Friday, August 24, 2012

Dream Team 25!

Here's the video of Mark Teixeira's Harlem RBI event at Yankee Stadium...and we're in it! Enjoy..full story coming soon!

Follow the link to watch at mlb.com:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24154035&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_24154035&v=3

--Dana

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Derek’s Birthday: Yes, It’s a National Holiday

First, let me take a moment to wish us a Happy 1st Anniversary at Pinstripe Love…it was one year ago that Dana and I decided to put our crazy thoughts down on paper and start this blog! We’ve had such a blast over the last year sharing our special Yankee moments from Tino’s Old Timers’ Day home run to DJ3K to our Michael Kay encounter to another successful trip to Spring Training…so many memories! And we look forward to bringing you more good times throughout the rest of the summer…especially, when we MEET MARK TEIXEIRA! Okayyy, ok, ok… that’s all I’m going to say about it right now…



Now, let’s talk about the man that inspired us to start this blog. Our first reports last year were about Old Timers’ Day/Jeter’s birthday and Jeter’s rehab games in Trenton. We were, however, unfortunately not able to see Derek on his birthday last year since he was on the disabled list. So this year, even though I myself am now on the DL, we couldn’t miss out! Oh yeah…A couple weeks back, I broke my foot in a few places. And, uhh…the thought of potentially missing out on Yankees games made me cry more than the pain…No lie!

So, I hopped over to Dana’s house the night before the game to drink beer and watch her meticulously cut out pictures of Derek and strategically paste them on poster board to make what we thought would be our best sign yet… and our best chance of making it onto the broadcast that night! We even added reinforcements and busted out one of our oldie-but-goodie Jeter signs that never ended up seeing the light of day at a past Spring Training ‘cause they don’t allow signs. (Whatever, Florida… I’ve said it before…your state is shaped like a wee-wee, and you are no fun!! I don’t care if you have Disney World…I’d rather sit on Dana’s couch and eat a pizza than go to the swamps!)



Aaaanyway, Dana’s OCD-ish behavior really kicked into gear and was extremely helpful in setting up a fun night of wheelchairs and winning! She arranged for us to sit in the handicapped seats in the bleachers (next to a bunch of non-handicapped people, most notably a dude that looked like the guy who sings “Hot, Hot, Hot”…you KNOW I had to pull up the YouTube video for the gals in the car for a post-game laugh…) where we had backs on our seats (bonus!) and weren’t obstructing anyone’s view with our awesome signs… which we attempted to hold up as high as we could for the entire game….I repeat, ENTIRE game. We never leave early…even if one of us has a 20 lb. cast hanging off our leg! Oh, by the way… no love whatsoever from My9 on the Jeter birthday signs! At least we got a good arm workout…

So, with that, let us officially wish our manz a very happy birthday…We love you, Jeets! If we coulda partied together (like I had originally planned – uhh, 16 years ago), this is what I woulda said: Cheers to you, Derek! You are an amazing, ageless, awesome person…Forget the nonbelievers. They’ve always been wrong. I am still in awe of you and your talent every single day!

And then we would get bombed and do regrettable things…well, I wouldn’t regret it.

And while I secretly/not-so-secretly do miss his high-top fade and tight pants, I know some things that will never change are that infectious smile and willingness to always play hard. And that perfect, in-shape, backside (daaayaaaaamn…)… I will make sure I have a roll of quarters for the day we eventually meet! Ya know, to call home…

Now, I leave you with some lessons learned during this latest trip to Yankee Stadium:

-Wheelchairs are hard to come by during HOPE Week.

-Jeter montages set to the song “Forever Young” are an instant tearjerker.

-I truly do believe Jeter’s birthday should be a national holiday… or at least in the tri-state area.

- You don’t need to be able to walk to root for your hot Yankees…

- …but you do to stand in line to get french fries…yikes!

Love, G

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Water Coolers Watch Out!

May 22, 2012--Happy Birthday to Meeeee! (Erica, guest blogger again, I volunteered this time). Actually, my real beez is on May 21st, but thanks to our season tickets, how lucky can a girl get with a game so close to her birthday? Too bad I couldn't afford to send myself a birthday message on the diamond vision...anywho...

Back to the game and its happenings, cause lemme tell you this is a good one--are you comfortably ensconced in your computer chair at work?? (Michael Kaaaaay!) Ok, so being the hothead that I am, no exaggeration, just ask Dana--26 years of fights, arguments, temper tantrums, and the many occasions I pulled a Pauly O'Neill on her and threw my helmet after an unsuccessful at bat, you can only imagine how much will-power it takes for me to suppress my anger. And let's face it, the bleachers are the perfect place to let off some steam. In all my years of attending Yankee games, I have NEVER encountered a more annoying, borderline "you-could-be-a-Red-Sox-fan-with-that-mouth" Yankees fan...this night, I did.



From the first pitch, the two kids sitting behind us (roughly high schoolers, I only figured this because later on I saw them drinking Pepsi--I missed my opportunity to Glee-slushie them, buuuut, with cops around, I wasn't about to miss the last out of the game) were busting on my man Phil-Z Dawg, that's Phil Hughes for those of you not caught up on the lingo yet...jinxing his no-hitter/perfect game and being all around jackazzes with their chants...words were exchanged on our end, me and Gina both, but the fire didn't really come until later on in the game.

The taunting didn't end...Derek Jeter stepped up to the plate and the kids were shouting "C'mon, ground into a double play!" CLAP CLAP CLAP in my ear!! At this point I turned around and said "Why don't you go sit in Fenway Park?" Then, on top of it all, when I heard the father chime in, yes, the dad was just as annoying, I was in complete disbelief...is this really happening right now? One of the kids, when I turned around with a snarl on my face that Rocky Balboa would be jealous of, looked me in the eye as he clapped and said "I'm jinxing it on purpose, it's gonna work!" Now lemme axe ya...who the eff says that?? I couldn't help it, my head heated up from chin to hairline, just like Roger Rabbit. I shouted back at him, "I CAME HERE TO WATCH THE GAME, NOT LISTEN TO YOU YELL AND SCREAM, SHUT THE HELL UP MAN!" Umm, expletive, expletive. I didn't find out til later that other words were exchanged between Dana, Gina, and the dad...that's part of the story they can tell...

So, what? I yelled a little at a coupla teenagers who were clearly egging me on...sometimes ya just gotta say something. The irritating remarks went on until the last out and in between innings when Dana and Gina went traipsing around the stadium. As we exited the park and crossed the street back to the train, my Roger Rabbit syndrome came back (or never left). I mentioned to Dana and Gina that I would have rather sat next to a polite ginger-bearded Red Sox fan than next to those *@$!&@$%&! Fill in the blank...

All in all, if you haven't noticed, what they say about sports being cathartic is absolutely true. So much of the fan in you is invested in a bunch of guys out there on the field smacking a ball around for a living. If only that were real life for us normal folks...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my game recap. A little piece of advice if you find yourself sitting next to us girls in the bleachers--DON'T HATE! I can't guarantee I'll be as nice the next time.

-- Erica

Editor's Note: The Yankees won!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

You're Italian, Do it Right...

Hello Pinstripers, Victoria here. Dana and Gina kindly agreed to let me be a guest blogger for this edition of Pinstripe Love.

On Friday, May 18th I ventured to the Bronx with my Dad to see some interleague baseball -- the Yankees versus the Cincinnati Reds.

Since the Yankee game was my graduation present, my Dad wined and dined me in style! We started our trip to the Bronx with a visit to Dominick’s on Arthur Avenue. For those of you who don’t know, Arthur Ave in the Bronx is the ULTIMATE Little Italy. Yes, better than the one in Manhattan. Unlike the Little Italy in Manhattan, Arthur Ave has stayed true to its Italian roots. There are so many different kinds of Italian cuisine to choose from that someone would probably laugh if I told them I only went to Dominick’s. The restaurant is set up in a communal fashion. We were seated between an older couple and a party of four. There are no menus, you simply tell them what you want and they make it for you. We ordered Veal Marsala, Spaghetti and Calamari, salad, and an order of Fried Calamari. The food was ridiculously good! The veal was tender and sweet, and the calamari was fresh and bottomless. My mouth is watering all over again just thinking about it! After dinner, we stopped and got cannolis and made our way to the Stadium. Okay, so if you didn’t already know it, we’re all Italian and proud of it!

The weather could not have been more perfect. 70 degrees with the sun shining bright and a cool breeze that carried the smell of hot dogs and French fries through the air. Ahh yes, a Friday night at Yankee Stadium. To a Yankee fan, it does not get much better than this. Our seats were on the right field side, just past first base in section 227. Unfortunately, due to a bronchial infection, Mark Teixeira was given a complete day off. However, the real story here is Andrew Eugene Pettitte.



The veteran started for the second time on Friday night, he approached the mound with a look of determination in his eyes. There has been a lot of talk surrounding Andy’s return to the game after a retirement hiatus (especially from Dana and Gina, who pretty much called his triumphant return way back at the beginning of last season). In a pre-game interview, Manager Joe Girardi was asked what he wished for out of the game, “Can I be greedy? 8 shutout innings from Andy.” Pettitte permitted only four singles to the Reds lineup, striking out nine, and walking only one. After 115 pitches and 8 shutout innings, Joe got his wish and Andy got his first win since the 2010 playoffs! A few key players in the lineup provided Andy with enough support to secure the win, Granderson scored in the 4th inning on a groundout from A-Rod. Breathing room was added in the 8th by Robinson Cano and Raul Ibanez who both blasted homers to make the final score 4-0.

Thanks to my Dad for the best present a college grad could ask for! Now if only Nick Swisher would marry me and take care of that pesky college debt…

-- Vicky

Party Like It’s 1999…

It’s a warm, sunny afternoon in the Bronx. My ma, my brother, and I drive down to the city to observe Mothers’ Day at the Stadium. We grab some hotdogs and a Pettitte t-shirt and make our way to the bleachers just in time to join in on the roll call and see Andy give Kevin Millwood a run for his money.

Though the previous passage may have also been found in the pages of my 9th grade journal, what I’m describing had actually only taken place a mere two weeks ago! Sure, the stadium is across the street, Jeter has a different haircut and A-Rod’s on our team now, but other than that, it sounds like a scene from Yankee Stadium ca. 1999, right??

So, I feel like we’re always on the verge of tears when we go to the games – for various reasons such as: slow motion shots of Tex wiping the sweat off of his face, Jeter bending down to pray after the National Anthem, or the overly sexual stares of A-Rod in his at-bat pics on the big screen (they’ll burn a hole through your head – I swear!)…but this day was slightly different. All of the usual suspects that make us cry on cue were in the house, but as previously mentioned, so was our old friend Andy Pettitte!



We have literally begged for the return of Andy…even put it in writing (see: Where Have You Gone, Andy Pettitte?). And after 19 long months of waiting, our prayers have finally been answered! I didn’t even have to buy cowboy boots and a flight to Texas to beseech him in person! Thank gawd because I mean, I don’t have that kind of money… I have to save up for Backstreet Boys concerts! You, uhhh, sure it ain’t 1999?, you ask. I’m sure.

Aaanyway, the day started out with Nick Swisher honoring a wounded vet and her adopted German shepherd in true Yankees fashion by giving her a jersey autographed by the entire team…so cute! This love-fest was followed up by A-Rod presenting her with a Tiffany & Co. bracelet, which he basically threw at her like he was throwing across the diamond to Mark Teixeira because he was deathly afraid of her dog. Who was wearing a full muzzle. If my love for Alex wasn’t unconditional, I might call him a p-- …eh, you get it. Love ya, A…ya look greeeat!

Back to the guest of honor… Andy looked awesome! The cutter, the pick off attempts (not to mention a rump that looked juicer than a Lobel’s sandwich)…it was all there for us fans to feast on…and that, we did. When he came out of the bullpen to throw in center field, you would think it was a postseason game the way everyone was cheering. It was an amazing thing to see…I was keeping my eye on the chicks in the front row, too, because they looked like they were gonna hop the fence and claw right through the #46 on his back! (I secretly wanted to join them.) Then, when the lineups were called, you could tell that everyone was anxiously waiting for Andy’s name to be announced, as evidenced by the subpar ovation for Jeter, who usually gets the people going even when the stadium is almost empty. (Don’t you worry, Derek. I was still screaming to the point where a large number of people were staring at me. Loyalty, baby.) And sure enough, as we saw the 100-foot image of our beloved Andrew Eugene enthusiastically turning around and smiling on the big screen, the place went nuts! I was even lucky enough to join Bald Vinny and the Bleacher Creatures for the roll call, where they do not traditionally include the pitcher’s name. But there we were… calling out “An-dyyy Pett-itte” in unison for at least a full minute! Even though he wasn’t able to acknowledge the crowd, I was proud to be a part of that moment…

All in all, the day was great. Andy’s already picked up a couple of wins since he’s been back, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say we’re super excited to see him back on the mound for the Yanks. I certainly look forward to seeing him in tight pants…I meannn, win games for us for the rest of the year!

Andy – we’re sending lots of pinstripe love your way and wishing you the best of luck this season! We’ll be cheering you on every single game...’til the very last out. And I promise not to jump on your float at the World Series parade like a crazy person… I’ll be on Jeter’s.

Love,

g

Ps – Dana and I will be in the Big Apple celebrating Jeter’s birthday for a couple of days at the end of next month. After we comb the city for Derek’s big apple…and do some other touristy things, we’ll be sure to report back!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Hey Guys, I'm Nick Swisher!

Hello Pinstripe Lovers!

It's officially baseball season now that the Yanks are playing back at home and me and the gals have made our way to the Bronx for our first game, and boy does it feel good! We (us and the team) are feeling fresh from Spring Training and ready to go. Now that we've seen a full game in person, I can officially say that the boys are looking sooo good and I think we're going to win it all this year! They are also playing well...

So, despite the fact that the Stadium was lacking popcorn, peanuts, and PETTITTE shirts (!!!) on Thursday night, it was an overall great trip. Our seats out in section 237 (DJ3K territory) are great, and I only spilled one beer on someone...success! (Now that we're season ticket holders, I'd better not piss off too many people though, as there is a good chance we might see them again out there...) Oh, and get this: Curtis Granderson went 5-for-5 and hit 3 home runs...wait for it - that's not the shocking part. Picture it: The Stadium is on its feet waiting for Grandy to come out for a curtain call, and the usually overly observant Dana thought it was only two HRs. Even I KNEW what was going on! Wow... must have been because I was down a beer.

Also part of the highlight reel was our tweets from Flash himself... Mr. John Flaherty! He tweeted a pic of his healthy dinner to which I replied that Dana and I would be sticking with "a dog and a beer" at the game that night. See below for his response. Dana jumped in on the convo. and promptly invited him to the bleachers for a hotdog. We know he would've come on down if he could, but he needed to be fulfilling his duties in the press box...probably handing out some pre-game sedatives to Coney or something. Maybe if Erica flashes her turkey sandwich on Twitter next time, he'll come visit!



And of course, the marketing geniuses of the Yankees have, yet again, cooked up some amazing between-inning fillers to put on the giant screen in center field. Over the years, we've seen the oldies but goodies: the cap game, the bloopers, Baby Bombers, and various montages of the Yanks kicking a$$... But just as we're sitting there waiting for them to come back out - and probably contemplating our next hundred-dollar, thousand-calorie snack - this awesome display of Yankees doing impressions of Nick Swisher come onto the screen. So funny! One after another - Gardner, Chavez, Nunez, etc. give it their best shot. And then comes Jeter. For a second, it looked like he wasn't going to do it, but then he busted out (hand movements and all) with "Hey guuuuys, I'm Nick Swisher!" The place went wild like Curtis just hit another 3 bombs! Men, women, old, young...everyone! Geez, as if we needed more reasons to love Derek - we are perfectly content loving him and knowing we're barely going to get a smile out of him in an interview, but when he does things like this - we melt into little puddles in our seats... right next to the spilt beer.

Ya know, I have always said I only had three things I wanted to say to / ask Derek Jeter if I had ever met him (that will only be disclosed in the blog when that day actually arrives). But I think I've got a fourth... how does this dude have us all wrapped so tightly around his finger?? He does normal things, and we fall out of our seats thinking it's so hilarious! Gosh, I wanna be him when I grow up...Oh, and you think he has a Jeter Meter in his giant apartment? Ok, I guess that's five things. Will you marry me wasn't on the list either. Six. I'll stop!

Love, g



ps - Check us out again next week - We'll be back in the bleachers at the end of the month where we will continue our quest for #28.... AND #46!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Spring Training Recap: I'm bringin' the cannolis, they already got the cake

We here at Pinstripe Love know that pictures are way better than words, so for our 4th annual spring training trip recap, we're going to post our slideshow and some videos we took along the way. But first a quick run through of the high points of the trip:

1. We attended three spring games, two in Tampa and one in Kissimmee.

2. Every year we fall in love with another Yankee when we see him in person. This year it was probably a toss up between Eric Chavez and Francisco Cervelli.

3. We are "not over" Jeter, hence our theme song this year, "Not Over You" by Gavin DeGraw, look for it in our slideshow.

4. Jeter's house was again a stop during our travels. He wasn't home. We drove by five times.

5. Somehow our "thing" this year was trying to get the players to acknowledge us..on video. We managed to get waves of recognition from Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Frankie Cervelli, and Alex Rodriguez. We were able to get Alex and Frankie on video. The others will just have to stay burned in our memories.

6. We got autographs from Eric Chavez, Justin Maxwell and Chris Dickerson. We had close calls for autographs from Kevin Long, Mike Harkey, Dante Bishette Jr. and Cervelli.

7. It poured half way through the game in Kissimmee at the Astros spring ballpark. Gina and I stood in the pouring rain (Erica took the keys and waited in the car), got thoroughly soaked and slightly delirious (as one of the Astros workers told us) while we waited for the players along the first base side fence. The game got called in the top of the ninth and the remaining Yankees came running by us. We tried our best to get them to stop and sign. Joe "Jiggy" Girardi even turned around to us after we yelled for him to sign and he said "it's raining." We yelled back..."we know Joe! We're soaked!" No autograph.

8. We saw Stevie Donahue at the day game against the Astros when it was still bright and sunny and scorching, and he told us to make sure we didn't get sun burn. Always doing his job!

9. Brian Cashman was in line for Carvel at GMS field. Gina and I saw him, Gina pointed at him with her foot-long hotdog. "Dane, did you see that guy right there that looks like Brian Cashman??" "G, that IS Brian Cashman!" We were standing right near him, he definitely was hearing our idiocy. Then again, he was in line buying his own ice cream...so next time, don't take so long to negotiate Jeter's contract AND don't send Cervelli to the minors!

10. I started an Andy Pettitte chant. We were already in GMS when we saw the pitchers on the second practice field doing infield drills, throwing to second base. After a bit, everyone left, except for Andy Pettitte and Goose Gossage. Andy was practicing fielding the grounder and throwing to first while Goose covered the base. The small crowd around us was really excited to see Andy, so I thought we should be organized about it and started the chant :) Andy showed his appreciation with a fist pump.

11. The Yankees gave away a drawstring bag the first night we were there as one of their promotions. They were stuffed with packages of Vigo rice.

12. And finally, we can't summarize this trip without mentioning Dan Franzese's Italian Mom's video, A League of Their Own, My Cousin Vinny, The Godfather, Date Night outtakes and SNL's Bronx Beat. The three of us didn't speak actual words to each other the whole time, we communicated mostly with lines from the aforementioned videos and movies to hilarious and sometimes Depends worthy outcomes.

And now for the slideshow and videos. Enjoy!

--Dana

First off, our slideshow:



Here are three videos of Francisco Cervelli, the first one is the "wave."







Next up, our three attempts to get A-Rod to wave to us. Look for success on take three & check out Erica's pipes :)







Here are the guys doing infield drills on the practice field:



Here's a clip of Erica throwing balls at one of the games outside the field, pretty hilarious.

These next two are a couple of Mariano clips, the first is him warming up, taken from our seats near the bullpen, and the second is Enter Sandman:





And finally, we end with Jeter. This was just after he waved to us. Gina was speechless, so that's me yelling "Derek" right at the beginning.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Coming soon...

Hello friends, coming soon will be the in depth recap of our 4th annual spring training trip. For now, here's a little clip of Derek "The Hotness" Jeter from our first spring game this year:

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Fourth Time's a Charm?

Hey there everyone – As mentioned in an earlier entry, Dana, Erica and I are headed back down to the Sunshine State for our 4th Annual trip to the Yankees Spring Training Camp. Can’t believe it’s the fourth time for us crazy gals! Seems like just yesterday we saw Mark Teixeira for the first time and immediately fake-married him on the first base line… oh, the memories!

Anyway, I’ve been working mad crazy hours in an effort to get all my work done in the next week in order for us to properly enjoy our vacation, but I am more than happy to take a moment to work at what I consider my real job as a Pinstripe Lover to reflect on this way-too-long offseason and all the amazeballs times to come!



So, what else? AJ’s gone, Andy’s back (can I get an Amennnn?!), Mark’s been “juicing” all winter somewhere down on I-95, and Jeter’s still finding his way up I-95 to my house to sweep me off my feet so we can elope …he must be lost *shrug*.

Well, while I’ve been patiently waiting for my manz Derek, I’ve been watching every Yankees related thing that I could find just to get a taste of enjoying my fave boys again, but when I finally got to see a spring training game on live TV last night, let me tell you – I was totally buggin’ out! Like, just the sight of those fresh, well-rested faces and those lean bodies scattered about the infeld (no disrespect to the OF’s, but I’m an infielder junkie…) brought a tear to me eye – no lie!

Woo! Ok…As I pat my temples with a cool cloth, let’s talk about the 4th Annual – Four. Something about the number four … I feel like it’s special. It’s supposed to represent order, completeness, totality. Four seasons. Four cardinal points. A four leaf clover (says Dana and Erica). The Core Four. You feel it, right??



What does this all mean though? That, perhaps, we will finally meet Jeter at a local Tampa Starbucks? I mean, I think so. :D People have been mentioning to me lately that they think it’s “my time”… my time to meet him, to say what I need to say…to prove we’re soul mates!! With that said, I can only hope that the next time I am blogging, it will be from a king size bed covered in 900-thread-count sheets in a 30,000 square foot waterfront mansion overlooking Tampa Bay! Juuuust sayin’…

So, stay tuned for stories from our latest adventure – we will be attending three games…even making the trip with the guys to Kissimmee for an away game! We’re also staying an extra day this time and plan to go to the beach…which is a really big deal because the only time we get anything close to a tan while in Florida is when our faces and chests are beet red from seeing hot Yankees glance our way!



Oh, and we’ll be heading to the Bronx at least nine times this summer now that we are, ahem…. season ticket holders! We will be catching some rays – and hopefully a few A-bombs from A-Rod – in the bleachers and will, no doubt, have lots of fun stories to report…See you on the 4 train!

Love,

g

Monday, March 19, 2012

Yankee Stadium Tour, let me tell you something..that accent, will get you everywhere!

Erica here. I was asked by my loving sister Dana if I wanted to be a guest blogger this week, recapping our second Yankee Stadium tour (the first was at the old stadium) on a b-bitter cold day in February. With two days till Valentine’s Day, what better way to replace the chocolates and flowers with some Yankee pinstripe love? How appropriate, considering that’s the name of this blog…whoa, genius!

When you last saw Dana and Gina, Gina was creating her own version of 12 Days of Christmas (still laughing over that one)! So, with that in mind, we went to the Holy Land that is Yankee Stadium, and let me tell you, it’s never a dull moment when the three of us are together.

Let me first start off by saying that we consider ourselves traveling veterans to and from Yankee Stadium, but this time, we found ourselves a little lost…cut to the three of us (picture it!) chilling out (literally chilling) in the vestibule of Marble Hill train station taking videos and pictures and singing “That Thing You Do” all while looking at the beautiful view of the East River…clearly, this was NOT our intended destination. It looked nothing like Yankee Stadium. But, fortunately, the next train came along and we were on our way :))

I don’t know about my sister or Gina, but walking across the street to the Stadium, I couldn’t feel my legs or my feet. Did I mention it was b-bitter cold outside?? Yeah, keep that in mind throughout this blog: the dedication, the fanaticism, the reward (standing next to Mariano’s special door) That’s us in a nutshell.

Pictures all around. First stop was the Yankee Stadium Museum…what’s better than checking out a whole wall full of signed b-baseballs, learning some already known history about the Iron Horse, (c’mon, look who you’re talking to here), and getting a glimpse of Thurman Munson’s locker, still in tact? Well, I’ll tell you what’s better, and I’m sure Gina will agree…it’s the once again, already known statement that Derek Jeter has two lockers in the clubhouse, one for him and one for his fan mail. The popularity is endless…nuff said.

Personally, the highlight of the day was stepping on the field. (I swore to never wipe my feet again). This was an event that didn’t happen way back when while on the old stadium tour because another team was using the field that day. So, this time around, our gaping mouths could be seen from Jupiter—if you check out the pictures (see below) everyone around us seems a little Debbie Downer if ya know what I mean. We, on the other hand, never take such things for granted. We took every possible picture at every possible angle and even had a signature “Original Peaches” photo shoot on the field. Footnote: if you don’t know what I mean by “Original Peaches” well, you really shouldn’t be reading this blog…”Batter up, hear that call, the time has come, for one and all, to plaaaaaaay ball!” Live it. Learn it. Love it.

We ended the day with some burgers and ice cream at the Hard Rock CafĂ©. Gina arranged her hot fudge sundae in the shape of Jeter’s head…haha, kidding people! But don’t think she wasn’t thinking about it. All in all, it was a nice reminder of things to come, namely, b-baseball in the sunshine, the roar of the crowd during a game winning homerun, the Swisher Salute, and let’s not forget, the return of Andy Pettitte. I think that’s a good way to end, more blogging on that subject later :)) Here’s to 28 in 2012!

--Erica

So long Jorgie!

As Gina, Erica and I gear up for our 4th annual spring training excursion, we need to take a moment to say goodbye to one of our childhood mainstays, Jorge Posada. I know, it’s a little late here, but I think we all needed some time to wrap our heads and hearts around this one, watch a few Yankees Classics, and reflect on the time we got to spend with #20.



First of all, we can add Jorgie’s press conference to the list of Yankees related, live-coverage videos that I cried at while watching at my desk at work. The Yankees organization, once again, knows how to get me and I’m sure a lot of other Yankees fans with their ridiculous displays of pomp and circumstance. I mean, rolling out Thurman Munson’s widow, families affected by craniosynostosis, World Series trophies, and of course, assorted teammates including Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. The Yes Network covers these events with the solemnity and seriousness of a presidential state of the union address, and we all thank them for that, because if we were in charge of the network, that’s how we would do it.

The baseball season takes up almost the whole year for us Yankees fans. We start paying attention in late February and we’re always still in it come October, and sometimes, with a little luck in November too, so our favorite players pretty much become like family members. And Jorge was a crucial part of the latest incarnation of “our” Yankees dynasty that the three of us grew up with. We were always ready for him to step to the plate, no batting gloves, tapping the pine tar and guessing his pitches. Jorge always played the game right, with a fire in his belly and his heart on his sleeve. That’s why it was so hard to watch him be relegated to DH and then bench player last year. But he did an awesome job in the playoffs, even though everyone wrote him off and he proved something to us and to himself with that. So it was a fitting end to his career, and in my opinion, the right time for him to hang it up.



So, as we restart the hall of fame clock on our old friend Andy Pettitte, we also say goodbye to our dear Jorgie Posada. Thanks for the memories Jorge – threatening to punch out the lights of opposing players that throw at our guys, yelling at umpires from the top step, the phrase “painfully slow” coined by Michael Kay for your running skills that still remains in our vernacular to this day, throwing your catcher’s mask at the gut of too many umpires to count on the foul pop, but mostly for being a Yankee your whole career, and one of the greats at that. We’re raising a glass to Jorge Posada, yelling “Geeeorrrrgeee” like Betty Spaghetti in A League of Their Own and saying farewell to a major part of the Yankee family.

Thanks for the memories Jorge! You will be missed and we hope to see you at spring trainings, Old Timers’ Days, and if we can ever afford it someday, the Ladies Fantasy Camp where we will miraculously forget how to play so you and Tino can show us how to hold a bat!

--Dana