In the Spotlight: Minka Kelly and Joe Torre. (No, they're not an item.)


The screenwriter's panel I went to over the weekend as part of the Santa Barbara Film Festival featured the writer of the quirky new romantic comedy "500 Days of Summer."


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He was interesting, so I figured I should see the movie. I thought it was a sweet little story, but imagine my surprise when I got to the final scene. Who was in it but Minka. She plays a girl waiting to be interviewed for a job. She has about six lines, but, hey, that's more than Jeter has in his car commercials. I dug up her appearance on Craig Ferguson's show to promote the film. If Letterman had been the host, he would have asked her about The Captain for sure. Instead, Ferguson makes stupid jokes. If nothing else, Minka is a good sport. So her mother invented the name "Minka" and her father was a guitarist in Aerosmith? Who knew? 




And thanks to Leah, a frequent commenter on this blog, I checked out tonight's episode of "Castle" on ABC to see Joe Torre's cameo. Joe was Joe - calm, sincere, comfortable on camera. I don't think he should give up his day job, but he wasn't bad at all.

(I had to remove the clip since ABC decided not to permit viewing. Basically, it just shows Joe shaking hands with the two investigators and saying how sad it is about the murder of the ballplayer. He looks very earnest and Torre-like.)

Oh, and let me welcome Marcus Thames back to the Yankees. I have no idea what we're going to do with him, but I'm sure his buddy Granderson will be glad to have him around. 


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Let's see. That makes four left fielders, right? Gardner, Winn, Hoffman and now Thames? Too bad we didn't hang on to Nady, Hinske and Hairston. There would have been a party out there.


Super Bowl Observations From A Novice


When I got home from the Santa Barbara Film Festival this afternoon, the game was in the third quarter. I said to my husband, "They have quarters in football? Like New Orleans has quarters?"

He rolled his eyes and tried to explain.

"I don't think it's fair that we're not having a Super Bowl party," I said. "Everybody's probably eating Super Bowl food."

"Knock yourself out," he said thoughtfully.

I went out and bought some guacamole and chips - and stuffed myself. If this is what watching football is all about, I'm so in.

Next, I tried to concentrate on the game. The Saints were ahead but it was close. Suddenly, a penalty.

"Unnecessary roughness," I mused. "Is there such a thing as necessary roughness?"

"No, but there's flagrant roughness," said Michael, as if that would clear things up.

I decided to focus on the players. Peyton Manning did something bad, according to the announcers, but he wasn't charged with an error the way he would have been in baseball. And speaking of the announcers, they were boring, as if they were calling a golf tournament. Shouldn't they have sounded more excited, especially after the Saints won?

I really enjoyed the part when the Saints quarterback, Drew Brees (my new favorite name, by the way) held his little boy on the field after the game. Why isn't Brees a baseball player? A Yankee, to be specific? I bet he could play left field.


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The other thing I wondered was why E Trade got rid of the original baby. Did you see the commercials? The old kid was much cuter than the new kid. I guess the old kid grew up, but am I wrong on the cuteness scale?

Old kid...




New kid...




Anyhow, congratulations to Saints fans and the people of New Orleans. I don't need to hear "Who dat" ever again, but I'm glad I watched at least a little of the game. Sort of.

Happy Birthday, Babe


Today is Babe Ruth's birthday. I thought it was only fitting - on the eve of the Super Bowl - to post audio of his final words at Yankee Stadium. His voice was hoarse and scratchy, due to his cancer, but his message came through loud and clear: baseball, not football, is America's Pastime. I couldn't agree more.





Movie Break - "The Hurt Locker"


Yes, it's Super Bowl weekend, but since I'm not a football fan I'm more excited about the annual Santa Barbara Film Festival, which kicked off last night and runs for 10 more days. First up for me will be tomorrow's panel discussion featuring the screenwriters of "Up in the Air," "It's Complicated," "Star Trek," "Precious," "Inglorious Basterds" and "The Hurt Locker." Speaking of "The Hurt Locker," I saw the movie tonight in anticipation of hearing director Kathryn Bigelow talk about it during the festival. Here's the trailer.




While I don't think it's Best Picture material, "The Hurt Locker" is a major achievement for Hollywood. Women don't get to direct all that often, and they certainly don't get to direct war movies. If Bigelow wins the Academy Award for Best Director, it just might open up the field for more women, and that would be exciting. Go, Kathryn!


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It all makes me wonder....when will baseball have female umpires, female GMs and female owners (not counting women who inherited their stake from a family member)? Soon, I hope.


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The Jeter Interview


After I saw Harold Reynolds' sit down with The Captain via LoHud, there was no question what tonight's post would be. If you haven't seen the MLB interview, it's worth a look. Does Jeter seem relaxed or what? During the season he answers questions with his standard cliches, but - except for repeating the "Bottom line, we just have to win" mantra - he had some interesting things to say. His remarks about Matsui were very heartfelt and made me wish the Yankees hadn't let Hideki go. Waaah. And it was gratifying to hear him talk about the need to "stay hungry" after winning a championship. Of course, my favorite part was when Reynolds said Jeter was in good shape for his age and Derek's retort was, "You're in good shape for your age too." (I'm paraphrasing.) All in all, a very pleasurable way to spend a few minutes.


I'm keeping this short because I'm teaching my Muse Madams writing workshop tonight. I'll try to go easy while critiquing the aspiring writers in our group. I am not Simon Cowell after all!


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Where Should Randy Winn Live?


According to an AP interview with new Yankee Randy Winn, the outfielder is contemplating his move to the East Coast and trying to figure out where he should park himself and his family.


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It's not a simple matter. The Tri-State Area is expensive and Winn is only making $2 million - hardly enough for an estate in Connecticut near Cashman or a spread in CC's ritzy NJ neighborhood. So what's the guy to do?


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I decided to check around for him on realtor.com. Figuring he wouldn't want to put down his entire paycheck on a house, I allotted him half of it. Here are a few million-dollar options.

1) Riverdale Condo


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No, it's not a house, but it's got three bedrooms and a panoramic view of the Hudson River.


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Best of all, it's a two-minute ride to Yankee Stadium - perfect for a newcomer who might get lost.


2) Manhattan Condo


lr.man.jpgOn the Upper West Side of the city, this apartment is in an historic building and has beautiful moldings and a huge kitchen.


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That's the good news. The bad part is that for a million dollars you only get two bedrooms and one bath. I don't know how many kids Winn has in his family, but one bath? I don't think so.


3) Custom House


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OK, now we're talking. Set in Croton-on-Hudson on almost two acres, this baby was built in 2004 and has four bedrooms and four baths. It also has a family room so everybody can watch Randy's adventures with the Yankees while he's at the games.


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The furniture is a little sterile, but Mrs. Winn can redecorate by adding some personal touches.


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I'm really glad we helped solve Randy's housing problem. Now I hope he can solve his baseball problem and play better than he did last year.

The Perfect Yankees Wedding


Commenting on my last post, good friend of the blog, Peggy, wrote that her daughter is getting married and there are plans in the works to put some Yankee-ness into the proceedings. She mentioned that the bride and groom are thinking of entering the reception hall after the ceremony to "Enter Sandman." Excellent choice, in my opinion.




She also said the bride doesn't want the groom to wear a Yankees tuxedo. But what about tuxedo studs?


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Or, at the very least, he could wear Yankees cufflinks depicting vintage maps of the area around Yankee Stadium. They'd make great gifts for his groomsmen too.


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But I'm getting ahead of myself. Peggy's daughter and son-in-law-to-be need an appropriate invitation. May I suggest stationery featuring the interlocking N-Y?


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It goes without saying that the food should be served in Yankees containers, even if the menu items are more elaborate than French fries.


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Speaking of food, there must be a Yankee Stadium wedding cake. I mean, come on.


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As for the bride herself, she should definitely wear Yankees garter belts.


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And if money is no object, I'd go straight to Vera Wang and have a dress designed with the Yankees logo covering the dress and the veil. But since most people are on a budget these days, what about a simple look like this?


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Just a few ideas for you, Peggy. Use them as you see fit. 

Swisher's TV Cameo: A Review

 Let me start by saying I'm not a fan of the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."


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If it didn't have a laugh track, I wouldn't know it was a comedy. (Well, OK, I would, but you know what I mean.) I tuned in strictly for the chance to hear the word "Yankees" on prime time television - and to see how Swisher would handle his acting assignment. He only had, like, three lines, and he was playing himself - not a stretch.


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But he did a good job. He didn't try to upstage anybody or "chew the scenery," as they say. He had his usual swagger, friendly smile and goofy hair. And the plot of the episode was pretty funny with all the baseball analogies to a perfect game. I loved the whole thing about jinxing and superstition, since I'm susceptible to that stuff myself. But the guy I thought was a hoot was Jim Nantz, who played a figment of Neil Patrick Harris' imagination. Who would have guessed Nantz had a comedian in him?


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Anyhow, since I'm so Yankees starved these days, Swisher's appearance was the highlight of my week (it's only Monday but still). And the show had some truth to it: If a Yankee - any Yankee - walked into a New York bar, every female in the place would go berserk. 

Here, via LoHud, is a clip.




The Battle in Tampa: Joba Vs. Huuuughes


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No, there won't be a tiger in the arena, although you never know with the Yankees. Busch Gardens isn't far from Steinbrenner Field.


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In any case, the debate isn't just about whether Joba should be a starter or reliever anymore. It's about whether he or Phil Hughes will excel in spring training and seize the #5 spot in the rotation. Only one of them will win the job, with the other going to the pen. What will happen? Will they fight it out until Opening Day? Or will one have vanquished the other by mid-March?


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I've gone back and forth so many times on this subject that I honestly don't know what to think. I prefer Joba as Mo's setup guy, but Hughes was great in the 8th during the regular season. Here's Mike Puma's post. What do you think?


Chamberlain ready to fight for rotation spot

Comments: 7

By MIKE PUMA

Last Updated: 8:01 PM, January 31, 2010

Posted: 2:59 AM, January 31, 2010

Joba Chamberlain's eyes are set squarely on the fifth spot in the Yankees' rotation.

The right-handed pitcher told The Post last night that he will arrive in Tampa next week -- well before pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report for spring training -- with the idea he's a starting pitcher for 2010. Team brass has told him to have that mindset.

But Chamberlain also said he isn't taking anything for granted knowing that Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves, among others, are chasing the same carrot.

"I'm going to go in and understand a lot of guys are fighting for that spot," Chamberlain said after an autograph signing in New Rochelle in conjunction with Steiner Sports. "Nothing is guaranteed."

Hughes is Chamberlain's primary competition for the final spot in the Yankees' rotation behind CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez.

Hughes pitched effectively from the bullpen last year, mostly in a setup role for Mariano Rivera, and Chamberlain had a shaky season as a starter, finishing 9-6 with a 4.75 ERA as he faced an innings limit toward the end of the season. Chamberlain spent the postseason in the bullpen, leading to speculation he and Hughes, who struggled most notably in the ALCS and World Series, might trade places in 2010. That could still happen, as Hughes is expected to receive a long look for the rotation.

Chamberlain said he's most excited about the addition of Vazquez, whom the Yankees obtained last month in a trade with the Braves that included Melky Cabrera.

Vazquez pitched for the Yankees in 2004 and struggled, leading to his departure after surrendering a grand slam to Boston's Johnny Damon in Game 7 of the ALCS.

"I think Javier Vazquez is excited to come back here and has something to prove," Chamberlain said.

Even in the dead of winter, the Yankees are the biggest show around.

Alex Rodriguez, Rivera, Pettitte, Burnett, Chamberlain and Nick Swisher were among the players who entertained nearly 3,000 fans at yesterday's autograph signing.

With pitchers and catchers less than three weeks away from reporting to camp, several Yankees were still basking in the glory of last year's world championship, but also ready to start discussing 2010.

For several of the players yesterday was the first time seeing each other since November's tickertape parade along Broadway. Rodriguez had a giant bear hug for his friend Rivera.

"What a great team and great accomplishment," Rivera said. "We're like a family. It was great seeing everyone. It was like a family reunion. I like the team this coming year."

Chamberlain said he is done celebrating last season's accomplishments.

"We understand what we did last year, but this is a New Year," Chamberlain said. "We're the 2009 world champions, but it doesn't mean anything now that it's 2010."



Maybe the Yankees Should Sign Serena for LF


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Here's why.

* She knows how to win, having just tied Billie Jean King's record for most grand slam singles victories.


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* She's not afraid of performing on the proverbial "big stage."


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* She hits with right handed power.


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* She's fiery.


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* She plays hurt.


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* And she's a team player....or can be.


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After watching her dismantle Justin Henin in the Aussie Open Women's Final today, I think she could cross over into baseball with no problem. She's athletic, moves well and loves to compete. Isn't that what the Yankees are looking for in an outfielder? There's just one problem: she'd cost more than the $2 million Cashman budgeted for. Oh, and we already have Randy Winn. Never mind.

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