N.Y. GIANTS FOOTBALL ~ Pre-Season Game 2

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS

Pre-season Game Two:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS    24

NEW YORK  GIANTS            17

Uh...Who cares.  It's pre-season.

Over the next two weeks I'll be dissecting what's right and wrong about my team;

BIG BLUE

as we enter the 2010 NFL season.

Mike.BTB

Steroids Make the World go 'Round

Here's the problem ~ Congress affords Baseball anti-trust exemption.

Therefore Baseball enjoys the benefit of being an insulated entity. When Gov't (probably prodded by Jim Bunning and a few others) decides to check in on the NATIONAL Pastime from time to time, they are justified. They aren't going after Rocket because he did steroids. He like Martha Stewart lied to Congress. Congress has always gone after those who lied to them; from all walks of life.

Outside of that little detail, I don't like a meddlesome government either, so that argument speaks loud and clear to me. But excuse Congress for doing what Fay Vincent wanted to do over 20 years ago but whom the owners stopped cold in his tracks.

The instituting of Selig as C'mish was all part of a greater plan by the owners to alleviate themselves of Good C'mishes who really did have the best interests of Baseball foremost on their mind. Selig, or whomever was going to be made Commissioner then, would surely be a person who had the OWNERS best interest foremost on their mind. Selig; of the owners; by the owners; for the owners. He could have done what Vincent wanted to do which was get on the soapbox, raise the concerns of PED usage and putting the pressure squarely on the PA to respond in the court of public opinion. Maybe then Donald Fehr could have been broken. But Selig didn't try. And (Fehr is equally to blame but his mandate is to protect the membership).

For TWENTY-plus years Selig stayed mute. If Congress wants to step in from time to time because they allow Baseball (the only ones) to exists with anti-trust exemption, be happy because SELIG blew it and that's why we are where we are. When the owners said HomeRuns are good, Selig listened. Now look at our game and our records...and our attitudes.

I submit to you we are more apathetic to the game now than we were in 1995 after the strike. Baseball did not need McGwire and Sosa to save it. That is BULL$hit right there! because Baseball, since 1846 has survived every vice man has tried to sully the game with. So to all that buy that crap They saved the game...You have no idea what you're talking about. Read your history people. Steroids, though harmful to our record books and our pockets in the price we pay for tickets, appears as a mere pimple on baseball's ass compared to the things players and owners and direct competition from rivals hath wrought. Baseball is the megalith it is because of vices! Think about it.



That was a pure rant!

Mike.BTB

Remembering Gil Hodges

When my team (NYM) fades in the standings, I usually go running for the shelter of the Past to feed my baseball fix.  Yesterday I was in the neighborhood of Ebbets Field (I usually always speak of her in the present *sigh*).  I also visited Holy Cross Cemetery later that afternoon.  Gil Hodges and Edward McKeever rest there.

Back in the early and mid-70's I lived on a block (a dead-end block as we call it ~ GREAT For StickBall!!  I digress) that bordered the cemetery; East 45 Street.  I don't remember, but my neighbors in the years since 1972 told me of the incredible sight which was the procession bringing Gil to Holy Cross.  It passed our block.  I was 5 yrs old when he left us.

Growing up in Brooklyn, I played games at Gil Hodges Little League Field on Shell Road.  I used to hang out as a teenager and actually bowled (just because it was close to the house I suppose) in Gil Hodges Lanes, when it was still located on Ralph Avenue.  Upon entering the Bowling Alley and immediately on the left was a display case with some memorabilia including one of Gil's GOLD GLOVE awards.  Gil Hodges Lanes is in a different part of the neighborhood now, over on Mill Lane.  I plan on checking to see if they brought the display case over to the new place.  When I speak the old lanes of Ralph Ave, I'm speaking 25+ years ago.  So I'm going to look into that.

I used to and still go to Jacob Riis Park/beach in the Rockaways.  It's just on the other side of the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge.  That bridge connects Brooklyn with the Rockaways/Queens.

Gil Hodges still remains a real part of our lives in Brooklyn.  OldBrooklynFan ~ Don't you agree?

A drive down Bedford Avenue towards SheepsHead Bay to get some clams or fried Calamari? -  Are you kiddin me?  Fugheddaboudit!  Every time I drive on Bedford Avenue my mind wanders to another time and place; back to Bedford and Sullivan.  The grip is strong on this Grasshopper. 

Bedford Avenue is named Gil Hodges Way.

Joan Hodges, his beloved wife, still manages to attend a Brooklyn Cyclones (NYM-class A) in Coney Island every once in a while.  Gil Hodges' number 14 is also proudly retired and displayed over the lux boxes at MCU Park along with a few other fellow Bums.

Yeah...he managed my Miracle Mets to a championship, and of course that just adds to his Legend around here.

It's easy to tell Gil Hodges still continues to enrich our lives on a daily basis throughout Brooklyn.

As a 5 year old and a 6,7,8 and 9 year old I couldn't have been any closer to him, or him to me, literally.  He remained a part of my life as I previously explained.   And I feel every drive down Bedford Ave is an opportunity for me to express my unyielding and never ending respect for the person they called,

The Quiet Man.

I've been feeling a little 55 Since 55 ' ish lately.

This is also another opportunity to thank Emma over at:

http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/

for sending me the patch.

The Cyclones remember Gil.

*wiki pic ~ Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge

One of my most prized posessions.

*****************************************************

Here Rests Edward J. McKeever;

Dodgers Baseball Club of Brooklyn

Born 1859; Brooklyn ~ Passed 1925; Brooklyn

For OldBrooklynFan, Emma

and Everyone blogging over on

"Inside the Dodgers"

...for your eyes only (kinda).

Mike.BTB

More Bedford Blues...

OK ~ another 5 minutes won't hurt my schedule today. I'm always snapping these pics from time to time. I just can't help it.

Mike.BTB

Bedford Ave. Blues

I get a little ticked off every time I drive by and see this. Well...more to the point I get upset every time I'm reminded what used to be here. But I'm a glutton for punishment and every time I can sneak in a quick drive-by, I do.

Everyone knows what I'm talking about....right?


Mike.BTB

J - E - T - Stop!

J - E -T - S

Just Enjoy Tanenbaum's Signings

Just Enjoy The Show

Just Enjoy The Season

..and what the heck...Eli, Just Enjoy The Stitches.

BUT ~ !!

This is still a

 

GIANTS

TOWN

 

 

 

Any other talk is lunacy.

 

 

Mike.BigBlue

Bobby Thompson ~ N.Y. Giants

The man who hit

The Shot Heard 'Round the World!

in 1951 vs. the Brooklyn Dodgers;

BOBBY THOMPSON

Member ~ New York Giants B.B.C.

Has passed away at the age of 86.

Thank You Mr. Thompson

for a Baseball Moment

that will live forever.

Ralph Branca

signed my program at a Brooklyn Cyclones game a few years ago.

I had this picture of Bobby and Ralph hanging on my wall for many years.

This would be that autograph; cut out and put into the frame.

My respects to the

Thompson Family

Bobby,

rest well my friend. 

NY Daily News

 

Mike.BTB

Nine Days...Yea, We Tried.

Nine days does not a Youth Movement make.

Jeff has a coin.  One side is the fiasco of 1991~1993(wanna include 2003?).  The other side is the second half of 1983, and 1984.  It's up to him. I have a 50% faith factor he will get this right.

This is year 8 After Doubleday.  This is Wilponianism. 

It is up to him just like Sternberg (the B'klynite) instigated the change in Tampa/St.Pete.  Texas recognized with ARod, Colorado with Hampton, and most recently Houston ate cash (without mentioning how much $$ the NYY eat) because they recognized their business needed a correction.

We can't have four players on the roster with no role and whom no one wants.  That's precious roster space if they're committed to a youth movement.  It's unlikely they'll be able to get out of KRod's full contract value. If they do...good, but there still needs to be more.  Ollie or Castillo, please, at least one contract needs to be corrected in every sense of the word.

I'm sure the Mets book keepers leave a trail of hair follicles everywhere they go.  That's why there's so much trepidation.  Stop being a jellyfish Jeff.  He came on like the cavalry during the Bernazard situation and I'll give him props for going to Atlanta earlier this season to "inspect" his club.  That's when this team short after got hot playing well into the all star break. Those guys were not the April guys who stunk up the month. And now that all the Old School is back, so is the angst.  Clearly since "they" all got reassembled we've turned right back into the iceberg.  And this time Jeff was no where to be found in light of the KRod development, when he needed to be available. 

April, pre-break and post break are three episodes of this 2010 show.

Omar's planets aligned for one season when Valentin jacked 22 HR, LoDuca hit .300 and Delgado slugged like Delgado. But to include those three, Omar has juggled the same LF, RF, 2B, 1B, C positions that needed addressing when he got here. Each position has been a revolving door since 2005. Bay, Frenchy and Barajas are just the latest on growing lists; Castillo withstanding (pfff).

I once said this team lacks a strong Baseball minded President because clearly we need separation between Omar and Jeff.


I've been saying since the winter 2010 is the Wilpon's cross road. They are here. What'cha gonna do Jeff?

This post is a comment I left today on Prince of NY's Blog



Mike.BTB

Battle of the (New Meadowlands?)

(photo ~ picsdigger.com)

I don't care what you want to call the place both NYC's football teams play in.

Just don't call me late for the game.

Don't worry Mets Fans.  It's Football Season!!

Almost.

Usually, this preseason game between the

New York GIANTS

and the

New York JETS

...doesn't take place till preseason week three.  But because both teams deserve the satisfaction of playing the first football game ever at the team's new complex, the two teams will square off tonight, on Monday Night Football (?) and
inaugurate the stadium together.

Old and New, side by side.

Yes, it's preseason, but for some reason we like this game around here.

To use a baseball reference, this game reminds me of the

MAYOR'S TROPHY GAME.

That was an exhibition game played annually between the
Mets and Yanks

with the proceeds going to charity.
(no more)

There's been a lot of talk this summer as to whether this is now a

JETS town or a GIANTS town.

I'll deal with that moronic notion in a different post....soon.

But for now....I know it's only pre-season...but,

LET'S GET IT ON!

Mike.BTB

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/


FINAL
GIANTS   31
JETS        16

Eli Gives Blood

in winning effort

 

 

Mike.BTB

Mike Puma of NY Post ~ On the Mets

"The Mets rookie experiment has left the laboratory on fire and on the verge of exploding," is what Mike Puma of the Post chose to use as his opening line in his column today.

This is in reference to the recent call-ups of Ruben Tejada and Fernando Martinez. Perhaps, as Mike says they were brought in "nine days ago to supposedly energize the Mets, but neither is making his mark."

How would you have liked if after your first nine days writing for the Post I would have blasted you for not inspiring me to not only pay for a Post, but much less read their sports section because you weren't writing something beyond Yawn Inducing.

It's nine days Mike; Nine! Don't misplace focus of the real issues this team faces on a rookie sample 9 days old.

You want to be critical of this club? Fine. I am.

But your little article in today's Post was just a maggot ridden attempt at sensationalism at a couple of Rookie's expense.

If you're in the business, know better to give a kid a break. But at a minimum, just be better than today.

I'm no stranger to your column but today's was terribly unecessary and if you wanted to say something in jest you should have warned everyone of your dry sense of humor first.

You could have saved me five minutes of my life.

Mike.BTB

DREAMS PARK, COOPERSTOWN ~ Little League Tournament

LIVE

from

DREAMS PARK

Cooperstown, New York

Little League Baseball

brought to you by

My Cousins !!!

My Little Cousin Justin is up in Cooperstown this week for

Tournament Baseball.

He's there with Big Cousin, his POP, and someone who is a brother to me.

DAVE.

The

"Jolly Young Players"

you see below in red and white represent the

Long Beach Nationals Baseball Club

Long Beach ~ Lido Beach Little League

Scenes from Tent City

These are pins the players are trading with each other.

The Tribe pin on the left belongs to the Virginia Beach team.

The pin on the right is from a team hailing from Seattle.

This is Long Beach's cap with more collected pins.

And here's an Umpire's Pin.

This was my CUZ earlier this season in game action...

...Legging out an extra-base hit!

THE PARADE 

into

DREAM PARK 

where there will be a

HOME RUN CONTEST

this afternoon.

The beautiful mountains of upstate New York

and Baseball.

OPENING CEREMONIES

The HOME RUN DERBY is next.

This will be an on-going post so keep checking out this page for as

long as our team stays in competition during the week.

I will keep posting updates and pictures as fast as my cousin can keep me updated!

These are helpful links if you want to follow along:

http://www.eteamz.com/longbeachlidobeachlittleleague/

and this link is spectacular for the pictures alone. 

It's all the coverage of the

Cooperstown's American Youth Baseball

Hall of Fame Invitational Tournaments

http://www.cooperstowndreamspark.com/

I'm waiting for the first update on how Justin is doing during his turn in the

Home Run Derby

The shadows you see in the foreground are all the parents and fans.

That's as close as the Tournament would allow them!  LOL

Parents are the worst!

: D

The Final report on Justin's day in the HR Derby:

He hit 2 Home Runs.  Pop said he hit a bunch of frozen ropes.

Two more went off the wall.

But alas, no 2nd round.

The Tournament starts in earnest tomorrow.

Dave will be coaching and we are going to get field level pictures!

Here's the Levittown Cyclones team pin.

MIKE.BTB

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

****DAY 2****

SUNDAY ~ August 15, 2010

Long Beach Nationals play this afternoon at 1:45p.m.

Here are scenes from an early game.

It's game time!

Justin is #14 and playing Left Field today.

He'll be batting 6th in the line-up

Justin is all suited up

The team poses for a pregame picture

GOOD LUCK BOYS!!

Scene of today's action.  First things first ~ Stretching!

GAME TIME

Long Beach Nationals (NY)

vs.

Cheviot Hills Bombers (CA)

Justin at the bat

A big moment in this game ~ Long Beach leading 4-1 in the bottom

of the 4th inning.  Cheviot Hills had the bases loaded with two out.  A wild pitch by Long Beach allowed the home team to score another run and move the runners along to 2nd and 3rd base.

The score stood 4-2 in the bottom of the 4th with two outs, in a 6 inning game.  With the lead in the balance stellar defense from the left side preserved the 4-2 lead for the Long Beach Nats.

When it was all said and done, the visiting team of today's game,

the LONG BEACH NATIONALS

defeated the home team; Cheviot Hills Bombers

5-2

Congratulations Boys!!

To the young men of the Bombers I say you've done everything this afternoon

to exemplify why this is the greatest game in the world with your gamesmanship,

desire, high level of proficiency and respect for the game.  Well Done.

Stay tuned for some vids on YouTube.

Justin worked out a walk in this at-bat.

Here's the last out and the post-game handshakes.

The second game for the

Long Beach Nationals is this evening at 7 p.m.

Field #18

Currently  as/of  8 p.m.

GAME 2

HUGUENOT HUSKIES (VA)  7

vs.

LONG BEACH NATIONALS (NY)  1

bottom of the 2nd inning

Our Long Beach hurler is struggling with control.

He has walked 9 batters in 2 innings worked.

I just have reports of the final.  It's not good.

Huguenot Huskies (VA) ~ 12

Long Beach (NY) ~ 4

FINAL

Get yourselves a good night's sleep tonight boys.  You've had a hell-of-a-day.

Tomorrow are new games and today doesn't matter anymore.

Tomorrow the Long Beach team is scheduled

to play at 11 a.m.

and 4 p.m.

See you then.

********************************************************

DAY THREE

Monday  August 16, 2010

The first game for the Long Beach Nationals today was scheduled for 11 a.m. this morning.

The game was held up by rain but they played a full game afterwards.

Game One

LONG BEACH NATIONALS (NY)

vs.

DARE COUNTY HAMMERHEADS (NC)

The field received the pre-game treatment.

And then the rain came.......and went.

The Game:

The Nationals were down early 4-0.  In the 4th inning they mounted a furious comeback

and plated 7 runs to make it a 7-4 game.

The HammerHeads answered back with one run in the 5th inning to make it 7-5. 

Moving on to the 6th inning, the home team Nationals needed to protect their lead.

Big Dave said with runners on first and third and no outs, it was time to summon the National's closer.  The Hammerheads made it 7-6 but the Nats managed to secure two outs during that time.

The final out was made and victory belonged to the home team.

The Long Beach Nationals (NY)

defeated

Dane County HammerHeads (NC)

7-6

* * * * *

Game Two

The Long Beach Nationals

next game is 4p.m.

vs.

Wellesley Raiders (MA)

The early reports aren't good.

The Nationals are down to the Raiders 3-0 after 3 innings.

Wellesley's pitcher is throwing gas.  75+ on the gun.

He has 8 strikeouts through three innings.

In a word...

YIKES!

The updates were coming in.  My Cuz was txt'ing me.

First it was 3-0

Then 6-0

then 10-0

finally 12-0

...and ultimately

MERCY!

That's why you have to have a short memory in Baseball,

because tomorrow is another day to win. 

Today no longer matters and has nothing to do with tomorrow.

There is only one thing that matters right now;

Go out tomorrow and play hard.

Big Cuz said this Wellesley Raiders (MA) team is the best he has seen so far.

The Long Beach Nationals are now 2-2.

There are two games remaining in Pool Play.

Three wins will most likely get us into Wednesday's games.  They need one more.

Securing a spot for Wednesday play with only two wins will require a lot of help

from the other teams and those results.

That's the way today played itself out.

Two more games tomorrow ~ Be there.

That's Baseball!