Bronx News (Bxnews.net): A‐Rod’s 661st A‐Bomb Tops Mark of Willie Mays

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): A‐Rod’s 661st A‐Bomb Tops Mark of Willie Mays: A‐Rod’s 661st A‐Bomb Tops Mark of Willie Mays  By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 8- With the retirement of Derek Jeter much of ...

A‐Rod’s 661st A‐Bomb Tops Mark of Willie Mays

A‐Rod’s 661st A‐Bomb Tops Mark of Willie Mays 

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 8- With the retirement of Derek Jeter much of the excitement at ballgames at Yankee Stadium has greatly lessened this season. The fans, of course, attend to root for a Yankees victory. After missing all but 44 games in 2013 after recovering from hip surgery and the entire 2014 season due to his suspension by MLB, Alex Rodriguez has returned to the Yankees with strong support from its fan base.

On Opening Day at Yankee Stadium on April 6, Rodriguez received the loudest cheers during the player introductions. That day set the tone for A‐Rod’s acceptance by Yankees fans.

Since that first day of the 2015 season, Rodriguez is no longer subject to a daily dose of jeers regardless of the opinions of sportswriters and TV commentators.

Rodriguez tied Willie Mays for fourth place in the career home run rankings on Friday, May 1, at Fenway Park by hitting his 660th homer. Both Rodriguez and fans in the Bronx were disappointed that the milestone home run was not hit at Yankee Stadium, but realized that more special days were to come.

The Yankees returned to the Bronx after their most recent road trip on Thursday, May 7, to begin a four game home stand against the Orioles, who had completed a two game series with the Mets at Citi Field one day earlier.

In the first inning of Thursday’s game, Rodriguez drove in the first run of the Yanks with a sacrifice fly to deep center field that scored Jacoby Ellsbury from third base to tie the score at 1.

What Yankee fans had been looking forward to seeing took place in the third inning with two out. Rodriguez belted a 1‐1 pitch from Baltimore starter Chris Tillman over the fence in left for his 661st home run. The four‐bagger broke the tie with Mays, one day after the former Giant and Met celebrated his 84th birthday, and gave him the sole fourth place ranking in home runs behind only Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds.

The Oriole right‐hander has been an easy mark for Rodriguez. The home run was his sixth hit in 11 at bats off Tillman. Four of the hits were homers and his runs batted in now number 9.

The solo home run broke the tied score to give the Yanks a 3‐2 advantage. The extended ovation from the fans brought Rodriguez out of the dugout for a short and rare curtain call.

Rodriguez spoke with embarrassment of the surprising tribute from the fans, “One year ago, I never thought I would get one again. It’s been a long time. I was a little embarrassed. It was a little awkward. I tried to do it as fast as I could. I didn’t want it to get in the way. I wanted the game to continue.”

The controversial superstar discussed his gratitude toward the fans with emotion, “They [fans] treated me so good all year long. I would want to go out and thank every fan.”

#ARod #Homerun #WillieMays #Yankees #Sports #Bronxnews

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Batter Up for Bronx Native

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Batter Up for Bronx Native: Batter Up for Bronx Native  Columbus High Alum Waiting to Hit for the Mets By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 7- Johnny Monell got the c...

Batter Up for Bronx Native

Batter Up for Bronx Native 

Columbus High Alum Waiting to Hit for the Mets

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 7- Johnny Monell got the call Monday in Albuquerque on an unscheduled off day for the Las Vegas 51’s, the New York Mets Triple-A affiliate of the Pacific Coast League. The off day was the result of a rare rain out in the southwest. The call was one he has been awaiting and iIt was was time to come home. 

The Mets needing some punch off the bench, and for another left handed bat, decided it was time for the 29-year old native of the Bronx to get some more big league experience. He has had that cup of coffee the past few years, the term used for a player that gets limited time with the big club. Late in the 2013 season, Monel played eight games with the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants, as is the case with the Mets, were stocked with talent in the catching department. Manager Bruce Bochy said, Monell had the hands of a catcher and was impressed with his bat speed at the plate. But, as is the case in baseball there are so many jobs and sometimes the frustration grows.

“I’m here to do my job and help the team,” Monell commented Wednesday evening after the Mets 5-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Citi Field. “It means a lot. I’m just being the ballplayer I am, and control what I can control and be the best that I can.” And that’s exactly what a payer with 27 days of big league experience has to do, that is control what is front  and go about everyday business.

Mets manager Terry Collins saw the attributes that Monell brought to the table. When the Christopher Columbus High School all-star was signed to a minor league free agent deal in November, Monell came to camp down in Port St. Lucie prepared to have a role with the team. He hit .340, with three doubles and four home runs and had nine RBI in 27 spring games.

The impressive numbers left an impression as the Mets headed north for the start of a long season. The Mets, with two catchers sure to make the roster, and with rookie Kevin Plawecki ready to assume a role, had no choice to keep Monell in the organization. Then the injury to Travis d’Arnaud, a fracture to the little finger of the right hand, created an opening. Three catchers now occupy the Mets roster along with Anthony Recker.

During the exit meeting when the Mets broke camp, Collins and coach Bob Geren told Monell to stay sharp and get ready for the call when needed. They saw what many in the Bronx got to learn when Monell played on the fields and was pounding the ball over the fence during his playing days at Columbus.

He may get a start or two soon. If not, Monell will come off the bench and there is every reason to believe that the Mets will retain three catchers when d’Arnaud returns from the disabled list as soon as next week. D’Arnaud has also become a good teammate as catchers are that rare breed in baseball that always stick together.

To that, he says, “I think it’s very beneficial to have different mindsets as far as the staff we have here to express our thoughts as far as scouring reports go. We talk a lot among us with Travis. Each one of us has a job to do up here. Plawecki is up here now and he’s doing the job.”

“I’m happy to be here. It means a lot to put the jersey on to respect that honor, to come to work every day in the city that I was born in and raised in. I did everything here I was raised in in the inner city parks to the big stage here. Means a lot. I’m not going to get caught up in the  moment.”

“He has a lot of respect for the game and worked real hard during the spring,” Carlos Torres said the Mets reliable pitcher out of the bullen. And d’Arnaud seems to have no issue with having another catcher on the roster.   

He is just trying to help the team win and take it from there. When Collins makes out the lineup Monell is ready for the challenge. And if he gets the call to come off the bench, that challenge will also be accepted, though there was an awkward moment that he was a part of Wednesday evening in the Mets half of the sixth inning.

Jacob deGrom was cruising along on the mound for the Mets. After Dilson Herrera hit a two-run homer that was challenged by Orioles manager Buck Showalter, that gave New York a four-run lead, Collins asked Monell to get a bat and make his New York Mets debut off the bench. Except, deGrom was not removed after the Mets got a cushion and Monell went to the batters box.

Collins was awaiting a decision of the home run ball that went under review. But deGrom was staying in the game and Monell never got to take his bat. He was in the batter’s box and never announced. Showalter asked for a discussion to clarify a rule. An awkward moment, even for a kid from the Bronx who saw more than one over the years on the various fields where he played on.         

“No idea about the Showalter call,” he said.  I wasn’t sure. I was awaiting for my name to  be announced in the box. I felt great... I was ready. I knew i was going in to hit. Terry came out to see about Herrera.” But the opportunity never came and Monell was ready because he knew Orioles hurler Brad Brach, a former teammate when he was in the Baltimore minor league system in 2013.

So the days of preparing and staying in shape have paid off. Winter ball in Puerto Rico kept Monell busy and talking to his father, Johnny, who played for the Mets Tidewater Triple A Team in 1990, also was an incentive to get where he is today.

Perhaps that first bat as a New York Met at Citi Field will come soon. For the time being Johnny Monell is happy to be home, and getting a taste of the big leagues again as the Mets hit the road the next week with games at Philadelphia and Chicago.

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

#JohnnyMonell #Mets #Baltimore #Bronxnews

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Rivera to step down?

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Rivera to step down?: Rivera to step down? Bx. pol putting pressure in Mt. Vernon race? 100 PERCENT By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 7- There are rumors...

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Dreamers Protest Obama’s Visit to Bronx

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Dreamers Protest Obama’s Visit to Bronx: Dreamers Protest Obama’s Visit to Bronx By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 6- Nearly 50 students of Herbert H. Lehman College gathered ...

Dreamers Protest Obama’s Visit to Bronx

Dreamers Protest Obama’s Visit to Bronx

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 6- Nearly 50 students of Herbert H. Lehman College gathered on school grounds to demonstrate against President Barack Obama's historic visit to the Bedford Park school.

Members of the Lehman College "Dream Team" hastily organized the protest to coincide with Obama's little-publicized visit to the school on Monday, May 4.

Many of the student demonstrators chanted slogans like, "Obama, Obama what do you say, how many kids have you deported today," upset that the current administration has not worked out a deal with Congress on immigration.

Christian Beruerio, a member of the Lehman College Dream Team which boasts 50 members at CUNY school's around the state, told the crowd, "I supported Obama thinking that Obama was going to represent the interests of people here in the Bronx"

Beruerio continued, "I quickly found out that Obama was no better than Bush. The conditions in which I lived in were no different. I was still unemployed, there was no access to jobs and I'm still struggling to go to school in 2008 and I'm still struggling now working seven-days a week and I still can't go to school."

Fellow Dream Team member Tafadar Sourov fumed, "Obama dishes out billions of dollars to Israel to fuel that settler-colonial genocide state, meanwhile people in Detroit can't even get water."

"People continue to be killed," Sourov continued, "throughout the U.S by police. Black people continue to be killed every 28 hours and what's the best Obama can do? Stay silent on it until people start to riot and then he has to talk about it and the best he can come up with is, 'I'm going to give federal funds for body cameras.' Eric Garner died on camera, what did that accomplish?"

Listening to demonstrators, Lehman student Lincoln Lewis remarked, "Everyone is entitled to their position and opinions and it's good to see them speaking out. I'm not in agreement with some things, but they should speak out."

Asked if he believed if he agreed with some of the demonstrators that President Obama was guilty of war crimes, Lewis replied, "It depends on your definition of war crimes. He could be, but then you'd be opening up Pandora's Box for every president" who could be implicated.

Despite the protest student Stephanie Ramnauth was excited about the visit, "I didn't know until I got to class and they told me the president was here. I wanted to see him because I go here and it's nice to know that the president came to the school.”

#President #Obama #LehmanCollege #Dreamers #Immigration #Bronxnews