Nobody does Old Timers' Day like the Yankees
Nobody does Old Timers' Day like the Yankees. Everyone seemed to be having a grand time. Mother Nature contributed greatly; last year, rain dampened the whole day and cut the game short, to one inning. This time, the game lasted long enough that Ron Guidry had to play left field. Not that he minded one bit.
Selfishly, there were a lot of highlights: Meeting and interviewing Ken Griffey Sr., who is such a proud papa -- and deservedly so; talking with the great Don Zimmer, who was so touched to be invited back; and seeing Mike Mussina, who is a hoot. Yes, really. (We couldn't exactly get him to admit he misses postgame interviews every five days, but it was close.)
And, yes, as Gene "Stick" Michael said, not only could Mussina still pitch, he'd be a No. 3 or 4 starter for a lot of clubs. Just before we interviewed Mussina live before the festivities started, a fan yelled, "Moose, come back and pitch Tuesday!" He laughed. Clearly, he's very comfortable in retirement.
Evan Longoria: One of the better things even Yankees fans can say about the Rays third baseman is that he has embraced a relationship with Zimmer, who is senior adviser to the Rays. A lot of young players wouldn't appreciate Zim's lifetime devotion to the game. Longoria does. The two are close.
Nick Swisher: He was like a little kid getting autographs from the Old Timers today. Two boxes of balls full. "I want everyone's," he said. A.J. and CC were also getting a few signatures; both wanted Doc Gooden's.
Justin Verlander: Not only does he have fantastic stuff, he gets it. Verlander stood on the top step of the visiting dugout and watched the Old Timer's introductions. "Amazing," he said. Standing beside him was 20-year-old teammate Rick Porcello, the pride of Seton Hall Prep. And, of course, Jim Leyland was on the top step of the dugout the whole time. Leyland clapped heartily for Zimmer, his best friend, and for Yogi, his childhood hero. The Tigers were well-represented in the dugout at a time when a lot of players could have been hanging in the clubhouse.
Pure gluttony: There is an alarming amount of food in the booth today. Alarming. McDonald's dropped off cheeseburgers and fries. Large bags of them. Two pizzas arrived just before first pitch. And someone ordered a stack of chicken parmesan sandwiches, which are sitting virtually untouched. Kay ate half of a sandwich. At least he claims it was a half.
*** Today's photo credit goes to producer Jared Boshnack, who is extraordinarily proud of his camera work. He was running his tail off during Old Timers' Day but took time to snap a few photos. Thanks, Jared!
Selfishly, there were a lot of highlights: Meeting and interviewing Ken Griffey Sr., who is such a proud papa -- and deservedly so; talking with the great Don Zimmer, who was so touched to be invited back; and seeing Mike Mussina, who is a hoot. Yes, really. (We couldn't exactly get him to admit he misses postgame interviews every five days, but it was close.)And, yes, as Gene "Stick" Michael said, not only could Mussina still pitch, he'd be a No. 3 or 4 starter for a lot of clubs. Just before we interviewed Mussina live before the festivities started, a fan yelled, "Moose, come back and pitch Tuesday!" He laughed. Clearly, he's very comfortable in retirement.
Evan Longoria: One of the better things even Yankees fans can say about the Rays third baseman is that he has embraced a relationship with Zimmer, who is senior adviser to the Rays. A lot of young players wouldn't appreciate Zim's lifetime devotion to the game. Longoria does. The two are close.
Nick Swisher: He was like a little kid getting autographs from the Old Timers today. Two boxes of balls full. "I want everyone's," he said. A.J. and CC were also getting a few signatures; both wanted Doc Gooden's.
Justin Verlander: Not only does he have fantastic stuff, he gets it. Verlander stood on the top step of the visiting dugout and watched the Old Timer's introductions. "Amazing," he said. Standing beside him was 20-year-old teammate Rick Porcello, the pride of Seton Hall Prep. And, of course, Jim Leyland was on the top step of the dugout the whole time. Leyland clapped heartily for Zimmer, his best friend, and for Yogi, his childhood hero. The Tigers were well-represented in the dugout at a time when a lot of players could have been hanging in the clubhouse.
Pure gluttony: There is an alarming amount of food in the booth today. Alarming. McDonald's dropped off cheeseburgers and fries. Large bags of them. Two pizzas arrived just before first pitch. And someone ordered a stack of chicken parmesan sandwiches, which are sitting virtually untouched. Kay ate half of a sandwich. At least he claims it was a half.
*** Today's photo credit goes to producer Jared Boshnack, who is extraordinarily proud of his camera work. He was running his tail off during Old Timers' Day but took time to snap a few photos. Thanks, Jared!
I can't wait for next year's Old Timer's Day with Mussina playing in the outfield! Loved the interviews, especially Don Zimmer, he was so great to see.
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Kim,
Please let your YES people know that in the future, they need to do a much better job than they did with today's Old Timer's Day.
First off, I want to hear the crowd reacting to the players' entrances. I want to hear the cheers for Zim and the Moose calls. You could barely hear any of the crowd noise on TV, even when the loudly obnoxious organ wasn't playing. I know YES can do it, because there were short moments when you really would get the full crowd noise, but for the most part, it was impossible to hear the crowd at all. Terrible job by the sound people at YES today.
On the same note, when the players are being introduced, how about showing us the players rather than the fans sitting in the stands. I want to see these guys running onto the field, not Joe Schlobotnik from Jersey sitting in the stands clapping his hands.
Good job on the interviews by you!
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Kim, your two interviews with Moose were great. He seemed so relaxed and happy... too bad that doesn't bode well for a comeback. You know he misses you, really really deep down.
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Even better Kimmie....the Yanks WON behind Joba today. He showed me something I thought sure he had lost. HEART and AGRESSIVENESS. And also some fist pumping excitement. Maybe the layoff and being back home in Nebraska for a few days helped him realize that he has to be himself to be a success. It was GREAT to see. If he can keep it up, I'll be a believer again.
Nice job on the interviews to day Kimmie. If I was one of those guys, I'd have a hard time concentrating on the question in the presence of your smoking hotness. Us guys get that way Kimmie....really....we do.
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kim
old timers day is a great that honers the great fomer yankee players and i hope you enjoyed everying this afternoon and those interviews were great
JT
PS: my mom once met dick howser and yankee old timer reggie jackson
Love You
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kim
old timers day is a great that honers the great fomer yankee players and i hope you enjoyed everying this afternoon and those interviews were great
JT
PS: my mom once met dick howser and yankee old timer reggie jackson
Love You
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Kim
With all that old gray parading around the stadium, it was certainly easy to pick out my blonde favorite. Are there any plans to retire Bobby Murcer's uniform? In all the years of watching the Yanks I admired many players but there was only one guy I loved both on the field and in the booth and that was Bobby Ray. I read in his book how much he wanted to be at the new stadium when it opened. If anyone deserved such an honor, it would be Bobby.
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Hi Kim,
You did a great job today. I was wondering why the guys in the booth or the Em Cee's Michael Kay and John Sterling could not give a shout out to Tommy Henrich who I found out is still alive and 96 years old. Old Reliable I just read on Wikipedia was a member of the 1938 World Champ Yanks. It's like he is forgotten. Just my opinion.
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Kim I'm so jealous. Getting to talk to the greats of Old Timer's day was so cool. Joe Girardi catching, Giudry throwing a slider, Don Zimmer making an appearance. Favorite interview was Mussina and Ken Griffey Sr. It is kind of bad though that these old geezers were very close to hitting homeruns in the the NEW Yankee stadium haha, but maybe they still have it. Maybe they can play for the Mets? :D Al Leiter wasn't so annoying which was nice, and I missed Bobby Murcer a lot. Great job again Kim, go yanks :D
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Even if the Yankees don't retire Bobby Murcer's number it would be nice to give him a plaque in monument park.
Where was Paul O'Neill and why wasn't he there? Would have been nice if David Wells was there too. What about Bernie Williams?
Joba was great in the game. Hopefully he can keep the same confidence and aggressiveness the rest of the season. Then the Yankees will have 3 very dominant pitchers. Its hard to believe Yankee pitchers had a 1.66 ERA against the Tigers.
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Great job at the old timers game. That has to be all some sitting in the dugout with all those legends. I like reading your blog also! Keep doing the grat job!
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Another Great Old Timers Day! Really enjoyed the interviews and the well deserved reception for Moose and Zim. I was hoping for an announcement (à la Billy Martin) that Moose was returning! :) (How cool would that have been?!)
Does it make me old if I remember watching half of the Old Timers play??!!
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Hi Kim, great blog. What's up with all the Longoria info? Are you stalking this poor guy ..LOL.. You mentioned him quite a few times last week on Wfan- now you mention him in your blog. Does he know about this crush??Lol....
Also, why would a class act like CC, want the ultimate dirt-bag Doc Gooden's autograph?
Chris
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Ms. Jones,
I must say I enjoy all your coverage for the YES Network, first and foremost.
It seemed all the current players were so awe-struck by the old timers, which seems to be the story every year.
I was wondering if you could check out my blog "Yankee Yapping" when you get the chance:
http://martelli.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/07/edition-three.html
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Thanks as always, Kim. My Old Timers Day memories come from my childhood in the 70s when my dad would take me every year. Our seats were behind the Yankee dugout, and being about fifty feet from the likes of Dimaggio, Mantle, Berra, and the rest is something I'll never forget.
Thanks for the inside scoop!
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Great job on the interviews with the Old Timers, Kim. You looked like you were having a great time, too. But I was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions:
1) where was Cora Rizzuto? It was worrisome when she wasn't introduced with the other widows of the greats -- was she unwell?
2) why didn't Reggie have an at-bat? His antics have been a highlight of previous Old Timers games.
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BTW, you and Adam have fantastic chemistry on the radio -- and you should be more than just the occasional vacation fill-ins (yes, I realize your YES job is demanding, but if Kay can do remotes, why not you?).
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On a final note, I'll be at the Stadium on Sunday, celebrating my birthday -- let's just say I may have been a wee one, but I remember the Mantle-Maris home run rivalry in 1961. I'm asking for the same thing I ask for each year -- a Yankee win and a slew of home runs (specifically, from Jeter, Tex, Damon, A-Rod, Swisher, and my boy Melky -- hey, it's not unreasonable, it's my birthday!). If you have the time can you ask them if they can make my birthday wish come true? :)
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Kathy
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Love the OT festivities. Wish y'all would stream it live because some of us are out of market and would like to see it. Miss the Moose esp. I'm so glad someone yelled what I was thinking: wish he was starting on Tuesday. I'm glad he's happy tho.
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MY favorite is TheMike Mussina when you went to go and speak To him and I think it was Intresting day to see Him but anyway I like mussina He is the Best Pitcher when he was specially with the NewYorkyankees when he started on 2001-2008 he has been Great and I think he is going to be a HallFamer So bye Kimberly Jones See-ya My name is Jonathan Rodriguez
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