Win or lose
Regardless of what happens tonight, the 2017 Yankee season has to be categorized as a rousing success. 91 regular season wins, game 5 in the ALDS against last year's AL champs when no one expected more than 86 wins, if they were lucky. Of course, one can make the case...
Can’t win for losing?
With the NY Giants at 0-5 and missing their best player for the rest of the season, is it time for Big Blue to quit? Of course, players play to win and will continue to do so. But will the organization start making moves for the future, conceding the present? Going...
Tom Petty
We are writing about death far too often. The senseless carnage in Vegas yesterday, now the news of the passing of rock and roll great Tom Petty. There's no need to list all of his wonderful songs. From the moment I first heard the jangling chords emerging from his...
Here Come the Yankees
The Yankees are good enough to win the World Series. Now that it's settled that the Yanks will be the first AL wild card team and host the Twins at the Stadium Tuesday night, it's a good time to look ahead to what just could be another great run. Check out the...
Hef
Hugh Marston Hefner has died at the age of 91. He may have had more influence on American culture than any artist, musician, activist or politician in the last century. He founded Playboy when he was 27, bankrolling it himself and selling out the initial run of 51,000...
Same old Mets
Sandy Alderson is retaining Mike Barwis as the Mets strength and conditioning guru. It goes under the heading of repeating the same actions and expecting different results. Oops, that's the definition of insanity. What we heard from Sandy were excuses. Barwis didn't...
I just finished the first draft of a new novel. Here’s an excerpt I think you’ll like.
I didn’t take notice of a slightly built older man who sidled up next to me, long neck Budweiser in hand. He said, “Hey man, this seat taken?” His voice sounded friendly and the accent familiar but I was in no mood for the company of strangers. I’d share my troubles...
We lose a great Yankee
Gene "Stick" Michael died today at the age of 79. I don't know that I have ever met a nicer gentleman. In the 90s, I had the privilege of hosting a number of Gene Michael charity dinners for Tomorrow's Children, with honorees like Reggie Jackson, Wade Boggs, Jon...
The Dan of Steel
Walter Becker leaves us at the age of 67. Co-founder, along with Donald Fagen of the great American band, Steely Dan. Or were they a band? A case could be made that they were a duo who employed the finest sidemen available and demanded the best from them, regardless...
First takes….
Spontaneity is overrated. Greats like Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan are legendary for eschewing multiple efforts designed to hone the original performance. Orson Welles once responded to a producer, "the proper reading is the one I'm giving you." There is a famous...