This Saturday, July 14, the Mets will pay tribute to Ralph Kiner. Ralph deserves it. He is one of the main reasons why it has always been so much fun to be a Mets fan over the past 45 years, in spite of all of the disappointments we have endured. Ralph was one of the treasured background voices of my childhood. And he stayed with me through my youth and middle age. I am so glad to still hear his voice, to still hear his stories.

As we turn the page on the calendar from May to June and we watch the weather slowly begin to heat up, one can only hope that our beloved Bronx Bombers’ bats begin to heat up as well. Mired in the midst of a mini-slump of 3 losses in their first 4 games on a grueling 5 city, 11 game road trip (the previous games were Boston and Baltimore), the Yankees look to get the ship righted as they continue on their odyssey through the Mid-West and West, with the first three games at a sweltering Comiskey Park.... . .. .........

With 5 wins in their last 6 games, it looks as if the Mets are back on the right path and thank god for that if you’re a Mets fan. It was brutal watching this team in Detroit, LA, and the Bronx. They couldn’t do anything right. The hitting was awful, both their starters and relievers couldn’t get out of any jams whatsoever, and their defense was putrid at times. Remember the game against the Twins last week where they had more errors than hits. It was a depressing month of baseball. At one point, they lost 6 straight series and there have been very few teams in baseball history that have done that and still made the postseason. Luckily, I think the Mets will be one of those rare teams. ........

Who was it that dubbed the New York Yankees the greatest regular season show on earth? Who ever it was they will be wishing they had paid their 2007 crystal ball subscriptions when they are standing in the unemployment line this October. ..........

Just when you thought it could not get any worse for this New York team, it did. Sunday’s game against the Giants was a microcosm of the Yankees 2007 season as they let a close game turn into a blowout against a weak San Francisco team. Mike Mussina once again made Brian Cashman rethink the two-year, $12 million deal the Moose received in the off-season as the Mussina lasted only five innings. Over those five, he gave up five hits, three runs, two earned, and three walks for a pitch count of 104.........

Joe Torre insisted on sending Scott Proctor out to the mound on Saturday, after watching the right hander gradually tire in front of a sold out AT&T Park in San Francisco. With Mariano Rivera available in the bullpen, it was Proctor who went to the hill for a third straight frame, this time coming up short, costing the Yankees a 6-5 loss at the hands of the Giants..........

The Yankees had won 11 of 12 including nine straight and had a day off before heading to Colorado for mile high baseball at Coors Field where long balls supposedly come in dozens at a stadium that would favor the Yankees strength: their unstoppable offense. Everything was supposed to run smoothly with the new and improved Mike Mussina opening the three-game set followed by reliable Andy Pettitte and the third start to the Rocket’s highly anticipated return combined with the hot bat of Alex Rodriguez that had been sending balls over the Cross Bronx Expressway days before.

Twas a long long time…..Firstly let me apologise for the length of time since the Baseball Widow has written anything. My time has been taken up, until fairly recently, with the constant washing of pillow cases as I have had to contend with night after night of listening to my darling other half (DOH) sobbing each night into his pillow. There was a point not so long ago when I thought when will it all end? What on earth is happening to the Yanks? How many pillowcases can one grown man ruin in a month? But luckily those weeks of utter disappointment seem to be behind us now. With the Yankees now on a streak (ok so we dropped one on Friday night to the Mets in a tight pitchers duel but we are back on track. .........

Boy, was that a rough nine game home stand for the Mets. After taking two of three from the Barry and San Francisco, New York drops five of the next six including a home sweeping by the hands of division foe Philadelphia. There were a lot of bad moments throughout the home stand, but arguably the worst came when Endy Chavez pulled a hamstring grounding into a 7th inning double play with the bases loaded Thursday night. That came after Aaron Heilman gave up a two out three-run homerun to Jimmy Rollins to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. Before we talk about Endy, the bullpen gave. .........

For this months book review I have read The Yogi Book. Whilst the back cover of this book describes it as ‘……the definitive collection of Yogi-isms’ this book offers much more than just funny quotes to the reader. Based around famous quotes by the man himself such as ‘If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him’ the book also has explanations on why and where Yogi said what he said. He has commented on many things, not just baseball, and all of them use his beautiful, often simple, but always honest take on the situation. .........

It felt like it was never coming for many but finally the panic alarms are being switched off in the Bronx. For two months the Yankees have been at DEFCON 1 as their worst start since 1986 sparked predictions that this would be the first October in 12 years without the Yankee Pinstripes. A little premature maybe considering that the Yanks have become habitual slow starters through April and May over the last few seasons. 2005 springs to mind when they .........

The Yankees started the month of May like they finished April…red hot. Posting 5 wins in their first 6 games, the Bronx Bombers looked like they were finally putting it together. Thurman Munson, the reigning MVP, had a 16-game hitting streak (in which the Yankees won 14 of 16), the longest of his career. The hitting streak helped to further cement his reputation as the heart and soul of the Yankees, the engine that kept the Yankees chugging along. Much like our current Captain, Munson prefers to downplay his personal statistics, all for the betterment of the team. “Munson probably would like to be noticed and appreciated for what he does by the fans without having to talk about what he does”. “Munson is truly a most valuable Yankee. He is the team’s smartest, and therefore best, base. ..............

Well it seems like last season was an aberration. The Braves still hold some sort of spell over the Mets. Call it the curse of Kenny Rogers. Ever since that 1999 NLCS Game Six, the Mets have had some monumental breakdowns against Atlanta. Most New York fans were hoping last season was an end to that curse, but so far this year it looks to have come back. At least the Mets have had no problem with anyone else this season. Out of the 15 series the Mets have played in 2007, they’ve only lost four of them . . ..............

The New York Yankees have earned the reputation of being a horrible spring team. Between April and May, the Bombers seem to be in the basement before turning it on right before the Bronx is filled with spectators in shorts and t-shirts. However, the loss against the Mets on Friday night, a devastating 3-2 heartbreaker, a game where Andy Pettitte threw seven quality innings and then watched his offense tank once again leave him with a 2-3 record and the team at 18-22. Pettitte moved under .500 on the season like his club has been for the majority of the season and his 2.83 ERA . ..............

This weekend marked the tenth anniversary of the Subway Series. Never before have the Mets gone into the series with more credibility and momentum then how they entered this weekend. I took a moment to reflect on the games and its meaning to each team’s season. Despite what the players and coaches say, there have been moments that have led to event changing player’s careers or the team’s season. I put these together in no particular order. Keeping that in mind let’s take a look at what I believe are the top ..............

It’s that time of year again, the time when the city is officially divided for three days while the Yankees and Mets square off in a three day battle to see who the best team in New York is. However, this time things are a lot different as the two enter the weekend on opposite notes.The Bombers stumble into Shea after dropping two of three in both Seattle and Chicago, falling to 2-4 on their current nine game road trip. A mini 12 game season that the Yankees must come out on top of to be within reasonable reach to catch the Red Sox has started off on the wrong foot with a 1-2 record against the White Sox. ..............

This marks the 10th year in which the Mets and Yankees will meet in a regular season Subway Series. There have been some highlights and lowlights if you’re a Mets fan. The first few that come to mind for me are the Mike Piazza grand slam off Clemens at Yankee Stadium, Matt Franco’s game winning two-out hit off Mariano Rivera in the 9th inning, and then of course the Rocket’s return to Shea for the first time since throwing a bat at Piazza in the 2000 World Series. But the Yanks have clearly had the upper hand over the last ten years. Since that time, the Yankees have won three World Series to the Mets none including a Subway Series win in October in 2000. And the Bronx Bombers have only a lost season series to the boys ..............

As I write this the Yankees are under .500 and 8 games behind the Red Sox, and Mike Francessa just said the Yankees are the second best team in baseball. Now normally this would annoy me, but since the Yankees are a dysfunctional mess, it’s just funny. The Mets just beat the upstart Brewers, to send a statement to the NL that they’re still the premier team in this league The Yankees just lost 2 of 3 to the Seattle Mariners who have been cellar dwellers ..............

In case you haven’t heard, young women everywhere were devastated when they heard the news this week. No, Justin Timberlake is just fine, but David Wright may have lost some love with the ladies after his decision to go bald Monday. Wright was the first Met to buzz off his hair, but he certainly wasn’t the last. 23 of the 25 man roster decided to go aerodynamic in an attempt to unite the Metropolitans. Aaron Sele and Jose Reyes are the only two guys left on the Mets with anything between the scalp and the blue and orange ball cap. And if Carlos Beltran has his say, they might not be so lucky by the end of the weekend.. . ..............

Last Sunday seemed like the perfect day for baseball. Bright Sunshine, seventy degree weather, and a day game at Yankee Stadium. Little did we all know the day would be spoiled by one of the worst contrived spectacles in recent New York history. When long time Yankees PA announcer Bob Sheppard directed the fans to George Steinbrenner’s luxury box, the nauseating smile of Roger Clemens waved back. Susan Waldman and John Sterling gushed, the fans cheered, and the media on hand rushed to re-write their game stories. All is well in Yankee-land now. The fans got what they wanted. Or did they? . . ..............