New York Yankees Media Relations: "We don't care about blogs"

This will come as little surprise to anyone, but the New York Yankees media relations department is far too important to be bothered by these new-fangled webblogs that all of the kiddies are talking about these days.

With the offseason upon us, I decided to take a proactive approach for story ideas to post on the blog. My genius idea was to call the media relations office of the New York Yankees, explain that I have a Yankees blog and see if I could get some questions answered.

Before I go any further, let me state that I work in public relations for a brand within a Fortune 500 company. That is about as much personal information as I will divulge. Currently "blogger outreach" is a HUGE part of the company's strategic goals going forward. Of course, I don't work for a sports franchise, but a consumer goods company, so I can see how the Yankees wouldn't have the same enthusiastic approach with bloggers. However, I never thought I would be met with the cold response that an unnamed member of the Yankees media relations staff provided.

The phone conversation

Me: "Hello, I calling to ask a couple of questions. First, is there any information about the Yankee Stadium closing ceremony on November 9th

Male Yankee Stadium media relations employee [cuts me off]: No, we have not released any information on that yet.

Me: "When this news is released, will the information be found at the press release section of Yankees.com"

Male Yankee Stadium media relations employee: yes

Me: "I have another question - when will Yankee Stadium tours start in the new Yankee Stadium - has that information been released yet.

Male Yankee Stadium media relations employee: no

Me: "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, I own and operate a mid-size Yankees blog. I wouldn't say I am at the top line of the Yankee blogs out there, but I would consider my site up and coming. Am I wasting my time calling the Yankees media relations office for information? Do the Yankees have any interest in communicating with the blogosphere?

Male Yankee Stadium media relations employee: I don't want to say you are wasting your time, but the Yankees don't talk to blogs. We are never going to give you any information that is not readily available.

Me: "Ok, I had gathered as much. I work in public relations for a company with a completely different outlook on bloggers, so I thought I would reach out to you guys.

Male Yankee Stadium media relations employee: Yea, we are never going to have that approach.

Me: "Thanks for your time, goodbye.

[click]
(The above is all paraphrasing the actual conversation)

I don't know what I was thinking calling up the Yankees for firsthand information. God forbid someone other than the mainstream media writes and reports on the team. I have no interest in actively pursuing offseason stories, but the two items I called about pertain to Yankee Stadium. From analyzing the web traffic that NYYSI receives, it appears that many people find this site when looking for an answer to a Yankee Stadium question. For most of these google searches, this site indexes higher than Yankees.com for their answer. It behooves the Yankees to ensure that I have up to date and accurate information.

Sadly, as soon as I said the word "blog" I was looked upon as a mere fan, instead of the purveyor of information that this website has become.

It seems that my passion and loyalty are only appreciated when I am forking down thousands of dollars on season tickets.

Are all sports franchises this rigid toward bloggers, or is it just because the Yankees perceive the franchise to be at the top of the Sports World?

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If you watched last night's Yankee game in its entirety..

You should go to YFA (Yankee fans anonymous).

Seriously - 3 hours and 38 minutes, plus 3 hours and 7 minutes worth of delays? Final score 19-8? Completely meaningless game with pretty much all of the regulars on the bench? Just because the names "Red Sox" and "Yankees" were on the jersey don't mean you MUST watch the games. Do you like to torture yourself?

I would love to see some ratings from last night to see just how many people watched the game.

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My Yankee Stadium Memories - Part 2 of 2

1999
October 26th

My brother and I arrived early for game 3 of the World Series. We camped out in our usual batting practice spot down the left field line. On this day, Derek Jeter came out and signed autographs. Being a high school infielder, Derek Jeter had fast become my idol. Nick and I were able to get our World Series ticket stubs signed by Derek. Sadly, I'm not sure where that ticket stub is today, but the memory of getting Jeter's autograph before a World Series game will forever be with me. I can't remember the game at all, but the Yankees won both of those

2001
October 23rd

This wasn't a game at the Stadium, but it was the overnight stay that my girlfriend Heather and I spent outside of the Stadium camping out for 2001 World Series tickets. We didn't sleep much that night, but we were determined to get tickets and toughed it out. Growing up in downtown Manhattan, I never imagined sleeping outside on the streets of the South Bronx. Luckily, there were hundreds of other Yankee fans to keep us company. We managed to purchase tickets to game 4 and game 5 of the 2001 World Series and the rest was history.

October 31st and November 1st

Simply put, two of the most memorable games in Yankee Stadium history. We all know the story by now - no need to rehash. What sticks with me most is how hopeless things seemed both nights and how much more magical it made the game tying and walk-off hits. The world seemed bleak at the time, fresh off of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Witnessing game 4 with my girlfriend, my brother and my father and experiencing the magic of Tino and Jeter's HRs revitalized the city of New York and will vividly remain in my memory forever. The goosebumps that singing God Bless America along with Ronan Tynan and 56,000 other people provided will never be forgotten . Scott Brosius' heroics the next night were icing on the cake, and sealed those two nights as my favorite Yankee Stadium memories.

2004
October 19th

I can't make this list without mentioning my worst Yankee Stadium memory of all-time - the "bloody sock" game. The weather was the worst I ever remember experiencing at Yankee stadium. The upper 40's and light rain/mist. Curt Schilling had ketchup blood all over his sock and the Yankees decided to just go about their business as if he was completely healthy. Bunting and putting some pressure on him never crossed their minds. When the famous A-Rod slap play happened, I thought that I was experiencing another bout of Yankee Stadium "mystique and aura". Then, he was called out and all hope was lost. I had no doubt in my mind that the Yankees were going to lose the next night.

2005
April 26th

A-Rod's 3 homerun game off of Bartolo Colon. This was the night that I realized how prolific of a homerun hitter I had the prividledge of rooting for each day. Each homerun was more impressive than the next and I left the Stadium in awe at A-Rod's greatness. That was probably the night that made me as huge of an A-Rod supporter as I am today.

June 21st

Things were looking down for the Yankees. They were sitting in third place, it was mid-June and Randy Johnson was getting bombed by the lowly Devil Rays. The Yankees went down 10-2 in the 4th inning and my brother and I started to commiserate about the state of the Yankees. In our minds, the run of consecutive playoff appearances were all but over and the Yankees were cooked. We started thinking about how Mariano Rivera wasn't getting any younger and they were wasting some of his last great years. We didn't leave the game. Instead, we decided we were going to endure the misery and really let the mediocrity soak in. Looking back, I am very glad we made that decision. Our gripes about the Yankees wasting Mariano's greatness looked silly when the Yankees came roaring back and ended up winning 20-11. This night will always stick with me because we all but gave up on the season IN JUNE and the Yankees made us feel silly about that right away.

2006
May 16th

As Yogi would say, it was "deja vu all over again". The Yankees fell behind 10-1 in the third inning behind a horrid performance by the suddenly crappy Shawn Chacon. Nick and I were at the game together (as usual) and we reprised our 2005 Mariano Rivera conversation. It was almost amusing as it was an eerily similar situation. This time, we drowned our sorrows in $7 beers and decided to stay for the balance of the game. Once again, we were rewarded for our loyalty. The Yankees came storming back and ended up winning the game on a Jorge Posada walk-off homerun. We had made our way down to the left field corner toward the end of the game to ensure a speedy exit from the Stadium. As many Yankee fans know, Japanese fans often purchase tickets down the left field line to get as close to Hideki Matsui as possible. In 2006, Matsui was out for the season with a wrist injury, but the Japanese fans were still showing up. A memory that will forever be burned into my brain is jumping up and down in jubilation after Jorge's walkoff that night and looking for Nick. Much to my surprise, he was embraced in a bear hug with one of the afforementioned Japanese fans down the left field line. It was hilarious and enlightening at the same time. I finally realized the impact that the Yankees had across cultures. Fans of Hideki Matsui had realized the magnitude of the franchise he now played for and had become true fans.

2007
April 19th

The Yankees were off to their annual sluggish start and entered the bottom of the 9th inning down by four runs. After two quick outs, the game was all but over. Suddenly, the cold, grey April day become sunny and the immortal Josh Phelps hit what looked to be a meaningless homerun. The Yankees rallied and set up a memorable walk-off homerun by A-Rod. It was already his second walk-off homerun in the month of April. Being a huge A-Rod supporter, this was finally some vindication. After a few years of fan abuse, the clutch hits had finally arrived.

August 3rd

Nick and I were convinced that we were going to catch A-Rod's 500th homerun. We had plans to simply trade the ball for meeting A-Rod and potentially getting a few future tickets to games. Our goal was to prevent a greedy person from sticking A-Rod up for a small fortune. I list August 3rd above, but we went to a few games that week. I will never forget the camera flashes with every A-Rod swing and the fracas in the left field seats every time A-Rod stepped up to the plate. Nick and I were actually positioned in the EXACT spot of A-Rod's eventual 500th homerun but a a day too early. After the fact, I was excited by the fact that A-Rod was going to hit countless more historical homeruns, many of which in Yankee Stadium.

2008
March 12th

Taking the behind the scenes Yankee Tour on my birthday

August 15th

My final trip to the Cathedral in the Bronx

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September 21, 2008 - A special night at the House that Ruth built that fell a bit flat

UPDATE (9/22) - I'd just like to add to this and mention that the post-game ceremony made up for ANY shortcomings in the pre-game ceremony. Jeter's speech was spot on and the "victory lap" was one of the classic moments in Stadium history. Kudos to the Yankees for getting THAT part right and letting the fans go home satisfied.

Without getting too wordy, here are some gripes I had with the ceremony at the Stadium tonight:

- The "ghosts" of the deceased players to kick off the ceremonies. Honestly, a corny Babe Ruth lookalike? That part just insulted my intelligence and the fans reacted appropriately - with disinterest.

- No representatives from the DiMaggio family. Why? They couldn't fly anyone in? Does he have no remaining family?

- No Donnie Baseball. OK, this was not the Yankees fault, but closing this ballpark just doesn't seem right without one last Donnie Baseball chant.

- Failing to acknowledge Roger Clemens' history with the franchise during the pitcher montage. I understand not inviting him, but to simply forget that he was a big part of the dynasty years and a member of the '07 team is really insulting to the fans of the franchise.

- Conveniently ignoring the historical managers in Yankee franchise history. The Yankees have had the likes of Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel, and finally, Joe Torre. Anyone who believes this was anything other than a way to "stick it" to Joe Torre is kidding themselves. Joe Torre has a very distinct place in Yankee history and deserved to have at least a mention in this ceremony.

- Booing A-Rod when he appeared in a great third baseman video montage and the smattering he received during the starting lineup. Way to embarrass yourself, fake Yankee fans. Bravo.

Overall, the ceremony fell flat. There were some great moments sprinkled in; Willie sliding into second base, the return of Bernie Williams. However, in the end it reeked of Old Timer's Day redux. Perhaps the expectations for this ceremony were set a bit too high with the day-long coverage it received from the Worldwide Leader. The night will certainly go down as a special one in the history of "The House That Ruth Built", but not as memorable as I had expected.

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My Yankee Stadium Memories - Part 1 of 2

My real remembrance of the "old" Yankee Stadium can be found within a previous post, but I thought I would post a few of my favorite memories that have stuck with me for various reasons.

1992 -ish
June 8th (I think)

This is one of my earlier Yankee Stadium memories (I don't have a great memory, and this would have put me at 10 years old). My father got some Yankee tickets from work in the loge level on the first base side. The Blue Jays took a 9-0 lead in the fourth inning and I remember my dad asking me if I wanted to leave and I said yes. These were the dog days of the Yankee franchise. I'm pretty sure we took a short ride over to Yonkers to the horce-track to catch the last few races. I took some sort of solace in the loss by watching horses run in circles around a dirt track. Younger, simpler times.

1995
October 3rd

Inaugural Wild Card game. I went with my father and a couple of his co-workers. The car broke down on the way to the Stadium and we were on the Grand Concourse (not a place you want to be breaking down). We ended up walking around 15 blocks through the South Bronx to the Stadium. I had never done that before and will never do that again. Luckily, because of the playoff atmosphere, there were a lot of people around and it was safe. Once we arrived at the game, I remember being in awe at the surroundings. This was the first time in MY LIFE that the Yankees had been in the postseason and the first playoff game in the Stadium since 1981. Suffice to say the place was rocking. When Ruben Sierra clinched the game in the 8th with a 2-run HR, I experienced my first "Stadium Rocking" experience (when the Upper Deck is literally swaying because of so many people

1996
July 28

I was sitting in Main Reserved seats with a friend on the third base side of the Stadium. It was a classic pitcher's duel with Kevin Appier shutting down the Yankees for 8 innings and Doc Gooden pitching very well for the Yankees for 8. It went into the bottom of the 9th inning with the Yankees down 2-1. Tino led off with a walk and Daryl Strawberry followed that off with a prompt 2-run walkoff HR. The crowd went bonkers and I got a beer bath from the Loge Level for the first time. I was young enough to think it was awesome, even though I went home stinking like dry beer. Looking back, that was Straw's only walkoff HR as a Yankee. It stuck in my memory bank.

1997
October 2

Wild Card game two against the Indians with the Yankees up 1-0 in the series. I was a sophomore in high school and I had spent the entire 1997 season going to Yankee games. Once the school year started back up (beginning of September) I continued to go to games. I would arrive right around 5 PM for batting practice, try to snag a few souvenirs and then do my homework before the actual game started. Although the stakes were higher for this game because the playoffs had begun, I did not change my routine. Unfortunately, on this day, batting practice wasn't as fun as usual. I was standing down the left field line in the box seats waiting for a ball to be hit to me like so many times before. Unfortunately, this time the ball skipped off the warning track and smacked me in the side of the head. I remember being a bit woozy, but I wasn't knocked out. I was more embarrassed because I usually CAUGHT those balls. In any case, some of the Indians players came over to see if I was alright and Kenny Lofton brought over a ball to give to me. The whole rest of that game was a blur.

1998
April 13

I headed up to the Stadium after school to see the Yankees take on the Anaheim Angels. After emerging from the depths of the Subway, I realized that something didn't feel right. The usual buzz wasn't surrounding the stadium and people were milling around aimlessly. Then, I heard the announcement being repeated over the Stadium speakers that the game had been postponed because a concrete beam had fallen onto some seats in the loge level. This day was important for me because it was the day I realized that the Yankees needed a new Stadium. I would be lying if I said that from that day forward I didn't look at the Stadium in a different light. Every decrepit looking structure in the Stadium jumped out at me as the next that could fall. Luckily, nothing else ever fell apart and nobody was injured in the 1998 "collapse".

May 17

I have to sadly admit that I was at this game because I was in the Beanie Baby business. Those things were selling like hotcakes and I was a teenager in need of easy ways to make money. Why not go to a Yankee game, sell the giveaway and make a profit? A family friend had provided my brother and I with some great seats behind the visitors dugout. Little did we know that we were going to witness history. David Wells threw his perfect game that day and I can proudly say I was there to see it. Unfortunately, my memories from that day are not as vivid as I would like them to be. I have a feeling it is because the entire time I was thinking ahead to the next out closer to 27, instead of taking in the surroundings and savoring the moment. I do remember never feeling as nervous at a sporting event as I did that day. When the final out was made, there was pure jubilation at the Stadium like I had never seen before. Strangers were hugging, jumping up and down, crying - it was amazing. As a footnote, I ended up hanging onto the Beanie Baby from that day for nostalgic reasons and it lost all value. I think it is still buried in a box somewhere with old belongings.

Part 2 with my 1999 - current memories tomorrow

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Yankees reveal plans to let fans on the field before the final game

However, Big Stein has a message for you:

Yankee Stadium gates will open at 1 p.m. on Sunday as the Yankees invite fans to take one last memorable stroll through Monument Park. Fans will also be allowed to exit Monument Park onto the field where they will be permitted to walk along the warning track around the outfield and behind home plate.

You hear that kids? DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT STEPPING ON BIG STEIN'S BEAUTIFULLY MANICURED (pedicured?) LAWN! Trust me, you don't want to break the rules at Yankee Stadium. I took the Stadium tour this winter and the guards watch you like hawks making sure that you don't step foot on the grass. I think there may have even been snipers on the facade of the Stadium ready to act if I took a wrong step.

All kidding aside, this is a pretty cool thing for the Yankees to do. If you have tickets to the game on Sunday, you will most certainly have a memorable day at the old ballpark.

Check out the details of the festivities and don't forget that if you try to steal stuff, you will be arrested.

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Video of the same fan in the bleachers catching a Yankee homerun two nights in a row

Check out the unbelievable footage below:



That dude lost a lot of cool points with his ridiculous dancing, but what would your reaction be if you caught a HR ball two nights in a row? By a Yankee both times nonetheless.

Anyway, I have a feeling the Yankees are drawing up a rule against this for the new Stadium. "The same fan may not catch a homerun ball on consecutive nights" will be right up there with "all fans must stand and be attentive during God Bless America". I won't even touch the unwritten rule "all female fans in Derek Jeter shirts must be skanky".

UPDATE (9/18/08): As noted in the comments section, this guy is a well-known ballhawk. I never knew this type of person existed, but it takes a lot of the fun out of the feat. Here are some of his stats:

• 7 balls at this game

• 481 balls in 62 games this season = 7.8 balls per game.

• 558 consecutive games with at least one ball

• 124 consecutive games at Yankee Stadium with at least one ball

• 11 game balls this season (not counting game-used balls that get tossed into the crowd)

• 3 game home run balls this season (all of which were caught on a fly at Yankee Stadium)

• 122 lifetime game balls (115 foul balls, 6 home runs, 1 ground-rule double)

• 20 lifetime game balls at Yankee Stadium

• 3,758 total balls

I hope he is somehow making money off of this, otherwise it is a real waste of time and energy.

UPDATE 2: Zack Hample has a book, a website, and is making TV appearances, so yea, he's making money. Also edited the title since he is not a Yankee fan.

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Temper your excitement about the new stadium if you plan on sitting in the Left Field Bleachers

New York Magazine posted this small article featuring the following photo ripped from the new Yankee seating chart:

If the stadium relocation leaves you in section 239, I would recommend letting some other sucker buy the seats.

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Failure

September 13, 2008 - Sure to be a historic baseball day in NYC - 4 games in a single day!

Tonight there was a steady bout of rain in New York City, washing out both scheduled games in the city (Yankees and Mets).

Both teams have decided to play doubleheaders tomorrow, Saturday, September 13. Of course, the Yankees have gone with the split format. I'd like to think they did this to ensure that everyone got to use their tickets since the remainder of the schedule is sold out. The Mets, on the other hand are having an old-fashioned single admission doubleheader. Over the years, these doubleheaders have become less frequent as teams try to maximize profits and doubleheaders became a union no-no.

In a shocking turn of events, I will actually be attending the doubleheader in the old dump in Flushing, Queens. My cousin is a Mets fan from Virginia (poor guy) and has never been to Shea. Earlier this year, we planned a trip so he could see the Stadium one time before they thankfully level it.

I'm fairly certain that some overworked and underpaid research guru is sifting through the records at the Worldwide Leader right now trying to figure out the last time there were 4 baseball games in the city of New York in one day. I would take a wild guess that it was some time in the 1960's. Regardless of the last time it happened, the event is not common - most of the time the Mets and Yankees alternate homestands.

The way the times of the games are set up, one person can reasonably attend 3 major league baseball games in one day. How many people can say they have done that?

The itinerary would be as follows:

- Get to Yankee Stadium for the 1:05 start.
- Hope for a fast game, or else leave a bit early, allowing a reasonable amount of time to cross the river and head to Queens for the 3:55 start.
- Stay for both games at Shea (two for the price of one).

OR, if you have a lot of money to burn, you can follow the following itinerary:

- Get to Yankee Stadium for the 1:05 start
- Hope for a fast game, or else leave a but early, allowing a reasonable amount of time to cross the river and head to Queens for the 3:55 start.
- Leave the 3:55 Mets game in time for the 7:05 Yankee game back in the Bronx.

Sadly, pre-existing plans prevent me from living out this historic feat, but if anyone plans to do it, please write in - you'll be the hero of baseball fans everywhere.

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Yankee ticket office: "We have no idea why you didn't get your relocation guide"

I called the ticket office today to find out why I never received a hard copy of the relocation guide. The unsatisfactory answer was that I can access it online and fill out my questionnaire online.

I relayed my concerns about not receiving correspondence in the mail from the Yankees and how this may affect me in the future (invoices, etc). The unhelpful guy on the line did not know what to tell me. He just told me to expect my invoice in November.

So, there you have it, the unhelpful Yankee customer service people strike again.

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Yankee fans - I implore you to not make idiots of yourselves

The final Yankee Stadium homestand will commence tonight, and as we all know, the Yankees have a nearly 0 percent chance of making the playoffs. In New York, that means a booin'. Don't do it.

While these games are meaningless from a baseball standpoint, the world will still be watching because of the Stadium closing.

Don't make fools of yourself and boo every move that A-Rod makes and every bad thing that happens. Prove to the world that New York fans are not the same as Philadelphia fans. Enjoy the surroundings, enjoy the stress free atmosphere, enjoy the sport of baseball.

Finally, if you are still looking for tickets to the final games, don't believe the hype that they are COMPLETELY unaffordable. Just check out Craigs List regularly and something affordable will come your way.


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Curt Schilling's inane babble hits an all-time low

This will serve as an open letter to Curtis Montague Schilling.

Dear Curtis,

Today, you opened your big mouth (), something that sports fans everywhere have become accustomed to. However, this time the idiocy that came out was worse than ever. Let me get this question out of the way immediately - why do you think that Jets fans are the same thing as Yankee fans? Lets go to the quote:

“The Yankees suck this year and (New Yorkers are) bitter and mad and they’re making excuses over that and now they got Tom (Brady) going down, so New York’s excited,” said Schilling while appearing on Boston’s WEEI radio network Tuesday. “It’s unfortunate, but when you crawl to the top of the pile you will have people trying to knock you down."

What an odd leap of faith you took there, Curtis Montague. You assume that because the Jets play with an "NY" on their helmet, and the Yankees play with an "NY" on their baseball caps, the fan base is one and the same? In case you forgot, there is another football team in NY called the Giants. You remember them, right? They are the team that made the record 18-1 famous and shocked the world by beating your butt-boy Tom Brady's Patriots in the Super Bowl last season. As a matter of fact, in a non-scientific poll that I took recently, there is a strong correlation between being a Yankee fan and being a GIANTS fan.**

I may be coming off a little bit "bitter and mad" here, but really, I'm just confused. Tom Brady goes, down with a knee injury, New York papers create catchy headlines about the injury and how it relates to the Jets and suddenly Yankee fans are bitter and mad? Don't you have a team to be playing for blogging about?

To conclude, I have to admit that I agree that a lot of Yankee fans are bitter and mad right now. When considering your asinine statements and the fourth place position in the AL East Standings, that is understandable. As a matter of fact, I started this blog to make fun of a lot of these "Yankee fans" you speak of who hold on to their nostalgic feelings from the 90's dynasty. I just don't understand how you connected that to Tom Brady's injury. Sadly, I may never know the answer to that question.

Sincerely,

Ross
NYYStadiumInsider.com

P.S Did kids in school make fun of you because your middle name was Montague? Isn't that a town in Long Island?

** I took no such poll, but I know a few people who are Giants fans and Yankee fans.

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Yankee fans - get ready to welcome home your fourth place team

It feels like yesterday that I introduced PECOTA's amazing projections for 2008 to the 3 loyal readers of NYYSI. The future looked bright and all signs pointed to a glorious exit for the "House That Ruth Built". Now, after losing 2 out of 3 to the lowliest of lowly Seattle Mariners, and with a 3 game set against the Yankee-killing Angels looming, it is more than likely that the Yankees will return home for their final homestand as a fourth place team. Further, the Yankees elimination number (combined number of Yankee losses and Red Sox wins until the Yankees are eliminated from playoff contention) is down to 12.

Hey, look on the bright side - at least the Orioles have a firm hold on last place in the division.



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Relocation questionnaire due in six days, still no relocation guide in the mail UPDATE

Update (9/9): The Yankees have issued an extension:

As a reminder, we are asking all Ticket Licensees to complete a Relocation Program Questionnaire, which can only be found at www.yankees.com/survey. To assist you in this process, the deadline for submission of the Relocation Program Questionnaire has been extended from September 10, 2008 to September 14, 2008. If you have already submitted your Questionnaire online, please disregard this reminder.

For the record, I still haven't received the hard copy of my guide. Luckily I was able to read it online and filled it out right away.

UPDATE (9/7): Just a few days until this is "due" and I still have not received the relocation guide. Has anyone gotten it? Did mine get lost in the mail?

The Relocation Program Questionnaire due date is
September 10, 2008. Fill out the questionnaire now »

The new Yankee Stadium relocation guide has been live online for about a week now. Unfortunately, for those less internet savvy Yankee season ticket holders, the actual paper relocation guide has yet to arrive in the mail. This becomes a bit of a problem considering the due date for the "relocation questionnaire" (to be filled out online) is due on Wednesday, September 10.

I have filled out the questionnaire and it took about 5-10 minutes. Reading and deciphering the relocation guide was a far more tedious and time-consuming process and took me over an hour. The Yankees sent out an email to all season ticket holders last night, urging them to fill out the questionnaire. For those people not yet aware of the availability of the relocation guide on Yankees.com, this email must have been a bit confusing. I would have completely supported this entire process to be digital instead of wasting the money and resources in printing the paper guides. Everything is available online anyway. However, the Yankees have long announced the arrival of a relocation package in the mail, so season ticket holders are waiting.

Like everything else that the Yankee ticket office does, this relocation is already being botched. There will be a lot of angry season ticket holders who are away or otherwise unable to fill out the questionnaire this week with such little notice. If they don't fill it out before September 10, they lose any small bit of leverage that filling out the questionnaire provided.

A due date extension would make the most sense, especially since the ticket office won't be busy too busy with playoff ticket sales this September and October.


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We know who we are voting for

McTubby!