Ok gang:
Sorry to steal the song title from Hank Williams Jr. and Monday Night Football, but we're less than an hour away from kickoff to the opening of the area scholastic season and I must admit I am a little more pumped than I though I'd be.
Normally this is the time of year I loathe because -- as I've discussed in previous posts -- this time signals the start of fall, which mean winter is around the corner and I HATE winter. But I really am looking forward to the high school season, as well as the colleges and pros.
I'm not trying to belittle all other sports, but there's just something different about going to a local high school -- ANY local high school -- and seeing a few hundred, if not a few thousand, fans excited about rooting for their hometown team. As a reporter even I -- to this day -- get caught up in the pageantry that is high school football after three decades in this line of work.
That said, I'll probably take a little extra interest in seeing how my hometown team -- Ellenville -- does this season.
On paper, the Devils look like they could have one of their better seasons in quite a few years, but as we all know you don't win games on paper, so the jury is still out.
And I'm hoping my favorite pro and college teams (the Dallas Cowboys and USC, respectively) live up to their expectations. If so, I'll be celebrating another NFL playoff berth and another NCAA national championship.
Here's hoping all your teams do well (except when they're playing mine) and for all our area high school players, I wish you all good luck and good health. Go out and kick butt.
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Well folks:
I know I spend a lot of time blogging about my favorite team, so in the interest of equal play -- or as equal as I'll get with MY posts -- let's talk about that other team from New York -- the Mets.
As the Phillies were completing their four-game sweep of the Amazins, I began to wonder what the Mets must do to ritght their ship.
Those of you Mets fans out there pinning all of your hopes on the return of a 100 percent healthy Pedro Martinez, don't fool yourself. Although I suspect he WILL pitch again this season for the Mets, just how many starts can he give you over the final 25 or so games when he returns.
And given it could very well take a start or two for him to feel completely comfortable back on the mound after more than a year on the disabled list, there's just not enough time for him to make that big an impact down the stretch. Making an impact for the playoffs ... well, we can discuss that down the road.
The biggest thing is to not panic, Mets fans. You've seen the Phillies make this kind of run before only to fade. And as bad as the Mets' pitching looks right now, the Phillies' staff is that much worse.
I still don't think we've seen the best of the Mets' offense this season and there is still time for them to step up. Maybe Thursday's 11-10 loss was a step in the right direction for their offense, which most resembles an American League offense in the National League.
Even as a Yankee fan, I see the Mets winning the division by at least 5 games.
But what this season shows me more than anything is just how superior the junior circuit is to the senior league. I firmly believe the Mets are still the class of the NL, yet I wouldn't put them in the top 5 of the AL.
Right now, the Yankees are playing a superior brand of baseball and there's still a good chance they might not even qualify for postseason play.
Enough said.
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Ok folks:
So after a huge Yankee win last night, I turn on ESPN this morning and listen to Chris "Mad Dog" Russo this afternoon, just to kind of hear what they're saying about my team.
I usually take everything with a grain of salt because most of these so-called experts aren't any more knowledgeable about sports than you or I. But I really found myself scratching my head when the talk turned to the two young Yankee pitchers -- Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain.
I didn't know until today just how overrated each 21-year-old pitcher was (tongue firmly in cheek) until I heard about it today.
As far as Hughes goes, I know I've said this in previous posts, you can see he has the makeup and the stuff to be front of the rotation pitcher, while Chamberlain -- my God -- I know there will be a time and who know when that time will be, where he will get shelled because every pitcher does.
But from the early returns, he has the potential to be a SPECIAL front of the rotation or back of the bullpen-type pitcher.
With the emergence of these two following the development of Chien-Ming Wang, it's just fun to see young Yankee pitchers finally show their potential at the major league level.
But I guess the pinstripes diminishes their ability in some people's eyes. But, these are probably the same people who'd be drooling over themselves if those three were apart of their staff.
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Ok folks:
Yuk!
That's about the only way I could describe the Yankees' road trip to Anaheim and Detroit.
It's about two hours until first pitch in the Bombers' big series against the Red Sox and I can honestly say I don't know what to think right now. All I can say is the Yankees picked a terrible time to play the way they were playing during that dreadful first half of the season.
It starts with starting pitching and is there anybody out there pitching any worse than Mike Mussina. When a control pitcher has no control and is forced to come over the middle of the plate -- well, an ERA of almost 18 over his last three starts tells you all you need to know about his struggles.
Roger Clemens has been spotty to say the least.
Phil Hughes is pitching like ... well the way a 21-year-old rookie is supposed to pitch. You can see through his stuff and makeup on the mound he the potential to become a very special pitcher over the next couple of years. The problem is the Yankees right now need him to pitch like that as they fight for their lives to make the playoffs.
Chien-Ming Wang has even struggled of late, meaning the only true bright spot is the stellar pitching of Andy Pettitte. He has been a savior for the staff the second half of the season, but they're going to need much more than him if they have a shot at reaching the playoffs.
In the beginning of the year, the Yankees' bullpen might have been the worst of the league. With Mo at the back end, set up by Luis Vizcaino, Joba Chamberlain and ... I can't believe I'm saying this ... Kyle Farnsworth (whatever he's been drinking, keep drinking it) the Bombers have a quality bullpen.
Now they need their veteran starters to step up and get them the ball with the lead.
Let's hope for the best Bombers' fans.
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Well gang:
What a terribly way to start an important 10-game stretch for the Yankees.
Just when the Bombers were really starting to roll, along comes the Anaheim Angels or the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or the Disneyland Angels, whatever they're going by this year.
For as long as the Yankees have enjoyed this great success under Joe Torre, one team has really had New York's number year after year. And it is not the Boston Red Sox. It's those Angels.
In the years the Yankees were clearly the better team, the Angels still proved a tough opponent, and as Anaheim improved, it only got that much more difficult for the Yankees to play. I give the Angels a lot of credit in that they play the game the right way -- except when they play the Red Sox when they roll over and play dead.
But against the Yankees, they do EVERYTHING right.
As I write this it's about 2 1/2 hours to the finale of the series. With the Yankees already losing the first two games -- by the way I think Garrett Anderson just drove in another run -- salvaging Game 3 becomes that much more important.
Despite the Yankees throwing Andy Pettitte tonight, who's been more than good the since the All-Star break, I don't like the Yankees' chances. They face the Angels best in John Lackey, who is practically lights out -- unless you're wearing a Boston uniform.
The Yankees caught a break in the Twins losing, so no matter what, they'll leave Anaheim at the most 2 1/2 games out of the wild card.
Maybe Pettitte can outpitch Lackey, or maybe the Bombers should show up wearing Boston red to frighten the Angels. Anyway, I, for one, will be glad if the Yankees don't see Anaheim until next year.
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Ok guys:
I was flipping through the television the other day when I came across the Little League World Series on ESPN.
I began to think, 'is this a good thing to be giving this kind of attention to children this young?'
It's an interesting question.
In this job I can cite numerous examples of young kids getting a whole lot of attention in the sports section of this newspaper, but we're talking ESPN, the largest sports broadcasting network in the world. It's great when your child's local newspaper recognizes him or her for his/her accomplishments.
But when it gets to the global stage, for these pre-teen kids I believe that's a little over the top.
There's something about seeing a young boy make an error in a Little League World Series game, then seeing it over and over again on replays, topped by getting a close-up of this kid crying that just screams, 'Enough is enough!'
The closest example I can give from my experiences here is several years ago, a local state Babe Ruth team was playing in the state tournament right here locally at Gruner Field. For days leading up to the final, I received several call from parents demanding "to do right by our boys" and cover them in the final.
Well, it was always our intention to cover this title game, but I hate being told we HAVE to do anything.
Anyway, we covered the game and the local team lost pretty badly. Well, I don't think it could not have been two hours after that final pitch when I took a call from one of those parents who called earlier in the week DEMANDING we not run a story or publish photos from the game because "it would scar those kids for the rest of their lives."
Obviously, we ran the story and photos, but when you're dealing with such young kids -- and some of their overprotective parents -- I really think we're crossing the line when it comes to giving these kids global television coverage.
Seeing the Little League champions celebrate a World Series title is nice, but I don't think it's nearly as sad as seeing the losing team being consoled on national television.
At some point, can't we just let kids be kids?
Just wondering.
Until next time, take care and -- as always -- God bless.

Well folks:
I know we touched on this subject a little while back, but now that Michael Vick's attorney said the Falcons' quarterback will plead guilty to federal dogfighting charges, I just wanted to take this time to reiterate just how disgusted I am at this guy.
Vick was one of the faces of the NFL since and now he is the face for all that is wrong with the sport.
For those unfamiliar with the particulars of the case, I'll spare you all the details of the torture and murder Vick's co-defendants said they were all a part of, but when I heard of those details, it made me sick to my stomach.
Now, if you believe the reports and unnamed sources (don't you love when you see that in a story or hear that on TV or radio) Vick will likely face a year or so in jail. That just seems so unfair.
I guess you take whatever you can get, but don't tell me Vick's celebrity didn't factor in how much (or in his case how little) jail time he'll likely receive. If this had been you or I in Vick's shoes somehow I think we'd be facing a lot more jail time than 18 months.
What happens after jail is anybody's guess.
Vick is a talented quarterback who's star has obviously fallen big time. But has it fallen past the point of no return?
I think it's a safe bet the Falcons will now void his mega-million contract, and I'm sure he will not be welcome in most NFL camps when he is eligible to play again, but when you have the talent of a Michael Vick, I truly believe the door will be open somewhere for him to make his comeback.
That of course cannot be said for those animals so cruelly tortured and killed by Vick and his friends.
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Well gang:
Over this past month, ESPN has been running down their picks for each team's top-3 home run in their respective franchise histories.
That got me to thinking -- as a diehard Yankee fan the past 30 years -- if I had to list MY, say, top-5 home runs in pinstripe history what would they be?
So here's my list of the five Yankee home runs that have been the most memorable to me.

5) Jim Leyritz home run against Atlanta in the 1996 World Series.
I truly believe the incredible run that Yankee have had was kickstarted by that game-tying bomb of Braves' closer Mark Woehlers, who was considered one of the top relief pitchers -- if not the premier closer -- of that day. That home run changed the complexion of that series because the Yankees were faced with going down 3-1 in the series.
Instead, they came back to win Game 4, tie the series at 2-2 and the rest -- as they say -- is history.

4) Don Mattingly home runs in 1995 playoffs against Seattle.
This is the first of my truly sentimental selections because, as we know, although the Yankees won that first game of the divisional series, the Mariners came back to win the series, 3-2. But anyone who calls him/her self a Yankee fan probably had that same shiver down their spine feeling when Mattingly connected.
Having grown up during the Mattingly-era and watching someone who was widely regarded as the best player in the game during that time on a team that wasn't good enough to make the playoffs until his final year in '95 ... I still get goosebumps today thinking about it.

3) Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius hit ninth-inning homers in back-to-back World Series games in 2001.
We've all seen the clips on great Yankee moments watching YES, but I remember being in complete awe when both guys connected for game-tying home runs off Arizona closer Byun-Hyung Kim. I believe both were two-out, two-run blasts so that made it even more memorable.
Although the Yankees did not win the World Series, with the nation in general and the state in particular still reeling from the event of 9/11, those two memories provided a moment of escape for many. And I'm not just talking about Yankee fans here. Over the years I've spoken with many Yankee haters who still regard that as something special.

2) Reggie Jackson hits three home runs in 1977 World series.
I was nearly 8-years-old at the time and that is truly my first Yankee memory. And in recently watching a couple of episodes of ESPN's "The Bronx is Burning" really refreshed my memory as to how Reggie struggled, not only for the season, but in the playoffs as well.
Then he hits three bombs on three consecutive pitches to basically cement his place in Yankee lore. All one needs to know about how much Reggie treasured the pinstripes is that although he spent the majority of his career elsewhere, he went into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee.

1) Graig Nettles hits two home runs against the Twins in 1980.
When I was writing about Mattingly, I told you all that was the first of my sentimental picks. Well, here is No. 2. To this day, Graig Nettles is my all-time favorite player. I tried to copy his left-handed swing as a right-handed hitter. I tried to emulate him fielding ground ball at third.
So when my dad took me to my first-ever game at Yankee Stadium on a dank, gray early-season game in April, imagine the thrill a 10-year-old boy would have seeing his idol hit not one, but two home runs. More than a quarter-century later I still believe Graig Nettles knew I was there, knew how big a fan I was, and hit those home runs for me.
Does that make me strange?
So that's my list, and for all you baseball fans out there -- whichever team you root for, think of those memorable home runs in your team's history. It was a lot of fun.
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Well guys:
I don't know about you, but I hate saying goodbye.
Recently I had to say it to someone who I consider like a daughter to me.
Over the dozen years I coached softball, I met with and helped teach many kids, and I can honestly say I was extremely fond of at least 95 percent of that group. I always considered it my honor to have been a tiny piece of their lives over the years.
There were two kids, however, that I could honestly call my family. The first I said goodbye to as she went off to attend the College of St. Rose last year. This year it's saying goodbye to the second, who is off to the University of Kentucky on a softball scholarship.
I only got the privilege to coach Samantha, or as Grasshopper as I've called her for years now, for one summer a few years back. But it did not take long to realize how special a person she was back then. She's the kind of kid I think most parents would be thrilled to call their daughter.
Since then my friendship with her and her parents has grown over the years and I had the greatest of times watching and reading as she became one of the -- if not THE -- premier softball player in the area.
Although I'm not a parent like many of you out there, I think I have a pretty good idea what you guys feel must like when you send your kids away to school.
By the time Samantha might see this, she'll be settling into her new digs at Kentucky, and I just wanted to use this time to wish her the best of luck and tell her how proud I am of her.
Grasshopper, URon will miss you greatly!
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Well folks:
By now I'm sure you heard the news, and for all us Yankee fans in our 30s or older, this is certainly a sad day with the passing of Phil Rizzuto.
Obviously I'm not old enough to remember his 13-year Hall of Fame playing career with the Bombers. I, probably like many of you out there, remember him more for the 40 years he served as a Yankee broadcaster.
I know the generation before me would call Mel Allen the voice of the Yankees. For me, it was Scooter.
He did everything a communications teacher would tell his/her students not to to do when it came to sports broadcasting. He was self-deprecating, funny and a Yankee loyalist through and through. Often times the game took a back seat to the numerous birthdays he mentioned, or the stories about the pasta he ate the night before.
And that's what made him that much more funny. He had a way of taking games where the Yankees were down by 10 runs (and those of you who followed the Yankees in the late 1980s and early 90s know there were a whole lot of them) and made it entertaining to watch.
The funniest story I remember from watching a Yankee game was when the Bombers were in Kansas City to play the Royals and he opened the broadcast by saying -- and this will be as close to word-for-word as I remember -- "good evening and welcome to New York Yankees baseball. I'm Bill White and ... wait a minute ... no, I'm Phil Rizzuto and he's Bill White. Oh, you Huckleberry White I forgot who I was."
I think Bill White was laughing about as hard as I am.
The other story I remember was a game in which I believe Jim Rice of the Red Sox hit a home run against the Yankees at the Stadium, one of those tape-measure jobs he seemed to hit every time the Sox played the Yanks and Bill White asked him, "Scooter, did you every hit any home runs like that."
Scooter's response, "No, White. I didn't get a chance to play in a Little League park."
Like I said, I never saw Rizzuto play in the 50s, but all I needed to know how great a player he was came from the legendary Ted Williams, who said the difference between the great Yankee teams of 40s and early 50s and the Red Sox was Rizzuto played for the Yankees.
But when it came to broadcasting they certainly broke the mold when they created Rizzuto.
Rest in peace, Scooter. And thank you for my early years of watching the Yankees so memorable.
Take care and God bless.

Well guys:
I might be time for you Yankee haters to get a little worried.
Left for dead months ago, now you Yankee haters face the real prospect of seeing those pinstripes in the playoffs again this season.
I'm just as guilty as most, predicting a long summer for my beloved Bombers, but my oh my have times changed.
Now I'm not ready to purchase those playoff tickets just yet because the Yankees have a lot of work to do, but -- and answer this honestly -- is there any team that you'd be more nervous about playing right now than the Yankees.
They are playing championship ball, and while they shouldn't be ready to take any bows yet, there are two people I'd like to single out -- general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Torre.
Nobody outside of Torre had taken more heat for the Yankee woes early in the season than Cash. With the Yankees playing putrid baseball in April and May, those "experts" in the media I've spoken about, called for Cashman's head.
And when the Yankees decided against overpaying for those marquee players at the trade deadline (Eric Gagne and Mark Texiera at the top of the list), once again those experts wondered aloud what Cashman was thinking about.
One ESPN guy said by obtaining Gagne, the Red Sox had locked up the AL pennant. I know there's a lot of season left, but my question to Red Sox nation is "How's that trade worked out so far?"
And to you Yankee fans the question is, "How much do you love seeing Melky Cabrera play every day and how much do you love seeing Joba Chamberlain coming out of the pen in the 7th and 8th innings?" I ask that because it would have cost one of -- or possibly both -- of those players to get Gagne.
Cashman could have panicked and given away 1/2 his blue-chip prospects the Yankees have stockpiled over the past couple of years for Gagne and the rest for Texiera. But he stuck with his game-plan and it's been so far, so good.
As far as Torre, I don't think there are too many managers who could have ridden out the early-season storm like Torre, and in turn, his team has responded. I don't know about the rest of you Yankee fans, but I certainly like him leading this ballclub as it pushes toward the playoffs.
Both guys deserve to brought back next year, but that's for another time.
For now, the past few weeks have made this a much-more enjoyable season for all us Yankee fans and a lot more uncomfortable for those who root against the "Evil Empire."
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Well gang:
Now that I've had about 24 hours to digest it, I can now give you all my feelings on Barry Bonds breaking the all-time home run mark.
I know a whole lot of people would liken Tuesday to the darkest day in the history of this country, but I'm not willing to take it that far.
Do I believe Barry Bonds used steroids? Absolutely!
Do I believe that could have played a part in him making history? Absolutely!
Do I believe Barry Bonds is -- for lack of a better term -- a jerk to the media and many fans? Absolutely!
Do I believe it is very easy to root against Barry Bonds? Absolutely!
Do I believe there should be an asterisk next to his name? Absolutely NOT!
The hardest thing to do in the world of sports -- I believe -- is hit a round ball with a round bat. I think Ted Williams first said that and I agree.
So do steroids help someone hit a ball? Of course not. And who among us can quantify how many home runs Bonds hit as a result of taking performance-enhancing drugs. 0, 10, 50, 100? There's no way to determine.
Let me make one thing clear. I am in no way a Barry Bonds fan! If he would have gotten hurt and never had a chance to hit that 755th home run to tie Hank Aaron I certainly would not have shed a tear.
But once we start attaching asterisks to records or milestones associated with this juiced ball, juiced player-era, we are heading down a very slippery slope.
Enough with the nonsense. Recognize the record for what it is. Besides, A-Rod will have that record in a few years anyway.
I only hope he's wearing Yankee pinstripes when he does it.
Take care and God bless.

Well folks:
As I sit here around 7:30 p.m., my beloved Yankees are tied for the wild card, pending the results of tonight's games.
Who would have thought it?
I remember back in May, many of the so-called baseball experts pronounced the Yankees dead. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, one of those experts went on David Letterman and proclaimed the Bombers had no chance of making the playoffs.
Think I'm kidding? I believe that particular Letterman show is being rebroadcast tonight (Monday).
Now, there's a lot of baseball left and the Yankees have done what they're supposed to do, and that is take advantage of the easier part of their schedule. What surprised me, however, was how quickly the likes of the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians have come back to the pack.
While catching the Red Sox for the East title is probably still a longshot, at least they are within shouting distance.
Why have the Yankees been able to make this run?
First and foremost is the schedule I've previously mentioned. Today's win against the Blue Jays was huge and the games only get tougher from here, as Cleveland and Detroit lurk.
But another reason, I believe, is the Yankees probably made the best decision at the trade deadline (for the most part) by sitting pat as opposed to overpaying for that one guy all the experts said the Yankees had to have.
Not trading Melky Cabrera for Eric Gagne was a great non-move for the Yankees. The likes of Cabrera and Robinson Cano and Andy Phillips and even Shelley Duncan make this a fun team to watch.
Their offense -- I'm not talking about pitching now -- reminds me of the type of offense they had during their championship run in the late 90s.
They have their superstars, no doubt, but unlike in years past, these intangible-type guys bring a spark this team has been lacking for some time.
Add to the mix that Hideki Matsui and Bobby Abreu and even Johnny Damon (to a lesser extent) have started to hit, while A-Rod, Jeter and Posada have stayed pretty consistent throughout, and you have the makings of one of the strongest, most well-balanced offenses in baseball.
And I don't know about you guys, but I'm glad Phil Hughes is back and can't wait to see Joba Chamberlain bring his 100 miles and hour fastball from the minors to the bullpen.
So sit back guys, while I'm not bold -- or stupid -- enough to predict whether the Yankees will make the playoffs, one thing is for sure, it's going to be one heck of a pennant race.
Until next time, take care and God bless.

Ok folks:
So let me get this straight. Jose Canseco has a book coming out soon where he says he will reveal "stuff" about A-Rod? Does it have something to do with steroids or some other performance-enhancing drug?
Canseco told a radio station in Boston recently to basically wait for the book.
Hmmmmmm!?!?
I'm not one to question someone's credibility, but it's so easy when it comes to Canseco. From his trysts with Madonna, to his own steroid sagas to run-ins with the police, Canseco certainly hasn't distinguished himself when it comes to credibility.
Now in his first book, he did name names when it came to steroids and he was right-on when it came to some of those names.
So now it's A-Rod's turn.
From previous posts, you know I'm a huge A-Rod fan, so maybe I'm being a little sensitive when it comes to the subject of A-Rod.
I personally think he gets killed entirely too much in the media because he plays for the Yankees and he's the highest-paid player in the game. In recent Yankee blowout victories, his failed attempts at reaching 500 have been the story.
"Party Pooper" and "Nay-Rod" are two of the headlines I remember seeing in recent victories in which the Yankees tied team marks for home runs, but A-Rod failed to hit one. I don't of another player who would get treated like that in any sport around these parts.
And now A-Rod is faced with another witch-hunt.
I don't know A-Rod, never met him at all. Like I said, I'm just a fan.
Could he be guilty of what Canseco is hinting at? Perhaps.
But I find it kind of ironic that in his playing days with the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, years in which A-Rod hit more home runs than he's hit with the Yankees, I've never heard one whisper about this.
So, when it comes to Canseco or members of the media who only are now saying they've heard those whispers before, my thought is this -- produce the evidence or leave this guy alone.
Thanks for letting me rant and until next time, take care and God bless.

Well gang:
Is it just me, or has this summer flown by?
It seemed like only yesterday I was blogging about the local spring sports scene and now we're about a month from the start of our local fall schedule. Where has the time gone.
I don't know about you guys, but I certainly can wait for the fall.
It has nothing to do with the local sports schedule, but rather fall being one season closer to winter. I know, I know, I'm getting way ahead of myself.
It just seemed like -- pardon the Bryan Adams' reference -- the summers seemed to last forever when I was a kid. My friends and I played baseball or softball from sun up to dark. We swam at the local pool in Ellenville or the county pool in New Paltz for hours on end.
Then we'd watch the Yankees or Mets play at night.
As I get older I really miss those days. Days when my friends and I -- on a whim -- would travel to Yankee Stadium -- or sometimes Shea -- to catch a game. It was a lot easier -- and cheaper -- back then to see a game at the Stadium.
As we slowly move closer to the fall and the start of another school season, I get more and more nostalgic for those childhood memories of those long, hot summers.
Maybe someone upstairs will cancel winter because of lack of interest. Just kidding!
Until next time, take care and God bless.