Obama's victory started in the right field bleachers

In mid-September Barack Obama stepped up his campaign by taking it to the right field bleachers at Yankee Stadium. The Bleacher Creatures are the heart and soul of America. Getting their endorsement was the deciding factor in the Presidential race.

Obama's presence was unannounced. First, there was a commotion originating from the bleachers. As the rest of the fans in the stadium strained their necks to see the source of activity, it was obvious there was a guy in a suit that was the center of attention. He was taking pictures and shaking hands with everyone. I am sure some intense political discussions were being carried out.

It became obvious to the whole stadium that Obama was there when they put him on the Jumbo-tron. After seeing this, the whole stadium erupted in cheers. You could even see the flag pin on his suit lapel. Unfortunately, the secret was out so Obama left within an inning or two because of security concerns.

McCain should have known better. When he visited Yankee Stadium he sat with Giuliani in the box by the dugout. He failed to understand the real power brokers in New York are the Bleacher Creatures.

Did you ever see a full game from the 1950s?

The MLB Network made its debut by showing Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was the first time the game was aired since it happened. This was a great way for MLB Network to open.

I've only seen clips of the old-time players. It was a treat to see them play for a whole game. You get to see players for 3 or 4 at bats rather than one swing for a homerun or a hit. It is a big difference to watch a game for 9 innings because you get to see every aspect of the game, every throw, every routine out.

I finally was able to see these legends play a whole game including Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Don Larsen, Billy Martin, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and others.

All of the original commercials were shown throughout the game. Most of the commercials included players involved in the game. The majority of the commercials had to do with shaving. There also were not as many commercials as there are today. Without a lot of commercials the game moved faster and seemed to be well under 2 hours.

Watching this game also gave me the idea of what it was like to watch games back then. The camera shot was coming from behind homeplate rather than from center field. They would rarely have a shot of the dugout and almost never had a close up of a player. The quality of the picture and the black and white broadcast were a contrast to today's telecasts.

Seeing this game gave me the chance to hear "The Voice of the Yankees," Mel Allen, and a young Vin Scully. The way they broadcasted is different from the style used today. Mel Allen did the first half of the game alone and Vin Scully did the second half of the game on his own. The broadcaster concentrated mostly on play by play with very little to no color commentating.

Hopefully the MLB Network continues to air classic games from the past. It would be nice to see games from when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle were going for 61 homers. Uninterrupted World Series games from beginning to end would also be great to see. Regular season games would be great to telecast to see players like Ernie Banks who never made it to the World Series. It was great to see how the game and television have changed over the years.

Mussina - goodbye to a good guy

After the 2008 season Mussina retired. He completed a Hall of Fame career with the Orioles and Yankees. In 2008 he finally won 20 games for the first time in his career, prior to that he kept falling short of accomplishments like 20 wins, no-hitters, and a World Championship.

Throughout his career with the Yankees he was consistant and reliable. He rarely missed games and was a competitor. It wasn't his fault the Yankees didn't win a World Championship while he was there.

Mussina was one of the good guys in baseball. He didn't get involved in the drug scandals like Clemens, Pettitte, and others. As a Stanford graduate he was one of the smarter guys in baseball. Maybe that is why he retired instead of sticking around a couple of more years.

He didn't care about his stats, otherwise he would be playing a few more years to reach 300 wins. The 300 win mark is becoming virtually impossible to reach these days as a result of the 5 man rotation and pitch counts causing starters to be pulled early. Mussina gave up a lot of money by not coming back. Today it seems like it is all about the money for most players.

Mussina will be missed.

Swisher and Nady

It is stupid to even discuss trading Swisher or Nady. Nady is the perfect corner outfielder for this team. He is good defensively--good arm and good speed (not afraid of the wall like Abreu). A proven New York performer, he was here with the Mets and proved he could come through in clutch situations for the Yankees. Nady is also great in the clubhouse.

Swisher is 28 and entering his prime. He has consistantly had a great OBP and is a switch hitter with power. He has proved he can play all of the outfield positions and can back up at 1st base. Swisher is a great addition to the clubhouse--an Ohio State graduate so he is a bright guy.

Who is the rocket scientist that says Damon can't play center? When they signed him they knew he didn't have an arm. Melky and his .240 batting average is too much of a liability. Gardner still hasn't proved he can play everyday and right now would be good for coming off the bench.

Damon and Matsui have had stints on the disabled list and they are not getting any younger. I would feel more comfortable relying on Swisher or Nady to play extended innings than Melky or Gardner. Both Nady and Swisher have played center field and can back up Damon.

What would the Yankees get in return for either of these guys? The bullpen is set, they'll never get a pitcher better than Hughes in return for these players, and there is no room in the infield or behind the plate. The Yankees would also have to pay a portion of their salaries if they trade them. There are so many free agent outfielders available, the need to trade for Nady or Swisher is minimal.

Can anyone enlighten me with the logic of trading Nady or Swisher? Am I missing something?