Confessions of a She-Fan

What's Your Lasting Image Of Game 6?

2009-11-20T04:40:38Z

By now, everyone has probably seen photographer Robert Caplin's time-lapse video of over 5,000 stills he took from Game 6 of the World Series. It's been published, circulated, tweeted about, etc., but each time I watch it a different image catches my eye. (I love the music too.) Sometimes, it's the fans filing through the turnstiles before the game. Sometimes, it's the grounds crew preparing the field. Sometimes, it's the flipping of the hot dogs. And sometimes, it's the shots of Pedro on the mound. But always, it's the appearance of Mo and the inevitability of the celebration.

World Series Time-Lapse by Robert Caplin from Robert Caplin on Vimeo.

Does anyone else have thoughts about this video? Discuss!

Don't Get My Halladay Hopes Up, Cashman

2009-11-18T23:41:14Z

I just read the latest Hot Stove article on MLB.com and immediately bolted up from my chair and did this.

According to the article, the Yankees spoke to the Jays about the possibility of trading for Roy Halladay, the pitcher I've coveted since I first started this blog! Be still my heart!

Who needs Lackey, Ben Sheets or any of the other names being bandied about? Halladay is the best pitcher not currently on the Yankees. (OK, there are a few others, but I'm conveniently overlooking them right now.) Sure, Doc actually lost a few games this season. But he was coming back from a stint on the DL, plus there was the uncertainty of being shipped out at any moment. I say he's still in his prime and I want him on the Yanks for the following reasons and in no particular order:

* He'd look better in pinstripes than in that girly powder blue.

* He's best friends with A.J. Burnett. They'd have so much fun hugging and shoving pies in each other's faces.

* He would probably come packaged with Vernon Wells, which is OK because Vernon would play the outfield if Damon left and his offensive skills would miraculously return.

* How cool would it be to have a pitcher nicknamed after a gunslinger?

* He's a horse like CC and could give us complete games. OK, he's a smaller horse than CC but still.

* He throws a cutter, and we all know how successful cutter-throwers can be.

* If we had Halladay in the rotation, it would give Joba and Hughes some room to grow (assuming one of them isn't part of the trade).

* Adding Halladay to the Yankees would drive the haters crazy and motivate them to come up with even more clever slogans than this gem.

I realize that any discussion Cashman may have had with the Blue Jays is only preliminary. But maybe he'll make it happen. He's been known to act disinterested in a player and then all of a sudden.....

P.S. Remember how we were talking about Cooperstown the other day, and some of us said how much we wanted to go? Well, one of our commenters, wirishrose, sent along some pics from her last visit. First, we have the statues of Gehrig, Robinson and Clemente.

Then there's this one of Joe DiMaggio's locker.

And finally a sign that's very appropriate for a blog called "Confessions of a She-Fan."

What would the sport of baseball do without women fans? I shudder to think!

I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore!

2009-11-18T01:15:59Z

Those were the words of Peter Finch's character in "Network," of course, but now I'm shouting them, too. Can you hear me? No? Then let me put it another way.

I'M. NOT. HAPPY. RIGHT. NOW.

I've worked in book publishing my entire adult life - from a publicist and a marketing executive to a writer of fiction and nonfiction - and I've loved every minute of it. But now and then I want to tear my hair out, and today is one of those days.

Months ago, my agent shopped a proposal to publishers for an illustrated book about the Yankees' 2009 season. More specifically, the book was going to highlight the 50 most memorable moments of the Yankee Stadium Inaugural Season; I was going to write the (hopefully witty and heartwarming) text for each key moment and Andy Friedman, whose wonderful illustrated portraits of famous people regularly appear on national magazine covers, was going to do the drawings. We thought we had a unique, commercial idea. But here's what publishers said:

"The project is too risky. We don't know how the Yankees will do. The season might not be memorable after all, and we can't take that chance."

They also said:

"The audience for a book about the Yankees is too narrow."

Yes, I tore my hair out when I heard those comments, especially because the audience for a book about the Yankees isn't narrow; it's enormous. But hey. They wanted to wait to see how the team did this season? Fine. We'd wait. Well, surprise surprise. The Yankees won the World Series.

My agent went back to publishers last week and said, "OK, everybody. The season was memorable. Now do you want the book?" Once again, publishers said the audience was too narrow (no, it isn't). They also said the market would be flooded with keepsake books about the World Series (ours would cover the entire season, not just the Series). And today, one publisher said this:

"The drawings would make the book too cerebral."

Yes, I tore my hair out again. Too cerebral? Does this guy think Yankee fans (or all baseball fans, for that matter) are Neanderthals?

Seriously. Take a look at Andy's drawing of Yogi throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day. Does it seem hard to comprehend?

We had planned to include everything from A-Rod's walk-off against the Red Sox in the 15th inning, to Girardi getting tossed in Atlanta, to A.J. pitching to kids from Camp Sundown at 3 o'clock in the morning during HOPE Week. We had it covered in a way that would be so different from a photographic chronicle. Publishers didn't think it would sell, and I think they've been incredibly shortsighted. Such is life. Andy will go back to drawing movie stars, athletes and members of the Supreme Court, and I'll go back to the novel I'm writing as well as the script for the She-Fan book. I just hate when good ideas end up in the dumpster, I really do.

Would It Be Wrong To Lose Wang?

2009-11-17T03:26:59Z

Remember the good times?

Chien-Ming came up from our very own farm system - a rookie phenom from Taiwan and a Yankee to the core. So what if he couldn't speak English and never left his hotel room? The kid could pitch. He had that amazing sinker.

In his quiet way he went about his business, achieved back-to-back 19-win seasons, became the ace of the staff. It was such a pleasure to watch him induce ground ball after ground ball.

There was just one not-so-tiny problem: he was terrible in the 2007 postseason. He had two starts in the ALDS against the Indians and lost both of them, giving up a total of 12 runs over five-plus innings for an ERA of 19.06 (gag). Was that the beginning of Wang's "lost period" when we'd catch him staring off into space while sitting in the dugout?

Was his postseason funk the result of mechanical problems? Did anybody bother to look under his hood?

He rebounded beautifully in 2008, becoming the first pitcher to win six games that year. But then came the fateful interleague game against the Astros. Since the Yanks were playing in Houston, Wang was running the bases when this happened.

Big trouble. The foot injury ended his season and seemed to have carried over into '09. He was never "right." Was it his hip or his head? All I know is his stint on the DL led to Hughes' stint in the bullpen. While we certainly could have used another 19-game winner in the rotation along with CC, it was a revelation to see Huuuuughes emerge as the bridge to Mo.

Wang struggled when he returned. Then more trouble: season-ending shoulder surgery. According to some reports, he could be back on the mound this spring. But will he have the velocity he used to? Will he be able to throw the sinker and come up with other effective pitches? Will he be any good? Or will the Yankees get him healthy, showcase him, hope there's interest from other teams and wave goodbye?

I don't know, but what a boost for him and for the Yankees if he could rediscover his magic and be a reliable starter again. I'd take a healthy Wang over Lackey any day.

And The Award Goes To.... (With a P.S.)

2009-11-15T22:18:52Z

Baseball's version of the Oscars gets underway Monday while I'll be on a plane back to California. So in anticipation, I thought I'd add my totally biased, completely Yankees-centric two cents on who should win.

1) AL Rookie of the Year: Alfredo Aceves

I know, I know. The award will probably go to Elvis Andrus. But Aceves was 10-1 this season. That's a lot of wins for a reliever, even a long reliever. Yes, Dave Robertson had the best strikeout to innings ratio (63 Ks in 43.2 IP), but I don't think he qualifies until next year. So congrats, Alfredo. In your honor, every Yankee fan should have fettucini alfredo some time this week.

2) AL Cy Young Award: CC Sabathia

Sure, you can talk about Greinke, Verlander and King Felix, but CC won 19 games and threw 230 innings. What's more, he struck out 197 batters and only walked 67. He was the guy who fronted the staff, plain and simple. He wasn't just a horse; he was a giant horse.

P.S. Honorable mention goes to Mo. He may be "just" a closer, but his name has to figure into any discussion of the year's best pitcher.

3) AL Manager of the Year: Joe Girardi

While it's true that Mike Scoscia pulled his team through adversity, I'm picking the guy we love to bash - and not just because the Yankees won 103 games with him at the helm, impressive as that is. I give him props for slotting Jeter in the leadoff hole, for sending the players off to the pool hall during spring training, for manipulating the rotation after Wang got injured, for leaving Hughes in the pen and for resting CC, AJ and Andy enough that they were good to go the extra mile in the playoffs. Joe, you gave me heartburn on a regular basis, so I'll celebrate your honor by downing some of this.

#4) AL MVP: Derek Jeter

A case could be made for Joe Mauer, obviously, but I honestly think Jeter could win this one. He had 212 hits, batted .334 and won a Gold Glove. If all that's not valuable to a team, I don't know what is. I love Tex as a candidate too. And A-Rod deserves to be mentioned because the Yankees' season turned around after he came off the DL. But I'm tipping my cap to the Captain.

And now a round of applause for all the winner.

P.S. Since many of the comments dealt with Cooperstown today, I wanted to add the pics Cheshirecat sent me from his recent trip there. The first one is a plaque of The Mick. (Be still my heart.) The second is of Cheshirecat standing next to the Holy Cow cow! Enjoy!

My Near-Miss With Mo

2009-11-15T04:31:55Z

As everyone knows by now, tonight was my date with Mo (well, okay, Mo's restaurant). My mother, sister, husband and I piled into the car and drove to New Rochelle.

I was anticipating a possible sighting of Mo, of course, but it was exciting enough to walk in and see the hostess wearing this.

"Hi, we have a reservation for 7 o'clock," I told her. With the no-nonsense approach of the restaurant's namesake, she quickly turned and led us to a really private corner table in the main dining room. Yes, there were framed photos of Mo himself everywhere I looked, including an amazing shot of him coming in from the bullpen (you can practically hear "Enter Sandman"). Right above my seat at the table was a photo of A-Rod with the inscription: "To the best closer in baseball and an even better friend." At least that's how I remember if after drinking a large pour of their delicious Pinot Noir.

We ordered lots of food - steaks, fish, the Yankee Burger, apple pie, side dishes, you name it - and everything was tasty and reasonably priced, relative to restaurants in Manhattan. The atmosphere was festive and everybody seemed to be in a celebratory mood. But by the end of the meal, what I really wanted to know was: WHERE IS MO? I struck up a conversation with Stephanie, the Assistant Manager who was doubling as our waitress. The lighting is dim, but hopefully you can see her pretty smile.

So Mo stops in for dinner on SUNDAYS, NOT SATURDAYS? Bummer. And I missed seeing the entire team signing autographs at Steiner Sports just down the street? Double bummer. It would have been fun to say hi to Joba, too. But all was not lost. Stephanie brought out Gary Fosina, the Executive Chef at Mo's, to chat with me. It was sweet of him to take time out of his busy Saturday night in the kitchen. "Want to see the back room?" he said. "We're doing a party there." It turns out, a Yankee she-fan was giving her husband a 40th birthday bash, complete with a disk jockey and dance floor.

You can hear Lady Gaga in the background as I talked to Gary.

See what interesting things I learned about my favorite Yankee? He likes his water at room temperature. He eats carrot cake. He goes to church every Sunday with his family. And he asks guests how they became Yankee fans. I might just have to ask Mo to marry me and get it over with.

Seriously, I loved Mo's New York Grill. What's not to love? Great food, service, atmosphere and photos of Yankees on the wall. I give it 42 stars, my highest possible rating.

Mother Knows Best

2009-11-13T18:38:28Z

I don't know if anyone else remembers the show "Father Knows Best," but in my house it was my mother who had all the answers. She's 92 now and doesn't remember things as well as she used to, which isn't a bad thing. For example, she forgot that she caught me smoking when I was in fourth grade.

And she's a little fuzzy on the time I was suspended from high school, just for taking a spin in my friend Billie's turquoise blue Riviera.

But she's as sharp as one of Damon's splintered bats when it comes to the Yankees, and we spent a little time talking about the boys in pinstripes during my visit today.

My favorite line came when I asked her about Matsui: "I don't know if you all remember that one homer he made that was so influential." Yes, Mom. We remember it. He hit more than one, but who's counting? I have to agree with her on her last sentiment; the Yankees have certainly added to my life, too.

In An Empire State Of Mind

2009-11-13T04:49:08Z

My plane landed at JFK about 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time. I still hate flying and the trip was really bumpy thanks to the storm in the mid-Atlantic, but I survived. What's more, the first thing I saw when I walked into the terminal was a shop selling Yankees gear. I was so excited. I mean, nobody sells Yankees anything in California. A few minutes later, at baggage claim, I saw tons of people wearing Yankees caps. I really was in New York with other lunatics!

But the best part was when I got to my mother's house in Westchester. She greeted me at the door wearing this.

Did I mention that my mother is 92? I might just have to get her to model the shirt tomorrow on the She-Fan Cam. I'm sure she'll have some opinions about the World Series. The question is....Will she weigh in on whether Cashman should re-sign Damon and Matsui or go after Lackey or pursue Curtis Granderson? Stay tuned.

(Sorry for the shorter than normal post, but I'm beat!)

My Dinner With Mo

2009-11-11T21:50:09Z

Well, okay. Not with Mo. I'm exaggerating. But you all know that Mo is my favorite player in the Universe (current). So the first thing I did after I booked my flight to New York for this weekend's visit with my mother, sister and brother-in-law was to make a reservation for us at Mo's New York Grill for Saturday night. Since it's too late to be at any of the playoff games or the ticker-tape parade, I figured the next best thing would be to eat at Mo's and soak up all the Yankee-ness. Here's a tour.

I certainly hope they've updated their wall art since that video was shot. I want to see a framed photo of this.

When I went on the restaurant's web site, I noticed that one of the entrees is a "Yankee Burger." Does that mean it'll have pinstriped grill marks?

Or that the burger will be world championship size?

But food aside, the real question is whether Mo himself ever shows up at his place. Now that the season is over, he and his sore ribcage could be in Panama enjoying the sun. Or he could be feeling antsy with no games to save and wander into the restaurant for a little adoration. Assuming the latter is remotely possible, I decided to rehearse what I'd say if I met him. Did I leave anything out?

P.S. Speaking of Mo, how cool is this Nike ad? Commenter Mike just sent it to me.

Congrats, Jeter and Tex, On Your Gold Gloves!

2009-11-10T21:14:30Z

OK, they're not those kind. They look more like this.

Either way, I'm thrilled that two Yankees were honored this season. I figured Tex was a shoo-in, given his spectacular play at first, but I wasn't sure if Jeter would win it. There was so much attention paid to his offensive consistency, especially after he broke Gehrig's hits record. So a Gold Glove for his defense has to feel mighty sweet for him. I do have one concern, however. Given how many trophies Jeet has won over the years, where will he put them all? His attic is probably stuffed with stuff.

Oh, wait. He's building that 30,000 square foot Casa Jeter on an island off of Tampa.

Surely, there will be room for the Gold Glove and anything else he wants to store. His living room alone is probably the size of a bowling alley.

Which leads me to wonder who will clean the house? I worry about things like that. I mean, it's obviously more work than one housekeeper will be able to handle. So will he have to hire an entire crew every week?

Or will he simply borrow the groundskeepers at Steinbrenner Field?

He'll also need someone to run the house for him - an estate manager who oversees "the help." I'm pretty good at telling people what to do (plus I'm extremely discreet - well, I am!), so maybe I should apply for the job and my husband could serve as chief butler.

I bet the salary would be excellent, as well as the benefits. And there would be free spring training tickets for sure! The best part would be that Mr. Jeter (I'm starting to call him that already, so I can practice) will be gone for seven months of the year! I'll have the place to myself! I can have friends over and we can party!

Oh, wait. Why would A-Rod be there? Never mind.

Completely off topic.... for other movie lovers like me, do yourself a favor and click on this link. The video is ten minutes, so it's long, but it's so worth it. It's the American Film Institute's montage of the 100 Best Movie Lines. Don't blink or you'll miss a little baseball.

Window Shopping For Free Agents

2009-11-10T01:59:19Z

Yes, the Yankees won the World Series and all is well in the Universe. But even championship teams can use a little tweaking here and there, and ours is no exception. As we all said yesterday, Damon and/or Matsui could be gone. Pettitte has to decide whether he's coming back. Hairston, Hinske, Nady and Molina could be playing elsewhere. So I took a look at MLB.com's complete list of this year's free agents to see if there's anybody I'd want in pinstripes.

First, I scanned the list for pitchers. Anybody? Either starter or reliever? Oh, my. Check out all the guys who've already been Yankees: LaTroy Hawkins, Jeff Weaver, Jose Contreras, Carl Pavano, Brett Bombko and Ron Villone, to name a few. Thanks but no thanks.

And then there are guys like Pedro Martinez (please), Smoltz, Penny and Paul Byrd (um, no), Jarrod Washburn (we've already passed on him a zillion times), and John Lackey (I don't like him, period). Erik Bedard used to be someone I coveted - I remember when he was unhittable for a season with the O's - but injuries make him undesirable now.

So much for pitchers. Now I'll browse for outfielders, since we're set at every other position. Hm, let's see if there's anyone tempting. Wow. How about all the aging DH-types on the market: Vlad Guerrero, Garret Anderson, Jermaine Dye, Mike Cameron, Andruw Jones. Since the Yankees are trying to go younger - and since I'd rather keep Matsui and Damon over any of these guys - I'll decline.

There are some names that do jump out, however: Jason Bay, Matt Holliday and Scott Posednik. Bay would be an upgrade in left but I can't imagine the Sox letting him walk. Holliday can hit, but can he play defense? Posednik is speedy and has a good glove, but would he really be a better option than Brett Gardner?

Oh, wait. I spotted an interesting name: Marlon Byrd. I was impressed with him when we faced the Rangers this year. And I remember he hit a walk-off grand slam against us in '08. He's 32, hit 20 homers, and knocked in 89 RBIs in '09 - not bad. He's had knee problems though, including major surgery. Do I want Marlon?

Oh, I don't know. I'm just glad I'm not Cashman. I'm better at shopping for these.

ATLANTA BRAVES
B - Anderson, Garret OF
A - Gonzalez, Mike RP
Hudson, Tim ** SP
B - LaRoche, Adam 1B
Norton, Greg 1B/OF
A - Soriano, Rafael RP

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
B - Davis, Doug SP
Schoeneweis, Scott RP
Tracy, Chad 1B

BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Baez, Danys RP
Hendrickson, Mark SP/RP
Moeller, Chad C
B - Mora, Melvin 3B

BOSTON RED SOX
Baldelli, Rocco OF
A - Bay, Jason OF
Byrd, Paul SP
Gonzalez, Alex SS
B - Varitek, Jason ** C
A - Wagner, Billy RP
Woodward, Chris 3B

CHICAGO CUBS
Fox, Chad RP
A - Grabow, John RP
A - Gregg, Kevin RP
B - Harden, Rich SP
Johnson, Reed OF

CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Castro, Ramon C
A - Dotel, Octavio RP
A - Dye, Jermaine OF
Podsednik, Scott OF

CINCINNATI REDS
B - Hernandez, Ramon ** C
Wells, Kip SP

CLEVELAND INDIANS
Carroll, Jamey 2B/3B/OF
Ohka, Tomokazu SP/RP

COLORADO ROCKIES
B - Beimel, Joe RP
A - Betancourt, Rafael ** RP
Contreras, Jose SP
Embree, Alan RP
Fogg, Josh SP/RP
Giambi, Jason 1B
Herges, Matt RP
B - Marquis, Jason SP
Rincon, Juan RP
B - Torrealba, Yorvit C

DETROIT TIGERS
Everett, Adam SS
Huff, Aubrey 1B/3B
B - Lyon, Brandon RP
A - Polanco, Placido 2B
B - Rodney, Fernando RP
Washburn, Jarrod SP

FLORIDA MARLINS
B - Calero, Kiko RP
Donnelly, Brendan RP
Gload, Ross 1B/OF
B - Johnson, Nick 1B

HOUSTON ASTROS
Boone, Aaron 1B/3B
B - Brocail, Doug RP
Erstad, Darin 1B/OF
Hampton, Mike SP
A - Hawkins, LaTroy RP
Michaels, Jason OF
A - Tejada, Miguel SS
A - Valverde, Jose RP

KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Chen, Bruce SP/RP
Crisp, Coco OF
B - Olivo, Miguel C
Wright, Jamey RP

L.A. ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
Escobar, Kelvim SP
A - Figgins, Chone 3B
B - Guerrero, Vladimir OF/DH
A - Lackey, John SP
A - Oliver, Darren RP
Quinlan, Robb 1B/3B/OF

LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Ausmus, Brad C
B - Belliard, Ron 2B
Castro, Juan 2B/SS
B - Garland, Jon SP
A - Hudson, Orlando 2B
Loretta, Mark 1B/2B/3B
Mientkiewicz, Doug 1B
Milton, Eric SP
B - Mota, Guillermo RP
B - Ohman, Will ** RP
B - Padilla, Vicente SP
Schmidt, Jason SP
Thome, Jim DH/1B
Weaver, Jeff SP
A - Wolf, Randy SP

MILWAUKEE BREWERS
B - Cameron, Mike OF
Catalanotto, Frank OF
Counsell, Craig 2B/3B/SS
B - Kendall, Jason C
B - Looper, Braden ** RP
B - Lopez, Felipe 2B/3B/SS/OF
Patterson, Corey OF
Vargas, Claudio SP/RP
B - Weathers, Dave RP

MINNESOTA TWINS
A - Cabrera, Orlando SS
Crede, Joe 3B
Mahay, Ron RP
B - Pavano, Carl SP
Redmond, Mike C

NEW YORK METS
Cora, Alex 2B/SS
B - Delgado, Carlos 1B
Dessens, Elmer RP
Martinez, Ramon 2B/SS
Putz, J.J. RP
Schneider, Brian C
Sheffield, Gary OF
B - Tatis, Fernando 1B/3B/OF

NEW YORK YANKEES
A - Damon, Johnny OF
Hairston Jr, Jerry 2B/3B/SS/OF
Hinske, Eric 1B/OF
Matsui, Hideki OF
Molina, Jose C
B - Nady, Xavier OF
B - Pettitte, Andy SP

OAKLAND A'S
Crosby, Bobby SS
B - Duchscherer, Justin SP
Garciaparra, Nomar 1B
Kennedy, Adam 2B
Tomko, Brett SP

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Bako, Paul C
Cairo, Miguel IF
B - Eyre, Scott RP
Feliz, Pedro 3B
Martinez, Pedro SP
Myers, Brett SP
B - Park, Chan Ho SP
Stairs, Matt OF

PITTSBURGH PIRATES
None

SAN DIEGO PADRES
Blanco, Henry C
B - Giles, Brian OF

SEATTLE MARINERS
Batista, Miguel SP/RP
B - Bedard, Erik SP
B - Beltre, Adrian 3B
Branyan, Russell 1B
Chavez, Endy OF
Griffey Jr., Ken DH/OF
Sweeney, Mike 1B/DH
Wilson, Jack ** SS

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Aurilia, Rich 1B/3B
B - Howry, Bob RP
B - Johnson, Randy SP
A - Molina, Bengie C
Penny, Brad SP
Uribe, Juan 2B/3B/SS
B - Winn, Randy OF

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Ankiel, Rick OF
B - DeRosa, Mark 3B
B - Glaus, Troy 3B
Greene, Khalil SS/3B
A - Holliday, Matt OF
LaRue, Jason C
B - Pineiro, Joel SP
Smoltz, John SP
Wellemeyer, Todd SP

TAMPA BAY RAYS
Bradford, Chad RP
Isringhausen, Jason RP
Percival, Troy RP
B - Shouse, Brian RP
B - Springer, Russ RP
B - Zaun, Gregg C

TEXAS RANGERS
Benoit, Joaquin RP
Blalock, Hank 3B
B - Byrd, Marlon OF
Guardado, Eddie RP
Jones, Andruw OF
B - Rodriguez, Ivan C
Vizquel, Omar SS

TORONTO BLUE JAYS
B - Barajas, Rod C
McDonald, John 3B/SS
Millar, Kevin OF
A - Scutaro, Marco 2B/SS

WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Bard, Josh C
Hernandez, Livan SP
Kearns, Austin OF
Villone, Ron RP
Young, Dmitri 1B

If I Could Only Keep One Of Them....

2009-11-09T02:24:36Z

When I was a senior in high school, two guys asked me out for New Year's Eve. Neither was an actual boyfriend (I was only in love with Mickey Mantle). One was quiet and dependable. The other was a lot of fun. But I couldn't go out with both of them, could I? Brian Cashman's dilemma is similar. He has to choose between Matsui and Damon, now that both are free agents. Does he decide to go with the quiet, dependable one?

Matsui did win the Series MVP and he's been nothing if not an RBI machine ever since he joined the Yankees. He's a lefty who hits for power and average, gets along with everybody and is a complete professional. His drawbacks? He's strictly a DH, can't run the bases given his bad knees, and he's 35 - hardly ready for the assisted living facility but not young in baseball years. Still, can the Yankees really afford to part with Godzilla?

Johnny Damon's slap-happy lefty swing was made for Yankee Stadium. He's perfect in the #2 slot, makes contact especially with two strikes, can go yard into Damon's Deck and is a speedy and smart base runner, as we saw from his pivotal steals of second and third in the World Series. His drawbacks? His weak throwing arm is a liability in left field, his legs need to be rested for maximum effectiveness, and he's 36 - even though it seems like only yesterday that the Yankees signed him.

I loathed him as a Red Sock, but over the four years he's been in pinstripes I've grown to appreciate his all-out effort, as well as his playfulness. Can the Yankees really say goodbye to the great chemistry he has with his teammates?

My solution would be to try to bring them both back. OK, I know that's wishful thinking. I'm not in high school anymore.

So I'd pick Matsui, because he's a better pinch-hitter.

No, wait. I'd pick Damon, because he's a better all-around player.

Or maybe I'd pick Matsui, because he's Pedro Martinez's daddy.

Or maybe I'd pick Damon, because he doesn't need a translator.

Matsui. Damon. Matsui. Damon. I don't know! I need to talk to Cashman right away. He's in Chicago at the GM meetings. I have to reach him before he does something crazy, so off I go.

I guess we'll have to wait to hear about Matsui and Damon. You can't say I didn't try.

Hot Stove Season Heats Up; So Does Movie Season

2009-11-07T17:40:03Z

Luckily, I have another passion besides baseball: movies. And, as long-time readers of this blog know, I'm fortunate to live in Santa Barbara where an annual film festival takes place and affords me the opportunity to see lots of international films - plus the actors, directors and writers responsible for making them.

The Festival will be held February 4-14th this year - perfect timing. I'll be done with it by spring training.

Meanwhile, over the next several weeks I get to see pre-festival screenings of films that are sure to be nominated for Oscars. Last week was "Precious," which won the big prize at Sundance. It's definitely not for those looking for a lighthearted romp. It's about an illiterate, obese, abused Harlem teen trying to make her way in the world. The subject is tough. But the acting? Amazing. I'd never heard of Mo' Nique, but if she doesn't get an Oscar nod I'll be stunned. And Mariah Carey? She's fantastic. No joke. She's so de-glamorized I wonder if Jeter would recognize her. I absolutely loved this movie, as difficult as it was to sit through. Here's the trailer.

Today's screening was "A Single Man," the movie that marks the directorial debut of former fashion designer Tom Ford of Gucci fame. The story takes place over the course of a day in the life of a college professor who has recently lost his partner of 16 years. (Yup, another laugh riot - not.) Colin Firth plays the lead and he won the best actor award at the Venice Film Festival. He's a shoo-in for a best actor Oscar nomination. There was a lot to like about this film. It's gorgeous to look at and the haunting flashbacks reminded me of "American Beauty." But for me there was too much style and not enough substance. I can't show the trailer, since it's R-rated, but here's Colin Firth and co-star Julianne Moore talking about it.

Next weekend is "The Road," based on Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel - another very dark tale that I might otherwise avoid except that it has Viggo Mortensen in it.

I'd pay to watch him take out his trash, so this one is a no-brainer for me. Of course, all these movies can't take the place of them.

It's only been a couple of days, but I miss them. Sigh.

Yankeemania!

2009-11-06T21:14:41Z

If I'd been at today's parade, I probably would have made a ticker tape snow angel too. But before I get to the festivities in the Canyon of Heroes, there were still fans celebrating Wednesday night's Game 6 triumph. Remember Karissa, the four-year-old she-fan I met in the parking lot of Angel Stadium during the ALCS? Apparently, she has a brother and the two of them did a little victory dance after the Yankees beat the Phillies.

Then there was Bill "Surf Dog" Connell, who was overjoyed that the Yanks notched #27.

The celebrating continued last night when three of the "core four" appeared on Letterman.

Is it me or do ballplayers look completely different in "street clothes?" I'm so used to seeing them in uniform that it's always a shock when they show up in suits. They look bigger and somehow too otherworldly for the stuff we civilians wear. Not that they weren't adorable with Dave. And having Hideki make his cameo at the end was priceless. Good job, boys.

Today's parade was fun to watch. In addition to the usual suspects (current mayor and former mayors, Yogi and Reggie, broadcasters, Steinbrenners, and, of course, the players themselves), I was thrilled to see Freddy on a float, banging his frying pan. Remember at the beginning of the season when he was denied entry to the new Stadium? How things have changed. I feel a special kinship with that man and his pan.

And how about the player pairings on those floats? AJ and Molina? Naturally. A-Rod and Jay-Z? Why not? Jeter and Minka? Hmm. But they're not engaged? Sure.

CC and Tex shared a float (I may kidnap "Lil CC"; that child is too cute). Marte and Joba were riding together, along with Wang and his baby. Andy and Chad Gaudin? OK. Damon with Swisher? Makes sense. Melky and his mother? Absolutely. I loved how they were all holding MLB-provided Flip Video camcorders - also known as the She-Fan Cam.

What I didn't love was that the MLB Network (I don't get YES programming here in California, just the games) had the nerve to cut away during the procession for a Phillies press conference. Excuse me? Talk about raining on my parade.

A few fashion notes before the finale at City Hall:

* A-Rod's black fedora, also worn by Melky, was an interesting choice.

* Mo's scarf was oh-so-stylish.

* Suzyn Waldman's black leather outfit was very biker-chick.

The ceremony at City Hall went too fast for me - I would have enjoyed hearing each Yankee say a few words - and I thought my head would explode while they were playing that horrible Six Flags music.

But I got a kick out of Bloomberg's line about Jimmy Rollins' crystal ball, Girardi's story about his phone conversation with The Boss, Jeter's graceful thank you to the fans and the Steinbrenners, and AJ's stealth grab of A-Rod's hat. Please, Yankees. Can we do this again next year?

My Husband Couldn't Handle It

2009-11-05T23:14:32Z

While Michael was as thrilled as I was that the Yankees won their 27th World Championship, he had already gone into a depression on Wednesday before Game 6; he was grieving the end of the baseball season even before it happened. Still, I didn't think anything of it while I was driving along in my car this afternoon and a bulletin came on my local radio station saying our bank had been robbed - the very same bank where Michael had made a withdrawal on Wednesday. But then I got home, went online and read the article about the robbery - and was shocked to see that one of the suspects bore a striking resemblance to Michael. Check out the story.

Suspects Sought in Armed Robberies at Two Santa Barbara Businesses

Two men flee with cash from Bank of America and Machine Gun Deli

A photo taken from surveillance video shows the suspect in Wednesday's robbery of the Bank of America at 1096 Coast Village Road in Santa Barbara. (Santa Barbara Police Department courtesy photo)

By Michelle Nelson, Noozhawk Managing Editor | Published on 11.05.2009

Santa Barbara detectives are searching for suspects in armed robberies Wednesday at two local businesses.

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, a male robbed the Bank of America at 1096 Coast Village Road. The suspect entered through the rear doors and approached a female teller, handing her a note demanding cash.

The suspect claimed that he had a handgun and simulated one with his hand. No weapon was seen.

The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect took the cash and ran out the back doors.

He was described as a white male in his mid-50s, 5 feet 5 inches tall with a medium build, gray hair and a gray goatee.

Detectives with the FBI and the Santa Barbara Police Department are conducting a joint investigation.

***

A "white male in his mid-50s with a medium build, gray hair and a gray goatee?" Hello? Sounded like my husband to me. And doesn't the guy in the surveillance camera photo look like him?

I questioned Michael a few minutes ago and he wouldn't give. So I contacted the FBI. They're grilling him as I type this. I really hope he's exonerated, because I plan on watching the parade tomorrow morning, not holding his hand in jail.

On a happier note, today was all about the Yankees for me - and about checking in with other fans. Peggy, who comments frequently here and who watched Game 6 with her Yankee fan friends at Mickey Mantle's last night, sent this pic along.

And ladyjane, another friend of the blog, was at Game 4 in Philly and had the good fortune to have Mo toss her a ball. That's right. MO. See how she's holding it? Like's it's a precious gem? That's exactly what is it. I mean, the man touched it!

(Of course, I would have asked him to write "I love you, She-Fan" on it, but that's just me.)

Guess what? The cops just finished interrogating Michael and he confessed to robbing the bank! It turns out the motive was totally unselfish: he needed cash to buy me all the World Series gear my closet could hold. Luckily, the FBI guys were understanding - their wives were she-fans too - and they let him keep the money. So here's what I'm buying:

Who says crime doesn't pay?