The Daily Snooze

OK! What is with the NY Daily Snooze? It is one thing to report the news and put down a team or player but today's headlines were just insulting.

Chein Ming Wang is probably one of the nicest kids in baseball and he has been having more than his fair share of problems. I can understand a fans frustration with his performance as I am sure he is his own worse critic. But today's back page was just uncalled for.

With the homers flying out of the new cathedral in the Bronx, once Wang gets his velocity and sinker working he may be our best weapon. Until then the Yankees will be looking for answers. This may have been one of the worse games I ever have seen but it was not excuse for that back page.

As far as the press goes, if the Yankees it will keep you working into November this year. I am not asking you to sugar coat anything but treat a player like a human being. Call a bad outing a bad outing but don't be cruel and worry about what goes on between the lines. But that my Bomber Buddy is a different storey.

BTB OPENING DAY MINUTE

Some first impressions: The New Yankee Stadium

By John Monaco

New Stadium is a spectacular addition to the neighborhood. The newly constructed Metro North Station is due to open 3rd week of May. A new Shopping Mall is also under construction. First real investments in this area in quite some time. Surprised you scan your own ticket. Plenty of entrances. I was the 3rd person-in through the gate I entered.

You enter into the Great Hall. Yankee Team Store and Hard Rock on one end and the Martini Bar is on the other end up 1 level. 16 Elevators in the Stadium. All have an Operator. One you enter the Great Hall you are on the street level. The playing field is actually below street level. If you make a left in front of the Team Store you can begin to see the playing field.

Concourses are huge.

Every type of food available. Prices are similar or slightly below last years pricing for similar items. Also have some value menus.Made one restroom visit. Had about 40 Urinals and a dozen stalls. You can only enter via a single door and must leave via the exit door. Plenty of water fountains with ice-cold NYC tap water.For the first day everything seemed to be operational. I expected more obvious signs of unfinished work but the Stadium looks 99+% complete in my eyes.

I've been to about 30 big league parks. The sitelines I observed in my walkabouts represent the best I've seen todate. I checked out Section 134 LF Field Level $85/seats. Those were the first seats Yanks offered me that I rejected. Those seats are better than I ever imagined. They spent a lot of dollars on Monument Park. That blue-tint stone must cost a fortune. MP is more cramped than across the street. 200 or so people at one time is about all its suited for. You have to walk down two short flights of stairs to enter Monument Park.I should have mentioned this earlier, every Yankee employee was friendly and greated you will a hello. I didn't recognize any of the concession stands workers. All appear to be new. I also couldn't find a tip jar.

The food - well they have everything you can want. Yankee combo Staff/Usher in every Section across all Stadium Levels.I sit up in the highest level (Grandstand) Section 424 which is inside 3rd base. Nice view.

As Knux pointed out we no longer sit on a steep angle that gives you the feel you are right on top of the action but overall the Yankees did a great job with the sightlines.

I took the escalator up to the Main Level then the ramps to the Grandstand. Those ramps were challenging for an overweight guy like me. 6 ramps in total with a slight incline. I was winded when I made it to the top. If I made that walk one hour a day for a month I think I could lose 30 pounds.

The Terrance Suite Seats which were Knux old seats are "sweet" They are worth the $100. Wow, what a view.

See for yourself at John's photo album and here too!

OPENING DAY WORKOUT AT THE NEW YANKEE STADIUM

A LIVE REPORT FROM BTB's OWN JOHN MONACO aka JohnM

Dateline Da Bronx 4/2/09

I've arrived at YS for the 1pm workout. Stadium looks amazing from the outside. Gates open at 11am. Will post pix tonight.

Just completed a walk around the entire YS block. The complex from the outside is huge. Subway EL on River Ave. Has been repainted. It looks sparkling. Tookpix of Yankee vendors waiting to enter YS. Looks like they have 2000 or so workers.

Media ceremony going on in Great Hall. Sterling MC. Bernie is playing his guitar "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"

They just smashed guitars to open the Hard Rock

Beautiful sunny day in the Bronx. Visited Monument Park first. Completely walked first two levels. Ran into the Roadtrippers Season 2. Somewhat speechless. Not used to leg room and wide seats. The CF Bleacher Cafe is amazing. I'm not upstairs on my seat sec 424 row 10 Seat 24.

Infield being watered. Never seen the grass so green at this time of year. Some Yankees are on the field led by Andy Pettitte. Andy is throwing off the mound.

Forgot to mention you scan your own ticket to enter the Stadium. Very quick to enter.

Joba now pitching from the mound. Sound system rocks. Crystal clear and doesn't blast your ears.

Yanks have all left the field at 12:50pm. Just noticed their are no pigeons flying around.

1,000s of kids here on school trips. They're having a ball. Yanks also gave them coupons for free food and drink.

The CF Video Board is amazing. Yanks have been showing fan shots from all over the complex. I was on the video board when I was online to buy a hotdog. Players seem blown away by the HD quality. Yanks jogging and stretching. Nice video of all Yankees talking about the Stadium.

Yankee pitchers taking fielding practice. They are fielding bunts and throwing to 1B . Players often wave when they see themselves on the videoboard. Chien Ming Wang has been very active during the fielding drills. (Brett) Gardner and Melky (Cabrera) appear to be talking to another in CF.

1:45pm and still no pigeons. Must have setup some electronics. Derek batted first. Damon put one on the seats. Derek puts one in the Visitors bullpen. Crowd estimate 20,000

Texiera puts on in the LF Bleachers. Don't expect many Upper Deck HRs. Will be as rare as reaching the Black