Every blog needs a start... this is mine...

So, how the heck should I start this Yankee blog? I mean, there are millions of blogs out there, and this blog's going to be just another Yankee blog in the bunch... many people won't read it, nor even know its existance...

Why am I even starting this blog in the first place? For three reasons...

1. I'm inspired to... I'm inspired to write due to my love for Yankee blogs like: Replacement Level Yankees Weblog, WasWatching, Fire Joe Torre Blog, and Baseball Toaster: Bronx Banter...
   
   All four are very well-written, and quite entertaining, especially Steve's WasWatching.com...
   
   
2. I'm a regular blog myself... I had my first blog when I was a freshman in high school about 5 years ago... though my blog posts in those times were the talk of the school and everyone who was talked about in my blog, it didn't make me write better... it only made me write more maliciously... I even got in trouble in high school for my blogs, but let's not get into that... :-)
   
   I still write in my blogs now (GreatestJournal, LiveJournal, Xanga), but not as much as I used to... I use the blogs to show what I can do on YouTube and the like...
   
   
3. It's my dream... by the end of this semester, I will probably declare a double major: History (focused on US History) and Communications (focused on Journalism)... my dream would be to write for the Yankees, to be a beat writer, to be at the games, writing on my little laptop (ala Bob Ryan), and make money in that way... I also would love to put my history knowledge within my writings, as well as my love for Christ and my journey with God...
   
   Maybe this blog will help me fulfill that dream... :-)

I'll start this blog by actually listing a few things about me and my Yankee fan-dom and my writing style (in case you didn't guess by now :-P)...

I'll list 13 things about me, in honor of my 5th favorite player in baseball, Mr. Alexander Emmanuel Rodríguez himself...

1. Just to put this out there before anyone starts to ask: Yes, I like putting ellipsises at the ends of my statements, I use smilies, and I can ramble on... it's my writing style, and it's (in some ways) like the way I talk...
   
   
2. Many baseball fans (and players) have songs that they listen to that pumps them up for the upcoming game... for me, that song would be "Jay-Z vs. Linkin Park - Encore vs. Numb", A-Rod's former walk-up song before he changed it to Missy Elliott's "Lose Control"...
   
   Reason why? The song details A-Rod's career and situation in New York more than he will ever know... but that's a subject and topic for another post...
   
   
3. I have been only able to own one Yankee jersey... but of course, it's of my favorite current Yankee...
   
   
   
   Mr. Greatest Modern-Day Closer of All-Time, Mariano Rivera...
   
   
4. My blog title...
   
   When I have time, I usually head down to MySpace and check out a few Yankees groups and the official Baseball MySpace group to add my 2 cents... however, my MySpace group of choice is the Yankees Empire, where I would argue my points about certain issues using basic and not-so-basic statistics...
   
   An Elite member of the group named Laura started calling me her "Pocket Stat Boy" and the name stayed with me ever since...
   
   
5. I speak with my mind first, heart second, gut third, and out of my butt last... well, I do when it comes to baseball... though I do use stats to support my points at times, I just like talking baseball and my Yankees, period.
   
   
6. I have a soft spot for the New York Mets... I'll admit that... a few years ago, I saw some home-video footage of me, wearing Mets gear... I was 6 in the video, not knowing what I was doing to myself... until I started watching TV and having the revelation that I was to be a Yankee fan in 1995, I didn't know that I was wearing Met gear...
   
   The Mets have always been the lovable losers and the arrogant winners... however, I have respect for their 2000 team , and I always love seeing them beat up on the Braves, when they are able to... and I have incredible respect for Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, and John Franco...
   
   Heck, the Mets almost got me to actually start liking Pedro... key word: almost...
   


7. To me, Paul O'Neill symbolized everything a Yankee should be in one word: warrior... that's why I don't know if I could never accept Carl Pavano as being an actual Yankee, but that's also for another topic...
   
   
8. From #8 to #12, I'll quickly put my opinion to the BIG arguments and debates around baseball and the Yankees today...
   
   A-Rod: I love A-Rod, I loved his pick-up, I have been frustrated at him, but I have never booed him, nor do I advocate booing him at all...
   
   
9. Steroids and the Hall-of-Fame: Though some have disagreed with me, if Mark McGwire gets in the Hall, it will be easier for Rafael Palmeiro and Barry Bonds to get in... though I do think steroids has stained the game of baseball, it doesn't do much for your hand-eye skills and it makes your balls smaller... and who wants to have small balls? Seriously?
   
   
10. Boston's Recent Woes: I will probably address this in more detail in my first few posts, but all I have been hearing the past couple of days is about Boston's injury/cancer woes... Jason "I fight with a catcher's mask on, while hitting .243" Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Alex Gonzalez, Trot Nixon, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Jon Lester, and now, Jonathan Papelbon...
    
    All my prayers go to Lester and his quick recovery, but I have heard such an incredible amount of excuses and whining from Red Sox fans and the organization, it has just gotten ridiculous... when Matsui and Sheffield went down this year, all you heard from ESPN is how the Yankees were "done" and couldn't recover from the blows... the Red Sox and their fans were licking their chops and gave us no slack... why, as Yankee fans, should we do the same?
    
    Unlike the team with the 2nd highest payroll, the Yankees have depth, and we have been able to take a 8 game lead in the East while having 14 players miss significant time during the season with injuries, plain and simple.
    
    
11. Carl Pavano: He has balls to pitch through 2 broken ribs... too bad he doesn't have a brain to actually tell Brian Cashman about a car accident... honesty is always the best policy and Pavano wasn't honest... and now, as Cashman stated, Pavano is the "laughing-stock" of the Yankees organization...
    
    
12. The Mets Resurgence: Yes, the Mets play in the NL... yes, the AL had a 154-98 (.636) record against the NL... yes, the Mets played the Yankees in a time where they won against a guy now designed for assignment (Aaron Small) and without our three pick-ups in Abreu, Lidle, and Wilson... throw all of that out the window...
    
    The Mets can be dangerous and they are still my pick to represent the NL in the World Series... the Mets do have the Dodgers or Padres to worry about because, arguably, the Padres and Dodgers have better 3-man playoff pitching rotations than the Mets, but the offense the Mets carries with them looks like something straight from the AL...
    
    Whether the Mets win the World Series or just get there, if the Mets don't get to the World Series, I would consider the season a disappointment... many people (including me) predicted the Mets to take the East and do well in the playoffs... anything short would just be sad... believe me, as a fan of a team who has falled short of expectations the past 6 years, I know...
    
    
13. Last but not least...
    
    Many people have terrible and harmful addictions... some are addicted to drugs... some are addicted to alcohol... some are addicted to cutting... etc etc...
    
    My addiction is Yankee games... being at Fordham University in Lincoln Center gives me a great opportunity to go to many Yankee games during the year... I usually go to the 5 dollar ticket deal games or student ticket deal games, and so far, I have been to 7 games...
    
    1. April 12th, 2006 - Yankees 12, Royals 5: First 10 dollar Student deal ticket game and the 2nd home game of the season, Sheffield started the Yankees' scoring with a 3-run shot in the 1st and drove in 4 runs, and Chacon earned his first win of the season witha 6-inning, 5 run performance... great game to attend, but ironically, it would be one of the last times I'll see either player in pinstripes...
    
    2. April 26th, 2006 - Devil Rays 4, Yankees 2: Another student game, had tier seats, but went closer to the action when I saw two Elites (Judy and Laura) and hung out with them... it was an extremely cold night and the game lasted past 11... it was a horrible way for me to experience my first Yankee loss at the Stadium with Mariano Rivera giving up 2 runs in the 10th, and Sheffield (after hitting a 2-run HR earlier in the game) ground out to 3rd base with the bases loaded at the bottom half of the 10th... horrible feeling, no question about it...
    
    3. April 29th, 2006 - Yankees 17, Blue Jays 6: A game I went with people from my school, it was a great game to see, but bottom of the 5th, with the bases loaded and one out, Gary Sheffield grounded to the 2nd baseman, who had to play the ball in the outfield to throw to Shea Hillenbrand... Sheffield collided with Hillenbrand, and as Sheffield fell hard on his wrist, you can see Sheffield's option for next year fall with it...
    
    You ever had the awkward moment when you were cheering so loud while everyone else is dead silent around you... then you turn around, see why they were silent, and go "oh... crap"? That's exactly what happened to me in the bleachers... as the bleachers went dead silent, I was still cheering Sheffield's 2 RBIs... and then... oh crap... it was the only game I felt awkward in, as well as the first game I had to leave early (at the end of the 8th)... great game though...
    
    4. May 10, 2006 - Yankees 7, Red Sox 3: A game to remember, my first Boston game, and I had a Chemistry final the next day (got a B+ for the class, btw)... the atmosphere was incredible, though there were SO many Boston fans in attendance, I almost threw up, it was sickening to see... so many fights broke out around me, A-Rod came through against Curt Schilling (my least favorite/most disliked pitcher), and I went back to school with a Yankee win... great game I went to so far this year...
    
    5. May 19th, 2006 - Mets 7, Yankees 6: I went with my uncle to Shea to see the first game of the Subway Series... crazy atmosphere... had a drunk Met fan next to me on the left, looking like he was going to punch me and blow chunks at me at the same time, quite classy... had a few hot girls who were Yankee fans behind me, they were good seats...
    
    But when David Wright (my second favorite Met, Carlos Beltran's 1st) hit that ball over Damon's head to give Mariano Rivera the loss and the Mets a win, it was just... I didn't say anything the rest of the night... even when we thought someone stole our car by the park, and we looked for the car for an hour, I didn't say anything... and hearing the Met fans cheer "Yankees suck" for an hour and a half while we were getting out, it was horrific, but I still loved the experience...
    
    6. May 27th, 2006 - Yankees 15, Royals 4: I planned a church outing to get 25 people to go to this game... it was quite hectic to get rides for everyone to go, but I was able to do it through the power and grace of God... it was a great outing, and everyone had a really good time... and that was more important than the win... :-)
    
    7. August 30th, 2006 (1st game) - Yankees 2, Tigers 0: Wang was incredible, and I got to seat in tier box seats for the first time... Craig Wilson couldn't pick up a Jeter throw on the top of the 5th, but he picked up for himself with a solo shot in the bottom half of that inning... Giambi sac-fly, Rivera with the save, and the rest is history...

I have tickets for September 13th, September 14th (with friends), and September 28th... 10 Yankee games this year... on a college student's budget... in NYC... if that isn't an addiction, nothing is...

With that said, I take the champagne bottle, I hold it against the side of this blog ship, and I smash the heck out of the bottle on the side...

Happy reading... :-)

B(rent)