 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Today I saw one of the final performances of the Broadway play "Bronx Bombers" (closes tomorrow). Here's my review that I've posted in a few forums.
1-If you're not a Yankee fan, chances are you wouldn't find it appealing. It really requires the audience to know Yankee history to appreciate it since sometimes the info and stories can come out real fast and furious, especially in its second part. This may be the biggest reason why it couldn't last long on Broadway, though I felt there were a couple structural flaws even as I had a good time overall.
2-The acting was superb. Peter Scolari ("Newhart", "Bosom Buddies") was a good Yogi, not going for the voice but going for the mannerisms and attitude and pretty much getting it. I didn't see that one-man play about Yogi with Ben Gazzara a few years back and wish I had so I could have compared. They also of necessity had the same actor playing Munson in the first act, Mantle in the second act, Reggie in the first act, Elston in the second act and in those cases the actors knew how to make them distinctive.
3-Structure wise, it's very hard to explain. It plays better then I think it will read when I try to summarize. We start with a scene in Yogi's hotel room in Boston the morning after the BIlly-Reggie brawl. Yogi is acting as peacemaker to BIlly and Reggie, calling a meeting between the two with Munson also reluctantly appearing., Of course there was no such meeting in real life, it's just a dramatic device to get the personalities of the Bronx Zoo together to express to each other what they felt etc.what they actually said and Yogi, the symbol of the past is disheartened to see the team coming apart. Next scene is Yogi at home with Carmen as he ponders what's happening to the team and then in the midst of his misery he starts seeing visions of Babe Ruth as the intermission comes.
4-Act Two we have in this apparent dream of Yogi's (never stated explicitly) a dinner in which all the Yankee greats of the past (Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Howard) show up and it's a time for learning more about the enduring greatness of the Yankees through the changing eras of history but we also see the reality of how Billy-Reggie was not the first time there was bad feeling among players (how it even existed with Ruth-Gehrig and DiMaggio-Mantle). Now this dynamic would work if we just have the dream explicitly be this is 1977 (which is what it's designed to be) and this dinner in Yogi's dream is a way to offer reassurance that the Yankees are not going to self-destruct and will go on, and will win in 77. But what ruins this structurally though is that Jeter shows up at the dinner too and that doesn't make sense even in the dream context. They give Jeter some lines about the things that will come that are great (like when Mantle points out how salaries are now in the thousands, Jeter gets a laugh by bringing the other greats to slack-jawed silence when he says "millions") but IMO I think they confused audiences as to whether this dream/dinner is still taking place in 77 or not. They should have given Yogi a line about "Who are you?" and Jeter should be answering about how he represents what's still to come, or else they should have left Jeter out of this scene altogether. But I think the writers felt Jeter *had* to be in the scene so the younger fans could feel a connection in this scene.
5-Final scene has Yogi at the Stadium before its last game in 08 and Reggie returns and we now see how after the squabble of Scene 1, Reggie realizes the greatness of what it means to be a Yankee etc. and then Berra tells Jeter why its important for him to make the final speech before the ballpark closes and the ending is audio of Jeter's actual speech. Made for a great moment, but I think this scene could have been longer and the dinner shortened so Jeter could have had an expanded role in the final scene and appearing only in that final scene. Then it would have worked better.
Like I said, I had a good time and most everyone did it seemed (lot of older men in Yankee hats and shirts, most of whom I think were Mantle fanatics. When the actor playing Mantle appeared wearing #7, he got the biggest applause after Yogi's entrance at the beginning of the play) It was 90% capacity in this little theater in the round (its an intimate thing not meant for a big stage) and I suspect they got some extra business like mine because of the close notice. GIve them credit for still being professionals and putting on a good show even though they now have to carry the stigma of the play having failed. But it is a show strictly for Yankee fans, and I have to admit having read about my share of plays by Cub fans and Red Sox fans, I'm glad my team finally got one of its own. 
I also found a way that will let me revisit this play again in the future audio wise but I perhaps shouldn't explain how that's possible! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Mar 4, 2014 - 2:49 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
ANZALDIMAN
(Member)
|
Well, the Mets players in spring training have taken to calling their latest young phenom pitcher Noah Syndergaard "Thor" in spring training. Living up to that name will be a tall order.  But he is 6 feet 6 inches tall and 240 lbs so he certainly looks the part. Syndergaard is going to be in the rotation at some point this season and if he's all that's advertised he'll help take Mets fans minds off the loss of the number one starter Matt Harvey who was lost to Tommy John surgery this season. I've followed Syndergaard early in spring training and there is no doubt about the command and location of his fastball (topping out this spring at 98mph) but it appears he still needs to do some work on his curveball and change-up. He's young, and that's to be expected at this point.
Just like Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler before him he seems to have a maturity and command beyond his 21 years of age when he's on the mound. If all goes as planned down the line (crossing fingers and toes) the Mets "big three" will be Harvey, Wheeler, and Syndergaard. All three are in their early 20's. All that can be hoped for is that he can avoid an arm injury. Mets pitchers over the last several seasons have certainly had more than their share of those.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/mets-pitcher-noah-syndergaards-strength-talent-impossible-to-ignore?ymd=20140226&content_id=68352412&vkey=news_mlb
At this point it looks like one through four in the rotation coming north this year is going to be Jon Niese, Bartolo Colon, Zack Wheeler, and Dillon Gee. On paper pretty good, but Colon is going to have to pitch close to his numbers from last year. We'll find out because good or bad he's making 10 million dollars so he's coming. Veteran starters John Lannan and Dice-K Matsuzaka are are in competition for the fifth spot. According to Terry Collins, Lannan has the inside track on the job but it's still early in spring training. Mejia or Montero could swing in if for any reason one of those guys are unable to go.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RIP Carmen Berra. Yogi's wife of 65 years died yesterday. The timing is a bit ironic for me after I'd seen the play last week where Carmen is an important character, preparing the dinner for the Yankee greats in Yogi's dream and the final scene of Yogi leaving the old Stadium locker room is with them together.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 20, 2014 - 9:26 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
ANZALDIMAN
(Member)
|
www.nypost.com/2014/03/02/nationals-ace-strasburg-to-harvey-take-it-slow/
Some good advice from one ace to another. The Washington Nationals star pitcher Stephen Strasburg had some words of experience for Mets star pitcher Matt Harvey about the road back from the dreaded Tommy John surgery. The Atlanta Braves recently had their young star pitcher Kris Medlen go down in spring training. He'll be done for the season and will have to undergo his second Tommy John procedure. Medlen is going to have to go through it all again. The lost time, the rehab, and lots of time alone with his thoughts about what it all means. I can't remember a time where there have been this many arm injuries amongst pitchers in MLB.
For a pitcher, sitting out for an extended period of time after surgery is a lonely and frustrating experience. They can continue to work out, but there is nothing they can do to help the team other than root them on from a distance. In Harvey's case, the Mets want him to remain behind to rehab at their facilities in Florida once the big squad moves north to start the upcoming 2014 season.
Harvey, always the competitor, wants no part of that. He enjoys the New York social scene almost as much as he loves pitching and is being very vocal about wanting to come north to still be with the team. According to rules he can request it. It's become an issue because he's under contract and the Mets are paying him and have every right to tell him to stay behind as many teams have done in the past. This however, is a different age. An age of social media, and the age of the Players Association getting involved in almost every nit-picky issue concerning management/player relations.
Matt Harvey is the Mets crown jewel amongst a bevy of good young pitching talent. Does it pay in the long run to have Harvey upset with management over this or should the Mets just allow him to come north as a non roster player to sit on the bench? It's a sticky situation and longtime Mets public relations director (and all around good guy) Jay Horwitz already has his hands full. If Harvey is cleared to come north he's also said he wants to "document" the recovery from his arm injury. What that exactly means who knows. The Mets didn't want a circus made out of the situation but now it's in their lap.
Do they risk upsetting their star and create more issues or do they make arrangements to allow Harvey to work out closer to the team? We shall see. The 2014 baseball season is just around the corner.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 29, 2014 - 1:32 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Eric Paddon
(Member)
|
Baseball returned to Montreal for the first time in ten years with the first of two exhibition games between the Mets and Blue Jays at Olympic Stadium. The "Big O", probably the most disastrous of all facilities built for baseball after Candlestick Park, drew over 45,000 fans who clearly miss the game in their city although they should really have been more willing to brave that wretched place when thy still had a team. Granted, the Expos situation was a sad and tragic one regarding ownership difficulties, incredibly poor marketing, and of course the double jinxes of "Blue Monday" in 1981 (I remember being really upset because after seeing two previous Yankee-Dodger WS I wanted to see the Yankees play in Montreal!) and the 1994 strike (though I think at times there is a little too much taking for granted the notion that the Expos were a lock for the pennant that year), but if you're looking at a situation where your team is about to leave town and really care enough to want to see it stay, you have to be willing to go to the ballpark, bad as it might be, and bad as the team might be to prove that. In the end, the move to Washington had to take place.
The season will start Monday (having the first "official" game of the year in Australia was a joke. Unlike the outdoor NHL games, which are a great idea, having the first game of the year in a foreign country has always been a stupid gimmick. The first regular season game should be in Cincinnati or in Washington) and I am looking forward to it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 29, 2014 - 1:40 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Eric Paddon
(Member)
|
Baseball returned to Montreal for the first time in ten years with the first of two exhibition games between the Mets and Blue Jays at Olympic Stadium. The "Big O", probably the most disastrous of all facilities built for baseball after Candlestick Park, drew over 45,000 fans who clearly miss the game in their city although they should really have been more willing to brave that wretched place when thy still had a team. Granted, the Expos situation was a sad and tragic one regarding ownership difficulties, incredibly poor marketing, and of course the double jinxes of "Blue Monday" in 1981 (I remember being really upset because after seeing two previous Yankee-Dodger WS I wanted to see the Yankees play in Montreal!) and the 1994 strike (though I think at times there is a little too much taking for granted the notion that the Expos were a lock for the pennant that year), but if you're looking at a situation where your team is about to leave town and really care enough to want to see it stay, you have to be willing to go to the ballpark, bad as it might be, and bad as the team might be to prove that. In the end, the move to Washington had to take place.
The season will start Monday (having the first "official" game of the year in Australia was a joke. Unlike the outdoor NHL games, which are a great idea, having the first game of the year in a foreign country has always been a stupid gimmick. The first regular season game should be in Cincinnati or in Washington) and I am looking forward to it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So far this has been a 1st inning to strike all the wrong notes possible. First, Jeter gets drilled on the arm in his first at bat, causing everyone to hold their breath. Bottom of the 1st, Sabathia looks shaky and more like last year's pitcher and the new catcher, McCann throws wild on a steal attempt and gets clipped on a foul ball. Texieira throws wild on what should have been an out at the plate and then Sabathia gives up a homer and already it's 4-0.
You couldn't look worse the first game then they have, especially against a team that lost over 100 games last year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well it is the time of year again to make my annual prediction as I have on this thread the past two years. THE DETROIT TIGERS WILL GET INTO POST SEASON PLAY AND HEY, MAYBE WILL FINALLY WIN IT ALL. I love watching on YOU TUBE when I get a chance the tigers I really liked in the 80's , like when they won everything in 84.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
