It’s Boss Time

My friend Steve Uhlmann informed me on Facebook that the 2012 theme song for MLB Postseason on TBS is Bruce Springsteen’s song Land of Hope and Dreams, off of the Wrecking Ball album.

This is beautiful, breathtaking and chilling because it combines a great song with a great video and great editing with audio calls from the games. It makes me want to get out of my seat and cheer as if I’m in the stands when the moment is happening. I’m appreciative to see a number of shots of the electric environment at a Bruce concert and that they put in some of the Clarence solo, but the Big Man didn’t get any video appearances! I think what made me most happy when I heard about this is that Bruce, The Boss, Scooter, is still relevant. When people young and old tune into the MLB playoffs, they’ll hear his music and see how he a little of how he performs. My hope is the youth of America’s ears perk up, a parent tells them a story about how his music affected their lives and a new fan is born. That is more likely to happen than with last year’s “Written in the Stars” song that got annoying after the first evening of the playoffs.

Watching the “Land of Hope and Dreams” video inspired me to share my favorite Bruce videos (in no particular order). I’m going to keep it to 5 for now, but I’m sure I’ll share more soon enough.

1. Whip My Hair with Jimmy Fallon

This is priceless and almost brings me to tears with laughter every time I see it. Jimmy Fallon does such a killer impression of Neil Young and Bruce is so self-deprecating that he’s willing to go onstage impersonating himself. Jimmy said in an interview on CBS Sunday Morning that when Bruce’s long-time producer/manager Jon Landau (who, as a music critic in 1974, wrote the famous line “I saw rock-and-roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen.”) saw him in this getup, he nearly cried because Bruce looked 30 years younger, just like he did when they started working together. Stories like that make videos like this even more special.

2. Born to Run

This is another chilling video because this is exactly why Bruce is so loved. He gives people a life-changing experience. It’s mind-blowing elation and joyful delirium. This also shows how much fun he has with the E Street Band and with his fans. I love that the video for one of his most well-known songs is a compilation of different time periods because it symbolizes what his songs are to music: timeless. But, hopefully those outfits from the 80’s never make a comeback!

3. Dancing in the Dark (because of this article by Rembert Brown for Grantland)

I will read that article at least every couple weeks, when it crosses my mind, until the day I die. It’s so perfect, I don’t want to pile my words on top of it. I just want you to be able to remember that epic piece. However, I must add that in the comment section of Brown’s article, he does realize that the drummer is Max Weinberg.

4. I’m On Fire (warning: girly gushing below)

It seems weird to think about Bruce this way because he’s so old nowadays I think of him more as a cool uncle, but OHMYGOSHHEISSOADORABLEINTHISVIDEO. Last summer, I was listening to Bruce Springsteen Radio on Sirius XM and the Springsteen experts were talking about how much they hated these Bruce as a blue-collar worker-themed videos. I understand this video is cheesier than all of the fromageries in France, but 1) he’s so fresh-faced, curly-haired cute, 2) he’s a really good actor because I want him to ring that doorbell, but I feel like he’s better off when he smiles and walks away and 3) it’s a great song because it makes me ache like he’s aching. “Sometimes it’s like someone took a knife, baby, edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley through the middle of my soul.” That’s why he gets paid the big bucks.

5. Should I Fall Behind

Bruce’s brand is about hard-hitting rock-and-roll, so most of the songs that make it to the radio have that element. But, after listening to more of his stuff this past year, I’ve learned how much I enjoy his slower music. This is one of those songs. I also like the fact that I get to hear most the band members sing, especially Clarence, not so much Patti. A video doesn’t get much simpler than this, so all of the band’s talent shines.

When Your Small School Hits the Big Stage

Ohio University does a really good job recruiting people, student-athletes and regular students, on the fact that the Bobcats are a Division 1 program. I thought, “Cool, even though I’ve never heard of this place before looking into it for my journalism degree, at least they have some standards for competition.” Then, I got there in the fall of 2008 and saw the difference between being a Division 1 school and a Mid-American Conference Division 1 school. Especially when it comes to football, you have a blueprint in your head of how certain traditions are supposed to go, i.e. tailgating. So, yes, to Ohio University’s credit, for the first home football game in 2008, there was a kickoff tailgate. However, it was confined to the 100-space parking lot on one side of the stadium. When I returned for the next home game, there was nothing, not one beaded necklace or cornhole game, to try and bolster the student crowd.

My first Ohio football game, all of those years ago! (Personal photo)

Since then, the Bobcats’ football team won the MAC East twice (’09, ’11), went to three bowl games (’09, ’10, ’11) and won their first bowl game in program history, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl last December, which also marks the most prestigious linking of Ohio University and potatoes since ever. The men’s basketball team won the MAC Championship twice since ’08, beat Georgetown in 2010 for Ohio’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win and reached the Sweet 16 in 2012 (May God forever smile on you John Groce). The field hockey team went to the first-round of the NCAA’s as well. Bobcat supporters, new and old, have been basking in the glow of this success (and now there’s a lot more stuff to do before games). MACtion and MAC Attack is now something to be feared, not laughed at (in the right context).

Now, the football team is gearing up to play Penn State on Saturday. This game has received a lot of press mainly because it’s the first time the Nittany Lions are playing football since the Jerry Sandusky scandal shrouded Happy Valley in a cloud of darkness. Many people didn’t think they would be, or should be, playing football, but they will be, and Ohio (not Ohio State, thanks very much) will be on the other sideline. This is a national news story that the Bobcats are caught up in because they’re playing a certain team at a certain program-altering time.

When the national press needs to learn all they can about a smaller school, such as during the Bobcats’ Sweet 16 run, I’m brought back to earth about how much Ohio University is still off of the radar. One is how people refer to the university as Ohio U. Ohio State isn’t Ohio State U, is it? The pattern of most state universities goes like this: University of Florida, Florida State University. Florida is Florida, Florida State is Florida State. I understand publications need to make sure that they differentiate between Ohio University and Ohio State University. However, Manasseh Cutler knew what he was doing because the smaller, yet older brother of these two universities is, literally, the university of Ohio. As many Bobcats say, We Are Ohio. Ohio State is Ohio State. Call us Ohio or OU. End of story.

This is Ohio. (Personal Photo)

One slip-up that had me ROTFL is the Yahoo! Sports article about how Ohio (referred to as “Penn State opponent”) is wearing helmet stickers supporting victims of child abuse during the Penn State game. It’s a good story, but there was one glaring, but hilarious error that the writer calls Ohio’s athletic director Jim “Schnaus” when it is really Jim Schaus. This story was used all over the place, so now if you Google search Jim Schnaus, you get a bunch of entries with the wrong name.

My next point is about Tyler Tettleton. He’s the incredibly gifted Ohio quarterback that is slowly earning his due from the national media (click link, scroll to near the bottom of the page). But, Bobcat fans have had high hopes for him since we knew he’d be replacing big-haired Boo Jackson as a redshirt sophomore at the beginning of last season. I knew T-Tet was awesome before I had any idea who his dad was. But, in every article written about him, there’s always “son of Detroit/Texas catcher/All-Star Mickey Tettleton” as a qualifier. This is irritating because to me, Tyler is his own man and has his own accomplishments, but I can’t complain about the publicity for the program.

This is also Ohio sometimes. RIP Fest Season. (Personal Photo)

I’ll end with the error that I haven’t seen in OU vs. Penn State articles, but does come up occasionally is when the media (even people who cover the MAC regularly) call the MAC ‘the MAC Conference.’ MAC stands for Mid-American Conference, so it’s being called the Mid-American Conference Conference. Sad.

And this. (I have to stop looking through old photos. It’s making me miss college too much!) (Personal Photo)

Okay, I’m getting off of my soapbox now, until I find another reason to Stand Up and Cheer, cheer loud and long for old Ohio. (And I don’t approve of the title of this video either!)

My Journey to a Gridiron Palace

This was what news of a new $60 million high school stadium did to me. I felt like I was going to a pro game, knowing I was going to see something that I would be telling people about the next day. Even though it’s a high school game, and a scrimmage at that, I was thrilled to cover this scrimmage between the Allen Eagles and the Arlington Martin Warriors as live scoring practice for my freelance gig with the Dallas Morning News.

As I drove down Rivercrest Boulevard, past quaint suburbian houses and eventually the high school, I kept craning my neck to get my first glimpse at this behemoth, this gleaming trophy symbolizing Texas’ obsession with high school football. Then, there it was. First, I see the top of the press box, then the words ‘Eagle Stadium’ big and bright in navy blue (Allen’s colors are navy blue and red). When I entered the driveway, after making sure there was no one behind me, I had to stop and snap a picture.

So fresh, so clean! (Personal photo)

My first thought when I saw it actually was “there she is”, like I was referring to a mighty ship, a beautiful car, or my (future) newborn daughter. This place probably feels like a baby to the school district and the city of Allen, whose taxpayers voted to pay for this brick-walled beauty as part of a $119 million bond. Except this isn’t any bundle of joy, this is like William and Kate’s first child (okay, let’s be honest, first boy). The stadium has been covered by the likes of Forbes and the New York Times.  It’s got a brief video on ABC News’ website and is first on MaxPreps.com’s 10 high school football stadiums to see before you die (listed in no particular order). Plus, if you look soon after this is published, every possible story angle is front and center on the Dallas Morning News SportsDayHS webpage. It’s the pride of the town, just born and waiting to make its first memories.

Back of the scoreboard (Personal Photo)

I was surprised to walk in and find ticket checkers, no security, no one to ask me if I had a press pass on my way up to the press box. It’s like they left the White House unlocked, but it was liberating to feel that pre-9/11 trust in society again. However, I’m pretty sure security will be on hand for the opener next week. In fact, I couldn’t find anyone to direct me to said press box, so I trudged up the stands to the Photo Deck, which has a big, covered space for people to set up their cameras and tripods. Then, I realized there is an elevator to the press box, which has two levels. I’ve only ever taken an elevator to a press box at Coors Field, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the Horseshoe and Peden Stadium. Note: those are all pro/FBS college venues. Craziness.

A video producer’s best friend. (Personal photo)

The press box area that I saw was gorgeous. It’s air conditioned (muy importante in Texas), with two flat screen TV’s showing the gameplay along with the date/time, and current weather conditions. There’s speakers that pipe in noise from a referee mic, a crowd noise mic, and the PA announcer. A red and white Eagle logo is sewed into all of the blue padded chairs. They also boast a kitchen area with dark-stained cabinets with silver handles. There are stainless steel appliances: a fridge, a trash compactor/compost thingy, a dishwasher, a coffee maker, a microwave and a sink. This is nicer than most living places at Ohio University. They even put a few rows of tile down in case something spills. What struck me most was that they put up a backsplash of tiny rectangular grey/silver tiles. Such detail! Unfortunately, this kitchen would serve no starving (media) artists tonight, so I went to scope out the concession stands…

Can I just cover games here for the rest of my life? (Personal photo)

So comfortable and so school spirited. (Personal photo)

Press box view of the field (Personal photo)

…which of course looked a lot like the ones at Cowboys Stadium. Especially because they have flat screen TV’s that show the menu. However, Jerry World has separate ones with game video. Tsk tsk, Allen. They even have reasonable prices. I got a cheeseburger (with fresh tomatoes and lettuce and pickles) and a regular soda for $4.50. They sold Chik-Fil-A sandwiches for $4 and even little containers of  fresh fruit and cheese. Trés chic.

Looked good and my cheeseburger tasted good! (Personal photo)

I was glad that the teams scrimmaged for two 12-minute quarters and two 10-minute quarters so I could really enjoy this palace. Also, I wasn’t even jealous that I didn’t get to go to high school here until I saw the kid in braces holding this beautiful HD camera that projects the game footage onto the $1.2 million scoreboard with a 38′ X 23′ HD screen. Right now, doing video production for them brings technology experience on par, or probably better than, a D3 football team and some lower market stations. But, Allen High School AV Club Kid gets that opportunity. What a lucky so-and-so.

(Personal photo)

Eagle Stadium takes its first steps August 31 in the first game of the regular season, which is versus last year’s 5A-1 state champion Southlake Carroll. If Allen can beat this team in the opener, it will be huge. To bring back the baby simile: it’s like you’re playing blocks as a baby and Albert Einstein watched you and said “Hey, that kid’s pretty smart.” It’s tough to pull off, but if you do it, you have eternal glory.

It’s something I will never forget and if you are in Dallas during football season, try to check it out. If you can get a seat.

Concourse view of field (Personal photo)

Another concourse view (Personal photo)

Concourse view of press box (Personal photo)

Teams getting directions before the scrimmage (Personal photo)

Field view of press box (Personal photo)

Field view (Personal photo)

Bruce Springsteen Name Game Part 4: S-Z

You have all been so patient as I take the time to go through all of these lyrics! Bruce has talked about a multitude of women, but there are many more to come! Just for a recap, after Part 3, here is where the name game stands:

1. Mary – 39. In Part 3, Mary added 33 tallies to her name!
2. Jane/Janie/Janey – 20. There were no mentions for these ladies in Part 3, but they still have enough for second place.
3. Candy – 17. Two early songs may just be enough to get on the medal stand for Candy.
4. Linda – 15. Linda looms large with only one song, but many mentions.
5. Rosalita/Rosie – 13. The R’s have it over the Maria/Mary Lou’s by a slim margin.
6. Maria, Mary Lou – 12
7. Cynthia – 11
8. Kitty – 10
9. Ricky – 9
10. Sandy – 8
11. Martha – 5
12. Dinah – 4
13. Juliet, Lynette, Bobby Jean, Wendy, Frankie, Gloria, Sarah, Terry, Polly – 3
14. Wanda, Jackie, Leah, Catherine, Carol – 2
15. Eve, Kate, Cassiopeia, Lena, Pearl (Early-Pearly), Bobbie, Joan, Shaniqua, Theresa, Sally – 1

Santa Ana (Tracks) – Sandy – 1 time. Sandy ties Ricky in 9th with 9 mentions.

Shenandoah (We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions) – Sally – 1 time. Sally breaks free from the bottom slot and moves up a spot! (Don’t tell her she’s only in 14th, this is a big deal to her).

Sherry Darling (The River) – Sherry – 6 times. Sherry takes the 10 spot previously vacated by Sandy (two seconds ago).

I think Bruce had a drinking problem, singing a song to a wine.

So Young and in Love (Tracks) – Missy – 1 time. This is the first showing for Miss Missy, the tenth name with one tally.

Spanish Eyes (The Promise) – Christine – 1 time. Christine is a first as well. It’s not a name I would picture on a woman with Spanish eyes, but that’s Bruce’s call.

Spare Parts (Tunnel of Love) – Jane/Janey – 6 times. Thanks to the girl who started out ditched by her baby daddy and ended up making some good money, the Jane/Janie/Janey squad has 26, 13 behind Mary.

Spirit in the Night (Greetings from Asbury Park) – Janey – 5 times. Well, whaddya know? Janey is storming the proverbial name game castle, now just 8 behind Mary!

There’s Janey, and Janie, and Jane..Janie’s on the right with Jane and Janey.

Stand on It (Tracks) – Mary Beth – 1 time, Isabella – 1 time. Both first time additions to the list! However, my mind is more preoccupied wondering what will happen with the Mary/Janey totals.

Straight Time (Ghost of Tom Joad) – Mary – 1 time. She’s the wife of a former convict and helps boost her name’s total to 40. Is Mary now over the hill?

Terry’s Song (Magic) – Mary – 1 time. Mary gets another notch thanks to the religious context, up to 41.

The E Street Shuffle (The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle) – (Little) Angel – 5 times. Say hello to Angel who just loves showing all of the boys on the boardwalk how to do the E Street Shuffle.

I think we’d all pay to watch her do the E Street Shuffle.

The Line (Ghost of Tom Joad) – Louisa – 2 times. Louisa steps on the list as the subject of another story of love lost in the night.

The Rising (The Rising) – Mary – 1 time. Mary is not going away, getting her numbers up to 42.

The River (The River) – Mary – 3 times. In a song inspired by Springsteen’s sister and her husband, Mary now has 45 after another classic tale of blue-collar struggles.

Thunder Road (Born to Run) – Mary – 2 times. The song that (probably) made every woman who heard it want to be named Mary gives her 47 names overall. Mary is mentioned in 5 of the last 7 songs.

One of over 3 and a half billion Google Image results for ‘Mary.’ The name is not only popular in Bruce’s songs! (And her name isn’t even Mary, it’s Mary-Kate)

Wild Billy’s Circus Story (The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle) – Missy Bimbo – 2 times, Margarita – 1 time. Thanks to the circus environment, someone with a name like Missy Bimbo jumps ahead of Missy. This is Margarita’s debut.

Circuses would be a lot more fun if there were more of these there, am I right?

With Every Wish (Human Touch) – Doreen – 1 time. Her beauty was a gift and a curse for “Bobby,” so Doreen breaks onto the list.

You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) (The River) – (Dirty) Annie – 1 time. Another first as the number of songs winds down.

Youngstown (The Ghost of Tom Joad) – Jenny – 4 times. Sweet Jenny hears about Bruce’s trials in Youngstown. My parents grew up in the suburbs of the city and my grandparents worked in those very steel mills Bruce talks about. I also lived near Youngstown for about 5 years. It’s sad to say that even though working in the steel mills sounds bad, since they shut down, the city is even worse.

Zero and Blind Terry (Tracks) – Terry – 12 times. I thought the high numbers were done for, but Terry had something to say about it. She adds 12 to her 3 for a grand total of 15.

Who’s ready for the final tally? I know I am!

1. Mary – 47
2. Jane/Janie/Janey – 31
3. Candy – 17
4. Linda, Terry – 15
5. Rosalita/Rosie – 13
6. Maria, Mary Lou – 12
7. Cynthia – 11
8. Kitty – 10
9. Ricky, Sandy – 9
10. Sherry – 6
11. Martha, Angel – 5
12. Dinah, Jenny – 4
13. Juliet, Lynette, Bobby Jean, Wendy, Frankie, Gloria, Sarah, Polly – 3
14. Wanda, Jackie, Leah, Catherine, Carol, Sally, Louisa, Missy Bimbo – 2
15. Eve, Kate, Cassiopeia, Lena, Pearl (Early-Pearly), Bobbie, Joan, Shaniqua, Theresa, Missy, Christine, Mary Beth, Isabella, Margarita, Doreen, Annie – 1

Those of you who believed you heard Mary’s name a lot in Bruce’s songs, you’re right! Mary is the number one name in his original lyrics. Of course, all of his fans know that no matter what these numbers say, the number one woman in his life is Patti. Like the typical songwriter (except Taylor Swift), he does not mention her name directly.

Thank you all so much for being patient while I slogged through every word. I like to think this process educated me a little more on Springsteen’s work and I hope this has done the same for you. Perhaps later I will go back and order the names based on the time the song was released or even do the men’s names. But, for now I need a break on reading through the words. I will continue to learn about Bruce as I listen to the 66 songs on the Tracks album I just bought.

Thanks again for reading!

Ups and Downs of the Season

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Charles Dickens’ quote is the perfect way to describe the Yankees’ situation the past couple of weeks. Since it’s been so long since I’ve blogged about the Yankees, I’m going to backtrack a little bit for this post about some of the ups and downs the Bombers have been facing the past couple of weeks.

This guy knew what would happen with the Yankees the past two weeks. (Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty Images via guardian.co.uk)

Down (Mariano Rivera Part I)

• On May 3, New York’s season took a (relatively) unpredictable turn for the worst when closer Mariano Rivera tore his ACL catching fly balls during batting practice before a game versus the Kansas City Royals. I say this event is “relatively unpredictable” because although the best closer of all time is 42, way past the normal retiring age for ballplayers, he had not been on the disabled list since 2003. Like most ACL tears, it was tough to identify what caused it, one second he’s going on with business as usual and then BAM! he’s down. He did hit the wall, but how many times does that happen per baseball season without incident? His ACL injury will require surgery, which means he will be sidelined for at least the rest of the 2012 season. Staunch, stalwart, reliable, this is not at all what Bombers fans were expecting. But, guess what?

Up (Mariano Rivera Part II)

• Rivera said he’ll be back next year!! May 4, MLB.com’s writer for the Yankees, Bryan Hoch, tweeted about the closer’s statement on returning: “I’m coming back. Write it down in big letters. I’m not going out like this.” As much as I am glad to hear this, I feel bad that he has to work so hard to make a comeback next year. This was supposed to be his swan song, his victory lap around the bigs, when he gets applauded at his last appearance at every stadium (sadly recalling memories of stinky Roger Clemens). Now he has to not only work his body back into shape for baseball, he has to do it in addition to months and months of physical therapy rehab. But, if anyone can do it, Mo can.

Down (then Up) (Mariano Rivera Parts III & IV)

• Monday, May 7, Rivera’s agent, Fernando Cuza said there were “complications” when the pitcher went for an examination on his knee. That doesn’t sound good! Fortunately, the Yankees are more open about injury information that Bill Belichick (or we probably still wouldn’t know the real problem). As the ESPN.com article states, the doctors found a clot in the pitchers’ right calf. Rivera was kept at the hospital overnight, given blood thinners and is expected to make a full recovery. It’s not known whether the clot came as a result of the ACL tear or if it happened over time. With all of this work being done on Mo, he could be like the Bionic Man, stronger and better than ever!

“Oh no, not I! I will survive!” (Ed Zurga/Getty Images via nj.com/yankees)

Down (David Robertson Part I)

• May 9, almost a week after Rivera’s injury, closer-in-training David Robertson came into the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays to protect a 1-0 lead pieced together by four pitchers. He gave up four runs, including a three-run homer to Matt Joyce for the Rays’ 4-1 win. Not a good start for the replacement Mariano.

Up (David Robertson Part II)

• Since the blown save faux pas (just thinking about Everybody Loves Raymond), Robertson pitched 2/3 of scoreless baseball in the Yankees 6-2 victory over the Mariners on May 11. He hasn’t made an appearance since then (as of Mon., May 14), so I’m not too worried.

Up (Andy Pettitte Part I)

• Amazin’ Andy (39 years old) came back from retirement, powered his way up through the minors, and debuted on his old turf in the Bronx on Sunday, May 13 against the Seattle Mariners.

Down (Andy Pettitte Part II)

• Fellow creaky bones pitcher Kevin Millwood (37 years old, debuted in 1997, pitching for his 8th team) stole the spotlight from Mr. Pettitte’s homecoming. Millwood (1-4) hurled 7 innings, gave up 3 hits, one run and struck out 6 in a 6-2 Mariners win. Pettitte (0-1) countered with 6 and 1/3 innings, 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 3 walks and 2 K’s. Hey Pet, you’ll get ’em next time sport!

Up (Derek Jeter Part I)

• Jeter’s average is no longer the sky-high .400 of April (what goes up must come down), but his .372 mark (as of May 14) is still far and away better than the next closest starter’s average (Robinson Cano, .299). Since May 9th, I have favorited so many tweets about his most recent achievements. From @ESPNStatsInfo on May 9: “Elias tells us that Derek Jeter is the first player in Yankees history with at least 50 hits over the Yankees’ first 30 games of a season.” From ESPN reporter John Buccigross @Buccigross on May 13: “Derek Jeter ties Tony Gwynn for 17th on all-time hit list, 3,141.” From the official New York Yankees account @Yankees on May 13: “Derek Jeter now has 924 career multi-hit games, 10 behind Eddie Murray for 7th most since 1918.” The Captain is still earning his stripes, no matter how old he is!

Up (Dr. Derek Jeter Part II)

• On Sunday, May 13, Siena College in Albany, New York honored Jeter with a doctorate in Humane Letters for his work in his Turn 2 charity that works to keep kids off drugs. Ever the loyal player, Jeet had a game on graduation day, so his sister Sharlee went in his place. Jeter’s father Charles, is also a doctor who works as a substance abuse counselor (likely the inspiration for his charity).

Up (Derek Jeter Part III: This Guy Can Do No Wrong)

• Last Sunday was Mother’s Day and to honor moms everywhere, Major League Baseball sent its players to the plate with pink bats. After Jeter’s first at-bat, he walked back to the dugout and gave his bat to a lucky (and very adorable) little girl who was overjoyed with her gift. Here’s the video link on a tweet from @Yankees. Whatta man, whatta man, whatta mighty good man!

“I’m going to marry him!” All the other women in the stadium: “No, we are!!” (via sportsgrid.com)

Last Down (Injuries)

• Wallace Matthews, Yankees beat writer for ESPN New York, gave a brief update on the pressing injuries to the Yankees’ roster. Rivera’s knee swelling needs to go down before surgery on his torn ACL. Meanwhile, outfielder Brett Gardner has a few days before he can swing a bat after straining his right elbow, and pitcher Joba Chamberlain is just playing toss, but looks good according to manager Joe Girardi.
• Update: Starting pitcher Ivan Nova left his start on Monday against the Orioles with a sprain in his right foot and ankle, Wallace Matthews reported. X-rays were negative, which is good. I’m sure after the game Girardi will say he’s not sure of the timetable of Nova’s return, but more will be known soon.

Up (Have to End on a Good Note)

• The Preakness is this weekend at Pimlico in Maryland. Who do you have in this race? Will I’ll Have Another get the second leg of the Triple Crown or will Bodemeister, the favorite as of Monday at 2-to-1, get his revenge?

HA! Bodemeister thinks he can beat me. (Photo: Patrick Semansky / AP via stamfordadvocate.com)

Yours in pinstripes.