The Neighborhood Network

A common, American phenomenon disappeared sometime in the 1990’s. I blame it on cell phones. When I was a kid in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, I’d hop on my bicycle on a Saturday or during summer, and ride off to my friend’s house for the day. The only admonishment I’d receive from my mother was to be home by dinner time. I was no different than any of my friends. We all had an internal clock which ticked louder and louder as suppertime loomed. Our ears were trained to listen for a distinct signal which meant it was time to go home; our parents calling out our names from the front lawn.

It didn’t matter what I was doing or where I was, I could hear my dad’s booming voice from blocks away. My friends immediately understood they were next and their mothers or fathers would signal them soon. Before there were 4G networks and text messages, there existed the “neighborhood network.” Often, the message would be passed along by adult neighbors or other kids, who would relay the dispatch to me. “Michael, your father is calling you.” Sometimes, I’d be too involved in a game of basketball, or watching television in a friend’s living room and I would miss the call. If one of my siblings came looking for me, or if my father had to get in the car and drive through the neighborhood, I knew I was in trouble. 

Doing this today with my children would be odd and unnecessary. They both have cell phones. My twelve year old son, Jeffrey, has one so he can text us from his friends’ homes or from school if he needs a ride. My seventeen year old daughter, Juliana, has one for those reasons and to maintain contact with her intricate network of friends. My wife, Nina, and I would be considered bad parents if we deprived our kids of these devices. During my teenage years, I couldn’t imagine digging into my pocket to answer a call from my mother in the middle of a baseball game with my buddies. Today, my children expect me to text them.

Just once I’d like to stand on my front porch and shout my son’s name at dinner time. He’d be at his friend’s house down the block. I imagine him in the driveway, riding a skateboard with his pal, and he’d stop the moment he heard my voice. He’d look up, I’d wave and be transported back to a time in my life when simplicity and necessity merged together and created a charming and unique tradition. Moments later, I’d reach into my pocket and read a text message from my son asking, “Why are you yelling at me?”

Five Things About Blogging Meme

Hi Readers,

It has been a very good week here at Mr. Grudge. Articles have been piling up for future publication in this space, I broke a personal “visitor” record on Thursday (my readership is increasing, thank you!), I’ve chosen a new, three column design for this space to roll out in the next week or two (Thanksgiving is next week and there’s a lot of preparation for this holiday), and I’ve been tagged twice by two talented, prolific bloggers (see the previous post below). Mike French, owner and proprietor of “The View from Here” tagged me with a meme the other day, right after I was tagged by Eng Foo Tiam over at “Beautiful World.” Mike is a talented writer who is releasing his novel “The Dandelion Tree” on his other blog “Tales from the Tree,” where as Mike puts it “The Digg the Tree: An interactive readership where every 15 Digg votes rolls out another chapter from the book ‘The Dandelion Tree’.” So, get out your shovels, visit “Tales from the Tree” and start Digging.

The meme Mike presented me with is a very good one. There are five questions which I can’t possibly answer as artfully as Mike did with his video on “The View from Here.” However, I am a writer, and I pride myself on being able to “show, and not tell.” Anyway, without any further adieu, here are the five questions of this meme:

1. How long have you been blogging?
I’ve been a blogger for a little over a year. Originally, Mr. Grudge was a baseball blog. I am a huge baseball fan, an unabashed follower of The Bronx Bombers (that’s the New York Yankees, for the un-initiated) and I prefer the American league over the National League. One of my favorite reading topics is the history of baseball, and the business of the sport. I’ve amassed a substantial amount of essentially worthless baseball cards; worthless only to collectors, yet valuable to me. My blog was noticed by the owner of Gotham Baseball Magazine, and on a semi-regular basis, I submitted my posts to their fine publication where they were published online. I grew tired of blogging about baseball and eventually stopped submitting my less than stellar baseball observations to the nice folks at G.B. and closed my blog from June until late September of this year. That month, I began to blog again, but this time about my true passion: writing. What’s funny is that my original baseball blog attracted about two to three readers a week, including the traffic from the baseball magazine’s website. The new Mr. Grudge had more readers in the first week of it’s re-creation than it had in an entire year as its former self. Now, I have more visitors in a day than I had all year. It’s gratifying and marvelous at the same time.

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?
My blogging was inspired by my desire to write about something I am enthusiastic about. My mentor, if you will is my good friend and talented artist Stephen Ingram. Please visit his fine blog and view his painting, drawings, and illustrations. He will be posting more soon. Stephen was the person who originally guided me along the way when I launched Mr. Grudge as a baseball blog. Though he was supportive of my original concept, he told me I should create it as something a little more tailored to my personality. This new blog format reflects me as my alter ego, and allows me to examine my goals as a writer and test my skills in this public format.

3. Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?
Everyone would like a little extra money. With that said, I am not trying to make money from advertising on this blog. I did have a couple of Google ads here and there but I removed them because I need the space and I can live without the approximately 35 cents I earned from clicks. If I ever do earn anything from this blog, it will be experience. There is always the small hope that I will somehow connect with someone in the literary world who would like to see my lengthier works and perhaps offer me a publishing deal. That is unlikely, of course, but I believe that anything is possible. I do have some plans as far as that is concerned, though (secret stuff). Still, I am going the traditional route of querying agents with letters and sample chapters of my work. So, while I do have fun doing this, I am doing this because I am passionate about my writing, and it would be nice to earn some sort of financial compensation for my efforts, but not from advertising revenue.

4. Tell me 3 things you LOVE about being online.
Well, I never really thought about this because my experiences are still very new, but I’ll give it a shot. I really love the comments I receive from readers. I take my time getting back to folks because I want to treat their comments with respect and return their remarks with more than just a “thanks.” I love the other blogs I’ve discovered while traveling throughout Blog Catalog. There are so many talented folks out there who make me wonder why I bother to write at all when I compare my stuff to theirs. In all truthfulness, I have become a fan of several blogs, and I admire the people who are able to create such fine work. The other thing I love about being online is the knowledge that people are actually reading something I wrote and taking it seriously. Whether I am trying to be funny, or when I publish something serious, or post articles on writing, I feel a sense of pride when I look at my site-meter and see people landing on Mr. Grudge. When the first comments roll in, I get a bit anxious, wondering if this person is going to like what I wrote, or even get it. Overall, my responses have been extremely supportive and positive.

5. Tell me 3 things you STRUGGLE with on-line.
After some thought, I struggle with dealing with some of the online social blogging communities. So far, Blog Catalog has been the absolute best social networking site I belong to and participate in. My interactions with other bloggers there have been rewarding and beneficial for me. Much of my traffic comes from referrals from Blog Catalog. Other blogging sites, especially book marking sites, have a hostile feel to them, and I get the sense that many of the users are cliquish and gang up on newbies. In spite of the allure of drawing more readers, I avoid blogging sites where users feel free to browse around in un-moderated fashion and leave comments with no real contribution of their own other than profane remarks. I also struggle with proposals from entrepreneurs have found my “site” and absolutely love it and want me to offer my readers some “great” product or service they have. I do my best to shield my readers from such blatant hucksterism. Hey, I was a member of the NYPD, and I believe my B.S. detector is much more acute than they average bear. That is why it is insulting to me when I receive e-mails telling me how “cool” my site is and would I be a sport and use valuable web page space putting up links to sell their junk. I also struggle with someone adding me as their “friend” and it is obvious that they never actually visited my blog, but they simply clicked the “add this user as a friend” button and hope that I do the same. Actually, I usually do add them as a friend in the hopes that they do eventually find my blog. It surprises me when I visit their blog and find out it is nothing but a link farm full of banner ads and articles on nothing but how to make money on line. Hey, I am all for people earning cash, I just don’t see how thousands of people can all have the same blog or website telling others how to make money with their blogs and they all have essentially the same advice and advertising. Apparently, the way to make money with a blog is to absolutely cram it with banner ads, Google text boxes, and every other form of advertising including getting paid to review other blogs. I’m not sure who’s making money reviewing Mr. Grudge, but I can save you a lot of time by telling you that I am great. Here’s two bucks, post that.

I want to thank Mike French one more time for tagging me. Whenever I am tagged, I consider it a compliment. Please visit Mike’s blogs and support the terrific work he is doing there. Next up for tagging? Hmmm, I am going to spin around with my eyes closed and choose Kathy Frederick over at “The Junk Drawer.” She runs a link farm crammed with banner advertising, and useful tips on making money...I'm kidding! Kathy is a very funny blogger who recently began a series called “Food That Looks like Stuff” which has me laughing. Hey Kathy, if you’re too busy or you don’t feel like doing this, it’s okay. I would appreciate it, though, if you place a link on your site (Ha Ha, joke) for my paid, subscription newsletter for your readers to be able to buy my branded Mr. Grudge merchandise. Look for the Mr. Grudge bobble head dolls for Christmas. Thanks again, Mike.

meme Writing Blog MLB Website Baseball baseball cards make money online

Mr. Grudge Returns

Hello Readers:
After a long hiatus to work on other writing projects, Mr. Grudge has returned and will be changing his format from all baseball/Yankees to more of a standard writer's blog. This was the intent all along with this blog, however, one baseball post turned into another, and then...well..I couldn't help myself.

There will still be an occasional baseball post, but it will not be the focus of this space as Mr. Grudge will post mainly topics about writing, and will most likely post some brief works, and ask for submissions from readers. Thanks for reading Mr. Grudge, and I look forward to a long reading and writing relationship with all of you.

~Mr. Grudge~

A Plate Of Crow, With Ketchup, Please

One of the anonymous baseball fans quoted frequently in this blog came to this writer Tuesday morning with a grin on his face. It was a classic "I was wrong" grin which I knew immediately had to do with his position on Alex Rodriguez and the current state of the Yankees. This writer's position on A-Rod has been consistent in that it is my contention the he should not be traded, allowed to leave, or faulted as not being clutch in the post season. We all want the Yankees to be heroes in October, but, they need to get there. This season, more than any other in recent history has illustrated fact more distinctly. Alex Rodriguez is having a phenomenal season, and the A-Rod haters want him to fail in the post season, should the Yankees actually make it there, so they can watch him leave.

That has been the unswerving stance of the aforementioned Yankees fan that arrived at my desk this morning, ready to be contrite. "Is something happening here?" He asked, that wry smile indicating that he was having a change of heart. "Can the Yankees actually have a chance at overtaking Boston?" What my baseball friend was alluding to was that a nine and one half game deficit in early June in the A.L. East does not seem so insurmountable with a hundred or so games left in the regular season. "A-Rod has exceeded my expectations." My friend continued. There was so much he wanted to say, that he was popping off all of his comments sporadically. "I'm ready to eat crow," He said finally, shaking his head. "If he (A-Rod) keeps this up, in September, I'll as for a big plate of crow, covered in ketchup."

After assuring him that I'd be happy to break out the BB gun from my attic to track down and kill such a crow for his consumption, he hesitated, raised a finger and added one caveat "I'll wait until October. If he bats one-fifty, then the deal is off." We both laughed, and he went off to his office, trying to both feel confident about his favorite baseball team and their post-season chances and reconciling his feelings towards a player whom he previously had no confidence in. The joke is that he'll never eat an actual crow, but he's man enough to admit he may have been too harsh in his analysis of Rodriguez in the past.

Needless to say, hoping to keep his offer of culinary contrition alive, I told him as he held the door to the office open and turned back to see me, that it didn't matter what Alex Rodriguez batted in the post-season, as long as he helped get them there. This was a point I was happy to repeat to him for maybe the one hundredth time. He smiled, and walked away. He does not know it, but crow does taste better with ketchup. I've had to eat it plenty of times in my life. Go A-Rod.

Wang Keeps Up The Momentum

Chien-Ming Wang gave the Yankees exactly what they needed facing the White Sox Wednesday night. Not only did he pitch well, he pitched a one run complete game. He looked like the Wang we all came to know and love when he started as a rookie, all the way up until his name started to be mentioned in the same sentence as Cy Young's last season.

The Yankees need momentum. As this writer mentioned in his previous column, quoting the old baseball adage that in baseball, momentum ends with the next day's pitcher, then Yankee fans have every reason to be nervous with Mike Mussina scheduled to take the mound against the White Sox Thursday night in Chicago. Without going on a rant, this writer will just state that he has very little confidence that Mussina will give a good performance. There's no need to compile stats when offering up the observation that Mussina pitches well until he decides its okay to give up a home run or two. His game will sometimes fall apart after that. This season, it seems to happen more often. He's an intense player who's quick to criticize others, has finicky habits about getting ready for his starts, and his skills are diminishing. That's not to mention that he's a bad "clubhouse guy" who keeps to himself and huddles over crossword puzzles with a haughty air or self-assurance.

Maybe it's just a fantasy that fans such as me believe that baseball players cluster together in groups around each other's lockers looking for inspiration, and coaching each other so they can win games. We saw the Red Sox become a bunch of idiots and win the World Series. Johnny Damon, a veteran idiot is a "clubhouse" kind of guy who could possibly bring the same type of mood to this team of Yankees. If Mussina takes a break from poring through his dictionary and thesaurus, he could wander over to the group of guys congregating near his locker and learn that the answer to number one, across "What the Yankees need to rescue their season, eight letters", is pitching.

Unless Mussina is a total flake and cares about nobody but himself, he should go out there tonight and try to keep up the momentum that began a few days ago with young Tyler Clippard and continued with fan-favorite and trusted arm Chien-Ming Wang. It doesn't hurt that the Red Sox have had their own troubles facing the Oakland A's and losing five of their last six games. This is the time to capitalize on all that is going good for the Yankees, and all that is going wrong for their rivals.

Mr. Grudge Is In Gotham Baseball Magazine

Mr. Grudge is in Gotham baseball Magazine. For those of you who love baseball, this magazine is a must read. Click here to catch up on all that is happening in the world baseball in the major leagues, minor leagues, and even fantasy leagues and high school baseball. Of course, please read my column. Also, sign up and enjoy the forums.

Mr. Grudge wants to give thanks to the kind folks at Gotham Baseball Magazine for believing in my writing, and for posting me on their fine website. I encourage all of my readers to visit them and subscribe. Thanks you.

NY Yankees: Plenty Of Baseball Left

The Yankees looked aggressive Monday night against Boston. While they did win 6-2, they left the equivalent of the population of a small city of base runners stranded on base. However, I liked the fact that they ran on Tim Wakefield. Granted, Wakefield’s delivery is slow, and he pitches like he's a union employee on overtime. But, it was a good way to follow up on Tyler Clippard's excellent start against the Mets the day before. If they can keep this type of play up, win or lose, then this writer can keep respecting them as a team.

As Johnny Damon said while being interviewed on the field after the game "We need the fans to rally behind us." Johnny is good in the clubhouse, and he's capable of helping to lead a team of "idiots" to the World Series for an historic win. Maybe his attitude last night can help lead desperate fans who are crying for Torre's head back to their TV sets and to the stadium as the Yankees try as the team tries to piece together a respectable season and a possible post-season run.

As for the fans and writers calling for Torre’s head, I have an answer for them. Let him manage this season until it is over and done with. Its way too early, and he deserves the right to finish the season on his past accomplishments alone and not to be let go because of an almost historic run of bad luck and because of sloppy and desultory performance from some players. Torre has always been praised for pressing the right "buttons" to make his team work. He may have been pressing them a bit frantically last night, like someone dialing nine-one-one, but he pushed the right ones, got the running game going, and got decent pitching from Chien-Ming Wang. That's enough for one ball game, but it also may also be enough to convince his players that the rest of the season is worth fighting for.

Terry Francona, when interviewed by Michael Kay before the game Monday night on ESPN was quick to say the right things. Eager to avoid being quoted in every newspaper, website, and blog across the nation as being boastful, pointed out earnestly that “There’s plenty of baseball left to play.” He was also quick to note that the Yankees “Will heat up soon” or words to that effect. Essentially, Francona was trying hard not to run around with his arms in the air shouting “Yee Ha! The Yankees are toast!” Francona also doesn’t want his team to lean back and take a break and allow the Yankees to somehow catch up to them. They have their own historic comeback, being down three games to none in the 2004 ALCS to refer to in terms of realizing historic upsets.

Francona may very well be right. The Yankees can make a comeback, and it’s too early for them to consider the Yankees out of the race. A week ago, this writer would have thought the entire season was doomed. After last night’s game, the Red Sox remained a comfortable 9 ½ games ahead of their bitter, division rivals. There’s a lot of breathing room still between them and the Bombers. However, a wildcard berth for the Yankees is very probable for the Yankees, and Francona knows that. Also, we all remember the 1978 Yankees who overcame a fourteen game deficit and eventually won their division.

If Boston has to face a Yankees team with a healthy starting lineup consisting of Roger Clemens, Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, and possibly Phil Hughes in July through August, and, if the Yankees, who appear to awakening from their slumber, continue to play hard, things may not be so easy for the Red Sox down the road. The Yankees have had more than their fair share of injuries to their starting rotation, while the Red Sox currently have only one of their starters on the disabled list. That pitcher is Josh Beckett. As Terry Francona also stated in his interview Monday evening: “It’s good to play well early, but it’s also good to be playing well late in the season,” or words to that effect. Also, there's the possibility that the "injury bug" may catch up to the Red Sox as well. This writer hopes it doesn't as one does not hope for injuries either to the team you're rooting for, or their opponents. However, realistically speaking, such is the game of baseball. Injuries do happen, and at times with alarming regularity.

Last season, the Red Sox lost key players to injuries and finished the season in third place. No doubt that bit of history hasn't been forgotten either by the Red Sox management, or in their clubhouse. Maybe that is why Francona was reluctant to celebrate an early win for his team in the AL East. This writer doesn’t carry a tape recorder in his car and is unable to quote either Michael Kay or Terry Francona directly; but, the message Francona was making was clear. The Yankees can still be a formidable opponent, anyone on his team can succumb to injuries at any time, and there’s plenty of baseball left to play.

Slow Mo Shouldn't Go

We'll never stop believing in Mariano Rivera. He's been almost un-hittable for so long that when he has bad outtings, such as Monday night's game against the Mariners when he gave up the go ahead run, in the form of a solo home run, in a game tied at 2 to Adrian Beltre, fans are shocked. Quoted in a report on the Yankees MLB website by Caleb Breakey, Don Mattingly said about Rivera: "We expect him to be perfect every time out," Mattingly said. "It's not always going to happen, but it's Mariano. You know he's going to do the job for you."

If you're like this writer who witnessed Beltre's home run against the "Sandman" Monday night, it felt like the wind was knocked out of you. The man is only human. Is his recent spate of melt downs due to age? Rivera is thirty eight years old. He's been dominant for so long in his career that people forget that someday, even the great Mariano Rivera may have to either change roles on the team or retire. What would the Yankees do without their hero closer? They'd lose big games in tight spots, that's what they'd do. Since there is no heir apparent in the farm system or anywhere else on the impending trade market to fill his big shoes, Yankee fans, and the Yankee organization as a whole have every reason to ponder whether or not Mariano has reached the end of his career.

It could be that Mariano is going through a rare stretch. Because he hasn't been used very often this season, his performance may be suffering because of it. A pitcher like Mariano needs to taken out for a spin every once in a while, like a finely tuned exotic sports car, to maintain performance. Mariano has a routine, and the bizarre nature of this Yankee's season has kept him on the bench way too often. In games where the Yankees hand the bullpen a lead after six or seven innings and they almost expectedly give it up, what's a closer to do?

This season, as the ninth inning approaches in a close game, the strains of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" will blare over the Yankee Stadium loudspeakers. Fans will cheer for their hero as he tosses his warm up pitches on the mound. Will he close the game? Will there be another upsetting ending like the one Monday night and others this season? Who knows about that? But, one thing is for certain, Mariano Rivera is a hero, a legend, and we shouldn't give up on him, yet.

Do The Yankees Need Clemens?

A lot can happen in a month. Players who were hitting the month before can go into deep slumps, pitchers who were effective and able to record outs suddenly become very hittable. So, if it can happen to a player, then whole teams can either begin to win games, or begin to slump. Considering the Yankees awful start in April due mostly to injuries to their starting rotation, things can only get better.

Mike Mussina is back from the DL, as is Chien-Ming Wang. With Andy Pettitte, Mussina, and Wang at the top of the rotation (not necessarily in that order), and with Kei Igawa maybe pitching fourth, the Yankees should survive with a mix and match of rookies and call-ups taking turns in the number five spot. One of them may even perform well enough to earn a permanent spot in the rotation. Phil Hughes was well on his way to doing just that until he pulled a hamstring while throwing a no-hitter for 6 1/3 innings in the Yankees' 10-1 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday. Speaking of injuries, who knows, but maybe even Carl Pavano will come off the DL to pitch a game or two?

But Roger Clemens? Do the Yankees really need him? This writer thinks so. The Red sox aren't going to fall into third place like they did last year, injuries or not. The Blue jays are a better team, and even the Devil Rays play the Yankees tough. Forget complaining about money and special considerations as part of a potential deal to sign The Rocket. A man like Clemens deserves special treatment if he comes to a team because he can be a real difference maker.

This writer does not doubt that Brian Cashman has been speed dialing Clemens' Agents, the Hendricks brothers, for weeks now. But after George Steinbrenner’s last public statement about the state of the Yankees, I'm sure the Yankees will do whatever Roger wants and pay him whatever his agents have the nerve to ask for. You only want to play home games, Roger? Sure, we'll make that happen. You want twenty five million dollars for a half a season worth of work? Gulp, yeah, we'll make that deal. We'll even give you another brand new Hummer like the one we gave you when you retired three years ago.

The Yankees will do all of that and more so that they can save their season, win the World Series, please George Steinbrenner, save Torre's and Cashman's jobs, keep him away from the Red Sox at all costs, and oh yes, win one for the fans. Come back Roger, now, please.

If Torre's Fired, Then What's Next?

After reading the veiled threat from George Steinbrenner concerning the current state of the Yankees on April 30, 2007, the one word that stands out in his press release is "quickly." We all know in our hearts that if the Yankees don't get out of the basement in the AL East by June, Joe Torre and others on the coaching staff are going to be tossed out the door with their baggage sailing in the air behind them, and quickly at that.

Who then, will be Joe Torre's successor should the Yankees continue to tank, and "The Boss" drops his axe on Torre and maybe even Cashman? Immediately, those who realize how popular Joe is in New York feel that one man who occupies the seat next to him on the bench could fill in as skipper. This person has often been publicly deemed as the heir apparent to the Torre throne prior to the current state of affairs which leaves the Bronx Bombers in turmoil. That man is, of course Don Mattingly.

He has the proper credentials to lead this team of All-Stars, egos, and high priced talent. He's as cool headed as Joe Torre is, making the transition to Yankee skipper relatively smooth personality wise. Those who wished for the fiery Lou Piniella, now with the Cubs, to take over last October would have winced at Sweet Lou screaming at Jorge Posada when a pitcher did poorly (Piniella is notoriously hard on his pitchers and catchers). Mattingly's baseball pedigree need not be examined in this space as he is legend in New York. He'd be a perfect fit, yes, but would he be able to motivate this team? That's hard to tell. He went from "batting coach to the stars", to bench coach for a month. It's one thing to teach someone to swing; it's entirely another to make someone win when their moaning over the firing of their manager who has a lock on the Hall of Fame.

With all of that said, let's pretend that the Yankees don't take Donnie Baseball as the new Yankees manager. Who else is out there? Larry Bowa? Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News had a great line about Bowa as a candidate for Yankees manager in the Tuesday, May 1, 2007 edition of the Daily News: "The very idea of bringing Larry Bowa into the manager's office should scare every Yankees player into peak performance". That pretty much says it all.

How about Joe Girardi? One has to be suspect of a man who is named NL Manager of the Year and then is fired by his team. He's been deemed too controlling, and his conversations with Jon Lieber during the course of last season, offering his buddy helpful pitching advice leaves a sour taste in many fan's mouths, let alone the Florida Marlins. Lieber, who had been unsuccessful against the Marlins earlier in the season, was much more effective against them after his chat with Girardi. If Joe Girardi became unhappy in New York as manager, who is he going to ring-up with helpful advice that could hurt the Yankees?

There is one more candidate to fill in as Yankees manager who has name recognition and is a proven commodity, even in New York. That person is Buck Showalter. Sure, he was fired by George Steinbrenner in 1995, but that's never stopped George from hiring someone back. Buck is currently employed by the Cleveland Indians as their Senior Advisor to Baseball Operations. If Brian Cashman called up Buck and said that George is so very, very sorry for whatever happened back in those pre-glory days of Showalter's first reign as manager, and that they'd love to have him back to take over for Torre who actually took over for Buck in the first place, and there's also a big pile of cash waiting for him in the dugout, Showalter would kiss the job of Senior whatever and fly back to the Bronx before Brian had a chance to hang up the phone. That's my guess, for what it's worth.

So, in conclusion, does this writer want to see Joe Torre go? Of course not. It's not Joe Torre's fault that three-fifths of his starting rotation is on the DL, the other two are shaky at best, and the rest of his team are playing like they have hangovers. Joe deserves the opportunity to ride this one out for the entire season. he has the talent, patience, and the talent on his team. After all, it's only May first.

Back In Business

Like any blogger working alone, Mr. Grudge had to take an extended hiatus due to matters involving family and employment. But, I am back, ready to tackle baseball and its many intriguing issues while it's still early in the season.

As a new blogger, this writer was uncertain how to cover the new baseball season. Right off the bat (no pun intended) I felt it was unnecessary to provide a complete analysis of each game as though I was there. Mr. Grudge is indeed and avid baseball fan, but there's no way I can watch or go to every single game. What is a better idea, and more practical is to provide opinion and analysis of the problems (or lack thereof) facing the team in question. In that way, a break of a few days offers the opportunity for a situation to develop, and knee-jerk reactions to situations such as a three game losing streak (or a seven game losing streak, Yankee fans) will be properly analyzed.

It's good to be back. There's plenty to write about, and it looks like it's going to be a very interesting season.

Back To Baseball

Mr. Grudge is back from his short Easter vacation. So much has happened in the past week in baseball that it's tough to know where to begin. Following my instincts, I'll focus in the excruciating start the Yankees have had for the first week of this season. Ouch. Welcome back readers, and let this season prove to be the big one for the Yankees. As I said early over the winter, this is my new mantra for the Yankees: "Twenty seven in '07." Let's hope I'm right.

Opening Day Jitters

Nothing much to say on opening day except....gulp! This is a nervous time for me. I have the same feeling I get when I sit in the waiting room of the dentist's office. I know everything will be okay, and it may hurt a little, but I still have to go through with the visit.

That's the same way I view the Yankee's regular season. It's a perfunctory exercise to get to the post season where they either achieve victory, or get knocked out early. Whether I'm at the dentist's office, or at home watching a ball game, one thing remains consistent. I still need some sort of sedative to get through a game.

There's so much emotional stock invested in rooting for my team that even a loss to Tampa Bay or a team like Royals gives me a headache. My theory during those "mini-crisis" moments when the Yankees drop one to a below .500 team is that if they can't handle the Kansas City Royals (or Tampa Bay) how can they take on the Red Sox?

At the time of this writing, it is 10:42 a.m. in New York and the Yankee's home opener begins at 1:05 PM with Carl Pavano taking the mound. Carl is probably on his knees in front of a toilet, up-chucking every meal he's eaten for the past month while praying to the God of Baseball that he doesn't screw up. I'm at my desk at work waiting to take an early lunch so I can listen to some of the game on the radio. I'm grateful that I am at work and not at home so that after my one hour respite from my job (while grinding my teeth and listening to the game) I can take peeks at the Yankee's progress on MLB.com on my desktop computer. I'm taking the "wake me up when it's over approach to this season.

Okay, I'm going overboard. I intend to watch as many games as I can, cheer when they win, get a bit down when they lose, and chew my finger nails bloody in the post season. Yes, they'll get there. But for now, it's a long wait in the waiting room.

Letting Go of Baseball and My Son

I'm a baseball fan. Though I didn't play much when I was a boy, I have fond memories of watching baseball games on my Grandmother's tiny, color television with my dad and his step-father at their home in Southold, back in the early seventies. We could have been watching the Yankees, or the Mets, I don't remember. But, I do remember the three of us in Grandma's cozy living room, the aroma of a roast beef wafting in from the kitchen, and their big, golden dog named Mike plopped down next to me as I scratched behind his ears. That's where my love of the baseball developed.

Imagine my shock when my seven year old son opted to play Lacrosse this season instead of baseball. "He wants to run around." My wife said. "Baseball is too boring for him." Yikes. Did she say “too boring?” He doesn't know enough to determine if the game is boring, I thought. “Maybe I should have a talk with him?” I asked her. “I mean, all that gear costs a lot of money. If he quits, think of the money we wasted.” My wife stopped me. "Just let him do what he wants. He has to make his own decisions."

This past Saturday, as I stood on an enormous field at the local high school watching about a hundred kids in battle gear, holding netted sticks and charging around at the behest of their earnest coaches, I had to wonder, why does he want to play this game? It’s soccer played with pool skimmers, I thought. It’s also a game I know nothing about. On the other field, some older kids were playing baseball. They had the look and feel of a real baseball team with records that matter and perhaps some of them dreaming of the major leagues. Selfishly, I wished my son was one of them, working the count, stealing bases, or hitting the game winning home run. In front of where I was standing, my son was laughing and running around with his friends practicing this alien game which I never wanted to play, ever.

That's when it dawned on me that being a father meant that it isn’t about me. Nothing mattered on that other ball field with bats and balls and called third strikes. What is important was that my boy is doing something that he wants to do, and that is what is best for him. It is good that he is active, making choices, and asserting himself. He is living his young life the way he wants to, and with me as his dad, it is they way I taught him to be. And, I won't have it any other way. After lacrosse practice my son told me that he wants to try ice hockey next season. I gulped and said “Sure, whatever you want.” Whatever he wants, huh? Do you know how much hockey equipment costs?

A Gesture In Mourning: Honoring One Of Their Own

With all of the noise made at the start of Spring Training regarding the new hats Major League Baseball is making all of the teams wear, there is one uniform accessory which is getting little notice in the press. This is due in part because the regular season hasn't started yet. When it does, everyone will notice the black arm bands worn by all members of the New York Yankees in honor of the late Cory Lidle.

These arm bands, to be worn for the duration of the season are important because they illustrate the humanity that ultimately is the game. We all focus on the steroids, the payrolls, contracts, statistics, merchandising, records, rule changes, and assorted other subjects which smear the lens through which we view this beloved sport. At the end of the day, the men playing baseball are human beings. Cory Lidle died tragically, and he left behind a family. ESPN.com reports that negotiations are underway between the Yankees and Lidle's widow where she would throw the ceremonial first pitch on opening day. That’s a classy move on the Yankee's part. Lidle's number won't be retired, and he only played with the team for a few months, but his memory will be treated with respect and humanity by the team.

Baseball is a lot of things: a game, a business, a profession, and a part of history. When baseball loses one of it's own, gestures like the ones offered for Cory Lidle by the Yankees validates the goodness and innocence of this game which grows it's fan base from childhood, from when the first time a little kid puts on a hat and a glove and says "Play ball."

Who's We?

A professional baseball writer I know made a point during a conversation I had with him recently concerning how fans relate with their favorite teams. His point resonated with this writer as it is something which irritated me for quite some time. What am I talking about? I’m referring to fans that use the word "we" when talking about their team’s performance, or trades, etc. That's what annoys me, and that's the point raised by my writer/acquaintance who complained about the same thing.

Here's an example. A few years ago during the off-season, a neighbor of mine (a rabid Mets fan) saw me driving up the block toward his house. This guy whom I'll refer to as "Ed" for this article (his real name is Ron), came sprinting across his lawn, his ample gut bouncing as he huffed along in a desperate attempt to grab my attention, yelling for me to stop.
"Did you hear who we got?" he gasped, as he trotted along side me. Curious as to what it was to rile my neighbor into such a frenzy, I slowed the car to a crawl (I could have stopped, but it was fun to watch him jog and wheeze at the same time). "We got Roberto Alomar."

I guess I was supposed to be intimidated. Anyone who's ever read any of my previous articles on the subject knows that I detest this sort of juvenile, fan boasting. It's the "My team can beat up your team" mentality that thrives in places like Boston (oops, cheap shot). Anyway, I stopped the car staring at Ron, I mean Ed, panting, sweating, and with a look of smug, self-satisfaction on his face. I asked: "Who's we? Do you have a mouse in your front pocket?"

Dazed, Ed didn't have an answer. He honestly believed that being a devoted fan gave him more than just an emotional stock in his favorite sports franchise. That by wearing team Jerseys, caps, tee shirts, and going to games, and calling WFAN every fifteen minutes to rant made him a member of the team organization. What he didn't, or couldn't, fathom was that he was merely a consumer. That's it.

Yes, sports bring people bring people together. Walk into any local tavern and you'll see like minded people cheering in front of a big screen television, rooting their sports franchise to victory. But, and this is a HUGE but, none of them are battling it out on the field with their athlete/heroes, none of them invested money into the ball club, not one of them scouted for the team, made a decision as to who plays what position or who gets traded. They are fans, customers, buying the idea that they belong to something. However, they don't.

Ed still does not get it. It's great to be a fan of a team, a sport, or any other organized activity. But, if you're not a player, manager, coach, or owner, you're still just a fan. Just as there is no "I" in TEAM, there is no "WE" in FRANCHISE."

Look For Kei To Be Key

There's still plenty of time left for predictions for the 2007 regular season. My latest one is a pretty safe bet: Kei Igawa will be a dependable starter for the Yankees, maybe even a post season hero. Wow, am I going out on a limb, or what? The official MLB website for the Yankees chronicles Igawa's "shaky" spring training debut. Not a big deal. No one really knows what kind of pitcher Igawa will be; but, then again, we don't know what kind of season anyone on the roster will have. There are always injuries to be concerned about, personal issues which creep up now and again (see Rodriguez, Alex and Jeter, Derek) to get in the way of baseball. Since Kei Igawa has a big question mark on his jersey, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that his signing could be a bust.

Blame it on nerves, a desire to do too much, inexperience against major leaguers, or anything you want. But, at the end of the day, young Kei Igawa can pitch. That's all the Yankees really expected. With a man like Ron Guidry coaching him, he stands to become a solid number four or five starter in no time. Remember, this kid was no slouch in Japan. We all know that Japanese baseball has produced stars in their own country who come here to play Major League Baseball and flourish. There will be less pressure on Kei Igawa to perform that Daisuke Matsuzaka for the Red Sox. My point? Igawa can slip in under the radar, make a few mistakes, and gain the experience and become a reliable arm in the Yankee's rotation. Poor "Dice-K" is liable to be dissected by the fans and media before he's given the chance to learn and grow.

Forget the rocky start, call it growing pains, and remember that spring training means nothing in the regular season. Kei will be a key member of the pitching staff for the Yankees in 2007. As for post season hero? I just threw that in for good luck.

Let The A-Rod/Jeter Issue Zimmer Down

MLB.com reports that Don Zimmer has jumped into the Alex Rodriguez/Derek Jeter "friendship" issue stating: "They're making [Jeter] out to be the bad guy," Zimmer said. "What has he done wrong? Like I say, if A-Rod hits a home run tomorrow, Jeter will be on the top step, the first guy shaking his hand. What do you want [Jeter] to do, put his arm around him and kiss him?"

This writer does not know (or care) if Don Zimmer was approached by members of the media for his opinion, or if he felt compelled to defend Derek in this ridiculous soap opera down in Tampa. Zimmer may or may not be able to help him, but the last time Zimmer jumped in to offer his opinion on a matter, Pedro Martinez grabbed him by the head and tossed him to the ground at Fenway Park.

If reporters need to dust off Don Zimmer for his opinion on essentially a disagreement between two men, then things are truly slow in Baseball Land. As an avid baseball fan who will run through a blizzard to get the newspaper at the end of the driveway in shorts and a tee shirt just to scan the Sports section for baseball news, journalists would be doing their readers a greater service if they would offer scouting reports, or do features on new players such as Kei Igawa instead of writing gossip columns. If reporters still felt the need to report that A-Rod and Derek still haven't kissed and made up, they can tell us that tid-bit of information in a short paragraph.

Tomorrow morning when I retrieve the newspaper from the end of my driveway (my newspaper delivery guy has a weak left arm) I'd love to read some actual articles on baseball...NOT more non-news from spring training that Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter won't share their toys in the sandbox anymore. Enough already.

"Sheff" Cooks Up "Just Dessert"

This baseball fan appreciates a player who can tolerate injury, strike fear into a pitcher, hit home runs consistently, and change positions to help his team. Gary Sheffield has played through pain, got hits off big name pitchers, switched from right field to first base for the Yankees after coming off the disabled list, and has 455 career home runs. With that said, he needs to be traded, and fast. Jim Baumbach of Newsday reports that the Yankees are planning to just that, trade him.
In baseball, there are many "unwritten" rules. You don't make the third out at third base, you don't swing on a "3 and 0" count, you don't steal bases when you're five runs ahead, and you don't criticize Joe Torre when he's your manager. Following the Yankees early ejection from the playoffs after their loss to the Detroit Tigers, Gary Sheffield was quoted in an article by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY as saying "We were worrying about all of that stuff, and we still had a game to play. If I'm on the other side, and all of a sudden they're putting Rodriguez eighth and putting me or Jason on the bench, you wonder what's going on. Those guys [the Tigers] were asking me about it. I think it boosted their morale. It gave them confidence they didn't have."
One can either agree or disagree with that statement. But what should be universally accepted is that no matter where Joe Torre batted Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, or anyone else for that matter, after game one, the Yankee's bats fell silent. That's what the Tigers sensed. They knew that their pitching was better than the Yankee's pitching; and everyone, including baseball players, know that in the post season, pitching matters more than hitting. You don't blame a Hall of Fame bound manager for the shortcomings of the entire team.
What makes Sheffield's comments distasteful is his timing. Immediately after the Yankees elimination from post season play, it was reported by Bill Madden of the New York Daily News that Torre's job was on the line. Reporter's everywhere smelled blood in the water while George Steinbrenner mulled his longest tenured manager's fate. So what did Sheffield do? He threw Joe Torre to the sharks. His statement reeks of poor sportsmanship.
As reported by Baumbach, the Yankees are going to pick up Sheffield’s $13 million option in order to trade him. Sheffield finds himself in this untenable situation due to his ineptitude while acting as his own manager. Having failed to have a no trade clause included into his contract during his negotiations with "The Boss", Sheffield now has no say in where he winds up. It seems that the "Sheff" cooked up his own "just dessert". Which team he ends up on is up to Brian Cashman. When he gets there, he can waggle his tongue all he wants, much the same way he waggles his bat.