January 11, 2007

Fan Or Foe?: Rude Fan Behavior

In my neighborhood there is a man who won't talk to me anymore. Our children used to play together and our wives were friends. Yet, one day, about four years ago, he decided he didn't need to speak to me again. My crime? I'm a Yankees fan and he's a Mets fan. I am not exaggerating any of this. It didn't help matters that he's a Democrat and I'm a Republican. To him, those attributes were damning enough and were fuel for rivalry; yet our most heated (and ultimately one sided) debates were focused on baseball.

I'm one of those people who is a baseball fan first, and a Yankee fan second. My former "friend" considers him a Mets fan first and last. It didn't matter to him that my father is a Mets fan; many of the folks I work with and socialize with are Mets fans. No, to him I was an enemy agent, a person who should be treated with contempt every time the Yankees made one of their questionable and costly free agent signings. In his mind, I was just as guilty as George Steinbrenner for "ruining the game" as he put often put it. How could I sleep at night being a fan of such greed and largess?

When it comes to baseball (or for any topic for that matter) I prefer objective and calm discourse. Reasonable folks can disagree on just about anything and still behave themselves. At my place of employment, we are staffed with individuals who can rant about the failings of their favorite team, and then boast of their accomplishments without having to insult fans of rival teams. A bit of friendly ribbing here and there is accepted as part of the fun of rivalry; but, no one goes too far. The discussions aren't loud, insults aren't exchanged, and ultimately, there is an acceptance of the other person's point of view, no matter how much it hurts. Does this make us unique? No, I don't think so. I've met married couples where the wife is a Yankee fan and the husband a Mets fan, and vice-versa. What sticks in my craw, and what becomes emblematic of team rivalries is ugly fan behavior. The "former friend" in the opening paragraph of this piece reflects such bad attitudes to the extreme.

My allegiance to the Yankees is my prerogative. It says nothing about my political or social beliefs. George Steinbrenner does not pay me to go to Yankee games, buy their paraphernalia, or watch the YES network. I choose to root for the Bronx Bombers because my affection for the Yankees comes from an appreciation for their organization's dedication to winning, warts and all. With that said, I shouldn't be punished for it by deranged fans of other ball clubs. Nor should any Yankee fan do the same to other fans as well. The way sports are headed these days, with bad fan behavior at sports venues around the country becoming more prevalent, we're not too far removed from European soccer. In a few years, everyone will be bringing helmets to the game even though they are not on the team.

My disgust reaches its peak when rude fan behavior is carried away from the stadium and reaches its way into employment and social settings. Too many times I've found myself cornered at a party having to fend off guys with scant knowledge of the game spouting off about how the "Yankees are trying to buy the World Series." It's boring already. Just as many times I've witnessed Yankee fans gloating in the faces of glum Red Sox and Mets fans without so much as having been to Yankee stadium, or being able to name even two pitchers in the Yankees starting rotation. This makes me cringe.

I've written in the past of the importance of baseball, and sports in general, to society for a whole host of reasons, up to and including bringing us away from the turmoil in our lives and escaping into a world where on any day, any team can beat any team. Trouble, I've observed, comes when fans take their devotion for their team so seriously, they see the success or failure of their favorite sports franchise as a direct reflection on them. It’s as if their favorite team loses, they must be a loser too.

My former friend stopped socializing with me around the same time the Mets weren't doing so well. I saw him a few times this past October when the Yankees were ejected from the playoffs by the Tigers and the Mets moved on to the NLCS. He still wouldn't talk to me, but I know that deep down he wanted to slam on the brakes in front of my house and yell "Yankees suck!" at the tops of his lungs. Such is his own undoing.
In the words of an infamous criminal and victim of police brutality: "Can't we all just get along?"

January 3, 2007

Exit Saddam, Enter Baseball: A Look At Baseball In Iraq

Beyond being a game of historical significance, to this writer, baseball symbolizes freedom. One immediately conjures an image of Jackie Robinson donning a major league baseball uniform to defy segregation in the 1950’s. America, for all of its glory has an evil past which is uncomfortable for many to talk about. But baseball’s full potential was realized when the game was integrated. Men like Robinson fought against stereotypes, ignorance, and bigotry to play America’s Pastime.

There is a photograph of Jackie Robinson meeting with King Faisal II of Iraq. This picture was taken in 1952 after a game at Ebbets Field. The youthful King Faisal II was a baseball fan and the meeting was more than historical, it was a portent to the future.

Under Saddam Hussein, baseball and all things western were antagonistic to Saddam’s regime. One played baseball at the risk of interrogation, prison, or even torture. In a blog called Iraq4ever while discussing women’s softball in Iraq after the fall of Saddam, the author states: “The Iraqi national baseball and softball federation was established after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Hussein considered baseball a product of U.S. imperialism.”

One doesn’t need to look further than a few mouse clicks on the internet to discover that baseball has taken root in Iraq since the U.S. invasion. American soldiers have pitched in to help Iraqi children learn the game. Ismail Khalil, a Baghdad shop owner, formed the Iraqi Baseball and Softball Federation; and, according to a September, 2005 article in U.S.A. Today, “Ismael, a longtime baseball enthusiast, has worked for years to establish the sport in Iraq. In 1994, he submitted a request to the Iraqi Olympic Committee to establish a baseball team to compete against other countries. Committee members rejected the idea, saying it was "too American," he says. He spent three days in a Baghdad jail for even proposing the idea, he says.”

One must imagine the difficulty or organizing a game, much less practicing on a regular basis in Iraq today. As a parent of young children, this writer finds it stressful at times to juggle work, and chauffeuring my own children to and from their sporting events without having to worry (as Iraqis do) about suicide bombers, death squads, and “drive by” shootings. To play baseball, an American import, in any town, city, or country field in Iraq is to take your life into your hands. Many young boys and girls, men and women have been doing just that since 2003.

It is interesting to note that while Carlos Delgado, a millionaire being paid to play a game while others were risking death for doing the same, disappeared during the national anthem in protest against the war in Iraq (while a member of the Toronto Blue Jays in July, 2004). He did so while many in the country where the war he protested raged were picking up donated bats, gloves, and baseballs just to have fun at the risk of getting shot. There’s a certain amount of irony in that.

In 1952, Jackie Robinson, a citizen in a country which once practiced institutionalized slavery, sat with a King after a baseball game. Years earlier, Robinson wasn’t allowed on the field. Because of his bravery, and the boldness of a baseball franchise, he was the first African American to break the color barrier in major league baseball. In that regard, baseball became a symbol of liberty, of freedom, for all those who seek it.

Today, long after King Faisal II was assasinated in 1958, and after the removal of the brutal dictator, Saddam Hussein, young Iraqis everywhere in Baghdad and across Iraq are taking up the sport. Even in 2004 when Carlos Delgado was in the clubhouse during the national anthem in protest, young people thousands of miles away in war-torn Iraq were trying to emulate him. Whether you were for or against the U.S. invasion of Iraq, as was Delgado's right to protest, these young people trying to play Delgado's game likely would be unable if Saddam was still in power.

In Robinson’s America in the 1950’s with lynchings and church burnings being a common threat, and segregation the law, many young minorites yearned to play major league baseball and Jackie Robinson lead the way. Iraq today is battle ground, and baseball is spreading, taking hold among a new generation of infielders, outfielders, pitchers, and home-run kings. Baseball is the greatest of games, and it symbolizes freedom.

December 20, 2006

Goodbye To A True Friend

I learned early this morning that a longtime friend of mine passed away late Monday night. This page is insufficient as a memorial to such a good and honest man. He was a my partner and mentor in the NYPD.

It will be of little importance to those whom he protected in those surly New York City neighborhoods where we patrolled together that such a brave officer died. Stephen was indeed courageous. He knew police work backwards and forwards. This was one of the reasons why I wanted to work with him. In any police emergency, he knew what needed to be done and how to handle it.

Yet, Stephen was more than just a cop. He was a father and a loyal friend. When we both left the police department, he built a business and worked diligently to pay for his son's college education. And, when I couldn't find work and times were rough for me and my young family, he had me work for him. He was a fighter who traveled the tough housing projects of New York City with confidence; and he battled cancer with determination.

After a full recovery, he set about making a new life for himself and his son. He closed his business, as many businesses these days succumb to a bad economy. But, he continued to work hard, often taking midnight shifts to keep his son in school. We stayed close. Only recently he told me what a good friend I had been to him. Listening to him speak with such sincerity, I told him the same. His response was "Hey, we worked a sector car together. That's for life." There's plenty to that statement that folks who never had to rely on someone for backup would never understand. Stephen did, and he meant it.

On this ordinary day, I received a message from a friend of my friend that he died suddenly in his home. Stephen was alone at the time. His girlfriend found him. A nice woman at the Medical Examiner's Office confirmed all of this for me and erased all of my denial. As I await the details of his wake and funeral, I sit at my desk, stunned, unable to mourn. His phone number is in my cell phone, begging me to call him so I can make sure he doesn't answer it. Somehow, I imagine, this is all a cosmic joke; and it will be revealed if I would only work up the nerve to call him. But no, that won't work.

In and out of the office today, folks have been coming and going wishing both me and those I work with "happy holidays." I wish that for them too. The last time someone said it, before I sat down to write this little piece, I wondered if the same scene was playing out at the Medical Examiner's Office, and if the nice woman with the sympathetic voice who told me my friend was dead was wishing everyone "happy holidays" as well.

December 19, 2006

Roster Dilemmas And A Fan's Devotion

Weeks ago I offered up a scenario where the Yankees could keep both Bernie Williams and Melky Cabrera by training Melky to be a first baseman. While it is easier to move from the infield to the outfield, Melky is young enough and talented enough to make the switch. Also, after the Yankees were willing to train Gary Sheffield to cover first, in the post season no less, the move isn't outrageous. In fact, it makes good sense.

Instead of trading young Melky, who filled in Hideki Matsui's big shoes admirably while Hideki was on the D.L., the switch to first keeps a young player who is already productive, makes big plays, hits in the clutch, and fits in well in the clubhouse. The Yankees are interested in a setup man for Mariano, and Melky is the best trading chip they have. After such a frugal winter (for the Yankees, anyway) the Yankees should merely write a check to get a setup man. Keep the talented Cabrera who has proved he can play in pinstripes. The move to first also makes sense because the Yankees won't have to spend money on Doug Mientkiewicz, a player they have interest in a platoon situation with either Andy Philips or Josh Phelps (Newsday).

Aren't we Yankee fans tired of a platoon at first? We've had an unofficial "platoon" at first base ever since Jason Giambi started to self destruct. Melky deserves a shot at a full time position and first base is open. It's a safe bet that he'd learn quickly. If such a move were made, this would allow veteran and fan favorite Bernie Williams to return for another year as a Yankee. In this Yankee fan's humble opinion, that's worth it.

As a fan, it is tough to see your favorite players leave. Bernie, if he is indeed not signed by the Yankees again, can leave on a high note. He was treated like royalty by appreciative fan's whenever he appeared either on the field or in the batter's box last season. He will be missed if he doesn't return; but if he does, his presence will loom large, and such a player is a factor on a winning team even if his production is down, his arm a little weaker, and his speed is diminished.

Getting to know young Melky has been a pleasure. Since he stumbled onto Yankee Stadium's field (after a couple of mis-plays) he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and became a very good player who will be a star one day. This Yankee fan is hooked. To see him go will be a shame as it will be hard to root for Doug Mientkiewicz or Josh Phelps instead of Melky.

Of course, Melky is not going to play first base next year. My attempts at being an amateur GM not withstanding, it is still a good idea. We fans can get used to Doug Mientkiewicz (assuming the Yankees sign him) and Josh Phelps, especially if they do well. We can say farewell to Bernie and still wear jerseys and tee shirts with his name and number emblazoned on them. We will cheer Melky as the Yankees visit the stadium of the team they traded him to and he belts a home run off of Randy Johnson. Players like Bernie and Melky, if they are not Yankees next year, will be sorely missed. Players come and go; and as frustrating as that is, that's just the business of baseball.

December 14, 2006

From East To West: Boom Or Bust?

The Red Sox just sank over $100 gazillion dollars into a pitcher who never pitched in the major leagues, and who will not be their number one starter. Maybe the Bosox are hoping to add a "Hideki-like" player to their roster, imitating their AL East rivals the Yankees who added Hideki Matsui from Japan with great success. The Mets added their own "Matsui" a couple of years back by adding Kaz Matsui. We all know how that ended. The Red Sox better hope that with over $100 million (posting fees and newly negotiated contract) invested in Daisuke Matsuzaka that they don't get a Hideki Irabu for their money instead of a Hideki Matsui.

December 8, 2006

Merry Christmas!

I'm not going to get too mushy here, but I love Christmas. Yet, that wasn't always the case. Usually, Christmas was a holiday filled with family conflict. But, I won't elaborate on that either. Now, I am a happily married man with two young children and I realize that now the holiday is all about them. I'll let my children believe in Santa Clause, have fun searching for elves hiding between the branches of the shrubbery outside, and hope for the coolest presents to delivered by St. Nick as they have been so good all year (ahem).

You see, it took me a while to appreciate how wonderful it is to be a parent. After a recent health scare, and after losing my mother a few months ago, I began to sense my own mortality. A few weeks ago, my dad spent the weekend with us as he has been doing since mom passed away. We took him to a nearby neighborhood to see the "rich folk's houses" and their expensive Christmas displays. My string of lights and Wal Mart decorations can't compete on that scale. I made a comment about I'd like to have money like that to throw away on mere decorations. Then, my Dad turned to me and said that I have treasures that many people "only dream of having". Now I know what he meant.

Yes, I said I wasn't going to get too mushy, and I'm also not going to go into great detail, but I'm over a recent health problem and I love my family even more, if that was ever possible. Christmas is going to a truly wonderful time this year no matter what.

December 1, 2006

Bye Bye Bernie

We might lose a hero. Yes, the word "hero" is thrown around way too many times, and is used to describe unworthy people in some cases. But to me, Bernie Williams is a hero, and he might not play baseball anymore.

Bernie contributes to charity, creates wonderful music, he practices hard, and plays with guts and determination. He's not a foul mouthed man, not egotistical, and he is loved by his teamamtes. He was a clutch player for the Yankees, the only organization he ever played for, and his on the field play was responsible for many victories. But does that make him a hero? In my world, yes.

Baseball, and sports in general are more than entertainment. Sports at an early age inspires children to test themselves, achieve goals, work well with others, follow orders, build physical and emotional strength, and, most of all, to believe in themselves. Organized sports are a vital social glue which can bring entire communities, cities, and countries togther to unite behind their team.

Sports are uniguely essential to human existence. Their stars are larger than life because the take us away from the banalities, struggles, and pain of our everyday lives. Sports heroes loom large for us because their deeds are remembered for generations, perhaps for all time. None of us can imagine a historian researching something we did at work over one hundred years ago and then writing a book about it. Sports heroes, and our affinity for them, allow us to hang on for the ride. We root for them because we want to live like them. And one one of our sports figures stands out, and he or she is also a good human being, that makes him or her much more special, much more valubale to the admirer, and to society.

I was at a game in Yankee stadium a few years back. In Monument Park with my wife, we watched with a small crowd of fans as Bernie Williams sprinted back and forth along the outfield. We all shouted and waved as the revered Yankee concentrated on his workout. On his final pass, Bernie waved to all of us with a bright, genuine smile on his face. "That's Bernie Williams" a young man next to me said to his girlfriend. He gushed as he held her close and watched Bernie trot over to the dugout. I don't know why, but I felt like a kid, much as that young man may have felt, as Bernie acknowledged us with graciousness

Newsday.com reports today that the Yankees may not re-sign Bernie as their needs are in the bullpen. As reported, Bernie most likely will retire and never walk onto a baseball fieled again. Next year, I'll go to more games at Yankee stadium. In monument park, I'll have to shake of the urge to look look for Bernie sprinting past again. My favorite baseball player didn't save anyone from a burning building, didn't fight in a war, or invent a miracle drug; but, he lifted my spirits at many times in my life with his baseball heroics. For that I will remain grateful. Is he my hero? For all that baseball means to me, and for as much this man has contributed to the game both on and off the field, and for how he is as a person, yes. He's a hero. Bye Bernie. It was great rooting for you.

November 29, 2006

Cashman Or Cash Cow?

In spite of my earlier assertion that the Yankees would land a high priced free agent (i.e. Matsuzaka) before Christmas, Brain Cashman has been showing remarkable fiscal restraint this off season. Maybe this is due to a new philosophy in the Yankee organization where money is spent wisely, or the general manager is actually allowed to do his job. Or, maybe...just maybe...the Yankees are afraid of losing money? Nah. I think that Brian Cashman is finally allowed to be a real GM, and that he is being prudent.

The irony in this is that other teams are spending princely sums on free agents while the Yankees remain relatively stingy. The major moves they made so far are to dump a right fielder and a pitcher for more pitching help. Many believed that the Yankees would top all bidders in the Daisuke Matsuzaka sweepstakes, but the Red Sox threw down over $51 million dollars for the rights to negotiate with him. That was enough money to make even George Steinbrenner flinch. Now, the Red Sox are denying that this was a move to block the Yankees from signing him. Either way, the Yankees came in under the New York Mets as well, perhaps exercising financial restraint. Cashman seems content to let others make the mistakes that his team has made for decades, taking risks by spending giant sums of money on players who come to New York and fail to produce.

Now, it is reported in Newday that the Yankees have won the right to bid with lefthander Kei Igawa for the "surprisingly large winning bid of $26,000,194", according to Jim Baubach of Newsday. This isn't large compared to the huge sum of money the Red Sox threw at Matsuzaka. The Red Sox deny this was a blocking maneuver, as stated earlier. But, it is clear that the Yankees were willing to live without Matsuzaka as evidenced by their bidding strategy, and the Red Sox wasted their time if they were merely blocking the Yankees. This time, if the Yankees were afraid of being out bid by the Red Sox with Igawa, they would have bid a lot more that $26 million dollars than they did. That's restraint.

Baumbach writes: "The Yankees, however, obviously saw something in the Hanshin Tigers lefthander to think they were better off investing in him as opposed to some of the middle-of-the-rotation pitchers who have been receiving big-money deals this off-season. This move likely rules out free agents such as Ted Lilly and Gil Meche." If that's the case, then $26 million dollars makes sense for the Yankees. And while their extravagant spending of the past still taints their organization today. Looking at Cashman's moves this winter, they look like solid baseball decisions. Twenty six millions dollars is not money foolishly spent, but it's the cost of doing business in today's market.

November 27, 2006

Winning With Character, Or Characters?

Much has been said of the 1996-2000 Yankees which won four World Series championships in that time span under Joe Torre. In failing to win since then, many believe the Yankees have lost an ingredient which key members of the core group of winners from those championship seasons had, and that is character. If only they had more players such as Jeter, O'Neill, Brosius, Martinez, Posada, Justice, etc, the Yankees could win every year. Such is the mindset of many Yankee fans and baseball writers.

When describing the Yankee's universe, baseball writers summon up a corporate culture, using IBM as a comparison to the clean cut, professional image the Yankees wish to project. It is as though the clean shaven and short haired Yankees with only milk mustaches had the winning spirit, can-do attitude, and the proper work ethic to achieve post season glory. Character, it is suggested by these opinions, is defined by proper behavior, it would seem. No one questioned Paul O'Neill's character when he would attack the Gatorade cooler after striking out. That was considered intensity. But, character is often defined with intangibles. We know that is the true meaning of character which Yankee fans, writers, and even their detractors refer to. It's a safe bet we won't be watching "Yankeeography: Raul Mondesi" any time soon. He had some very tangible issues which caused him to be traded in mid-season. If you want to see "intangibles" at work, watch Derek Jeter both on and off the field. That's character.

Back to the corporate clubhouse, it was feared that Jason Giambi, hailing from the "Animal House" atmosphere in Oakland, would react poorly to the straight-laced environment in the Bronx. Jason did well, except when other distractions came his way (ahem...BALCO). One could make a case that Giambi showed character when he apologized, without saying what he was apologizing for, when the scandal broke loose. But, it would have shown tremendous character if he really did admit to what he was accused of. Yet, he didn’t. He get’s no credit for character for that.

Then, there's Randy Johnson who arrived to New York and greeted his new city and fan base by angrily shoving a reporter on the eve of his introduction to The Big Apple's fans and media. It took no character at all to apologize during his opening comments at his press conference. It was a face saving gesture, and he had to do it in order to survive. Yes, he may have been sincere in his regret; yet, if this happened in the middle of the season, one doubts if he would have summoned the courage, or would have even been motivated to ask for forgiveness. He get's no points for character there.

As 2007 approaches, fans, writers, and even the Yankee haters, await another perfunctory regular season where the Yankees are destined to trot effortlessly into the playoffs to win another World Series title. A strong argument can be made that character is a necessary component of a winning team. Looking into the recent past, the Yankees better do some re-tooling this off season and bring in players with character, and don't bring in any more characters.