REMEMBERING 9-11: WHY BASEBALL MATTERED AFTER 9-11

Ten years ago, I was still too young to understand how the tragedy of September 11th was going to change the world we live in. This is the first historical moment that I have been a part of that I can really identify with. I have lived in Arizona for most of my life, but I was born in New York and can’t say I identify with anything here. Most of my family lives in New York, and in my mind that is where I belong.

On September 11, 2001 I remember waking up and getting ready for school. I had an early 7:30am class so I was awake at 5:30am just starting my day. I had the television on as I was getting ready, I was listening to CNN. At 5:46am Mountain Standard Time, the first plane hit the North Tower but I didn’t think more than it was just a freak accident. At 6:03am the second plane had crashed into the South Tower, and by then I couldn’t pull myself away from the television.

I didn’t really start to understand what was really happening until I was in the car, driving myself to class. I searched the AM stations for some news, and listened as I drove through traffic. By the time I got to class, my Political Science teacher started to give us all the information he knew at the time. We were supposed to have an exam that day, but due to what was going on 2,500 miles away he postponed it and I decided to skip class the rest of the day, nothing else seemed important. I have an uncle who used to work in the World Trade Center, so my mind was already wondering, and I was thinking about other family in the area. After September 11, we all searched for a way to cope…and America’s favorite past time was a big part of that.After the attacks, Bud Selig cancelled baseball games until September 16th, making this the third time in history that baseball activities have been interrupted due to war or a security threat. Games were previously cancelled on D-Day and also in the 1918 season when the United States entered in World War I. Even when baseball activities resumed, the Yankees opened up their stadium on September 23, 2011 to 23,000 people to hold memorials in honor of those who lost their lives. Baseball…some may just call it a game, but it really means more because it helped bring us all together.By the time the postseason came around, it seemed like the Yankees were the favorites to win. People were rooting for them out of respect. Whether people were fans or not, the team captured the hearts of many around the country who wanted this win for New Yorkers everywhere and it was a big morale boost. I only watched parts of the World Series that year, but what I did see, I remember vividly. Living in Arizona, the World Series was a huge ordeal; it was the first time our new team even had the chance to compete here. Everywhere you went, baseball took over the entire city.
I remember watching Game 4, seeing Tino Martinez hit his game tying two-run homer and feeling relieved. I watched the 10th inning in amazement as Derek Jeter hit that walk-off home run. I felt like for the first time, New York was getting something to celebrate, but it didn’t last long. Game 7 was a heart breaker for me. I watched the ball leave Mo’s hand, and I had already declared victory. As soon as Luis Gonzalez hit that bloop single and I saw the ball land I felt like the wind was knocked out of me. Unlike most other people in Arizona I was on an island, I wanted a “do-over,” I wanted New York to finally have a reason to celebrate, but it was not going to happen here.

In the weeks after September 11th, we all searched for something to distract us, to make us feel alive again. Baseball is more than just a game that year; it is also a part of our history. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know it helped me try to get back to “normalcy” and it helped the healing process begin.




--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor



Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY CONSTANTINO WAS CONSISTENT

One of the saddest days, (Thurman Munson’s death will always be the saddest), for me as a Yankee fan took place after the 1995 season. My childhood hero, Donald Arthur Mattingly decided that the back pain was never going to get better and his family was calling him to come home. When Mattingly retired I couldn’t imagine the Yankees without him.

I couldn’t imagine how they could ever replace his Gold Glove at 1^st base and his leadership both on and off the field. The man was a true hero to me and millions of Yankee fans around the world. In fact, I loved Donnie Baseball so much I remember actually being angry thinking that the Yankees were even going to try and replace him. I already had anger toward the guy taking over first and I didn’t even know who it was going to be!

And then it happened! In a trade with the Seattle Mariners after the 1995 season, the Yankees traded Russ Davis and Sterling Hitchcock for Jeff Nelson, Jim Mecir and, of course, Constantino “Tino” Martinez. Now, this was the same Mariners team who broke my heart just months before in the 1995 ALDS. The ALDS that ended Mattingly’s career. Man I was pissed! Why him? Anyone but him! No one could replace the great Yankee Captain!

But then something happened. Tino was cool! Tino was humble! And Tino could really hit and drive in runs! You could just tell he was a special player and was going to be a very special Yankee! Tino did not make me forget about Donnie Baseball by any means, but what he did do for Mattingly fans like myself is handle the transition with grace and humility. Tino knew he was filling big shoes but he didn’t try and duplicate Mattingly, he just played hard and let his numbers do the talking. He won my respect and I was rooting for him every step of the way.

So let’s take a look at Tino’s career in pinstripes. In the seven regular seasons that Tino played for the Yankees he had… .276 AVG. / 192 HR’s / 739 RBI’s. Those RBI numbers are amazing! Think about this…Tino played 16 season in MLB, 7 of those years with the Yankees. In his 7 years with the Yankees he had 739 RBI, in his 9 non-Yankee years he had a total of 532 RBI’s. And of his 339 care home runs, 192 were hit in those 7 seasons in pinstripes, meaning in 9 non-Yankee seasons he hit 147 HR’s. Talking about making the most of your time wearing the pinstripes!!!



Now postseason. Just another Yankee player who was part of that incredible run between 1996-2001. Tino’s postseason numbers don’t jump off the page when you look at them, but they certainly aren’t numbers he should be ashamed of. Here are his numbers in 99 postseason games: 9 HR’s and 38 RBI -- with only a .233 AVG. You know, I really don’t believe that low batting average fairly reflects the clutch hits he often got. Two of those, hits/hr’s/rbi’s are two of the most memorable in recent Yankee history, both of which were in the World Series:



#2 -- Game 1 of the 1998 World Series. Tino takes Mark Langston deep for an amazing grand slam! Remember, Mark Langston was one of the toughest lefties in all of MLB. Even though it was just the first game of the World Series against the Padres, I really think Tino’s grand slam took the heart out of the Padres and it was game, set match!



#1 -- Game 4 of the 2001 World Series -- Martinez HR in the 9th sets the stage for Jeter's "Mr. November" game-winner. With two outs in the 9th inning and the Yankees trailing by two runs, Martinez came to the plate with a runner on and hit one of the most dramatic World Series home runs. The stadium was ROCKING!!!

So Tino, thank you for all you did for the Yankees and their fans. It was so great seeing you again on Old Timer’s Day. It was even btter seeing that sweet home run stroke! You belong on that field. You are a true Yankee and deserve the ovation you got. Welcome home!



Some cool facts about Tino:

• Tino was a 2x All-Star selection (1995, 1997)

• Was part of all 4 of the Yankees WS Titles in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000

• He won the Silver Slugger Award in 1997

• Was the 1997 Home Run Derby champion

• Was a member of the 1988 U.S. Team that won the Gold in Seoul

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer

Twitter:@MikeyBlu23







Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY WE'LL ALWAYS LOVE BROSIUS

When I think about the 1998 season, so many great memories come to mind. And, of course, it all concluded with our dominant performance in the World Series where we swept the San Diego Padres. But there is one player that always comes to my mind first when I think of that unbelievable season, and that player is Scott David Brosius, or better known around Yankeeland as Scotty Bro.

Brosius is one of those Yankee players where you can just throw his overall, career stats out the window. He was more to this team than statistics. He became a big time, big game player, and that’s why he is so loved by the fans. I specifically remember when Brosius was in Oakland and he batted .304 with 22 home runs in 1996. I remember saying to my brother after we won the World Series in 1996 how it would be great to get that guy Scott Brosius for 3rd base. Wade Boggs and Charlie Hayes definitely did an amazing job for us at 3rd before him, but I was thinking big picture. So when the Yankees did not get him in 1997, I thought they made a big mistake.



Well, at the time, the Yankees brass must have had a crystal ball or something because in 1997 Brosius not only had his worse career season, but had one of the worst career seasons EVER, by a major league hitter.



In 1997, Brosius finished last in the majors in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. So, I know I wasn’t the only Yankee fan who screamed “WTF” when the Yankees traded for Brosius after that dreadful year. Granted, we were dumping Kenny Rogers who was a disaster with us, but Scott Brosius? Now? After his nightmare of a season? Well, I guess there is a reason I was never asked to be the Yankees General Manager. What do I know? I just blog.



I would never have imagined the incredible memories Brosius would give us once he put on the pinstripes. Scotty Bro took his opportunity to be a New York Yankee, ran and never looked back, and it all began in 1998.

Brosius finished 1998 regular season with a .300 batting average, 19 HR’s, and 98 RBI’s. and played an awesome 3rd base. But it was the 1998 post season when Brosius officially entered Yankee lore. Scotty Bro hit .390 throughout the 1998 playoffs and had 4 home runs, including two in Game 3 of the World Series, that all but sealed the deal against the Padres. Remember that homer he hit against Trevor Hoffman in Game 3? What a shot! Man, I remember that like it was yesterday.

Scotty Bro hit .471 and had almost a .500 on-base percentage in the 1998 World Series and walked away with the World Series MVP. Tremendous.

With Scotty Bro at 3rd base, the Yankees continued to kick ass. They went on to win the World Series in 1999 and 2000 and went for the 4-peat in 2001. Now trying to sum up what the 2001 World Series meant, not just for baseball, but for our country in a few sentences would be a sin. Casey touched on it in WHY JUSTICE WAS SERVED after bin Laden was killed and believe me, we'll be sure to be more in depth around the anniversary of September 11th, but for now, let me just say this: That World Series was probably the only time in my life as a fan of a team when winning or losing really wasn't important. I was just so proud of the way the Yankees and Diamondbacks played and how they carried themselves throughout that Series. Sure, it would have been great to win, but I was just so proud to be an American and proud of my Yankees!

MLB could not have scripted a more dramatic World Series in 2001. It was just filled with amazing baseball by both teams and total class by the Yankee and Arizona fans, as well as fans around the country. Who can forget the dramatic home runs by Tino Martinez in Game 4 and Scotty Brosius in Game 5? With two outs in the ninth, Brosius hit a 1–0 pitch over the left field wall to tie Game 5 at two. God, remember how Yankee Stadium erupted after he hit that home run! Brosius' homer sent the game into extra innings and the Yankees won it in the twelfth when Alfonso Soriano knocked in Chuck Knoblauch with a base hit. Scotty Bro’s shot was just so clutch. Fans might forget that up until Brosius hit that dinger, he was having a pretty awful series at the plate. I had to look it up, but Brosius only hit only .167 in that 7 game classic. But when you hit home runs like he hit, who cares, right? That’s what I meant when I said that there are certain players who’s stats don't matter. When players are as clutch as Scott Brosius, their career stats are meaningless.



Scotty was just class all the way. He knew what it meant to be a Yankee and made fans like me proud! You know, Scott Brosius will never make it into the Hall of Fame. He wont have his number #18 retired by the Yankees or he won't ever get a monument in Monument park. But what he will always have is the thanks from us New York Yankee fans for one of the greatest runs in the history of this franchise. Including 1998, the greatest single season domination by any team in history!So thank you Scot Brosius for all the great memories.

By the way, you want goosebumps? Watch this clip from the 2001 World Series. If you didn't bleed Yankee blue before, you will after it plays:







Here are some facts about Scott Brosius:

• Brosius hit a homerun in his first MLB game (Aug. 7, 1991)
• He was drafted by the A’s in the 20th round in 1987
• The Yankees won the AL pennant every year with Brosius from 1998-2001 (2001 was the only year they did not win the WS)
• Brosius won the Gold Glove at 3rd base in 1999
• Brosius was an All-Star selection in 1998 (only year he ever made it)
• Brosius retired right after the 2001 WS, on November 4th.
  
  

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer

Twitter @MikeyBlu23





Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY TIES NEED TO BE BROKEN

FIRST BASE

If there’s one thing that baseball fans hate, it’s a tie. A baseball game can never end until one team has safely touched home plate more than the other. In every play, you’re safe or you’re out. Every pitch is a strike or a ball. Quite simply, you win or you lose… you NEVER tie.

However, on the extremely rare—almost never—occasion when a tie occurs, baseball magic happens.

Most recently, the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers finished tied with the same record in 2009. Remember that classic back and forth one game playoff? If you saw it, you’ll never forget it.

How about in 1951? The New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers season ending tie was finally “resolved” with Bobby Thomson’s Shot Heard ‘Round the World.

And of course, 1978. The Yankee and the Red Sox classic one game playoff when Bucky Dent hit the ball over the big green wall and effectively ended the Red Sox season and sent them spiraling downward for almost a decade.

#3. That’s how close it is between the #3 of my First basemen countdown. Yankee first basemen, Bill “Moose” Skowron and Tino Martinez are so close in so many categories, except 1. Follow me through:

These are the actual career Yankee numbers for both players:Both won 4 World Series with the Yankees. And their World Series numbers are just as close. (I only compared World Series numbers because when Moose played, there were no playoffs unless two teams tied at the end of the regular season.)

Both batted 5th in the batting order. Now Tino did bat clean up sometimes, but was probably more comfortable where he hit most, batting fifth. Moose batted fifth for his Yankee career.

Both played most of their games with the Yanks, but did play a substantial amount of games for other teams. However, both made their name with the Yankees.

So, based on everything I just showed you, and if I had to choose just 1, I would officially give it to Tino Martinez for this reason: He replaced Don Mattingly AND became a fan favorite himself.

When Mattingly played, Yankee fans loved him. They still do. So replacing him was not going to be easy. No one was going to just come in and take Donnie Baseball’s position without some hazing. Especially if they came from the same Seattle Mariners team that knocked Donnie out of the 1995 playoffs.
On top of that, Tino had a horrible start to his first season in the Bronx. Yet Tino persevered, took the hazing, never became bitter, and not only won over the fans in the Bronx, but became a fan favorite. I'm NOT claiming that in his day Moose wasn't as loved by the Yankee faithful. Just that Tino had to do a little more to earn his Yankee love.


--Moonlight Graham BYB Staff Writer

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.