Thursday, June 4, 2009

What's more startling - A.J. Burnett's new mustache or the Yankees being fan-friendly?

While I haven't exactly been thrilled with much of the new Yankee Stadium, from the ticket prices to the atmosphere to the food, there is one new tradition that I'm totally on board with.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear about how Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, and Brian Bruney greeted fans in the Great Hall before yesterday's game. What a cool thing to do! (Click here to see pix, courtesy of lohud.com.) Looks like fans got to talk with them, get autographs from them, and pose for photos with them as well.

Here's hoping Squawker reader Peggy got to meet at least one of them - it was her birthday yesterday, after all! Too bad last night's game, which Peggy attended, was so putrid!

The Yanks are planning on doing this type of meet-and-greet once each homestand. What a great new tradition for the Great Hall!

And that's not all. CC Sabathia and Phil Coke gave Bronx kids haircuts yesterday, at Jordan's Barber Shop. (Click here to see the pix.) Those kids must have been thrilled to meet the pitchers.

Speaking of hair, A.J. Burnett started debuting his new look this week - he's growing a mustache! The new blog Big League Screw (no, that's not a typo - it's a different blog from our friends at Yahoo's Big League Stew) noticed a shocking development - A. J. Burnett is growing a mustache! (Click here to see his new look.)

What's more startling - A.J. Burnett's new mustache or the Yankees being fan-friendly?

6 comments:

Bklynfan said...

I think the meet and greet with Giradi, Cashman and Bruney was great. They should definitely keep this up and make it a tradition.

Anonymous said...

I was at the game last night, they definitely looked tired; you can't win them all. Hopefully, they will give Alex and or Derek, the day off or a DH slot; they've got a tough series against Tampa coming up.

Sorry I missed the chance to meet Cashman and Girardi, I definitely would have given both of them "thumbs up" for a job well done, (so far). Cashman who I've villified in the past has to get props for a great move in getting Texiera.

The sarcastic part of me says that they Yankees are trying to be more "fan-friendly" becuause management knows that the way they've set things up with ticket prices catering to the fat-cats,politicians,celebrities and the obscenely rich, limiting access to watching players before games, and the loss of parkland for the local community has given them nothing but bad press (which they greatly deserve).

But at least they are trying, it gives me hope that SOMEONE SOMEWHERE in that organization is listening to us "regular folks" who don't have "connections".

Now when I see players(and not just the Phil Cokes and Brian Bruney's of the world) stopping by to say hello to the fans in the bleachers and those crappy "obstructed view" seats,or saying "thanks for coming" to the fans getting off the subway or the new Metro-north station, then I'll really know they're REALLY SERIOUS about being "FAN FRIENDLY"

LOL!

Anonymous said...

Hey Lisa...

I didn't get to the Meet & Greet ...I believe it was around 4:00 pm and I was still at work but I did get there in time for my Yankee giveaway...a Passport holder which I will need since I am making the trip to Toronto in September to see the Yanks play and passports are now a requirement for Canada.

It was a tough loss especially since we had the opportunities but we aren't going to win them all...I just hope by the end of October the Yanks are the team that won the MOST !!

As far as the Stadium ..I'm just the opposite of Lisa because I have had very favorable experiences with the exception of bad weather and some bad losses. My friends..even the Met fan enjoyed it too. I guess as the saying goes ..to each his own. My daughter didn't like Citifield but I'll wait to pass judgement until I go the last weekend in June.

Good luck to Wanger ...hope he gives those Rangers a real "sinking" feeling today...

Peggy

Go Yankees 2009 !!!

NAM said...

The meet and greet is a cool idea. Fans deserve a little extra attention with the state of the world right now. Busineses that go the extra mile and give excellent customer service will survive and thrive. Baseball fans are the best kind of customers, we come back even when the show is lousy!

And Peggy, I bet you still had a great time at the game! I love and hate the day games - I follow them at work but miss them at night. But I have to go out tonight so it works out today.

Lisa Swan said...

Bklynfan, Anon, Peggy, and NAM, I agree it was a cool thing that the Yanks did, no matter what the reason. I hope they keep it up!

Paul from Boston said...

Oh no - not more "power of the 'stache"!!

Nice move with the meet and greet - its a great idea anytime, but certainly with the bad PR start they had to the season its an even better time.

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