Scoreboard Gourmet

Yankee Stadium's Best Food: Mike's Deli

TFMJ and I used to disagree: I liked Mike's Deli better and he preferred Carl's Steaks. Today, however, we are in agreement: Mike's Deli is Yankee Stadium's Best Food.
Which doesn't mean we're never having a cheesesteak again (we were, in fact, planning to have one as our second opening day stadium eat) but it does mean that today's Meatball Parm Hero from Mike's (which didn't look that great) was fantastically delicious (and I had to rip it in half with my hands - two strikes against it).

Since mostly everyone was waiting out the delay indoors, the concessions areas were packed. Smart move, Centerplate and Yankees - an extra day of income. So what did You eat at Yankees Faux Opening Day?

yankees fans hungry, game or rain

"We're gonna run out of hot dogs; I know it," said a vendor (pictured) at 1:18p, when the rain delay was predicted to be 1h. She didn't make it 3 rows before she was sold out.

Now we're waiting for the team to evaluate their options re playing the game (also pictured). Yes we think that's Girardi and Cashman out there for five seconds in the damp grass.

Opening Day Opening Day Opening Day

Royals at Tigers, 1:05 p.m. ET
Gil Meche v. Justin Verlander.

Blue Jays at Yankees, 1:05 p.m. ET
Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson will throw out the first pitch in a season that marks the 30th anniversary of the Yankees' 1978 repeat championship.

D-backs at Reds, 2:10 p.m. ET
Cincinnati is Opening Day. There is no bigger tradition in baseball -- except perhaps the use of the baseball itself -- than a season starting with a home game there, says Mark Newman / MLB.com

Brewers at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. ET
Ben Sheets v. Carlos Zambrano.

White Sox at Indians, 3:05 p.m. ET
Mark Buehrle v. C.C. Sabathia 

Rays at Orioles, 3:05 p.m. ET

Nationals at Phillies, 3:05 p.m. ET
Matt Chico v. Brett Myers

Mets at Marlins, 4:10 p.m. ET
Johan Santana v. Mark Hendrickson

Giants at Dodgers, 4:10 p.m. ET
Barry Zito v. Brad Penny

Rockies at Cardinals, 4:15 p.m. ET

Rangers at Mariners, 6:40 p.m. ET
Kevin Millwood v. Erik Bedard

Pirates at Braves, 7:10 p.m. ET
Ian Snell v. Tom Glavine

Astros at Padres, 10:05 p.m. ET
Roy Oswalt v. Jake Peavy

Booing the President at Nationals Park

Did people really Boo the President when he walked on the field of Nationals Park? I mean, I can think of plenty of reasons why someone might want to Boo the President but this is the Opening Night of Baseball and the First Game at Nationals Park and you knew he was going to have a decent throw. Sit down, jerks who Booed him, and get a grip.

Now on a happier note - Yea! it's Baseball Season! Thankfully I hate the Braves so I have a reason to root for the W's, I mean the Nats (what's the deal with that lame-o W logo? it looks so minor league. and, is it in competition with that DC logo?).

More...Scoreboard Gourmet has a reporter on scene...details as I get them. She's a good eater so I am sure we'll get something good.

And feel free to write in with your own reviews.
Play Ball!

Andy Phillips, Happy Birthday!

No, it's not today...April 6th is Reach Magazine Family Day (one member of the family pays full price and the rest of the immediate family may purchase non-premium seats at half-price in advance of game day only) and Magnetic Schedule/Car Magnet Day (free refrigerator and car magnet featuring the "Nuxy" patch worn by the players) at the Great American Ballpark. And it's the 31st birthday of one Andy Phillips, the only Reds player to play every game of Spring Training.

Of course Andy Phillips was reassigned, but we don't yet know to which Minor League level. He batted .277 with 11 RBIs in Spring Training, but it wasn't enough to persuade the Reds. Chattanooga Lookouts? That's the Double-A. As soon as I hear, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, here's the New Offerings at the Great American Ballpark:
Fried cookie dough, hot roasted peanuts and almonds, made-to-order fruit smoothies, hot-off-the-popper caramel corn and juicy turkey burgers, garlic fries, and LaRosa’s calzones – a regional favorite.

Plus, Sportservice is adding the Montgomery Inn’s nationally popular ribs to the ballpark menu; they join the brand’s increasingly popular pulled pork sandwiches – both are prepared using Montgomery Inn’s award-winning BBQ sauce.

Snickers Garage Sale Sweepstakes

I don't know how or where I heard about this but here's the info...

Hit the track with engines blasting this race season and enter the SNICKERS ULTIMATE GARAGE SALE! Sweepstakes. With 10 weeks of amazing prizes, just grab a specially marked SNICKERS King Size Bar and get ready to win.    
* Enjoy your feast and find the code under the wrapper    
* Bank your codes and save them for a chance to win future grand prizes or    
* Enter them for a chance to win the current week's grand prize.

I think I'm going to buy a Snickers for the photo not displayed here.

Nationals Tickets

The first game in the new Nationals Park, as you know, is Sunday. The President will be throwing out the first pitch. That's cool. I imagine Nationals fan, vendors, and the whole city are excited about the new ballpark, which makes me very confused by the lame-o Nationals tickets I just got in the mail. These tickets could not be more nondescript. In fact, the opposing team is listed first, on top of the Nationals. No cool logo, no team colors, nothing. Big mistake letting tickets.com handle the ticketing.
Has anyone else seen these tickets? Lame.

US Athletes Eating US Food During Olympics in China

From the AP...The United States Olympic Committee's plan to bring its own food to China has disappointed the head of food services for the Beijing Olympics.

"I feel it's a pity that they [the Americans] decided to take their own food," Kang Yi, the head of the food division for the Beijing organizing committee, said Thursday. She added the USOC had not officially notified her department of the plan.

The USOC is planning to transport tons of meat and other foods to a training camp at Beijing Normal University. The 600-plus American athletes are expected to eat their daily meals at the Athletes Village, USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said. But the U.S. delegation also includes an additional 400-plus personnel -- support coaches, trainers, etc. -- who are not eligible for food service at the village and therefore will eat most of their meals at Beijing Normal.

Seibel said the food service at Beijing Normal will serve as a supplement to the village, which will house about 17,000 athletes and officials during the Aug. 8-24 Games and be capable of serving 6,000 meals simultaneously.

Finish reading story here.

Personally I am not surprised by this at all. Are You?

Watch the SF Giants Opening Away Game at Home

For the first time ever, the SFGiants will open the ballpark for fans to watch the season opener on the scoreboard on March 31st (Giants vs. Dodgers).
The party begins at 11:00a on Monday, March 31st. Fans can take batting practice on the field, enjoy free hot dogs (first 5,000 people), and watch, live and in-person, Hall of Famer Willie Mays and PA announcer Renel Brooks-Moon officially unveil Comcast Bay Area’s new outfield sign.

The Yankees did something like this last year at Bryant Park and it was much fun. Go. Check it out and let me know what You think. Monday April 7th is the Home Opener, by the way.

MLB Players Turned Concessionaires

This is fun. Following is a list of the 6 ballparks who have former players, managers, announcers who now flip burgers and sign autographs on game day. Great idea, Aramark.
That's the Manny Sanguillen autograph I got last year (pictured). I had no idea who he was but there was a big line of people wanting to see him and eat his bbq so I stood with them and had him sign my ticket. TFMJ didn't know who he was either but that didn't stop us from putting the ticket up on our magnet wall of favorite things. In case you're wondering, he played for the Pirates from 1967 to 1980, not including 1977 when he played for the A's. He turned 64 on March 21st. Happy Belated, Manny.

• Former Orioles MVP Boog Powell - Boog’s BBQ: Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards

• Former Phillies homerun hitter Greg “The Bull” Luzinski - Bull’s BBQ: Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park

• Former Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant - El Tiante’s: Boston’s Fenway Park

• Former Astros manager Larry Dierker - Larry’s Big Bamboo: Houston’s Minute Maid Park

• Former Pirates catcher Manny Sanguillen - Manny’s BBQ: Pittsburgh’s PNC Park at North Shore

• Braves announcers Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren - Skip & Pete’s Hall of Fame Barbeque: Atlanta’s Turner Field

Stuffed Thursdays with the Connecticut Defenders

ValuMail All-You-Can-Eat packages (sodas, hot beverages, hamburgers/cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pretzels, and popcorn, plus ticket to the game) are available for each Thursday Defenders home game (10 in total). Packages are $15 for adults and $12 for kids (12 & under). Season passes are available for all ten Thursday games for only $125 per adult and $100 per kid.

Fans will receive unique bracelets upon entering the ballpark and will have access to their own third base concession stand. Food will start being served when the gates open and run all the way through the end of the seventh inning.