Talk Bronx New York

 The crowd at Yankee Stadium was booing like only the Bronx can, but Pedro Martinez(notes) walked off the field with his head high. As he neared the Phillies’ dugout, the 38-year-old pitcher looked down, then quickly looked up. He broke out into a smile, drank in the scene for an extended moment and then disappeared down the steps.

It’s not every day that you see a pitcher grinning while still on the hook for a World Series loss. Then again, we haven’t seen many pitchers like Pedro, who added another great chapter to his memorable career in Thursday night’s 3-1 Game 2 loss to the Yankees.

Despite battling a cold, the self-described old goat kept the Phillies in the game by striking out eight batters over six innings. Martinez gave up a total of three earned runs — including solo shots to Mark Teixeira(notes) and Hideki Matsui(notes) — before departing with no outs in the seventh. It wasn’t his greatest outing, but with just a little more offense from his teammates, a good start would have been validated with a victory.

Instead, Martinez’s consolation prize was showing his old friends at Yankee Stadium that he can still get people out and then skewer them a bit through the media. The great rivalry between the righty and Yankees fan is alive and well.

 To prove it, here’s a selection of Pedro’s best quotes from his big night in the Big Apple:

• “I remember one guy sitting right in the front row … with his daughter in one arm and a cup of beer in the other hand and saying all kinds of nasty stuff. I just told him, ‘Your daughter is right beside you. It’s a little girl. It’s a shame you’re saying all these things.’ I had to stop and tell him because I’m a father myself, and God, how can you be so dumb to do those kind of things in front of your child? What kind of example are you setting?”

• “But the fans, I enjoy that, because at the bottom, I know I played for the Mets. I know they really want to root for me. It’s just that I don’t play for the Yankees, that’s all. I’ve always been a good competitor and they love that. They love the fact that I compete. I’m a New Yorker as well. If I was on the Yankees, I’d probably be like a king over here.”

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Pedro Martinez faces the New York Yankees on the biggest stage of them all tonight, as he tries to give the Philadelphia Phillies a commanding two games to none lead in the World Series at Yankee Stadium.
Hated by Yankee fans during his time with the Boston Red Sox, then later with the Mets, Martinez, is no stranger to the Bronx. In 32 regular-season starts against the Yankees, he has a record of 11-11 with a 3.20 earned run average.

“I think in every aspect, the way you guys have used me and abused me since I’ve been coming to [Yankee] Stadium,” said Martinez on being cast as the villain to Yankee fans. “I remember quotes in the paper, ‘Here comes the man that New York loves to hate.’ The man? None of you have ever eaten steak with me or rice and beans with me to understand what I’m all about as a man. You might say the player, the competitor, but the man? You guys have abused my name. You guys have said so many things and have written so many things [about me].”

The veteran right-hander had been 8-4 in the old stadium and pitched perhaps his best game there back in 1999 when he allowed one hit and struck out 17 in a complete game win.

This, though, will be his first appearance in the new ballpark. Read more..

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Jay-Z and Alicia Keys perform their song, ‘Empire State of Mind’

 Duo performs ‘Empire State of Mind’ prior to Game 2

 For approximately four minutes on Thursday night, the Yankees and Phillies had a chance to be fans.

Prior to Game 2 of the World Series, the majority of the players in each dugout stood against the rail taking in the spectacular scene in center field, where rapper Jay-Z and singer Alicia Keys, both New York natives, delivered their hit “Empire State of Mind” on a custom-made stage adorned in Yankees flags.

While Yankees infielder Ramiro Pena caught the entire performance on videotape, cameras panned to pitcher Joba Chamberlain bobbing his head and closer Mariano Rivera watching in wonderment.

“I think it’s special for all of New York,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said of the hit song which is on Jay-Z’s album “The Blueprint 3″ and doubles as Jeter’s at-bat music.

“I think it almost seems like it’s the anthem for New York right now,” Jeter added. “I got an opportunity to get to know Jay-Z throughout the years and he’s very, very talented doing a lot of things. But he knows what he’s doing, so I think New York has kind of embraced that song.” Read more..

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First lady Michelle Obama hugs a veteran as Dr. Jill Biden greets other veterans at the James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center.

 First Lady Michelle Obama swooped into New York on Wednesday to catch the legends of Yankee Stadium, but first she took time to honor some real heroes: Wounded U.S. veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama spoke at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, where she visited with vets along with Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of the vice president, in advance of last night’s World Series Game 1 match-up between the Yanks and the Philadelphia Phillies.

The First Lady’s message: We can all do a little something to honor the men and women in the U.S. military. And please, she emphasized, don’t forget the families they often have to leave behind while serving overseas. Read more..

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The Yankees and Phillies are getting ready for battle as the World Series gets underway in the Bronx tonight.Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia will take the mound for tonight’s match up against former Indians teammate Cliff Lee.

Earlier today, Yankees fans and some of Broadway’s brightest braved the rainy weather for a brief pep rally in Times Square.

The cast of “Hair”, Yankee World Series heroes Reggie Jackson, Mickey Rivers, Jeff Nelson and Mayor Bloomberg were all on hand to pump up the crowd.

Yankees To Welcome Fans For Away Game

The Yankees announced today that they will host another for fans at the stadium for Game 4 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“We’ve got the best fans in the world. We’ve got the best city in the world and the best team in the world. We’ve got four tremendous veterans, the core four — Derek, Andy, Mo, and hip-hip Jorge,” Bloomberg said.”We are so excited about the Yankees. I mean, gosh four more wins and we’re in,” screamed one Yankees fan.

Ahead of the game, the Yankees have announced that relief pitcher Brian Bruney and reserve Eric Hinske have been added to the roster. Third-string catcher Francisco Cervelli and speedster Freddy Guzman are being dropped.

This will be the first post-season series for Bruney.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has announced that ex-Met Pedro Martinez will start Game 2.

Among those in attendance tonight will be First Lady Michelle Obama and the vice president’s wife Jill Biden. And, while entertainers Jay-Z and Alicia Keys were set to perform their hit “Empire State of Mind” at tonight’s game, the performance has been postponed until Game 2.Weather permitting, first pitch is scheduled for 7:57 p.m. Read more..

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