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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Yankees donate life saving equipment to DR


Photos by NY Yankees

The Yankees donated a fire truck and ambulance, along with firefighting and medical equipment, to the city of Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic. The city is home to the Yankees Latin Béisbol Academy.

(Left to Right) Brigadier General Enerio Rodríguez Montero of the Boca Chica Fire Department; Boca Chica Mayor Daniel Ozuna; Yankees Executive Vice President and Chief International Officer Felix M. Lopez, Jr.; Yankees Latin Béisbol Academy Director Joel Lithgow; Yankees Latin Béisbol Academy Manager Aniuska Sánchez; and Ambassador Roberto Valentín, who is an emissary of the Dominican Republic.


Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Yanks Face Challenges, Girardi Says

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Yanks Face Challenges, Girardi Says: Skipper Resigns for 4-Year Deal but has Work to Do By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 10- Joe Girardi said family was a ma...

Yanks Face Challenges, Girardi Says


Skipper Resigns for 4-Year Deal but has Work to Do

By Rich Mancuso
BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 10- Joe Girardi said family was a major decision in re-signing a four-year deal, reportedly at $17 million to continue as manager of the New York Yankees. He also admitted, the challenge guiding a team that is considered the most high profiled in sports weighed in the decision.
And the challenge will be an important part of a task that begins now for Girardi and GM Brian Cashman. The offseason moves of dealing with free agency, trades, and who will play a role on 2014 at Yankee Stadium will be many as the Yankees look to get back in the postseason picture after failing to get there this season. 
They finished the 2012 season with an 85-77 record, fourth place in the AL east and missed the post season for the second time in 19 years. The Yankees not playing baseball in October is not the same and Girardi knows that feeling. He wanted to be a part of this ride another four years. There was never a stage of getting to talk about the Chicago Cubs about their managerial vacancy or returning to the broadcast booth.
Girardi is a Yankee and he wanted it to stay that way. Reportedly, he is the second highest paid manager in the game and second only to Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels.
“I wouldn’t have come back if I didn’t think we could win a championship,” commented Girardi in a late afternoon media conference call. The manager admitted he is not used to being home this time of year, and his wife and three children played a major role in his decision.  
Girardi had been hinting about moving on after a difficult season. His team sustained one injury after another including a significant amount of playing time missed by Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez.  In total there were 56 different players on the roster, 27 with stints on the disabled list including first baseman Mark Teixeira.
“There a lot of holes to fill,” he said, referring to the loss of players to free agency, and of course the retirements of all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera and one of the top five all-time winning pitchers, Andy Pettitte.
There were also numerous reports that the Chicago Cubs were looking to offer Girardi a huge deal to manage there, but his current contract that concludes at the end of this month prevented any of those talks to proceed. Girardi, a native of nearby Peoria Illinois, and a former Cubs player, said there were never any talks with the Cubs.
“I have fond memories,” he said about days with the Cubs, adding those were special but his time in the Bronx as a player and manager of the Yankees have been special also. Girardi managed the Yankees to their 27th world championship in 2009, finishing with a final 103-57 record in the second year of his contract that was set to expire.
However, this past season was the most difficult to deal with in his managerial tenure. Injuries to key players compiled, youngsters called up from Triple-A as replacements were still learning on the field. Girardi used what he had available that kept the Yankees in the hunt for a second American League wild card until the last week of the season.
“It was a big family decision,” said Girardi about his return to the dugout in the Bronx. “They wanted me to continue what I was doing. There was never a lot of thought of me not coming back. I just had to make sure.”
Yankees ownership wanted to get the deal done soon. This will be a busy offseason for the organization having to fill voids at many positions and trying to stay at the salary threshold of $189 million. There is also the realization that Girardi returns for the first time without Rivera, Pettitte and Granderson in the outfield who is a free agent.
Two of the “Core Four” of those five Yankees championship teams, Rivera and Pettitte, under then manager Joe Torre and Girardi, threw their last pitches and had emotional goodbyes in the Bronx.
“It’s a special place to manage,” commented Girardi, “because of the atmosphere, the history of the organization and putting on the pinstripes. Think of the things I went through this year, Mariano and Andy….that’s special.” He admitted that there were tears when Rivera threw his final pitches at Yankee Stadium and, when Pettitte and Jeter came to the mound removing him from the game.
  

When asked about what has to be done in order for the Yankees to fill those voids and get back to the postseason, he said, “I always know the Yankees will do their best. We need these kids to develop and play a role. You just can’t go out and buy every free agent at every position.”
He always knew he would come back, that’s why other possible managerial interviews were never set, and as Girardi said, “Coming back was not contingent on having any more of a role.” In other words, this is a job that Girardi sees as maybe his last in a managerial capacity, at least for the next four years.
He did say, this was a year of challenges and learning more how to be a manager. There was that adversity from April to September, including the never ending saga of Alex Rodriguez and a steroid controversy. And there are uncertainties about Rodriguez, in the lineup, come April with his hearing and appeal of an impending full season suspension.
Yes, it is a special place to manage. The first phase of this busy offseason is complete for the New York Yankees bringing back the manager who wants to be here. Filling in the holes to play baseball again in October remain.
“I want to be back of being on top and that is important to me,” says Girardi. And with him still in the managerial chair, providing the holes are filled, he will once again have that opportunity.
Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com  Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Mustangs pull Homecoming Upset

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Mustangs pull Homecoming Upset: Henriquez' circus catches stun Louisburg, 21-17 By Gary Axelbank BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 9- The Monroe Mustangs picked a...

Mustangs pull Homecoming Upset



Henriquez' circus catches stun Louisburg, 21-17


By Gary Axelbank

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 9- The Monroe Mustangs picked a perfect afternoon to pull the biggest win of their two-year existence.  
On a lovely fall Saturday at SUNY Purchase, during the college's 80th Homecoming celebration, Monroe's Rudolph Henriquez (Irvington, NJ) hauled in three touchdown passes, including two spectacular grabs, to defeat #17-ranked Louisburg (NC) 21-17 for the Mustangs first-ever NEFC win. The Hurricanes came into the game with a 5-0 record. Monroe is now 2-3 on the season. 

"This is our biggest win," said a smiling head coach Terry Karg after the game, "and we did it against a quality team. All that work and all that time and all the commitment during the bye week (last week) paid off.  We worked hard every day to get this."

Monroe was buoyed by the return of quarterback Clayton Tuner (Marietta, GA), the season's original starter who was injured in the Dean game three weeks ago. Harried and hurried by a fierce Louisburg blitz scheme for much of the game, the freshman finished his comeback game 8 for 21 with one interception. But his gritty play was rewarded with the three TD passes he threw to Henriquez.

The first came off a three-yard shovel pass, which capped a 5-play 51-yard drive in the first quarter to give Monroe a 7-0 lead. 

With time running out in the second quarter and Monroe leading 7-6, Turner and Henriquez hooked up again, this time on a 64-yard pass that came after a Hurricane defender tipped the ball and, before it hit the ground, the sophomore wide receiver scooped it up and scampered into the end zone for a 14-6 lead.

With 6:37 left in the third quarter, the Hurricanes took an ominous 17-14 lead, scoring a TD off a two-play, 39-yard drive that began after an ill-advised Turner interception.   

"At that point, we never sulked, we never hung our heads," Coach Karg said. "That told me a lot about this team."

"You got my back and I got yours," a bruised, but ecstatic Turner told his teammates in the post-game huddle.    

Down by three with 8:54 to go in the game, Monroe was forced to go for it on a 4th-and-18 on the Hurricane's 30 yard line.  That's when Henriquez made one of the plays of the year. 

Turner threw him a low liner on the sideline near the Mustangs bench. As he bent to catch it, the Hurricane defender rolled over his back, and somehow 'Ru' was able to keep his balance while not going down. He straightened up and raced into the end zone for what proved to be the winning touchdown.

"I caught it clean and used my arm to keep my knee from hitting the ground," he said after the game. "It never touched," 

Henriquez led all receivers with 5 catches for 131 yards and the three touchdowns.

Freshman running back Robert Jackson (Plainfield, NJ) had a strong game, filling in for the injured Donald Thomas (Bronx, NY). Jackson carried 19 times for 107 yards.

Monroe's defense was stellar, stopping the potent Hurricane offense on numerous crucial plays. Though Monroe's 'D' only had one official sack, it was a big one by Benjamin Compton  (Windsor, CT) on the final play of the game with Louisburg knocking at Monroe's door from the 17 yard-line. 

Sumir Burns (Linden, NJ) led Monroe with six solo tackles and seven assists.

"It's a good feeling and we want to enjoy it for about 24 hours," Coach Karg said. "But then we're going to go back to work to prepare for Hudson Valley, who are an improved team since we saw them in a pre-season scrimmage."

Monroe will travel to Hudson Valley for a 1:00 p.m. game on Saturday October 12. They will return home to play their first-ever regular season game in their home city at City Park in New Rochelle on October 19. It will be a 1:30 p.m. kickoff against Lackawana.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Truman Gets Needed Win

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Truman Gets Needed Win: (Photos by Gary Quintal) By Gary Quintal BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 9- In need of a win, Truman High School hosted the winless John Adam...

Truman Gets Needed Win



(Photos by Gary Quintal)


By Gary Quintal

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 9- In need of a win, Truman High School hosted the winless John Adams High School on a misty and soggy afternoon.  

The 1-3 Truman Mustangs had not won since opening week, but their fortunes looked good as they opened the game with a touchdown on a kickoff return and added another touchdown in the first quarter off a threeyard touchdown run.  

The run came on the heels of an Adams turnover as Truman gained possession on a fumble at midfield giving the Mustangs a 12-0 lead at halftime.  

Despite a 16 point fourth quarter push from Adams, Truman would hold on for an 18-16 victory.  

The Mustangs travel to Staten Island for a Friday evening match-up with Tottenville October 11th.  Game-time is at 7pm.