Lou Gehrig: An Inspiration to Many

     On June 19, 1903 a Yankee legend by the name of Henry Louis Gehrig was born.  Although stricken by poverty and his dad's battle with alcoholism, Gehrig's parents fought to give their son the education he deserved.  His athletic prowess was noted at an early age by his parents.  Gehrig was a gifted athlete in both football and baseball.  His parents devotion to his school work and his athletics enabled Gehrig to enroll at Columbia University, playing both baseball and football.  "Columbia Lou" quickly became a fan favorite. 

 

  Lou Gehrig Speech

   Shortly after he started college, the Yankees began to notice Gehrig's talents as a baseball player .  In April 1923, the Yankees signed Gehrig, who was just nineteen years old at the time, to a major league contract. Upon signing this contract he would earn $1,500, which helped his struggling parents in more ways than they could have ever imagined. 

 

 

   Sent in to replace the first baseman, June 15,1923 was Gehrig's introduction as a professional athlete for the New York Yankees.  He went on to play 2,130 games consecutively, which broke a Major League record.  (Gehrig's record was eventually surpassed by Cal Ripken Jr.) That is no ordinary feat,however.  At that time, Gehrig did not just hold the record for consecutive games played in the MLB; throughout his career, he scored 100 runs each, thirteen seasons in a row.  Through his leadership, the Yankees won six World Series Championships. Meanwhile Gehrig would earn the Triple Crown, break another Major League record, and became the first player to ever hit four home runs in one game in 1931. 

 

     Due to his diligent work ethic and the ability to play through any road block, Yankee fans nicknamed Gehrig "The Iron Horse." Also unlike many players in the major leagues todaywho are outspoken and very confident, Gehrig was much more reserved.  He kept to himself more so than his other teammates.  This did not fare well with some of them, especially Babe Ruth. 

 

    However, no one knew that Gehrig's last record-breaking season would occur in 1937.  Just one year later in 1938, he started to have difficulty completing the most basic tasks such as tying his shoes.  Although he still played through all of the pain, Gehrig had a below-average season. When the following season approached, Gehrig realized that he could no longer play baseball.  After visiting many doctors, he was diagnosed with ALS (now known as Lou Gehrig's disease).  On April 30, at the age of 35, Gehrig played in what would be his last game. 

 

    July 4, 1939 was the day that Gehrig would make his famous, inspirational speech in front of thousands of fans at Yankee Stadium.  Wearing his old uniform, Gehrig couldn't help but fight back tears while addressing his teammates, managers, and everyone who supported his amazing career. 

 

   Many did not know that originally Gehrig did not want to give the speech, but with no script and no teleprompter here is Lou Gehrig's tearful, yet thankful goodbye speech:

 

  Gehrig passed away on July 2nd, 1941 at the age of 37.

 

 

 

 This is an example of how one man can go from living in poverty to becoming a  Hall of Famer, while becoming an inspiration to millions of people. 

 

 

 

The New York Yankees: Serving One Community to Another

Similar to a large, well-known corporation, community service is a substantial part in a professional sports teams day-to-day events.  The Yankees, being one of the most well-known sports teams have done countless selfless acts for the community.  Between Hope Week, Thanksgiving Food Drives, donating money to relief efforts; it is easy to say the Yankees have accomplished it all.  The team is constantly raising awareness for people in need of assistance, including establishing a partnership with the New York Blood Center.  They have also recently donated $500,000 to relief efforts in the  wake of the devastating tornadoes that have occurred in the southern part of the country. 


One of the most popular community programs that the Yankees do every year is Hope Week.  Dating back to 2009, Hope Week is done to inspire people to commit acts of kindness to help others in need. "At its core, HOPE Week is about people helping people. The one thing everybody has - no matter where they come from, what their financial situation is or what kind of skills they possess - is time."  For everyday during that week, the Yankees shine the light on a specific person, group, or organization that they find inspirational in more ways than one.  For one day, the deserving honorees have a media circuit that are allowed to film with them for the entire day.  Players and coaches bring on little surprises to each individual; even joining them during batting practice and on the field before and after the game.  Hope Week is truly an inspiration to others.  To see these deserving peoples' faces just light up when see the players who are like celebrities to them, is simply touching. 

 
Opening Day against the Red Sox on April 1st will be dedicated to the residents of Newtown, Connecticut in the face of the Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy.  Before the game, police officers and others who came to the aid of the victims will be honored by the organization.  Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has also asked all major league teams to wear the ribbons during Opening Day.  The ribbons will also be painted onto the field for the crowds to see to remember the horrific events that occurred only a few months ago in the small, close-knit community of Newtown. Additionally, the Yankees will have "Newtown Day at Yankee Stadium" on July 7th for the approximately 3,000 school children and their families to attend. 



Now I know there are many other charitable functions that the Yankees have been a part of, including what the players have done individually, but I wanted to just touch upon a few of them in this blog post.  Just remember: "The one thing everybody has - no matter where they come from, what their financial situation is or what kind of skills they possess - is time."  One never knows how just one small act of kindness can greatly affect others. 
                              

Yankee Legend, Mariano Rivera, Announces His Retirement

 On Saturday, March 9th at the George M. Steinbrenner field where the Yankees are in the midst of spring training,  closing pitcher Mariano Rivera officially announced his retirement, concluding the 2013 season.  With his teammates by his side, Rivera discussed how honored he was to wear the pinstripes all throughout his career.  Day of sadness? Maybe for his many fans who will miss him running up to the mound during the ninth inning to save the game; but for Mariano there is no sadness, just blessings. This brings an end to Rivera's amazing career, including seventeen seasons with the New York Yankees. 

  Pitcher Andy Pettitte recalls the days back in 1996 when Mariano Rivera was first starting in the major leagues.  He had no remarkable pitches and his fastball didn't have much to it.  "It was like, `Man, he'd better come up with a little bit more stuff to be able to start in this league,'" Pettitte said.  The following year, Rivera was sent to the bullpen a year later and he has never looked back. 

  Who is going to replace the hopeful-future-Hall of Famer? Well, the question is simple.  No one.  The thing about Mariano Rivera is that he is not just one of the best closers of all time; nor is he just a great teammate. Rivera's integrity, sportsmanship, classiness, and dignity encompass it all.  He is a role model to the young rookies just starting out in the MLB, and an inspiration to young little-leaguers who only dream of making it to the MLB. Yet, Rivera has never been named the AL (American League) MVP, nor has he ever won a Cy Young award.

  His statistics speak for itself.  Rivera is a  seven-time pennant winner, five-time World Series Champion, and a 12-time All Star. In his seventeen years in the major leagues he has 608 saves, with an earned run average under 2.30.  In his playoff appearances over sixteen years, Rivera has a .070 ERA and 42 out of 96 saves.  As Yankees GM Brian Cashman stated twice, ""You'll never see that again, you'll never see that again." 

   We can only hope that Rivera gets what he deserves in his last year with the Yankees.  He deserves to throw the last pitch in the ninth inning and save the game to win the 2013 World Series with the New York Yankees.

 

Retirements, Injuries, Updates, Comebacks..It's All Covered!

What a week!  I have heard more news about the Yankees this week than many Mets fans have in the span of many months.  Speculations about retirement, another injury added to the long list, and improvements on a few others.  Since it has been quite an eventful week for the Yankees, I wanted to summarize an array of top stories in this blog post.  Let's get to it!

• In the most-talked about sports news, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is set to announce his plans for retirement today, following the 2013 baseball season.  The teams scheduled conference will be held in Tampa, Florida at the George M. Steinbrenner Field, where the Yankees are in the midst of Spring Training.  In his eighteen seasons in the MLB, all with the NY Yankees, Rivera is said to be one of the greatest closers of all time.  Manager of the Yankees Joe Girardi stated, "Greatest closer of all time.  No question in my mind." I will be writing a full blog about the press conference and Rivera's Hall of Fame career in the upcoming week. 

In other news, Andy Pettitte says he ready to start pitching in Spring Training after bouncing back from an injury in the 2012 season.  After pitching a stimulated game on Friday, Pettitte said his fastball was not as sharp as his previous game, but he feels ready to pitch in his first Spring Training game of the year next week. 

 

• After a minor setback with right shoulder discomfort, Yankees bullpen pitcher David Robertson is one step closer to pitching in a Spring Training game again.  Robertson has not pitched since March 1st due to the injury, but is said to be fully cleared for all baseball activity now.

• Good news Yankees fans! Derek Jeter is fully healed from his 2012 ankle injury.  Upon his visit to Charlotte, North Carolina to see Dr. Robert Anderson, Jeter was cleared to return to camp.  As Jeter stated, "As soon as I'm about to play, I'll play."  According to Girardi, Jeter will only play designated hitter in his first appearance back with the team.  He has yet to run the bases at 100% effort, but this is still encouraging news for the injury-filled New York Yankees.                              

• With Mark Teixeira out until May with a wrist injury, the Yankees now have a new contender for his position at first base.  Along with prospect Juan Rivera, 13th-year veteran Dave Johnson had his tryouts with the Yankees this past Friday.  Although he went 0-2 in his first day playing for the team, he had no mishapes that proved significant in Girardi's decision.  Of course it is too early to tell who is in the lead right now for that position, all Johnson wants to focus on is what he wants to do; "What I want to do is show everything."  That is what  I feel," said Johnson. We hope he follows through with his words and puts them into action!  Teixeira is a tough void to fill until May.                          

Well, that is all for this post!  These are the top stories from Spring Training with the Yankees this week.  Hope you like the new creative spin I added to this post.  Feel free to comment with any opinions or new information!

Another Week, Another Article About the 'Impossibly Old' Yankees

I was searching for the most recent news on Yahoo's homepage late last week and saw an article about the Yankees. Since the article is written about my favorite sports team of all time, I thought that I might as well clink on the link and check it out.  Needless to say, the article was both disrespectful and judgmental.  I came upon this one article for a website called The Week.  Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter were called 'ancient,' adding that "the team will crumble to dust by season's end."  I mean, really?  Who is to say they can't compete with other teams in the MLB just because of a player's age?  Last I checked the Yankees have always been an older team, and have continued to make the playoffs almost every year. 

On the plus side, This Week's article did mention the offensive abilities of the Yankees. The team ranked in the top five for almost every offensive category, including slugging percentage, home runs, and on base percentage.  The Yankees pitching also ranked in the top ten, even though they are considered to be the oldest pitching staff in the MLB.  Let's use Andy Pettitte as an example here.  At the ripe age of 40, he had an era (earned run average for the non-baseball fans here) of 2.87.  He has been with the Yankees for fourteen years!  Yes, he did fight through an injury last year but you can say that for more than half of the players in the big leagues. Even the rookies!  "Despite their ages, these guys are still among the best in the league at their respective positions." I think that line sums it all up. It is kind of ironic to think that the last line of the article states that a weak line-up is what is going to be the Yankees downfall, not the players' ages.  Isn't that what this article is about, though?  I mean the title should summarize the information, shouldn't it? 

I do want to discuss one last statement that was said in the article.  It mentions that Nick Swisher and Russell Martin were offensive powerhouses for the Yankees. Last October, Swisher was batting .154 with a little less than eight strikeouts, meaning he was 4 for 26.  Powerhouse in the playoffs? I don't think so. It is evident from last year's playoffs that the Yankees need someone to step up in the postseason.  Raul Ibanez was that guy.  The team will definitely miss his bat. Russell Martin, on the other hand, struggled early on in the season.  He had a batting average of just over .215 for the year; his lowest was at a .176.  At one point in the season, Martin was in such a slump that he was hitting 4 for 57.  The Yankees will not miss him and his offensive struggles.  They traded for Travis Hafner, who is hoping to give the team what they need offensively.

 So how about we stop bringing up this age issue for now and let the Yankees do the talking.  Once the regular season starts, the age issue can be brought up again...IF NEEDED.


Here's the article for everyone's viewing: http://theweek.com/article/index/240612/why-you-shouldnt-count-out-the-impossibly-old-new-york-yankees

You've Got One Chance, One Opportunity...To Step In The Batter's Box That Is (Video Blog)

Yes, I know I quoted Eminem in my title.  Well, sort of.  I changed the lyrics around a bit, but I wanted to put a somewhat creative spin on my blog title to introduce the blog for this week.  Okay, so what if the batters have more than one chance and one opportunity?  Everyone gets the point, right?  It is about that feeling of stepping up to the plate, literally and figuratively, and using it in the most opportune way.  I decided to stray away from the facts about the Yankees on this blog post, and focus more about songs the players' use when they step up to the batter's box.  To be honest, I have not heard some of these songs; but who's to say they aren't good songs?  The whole point is to pump up the crowd and the player, himself. I just wanted to give you all an idea of what the players like to listen to. 

The New York Yankees Line-Up Songs:

1)  Alex Rodriguez-

International Love: Pitbull and Chris Brown

 

 

2) Robinson Cano-                  Rack City: Tyga

 

3) Andy Pettitte-                 The Boys of Summer: Don Henley

 

4) Boone Logan-                Here Me Now: Hollywood Undead

5) Brett Gardner- Dirt Road Anthem: Jason Aldean

6) CC Sabathia-                        Big Poppa: Notorious B.I.G

 

7) Chris Stewart-
                                                      Skillet: Foresaken

8) Curtis Granderson-
                                  Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See You; Break Ya: Busta Rhymes

9) Derek Jeter- Otis: Jay-Z

10) Ichiro Suzuki-
                                              Party Rock Anthem: LMFAO

 

11) Mariano Rivera- Enter Sandman: Metallica

12) Mark Teixeira-
                                             I Wanna Rock: Twisted Sister

 
 
The names that I posted are not the entire Yankee line-up because I did not want to overwhelm you with too many songs. I did list some pitchers because I was interested to see what type of music helps get them in the zone as they are walking or running to the mound to pitch. 

Hope everyone enjoys the songs! Feel free to comment about what songs hype you up or motivate you to get moving!

With Grandy out, Center Field Is In Doubt

When I first heard the news that Curtis Granderson broke his forearm and would be out until mid-May, I literally did not believe it.  Considering the Yankees have a lot of big decisions to make before the regular season begins, this new injury to the team could not be more heart-breaking. Personally, I would put Curtis Granderson up there as one of the classiest guys in the MLB.  He has been a positive and motivating part of the Yankees ever since his 2010 trade from the Detroit Tigers. 


In his first plate appearance of Spring Training, Granderson was five pitches in when he was hit with a fastball by J.A. Happ of the Toronto Blue Jays.  He was evaluated after the game, and the results showed that the 31 year-old fractured his forearm.  This puts the Yankees in a compromising position because it seemed that they had their outfield positions lined up with Curtis Granderson in left field, Brett Gardner in center, and Ichiro Suzuki in right field.  Although it was not set in stone, it took to being the more probable outcome.  The two big Yankee prospects for left field, Juan Rivera and Matt Diaz, are said to not be ready for the big leagues just yet. 

In a little bit of a surprising twist, though, former NY Yankee Johnny Damon stated that he would accept a low budget contract and come back just for the amount of time that Granderson will be out.  He was recently let go by the Cleaveland Indians after playing for three different teams in the past three years.  So why am I bringing that little twist into this blog when Brian Cashman does not seem so interested in the idea as of right now?  Well, Johnny Damon thinks his bat can do the talking because he was so comfortable hitting in Yankee Stadium.  Although there are some big shoes to fill since Granderson was a big offensive threat for the Yankees, Damon thinks his actions will speak louder than his words. With Travis Hafner being the new addition to the team, the Yankees are hoping they he can bring some offensive magic to the line-up. Let's go through the batting situation the Yankees need to compensate for.

• Curtis Granderson: (Out until May with a forearm injury)
• Eric Chavez : (Traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks) 
• Raul Ibanez: (Traded to Seattle Mariners)
• Alex Rodriguez: (Recently had hip surgery)
• Russell Martin: (Traded to Pittsburgh Pirates)
• Nick Swisher: (Traded to Cleavland Indians)
• Andruw Jones: (Signed a contract to play in Japan)

These seven players accumulated 155 home runs for the Yankees last year. 

The young rookies need to step it up and show why they should be given a chance in the big leagues with the Yankees.  With Granderson sidelined until May, Girardi and Cashman need to decide what is best for the team.  It seems as though they are thinking to stay within the realm of the team, instead of searching elsewhere for a backup. 

All I know is that the NY Yankees are an experienced team, the veterans know when to step it up, and the rookies will hopefully follow suit.  They aren't considered champions just for the heck of it.  They have earned that title over and over again. With or without injuries the Yankees will prevail!