Author Archive
The Not-Quite-Legendary in New York Sports History: »
We all know about the great athletes in New York sports history–Babe Ruth , Tom Seaver, Lawrence Taylor , Joe Namath , Mark Messier , Walt Frazier –and even the busts–Ed Whitson , Mo Vaughn , Roberto Alomar , Stephon Marbury , and Scott Gomez . But what about the slightly-to-highly-above-average athlete? The kind-of-great [...]
The New York Week That Was (Comebacks and Christmas) »
Christmas is all about comebacks and overcoming adversity against all odds. OK, it’s really nothing about comebacks and overcoming adversity against all odds, but is about love, peace on earth, goodwill toward men, opening presents, then drinking all day long and passing out underneath the tree as an ornament falls and pierces one of your [...]
There Will Be No Thrill-as….. Without Godzilla »
The 2009 Worlds Series had a few firsts’ happen. A full-time designated hitter won the MVP award for the first time. A 1960 record for most RBI’s r, with the nickname Godzilla, won his first World Series ring . Hideki Matsui, also known as Godzilla, won the MVP of the 2009 World Series. Matsui, who is a baseball icon in his homeland of [...]
The New York Week that Was (World Series Edition) »
Finally! The waiting is over! After nine long years without a title, the Yankees are champs once again. Nobody suffers like the Yankee faithful. Think of the toll all those championship-less years have taken on an eight-year-old Yankee fan who’s never seen his favorite team win. After overcoming the curse of Danny Cater by winning it all in [...]
Baseball’s Captain: Why Derek Jeter Deserves to »
In Major League Baseball, the MVP award goes out at the end of the regular season. It goes to the athlete who has stood out as being the most valuable, above all the rest. To an individual player, it is a huge accomplishment and honor considered being the elite in your field. Within baseball, two players, one from the American League and one from [...]
The Best That New York Sports Has to Offer »
All anybody’s talking about in the New York area is the Islanders’ first regulation win over the Rangers (though Jimmy Rollins predicted it on Monday). You can’t walk down the street without somebody stopping you and asking all about the hockey team from Long Island. Will they get on a roll? Is John Tavares the real deal? Islanders, [...]
The New York Week That Was (10/23/09) »
It was a brutal week for the New York football teams, as the Giants got killed and the Jets fell to lowly Buffalo and lost Kris Jenkins for the rest of the season. Even the hockey teams mixed in some debacles with a few wins. And something bad probably happened to the Mets even though their season is long over. But even after last night’s [...]
The New York Week That Was (10/16/09) »
Now that the Great Balloon Hoax of Aught-Nine is over, we can concentrate on sports again (C.C. Sabathia’s uniform is so big and baggy, it could probably be filled with helium and flown across the country, too). This past week in New York sports, the Yankees swept the Twins and now have to take on those pesky, team-of-destiny Angels. The [...]
A CHAPTER FROM THE YANKEES BIOGRAPHY: A STORY OF JOES »
With the playoffs in full swing, the possibilities begin to become realities. Manager Joe Torre’s Dodgers, focus is now on the NLCS as the team swept the Cardinals in three games to proceed onward. Across the country another team with a chief named Joe accomplished the same. Joe Girardi’s Yankees followed L.A.’s lead tonight in [...]
Q&A With “First Fall Classic” Author Mike »
Mike Vaccaro has been the lead sports columnist for the New York Post since 2002. A New York native, Vaccaro has also covered the local sports scene for the Newark Star-Ledger, as well as working for papers in Kansas City and Arkansas. He’s just written a book entitled The First Fall Classic: The Red Sox, the Giants, and the Cast of Players, [...]