Torre's #6 to Be Enshrined

1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 (twice), 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 42, 49. Those are the numbers that reside encircled in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park. Soon another number will be added to it - the 6 that Joe Torre wore on his back for the 12 seasons he was the Yankees' maanger.

With the announcement that Torre will be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, Yankees GM Brian Cashman announced that the Yankees will retire Torre's number 6.

No one has donned the number since Torre left after the 2007 season and Cashman said it would be done officially "at some point".

Once Derek Jeter's number 2 is retired there will no longer be a single digit number available for a Yankees player to wear. Perhaps the team will go to triple digits one day.

The one thing missing in all this is the #51. It does not matter that Bernie Williams did not officially announce his retirement. It's time for the Yankees to get it done, have a day for the center field guitarist and add his number to Monument Park.


Yankees retired numbers

1 - Billy Martin
3 - Babe Ruth
4 - Lou Gehrig
5 - Joe DiMaggio
7 - Mickey Mantle
8 - Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra
9 - Roger Maris
10 - Phil Rizzuto
15 - Thurman Munson
16 - Whitey Ford
23 - Don Mattingly
32 - Elston Howard
37 - Casey Stengel
42 - Mariano Rivera
44 - Reggie Jackson
49 - Ron Guidry

Mantles Help Out Jersey

The family of the late, great Mickey Mantle contributed $40,000 to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, according to Mickey's son Dan. The money was raised when the Mantle auctioned off Mickey's 1960 contract. The family lived in NJ during Mickey's career and wanted to give something back.

The Jersey shore is near and dear to many of us in the Garden State, so the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy last year really hurt. The shore is slowly coming back, but has run into some speed bumps along the way, such as the fire that destroyed the Seaside Heights rebuilt boardwalk in September.

 If you would like to contribute or volunteer to help those still restoring the shore, check out the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund website.

Now Batting, Number 2, Derek Jeter...On Broadway

"Hey Mo, lets put on a show!"

The New York Yankees have been part of the Broadway scene before as the villainous, never lose team in "Damn Yankees". For those that don't know, it's the tale of Joe Hardy, a big fan of the Washington Senators that makes a deal with the devil. The show was a huge success and a movie version followed.

Now the Great White Way has a mix of old and modern day Yankees in the play, "Bronx Bombers". The play is written by Eric Simonson, who also brought (Vince) "Lombardi" and "Magic/Bird" (Magic Johnson/Larry Bird) to the stage.

Act I revolves the infamous 1977 contest between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park. Yes, it is the game that Billy Martin pulled Reggie Jackson out of right field in the middle of inning. It was a national embarrassment as Martin and Jackson and their enormous egos nearly came to blows. Joining them in the stage version are actors portraying Yogti Berra and Elston Howard, who kept the two combatants apart in the dugout, and team captain Thurman Munson

The second act builds off of the first with Yogi stressed about the possibility of becoming the Yankees manager. He dreams of having dinner with his wife and Yankees Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Howard, and Derek Jeter, despite the fact the Yankees shortstop was three at the time and not a twinkle in the eye of a Yankees scout.

The play wraps up with the last game played in old Yankee Stadium. It sounds odd to say the least, and New York Times reviewer Daniel M. Gold described it as a "mawkish and sappy effort", and "...the play is no more than a schmaltzy sketch of athletes sitting around congratulating themselves."¹

I think I'll stick to watch the real drama that occurs every day with the Bronx Bombers. 


1 - NY Times, Oct. 9, 2013

Video Killed the Radio Star and TV and Interleague Play Did in the All-Star Game

Everyone in the media continually tries to to figure out why the interest in Major League Baseball’s All-Star game has dwindled to the point that you wonder if it might not exist one day. The reasons why the ratings are at an all-time low are very apparent if you simply look at a few simple facts.

First though, let’s take a look at the ratings since 1967, as amassed by Baseball Almanac. From 1967-1980, the game averaged a 46.7 share of the television audience. The game averaged a 24.5 rating with the 1969 game the only time the share dipped below 20 during the period, and that occurred because the game was rained out the night before and was played the following afternoon.

Ratings began to decline over the next decade, though the share was still decent (36.8 avg) from 1981-1988. The ’81 All-Star game was the first game after a two month player’s strike interrupted the season. After the 1989 game, which had an 18.2 rating and 33 share, the game’s viewership steadily declined. The 2002 season saw the ratings drop below 10% for the first time. Last season saw an all-time lows of 6.8%, a 12 share, and 10.9 million viewers.

If you were a baseball fan in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the All-Star game and the post-season were the only times that you saw players like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Jim Palmer unless they were on your team. Fans were also fans of the league their team was in-if you liked the Yankees or Mets, you rooted for the American or National League in the All-Star game and in the World Series.

The All-Star game was a happening that you looked forward to. When else could you see so many future Hall of Fame players, especially at one time. When I was growing up the NL dominated the game, so I was really into, hoping the AL would finally beat the hated NL. In 1971 it finally happened in Detroit when the AL's sluggers pounded the NL pitchers. The most memorable shot being Reggie Jackson's home run blast off the tower atop Tiger Stadium. The AL wouldn't win again until Fred Lynn's grand slam catupulted the junior circuit to a 13-3 win. 

The AL finally exacted vengance with 18 wins over the period from 1988-2009, but something had changed and the excitement was gone.

A Change in the Air

Perhaps the All-Star game television ratings might have leveled off had the player’s strike not occurred in August, 1994. The regular season was wiped out and the entire post-season was canceled in one fell swoop by MLB commissioner Bud Selig.  Baseball didn’t start up again until April 2, 1995. Some fans would never return to the ball park, others slowly made their way back. (The last game I attended before the strike was August 9, 1994 and I did not return to the ball park until July 30, 1998.) Either way the game was badly damaged.

From that moment on, viewership (slightly) increased  from one year to the next just four times to date. One rise (13%) occurred in 1998 when everyone was caught up in the Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa steroid fueled chase of Roger Maris’ single season home run record.  The next increase came in 2001 (10%) when Barry Bonds was in a steroid fueled chase of McGwire’s 1998 home run record.

The third rise in the ratings was in the 2006 game in Pittsburgh (15%), presumably because of the ceremony that was held mid-game in memory of Roberto Clemente. The final increase in ratings came in 2008 when the Yankees held their final All-Star game in the old Yankee Stadium. Ratings (11%) had to be helped by Josh Hamilton’s monsterous home run derby performance the night before.

Television’s Role in Dimishing the All-Star Game's Draw

With no cable TV and teams not broadcasting all 162 regular season games, any time you could watch a game it felt like you won a prize. There was a weekly nationally televised game, but that was it.  Then cable television began to appear and the landscape of televised baseball changed forever.

More regular season out of market games started to be televised in the late 1970’s and then ESPN came into existence in 1979 with highlights and replays of baseball games like you had never seen before. The Connecticut based station started televising baseball games in 1990, so you no longer had to wait for the one national game of the week to be shown. 

Over the next two decades, the MLB Network would be launched, other cable outlets (e.g. TBS) began to broadcast games, you could add the MLB Extra Innings package to your cable or dish plan, and the official MLB site provided video and audio broadcasts.

Baseball games can be found all around the dial or the internet now, which means you can watch Miguel Cabrera or Mike Trout just about any time you want.

The Death Blow

One of the ideas Selig came up with to increase fan interest was the implementation of interleague play. While most fans seem to love it, or least like it, it was a tremendous blow to the All-Star game. What started out quietly in 1997 with opponents playing 15-18 games against the other league is now an every day occurrence in the Major Leagues. Why bother watching an All-Star game when you can see players from both leagues on any day or night on a number of different television stations.

Selig impacted the game again after the AL and NL played to a 7-7 tie in 2002.  To make the game more important, he decreed that home field advantage for the World Series would be determined by the league that won the All-Star game. Fans have laughed at the notion ever since. Selig basically kicked a man when he was already down.

Until someone figures out another way to bring excitement to the game, don't look for the ratings to be anything spectacular in the future. That is if the game still exists.

UPDATE - The 2013 game got an 8.1 national rating, which means there was increase from the prior year for just the fifth time since 1998. It was about a 20% boost from last year's game primarily due to Mariano Rivera and it being the first game at the Mets home field since 1964.

All-Star Game Television Ratings Television Analysis & Ratings Breakdown
Year	Network	Rating	Share	Households	Viewers
1967	NBC	25.6	50	14,050,000	Not Available
1968	NBC	25.8	49	14,450,000	Not Available
1969	NBC	15.1	42	8,610,000	Not Available
1970	NBC	28.5	54	16,670,000	Not Available
1971	NBC	27.0	50	16,230,000	Not Available
1972	NBC	22.9	43	14,220,000	26,300,000
1973	NBC	23.8	45	15,420,000	27,600,000
1974	NBC	23.4	44	15,490,000	Not Available
1975	NBC	21.5	41	14,730,000	28,170,000
1976	ABC	27.1	53	18,680,000	36,330,000
1977	NBC	24.5	45	17,440,000	31,000,000
1978	ABC	26.1	47	19,030,000	35,529,000
1979	NBC	24.4	45	18,180,000	31,980,000
1980	ABC	26.8	46	20,450,000	36,270,000
1981	NBC	20.1	36	15,640,000	Not Available
1982	ABC	25.0	44	20,380,000	34,120,000
1983	NBC	21.5	39	17,910,000	27,190,000
1984	ABC	20.1	35	16,840,000	28,500,000
1985	NBC	20.5	36	17,400,000	28,210,000
1986	ABC	20.3	35	17,440,000	28,375,000
1987	NBC	18.2	37	15,910,000	24,295,000
1988	ABC	20.4	33	18,070,000	29,526,000
1989	NBC	18.2	33	16,450,000	25,840,000
1990	CBS	16.2	33	14,940,000	24,365,000
1991	CBS	17.4	32	16,200,000	24,670,000
1992	CBS	14.9	27	13,720,000	21,981,000
1993	CBS	15.6	28	14,550,000	22,306,000
1994	NBC	15.7	28	14,790,000	22,015,000
1995	ABC	13.9	25	13,260,000	20,163,000
1996	NBC	13.2	23	12,690,000	18,479,000
1997	FOX	11.8	21	11,420,000	16,723,000
1998	NBC	13.3	25	13,026,000	18,970,000
1999	FOX	12.0	22	11,890,000	17,640,000
2000	NBC	10.1	18	10,167,000	14,714,000
2001	FOX	11.0	19	11,198,000	16,029,000
2002	FOX	9.5	17	10,046,000	14,653,000
2003	FOX	9.5	17	10,156,000	13,810,000
2004	FOX	8.8	15	9,573,000	13,995,000
2005	FOX	8.1	14	8,884,000	12,330,000
2006	FOX	9.3	16	10,301,000	14,424,000
2007	FOX	8.4	15	9,343,000	12,530,000
2008	FOX	9.3	16	10,441,000	14,540,000
2009	FOX	8.9	15	10,754,230	14,610,000
2010	FOX	7.5	13	8,692,500	12,100,000
2011	FOX	6.9	12	7,712,000	11,000,000
2012	FOX	6.8	12	6,743,724	10,900,000

Corked Mantle Bat Up For Auction

The New York Post reported that a Mickey Mantle owned bat is up for bidding by Grey Flannel Auctions. Memorabilia authenticator John Taube examined the bat and found the top was altered. An X-Ray showed the bat had been corked.

Here's my issue with this right off the bat - where is the proof that a.) the bat actually was one of Mantle's and b) how do they know the bat was actually ever used in a Major League baseball game?

The Mick was never known to use an illegally altered bat and no bat of his that was previously sold was tampered with.

I am not dismissing the possibility that it could have happened - Mickey was an imperfect man - but this sounds like a good way to drum up publicity to me.

Pinstripe Empire History of New York Yankees Rules the Book Shelves

Marty Appel's time working with and within the New York Yankees organization gave him the perfect insight to write his latest book, "Pinstripe Empire: From Before The Babe to After The Boss". It's a summation of baseball's most successful franchise from their humble beginnings as the New York Highlanders, through 27 world championships, and up to their playoff failings in 2011. 



The book begins with the idea of bringing a team to New York and the construction of Hilltop Park that would house the Highlanders, the pre-cursor to the Yankees. Those teams included Jack Chesbro, who won a team record 41 games. But save for one season, those Highlanders team were usually at the bottom of the barrel. 

Things would change with the acquisition of Babe Ruth, the construction of Yankee Stadium, and shrewd ownership and management. The first World Series title came in 1923 and Ruth hit his prodigious 60 home run in 1927. That was the year the lineup was known as Murderer's Row and to this day they are still part of the great debate as to which was the greatest Yankees squad of all time - '27, '39, '61 or '98? (For that matter the greatest team of all time.) I found it fascinating to compare and contrast the ownership over the years (e.g. Ruppert and Topping) and the styles of the managers (Huggins, McCarthy, Stengel, Martin, etc.).

The book allows all Yankees fans to share in those moments experienced in person or through the media, be reminded of moments forgotten, and to learn things anew. (I could name hundreds of Yankees off the top of my head, but I never had heard of one of their early great relievers, Johnny Murphy.) One of things I really enjoyed about the book is that it does not have to be read beginning with page one. (Though there are wonderful introductions from Yankees' greats Yogi Berra and Bernie Williams to kick things off.) 

I read the book in reverse order, going over 10 to 20 year periods at a time, starting with the reclamation of the 1990's up through today. It was a joy to relive the moment Charlie Hayes' squeezed the final out in Game 6 of the '96 series. It was the title that ended a drought of 18 seasons without a championship. 

Then it was on to the early 1970's when the Yankees began to be relevant again with new young stars like (my personal favorite) Bobby Murcer, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, and Chris Chambliss. It was a tumultuous time in baseball with the advent of free agency and the beginning of large player contracts (slim by comparison to today's deals), the inception of the DH in the American League (the Yankees' Ron Blomberg was the first to officially bat), the revolving door of managers- with Billy Martin seemingly caught inside the door - Steinbrenner's constant interference with all decisions, the renovation of Yankee Stadium and a temporary home at Shea Stadium, and last, but not least, the wife swap between pitchers Fritz Peterson (permanent) and Mike Kekich (temporary). 

It was also a time when young fans like me really got into baseball. Some of those Yankees teams came close to reaching the playoffs, but couldn't win the division when a division title meant everything. That all changed of course when a ship builder named George M. Steinbrenner III bought the Yankees from CBS. Appel did a great job of balancing his story telling between the early, crazed Boss with the later sentimental, sedate one. 

You can relive the race between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle to pass Babe Ruth's single season home run record as part of the great 1961 squad. Unfortunately, it was also the beginning of the end for the great Yankees teams. They won five consecutive pennants from 1960-1964 with two World Series titles, but by 1965 the team was in disarray. The farm system lacked talent and the Yankees greats retired or were in the process of putting a wrap on their careers. If you were lucky enough, you were too young to remember the worst of the worst- 9th and 10th (last place) finishes in 1966 and 1967. 

Going back further, it's still hard to believe the glory years of the 1930 through the 1950's when managers Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel combined for 18 pennants and 14 World Series titles (Bucky Harris also won a championship in 1947). Those teams had larger than life players in Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Berra, Mantle, and Ford. You learn just what a corporation the Yankees really were. When a player was no longer useful, he was quickly shipped out, no matter how big a star he may have been. 

All of the above is just the tip of the iceberg. Even if you are not a Yankees fan, this is a great read to learn about the greatest franchise in baseball history. And if you are a Yankees fan, you'll enjoy knowing more about the franchise than you thought imaginable. 

YCN: Remembering Moose Skowron

My latest piece for the Yahoo Contributor Network is about the loss of Yankees great Bill "Moose" Skowron. Though I never saw him play, I have fond memories of many an Old Timer's Day with Moose, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio and more.

Please click here to read the article.

YCN: No One Hits Home Runs Like The Yankees

Ever wonder who the Yankees' top 10 franchise leaders in home runs are? I'm sure you know where Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle are on the list, but what about Graig Nettles, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada.

That was the latest assignment for the Yahoo Contributor Network. Unfortunately, I was limited to 400 words and the first draft was over 1,000. Still I hope you find it interesting.

New York Yankees' Top 10 Home Run Hitters

The Yahoo Contributor Network And Me

I'm always looking for some place to write and I have a new spot, the Yahoo Contributor Network. Today, I had my first article, "Golden Anniversary of a Fall Classic" published. Pretty exciting, link on the main Yahoo MLB page and all.

The piece on the 1962 World Series between the Yankees and San Francisco Giants. It was the last time Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays opposed each other in meaningful games as well as the Yankees last championship until 1977. It was also the Giants last series appearance until 1989.

Please check it out and let me know what you think.

Yankees Recognize Maris' 50th Anniversary

50 years ago this coming Saturday, October 1, Roger Maris stepped to the plate against the Boston Red Sox Tracy Stallard and sent a pitch into the right field seats for his 61st home run of the season. As the ball landed in the seats, the anxiety and stress of chasing the immortal Babe Ruth left Maris' body like an 800 pound gorilla jumping off his back.

Maris lost weight and his hair came out in clumps as he approached the ghost of Babe Ruth's legend. Then commissioner Ford Frick said the record would have an asterisk since Babe Ruth's record 60 home runs came in just a 154 game schedule. Everything had to be done to protect Ruth's legacy. But Maris did break the record and it held for 37 years until the first of two cheaters surpassed his mark.

With this weekend being the final regular season homestand, the Yankees honored Maris' legacy and his family with a ceremony at Yankee Stadium. In 1961 most Yankees fans wanted to see Mickey Mantle break the record. After all he was a lifelong Yankee. But 50 years later the Yankee Stadium crowd gave a huge ovation to Maris' widow Pat and their six children.

Captain Derek Jeter presented Maris' sons, Roger Jr., Kevin, Randy, and Richard with a bat used by their father. The ceremony came on a day when the Yankees were once again playing Boston.

On hand were former Maris teammates Yogi Berra, Bob Cerv, and Whitey Ford. Sal Durante, the then 19-yr old who caught the baseball was in attendance as well as Mickey Mantle's sons David and Danny.

If you ever in Fargo, ND, be sure to check out the Roger Maris Museum.


Red Barber's call of Maris' 61..not quite as effusive as Phil Rizzuto's call.

Prediction Time - Yankees vs. Giants

Yankees and Giants meet in the WS for the first time since 1962

Yes, it's that time to semi-stick the neck out on the line to make predictions for the upcoming season and where better to start then in the AL East.

You have already read (hopefully) my concerns over the Red Sox rotation and bullpen. And though they will score 1,000,000 runs (probably according to ESPN), they are going to have to outscore their opponents most of the time to win.

While the Yankees also have rotation questions, they will end up with someone in the back end (Boy that didn't sound right) to help out. I don't believe Kevin Millwood will be that answer.

The Rays have a great starting rotation and nothing else. Evan Longoria will be pitched around like crazy and the bullpen is awful.

AL East
Yankees
Red Sox (Wild Card)
Rays
Blue Jays
Orioles (sorry Buck)

Al Central
Twins
White Sox
Tigers
Royals
Indians

You can never count out a Ron Gardenhire team; they play fundamentally sound baseball and I like their rotation and bullpen. They'll have trouble scoring runs as usual, esp. if they can't keep Justin Morneau on the field, but they will find ways to win. Delmon Young repeating his 2010 season is a key.

The White Sox are going to be strong, but outside of Matt Thornton will they get consistency in the pen? Love the lineup, and feel good about the rotation. This should be a race that goes down to the final weeks of the season.

AL West
Rangers
Angels
A's
Mariners

The Rangers starting rotation looks pretty ugly on paper with no Cliff Lee and the mistake of putting Neftali Feliz back in the bullpen. He could have given them a huge boost. C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis need to repeat or near repeat their seasons from last year and it's finally time for Derek Holland to step up. Another lineup that will score plenty of runs, though you saw what happened the last time Adrian Beltre was given a big contract ("Hitless in Seattle").

The Angels have a nice rotation with Weaver, Haren, and Santana starting things off. The lineup is a bit shaky and the bullpen is a mess. Fernando Rodney is not the guy to close and it wouldn't surprise me if Kevin Jepsen took over at some point.

The A's are being picked by a lot of people to win the west because of their solid starting rotation. But this is a team that can't and won't hit. They don't have one intimidating bat in the lineup. Their main source of power will be Hideki Matsui and he may only hit 20 home runs. It's time t drop Moneyball.

The Mariners should be playing in the PCL right now. When does King Felix get dealt.

AL MVP

Alex Rodriguez: He's so incredibly locked in right now and will have a monster season. Whether or not the BBWAA holds his steroid past against him remains to be seen.

CY Young

Justin Verlander: His stuff is filthy; he just needs to get off to a good start.

Rookie of the Year

Jeremy Hellickson: His short stint in the Majors last year certainly gave the impression that he is the goods. Also looking forward to seeing how Kyle Drabek performs in Toronto

Comeback Player of the Year

Jacoby Ellsbury: He's healthy and with Crawford leading the way on the bases (70 steals?), I can see Ellsbury swiping 50.

Manager of the Year

Ron Gardenhire: Unfortunately for him the Yankees will knock him and the Twins out in the first round again.

* * *

The National League East will indeed be a runaway. The Philly Phab Phour (Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels) will dominate the NL. The bullpen is a mess and eventually the Phillies will probably have to make a move for another set up man or closer. Chase Utley's injury could take a toll on the line up, but that rotation speaks/shouts volumes.

They won't catch the Phils, but expect the Braves to have a good year under new manager Fredi Gonzalez. (How strange will it be to not see Bobby Cox in the dugout?) The Braves have a good rotation, decent bullpen, though they still need to figure out the closer role. If soph. Justin Heyward and rookie Freddie Freeman have big years, look out.

The Mets are getting bashed left and right, some of it deservedly so, but I think they can still finish at .500.

NL East
Phillies
Braves
Mets
Marlins
Nations

NL Central
Reds
Brewers
Cardinals
Cubs
Astros
Pirates

Dusty Baker and the Reds should build off of last year and take the central again. The Brewers with Greinke, Marcum (both need to be healthy) and Gallardo form a formidable front of the rotation. The Cards will take a step back without Adam Wainwright.

NL West
Giants
Rockies
Dodgers
Padres
Diamondbacks

People seem to be jumping off the bandwagon of the defending champion Giants, but I love their rotation. Granted Brian Wilson needs to get healthy fast (strained oblique; this year's trendy injury) to solidify the bullpen, and the team needs another bat, but they will take the division.

The Rockies need Ubaldo Jiminez to repeat and Jorge de la Rose to step up and be worth his contract. Good offense, decent pen, just not enough to overtake the Giants. They will battle the Brewers and Braves for the Wild Card.

The Dodgers have a pretty good team with a newbie manager (Donnie Baseball; still can't get used to that uniform), but the team still is in disarray with the battling McCourts.

Bud Black and the Pads won't get off to that tremendous start with no Adrian Gonzalez, and Mat Latos hurting.

The Diamondbacks can join the Mariners in AAAA.

NL MVP

Ryan Braun: Combines with Prince Fielder to help Brew Crew back to post-season

CY Young

Cliff Lee: Back (if it holds up) to dominating the NL

Rookie of the Year

Freddie Freeman: Proves the hype is right

Comeback Player of the Year

Jason Bay: If he stays healthy the home runs will return.

Manager of the Year

Ron Roenicke: First year manager leads team to playoffs


Playoffs

Yankees and Red Sox meet in the ALCS for the first time since the disastrous (depending on whose side you're on) 2004 series.

Giants topple the Phillies in an exciting seven game series in the NLCS.

Which leads to a series that has been 49 years in the waiting. For the first time since Bobby Richardson snared Willie McCovey's line drive in Game 6, the Yankees and Giants will meet in the Fall classic. Unfortunately I am going with the Giants in 6.

Join me in November to see how good or bad these predictions are.