Lonn Trost and Yankees cry uncle on StubHub; will allow electronic tickets

Remember the whole to-do this winter about how the Yankees came up with their own ticket exchange system with Ticketmaster, snubbing StubHub? And how the only way Yankee fans were going to be able to print out electronic tickets on the secondary market was with the Yankees Ticket Exchange? And that because of this, StubHub was going to have to open up a location by Yankee Stadium for fans to get their tickets before the game (a move the Yankees fought in court)?

Well, guess what? The Yankees have cried uncle on StubHub, folding like a cheap suit on the electronic tickets issue. They will now allow fans to print electronic tickets from StubHub and other secondary market sites from a window of 48 hours to three hours before the game. Oh, and that three-hour window before the game also applies for the Yankees' own ticket exchange, so it's not like you can get the tickets any later from them. This is a huge, huge concession on the Yankees' part, and it takes away the need for StubHub to have that location by the Stadium. After all, if fans can print out tickets at home in that time frame, they won't need to go to a StubHub office to do so.

If a Yankee tree falls in the forest...

Only thing is, nobody in the mainstream media seems to have noticed that the Yankees have made such a big concession. But blogger Bob of BobsBlitz.com did. He wrote about how Yankee bigwig Lonn Trost, who talked last month on Mike Francesa's WFAN radio show about how fans would no longer would be able to get e-tickets from StubHub, has changed his tune.

Yet Trost won't admit that the Yankees have changed their tune and reversed policy. He tried to act like this was the deal all along, and denied that this was a change in policy, even though Francesa kept on asking him about this. (Click here to see the video.) Granted, fans cannot download and print out the tickets before that 48-hour time frame unless they use the Yankees' official ticket exchange, but that really isn't a big deal for most people.

So why did Trost and the Yankees change their mind? Bob's Blitz sums it up on what has happened since Trost's February pronouncement:

A little over a month later fans have been bombarded with Yankee ads for season and single tickets. Banners, radio, TV. 24/7 -- why? Because they can't sell anywhere near the amount of tickets they forecasted internally. And the one way to, they hope, increase the worst sales they've seen in over a decade? Allow StubHub users to print tickets during a window of 48-3 hours before game time.

You know, sorta like a partnership.

Oh, and then lie about the 02/12/13 conversation to Mike Francesa to cover up the change of course due to the poor sales.

Yep. I've noticed the Yankee internet banner ads everywhere. I have also noticed that there are plenty of tickets available, even for opponents like the Red Sox and Mets, on Yankees.com, and that discount sites like Goldstar.com are offering half-priced tickets for the Yankees.

And don't forget that if tickets are not sold on secondary markets, or if would-be season ticket holders won't buy tickets because they are afraid they won't be able to resell them in those markets, that this means those seats will be empty. This not only looks bad on TV, but it means fewer sales at the concession and souvenir stands. So after all the smearing we heard from the Yankeeland front office this winter, insinuating that StubHub was the reason for everything bad facing the Yankees, now the team has caved on letting them sell those tickets.

I have to wonder when anybody in Yankeeland will ever face any accountability for making such bad decisions. Picking a fight with StubHub, who is an official partner of MLB, never seemed to make any sense. Yet the front office has spent more time on that this winter than with coming up with a coherent plan for this team's future. And the NYC sports media doesn't seem to notice -- or care. Shocking.

The Rain, the Park, and Other Things (Yes, I'm Making a Cowsills Reference!)

I was driving home last night, getting ready to cross the Bayonne Bridge, when I saw a slew of scary-looking clouds in the sky. But WFAN know-it-all Mike Francesa insisted that it was a beautiful night, with a 72 degree temperature and not a cloud in the sky. So much for Mike's weather report. And so much for MLB's weather report.

Not only does the rainout change everything, especially with putting A.J. Burnett in the mix, (and CC had better be pitching tomorrow!) but it also inconvenienced a lot of Yankee fans, including our radio host friend Larry (The Amigo) Milian and his New York Sports Report co-host, Philly "Dizz" Domanic. They flew up from South Florida to see Friday's game, only to see just an inning and a half. Yikes!

To top it all off, the news that Friday's came was being postponed was presented by Joe Torre. You can imagine how thrilled I was to see him, especially after reflecting on the way he mismanaged the Yanks the last time the team faced Detroit in the postseason. Come to think of it, maybe Torre and MLB relied on Mike Francesa's weather report!

Oh, and can we please stop the "Joe Torre should be the Red Sox manager" boomlet in its tracks? Torre has a cushy job now, where he can threaten to punish the people and teams he hates (A-Rod, the Mets, etc.) under the auspices of MLB. He hasn't shown much interest in working very hard for a long time. By his own admission in "The Yankee Years," the clubhouse was hopelessly divided, not playing together as a team. And in any team he managed, he has been the oxygen thief, taking all the attention -- and the credit -- away from the front office and ownership. To top it all off, Joe has no interest in sabermetrics.

So given those facts, how would he possibly be a good fit with Boston, other than entertaining the media with his dopey stories? The press is so solipsistic, focusing on how he made their jobs easier, and not noticing that in recent years, he really didn't do much to make teams better (he would never have even made the playoffs in Los Angeles without Manny Ramirez, for one thing.)  Not to mention that Torre going to Boston would make the furor over "The Yankee Years" look like a day in the park. I should want the Sox to hire Torre, because he would make things even worse. But at any rate, the chances of that happening are about as big as Roger Clemens taking over the team.

Here's hoping that Ivan Nova does as well tonight as the Rays' rookie did against the Rangers yesterday.



What do you think? Tell us about it!

Brian Cashman sez Derek Jeter is the center fielder of the future

Brian Cashman participated in WFAN's "Breakfast With a Champion" series this morning. Mike Francesa interviewed him on a slew of topics, and social media maven -- and espnW blogger -- Amanda Rykoff tweeted the event. Because Cashman was pretty candid, some of his words are already causing a whole to-do, like his idea of one day putting Derek Jeter in center field.

Cash said, "I'd be surprised if he plays SS for all 4 years. I see him moving to OF." He later explained, "I like corner outfielders and corner infielders who have power, so for me, if he's ever gonna move, it's probably gonna be a Robin Yount situation. But we don't have to deal with it at this point. We'll deal with it when we have to."


I can't see Jeter ever being a center fielder. Yount moved off shortstop when he was 29; Jeter is already 36. And if he can't hit for average any more, there really isn't a spot for him in the Yankee lineup. Of course, Cashman can't say that, so he brought up center field, which also happens to be a glamour position in Yankeeland. What else is he going to say? After all, even though the captain did say last month he was in the "middle" of his career, he really isn't.

I really don't have a problem with what Cash said about Jeter at the breakfast. What does irk me a little is the way he tried to backtrack from his comments, as Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports:

Cashman said that he answered the fan's question in that fashion because it was not in a formal setting.


"This was not a press conference where we are talking about something that may never happen," Cashman said.

Please. He's speaking in public, at an event where hundreds of fans paid to attend, and where the top radio figure in New York hosted. How could Cashman not think what he said would not get out? And what difference does it make what the setting was? If you're the GM of the biggest team in baseball, you pretty much have to assume that everything you say can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion. Heck, I'm careful with what I say on Facebook and Twitter for that reason, and I'm nobody!

I also thought it was interesting that when Cashman asked who the best Yankee he's ever seen, he said it was Mariano Rivera, and not Jeter. (That's my answer, too, so I don't exactly disagree with that assessment -- I just think it's interesting that he didn't say Jeter.)

There were apparently a few other candid Cashman comments:

* He finally acknowledged that Joba Chamberlain hasn't been the same pitcher since he was injured in Texas in 2008 when he was a starter. (Which begs the question, why was there the whole "competition" between Hughes and Chamberlain last spring training for the starting spot?)

* When asked who was better, right now, Yankees or Red Sox, he said the Red Sox, but that the Yankees had a better bullpen. No thanks to him, though!

* Cashman said this about A.J. Burnett: "He knows he has a problem and he's doing all he can to fix it." That's a very strange way to describe the Burnett situation, unless he's getting at something else!

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Mike Francesa doesn't have Mad Dog, but he does bring dopey hot stove talk ideas

I put on the Mike Francesa Show this afternoon on WFAN, hoping against hope that he would invite his old partner Chris (Mad Dog) Russo on the air to discuss the San Francisco Giants making it to the World Series. I didn't hear him do that, but I did hear two of the most ridiculous hot stove ideas I've heard this year.

First was his wondering if the Yanks should get rid of Nick Swisher, because he wasn't good two years in a row in the postseason. Never mind that he had the best season of his career in 2010: a .288/.355/.511 line with 29 homers and 89 RBI and making the All-Star Team. Never mind that he was paid just $6.5 million for 2010. Never mind that he had an injured right knee towards the end of the year. Never mind that he fits in terrifically in New York, something that's hard for many to do. According to Francesa, the Yanks ought to cut ties with Swisher and go after somebody like Jayson Werth. Good grief.

The second was Francesa's obsession with the Yankees getting younger on the left side of the infield, as if that's what cost them the pennant. So his idea is that the Yanks get a new, young shortstop in 2011, should move Derek Jeter to third base, and A-Rod to DH. Hey, maybe the Yankees also should trade for that kid Elvis Andrus while they're at it! Francesa also thinks the Yanks should pay Jeter at least $20 million a year in the new contract.

There are many flaws with Francesa's idea:

1) Jeter's defense at shortstop is not the biggest issue with him right now -- the fact he's batting at the top of the lineup with the second lowest OBP on the team, and showed a huge decline at bat this season, is more of a concern,

2) Jeter's numbers, while excellent for a shortstop even in an off year, aren't what you want from your third baseman. That spot is a power position, not for somebody who hit 10 homers last year,

3) Where does Jorge Posada go, if he can't DH? If there's any Yankee that needs to be a DH in 2011, it's him, given that he's still signed for next year and can't really catch anymore,

4) Why should A-Rod have to switch positions again for Jeter? And why would he? It's not like anybody ever gave him credit for switching over to third at the first place!

5) How do we know Jeter will be any good at third base? Or at left field, Francesa's other suggestion?

6) How do we know Jeter would ever move from shortstop? Has he shown any inclination to do? The answer is no so far.

This is why I miss the Mad Dog. Chris Russo would actually challenge Francesa on this over-the-top idea!

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Please reunite Mike and the Mad Dog -- if only for one day

If WFAN is smart, they'll have Mike Francesa do part of his show today with his old partner Chris Russo, and get the Mike and the Mad Dog band back together. Because hearing the Mad Dog celebrate his beloved San Francisco Giants making it to the World Series, while Francesa pontificates about the failure of the Yankees to do the same, would be radio gold.

I'm not the only one thinking this way -- I saw lots of fans express similar sentiments Saturday night. After all, New York radio listeners heard Chris squawk about his Giants for the last 20 years; he's arguably the most famous San Francisco Giants fan in New York! And given that most fans in the tri-state area don't have Sirius/XM Radio, they're not going to get to hear what the Mad Dog has to say about his team.

I do have XM in the car, but I don't want to have to go for a ride this afternoon just to hear Chris' infectious laugh! I'd love to hear his whole excited "good afternoon everybody" thing on local radio here, and I think many fans agree.

After Mike and the Mad Dog broke up their partnership two years ago, neither has been the same. And when they did reunite for one show last year, during the 2009 playoffs, it reminded me of how much better they were together than apart.

Let's hope WFAN gives Mad Dog a call to have him on this afternoon's show. It would be must-listen radio!

* * *

Speaking of which, I will also make sure to listen to Michael Kay's explanation this afternoon about how the Texas Rangers were able to win the ALCS, when he declared the series "over" after Game 1! Hope some listeners give him grief.

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Mike Francesa thinks Derek Jeter could be named player-manager of the Yankees one day

There was a whole to-do in the blogosphere Friday after WFAN's Mike Francesa suggested on the air that whenever Girardi goes, he wouldn't be shocked if Derek Jeter became a player-manager. What?

I stand by my contention that making superstars managers is generally a bad idea. And making Yankee icons Yankee managers is an even worse idea. I was against it with Mattingly, and I would be against it with Jeter or any of the other Yankee stars. Especially with an icon like Jeter. You think it will be tough one day to move him out of the shortsop in a few years? Imagine the grief the Yankees would get for firing the captain!

At any rate, has Jeter even shown any desire or inkling to want to be a manager?  He's a Hall of Fame player, but by his own admission, he never watches any baseball games he's not in. How would that work for a manager? I don't see it.

What do you think? Tell us about it!