American Fans Should Take Note

Rabid Japanese fans pack Tokyo Dome for 2-game series




By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
March 31, 2004

I admit being out here on the left coast, the prospect of getting up at 2 a.m. PST to watch the Yankees play the Devil Rays some 8,000 miles away didn’t warm the cockles of my soul. That is especially true, when I have to be at my place of employment by 6:00 a.m. Thank goodness for video recording devices. After looking over yesterday’s game I did brave getting out of bed at 4:00 a.m. PST this morning. I went downstairs and turned on the TV, while crossing my fingers the score today would be more favorable to the Yankees. The screen came alive to the YES Network broadcast in the 7th inning just in time for me to see Jorge Posada knock out his second 3-run bomb of the game to turn an 8-1 hammering into an 11-1 blowout. The Yanks added one more run and the final as you all will eventually know was 12-1.

Kevin Brown was masterful. He looked like the guy the Dodgers had gotten from the San Diego Padres, who had acquired him from the Florida Marlins after the Marlins’ successful World Series run in 1997. The Dodgers in 1998 agreed to a then-record 7-year $105 million contract with Kevin, but injury plagued years in between made the pickup and contract a mixed blessing. When Brown was healthy he was winning. When he was on the sidelines he was an expensive liability. When the Yankees lost Roger Clemens to a supposed retirement and Andy Pettitte to the Houston Astros they had to find quality replacements in a hurry. The Yanks signed Javier Velasquez from the Montreal Expos and traded for Brown by sending Jeff Weaver to the Dodgers. Brown, who has 2 years remaining on his 7-year contract, looked worth every penny in today’s game. He threw seven innings, while striking out 5 and walking one. He gave up a first inning run to the D-Rays, but pretty well shut them down after that.

However, the point of my story is not about Kevin Brown. In reviewing the Game 1 tape and watching the last three innings of Game 2 I noticed and was impressed by one thing. I couldn’t help, but be impressed by the Japanese fans. Even in an 8-3 loss yesterday and a 12-1 blowout victory today the pro-Yankees, Japanese, crowd stayed for every pitch. Camera flashes were popping all over the Tokyo Dome. They yelled and cheered as though it was the 7th game of the World Series. Even as the YES Network came back for its post-game wrap up you could still see the place was packed with fans. It’s like they didn’t want to leave or the game to end. I was in awe of the energy I was watching and listening to coming from the stands. It was an impressive display of baseball fandom.

I live in Southern California, near Edison Field, the home of the Anaheim Angels. So please forgive me if I found the energy of the Japanese fans as something to write about. You see I am used to seeing fans show up in the 3rd inning and leaving after the 6th or 7th inning. That’s whether their team is winning or losing. It’s a trait amongst California fans to be fashionably late, and then go home early. I have seen it in other parks too. Even in Yankee Stadium, although it’s usually not quite as pronounced as it is here. Maybe, because of the gazillion other things people can do here year around, baseball isn’t as all important anymore.

Me, I’m a throwback to the days of getting to the stadium early and watching batting practice and warm ups. To me getting a dog, peanuts and a beer and then sitting back and watching nine full innings of baseball is what it is all about. I sit whether my team is winning or losing. That in my mind is how a true fan of the sport and your team is supposed to act. You live and die by your team. I hate it when the last out of the World Series is recorded, regardless of who’s playing, and I can’t wait for pitchers and catchers to report in February.

Yes, major league baseball is supposed to be America’s sport, but for the past two days it was adopted by the predominant Japanese fans that made it their own. Although, I’m not a big fan of sending our teams to open up the season in a foreign country I can see why the MLB does it. It’s a successful venture. It makes money and it’s a very positive public relations tool. Those fans acted the way OUR FANS should act. Win or lose, be passionate about America’s game and support your team for the entire season.


PLAY BALL!



(c) 2004 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com

Redistribution, rewriting, rebroadcast, or republication of this story is prohibited without the prior written consent of Yankees Talk Shop and it's affilitates

More Mo

Multi-year deal keeps Rivera in pinstripes




By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
March 24, 2004

After the perceived Andy Pettitte debacle Yankee fans were justifiably nervous when the Yankees began negotiating to re-sign their world class closer Mariano Rivera to a contract. Rivera, who would have become a free agent at season’s end, stated at the outset of the 2004 spring training campaign he wants to retire a New York Yankee. He was also looking for a three-year deal to keep him in pinstripes through the 2007 season.

The Yankees who are notorious for letting their home grown players twist in the wind when it comes to contract negotiations wasted no time in getting started in retaining Rivera. General Manager Brian Cashman and Rivera’s agent, Fernando Cuza, began dialogue almost immediately after Rivera made it clear he wanted to play his entire career in the Bronx.

Rivera, whose path to greatness began in 1996 when he was the set up man for then closer John Wetteland, is the Yankees’ career leader in saves with 238. He has been a part of four World Series teams (1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000), six AL championship teams (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003) and seven East Division championship teams (1996, 1998-2003). He is a five-time all-star and was named the MVP of last year’s ALCS when the Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox in seven games. Additionally, Rivera is ten games shy of the Yankees’ record for pitching appearances, which is currently held by Dave Righetti.

With the signing of Rivera today the Yankees coaching staff can breathe a big sigh of relief knowing they’re going to be solid in the closer's role through the next two, and possibly three seasons. The deal is reportedly good for the 2005 and 2006 seasons, with the Yankees holding an option for the 2007 season. Rivera is guaranteed $10.5 million for the first two seasons and if the Yankees pick up his option (based upon the number of appearances made in 2005 and 2006) Mariano will again make $10.5 million.

Rivera made it clear he wants a shot at the Hall of Fame and he wants to do it wearing a Yankees cap. In this writer’s opinion Mariano Rivera is the game's all-time greatest closer. His entry into the Hall of Fame is ensured. Now we can be thankful he can do it as a Yankee. Congratulations to Brian Cashman and George Streinbrenner for taking care of one of your own. Let the season begin.


PLAY BALL!



(c) 2004 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com

Redistribution, rewriting, rebroadcast, or republication of this story is prohibited without the prior written consent of Yankees Talk Shop and it's affilitates

Hey Sheff! There’s No Crying In Baseball

Sheffield’s latest whine puts him at odds with GM Cashman




By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
March 11, 2004

As many of us surmised from the beginning the whining has begun. The speculation is now reality. Gary Sheffield isn’t a happy camper and he’s making sure everybody knows about it. The Sheffield era in New York has begun and already he is at odds with the press and more specifically his general manager.

First it was the steroid issue. Sheffield and his attorney said that all Gary’s dealings with BALCO, the company allegedly distributing THG and other steroid supplements to athletes, was only having vitamins shipped to him. In fact his attorney said that Sheffield “never knowingly” ingested any form of a human growth or performance enhancing substance. Huh? Unless you’re unconscious and unable to resist someone making you ingest something you don’t want in your system how do you not know what’s going over the teeth and over the gums and look out tummy here it comes? It sounded like a bunch of legalese to me. What’s the matter? Does BALCO have better vitamins than a GNC store?

Sheffield opens up his big mouth and says for the entire world to hear he’d be the first in line to take a drug test. However, when he’s offered the opportunity by a sports writer to do just that he goes into an expletive laced rant and refuses to do what he said he’d do. He hides behind the MLBPA and says the union doesn’t want him giving a voluntary test. He says he will acquiesce to the union’s wishes. That’s hogwash Gary. You want to prove you didn’t use steroids, then step up and take the test. The union can’t stop you. So, once again, another athlete opens up his pie hole, makes a proclamation and, then, backs away from his statements.

Now comes the latest incident in Sheffield’s life. The right fielder apparently injured his thumb sometime back in the 2003 season while playing for the Atlanta Braves. During spring training he re-injured the ligament in his right thumb. At first it appears that Sheffield will only miss a couple of days, pending an MRI on the thumb. The exam reveals the ligament in Sheffield’s thumb is definitely injured and the team, through GM Brian Cashman, speculates Gary might miss two to three months of action due to the nature of the injury.

Sheffield was surprised and angered to find his condition printed in the New York papers. He goes back to the doctors and he tells them it hurts when he does certain things. They tell him don’t do those certain things and surgery, for now, is avoided. So what started out as a possible long stay on the disabled list is now a couple of days of rest and then back to business as usual.

No big deal right? Wrong! Sheffield handled the incident like he has his whole entire career. He overreacted. He tells the press he’s “pissed off” with Cashman and the Yankees telling the press about his injury before speaking to him and before all the results of the tests were in. Gary’s take is “talk to me first.” Okay, fair enough. However, shouldn’t you practice what you preach? Instead of going directly to Brian Cashman and voicing his displeasure he goes right to all the microphones and tape recorders and let’s everyone know about his displeasure with how the injury situation was handled. His blast was heard 12 miles away in Clearwater where Cashman was attending a post-arbitration meeting with other GM’s. Cashman, like a trained fireman, left the meeting, headed back to Legends Field and worked on putting out the fire before it turned into a four-alarm blaze.

Cashman and Sheffield sat down and talked things over. Both emerged from the meeting feeling better about the other. Cashman admits he may have been a little hasty in his assessment of Sheffield’s injury, but he also made Sheffield aware he’s playing in the fishbowl of New York City. He’s no longer playing in the ATL, which has only one major newspaper. He’s now playing in the Big Apple, where the press puts its sports teams under a relentless and unending microscope. It’s a colonoscopy of words Gary. The New York media will climb up your you-know-what looking for a story. So you better become accustomed to the new climate called Yankeeland. If you don’t your stay in New York won’t be a pleasant one. If he were still alive you could ask Roger Maris about the press. Better still ask Jeff Weaver. One lost his hair and the other lost his confidence. A thin skin in New York City is a recipe for disaster. Welcome to New York Gary. Now get used to it.


PLAY BALL!



(c) 2004 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com

Redistribution, rewriting, rebroadcast, or republication of this story is prohibited without the prior written consent of Yankees Talk Shop and it's affilitates