Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Soriano’s Back in the Bronx

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Soriano’s Back in the Bronx: Returns to the Yankees By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 26- The MLB trade deadline will be reached on July 31. Thus, there are ...

Soriano’s Back in the Bronx

Returns to the Yankees

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 26- The MLB trade deadline will be reached on July 31. Thus, there are only a few days remaining in which the contending teams can acquire players they hope can help their teams reach championship status and teams in the lower rungs of the standings can rid their teams of high salaried players who are toward the end of the careers.

The Yankee management, although the club is in fourth place in the American League East, obviously believe a change in personnel can help the team rise to contend for a post-season berth. Rumors of a trade with the Chicago Cubs in which left fielder Alfonso Soriano would return to the Bronx proved to be true on Friday when the trade was finalized.

Soriano is returning to the major league team in which he began his career in exchange for a minor league reliever, Corey Black. Soriano’s contract which lasts through the 2014 season will shift to the Yankees, but $17.7 million of the $24.5 million still owed to Soriano will be paid by the Cubs.

Although he is 37 years of age, Soriano is still capable of hitting for power. Thus far in the 2013 season, Soriano has hit 17 home runs and driven in 51 runs. Ten of his homers were hit in the last 21 games he played.

His manager in Chicago, Dale Sveum, after uttering words of high praise for Soriano’s performance and attitude while he played with the Cubs, explained the reasons why Soriano would waive the no-trade clause in his contract, “He’s going to a place that is, obviously, one of the better stadiums, and he’s been there before and has performed in that atmosphere before. Obviously, they’ve [Yankees] had a lot of injuries, and he’s the guy who can fill that void as designated hitter and in left field.”

Soriano began his pro career in baseball in Japan. He had a short but contentious time with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp before becoming an MLB free agent. He signed with the Yankees. As a minor leaguer, he was selected the MVP of the 1999 Futures Game. He played eight last season games with the Yankees in 1999.

He remained with the club through 2003. He excelled in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 seasons, but was traded to the Texas Rangers for Alex Rodriguez in early 2004. In late 2005, he was traded to the Washington Nationals. At the conclusion of the 2006 season, he signed with the Cubs as a free agent.

Although, he was always potent at bat, Soriano was error prone as a second baseman and was eventually moved to the outfield. He was chosen an All-Star in seven major league seasons and was the MVP of the 2004 All-Star Game.

He is close to two statistical milestones that he should achieve with the Yanks; he needs 11 hits to reach 2,000 and 11 home runs to be at 400.

Two needs of the Yankees can be aided by the addition of Soriano, a right handed batter in the everyday lineup and a batter capable of power numbers.

Soriano’s initial statement showed pleasure in returning to the Yankees and good feelings for the Cubs, “I’m happy and I think they’re [Cubs] happy too. They are getting something back and I am happy going back to New York, where I started my career.”

The 15 year baseball veteran also mentioned the drawback of being traded, “The thing that was difficult for me was leaving my teammates, my family…I have been traded before and I know what happens.”

Ironically, the player the Yankees traded to obtain Alex Rodriguez will be in the Yankees lineup before A-Rod.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Weiner Sticks it Out

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Weiner Sticks it Out: Continues to Campaign Here Photo by Robert Press By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 26- Candidate for mayor Anthony We...

Weiner Sticks it Out

Continues to Campaign Here

Photo by Robert Press

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 26- Candidate for mayor Anthony Weiner came back to Riverdale once again to talk with seniors at the Riverdale Senior Services Center located on Netherland Avenue. He brought with him his story of Grandma Weiner when she lived on Waldo Avenue. The WG stood for Grandma Weiner and not Waldo Gardens he said Grandma Weiner told him.  

After the ice breaker candidate Weiner spoke of Obama Care and his role in helping pass it. Weiner went into several other items that were geared for the mainly senior citizen audience he was standing in front of. After finishing speaking Weiner took some questions from the audience. When asked who he might vote for if not running, Weiner said someone who is a supporter of the middle class like himself, has a history of fighting for seniors, and was a nice guy. 

When it came to funding for seniors that seems to be decreasing each year under Mayor Bloomberg (he was told) Weiner said that he would fight for more funding for senior centers, and "keep the money coming from the Department For The Aging" (DFTA). Weiner then mentioned that all the democratic candidates spent a night in public housing, decrying the New York City Housing Authority management, and calling for the unemployed laborers to help fix up the NYCHA housing.

Weiner lambasted the Rent Guidelines Board when asked about rent stabilized housing saying that unless something is done in 2013/2014 that in 2015 people from outside the city will determine the rent increases again. Weiner also said that the Erstead Law need to be revised since times have changed since that law went into effect. Weiner then took individual questions from the seniors gathered, and toured the Riverdale Senior Services Center with Executive Director Julia Schwartz Leeper.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): STONEWALLING

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): STONEWALLING: Management Denying Payroll Records: `They're hiding the truth' By Michael Horowitz BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 25- Riverbay boa...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): STONEWALLING

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): STONEWALLING: Management Denying Payroll Records: `They're hiding the truth' By Michael Horowitz BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 25- Riverbay boa...

STONEWALLING

Management Denying Payroll Records:

`They're hiding the truth'

By Michael Horowitz

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 25- Riverbay board member Daryl Johnson, turning up the heat in his effort to gain access to Co-op City's payroll records, said that there is only one possible explanation for denying him the access he has been seeking for over a year.

“The only explanation I can think of for this charade is that the people at Riverbay are hiding something --- that they're hiding the truth,” Johnson stressed. “Otherwise, giving members of the board access to corporate records would be a total `no-brainer.'”

Johnson added, “I don't know how board members can meet their fiduciary responsibilities as board members without having access to critically important information about the Riverbay Corporation.”

Riverbay president William Gordon said that several members of the board had voiced objections to giving Johnson access to Co-op City's payroll records after Gordon had agreed to give him this access.

Helen Atkins, Gordon's predecessor as the board's president, working in concert with Herbert Freedman, had denied Johnson access to Co-op City's patrol records for over a year.

Gordon, who was on vacation this week, said, last week, that the board was in the process of drafting guidelines that would set parameters for Johnson to review Co-op City's corporate records.

“I find it astounding that I seem to be the only member of the board who wants to review Co-op City's corporate records, including the Riverbay Corporation's payroll records,” Johnson stressed. “Reviewing the records is a basic duty and responsibility that comes with being a member of a board of directors.”

Johnson added, “The Business Corporation of New York State gives me the right to review the Riverbay Corporation's records, including the corporate records. It is really ignorant fore members of the board to suggest that Co-op City needs to enforce stringent guidelines as a precondition for my review of the corporate records.”

The board member stressed, “There is really no place for this kind of ignorance on Co-op City's board of directors.  The law is on my side, and so is common sense. I am determined to use any and all means at my disposal to get access to records that have been illegally denied to me for over a year.”

Johnson noted, “It's really ignorant that we're wasting so much time with this stupidity. It's obvious to me that the members of the board and the people in management wouldn't be denying me access to these records if they didn't have something to hide.”