Around the Yankee Universe, 06.04.09

by Ed Valentine on Jun 4, 2009 12:00 PM EDT in New York Yankees News

Let's scour the Inter-Google for stories making news about our New York Yankees that don't involve Phil Hughes and Chien-Ming Wang.

Alex Rodriguez got booed last night by fans at Yankee Stadium. Honestly, I have never been a big A-Rod fan, but I found that absolutely disgraceful. C'mon, people, this guy is playing his butt off for the Yankees when he is obviously not close to 100 percent physically. How many big hits has he gotten already this season, including the two-out RBI hit in the first inning last night? Yeah, he failed in a couple of opportunities later in the game, but give the guy a break. Everybody has a bad game once in a while. If you were booing, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Sam Borden of the Journal News takes issue with all the outcry over the barrage of home runs thus far at the new Yankee Stadium.

First of all, it's presumptuous to label a park a "hitters' haven" or any other term after such a limited sample. While a park can't necessarily "get better" the way a struggling (but talented) rookie might, there are any number of factors - starting with weather, wind patterns and surrounding buildings - that may or may not affect the way a ballpark plays as its history grows. At the very least, the new Stadium deserves a full season before it's excoriated as a joke.

Beyond that, though, is this: Even if the park does turn out to be more homer-prone than its predecessor, even if it does yield more home runs than expected, there is nothing particularly wrong with that. It's not better or worse than the old Stadium. It's just different. It's just the way it is. Consider: Home runs are a part of baseball. Baseball games are played at Yankee Stadium. So home runs are hit at Yankee Stadium. Where is the crime in that? ...

Those fans who think all the home runs defies the aura of Yankee Stadium are misunderstanding what that aura really is. It's the winning, the players, the pinstripes that make the Stadium special, not how many balls go over the wall.

Frankly, I think Borden is right. I have complained about the home runs, too, but who really cares? The real problems at the Stadium are the premium seats, lack of ability to get an autograph and the obstructed bleacher views. not the home runs.

Bottom line is this. New Stadium, old Stadium ... let's just go win a 27th World Series.

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People love Fenway

Not just because it’s old, but because it’s quirky. Wrigley Field changes charactor with the wind direction.

It is just surprising that the Yanks could spend all that dough and be surprised by something like this. It seems they didn’t get what they paid for.

Probably too much emphasis in the planning on the commerciqal aspects and not enough on the playing aspects.

It’ll all work out.

The stadium is their sttadium. I wonder if it’s life span will be like Fenway, or Shea?

If I's known I was going to live so long, I'd have taken better care of myself. Casey

by Cbeck3 on Jun 4, 2009 12:10 PM EDT reply actions

Homers

You say the homers don’t make it better or worse than the old stadium. I disagree. If 300 homers are hit this year at the stadium, the Yankees have a big problem on their hands.

by lennysyankees on Jun 4, 2009 3:30 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Homers

@ lennysyankees: Why? So what if they hit 300 homers? As Ed said, it’s the winning that is the aura, not the homers or how the baseball park “plays”.

What if there are 750 homers in thew new Yankee Statium, the team goes 120-42 and wins the World Series? Will you still be talking about the homers and how we have a “big problem on our hands”?

I think not.

by Wilhelm on Jun 4, 2009 4:01 PM EDT reply actions

Did Melky's

first row home run today bother you. It didn’t bother me, and it would have been a home run across the street, too.

by Ed Valentine on Jun 4, 2009 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions

A-Rod and Home Runs

I wonder if people Boo A-Rod because it’s habit? I am not the big A-Rod fan and when I say that that DOES NOT mean I don’t like him. It just means I don’t get all excited when he comes up to bat. But I do root for him and that is b/c HE IS A YANKEE! I wonder if these booing fans get that. Sure, sometimes we get disappointed when he OR any Yankee makes a out but in the end they are a part of our team and we need to take the bad (GIDP and the like) with the good (walk off wins..comebacks like today) As a song went to a television show in the 80’s…“you take the good..you take the bad…you take them both and there you have THE FACTS OF LIFE”. Sorry, but I, for some crazy reason, felt as though I had to say that!! LOL!!

In regards to the stadium, I look at it as it is what it is. There is nothing I can do about it so I choose to not let it bother me.

by Mondoas on Jun 5, 2009 2:08 AM EDT reply actions