pinstripe Love, we're not all about stating the obvious. We like to take our time and be thoughtul with our posts. I mean, you already know that we won the AL East but nothing else, Tex popped up 600 times, Mo saved 600, and Jeter is still saving himself for, well, ....me.

So, for now, I would like to just round out the holiday season with a little "12 days of Christmas" - NYY Edition. And then, that's it! It's all about leaving 2011 behind and looking forward (because harping on the fact that Jeter wasn't under my Christmas tree for the sixteenth year in a row would just be wrong...gosh, I even left a dish of brown rice and a venti coffee from Starbucks...I'm sooooo unlucky).

Ok, enjoy!

Twelve beers for numbing, (to calm our nerves around hot Yankees)
Eleven games pinstriping, (mighta been more at the Stadium this year...)
Ten nights of weeping, (all due to DJ3K)
Nine hotties glancing, (ahh - Mark! ;) )
Eight innings chilling, (we wake up for the 9th...)
Seven weeks of gymming, (for spring training!)
Six hours of Michael Kay-ing, (including pre- and post-games)
Five World Series rings, (oh, Derek!)
Four slurrrrred words, (after 7 innings of booze)
Three blazin' men, (guess who...)
(at least) Two gold glove snubs,
And another season with my favorite Lees!

Here's to another slammin' season of Yankees baseball! Please note that Pinstripe Love will be visiting the Yankees Spring Training camp for the fourth time this March, so stay tuned for our recap and 2012 predictions...and maybe a sprinkling of ca-razzzy Tampa moments brought to you by yours truly (and my besties, Dana and Erica!!). I will leave you with some Jeter quotes that I've come across over the years to keep us all amped up for the good times ahead!!:

"God, I hope I wear this jersey forever."
"Yankee Stadium is my favorite stadium. I'm not going to lie to you. There's a certain feel you get in Yankee Stadium."
"My heroes, my dreams, and my future lie in Yankee Stadium, and they can't take that from me."
"I think everyone is ticklish. You just gotta find the right spots." <--- whaaaat? yes, please!!


See you next year, g

The Best Rain-Out Ever!

Gina and I ventured out to Yankee Stadium with the tickets we bought with our StubHub credit from the DJ3K rain out in July. Of course, we got rained out again! But not before we added to our repertoire of Yankee adventures. On the drive in, I was monitoring Twitter for the weather details and came across a tweet for Michael Kay's radio show on ESPN radio. It said he was broadcasting live from a bar across the street from the stadium. Gina and I were literally overcome...WHAT? Could this be for real? So, we parked and headed to the bar. Sure enough we walk through to the back of the bar, and there he is -- my man Michael Kay. I immediately clutched my heart (seriously) which is right when he turned and looked at the doorway seeing me acting a fool! Typical for me and G, especially when we're together.

I just have to say, I have always loved Michael Kay and his voice on the broadcast along with Bobby Murcer, Jim Kaat and Ken Singleton...it's what I grew up on. In my family, it's pretty typical to hear baseball quotes in regular conversation, such as: "that's the fallacy of the pre-determined outcome, you can't assume the double play in that situation" or "you study long you study wrong" or "he was not enamored with that call" or "keep it simple stupid" or the great standard "...the aforementioned New York Yankees." I could go on and on.

So, Gina and I waited until the first commercial break, and after reading a lengthy promo, Michael took off his head-set and greeted some fans, including us. We were able to have a quick chat with Michael Kay and take a picture. He was witty and gracious and just really nice to us. I also got to tell him the story I always said I would tell him if I got the opportunity to meet him, and that is that I used the word "aforementioned" from his copyright bit in every single paper I wrote in college as an english major at Quinnipiac. True story. I'm literally laughing as I typed that last part, because I consciously did put that word in every paper, because I told Michael Kay that story to his face and because he actually knew what I meant! We shook hands again and that was that.

We walked into the stadium on cloud nine and were ready with our ponchos to stick out any length of rain delays to see our Yanks play. We took our first trip to Monument Park in the new stadium where we bowed our heads at Roger Maris' plaque, bowed to Donnie Baseball's #23 and rubbed our sweat on Babe Ruth's forehead. Then we visited Derek's 'Jeter's Flakes' poster in the food court and made our way to the seats. Shortly after we got to section 232, the announcement was made postponing the game. We took the nearest stairs out of the ball park, which let us out onto River Ave behind the bleachers. As Gina and I joked about how we might see Jeter leaving the ballpark, there was his Ford Edge, no tints. I think at this point Gina might have partly collapsed. I jumped up and down, waving and yelling, "Derek, Derek!" Then Derek Jeter actually turned his head, looked right at us and waved!! Really? We went to four spring training games this past March and not even a nod from DJ. So now this time, Gina was really overcome and just flat-out cried. So the night came to a close with us embracing under the subway tracks on River Ave, tears and raindrops streaming down our faces. Just the best rain-out ever! See our slideshow below:

-- Dana

DJ is single and ready to mingle......with us?

Sounds of Derr-ek Jee-terr chants rang through my house this morning....but it was 7am...no game on, infomercials were still playing on the YES Network, so no tear-jerker Yankeeorgraphies....nothing. Just me being crazy and displaying random love for Jeter on this Friday morning, perhaps? That wouldn't be a stretch, but there's something different about today.

We all awoke to reports that Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly, his womans of three and a half years, have split! As you recall, I recently wrote about the DJ3K documentary (see: Straight From the Heart: A Review of DJ3K special) and how 1. Minka Kelly sucks at life and 2. Jeter and I are soulmates. Wow. Did he hear me or something? Or was it just that she said really dumb things (in a fairly annoying voice) about how she didn't know anything about baseball? I mean, I'm SURE he knew about her lack of baseball knowledge from day one, but for it to be highlighted on HBO for the world to see...that had to be embarassing. I was pretty much embarassed FOR him! He joked about how she had posters of him on her wall in high school, which wasn't true...she didn't even know who he was!! What-ever - I STILL have Jeter posters on my wall...they help me sleep, ok?

My guess, among other outlandish things that I will keep to myself, is that he turned 37, re-evaluated life a little bit, and realized that maybe this isn't the ONE...it's not the chick he's going to marry and/or have kids with. And maybe she was pressuring him..who knows? (I would probably pressure him after 3 1/2 weeks, not years, but.......) But I mean, she ain't special...She's gaining popularity, doing movies in LA, probably meeting all kinds of other dudes out there...and, not to mention, is just a straight up annoying person in general. He don't want none of that! No diamond ring for you, chica. The only diamond he's thinking about is over near River Ave. in the Bronx...and we'd like to keep it that way! And Dana called this whole thing...she knew it. She said it many times this year. But if I told you that I thought we would all be sitting here in mid/late 2011 as single people, I would be lying. But, uh, since we are....call us, Derek...I am damn near going to Yankee Stadium and putting my cell phone number on a poster like that broad did for Ryan Braun in Milwaukee..I mean, he called her back, didn't he?

The point is, is that I looooove Jeter, with all my heart, more than anything in the world...and so, naturally, I only want what's best for him. And personally, I think that's me.

Love,
G

Welcome Back Chuck Knoblauch

Recently, Gina and I made our triumphant return to Twitter. We signed up a few years ago, but never really got into it. So around April of this year, we came back. Gina starting following the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block and I starting following the Glee cast and all the nerd outlets, but most importantly, we both started following all of our Yankees guys: Teixeira, Joba, Swisher, DRob, Hughes, Martin, Granderson, Robinson, Bernie, and Chuck Knoblauch.

Most of the time, none of the celeb/athlete’s answer you back.…except of course for Chuck Knoblauch. #11 is always good for a response, even if it’s just “good morning.” So, every once in awhile, we get on Twitter and tell Chuck how much we love him…and he says “thanks.”

Lately, Knobby has been having contests on Twitter. Each time he reaches his next 1,000 followers, he gives out 10 autographed photos. When he hit 10,000 I won one. Here’s a pic:

Sidebar: This Chucky Knobs resurgence prompted Gina and me to head to the archives, namely the storage boxes in my closet at home labeled, “Yankees clippings & school papers.” We found stacks of New Haven & New York papers from the 98-00 World Series runs, as well as clippings and home-made collages of Yankees that used to hang in our lockers in high school. At one point, we found an old student planner of mine that amongst the homework and due dates for assignments had the score of each playoff game. Bottom line: we were just awesome!

So, let’s talk about Chucky Knobs. First of all, as much as I L-O-V-E Knobby and all the guys from the dynasty teams, I can’t pretend that he was MY MAIN MAN back in the day, that honor goes to Tino Martinez and is for another blog post (I played 1st base all through little league and school). But he was definitely my sister’s #1 man. I told her I was writing this, so she submitted a little piece. Here it is:

“Upon hearing my sister had won Chuck Knoblauch's autograph...what can I say? I was happy for the broad. If I was Twitter obsessed I'm sure I would have gone after it too...so Dana, congratulations, I can't wait to see your Chucky Knobs autograph on display in your crib...besides, I'd much rather have Chuck, circa 1998, in his chunky white turtle neck sweater that he wore on Good Morning America after the Yanks won the World Series...talk about drool, that image is forever burned in my memory. And besides that too, I honor Chuck every time I step to the plate, curl my fingers around the handle of the bat and cock it ever so slightly towards the umpire. Yes Chuck, sincerely, Your Biggest Fan, Erica :))”

I swear everytime we have a conversation about Knoblauch or the Yanks, my sister and my mom mention that GMA interview! But I think it is really cool that Erica bats like Knobby. In fast-pitch softball, all the girls are sort of expected to have the same quiet stance -- bat rested flat on your shoulder until the pitch is on its way and you lift it ever so slightly -- but try as the coaches would, they couldn't get her to stop batting like Chuck :) Here's a pic of Erica still at it in her slow-pitch league:

Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, All Star and World Champion. When you play professional baseball, those are the things that you’re striving to achieve, and Knoblauch has gotten all of them. Knobby was a great player for the Yanks, he fit into the hotness of the infield (I swear that’s part of the Yankee contract) and was a staple in the lineup during our most recent “winning” years. A hottie among hotties in New York when it was standard fare to see our guys jumping all over each other on a big pile of pinstripes in the middle of the field, champagne flowing and ticker tape streaming through the air.

During the recent Yankees dynasty years, Gina and I were 12-16 years old. So, when we think about all that was awesome in our lives...no work, no bills, summer vacations, being a kid...we think about baseball and hotdogs, perfectly manicured green grass and a bright blue sky, we think about the Yankees...and we think about Chuck Knoblauch. We do, we think about Chuck…and Tino, Derek, Jorgey, Paully, Bernie, Andy, and the rest, because those were “our” guys -- as I’m sure everyone thinks back to the times when they just used to watch and enjoy baseball without worrying about the trade deadline or the DL or whatever topic was hot news on talk radio, and just tuned in for the players that they watched and loved every day as a kid. So, we just want to say: “Thanks Chuck” for putting yourself back out there and coming back into our lives. We truly appreciate it.

Follow Chuck on twitter: @chuckknoblauch and visit his website

-- Dana

Happy Birthday Brett Gardner!

Happy Birthday Brett! Here's hoping they give you a nice b-day present and DON'T show that creepy 'Brett the Hitman' pic of you on the screen tonight when you get a hit.

We Heart You, Mark Teixeira

Let's just get straight to it - Mark Teixeira's been on my mind lately, and when I say lately, I mean the last 3 years. Time to give our sexpot of a first baseman some random lovin' on the blog. (because you know I'm quietly ignoring, and therefore not writing about, the recent struggles of a certain highly paid pitcher with a Flock of Seagulls-ish haircut).

Flashback to March 2009 - As I am calmly driving down the street in Tampa, FL on my way to GMS Field to see the Yanks at Spring Training, with my two BFFs in tow, Dana spots the newest Yankee superstar/ the best Christmas present ever (literally - I think he signed somewhere around Christmastime in '08)....Mark Teixeira. While I'm making World Series predictions, we see him signing for fans on the fence just outside the park. Long story short, I was only two right-hand turns from parking the car, but pretty much flipped out and almost abandoned the car in the middle of the divided highway to go run to the fence and get a piece of this fresh meat! Side note: Dana drives us everywhere now. I, of course didn't do that, and we missed him by the time we got over there...And I'm not really sure what he did to us down there, but damn, we were pretty big Tex fans by the time we touched down in CT later that weekend. There was definitely one key moment during one of the games where he looked over his shoulder, pretty much right at us, and I coulda sworn that a large diamond ring appeared on my left ring finger and that I had a small baby bump...Yikes! I guess ya just had to be there...

There have been so many noteworthy Mark moments since the first time we met back in '09, and I can't really put my finger on any one of them right now, but there's just something about him that makes me drool. Aside from my collection of Jeter shirts and jerseys, I never really had other player shirts...I guess I was just never into that. Like when everyone was buying their Giambi t-shirts, I was saving my twenty-five bucks...(all those people have some expensive dust rags on their hands now). Anyway, so my point is that I have like, four Teixeira shirts now because I can't help but show my love for him!

But, why? As Yankees fans, we've had tons of hall-of-famers, and just great players in general, to watch and admire throughout the years. To be honest, I never really thought I would love another Yankee the way I love the Core Four guys...those pure, home-grown studs that won us all those rings. And A-Rod doesn't count because I've always had mad love for that man...regardless of what uniform he wore...ahhh, that's for another blog for another day... But really - Mark is such an awesome Yankee. He never disappoints... He has a great attitude, loves his family, and does so much for his charity (to which I donated $25 this summer...NOT because there was a drawing for a chance to have lunch with him at NYY Steak or anything...I swear! *giggling*) Ooo, ooo - and I can't leave out his unforgettable Quick Fit Tips segments on the weekly program Yankees on Deck, in which he teaches young people how to stay in shape, and inadvertently, quenches our Tex-thirst by doing all kinds of suggestive movements while wearing a tight shirt and mesh shorts. I am proof that you shouldn't watch that show when you're twenty-something years old!! Though I did learn was a "glute" was...

And on the field, he always seems to be helping us win games, whether it is with a big hit or with his hot ass.........defense. Even though us gals are already mesmerized as he unconsciously wiggles his butt at first base, it's actually what he usually does after that that's even hotter...Picture him scooping out a short throw or fully laid out diving for a ball on the line and then calling off the pitcher with his glove hand and tagging the base himself and tell me that doesn't bring a freakin' grin to your face! :D It's just all about the D these days, at least for us here at Pinstripe Love. Though I definitely enjoy a "Tex Message" every now and again (he just hit #34 a few minutes ago...) I'm not sure - as far as home runs go - that someone else is going to come along and top the image in my brain of a perfect hip-swiveling Tino Martinez upper-decker...don't hold your breath. I know I'm not!

It's just that the Yankees have picked up so many established players over the years, and we come to appreciate most of them, but I feel like Mark should've been in pinstripes from day one....don't you?? And I also think he should remain in pinstripes forever...he pretty much has to..or I'll go nuts!!

So, thank you Mark, for ALL your services. Keep up the good looks...you keep feeding our insatiable hunger for winning and hot first basemen, and we will love you 'til the end of time!

And lastly, if third base is known as the "hot corner," then what the hell is first base?? I gotta stop - keepin' it PG!!

Love,
G

ps - As I'm finishing this entry, I hear AJ shaved his head....what-ever...

Where Have You Gone, Andy Pettitte?

There's been so much going on this season with the Yankees: Jeter getting hurt/rehabbing, Jeter hitting 3,000, Jeter looking deliciously hot as he turned 37 this past June, another late-summer pennant race, etc. etc. But please tell me you have not forgotten about our beloved Andrew Eugene... I know I haven't.

I've been quietly harping on this idea that Andy Pettitte was going to get terribly bored on that ranch of his in Texas, or wherever, with all those kids he has, realize he still has mad skills, and bust out with a mid-season, mid-game Clemens-esque speech at Yankee Stadium announcing that he is coming back to help the Yankees chase 28!! When he left the Yankees for those few years to go pitch in Houston, I freakin' called it...I knew he would be back...just had that feeling...anybody with me on this one?? ps - I also talked, for at least 3 years in the early 2000s, about how A-Rod would come to the Yankees and move to 3rd base for Jeter...where are my witnesses?

Anyway, as Derek would say - Pitching wins championships...and he's right! (he's always right...) As much as I secretly l-o-v-e AJ Burnett, his instability makes me nervous...we need someone solid, an old friendly face. We need the poster child for clutch pitching and postseason winning, and I pretty much can't think of anyone else but #46! Still with me?

Onto the crazy: I will literally do anything to see him pick off one more guy at first base...win one more game, one more World Series.... I will read my Power for Living book 50 times before I go to bed at night. I'll go to church every Sunday - even the 12:00 mass that's realllly long. I'll fly to wherever he is in the south and knock on his door beg him to come back. I'll even get some cowboy boots and a bible for the occasion. You get it though ....He def. retired too soon!

To Andy: We love you, doll! We miss you like whoa....just come back into our lives and make us all whole again. What is this Key Three stuff? And though we probably all thought the Core Four thing was corny at first, we were living it and loving it for a short time there...it's just not the same without you!! And besides, you're one of our fave Yankee hotties, even with your gray hairs *drool*...I mean, I haven't seen someone look that good in a pair of pinstriped baseball pants since, well.....alright, if we exclude A-Rod...nevermind... I need a cold shower.

Go Longhorns??

Love,
G

Happy Birthday Jorge Posada!!

Happy Birthday Jorge! We still love you!

Visit the Jorge Posada Foundation page.

Straight from the Heart: A Review of HBO's DJ3K special

I know it’s been a couple of weeks now, but we needed to mentally, physically, and emotionally recover from the amazingness that HBO brought to us in the form of Derek Jeter: 3K. We are now officially ready to reflect.

After I abruptly left the CPA exam on that Thursday night to rush to Dana's for the viewing party, Dana, Erica (Dana's biological sister and my sister-from-another-mister) and I calmly and quietly watched in awe as we were granted a glimpse into the life of the man that has changed our lives as Yankees fans forever. There are a few things we learned from watching this sixty minute lovefest that centered around the incredible, incomparable Mr. Derek Jeter, and I'd like to share. Here goes:

1. My obsession for Jeter has grown exponentially as a result of watching this documentary. Let’s just put it out there - if you know me, even just a little bit, you know that my heart and soul and world revolve around the Yankees and, of course, Derek Jeter. He consumes most of my thoughts during the day and has for many, many years, so like any other relationship (real, not real, whatever...), you would think the whole idea of it would become rather stale after a while. But everytime I've had to respond to someone with my thoughts on the documentary, I realize that I freakin' love him MORE THAN EVER! Seeing him at home with his friends, hearing him say "shit" a few times, and of course watching him rehab in in FL and NJ made him seem so normal...human, perhaps? Yes! We now know that he's a person, just like us (not really, but...) and that if we ever saw him just hanging out in NYC (say, dining in a Brazilian restaurant in mid-town Manhattan), we could totally walk up to him and say hey....right?? I'll let you know if it works...stay tuned.

2. Minka Kelly is not all that. Call me a hater - whatevs...but if I hear one more dude say (in the dumb guy voice), "who cares...she's hot!", I might barf. Where I stand. Preferably all over whoever is saying it. So, let's back up for a second. Why are we hating on MK more than ever?? Because she got two small clips in an HBO documentary about Jeter and had absolutely nothing decent to say. All they could vulture from, I'm sure, hours of interviews, was that she doesn't know jack about baseball and that her mom was a stripper...Ok, maybe not that last part, but I swear I read that somewhere. And as Dana or Uncle Tommy (can't quite remember who) would say, in so many words, "The documentary was about hits! And she don't even know what a hit is! So, Derek Jeter walks in that door at night, and..." Ok, I'm def. screwing it up and probably leaving out some profanities that would make those statements much more hilarious, but you get the point. Our manz DJ needs a lady who knows her baseball!! I'm right here, babe. Right here. This broad is so damn clueless, and oh BTW, she shares a bed with Jeter on a regular basis, so by default, we dislike the biotch.

3. DJ and I are soulmates. Where should we start? The obvious: we both love baseball, frequently wear Jeter shirts, and think everything looks good in pinstripes. The not-so-obvious: He appears funny/goofy/talkative but also terribly private. Friendly and polite, yet easily annoyed...kinda like me! And we both have referred to our childhood idols as "larger than life." We love our Ma and Daddy...and Jorge Posada. We think A-Rod is, at times, ridiculous. We bob our heads to Empire State of Mind. We travel to Tampa, FL every March for the same reason, where we also frequent the same Starbucks...the list goes on! Ok, anyone can have these things in common, but it's just those intangible Jeterian qualities that he's always had and that I may have acquired over the years that just blow my mind! Bottom line: Who doesn't think that me and DJ would have the bomb life together??

So, when we heard that HBO was doing this, we immediately planned to watch it together. But then, for whatever reason, Dana thought that I may not be able to handle it and was going to have to watch it in a separate room with my own Costco size box of Kleenex. What?! Me!? Not handle it?, I thought. Let me tell you - when I made the trek to the Jerz and actually heard Jeter's voice as he spoke with someone just feet away from me, yes - my whole Yankees life flashed before my eyes because I was so nervous to be in his presence. But there, and then after watching this documentary, I had a newfound appreciation for this guy. I KNEW we would be sitting here watching him hit #3,000 and that his early success with the Yankees wasn't a fluke. No doubts there...hell, his last name is on my license plate... But now, I think we can all just need to take a step back, enjoy his successes with him, feel blessed and grateful to have watched him play ball in our lifetime, and show mad, mad respect because you know they just don't make 'em like this anymore! So, love him because you thought that 1997 Sports Illustrated cover of him and A-Rod was blazin' hot. Love him because he's literally the only baseball player or Yankee you know. Love him because you admire his amazing ass attitude, ability to lead, and everything he's done for baseball. Just LOVE him! Amen.

Other notable DJ3K moments (in general):

-Me and Dana making homemade DJ3K shirts in her sweat shoppe/dining room. We're motivated when we wanna be...

-Me impusively purchasing Trenton Thunder tickets and driving to NJ in hopes of having a cameo in the documentary... no such luck.

-Jeter running in that pool thing during his rehab in Tampa in those white shorts. Wow. I define that as a life-changer.

-Me and Dana drinking heavily when the Friday game (day before 3,000th hit) got rained out. We had overpriced tickets.

-Me sobbing into a bath towel the day of the 3,000th hit. Bittersweet moment. I think Dana was drinking heavily again somewhere in East Haven.

-Me eating and drinking everything in Yankee Stadium on Sunday (day after 3,000th hit) when Dana and I visited the luxury box.

-The fact that Jeter has a telescope in his apartment and his own name carved into his hardwood floor. Amazing.

-Jeter admitting that he lied to the press regarding his anxiety about hitting 3,000 at home. He's literally the only dude that lies to us, and we actually love him even more!

-Jeter's car - it's actually a Ford. God, I love Fords. And telescopes. (My Dad always says I'd drink bleach if DJ's face was on the bottle...so dramatic!)

-Jeter talking about his unborn children and the importance of documenting his most recent special baseball moment. Hottest, most genuine thing we've ever heard him say. Funny... I always talk about his unborn children too. Ahhh, so in love with him!!!

Love,
G

Half-yards & Home Runs!

Gina and I traveled to Yankee Stadium once again, this time with my work buddy Denise and her sister-in-law Andrea for the first game of New York's day/night double-header against Baltimore. We were showing the ropes to a couple of Yankee Stadium newbies, which pretty much just included finding and patronizing the cocktails stand and taking pictures with walls.

We once again worked on achieving our lifelong pursuit of getting on the YES Network broadcast with our Michael Kay sign - unsuccessfully again. Although, from our seats in main section 233, flat screens with the YES Network playing were right above our section, so we were able to simultaneously enjoy the game, hold up our sign and instantly see if we were getting on TV. Side note: Gina and I did chase down the camera guy for the big screen in center field - also unsuccessfully.

The seats were great. We will definitely be sitting there again. Section 233 is right in front of the hot dog stand, the Bud Light stand, and a short elevator ride to the main food court and more importantly, the cocktail stand. Although, the elevator didn't allow alcohol, so not only did I have to chug my beer to go downstairs, but we also had to hide a half-yard pina colada in Gina's drawstring bag! C'mon Yankee Stadium, the drunks don't want to walk all the way up the ramp!

We also had a nice little chat with our new friend Mike Ashmore, double A beat writer for the Trenton Thunder, before 1st pitch. He had all the info. on Jeter's rehab assignment in Trenton. Maybe we make it down to Trenton for Derek Jeter bobble-head night in a few weeks...we'll see. Follow Mike on Twitter @mashmore98.

We didn't get to see the A-team (i.e. Jeter was not in the line-up for game one), but we did get to see a Swisher home run and a Yankees win. An all around hilarious time was had by all! See our slideshow below.

-- Dana

Happy Birthday Alex!

Happy Birthday A! Come back soon! In Gina's words...you're ridiculously good looking and play baseball well, and we love you for that.

Happy Birthday C.C. Sabathia!!

Happy Birthday C.C.!! The best birthday present would be a win tonight!

Some Derek Jeter tidbits

Here is an awesome Jeter-Sportscenter commercial. We don't see Derek do much of this kind of thing anymore, so enjoy:



Also, Jeter's DJ3K special is set to air on HBO next Thursday night, July 28th at 9:00pm. Gina and I will be having a viewing party at my house and probably live-tweeting. Don't forget to tune in, here is the promo from HBO's website:

Derek Jeter 3K Tease

From Bleachers to Box Seats

Sweet Suite 16!!

Gina and I made our way to Yankee Stadium early on Sunday morning after the disappointment of Friday night's rainout and the elation of Saturday's historic events. We were unfortunately a day late to witness history, but we were so happy for Derek and the way he accomplished his 3,000th hit in grand fashion, and we were also excited for our first glimpse of a luxury box at the Stadium.

We took the Yankee Clipper from New Haven to the Bronx and arrived at the Stadium at around 11:30. We quickly made our way to one of the stadium stores and purchased our grey Jeter 3,000 shirts:

Then we made our way to the secret luxury box entrance. It looked secret to us anyway. There was an escalator near the store going up from the main level to the suite level. Then it looks like you're entering the offices of some very classy business. All glass doors and blue carpets. An attendant opened the door, looked at our tickets and then let us into the suite level! Wow, he didn't know what havoc he was releasing into this quiet, serene, almost museum like corridor.

We began to make our way towards suite sixteen. The muted light and extreme quiet of the corridor was strange to us. It didn't even feel like we were in a baseball stadium. Along the way, each suite is numbered with a blue, florescent light with block numbers that look like the away jersey type. And next to each suite is a plaque listing Yankees players that have worn that number. There are also beautiful, framed pictures of some of the players that have worn that number. We passed by the picture of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, where just a day earlier, we had seen Dr. Charles Jeter interviewed in front of by Kim Jones.

The moment came, we entered suite sixteen and pretty much lost our minds! Immediately to the right there was a private bathroom, then a kitchenette with an island, refrigerated drawers full of beer and soda, then a little living room area with a leather couch and two leather swivel chairs. A coffee table with Jeter 3,000 programs on it, chips and popcorn. Pizza, hot dogs, french fries, salad for the taking. A bar area with windows facing out towards the first baseline, and a door leading outside to two rows of seats. Two flat screen TVs re-playing the Jeter 3,000 special on YES. Amazing! Gina and I were overwhelmed. We snapped about 15 pictures of the room and us touching stuff in the room before our attendant for the day, John, came in. We quickly stifled our erratic behavior and tried to act like adults, probably unsuccessfully.

Our next order of business was exploration. We started to stroll down the hall and take in all the framed pictures on the walls. All of the attendants throughout the halls were very friendly. A photographer stopped us and asked if we wanted to take a picture in front of one of the framed photos. We said we wanted to stand in front of a Jeter picture. One of the attendants said there was a great photo near suite 51, so we walked all the way around with our personal photographer. She snapped shots of us in front of Jeter, Teixeira, and Bobby Murcer, and basically spent about 20 minutes walking around with us and feeding our frenzy.

Once we returned to suite sixteen and the game started, it was a Derek Jeter love-fest from then on. His first at-bat was amazing. The crowd went crazy when Bob Sheppard's voice announced him. Chants of Derek Jeter could be heard throughout the stadium. Derek ended up striking out his first at-bat, but that didn't stop the crowd from cheering it anyway. Here's a video of his at-bat, the first after the magical day he had on Saturday (excuse the shaky video at times & the loss of picture for a moment when a foul ball came right at us):


The game was so exciting. A great pitcher's duel between Sabathia and Shields. A complete game shutout by our big guy (and all-star) CC, some pie in there at the end. A 1-0 gem won by the Yanks! Unfortunately, it was also one of the shortest games either of us could ever remember! We had to leave the lap of luxury much too soon for our liking; but it was an unreal experience that neither of us will soon forget. See our picture slideshow below.

-- Dana

Congratulations Derek!!

Total Bummer!!

So the game was rained out last night! Total Bummer! Gina and I were monitoring twitter on our phones and found out about the rainout and the Rays not wanting to play a double-header today. Needless to say we were angry and fielded questions about the rainout from the non-smartphone passengers. The New Haven to Yankee Stadium train stopped and let us off in New Rochelle and we got on another train going back to New Haven.

Then we went to the bar...where only one beer in, the forecast for the Bronx said "light rain"....no DJ3K for us. Fingers crossed for Sunday!

--Dana

Ticket update!

Gina and I will literally be going from "Bleachers to Box Seats" this weekend! Not only are we sitting in a luxury box on Sunday (Score!!) but we decided we could not sit out the DJ3K hype when he's so close to the milestone. So, we'll be taking the New Haven Yankee Express to the stadium tonight and sitting in the right field bleachers, section 202. Look for our hot pink DJ3K sign. Pics & video uploaded either late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

-- Dana

You can't take the shine off these Diamond Gals

Stay tuned, this Sunday Gina and I will be on another Yankee Stadium adventure. This time, we scored tickets in one of the stadium's luxury boxes (lucky us!!). We'll have a special "From Bleachers to Box Seats" report with pictures and videos; maybe we'll even see a little history?? Here's hoping.

--Dana

Happy Birthday Chuck Knoblauch!!

Happy Birthday Chuck! Follow Chuck on twitter: @chuckknoblauch

Some pics & video from Sunday in Trenton

Trembling in Trenton, Part 2 - Notes from the game

Props to Michelle at Kat Man Du restaurant in Trenton - we were starving and thirsty- great sangria! AND the yanks were on..This place is definitely the only game in town.. Lucky we found it...

4:34- First tear of the day..I can hear him speaking! Believe it or not, never been close like this..

Rain 4:55 - People leaving, not me.
Keeping ball dry. Michael went to get a beer-- what??? Come back out DJ! Give us love...

5:05- Pushed my way to front row... Just left of the plate .. He NEEDS to come over here...

Sweating profusely - in anticipation.. It's not even hot out here..5:16 Derek is in the clubhouse... Everyone waits. Kay on the PA ... They're playing the NYY game on the screen.. Mentions Trenton. Crowd goes wild! Old lady next to me points out dark cloud over our heads..I politely brush her off.

People clapping for two strikes for the NYY game! Wow- Mo blows save... People think Jeter's watching the game inside. I had to tell them he doesn't do things like that- he's probabaly eating, talking, using restroom...

ROUGH loss for NYY... Crowd is getting antsy. Including me. But I'm a pro! No liquids half-hour before we came in.. Nike Shox.. Could stand here all night!

6:10 rain started back up. Holding my post.

6:19 Derek Jeter chant begins .. The people want their captain.

6:35 they tell us to go to our seats.. Blah! No Jeter.

6:47 discouraged, I rush to the store to make a frivolous purchase .. They're selling Jeter Thunder shirts - who knew? Might have to get one.

6:50 got one.

7:00 Thunder hit the field in red, white and blue jerseys .. Even DJ! All these uniforms... History, baby.

1st inning- dog picks up DJ's bat as he trots to first - believe it was a golden retriever

7:45 People behind us getting kicked out for allegedly smoking a joint...gettin' rowdy on Derek Jeter night in the Jerz!!

top 3- I can hear Jeter's glove popping when he punches it before a pitch is thrown - I died.

Top4- I'm back. They announce happy birthday to Cashman- no one cares.
More reaction to the A League of Their Own clip they showed on the screen- Jimmy Dugan!

Mid5- fifth inning fist pumps... They say Jeter did it, but I don't think so...was filming whole time.

Top6- DP - DJ steps on second - fires to first ... Wow nothing like seeing a major league play like that up close- he's so amazing - age ain't nothin' but a number!!

Bot6- made a new friend.. Candi from Philly- offered to email me her wayyyy better pics than I have!

9:36- rain.. Good time for a bathroom break. Jeter's out due to downpour. Set to speak with media. Thank you, Derek.. An awesome night!!

Got word that Jeter was on his way out.. Sure was.. Walked out the back and there was his car..DJ texting on his iPhone in the passenger seat... Screaming people ... He gives a little fist pump.. Car speeds off.

It's not goodbye though- it's welcome back!!

-- Gina from Trenton, 7/3/11

Trembling in Trenton, Part 1

Gina arrives in Trenton...

Traveling to Trenton...

Hey guys! 

Gina is on her way to Trenton, NJ to bring us a fan(atics)'s eye view of Derek Jeter's rehab game tonight.  So, as we're all watching for the Yanks to sweep the Mets in the Subway Series this afternoon, Gina will be listening in to the radio broadcast as she makes her way from New Haven to Trenton.

We're firing up the Jeter Mobile and heading to Trenton, stay tuned for updates!

--Dana

Old Timers' Day recap

I know, it's a week late....but we just started this blog today!

Me, Gina, my sister Erica and our friend Erica (hereafter known as E-Rock) traveled to the Bronx for the 65th Annual Old Timers' Day on Sunday.  We made our way to the upper deck, after taking many pictures with the walls of Yankee Stadium, which have over-sized pictures of Yankees all over them.

Since E-Rock was out all night saving lives in her ambulance, she promptly fell asleep during the 1st inning of the actual game.  I had to de-fibb her back to life.  I mean come on, right?  Tino's here, we need to stay alert!  Here is a photo rendition of what actually went down:

So, the old timer's were introduced with great ovations for Gator, Tino, Bernie, Torre, Whitey and of course, Yogi.  I personally blew a vocal chord cheering for Tino!  The fans finally got to show their love for Bernie Williams and Joe Torre, two guys that left the Bronx before the fans could give them a proper send off.  Tino hit a home run to right field in the Old Timers' game and Gina and I nearly fell out of the front row of the upper deck.  He drove in Bernie and it really was just like old times.  The ceremony held for Gene Monahan was so classy, as only the Yanks can pull off.  I kept calling for the team to give him a car, so I was glad to see the center field wall open up and that big pick-up truck roll out.  We love you Geno!

The game itself was text book!  We all felt so fortunate to see back-to-back (belly-to-belly) home runs from Swisher and Posada, some insurance from Mark, and then "Enter Sandman" playing and Mariano shutting the door!  We know someday we will be watching an Old Timers' Day where these guys are introduced followed by other players whose names we don't even know yet playing the actual game -- so we took it all in as much as we could knowing it won't last forever.

....And, of course, Gina and I did our Frank Sinatra "New York, New York" dance at the end of the game.  Classic.

--Dana

Welcome!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to our blog Pinstripe Love.  This is Dana and Gina coming to you from East Haven/New Haven, CT!  We're BFF's going back to middle school in good old East Haven.  We visit Yankees spring training and eat giant steaks at Charley's Steakhouse every March!  For our first order of business...Gina will be traveling to Trenton, NJ to report on the Derek Jeter rehab games.  Stay tuned here and to @jeterlover & @lucyhenley115 on twitter for updates on Sunday's rehab game.

That's Pinstripe Love in the Jerz this Sunday updating everyone on our manz, Derek, the longest relationship either of us has ever had...16 years and going strong.
Dana & Gina