Scoreboard Gourmet

Yankees Pie in the Face

The other day, waiting for the dryer, I picked up a People mag at the laundromat. The cover said something about Kate Hudson trying to get ARod to elope. They're back together, I thought? Then thought, why do I know that they're apart? Why do I know anything? Yuck. Then I noticed the mag was from last fall. Now a friend tells me ARod is dating Cameron Diaz. I don't want to know that either. Yuck. What I do want to know is what's happening at Yankee Stadium. Pictured above is the new addition to the photo-history. Ah, 2009, I remember it like it was last year. 

Last Regular Season Home Game at Yankee Stadium Tonight

No question one of the most fun and exciting games I have ever attended, the one when Jeter Tied Yankees Hit Record (crowd reaction pictured). Though it did drive me nuts that they kept showing Lyla Garrity on the big screen. But you know I love that show. It's back October 28th, which will be the start of the World Series. Literally. The World Series starts 10/28, which I have to say is pretty dang late.

Jeter is 4 hits away

Not thinking about Yankees career hits at all while out at the US Tennis Open.

April 23 and the Yankees, a brief history completely related to me, having next to nothing to do with food

This is the first year in awhile that I'm Not going to a Yankees game in honor of my birthday. I'm not even watching on TV: there is no game today. Why didn't I go yesterday? Because it was the 5th inning when I could head up there and I had no idea the game was only 1/3 finished. I guess Opening Day will have to count since we went up to Little Italy for dinner after, part of the Birthday Tradition. Or maybe 4/30. We'll see.

Last year the Yankees were in Chicago on 4/23. I thought about going. Not sure what happened there. I do recall wishing the game was in Kansas City. Instead I considered the 4/17 game v the Red Sox to be all about my birthday, but went without parents or siblings (my usual birthday game companions).

In 2007, you already know, three of us went down to Tampa and realized Devil Rays are meanies. We also learned Never to sit in the Fanciest Seats at Tropicana.

2006: 4/23 home v Orioles (my brother in law's first game)
2005: 4/24 home v Rangers (a team that included Soriano and Teixeira; Yankees Andy Phillips had 4 rbi's)
2003: Opening Day 4/7; can't figure out 4/23
2002: 4/21 home v Blue Jays
2000: 4/29 home v Blue Jays

I'm confused about 2001 (no game 4/23 but home before and after) and 2004 (home v Red Sox; def did not go to that game). I can picture rain and right field with my family for at least one of these years.

This is thrilling. I thought I had a point but who cares because it's my birthday and I can be pointless if I want to. Can You remember your last ten years of birthday games? Can you believe how much Little Italy has changed in ten years? twenty? stopping there.

Yankees in Boston Friday-Sunday. Please skip Wang's start.
p.s. yes that Yankees Stadium vendor (above, picture) is checking an id.

Joe Pepitone at Opening Day

I'm pretty confident that you're not seeing this picture anywhere else. I beg you to contact me if I am wrong.

Indians 10-Cent Beer Night, 1974

Thanks to BleacherReport's Giants27 for bringing this news from the past to my attention.

Cleveland Indians' Ten Cent Beer Night: The Worst Idea Ever

On June 4, 1974, the Cleveland Indians held "Ten Cent Beer Night."
The club intended to offer as much eight-ounce Stroh's beer as fans could drink—and for only 10 cents a pop.
Now some background from before the Indians played the Texas Rangers that night. Six days earlier there was a bench-clearing brawl between the two teams at Arlington Stadium in Texas...

Read the rest of the story here: 10¢ Beer Night Post

Imagine what can happen at $1 Beer night in Las Vegas (the 51's). Do you even need pre-history to get things jumping?

Shea Stadium Seat Sale - Monday August 25th

This is so cool and exciting...the sale of Shea Stadium seat pairs will begin Monday, August 25 at 9:00a exclusively online at Mets.com/Shea. Fans and collectors worldwide will be able to purchase orange, blue, green, and red seats for $869 per pair. The limited inventory of seats will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Each seat pair will be authenticated by Major League Baseball’s Authentication Program and affixed with a tamper-proof hologram displaying a unique identification number.

*Mets season ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase their particular seats before the August 25 general public sale. The sales of additional memorabilia will be announced later this season.

Shea Stadium seats are owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation; other stadium memorabilia is owned by the Mets, including clubhouse items such as player lockers. Through an agreement between the City and the team, the City will receive a majority of the proceeds of the sale of the entire collection of memorabilia. The Mets will donate their portion of proceeds to the Mets Foundation, which will distribute the funds to various charities. The City’s proceeds from the sale will be deposited into the City’s general fund.

The removal of Shea Stadium seating will take place within weeks of the Mets’ final home game, with the demolition of the stadium soon to follow. The metal seat frames date back to Shea’s opening season in 1964. The original 55,300 wooden seats and seat backs were removed prior to the 1980 season, when they were replaced with the seats in use today.

First Baseball Game Played in Hoboken, says Elysian Cafe and others

I don't know where I thought the First Baseball Game was Played but there's a plaque up in Hoboken, NJ (facing lower Manhattan) on 11th and Washington commemorating the June 19, 1846 event. Other towns make the claim too, but let's stay in Hoboken for a bit...

I guess they once had an Elysian Field. Now they have an Elysian Cafe, 1001 Washington, where bartenders and patrons have been donning mustaches (real and fake, inspired by 70's Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, etc) to draw attention to the game and the plaque.

On June 17th the restaurant will host a Mustache Contest (real and fake can apply) to raise money for the a new plaque. Extra proceeds will be donated to an MLB-sponsored Little League RBI (Rejuvenating Baseball in the Inner Cities) program in Jersey City.

On June 19 at 3 p.m., the Elysian Cafe will celebrate the 162nd anniversary of the historic game by reinstalling the newly renovated plaque at 11th and Washington.

I may need to drag TFMJ across the river.

Red Sox and A's in Japan

The Red Sox and A's landed in Japan today. They both play two exhibition games against Japanese teams on March 22nd and 23rd. Then, on March 25th, they face each other in the regular season opener.
That's the earliest the earliest start in MLB history. That scares me a little. No one wants year-round seasons of any sport, not even this one. The teams also play March 26th, which should give me enough time to find out if their going to ramen shops or tempura bars or what. Anyone know anything about it?

Daytona Baseball: Cubs and Bethune-Cookman

One afternoon in Daytona, TFMJ and I walked around the Jackie Robinson Ballpark, which is on a little island between the mainland and the beach. I'm pretty sure I already mentioned the history there - it's where Jackie Robinson first played outside of the Negro Leagues.
Anyway, when we saw the maroon-gold-yellow uniforms on the players in the field, we were confused. Daytona's Jackie Robinson Ballpark is home to the Daytona Cubs (Adv-A Cubs); we expected blue-white-red. We watched the practice and felt the team was at about A-level, which didn't answer any questions for us. Finally we had to ask.

We spoke to Assistant Coach Jose Vazquez and realized we were watching the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. Jose is fantastic. He told us about the school (which went from a school for black girls, to a co-ed high-school, to a junior college, to a 4-year university), and the team (they won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title last year), and places to eat in the area (one of Jose's suggestions - Boondocks - was so great we went twice in three days).

In case you didn't guess, the Wildcats and the Daytona Cubs share Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Bethune-Cookman is home again Friday March 28th v Savannah State at 6pm. The Daytona Cubs first game of the season is April 3rd v the Brevard County Manatees  (Milwaukee Brewers) at 7:05p.

More about the Ballpark's food and Jose's restaurant suggestions to come...

Baseball in Beijing; it's just like home, if everyone spoke Chinese and was new to MLB

Baseball Wraps Up First China Trip By Stephen Wade, AP...

Now that Major League Baseball has completed its first trip to China, it's looking ahead to a repeat visit.
"I would love to come back," Dodgers chairman Frank McCourt said Sunday, when Los Angeles lost to the San Diego Padres 6-3 in the finale of a two-game exhibition series. "I feel we would be making a mistake if we felt that by playing these exhibition games the job was done. The job has just begun."

Both had the feel of games played almost anywhere in America with hot dogs and peanuts on sale and vendors selling beer and soft drinks.

The first ball used in Saturday's game will go into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Read the full story here.

I am so sorry I was not part of this event. It must be so interesting to be in Beijing these days. Has it really been 8 years since I was there? Wow. I need to get more Beijing info up before August. Anyone want to help? Contact me. Thanks.