#Yankees ‘Celebrate’ A-Rod 3000th Hit

#Yankees ‘Celebrate’ A-Rod 3000th Hit

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

A‐Rod’s 3,000th Hit Celebrated at Yankee Stadium 

By Howard Goldin

Prior to the final game of the 10-day home stand of the Yankees, on September 13, a special ceremony was held to honor Alex Rodriguez for becoming the 29th member of the major leagues to join the 3,000 Hit Club.

The event being honored on Sunday took place nearly three months earlier. With two out and no men on base in the first inning on June 19, Rodriguez homered on a 95 mph fastball thrown by Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers to achieve his 3,000 hit in the majors. He was only the third player to hit a home run as his 3,000 major league hit. He was preceded by Derek Jeter and Wade Boggs in that accomplishment.

Rodriguez spoke about the meaning of the achievement to him immediately after the game ended, “It’s a magical number, 3,000. I’m glad to be in the club. [I‘m] very emotional, overwhelmed. I’m so happy to do it here [Yankee Stadium] in front of the fans. I was especially happy my two daughters were here.”

On Sunday, Rodriguez was joined on the field by his two daughters, his mother, his sister and his brother. A video was shown of him at various important moments of his career, achieving his first major league hit, his 1,000th hit, his 2,000th hit and his 3,000th. Also on the screen was his first manager in the majors, with Seattle, Lou Piniella, who offered his congratulations.

Rodriguez received two gifts from the Yankees, a Waterford crystal piece presented by the Yankees COO Lonn Trost, and a commemorative ring and a ring for each of his daughters, which were presented by the Yankees Managing Partner hall Steinbrenner.

The two-month delay in scheduling the tribute, the briefness of the ceremony, 10‐15 minutes, the absence of any former or current teammate speaking or on the field makes one wonder how anxious the Yankees brass were in paying tribute to Rodriguez.

Yet, much has changed since 2014 and early 2015 in how the public perceives Rodriguez. After not playing in 2015 and very little in 2014, A‐Rod has become the most effective batter on the team. He had two hits and a RBI in Sunday’s win over Toronto with his family in the ballpark. He has belted 31 homers this season, the most he has hit since 2008. He is consistently cheered by the fans in attendance. Perhaps a message was sent by the Yankees to Rodriguez by the presence of Trost and Steinbrenner bearing him gifts at his celebration.

ARod Celebration In the Street

ARod Celebration In the Street

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

Excitement on 161st Street and River Avenue, inside and outside Yankee Stadium 

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Saturday was a day of great excitement on 161st Street and River Avenue in the Bronx. Inside Yankee Stadium, very large crowds were attending a rare single admission daytime doubleheader between the two teams on top of the standings in the American League East, the Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays.

There were thousands of residents and visitors happily walking along the streets in the vicinity of Yankee Stadium. The 161st Business Improvement District (161 BID), under the direction of its very able and proactive executive director Dr. Cary Goodman, organized its fifth street fair on River Avenue. Street Fair V began three hours earlier than the 1 p.m. game began in Yankee Stadium. It was very wise planning and scheduling as a street fair encourages visitors to the neighborhood. Thus, not only do customers patronize those businesses at the fair, but the fair’s presence also allows stores in the area to increase their patronage through the many new customers in the vicinity. It was also intelligent to plan all five fairs on days in which the Yankees have scheduled high profile games or other notable sporting events have been scheduled at the stadium. Saturday’s timing was also perfect as the rains over the Bronx did not begin until the fair ended.

Since many families attend a street fair, Goodman offered pleasurable activities for children. The Bronx Museum and Bronx Children’s Museum taught button making to participating youngsters.

A wide variety of foods, including free samples of Bigelow Tea, and other merchandise were offered at the large number of stands set up on River Avenue. In addition to the usual street fair offerings, the fair attendees were treated to the opportunity to watch a professional artist paint a mural of Alex Rodriguez on a store gate. The artist, Andre Trenier, is a Bronx native, who had previously painted three baseball murals on 161st Street, Mickey Mantle, Satchel Paige and Roberto Clemente. The talented artist who is also a personable individual was happy to speak with fair‐goers and receive immediate feedback, which were overwhelmingly words of praise. He was also curious to determine how Rodriguez is viewed by most baseball fans. Not surprisingly, he assessed the relationship as “love‐hate”. Interestingly, while Trenier was painting, the cheers could be heard from inside the stadium as Rodriguez belted his 31st home run of the season.

The mural is the 11th baseball painting that has been sponsored by the 161 BID to appropriately beautify the neighborhood. Plans are being made to add painting of Joe DiMaggio and Thurman Munson to those already completed.

Unlike the people in the street, most fans in the ballpark, especially rooters of the Yankees, were exceptionally disappointed to see their favorite team drop a very crucial doubleheader to the Toronto Blue Jays and drop to 4 1⁄2 games behind the leaders of the American League East.

Gomez was the Story in an Ugly Yankees Loss

Gomez was the Story in an Ugly #Yankees Loss
Shouting Match Breaks Out in the Bronx

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK (SPORTS)- The center of attention Tuesday night at Yankees Stadium wasn’t how the Houston Astros easily won a unanimous decision over the Yankees 15-1 which put New York a game back of the Toronto Blue Jays. Instead, Carlos Gomez who was almost wore a uniform of the cross-town Mets was the center of attention.

And for the Mets’ sake, keeping Wilmer Flores was the proper decision. For one thing, Gomez has not made much of an impact in Houston at the plate, and the other aspect of not bringing Gomez to the other side of town is his often and too much of a combative attitude.

Yes, the Yankees could not do anything against Astros’ left hander Dallas Keuchel. He has a 22.0 inning scoreless streak against New York, 2.1 with a 1.13 ERA, and Keuchel became the first 15-game winner in the American League with his 8.0 innings of six hit ball which also gained him more momentum for Al Cy Young Award consideration.

And the Yankees could not get their bats going again, attributed also to a dominant pitcher. The issue of the Yankees once again not scoring runs and getting on base should be more significant for manager Joe Girardi. And there should be this late August concern about right hander Ivan Nova, who gave up five first inning runs and allowed a season high seven runs.

But Gomez and that combative attitude got to Girardi and the Yankees. And on the other side of town the Mets may be relieved they don’t have to deal with a situation that Girardi and his team had to deal with when it came to Gomez.

With the Yankees trailing 9-0 in the sixth inning, and with Gomez at bat, he flied to center off a pitch from Chris Capuano and flipped his bat to the Houston dugout. Gomez said something and the Yankees took exception as the shouting went back and forth.

“When he came back he started yelling at me,” Girardi said. “I wasn’t the guy who said anything. He is a kid who plays hard. But there have been a number of clubs who have taken exception to some of the things he does on the field. He just got a little heated.”

And it went on. As Girardi said, “I just told him, ‘Play the game the right way.’ I know you missed a pitch and you are frustrated by it. I just think it is a little too much.”

Gomez, with that combative attitude would shout back three times, “Shut up” to Girardi and the Yankees bench. And of course that’s when the benches and bullpens emptied with no punches thrown because of the quick actions of the umpires.

But it was another Carlos Gomez incident that occurred on another bad night for the Yankees in the Bronx. And Gomez would later hit his second home run as an Astro, a three run homer to the Yankees bullpen in a six run seventh inning off Capuano, redemption, but not for the Yankees who saw Houston record eight extra base hits and three home runs.

The question is, has Gomez become a team player or one who can’t control this competitive and combative attitude on the field? The Yankees took exception to that fire as they got blown out, and those across town with the Mets may be fortunate they did not have to deal with a player who can spark controversy at any moment.

To the contrary, Houston manager A, J, Hinch was protecting his player. He said, “Carlos is just trying to compete. He’s an emotional player. Obvious they took exception to a few of the actions. It comes from a good place Carlos is just trying to compete. Obviously it is what is is and calmer heads prevailed. It’s a tough feeling on the other side when you have a game like that and it is starting to unravel. He’s an explosive player and can be an impact player If we get a confident version and tonight we saw the emotion,”

Said Gomez, “I did not understand very well what people were yelling at me. I just asked, ‘Why are you yelling at me?’ And then someone came out of the dugout and started screaming, and I said. “Shut up. If you want to tell me something come here and say what you have to say.”

Of course it did not have to come down to the shouting. or the benches and pens coming on the field. Girardi said it is a game of emotions. and there were many times during the course of his playing career where things were said and he showed restraint.

However, Gomez does it his own way no matter how good a commodity he is for the Astros, or for that matter any team. Except the Mets were fortunate to renege on a Gomez deal in their quest to overtake the Nationals, because the last thing they needed was a combative player who would disrupt the good ship at Citi Field.

As for the Yankees, the good thing about baseball is Wednesday and another game with the Astros they need to win.

Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

#Yankees Remain in First Place

#Yankees Remain in First Place after 10 Inning Marathon Win over Twins

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK (SPORTS)- As the MLB regular season nears its conclusion, every game the Yankees play is crucial to their qualifying for the playoffs. The 10 inning, that lasted more than four hours, 8-7, victory over the Twins on Monday night kept the Yanks in first place in the American League East by one game over the Blue Jays. It was only the third win for the Yanks in 10 extra-inning contests this year.

Greg Bird, whose major league debut took place four days before Monday’s contest, led off the bottom of the 10^th with a double to right. Catcher Brian McCann was deprived of his 6^th RBI of the game as Brid had to hold up at third. Carlos Beltran, who hit a two-run homer in the seventh to tie the score at 7, was intentionally walked. Third sacker Chase Headley grounded to former Yankee Eduardo Nuñez, who had difficulty fielding the ball and then threw it to first allowing Bird to successfully cross the plate for the walk-off win. Bird was obviously, excited to score the winni9ng run in his first game in the Bronx, “It’s a special feeling. I’m not trying to do anything special. I’m just trying to help this team win. It was a team effort today.”

McCann, the veteran catcher, now in his 10^th season in the big leagues, performed outstandingly at bat and behind the plate. He smacked a two-out, three run home run in the first. The three tallies gave the yanks a total of 99 runs scored in the first frame this year, more than any team in any inning in the majors this season.

In the third, also with two out, McCann drove in two with a single.

The experienced backstop threw out three of the five Twins’ runners that tried to steal bases. He is only the third catcher in the past 75 years who kno0cked in five runs and threw out three runners in a single game. Despite his individual achievements in the contest, he gave credit to his teammates, “I can’t say enough for those 12-13 guys [pitching staff]. It was  team win.”