Alex Rodriguez on The Huffington Post

Tony Sachs: Want a Scotch That's Been Aging Since Ike Was President? Glenfiddich Has It - But It'll Cost You

2009-12-03T09:14:56Z

There are some advantages to being a connoisseur of spirits instead of wines. You don't have to worry about your collection turning to vinegar. You don't need to keep the bottles in specialized refrigerators or musty cellars. You don't have to drink the whole bottle in one shot -- have a snifter of your favorite bourbon or rum once a month, and the last drink will taste as good as the first.

And then there's the price. You can blow a couple grand on a new bottle of Petrus, but even the most exclusive single malt Scotches won't run you more than a hundred or two, tops. Or so I thought.

As the market for super-premium spirits exploded over the last decade and change, so did the super-super-premium spirits market. Certain bourbons are now being sold for $200-300 a bottle. Jose Cuervo unleashed a $2,250 tequila last month. And those prices seem like pocket change next to the sum fetched by Macallan's vintage 1926 Scotch from its "Fine And Rare Collection." The entire (extremely limited) run, offered up to the booze-buying public in 2006, sold out -- at a mere $38,000 a bottle. But if you've simply got to try some, fear not! It's still available by the dram, last I heard, at the Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City for $3,300 a pop. And in case you're wondering, a dram is one eighth of an ounce, so be sure not to spill any.

As with most luxury goods, the super-premium spirits market took a hit from the global recession. Sales of ridiculously expensive single-malt Scotches went from double-digit year-over-year growth to flat. Which made the timing less than ideal for the debut of Glenfiddich's new 50-year-old single malt. But hey, who was to know, back in 1959 when the unaged whiskey was poured into two sherry oak casks, that the economy would be in the crapper come 2009? Nobody at Glenfiddich, that's for sure.

And besides, it's not like Glenfiddich 50 Year Old is a mass market item, anyway. A mere 50 bottles will be made available for worldwide consumption each year for the next ten years. Of this year's debut batch, exactly four bottles have been designated for the American market. Three of them will be going to hotels (the Mandarin Oriental in New York, the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, and the Peninsula in Los Angeles), where ordinary Joes can ponder the eternal question: Should I spend a month's rent on a mouthful of Eisenhower-era Scotch? The fourth bottle, which sports a suggested retail price of $16,000, will be auctioned off this Monday. The proceeds will be donated to the Friends Of Scotland charitable organization, so your conspicuous consumption can be (somewhat) guilt-free, not to mention (partially) tax deductible.

You may be wondering, what makes a 50-year-old Scotch so much better than, say, an 18-year-old (Glenfiddich sells theirs for about $50-60 a bottle)? Well, it's a lot more rare, for one thing. It's difficult to find a Scotch whisky in your local liquor store that's more than 30 years old. It's not only more expensive for the producer, but the aging process of the whisky also becomes trickier as the years go by. At some point, if the process is not managed very carefully, by people who know what the heck they're doing, you'll stop having a Scotch with delicious oaky notes, and what you'll wind up with is, essentially, a glass of wood.

So what does this stuff taste like, anyway? According to the tasting notes at Glenfiddich's website (I haven't been able to score a sample yet, so I have to go on their word), the 50 Year Old has a nose that's "beautifully harmonious with an uplifting, vibrant and harmonious aroma." The taste is "initially very sweet" but then "cascades through a wonderful series of layers," including "aromatic herbs, floral and soft fruits, silky oak tannin and hints of gentle smoke [sic]." As for the finish, it's "exceptionally long, with a touch of dry oak and the merest hint of peat." Well, they didn't cut corners on the florid prose, that's for sure.

The historic hootch is housed in a hand-numbered bottle decorated with Scottish silver, inside a "beautiful hand-stitched, leather-bound box lined with a bespoke silk [sic], with its own book outlining the whisky's history." It even comes with a lock and key, so your teenage kids won't be able to mix it with Diet Coke the next time they have a party when you're on vacation in Belize.

But no matter how sublime it tastes, and no matter how beautiful and elaborate the bottle, the main selling point of Glenfiddich 50 Year Old is this: There's only one bottle available. If you're the high bidder at next week's auction, you'll have something that Bill Gates, A-Rod and Barack Obama don't. The power! The prestige! The exclusivity! For a certain breed of big spender, the "nyah nyah nyah" factor alone is reason enough to open up the wallet. I just hope the high bidder truly enjoys Scotch, and has a generous heart (I can be reached through HuffPost if you'd like to share a snifter).

Andrew Brandt: A Tiger's Tale: Unwrapping the Reality

2009-12-03T09:11:07Z

If we weren't there already, we've reached the end of our innocence on the subject of professional athletes. The catching of the Tiger by the tail has exposed one of the last citadels of what some of us thought/hoped/believed to be a perfect role model in sports. The desensitization of athlete indiscretions is upon us.

Having been in the business of professional sports many years, I have long since become immune to the belief that our heroes are what they appear to be. Mind you, I do not have an aversion to famous athletes due to their transgressions or refuse to follow their exploits; I simply know going in that the image crafted by coteries of agents/marketers/sponsors/managers/handlers is different than reality. I was privy to seeing that up close at far lower levels of celebrity than Tiger Wood as many athletes are enticed by the same temptations and fall victim to the same indiscretions.

One of worst parts of the agent business is that many agents and manager serve as enablers to these young men, both in telling them how good they are in their sport and in being asked to look the other way or even facilitate behavior that can be disconcerting. The problem for many agents - and I do empathize with them - is that they face the prospect of being replaced by someone else if they tell the player what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.

In times like these, we are constantly reminded of the seminal Nike television commercial that opened with a tight shot of Charles Barkley saying "I am not a role model," perhaps the most illuminating statement in a commercial by an athlete ever. Barkley, who has admitted to compulsive gambling, partying and other forms of self-indulgence, was making the point that it is up to us as parents, not athletes, to instill the proper virtues and traits in our children.

Well, uh, no. The fact is that children do look up to athletes, whether we want them to or not, whether we demand that they not try be "Be Like Mike" or not. Professional athletes like Charles Barkley and Tiger Woods are role models to varying degrees to children and fans of all ages. However, if we have not learned this lesson already, those following famous athletes should do as they say, not necessarily as they do.

Michael Jordan broke the mold of the faceless athlete hidden from the general public thanks to the impeccably-named Air Jordan products from Nike that launched him into that transcendent status of an athlete known to casual and even non-fans of basketball. Jordan became a smiling billboard for whatever product he was pitching, quick to make a quip about drinking a Coke or a Gatorade, eating his Wheaties or a Big Mac, driving a Chevy, wearing Nike shoes, Hanes underwear, Oakley sunglasses, Bijan cologne, etc. Heck, he even figured out a way to drape the American flag over his Olympic uniform while standing to receive the Gold Medal, lest the world witness Air Jordan wearing a Reebok logo.

Jordan, like his close friend Tiger, surrounded himself with layers of people (I was one of those people for Jordan in the late eighties) making sure the product was suitably packaged for maximum likability and appeal.

Soon after Air Jordan came the "Image is everything" ads with Andre Agassi. With his recently released autobiography Open, we now discover that a former role model such as Agassi - someone I admired greatly when I was a competitive tennis player - was not what he appeared to be and that "Image" was more mirage than real.

The irony of Tiger mess is that while he puts his statement out not through traditional media but through his own web site, that medium - a major shift from athletes communicated in the past - is a safe and non-confrontational way to communicate, albeit frustrating to fans.

We are smack dab in a time where not only is behavior transparent but where the public craves unfiltered messages from our athletes and celebrities rather than the fabricated brand from the agents and handlers. In the age of athlete blogs, Twitter, Facebook and much more, we no longer have the tolerance for athletes' bland statements. We want more transparency and less editing, causing athletes such as Shaquille O'Neal, Chad Ochocinco, Chris Cooley, Gilbert Arenas and others to grab our attention more than the insipid offerings of Tiger and others. As said previously, we have long ago reached our end of innocence with these athletes and their cocoons.

The onion has been peeled. Two of the star players of the World Champion Yankees - Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettite - are admitted users of performance enhancing drugs. The star player of the World Champion Lakers and NBA Finals MVP - Kobe Bryant - endured a rape trial before it was dropped and settled a related civil suit. The star player of the World Champion Steelers - Ben Roethlisberger - is facing a civil suit for sexual assault. And now there is Tiger and the slow drip of his mounting infidelity.

Well, there are still Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter and Tim Tebow, I guess....

Yankees' Payroll Mocked In Faux MasterCard "Priceless" Ad (VIDEO)

2009-11-13T13:54:18Z

The Yankees may have won the world series, but they had a little help along the way. One enterprising video editor detailed the more than 201 million reasons the Yankees were able to field such a talented team by mashing up some of the team's more expensive players with the famous "Priceless" MasterCard ads. Video embedded below.

Matsui's 3 RBI's in the title clinching game: $13,000,000.00

Derek Jeter's .462 World Series batting average: $20,000,000.00

ARod's 19 hits in 15 playoff games: $32,000,000.00

Winning the World Series Championship: $201,449,189.00

There are somethings money can't buy. The World Series isn't one of them.

WATCH:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Joe Torre: Kate Hudson "Relaxing" A-Rod

2009-11-12T16:32:12Z

Kate Hudson is "relaxing" Alex Rodriguez, according to A-Rod's former manager. In an interview with "Extra," ex-Yankee skipper Joe Torre was asked if he thought Hudson, whom the Yankee third baseman began seeing earlier this year, had helped Rodriguez have a better season. "Somebody's relaxing him, that's all I can say," Torre replied with a smirk, "because he certainly looked like he enjoyed himself this year." Becoming more serious, Torre added, "I know how important baseball is to him. So whatever the reason, it seems to be working."

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Len Berman: Top 5 Sports Stories

2009-11-12T12:35:47Z

Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 12, 2009 from
www.ThatsSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

Mike Tyson was arrested in L.A. after an airport scuffle with a
celebrity photographer. The photog was also arrested.

LeBron James says he is through talking about free agency until
after the season. He says free agent talk is getting "old." Not to
Knick fans who have nothing else to hang on to.

Thursday night NFL football has arrived. The 49ers host the Bears
tonight.

You too can buy Joe Montana's 500-acre estate for a "49er." As in
$49-million. It's so big in stretches into 2 California counties,
Sonoma and Napa.

According to the New York Daily News Kate Hudson is pushing A-Rod to
elope, but the big guy ain't ready.

2. Silly Season

The late great Betty Furness once told me there are two seasons.
Baseball and Christmas. Breaking it down even further, the baseball
season has two parts, A. In season games. B. Off season games. Part B
is underway. B as in Boras. Super agent Scott Boras is already beating
the drums why his client Johnny Damon deserves a big fat multi-year
contract despite the fact he is really a limited player. To hear Boras
talk, if it weren't for Damon batting second, Jeter batting first
wouldn't have thrived so well. Before Boras is done, Damon will have
cured swine flu.

3. Not so Big Mac

The St. Louis Cardinals may have a new hitting coach. What they still
don't have is a news conference to introduce Mark McGwire. That wasn't
always the case. I was in Jupiter in February of 1999 when McGwire
took his first cuts of the spring. He had set the world on fire with
his home run heroics the previous season. His ensuing news conference
was the most attended spring training news conference ever, until Alex
Rodriguez and steroids came along. McGwire's introduction to the media
this year will be an event. His last public utterances, before
Congress, were that he only wanted to talk about the future. McGwire
can't escape his past. And until he addresses it, he will have no
future.

4. Yeah, but

You had to love Jim Boeheim's reaction to winning his 800th game as
Syracuse basketball coach. "I guess there's a 'wow' factor, winning
800. But then, it's not like playing golf with Tiger Woods. I mean,
that's a real 'wow' factor.''

Boeheim knows something about golf. He's an outstanding golfer.
Doesn't look like an athlete eh? The very first game I ever announced
in 1965, Boeheim played in that game. He was a heck of a scrappy/heady
player.

800 and a national championship?
All I can say is "wow."

5. Golfing Mayhem

In Athens Georgia, two golfers were playing the 14th hole when
another twosome came up and started a fight. One golfer got punched in
the eye and was treated at the hospital. This has touched off a heated
debate on an Athens newspaper website. The consensus is the problem
must have been slow play. One guy ranted "If you slow play you deserve
to get your butt kicked." Someone countered "Very sensible. Oh, and if
someone cuts you off in traffic, be sure to shoot them dead, because
that's obviously the right way to handle the situation."
I love this game!

Happy Birthday: The first perfect 10! (And featured in my new kids
book "The Greatest Moments in Sports)," Olympic gymnast Nadia
Comaneci. 48.

Bonus Birthday: The figure skater best known for orchestrating an
attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan (and not featured in my new kids book
"The Greatest Moments in Sports"), Tonya Harding. 39.

Today in Sports: Mets pitcher Tom Seaver wins his third and final Cy
Young Award. 1975.

Bonus Event: That man on the flying trapeze. For the first time Jules
Leotard performed his act. Yup, that's why they call it a leotard!
(How educational is this?) 1859.

Billy Altman: Canyon of Haircuts

2009-11-11T22:57:35Z

Let's say right at the outset that we do understand that, as far as the 2009 baseball season goes, it really is all over but the shouting -- or at least it will be as soon as someone tells Jay-Z to er, Zip it, Zip It good. Which admittedly, may not happen any time soon, seeing as how the rapper's "Empire State of Mind" became the unofficial proverbial anthem of this year's Yankee team, and even made it to City Hall last Friday as part of the festivities celebrating the Yanks' four games to two victory over the Phillies in the World Series.

Of course, just how long "Empire State of Mind" (can Billy Joel sue for partial copyright infringement?) stays in the collective consciousness of Yankee fans may depend on just how fast they want to stop enjoying the accomplishments of this year's club and start worrying about next year's squad -- a state commonly referred to in Yankee circles as repeatitis, or George's Disease.

Frankly, we were hoping that, having not hoisted an MLB championship flag since 2000, the Yankees might look at this year's success with at least a modicum of humility. But no sooner were the keys to the city being readied for distribution to all the Bronx Bombers by New York's own little bundle of hubris himself, Mayor Mike Bloomberg, then Yankees manager Joe Girardi was relaying the gist of his conversation earlier in the day with Ole' King Steinbrenner. The Boss apparently wanted Joe to relay his thoughts that, "[T]he only thing greater than this year's celebration is doing this two years in a row," and to be sure to remind everyone that it was only 96 days until pitchers and catchers were due to report for spring training. What a (baseball) card!

Speaking of cards, while we all try and imagine just what uniform newly declared free agents Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui will be wearing on their respective Topps come next season -- it's unlikely the Yankees will re-sign both of them, and since Matsui really can't do anything but DH anymore, it's unlikely he and his Series MVP Award will still be in New York in 2010 (hey, it's business; nothing personal) -- I do want to take this opportunity to salute Nick Swisher for not only helping the 2009 New York Yankees seem just a trifle more human than usual, but also for his haircut, which is, as they say, in a league all by itself. The Swish certainly was the most interesting looking Yankee at the parade last week, far cooler in his own goofy way than either Alex Rodriguez or AJ Burnett in their identical pork pie hats (honestly, did Jay-Z give them a two-for-one deal? And while I'm here, are you as uncomfortable as I am with the whole idea of AJ Burnett possessing a key to New York City?)

Anyway, Swisher's haircut is truly, as George Jessel used to say, something to conjure with. It's not quite a Mohawk -- not high enough in the middle -- and it's not quite a skunk; too much growth on the sides. It's more like a hybrid of the two. Let's call it a Mohunk. Wait a minute, isn't that the name of an Empire State resort up in the Catskills? Can you say endorsement deal? Just remember where to send the finder's fee, Nick.

Suzette Standring: A-Rod, Men and Other Mythical Beasts

2009-11-11T16:32:11Z

Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees is a mythical beast. At least he thinks so. The champion third baseman has a painting of himself as a centaur hanging in his bedroom, according to a tattletale ex-fling. Thanks to Twitter-mania, a curiosity among kids has been sparked in Greek mythology. (The American education system will move forward one way or another.)

Historically the half man, half horse creature was a symbol of barbarism but now the centaur represents unbridled passion or an untamed nature. That is such a guy spin on things. (Sometimes I think testosterone should be a controlled substance.)

Now that the Yankees have won the World Series, it would make sense for A-Rod to have himself portrayed as Pegasus, the winged horse, carrying all to victory. His dining room probably has a bare wall or two. Imagine the phone call, A-Rod to artist, "I'll pay you double if you can finish and deliver it by Thanksgiving."

But if the Yankees had lost, he'd be the goat (or more likely Kate Hudson, his "lucky charm" would be). Now who is the goat man in Greek mythology? Well, a half man, half goat creature is a satyr. Wait a minute, satyrs symbolize lust and are often depicted at the ready with a permanent...flute.

I can hear A-Rod now, "Snap! Call my painter!"

But he's not alone in such imaginings. The revelation of his self-as-centaur paintings will no doubt spawn copycats on a national level. Everyone loves a fresh idea and now in the minds of men they, too, can be portrayed as symbolically powerful.

If more men had A-Rod's money ($28 million a year for ten years) there'd be all manner of mythical portraits hanging on suburban walls. As it is the Average Joe will have to be content with Photoshop or clip art. Expect to see male family members as centaurs pulling Santa's sleigh on holiday cards this season. Jingle all the way, boys.

Now here are some ideas of fanciful portraits for men we all recognize:

For the bull-headed and hard charging man, the Minotaur sports the face of a take-no-prisoner negotiator - agents, lawyers, S.W.A.T officers or anyone who works for the phone company.

For the man of singular vision, Cyclops is just the creature. This could include politicians up for reelection, radio talk show hosts or anyone stumping for creationism in the school curriculum.

The man who beats a smoking habit is the Phoenix. Transfer his smiling visage onto the sacred firebird rising from the ash(tray).

For the now-you-see-me, now-you-don't man, he is the Loch Ness Monster, gliding through the waters of life, submerging just when you're sure you had him in your sights.

The list of mythical beasts is rich with possibilities, yet sadly few could ever aspire to live up to a self-portrait of the Gryphon.

That's a creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. Legend says that a Gryphon was about truth and pure intentions.

Maybe A-Rod had one of those in another room. Can't you just see him, all sharply eagle-eyed in profile? But the Gryphon is gone. Maybe it's in his attic somewhere after that whole Madonna thing. The cheating was bad enough. But his feigned interest in the Kabbalah? Please. You'd have to be a unicorn to be that naïve.

Contact Suzette Martinez Standring: suzmar@comcast.net She is the award winning author of The Art of Column Writing: Insider Secrets from Art Buchwald, Dave Barry, Arianna Huffington, Pete Hamill and Other Great Columnists. Visit www.readsuzette.com

Martin Nolan: Yankee-Hating Is Sooo 20th Century

2009-11-05T18:37:20Z

Pinstripe paranoia, a seasonal ailment, has plagued many of us since 1949, when Joe Page, predecessor of the peerless Panamanian, Mariano Rivera, was a prime reliever. When Page opened the bullpen gate at Fenway Park, we knew that Red Sox bats would soon turn into sawdust and that winter would soon arrive. Throughout the 1950s and much of the 1960s, pinstripe paranoia persisted into that stunner of the 1978 season when Bucky Bleepin' Dent, with a zephyr-wafted popup, administered a tracheotomy to the soul of New England.

Then, in 2004, came deliverance, along with reduction of sorrow and a fresh perspective. From that perspective, it's been a tough century for Yankee fans. Nine years without a championship may be a blinking of the eye on the North Side of Chicago, but the anxiety and distress of sure-thing, front-running big spenders has been profound.

Congratulations are in order, therefore, to all in the Bronx tabernacle. First to George Steinbrenner, who built the dynasty. Congrats to his sons Hal and Hank, who have learned an important corporate secret. They have exercised their First Amendment right to be quiet.

The onomatopoetically named general manager of the Yankees is Brian Cashman. He does more than drive a Brinks' truck. In the upper reaches of baseball, tens of millions of dollars and multi-year contracts are now commonplace. The pinstripe package is richer and longer, but the core of the team is homegrown, not hired-gun.

The manager, Joe Girardi, arrived at spring training and painted a target on his back. He asked for the number 27, signifying his intent to repeat the feat of 26 previous World Series winners. Politicians should be so bold and candid. Early in the season, his pitching rotation was in disarray and his biggest star was disabled. He didn't ask for a different number.

As for the team itself, I consult my own springtime prediction, based on age. I was sure the pennant would fly elsewhere, maybe not in Boston but probably Detroit or Anaheim. Like an insurance company actuary, I gazed at Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. I saw a six-pack of decrepitude ready for the front porch of the old folks' home. In the series just concluded on 161st. Street in the House That Jeter Built, I was proven wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong again.

As for the younger stars (all Yankees this year are stars), Cashman acquired two top pitchers who delivered and a big first baseman who flourished during the season but like his Phillies counterpart was MIA in the World Series.

Alex Rodriguez has learned a fact of life in New York: those whom the tabloids make mad they first baptize A-God. So finally, his postseason has entered that charmed circle where the rubric of Roger Angell rules: They Are What They Do. We can admire A-Rod's accomplishments, but we don't have to worry about him. That's Goldie Hawn's job.

When Matsui, the essence of class, stepped in against Pedro Martinez, I should have known. I should have consulted my autographed icon from the days when Joe Page was exterminating Red Sox hopes.

In that season, my mother informed me that her cousin now worked for the Yankees and I could have an autographed picture of any Yankee. A dubious honor, but I could not refuse. I did not choose future Cooperstown idols Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio or Johnny Mize. I wanted a portrait of Tommy Henrich, known in Yankee lore as "Old Reliable." If he's called that, it must be because he's lucky, right? Twisted logic, wrong then and wrong now. Tommy Henrich showed up the other night as Hideki Matsui. Pinstripe paranoia often can't tell the difference between luck and skill.

Joshua Neuman: Alex Rodriguez: The Power of Redemption or the Power of Something Else?

2009-11-05T15:54:41Z

As a kid, I always found it funny when Yankee Stadium was referred to as "the house that Ruth built." The phrase owed its origins to 1923, the year that the stadium opened and when their star slugger Babe Ruth led the team to a world championship. But Ruth was also my grandmother's name and so it became a longstanding joke between she and I every time I told her I was headed uptown to watch the Yankees play at her ballpark.

This morning, the day after the Yankees won their 27th World Series, I decided that I will forever refer to the new Yankee Stadium as "the house that Kate built."

I came up with this after spending a couple of hours in front of the television last night and a few this morning eagerly reading post-World Series analysis. In explaining the Yankee victory, the narratives that sports journalists seem to most frequently circle around were 1) the absence of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, 2) the core four of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettite and Jorge Posada, and of course, 3) the Alex Rodriguez redemption story. Kevin Kernan captured the widely circulated story of Rodriguez's transformation from "pariah to messiah" in the New York Post: "In the end it wasn't about homeruns, Madonna or Kate Hudson or anything else. It was about trust. Along the way, Alex Rodriguez learned to trust himself on and off the field, and that made all the difference."

As the mythology goes, Alex Rodriguez's February confession that he tested positive for steroid use in 2003 set him free, forcing him to confront a persistent mistrust he had long held towards himself (and his teammates). Once liberated, his natural ability was able to flourish in high pressure situations like never before. The redemption narrative picked up steam the past month and so it wasn't surprising when, immediately following yesterday's Yankee victory, he was asked time and time again about the confession, the emotional burden it had long been exacting upon him and the demons he banished upon coming clean.

But do the facts confirm the redemption narrative or do they point to something else? Rodriguez returned from hip surgery on May 9 of this year and dramatically homered on the first pitch he saw in Baltimore, but back in April most observers weren't thinking of this season as a "new beginning" for the much-maligned superstar. And even after that first at bat in Baltimore, Rodriguez struggled to return to form. This was compounded by off-the-field distractions, namely, the miring of his image by the impending publication of Selena Roberts' unauthorized biography, A-Rod. Though he had confessed months earlier, in early May of this year's baseball season, the star had not been set free and Yankee fans continued to debate, as they have for the past few years, if the team might even be better without him.

By my estimation, the turning point of Rodriguez's year (and of his career) didn't just happen with his steroid confession. As a lifelong Yankee fan, I sensed the A-wakening showing its first signs roughly around May 19 or so, coinciding right around the time that gossip columns reported Rodriguez canoodling with Kate Hudson. Soon after, Rodriguez really hit his stride and the rest of the team seemed to respond as a result. After Hudson and Rodriguez shared their first public smooch at Yankee Stadium on July 26, the team went on to win 55 games and lose only 25 -- it was as if their collective fate was sealed with that kiss.

But the story doesn't end there, the more hot-and-heavy the couple got, the more Rodriguez's production at the plate soared. On September 2, In Touch reported that Alex and Kate were shacking up together, a month in which Rodriguez would go on to bat over .350. In October, friends of Hudson told Us Weekly that Kate (bringing new meaning to the nickname "A-Rod") couldn't keep quiet about all the great sex that she and the slugger had been having. Was it mere coincidence that Rodriguez would arguably have a better October than had ever been had by Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson? For the postseason, Rodriguez finished at .365 with six home runs and a franchise-record 18 RBIs, 8 of which tied or gave the Yankees the lead.

My point isn't that the steroids drama didn't impact Rodriguez's remarkable journey this year, but that sports journalists have delved into every aspect of Rodriguez's private life to provide context for his success this past season but for some reason have shied away from the elephant in the room. It might sound more like the stuff of the bar room than the newsroom, but the facts seem to warrant the question I'd like to ask: Is A-Rod's story about the power of redemption or is it about the power of the pussy?

Len Berman: Top 5 Sports Stories

2009-11-05T12:23:25Z

Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 5, 2009 from
www.LenBermanSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

Cue the parade (tomorrow). The Yankees win their 27th world
championship beating the Phillies in 6 games, 7-3.

Hideki Matsui, who drove in 6 runs last night, becomes the first
Japanese born player to win the World Series MVP award. Not a bad
season. It began with the Japanese winning the World Baseball Classic.

Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy got released from jail
after serving most of his 15 month sentence for taking bribes from
gamblers in return for inside tips

2. By George

The only sadness last night for Yankee fans was that George
Steinbrenner wasn't there. Love him or hate him, he's the one who made
all this possible. Without George's ownership there wouldn't be 11
pennants and 7 championships since he took over, or a new Yankee
Stadium. It's easy to say the Yankees bought a title, but the
landscape is littered with teams, including the Yankees, who spent
tens of millions and came up empty. As for all those Yankee fans who
wanted to string up manager Joe Girardi for only using 3 starting
pitchers, those same fans are crowing today "told ya' they'd win!"
Although it didn't have the feel of a World Series game last night.
The umps didn't blow any calls. And who would have thought that a
season that began with Alex Rodriguez holding a steroid news
conference, would end with A-Rod holding his first championship
trophy. Only in New York.

3. Celebrate Good Times, Come on!

Subscriber R.B. has a simple question. Will the Yankees celebrate
their championship with a parade up lower Broadway or a sail on the
Hudson?

4. Award Season

And this year's Plaxie goes to Dodger pitcher Vicente Padilla.
Stealing a page from Plaxico Burress, Padilla accidentally shot
himself in the leg while hunting in Nicaragua. Reports are sketchy. He
might be OK, it might not have happened hunting, and it might have
been someone else who shot him. If somebody else did the shooting,
he'll be asked to forfeit his Plaxie, and the runner-up will assume
all the rights and responsibilities.

5. And Now This Word...

The Colbert Report on Comedy Central is sponsoring the U.S. Olympic
speedskating team. Not to be outdone the U.S. fencing team will be
sponsored by reruns of Zorro. The equestrian team by Mr. Ed. I've got
millions of 'em.

Happy Birthday (Talk about a party): Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon.
36.

Bonus Birthday: She won an academy award when she was 10 years old.
The former Mrs. John McEnroe. Tatum O'Neal. 46.

Today in Sports: Quite a day for former Mets Manager Davey Johnson.
He quits as Manager of the Baltimore Orioles and within hours he's
voted Manager of the Year. 1997.

Bonus Event: Another Johnson, Walter, was one of the greatest
pitchers of all time. But when he ran for Congress from Maryland, he
posted an "L." 1940.

Tony Sachs: Yankees Win! But Now What's A Fan To Do?

2009-11-05T12:18:15Z

The Yankees' eyes are still red from last night's champagne shower. My own eyes are bloodshot from staying up till the wee hours watching all the postgame wrap-ups. The victory parade has been scheduled. The "World Champions"-festooned merchandise is being hawked.

So what do I do now?

I'm a lifelong Yankee fan, a booster of the most successful franchise in baseball history. But over the last decade or so I've become steadily less enamored of the postseason. It's not because of the Yanks' notable October failures in recent seasons, and it's not because we've won so often (10 AL pennants and seven World Series titles since I started following them as a wee lad in '77) that I've become jaded. It's that, win or lose, once the playoffs are over, whether you're popping the bubbly or doing the thousand-yard stare in the opposing dugout, there's no more baseball.

Baseball isn't like football, the blessed once-a-week event that fans spend six days preparing for. Baseball's a 162-game grind, not counting the spring training and postseason games. Whereas football games are like having special guests over to the house for whom you have to buy food and drink and clean up the TV room, baseball games are like having your buds come over to hang out for a couple of hours. For seven or eight months a year, your favorite team is in your living room, becoming a reliable, regular part of your day-to-day existence.

I got nothing to do tonight -- guess I'll hang out at home and watch the Yanks. It's pouring out -- why don't we order some takeout and check out the ballgame? They're playing in Tampa tonight, it's not raining there. Yeah, I know I have a work deadline to meet, but Andy's pitching a gem and I got sucked in. It's the 8th inning, it'll be over soon. Which restaurant are we going to? Do they have a TV at the bar? It's Yanks-Sox tonight, the rubber game. (Special thanks to my baseball widow wife, whose good humor and stoicism rarely fail her when I say such things.)

If you're a non-fan, you're probably ready to implore me to get a life. Well, that's the great thing about baseball -- you can have a life, at least during the regular season. You get 162 chances to see your team in action, so missing a couple of games every now and then for the sake of being a normal, functioning human being is no big deal. Unless the Yanks are playing the Red Sox. But that's another story.

For me, and I'd guess for lots of baseball junkies as well, the focus of our ardor isn't the last game of the year. It's all the games that lead up to it. In a weird way, I love those barely-relevant series in May against mediocre teams as much as I love the tautness of a tight playoff match-up in October. Those are the games when the real fans, the armchair managers who analyze stats and plot strategy year-round, have the game pretty much to themselves. A time of year when affordable tickets to Yankee Stadium can, believe it or not, be had relatively easily.

And I love how each regular season game, no matter how awesome or awful, is but a tiny piece in the large mosaic that comprises a baseball season. If the Jets blow a game to the Bills, that's more than 5% of your schedule right there, and you get a week to agonize about what went wrong. If the Yankees lose two out of three to the godawful Washington Nationals -- as they did earlier this season -- who cares? There's another series coming up, a chance to make things right, an opportunity for slumping players to get hot and guys on a roll to stay hot. You can't dwell on yesterday too long, win or lose, for tomorrow's game is about to smack you in the face.

But when the World Series ends, no matter how your team did, everyone goes home and we're left to face winter alone. Or worse yet, with the Knicks.

So now that the ride is over, even though this year it's my team holding the Championship trophy and going "WOOOOOO!", I feel a little lost. For the next 3 1/2 months, I'll have no Jeter, no Mariano, no A-Rod. No Nick Swisher, no Damaso Marte, no Phil Coke or Jose Molina or Brett Gardner. And for that matter, no Michael Kay barking, "Track -- wall -- SEE YA!" No Ken Singleton reminiscing about his playing days with the Orioles. No Bob Lorenz saying, "Good to have you back with us on the Yankees Postgame Report." No John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman to make me appreciate how rarely I have to listen to games on the radio.

Where do these people go 'twixt November and March?

And can I come along too?

A-Rod Wins: Alex Rodriguez Finally Gets World Series Ring

2009-11-05T00:37:51Z

NEW YORK — The final out landed in Mark Teixeira's glove, and Alex Rodriguez raised both arms in triumph before running across the infield to hug the first baseman as the rest of the New York Yankees piled on.

He had piled up money in the bank and MVP awards on his mantle. Now he has the one and only prize he's ever wanted – a World Series championship ring.

Len Berman: Top 5 Sports Stories

2009-11-03T12:22:44Z

Happy Tuesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 3, 2009 from www.LenBermanSports.com

1. Quick Hits

The Phillies stay alive by beating the Yankees in game 5 of the World Series 8-6. The Yankees lead 3 games to 2 with game 6 tomorrow night in the Bronx.

The Saints go marching in to 7-0 after beating the Atlanta Falcons last night 35-27.

The Knicks will not lose 'em all. They beat New Orleans 117-111 for their first win of the season in 4 tries.

Linebacker Brandon Spikes for # 1 Florida attempted to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey. His penalty? His coach is benching him for half a game. Thank God he didn't try to do something dirty.

2. It's Not Over Yet

There will be a game six. We haven't been able to say that in six years. And you know it's not your typical post season when Alex Rodriguez comes alive and Derek Jeter hits into a crucial 9th inning doubleplay. Last night's game ended with A-Rod standing in the on deck circle. Wouldn't you have loved to see him get a crack in the 9th? The Yanks have the edge in starting and closing pitching here on out but hey you never know. It's not a Fall "Classic" yet, but we might be getting there. All we need is a dramatic extra innings Phillies win in game six to make this a "November to Remember."

3. Dewey Defeats Truman!

Maybe I'll start doing "Headlines" kinda like Jay Leno. Subscriber Larry N. sent along the Macy's ad in yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer. It advertised Phillies T-shirts that read "Congratulations Phillies Back-to Back Champions." A little premature exhilaration, eh?

And subscriber Dianna R. liked this photo caption in the Washington Post. "Virginia's Marquis Weeks caps off his 100-yard kickoff return for the touchdown. "That was just instinct. Kind of like running from the cops," said the senior tailback. Aren't student athletes grand?

4. Star-Bury

One of the Top 5's faves was at it again last weekend. The unemployed Stephon Marbury bought a ticket in Row A for the Knicks home opener. So he sat in the front row. But that's Row AA (Spike Lee territory.) Marbury had to move to the second row, so instead he went home. Too bad. He missed the Knicks getting wasted in overtime. He would have felt right at home.

5. The Great Pumpkin.....Race

They've been doing it for years in Boulder, Colorado. The Naked Pumpkin Race. You wear a pumpkin on your head, and nothing else. But police had enough. They threatened to arrest the revelers and label them "sex offenders." (The ACLU charged it was a violation of "naked runners' rights." I somehow missed that when I studied the Constitution.) So alas, there was no race this Halloween. And to think they call the Masters Golf tournament "A tradition like no other."

Happy Birthday: Former Heavyweight Champ Larry Holmes. 60.

Bonus Birthday: Hold your ears. One of the worst National Anthem singers of all time, Roseanne Barr. 57.

Today in Sports: Wilt Chamberlain scores 72 points vs. the Lakers. Shoot, that was nothing. He had already scored 100 vs. the Knicks the previous March. (Featured in my new kids book "The Greatest Moments in Sports" due out one week from today! Order your holiday gifts now! Pretty shameless, huh?) 1962.

Bonus Event: Lisa Gherardini's husband paid some painter to do a portrait of her. You can find it at the Louvre. Some people refer to the painting as the Mona Lisa. 1507.

World Series Hotties: Who Is Your Favorite? (PHOTOS)

2009-11-02T20:56:42Z

The World Series will be won this week, but the Commissioner's Trophy isn't the only title up for grabs. And while the games are decided on the field, you can determine the ultimate World Series hottie. Vote below!

Len Berman: Top 5 Sports Stories

2009-11-02T10:55:10Z

Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 2, 2009 from
www.LenBermanSports.com

1. Quick Hits

The Yankees have taken a 3 games to 1 World Series stranglehold with a 7-4 win over the Phillies in game 4. They can wrap up their 27th World Championship tonight in Philadelphia. 7:57pm ET FOX.

Brett Favre returns to boos in Green Bay. He has the last laugh as Minnesota beat the Packers 38-26. St. Louis and Tennessee won their first games, Denver lost its first. The Giants 3 game losing streak drops them out of first place.

More trouble for Raiders coach Tom Cable. His ex-wife and a former girlfriend accuse him of violent behavior. Last August an assistant coach accused Cable of breaking his jaw. No charges were filed.

Meb Keflezighi is the first American man to win the New York City Marathon since Alberto Salazar in 1982. Keflezighi, born in Eritrea, became a U.S. citizen in 1998.

2. Game 4

Last night was the second time in sports history that a November World Series game was played the same day as the New York City Marathon. The last time, 2001, Arizona won a 7th game thriller against the Yankees in the 9th inning. Quite a different 9th inning story last night. Alex Rodriguez with the game winning RBI, as the dopiest statistic in sports reared its ugly head. All Joba Chamberlain did was blow the lead, and thus he became the winning pitcher. He was rewarded for failing. But that's immaterial as the Yankees, down to their last strike of the inning with nobody on base, scored three 9th inning runs to salt it away. Barring a monumental collapse it's high time for a parade up lower Broadway.

3. A Celebration of Mediocrity

I received an email from a Top 5 subscriber who went to yesterday's Jets/Dolphins game. He, as I, despise the throwback jerseys which they wore again yesterday. Subscriber Russell S. writes: "They are ugly, but it's more than that. I'm 46. They've pretty much been crappy or mediocre my whole life except for one year. I wish they'd just stop celebrating it and move on. Today it's Winston Hill Day at the Meadowlands. How is that different from Horace Clark Day? Enough already. It's supposed to be different this season. Not the same Jets."

Another tough loss yesterday to Miami ... same old, same old.

4. Marathon Men

Here's the stunning part about the New York City Marathon: not that an American won, but that American runners dominated the field. Six of the top 10 finishers were American. In fact of the top 32 finishers, only 12 weren't from the U.S. What's going on here? Conventional wisdom had the African runners so dominant because the prize money represents a small fortune back home. But what's the American's motivation? Maybe economics makes it easier for them to compete in New York. But the results seem to indicate a resurgence in American
marathoning. Who would have thunk it?

5. Upon Further Review

Is he the "Lightning-Rod" or what? Alex Rodriguez, in addition to last night's huge hit, was involved in the first ever use of instant replay in World Series history on Saturday. He was also involved in the first ever regular season use. Both times homers were confirmed. Then there's an ex-girlfriend who claimed he had two portraits of himself over his bed. He was portrayed as half-man, half-horse. Or as the New York Post daintily headlined, "A-Rod Art Hung Like a Horse." Or, just call him Neigh-Rod.

Happy Birthday: Eight time tennis grand slam champion Ken Rosewall. 75.
Bonus Birthday: And for all you history buffs, Daniel Boone was born on this date in 1734. (I was more of a Davy Crockett fan myself.)

Today in Sports: With chants of "Ed-die Ed-die" ringing through Madison Square Garden, former Rangers goaltender Eddie Giacomin returns as a member of the Detroit Red Wings and beats the Rangers 6-4. 1975.

Bonus Event: The Spruce Goose. Howard Hughes' humongous airplane made its one and only flight, for about a minute, over Long Beach Harbor. 1947.

Graham Bensinger: Mark McGwire Needs to Tell the Truth

2009-11-02T00:46:42Z

September 8th, 1998. 8:18pm: Mark McGwire hits a line drive that carries just enough to clear the left field wall. Home Run No. 62, breaking Roger Maris' single season record.

I'll forever remember that moment. Just as I'll remember March 17th, 2005. When the disgraced ex-slugger, only a fraction of his once cartoon-like size, held back tears as he refused, sometimes incoherently, to address illegal performance enhancing drug allegations.

The man who once enjoyed stratospheric celebrity was now seemingly hoping for mercy from a public who came to realize they were entertained by an illegal drug cheat.

But it's surely more complicated than that. After all, McGwire's record was broken only three years later by Barry Bonds -- who we've since learned also used illegal performance enhancing drugs. Usage was rampant in Major League Baseball for much of a generation.

Bonds was forced out of the game. He remained a capable player, yet no team wanted the negative press he brought. Others such as Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens had to publicly address illegal performance enhancing drug allegations. Even though they both likely lied, they were forced to speak.

But not McGwire. He retired from the game just before the Steroid Era came to light. While he previously denied illegal performance enhancing drug use, those denials stopped when under penalty of perjury. He has never given an interview about the topic since.

Last Monday changes everything. The Cardinals announced McGwire will be returning to the team as hitting coach this coming season.

McGwire will no longer be able to avoid addressing "the past," as he referred to it on Capitol Hill. He will no longer be able to avoid the limelight. He'll be around the media almost every single day for at least seven months beginning in March.

The question isn't if he'll speak, it's rather what he'll say.

McGwire has one last opportunity. One final chance to do what's right. To regain the public's respect. To tell the truth.

Even if we already know the truth, McGwire has never admitted it.

Hopefully that changes. But history tells us, that's unlikely.

Graham Bensinger is a sports reporter and radio talk show host. His website is www.GrahamBensinger.com. Email Graham at: Graham@TheGBShow.com.

World Series Game 4: Yankees Beat Phillies 7-4

2009-11-02T00:02:49Z

(AP)

PHILADELPHIA - Alex Rodriguez waited all game long for this hit. Heck, he waited his whole life. Rodriguez delivered the biggest hit of his career, a go-ahead, two-out double in the ninth inning off Brad Lidge and the New York Yankees took advantage of Johnny Damon's daring dash to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 on Sunday night for a 3-1 lead in the World Series.

Derek Jeter came through again and Mariano Rivera finished it off as the Yankees moved within one win of that elusive 27th championship and first since 2000.

Rodriguez could really savor this victory -- seething after again being hit by a pitch, he struck back with his potent black bat.

"There's no question -- I've never had a bigger hit," Rodriguez said.

The Yankees will try to close out the defending champions Monday night when A.J. Burnett faces October ace Cliff Lee.

Of the 42 teams to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series, 36 went on to win the crown. The last club to overcome such a deficit was Kansas City in 1985.

Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz hit late home runs for the Phillies that tied it at 4. Then it moved to the ninth and Phils brought in Lidge -- a postseason star last year, he had struggled all season before regaining his touch this October.

But November was not so kind to him.

Lidge had been the only closer in the playoffs who hadn't allowed a run until the Yankees tagged him. With two outs, Damon capped a nine-pitch at-bat with a single. The Phillies overshifted their infield to the right side for Mark Teixeira and Damon took off.

Damon beat the one-hop throw to steal second, popped up from his slide and noticed no one was covering third. That's because Feliz had handled the throw, and Damon easily beat the third baseman to the bag for a rare double-steal -- fact is, who'd ever seen it?

Rattled or whatever, Lidge hit Teixeira with a pitch. So up stepped Rodriguez, 1 for 13 to that point in his first World Series and looking nothing like the feared slugger he was earlier in these playoffs.

Putting all his prominent failures behind, Rodriguez lined a solid double into the left-field corner for a 5-4 lead. The three-time AL MVP connected so solidly, the sound echoed throughout Citizens Bank Park. Maybe it wasn't such a surprise -- Rodriguez had homered and doubled in three prior at-bats against Lidge.

"I get a good pitch and put a good swing on it, good things usually happen," Rodriguez said. "Facing Brad Lidge, he's a great competitor. He's had a lot of success late here. Just trying to make contact there."

Rodriguez stood at second with his 15th RBI, tying the Yankees postseason record shared by Bernie Williams and Scott Brosius. A-Rod's other hit this week came in Game 3 when his double was changed to a home run after an instant replay review.

The crowd was silent when Jorge Posada followed with a two-run single. Then it was Rivera's turn and he quickly got three outs for his 11th World Series save. Chamberlain was the winner in his second Series appearance.

Just like that, the Yankees were 27 outs from their record 27th title and the Phillies were on the brink of getting eliminated. Philadelphia faces a daunting task; New York lost three in a row only twice after the All-Star break.

"I think we take a lot of pride on being resilient and the way we bounce back," Phils manager Charlie Manuel said. "I've seen us go through it before. We've blown 22 games from the seventh inning on or something this year. That's got to tell you something about the resilience of our team."

The Yankees' late burst hushed fans who had been festive from the start. Many of them had walked across the street after watching the Philadelphia Eagles rout the New York Giants 40-17.

Feliz rocked Yankees setup man Joba Chamberlain with a two-out, solo home run in the eighth that tied it at 4.

Utley homered again off CC Sabathia, finishing the New York starter in the seventh. It was Utley's third shot off Sabathia in this Series and closed the Phillies to 4-3.

Down all evening, the Phillies kept scrapping. They eventually drew even on the home runs, a common sight at a park where the ball really flies.

Jeter put the Yankees ahead from the get-go, leading off the game with a single and scoring in a two-run first. The inning also included plate umpire Mike Everitt warning both teams after Rodriguez was hit by a pitch for the third time in two days.

Howard barreled home to tie at 2 in the fourth. The big Phillies slugger braced for a collision with Posada and got a piece of the New York catcher -- replays, however, appeared to show Howard never touched the plate, yet another missed call in a shaky postseason for umpires.

Jeter and Damon hit RBI singles in the fifth off Joe Blanton and the crowd grew quiet as Sabathia, working hard on three days' rest, kept working out of trouble in the middle innings.

Then Utley rang the big Liberty Bell in center field with his home run. And after Chamberlain struck out his first two batters in the eighth, Feliz gonged him with a no-doubt drive over the left-field wall.

NOTES: Yankees CF Melky Cabrera hurt his left hamstring running out a grounder to end the sixth. Brett Gardner replaced him. ... Rodriguez and Max Carey (Pittsburgh, 1925) are the only players hit by pitches three times in a Series. ... Philly native Joe Frazier did a routine with the Phillie Phanatic on the field before the sixth inning to the sounds of "Rocky."

World Series Instant Replay Call Changes Game, Helps Yankees Beat Phillies

2009-11-01T11:31:08Z

(AP) PHILADELPHIA - Guess who showed up for Halloween dressed as sluggers?

The New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez, whose double clanked off a television camera in the right-field corner and was ruled a home run in the first instant replay call in World Series history.

It changed the game.

"I think it woke our offense up a little bit," Rodriguez said after the Yankees rallied for a rain-delayed 8-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night that gave them a 2-1 Series lead.

Rodriguez and the rest of those dangerous New York bats finally broke loose to back another postseason win by Andy Pettitte.

Game 4 is Sunday night. Joe Blanton pitches against Yankees ace CC Sabathia, who goes on three days' rest for the second time this postseason.

After pitching dominated the first two games in the Bronx, the Yankees and defending champion Phillies flexed their muscles, combining for six home runs at cozy Citizens Bank Park. Jayson Werth connected twice for Philadelphia.

Rain affected the Series schedule in Philly for the second consecutive year, delaying the start by 1 hour, 20 minutes. Once they hit the field in front of their boisterous fans, the Phillies built a 3-0 lead -- but it was squandered by a struggling Cole Hamels, last year's World Series MVP.

A slumping Nick Swisher and pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui also went deep for the Bronx Bombers, while Johnny Damon hit a tiebreaking, two-run double.

"This was my first time coming to this ballpark. It just seems like you're going to have a slugfest a lot," Swisher said. "It was a great day for us."

Pettitte settled down after a shaky start and even helped himself at the plate with a tying single. His six-inning outing was enough to earn his 17th postseason win, extending his major league record.

"He closed off our left-handed hitters," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said.

Especially slugger Ryan Howard. The NL championship series MVP is 2 for 13 with nine strikeouts in the Series.

"Go home and go to sleep. I'm a simple guy," he said. "We're not going to panic by any means just because we're down in the Series."

Some fans were dressed in Phillies red, others in full costume for the second-ever World Series game on Halloween. They whipped around white rally towels, but the trick was on them -- their team got whipped when the Yankees rallied.

Carlos Ruiz homered for the Phillies in the ninth off Phil Hughes. Mariano Rivera finished up at 12:42 a.m. in a non-save situation.

"It was an absolute grind tonight, that's for sure," Pettitte said. "I can't remember winning a game where I've struggled like I did tonight. So it's very gratifying."

With the Yankees down three runs, Mark Teixeira walked in the fourth and Rodriguez hit an opposite-field drive into the right-field corner. He cruised into second base after the ball ricocheted back onto the field.

Video replays, however, showed the ball struck the lens of a television camera positioned just above the fence at the 330-foot sign. New York manager Joe Girardi came out to talk with right-field umpire Jeff Nelson as Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee visited the mound.

While Rodriguez chatted with Howard at second base, umpires huddled in the infield. Four of the six went under the stands for a look at the replay and emerged about a minute later.

The signal: home run.

Baseball adopted instant replay for boundary calls during the 2008 season and Rodriguez homered the first time it was used last year.

"It's only fitting, right?" he said.

Rodriguez's first hit in nine World Series at-bats was his sixth homer this postseason, tying Bernie Williams' club record from 1996. It also was the 17th postseason homer this year for the Yankees, setting a franchise mark.

The call seemed to give the Yankees a boost and help them break out of their Series slump -- the team that led the majors in runs (915) and homers (244) during the regular season scored only four times in the first two games at home.

"Tonight I was a lot more disciplined, and better results," Rodriguez said.

New York kept hitting in the fifth and chased Hamels. Benched in Game 2 at home, Swisher opened with a double and slid home with the tying run when Pettitte looped a one-out single to center on a first-pitch breaking ball.

It was Pettitte's third hit in 18 career postseason at-bats, second in World Series play.

Who needs a designated hitter?

The Fox broadcast caught Derek Jeter saying to plate umpire Brian Gorman: "We're going to have to listen to Pettitte now. He's been bragging about his hitting all year."

Jeter fisted a soft single and Damon cracked a two-run double to right-center for a 5-3 lead. Hamels was lifted after another walk to Teixeira and walked off the mound to a mix of boos and cheers.

The lanky left-hander, who was 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the postseason last year, fell to 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in four outings this time around.

Swisher homered off rookie J.A. Happ in the sixth and took a long look at his solo shot to left.

Werth answered leading off the bottom half with a mammoth drive off the facing of the second deck in left. After connecting, he slammed his bat to the ground and glared into the Philadelphia dugout as if to urge on his teammates.

It was Werth's seventh home run this postseason, one shy of the major league record held by Carlos Beltran (2004) and Barry Bonds (2002).

Jorge Posada's RBI single in the seventh gave New York a three-run cushion. Matsui added an opposite-field solo shot to left in the eighth, his second homer in two games.

Matsui was on the bench because World Series rules don't permit a DH in National League parks.

Pettitte fell behind 3-0 in the second. Werth reached down for a breaking ball and hit a leadoff homer to left, setting off fireworks and lighting up the Liberty Bell in right-center.

With the bases loaded, Jimmy Rollins walked to force in a run and Shane Victorino added a sacrifice fly.

Pettitte avoided further damage by striking out Chase Utley, then settled in and held Philadelphia in check. That gave the Yankees a chance to come back.

The Phillie Phanatic was wearing a rain-slicker and fisherman's hat when he high-fived Mike Schmidt as the Hall of Famer walked to the mound to throw out the first pitch to Howard.

The grounds crew was still drying puddles on the warning track as the Phillies took the field.

Last season, Game 5 of the World Series between the Phillies and Tampa Bay was suspended for two days because of rain. Once it resumed -- in the sixth inning -- the Phillies went on to a 4-3 victory that clinched the championship.

Last year's Game 3 started at 10:06 p.m. because of rain and didn't end until 1:47 a.m. It was the latest start in Series history.

NOTES: The Phillies dropped to 11-2 at home the past two postseasons. ... Nine of the last 10 teams to win Game 3 when the World Series was tied 1-all went on to take the title. The exception was the 2003 Yankees, who lost the next three games to Florida.

A-Rod Has Centaur Self-Portrait Above Bed

2009-10-31T08:38:47Z

A former Rodriguez fling remembers seeing portraits of the slugger, 34, as a centaur hanging over his bed.

"He was so vain," his ex tells Us Weekly. "He had not one, but two painted portraits of himself as a centaur. You know, the half man, half horse figure?"

Adds the ex, "It was ridiculous."

Len Berman: Top 5 Sports Stories

2009-10-30T11:37:50Z

TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for October 30, 2009 from
www.LenBermanSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

The Yankees win game 2, 3-1 and even the World Series at 1 game
apiece.

Today is an off day. The World Series resumes tomorrow night in
Philadelphia. 7:57pm ET FOX

Martina Navratilova takes Andre Agassi to task and equates him with
Roger Clemens for lying about drug use.

FOX will use a "Favre-cam" to follow Brett Favre's every move in his
return to Green Bay on Sunday. Not to be outdone, CBS will employ a
"barf-cam" to check out what Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is eating
on the sidelines.

2. Game 2

So what are Yankee fans focusing on today? A.J. Burnett's game
winning pitching performance or A-Rod? Human nature being what it is,
Yankee fans know that A-Rod has struck out 3 times in each World
Series game, but they couldn't tell you how many strikeouts A.J.
Burnett recorded last night. (9) Before the game, Commissioner Bud
Selig said he's not in favor of expanding instant replay. And then his
umps went out and blew another call.

But the biggest headline is that the World Series will go at least 5
games. It hasn't gone 6 in 6 years. Could this be the year for a real
"Fall Classic?"

3. Sportsmanship

A big controversy in France. A mostly Muslim soccer team refused to
play a team that welcomes gay soccer players. Of course we know about
Iranian athletes who wouldn't compete against Jews. So I guess we
gotta change all those baseball cards to include religion and sexual
persuasion. Or maybe we just gotta ban the bigots.

4. Friday Mailbag

As for this World Series being the Mets fan's worst nightmare (the
two teams they hate the most,) J.B. pointed out to me on Facebook that
"As a diehard Yankee fan, I faced the same dilemma in 1986. (Mets vs
Red Sox)"

Editor's Note: Touche

I wasn't alone in my dislike for the Jets throwback jerseys. B.V.
wrote: "As an original ground crew worker for the NY Titans I cringe
every time I see the Jets wear those throwback jerseys."

As for quarterback Mark Sanchez eating a hot dog on the bench during
the game, G.C. writes: "I guess right now the public doesn't think
he's a proven wiener."

Editor's Note: Oy.

R.B. writes "Perhaps the cracks in the ramps at Yankee Stadium were
caused by the excess weight of the moneybag players."

Editor's Note: Or the fans who had to carry cash to buy stuff at the
game!

C.F. has some advice for the new Cardinals hitting coach. "Hopefully
Mark McGwire will show Cardinal hitters how to grip a bat and not how
to grip a syringe."

Editor's Note: Hey buddy, leave the cynicism to me.

And the Soupy Sales remembrances just keep coming. A couple of you
passed along this gem. "Soupy writes the letter 'F' on a chalkboard.
He asks White Fang what letter it is? Fang answers 'K'. After three
Fang replies that it's 'K', Soupy gives up & asks Fang, 'Why is it
every time I write F you see 'K'?"

5. The Devil is in the Details

An animal rights group has forced a town in New Zealand to cancel
its annual dead rabbit-throwing contest. They complained it sent the
wrong message to kids. The contest is held each year to coincide with
the annual pig hunt. Hey, killing defenseless animals is fine and
dandy. Just don't go tossing 'em around.

Happy Birthday: Super Bowl champion coach Dick Vermeil (Rams). 73.

Bonus Birthday: "The Fonz," Henry Winkler. 64.

Today in Sports: A perfect strike. President George W. Bush throws
out the first pitch before game 3 of the World Series, less than 2
months after 9/11, 2001.

Bonus Event: "Martians land in New Jersey!" Orson Welles presents
"The War of the Worlds" on radio. Thousands thought it was a true
story. 1938.

Rachel Thebault: I Want to Be More Like the New York Yankees

2009-10-29T14:59:01Z

This isn't easy for me to say. Growing up in Washington, DC, I was born and bred to hate the Yankees, and I've spent the first 98.5% of my life thus far doing so. But after 12 years of living in New York City, I've turned a corner. Some may call me a bandwagon fan. That's fair, but, in truth, they've won several World Series since I've lived here, and my affinity toward them started in the beginning of the 2009 season.

You'll remember, they spent much of the first few weeks of this season in last place and struggled all the way up to the All-Star Break. I laughed out loud at how miserable they were, but I began to take an interest in them. So why am I not surprised that, despite that start, they've played their way into their 40th Pennant win? And, very possibly, to their 27th championship title? (Sorry, Philadelphia.)

I'm not an avid baseball fan, so I can't really comment in-depth on the Yankees history, but watching them from the eyes of a fan this year, rather than foe, I have come to really admire some of their big-picture traits. The Yankees, after all, like every other professional sports team, are also a business, and there are key attributes that contribute to the success of their franchise that can't be ignored. Every individual field has different contributors to success, and this list is by no means all-inclusive, but this is what stands out to me:

The Money - While not an attribute, per se, you can't mention the Yankees' success without also mentioning their payroll. The Yankees are the richest team in the MLB and can afford to pay the highest salaries. Blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to argue for or against revenue sharing and salary caps, but it's worth noting that Steinbrenner manages the money masterfully. Sure, sometimes he's bet big and lost (Jose Contreras? A-Rod until this post-season?), but he bought the Yankees in 1973 for $10 million, and turned them into a $1 billion team. He is a good owner (arguably the best), and that goes beyond just having money, it's what he does with it. Because, in the end, money doesn't always equal success--just ask the Knicks or Dan Snyder and the Redskins.

They Don't Panic - The Yankees never seem to lose their cool. OK, maybe some of Girardi's calls seem panicky, but the Yankees, as a team, have composure. Have they seen the post-season so often it doesn't mean as much any more? Maybe it still means as much, but experience gives them perspective. They have lost games. They have gone through slumps. They have lost playoff series. But the next game/week/season they always come back with a "why shouldn't we win this?" attitude and then actually do win. Any one of us who has suffered setbacks in our personal or professional lives knows this is not easy to do, but the fact that they do this so well is the reason why you never count them out.

Everyone on the Team Plays His Position - No, I am not talking about field position. I'm talking about the if-you-were-to-make-a-movie-of-these-guys positions: The Fan Favorite (Jeter), The Bad Boy Headliners (A-Rod, Johnny Damon), The Veteran Workhorses (Posada, Pettitte, Matsui), The Exciting Underdog (Melky Cabrera). Assembling a team (athletic or otherwise) that not only understands their actual responsibilities, but also the emotional roles each one plays, is fundamental to group success. It's a diverse collection of personalities, but they mesh together and (mostly) support each other, and that's what makes an "assembly of players" into a team.

They Know the Haters Will Hate - In any competitive industry the most successful team/company/figure will have haters. Competitors hate you for being so tough to beat. Contrarians hate you for being the perennial favorite. Sometimes your fans even hate you because you've set their standards so high. But deeply rooted within all this hatred is respect. Those who are least respected are typically pitied, not hated. The Yankees seem to get this, and they let criticism and jeering just roll off their backs. It's taken me 33 years to be able to say this, but the Yankees (as a brand, not always individually) have a lot of class.

Being "the Yankees" of any field is a lofty goal to shoot for, but thinking about these contributors helps give me some perspective on their achievements. One day I hope to have assembled a team and built a brand that emulates this kind of success and class. In the mean time, will the Yankees win the title again this year? Soon we'll see. Will they continue to be the #1 dynasty in baseball? Fuggedabout it.

Follow Rachel Thebault on Twitter @tribecatreats