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River Ave. Blues » Archives for Benjamin Kabak

Our Back Pages: A Farewell To All This

April 29, 2019 by Benjamin Kabak

(Rob Tringali/Getty)

A lifetime ago, Joe and I were in charge of the Yankees site for the Most Valuable Network, a long-defunct sports blog network, when we decided we could do a better job on our own. We wanted Minor League content too and invited Mike along for the ride. We felt we could provide comprehensive Yankee coverage from a fan perspective and do a better job than anyone else out there. It was typical early 20s hubris from a bunch of kids with internet hookups, and somehow it all worked out.

Twelve years and over 28,000 posts later, we decided it was time to say good bye, but quitting is never easy. Beyond the ins and outs of the Yanks’ rocky 2010s, we’ve all been through a lot together – job changes, career changes, grad school, weddings, births. We started out as business partners and became fast friends, adding Jay a few years in to keep everything humming smoothly.

At some point, though, over the years for each of us, what started as a passion project becomes less fun and more of a burden. I couldn’t keep up with posting after law school ended and my current career began. Joe’s writing slowed down with the birth of his daughter. Mike, our Energizer bunny, kept going and going and going, but when a passion project isn’t a passion any longer, it’s time to hang up. We still love the Yanks, warts, frustrations, injuries and all; it’s just time to love the Yankees as fans again.

It’s a trite cliche to quote Bob Dylan’s “My Back Pages” in a farewell piece, but after 12 seasons, I think about Dylan’s lyrics a lot. Back in 2006 when the idea for RAB came together, I was so much older then. We’re all younger than that now. When we started RAB, the general tenor of online baseball writing focused around doing a better job. We all thought we could do a better job than our favorite team’s GM. We thought we could out-manage our favorite team’s manager. We thought we could out-coach our favorite’s team’s coach.

RAB came of age at a time when the volume of data about baseball was readily available and increasing dramatically. The statistical understanding of the game shifted from Bill James’ printed books to Baseball Prospectus’ annuals to daily WAR updates to wRC+ in the span of a barely a decade. With it, came a different approach to team-building that turned everyone into Moneyball accolades and led everyone to propose a budgetary-constrained approach to baseball team-building. As more online analysts were hired by teams, that approach shifted from the Internet to the game before we knew it, and now teams are underpaying players while the game is based more on an all-or-nothing understanding underpinned by batted ball profiles more than anything else.

This is not to say that River Ave. Blues was instrumental in changing the game of baseball any more or less than any other site, but as I reflect back on the past 12 seasons, I see shifts in the way baseball works that grew out of the idea that a bunch of kids knew more than anyone else. Today, I can see how baseball writers helped drive a hidden search for value, how we all helped shift understanding of the game, and how we had a role, even if slight, in whatever labor battles loom. I wouldn’t change RAB’s approach over the last 12 seasons for the world, but if we all knew then what we knew now, many of us would think twice about that Moneyball approach (and we sure as hell would’ve traded the Big Three).

As RAB comes to a close, I think about the friends we made along the way, the baseball friends I chat with every day on Twitter and the ones I see in real life. I think about the playoff games at Bleecker Heights Tavern, a World Series championship at Blondies, and I think about the babies born, the weddings, the parties, the games in the Bronx. I think about the fans and readers who have written to us lately talking about how we expanded their baseball horizons and their love and appreciate for the game. And I think about how we did it. Joe, Mike, Jay and I set out to build a better baseball blog, and we accidentally stumbled into a community of great people, lifelong friends and some amazing Yankee fans. I wouldn’t trade the world for it. Thanks for coming along for the ride. And as we go gently into that good night, just remember the 2-2 pitch to Tino was a ball and no, I’m still not going to eat the hat.

Filed Under: Administrative Stuff

RAB is hiring: Facebook Page Manager

November 20, 2018 by Benjamin Kabak

With over 8700 followers who are actively engaged in the Yankee conversation, the River Ave. Blues Facebook page is a key part of our online presence, and now RAB is looking for a new Facebook Page Manager who can oversee the page, keeping an eye on the tenor and tone of the conversation while growing the audience and driving traffic to the site. Duties include managing the day-to-day activities of the Facebook Page which include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Posting articles from website daily, optimizing content for the Facebook platform (particularly with breaking news).
  • Keeping up-to-date with social media trends and changes, while adapting creative and copy for posts to optimize impressions and engagement.
  • Moderating comments per the page guidelines and rules. Revise guidelines as needed.
  • Responding to direct messages as needed.
  • Develop and implement paid strategies for follower growth as needed.

Qualifications:

  • Familiarity with RAB, its brand and content.
  • Familiarity with Facebook Page Manager platform. Prior experience managing pages a plus but not a requirement.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the Facebook platform, its recipients and how Facebook can be deployed for media companies to grow exposure.
  • Social Customer Service skills and experience a plus.
  • Ability to write clearly and concisely about baseball in a manner optimized for Facebook.

Time: 7-10 hours/week

Stipend: $300/month

To Apply: Send an email to ben at riveraveblues dot com (replacing the words with the proper punctuation) with a summary of qualifications and relevant experience, a few examples of ways you would post recent RAB posts to Facebook (including with summary text and any other creative that may be required), and a few examples of ideas you would pursue to grow RAB’s Facebook presence. Any emails with attachments will be deleted.

Deadline To Apply: Monday, November 26, 2018

Filed Under: Administrative Stuff

Introducing RAB Day at Yankee Stadium

May 9, 2018 by Benjamin Kabak Leave a Comment

(Al Bello/Getty)

For years, we’ve talked about bringing a group of RAB readers to the Bronx for a Yankee game, and thanks to a new platform the team has made available this year, we’re finally able to do it. So allow me to proudly present River Ave. Blues Day at Yankee Stadium. Join us at the big ballpark in the Bronx on Saturday, May 12, at 1:05 p.m. when the A’s are in town for a three-game set.

Here’s the story: We have access to a few different blocks of tickets and some “Masterpass” extras that include a few hours of food and drink at the Batter’s Eye Deck. The event features tickets at various price points — ranging from $30 for seats in 332A to $97 for seats in Section 133 which include the Masterpass option. Everything you need to know is on the ticket purchase page.

As an added incentive, you can invite friends with a referral link, and the Yanks’ system will place you in seats together (so long as you and your friends buy tickets at the same price point). Additionally, the person who invites the most friends (at least 10) will get four tickets to another non-premium game during the 2018 season.

To be upfront about this, we at RAB are not making any money of this. It’s opportunity for us to meet some fans and readers and hang out before catching a Yankee game. If it’s a success, we’ll do it again later this season. If not, well, then we’ve all sat through a Yanks/A’s game many of us were going to attend anyway. It’s a win-win. But do join us at the stadium. We’ll be in the Masterpass Batter’s Eye area from 11 a.m. onward, and we’ll all catch the Yanks in the Bronx together, a day 12 season in the making. [RAB Day Tickets]

Filed Under: Self-Promotion

Soccer and metal detectors for the Stadium’s seventh season [2015 Season Preview]

April 5, 2015 by Benjamin Kabak 43 Comments

Although Mike promised an end to the season preview series with his excellent haikus, I’m here to break that promise. Mike’s and Joe’s exhaustive previews touched on everything but the stadium, and while Yankee Stadium in its seventh season isn’t undergoing major changes, there are a few additions — not all welcome — to the House That George Built. So as fans start to line up in a few hours for another season of Yankee baseball in the Bronx, what changes can they expect to see this year?

Another summer at the Ballpark in the Bronx looms. (Via River Ave. Blues on Instagram)
Another summer at the Ballpark in the Bronx looms. (Via River Ave. Blues on Instagram)

All fans screened via metal detectors

It’s been a long time coming, but 2015 marks a turning point for security at Yankee Stadium. Under pressure from outside security consultants, every MLB fan will be screened as they enter the Stadium, and the screening won’t just involve a cursory glance through the contents of a bag. This year, the Stadium will feature metal detectors and wanding at every entrance.

According to an email the Yankees sent out this weekend to their fans, the new screening procedures are part of an effort, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security, to “elevate and standardize security practices across the game.” The Yankees are warning fans to arrive early and budget extra time for security, but for many trying to catch first pitch of a 7:05 game after a day in the office, this suggestion ranges from impractical to infeasible. I know plenty of fans who have a tough time arriving for first pitch without added security, and I fear this move will simply push fans to watch more games from one. I know one season ticket holder willing to give up her package if the security lines take too long.

The Yankees recognize the challenges, but the early indications are that this screening will lead to long lines. The Barclays Center has struggled to move fans through metal detectors, and even in the Bronx, NYCFC fans faced disorganized and slow screening procedures in March. The utility of this move — which sounds more akin to security theater than actual security — is up for debate as well.

“We will do everything we can to minimize the entry time to Yankee Stadium,” team COO Lonn Trost said in a statement. “However, proper screening as mandated by Major League Baseball requires a longer and more elaborate entry process than fans may be accustomed to. We urge fans to arrive as early as possible, and we appreciate their understanding as we try to ensure their security.”

Soccer in the Stadium

Speaking of NYCFC, 2015 marks a milestone in the Steinbrenner family initiative to bring more than just baseball to Yankee Stadium. We’ve seen a few soccer friendlies in the past and some off-season football games, but this year — and until their stadium scenario is clarified — New York City FC and the New York Yankees will be sharing the Stadium.

Throughout the baseball season, NYCFC will play 17 home games in the Bronx, and as Dan Barbarisi explored a few weeks ago, Yankee fielders are expecting the worst for their playing surface. “It’ll definitely cause an issue, but it’s nothing that we can control, so we can’t worry about it,” Mark Teixeira said to The Wall Street Journal reporter. “It’s terrible for a field.”

Barbarisi detailed the initiatives in place to guard against field damage. The grounds crew will have a few days to restore the grass following soccer games, and the pitcher’s mound isn’t in the field of play on the soccer pitch. Still, the players recognize that they need to watch the new grass; Brett Gardner speaks to The Journal knowingly about root systems and turf patches. The Front Office though maintains the grass will be fine, but they have much to lose.

Hopefully, sharing the field won’t put the Yankee defenders at risk of injury or error, but they know it’s going to be a concern this season. “I’m going to fall on the side of erring aggressively,” Brendan Ryan said, “much, much more so than staying back and trying to read some hop that’s unpredictable.”

A very slightly improved Stadium beer scene

As those who follow me on Twitter know, I’m a big fan of craft beer (Untappd!), but I’m not a big fan of the Yankee Stadium beer situation. While Stone has set up shop in Petco Stadium, Boulevard fills cups in Kauffman Stadiu, and the Mariners are known for their beer selections, due to the demands of the dollar, Yankee Stadium is exclusively the home of InBev-Anheuser Busch products. Thanks to recent acquisitions by InBev, Yankee fans can now find Blue Point beers, and a recent photo from an NYCFC game shows Long Trail available too (though the Vermont brewery is not connected to InBev). It’s a step in the right direction, albeit a small one, and I yearn for the day when we can find a Bronx Brewery beer at the Stadium or even a SingleCut, Finback or Other Half brew.

Filed Under: Yankee Stadium Tagged With: 2015 Season Preview, Beer, NYCFC, Security Theater

Ben’s obligatory offseason wish list

November 7, 2014 by Benjamin Kabak 271 Comments

(Al Bello/Getty)
(Al Bello/Getty)

It goes without saying that, as a Yankee fan, my off-season wish list revolves around a trophy. Right now, the San Francisco Giants are in possession of that trophy, and it’s been five years since the Yanks last celebrated this item, the third-longest World Series drought of my life. I want that trophy back.

Sitting where we are, after a disappointing and often dull 84-win season, it’s hard to see a short path 2015’s trophy, and with Derek moving on, the ties to even the 2009 team are being held together by ARod for now and Francisco Cervelli, Brett Gardner, Mark Teixeira, CC’s knee and current free agent David Robertson. Flags fly forever, but leave them outside long enough and they’ll start to look a little tattered.

As far as Yankee needs go, it’s hard to disagree with Joe’s and Mike’s wish lists. Even as the Yanks faded into the middle of the pack this summer, they fell only four games shy of a Wild Card berth, and as the Royals demonstrated, get there and anything goes. Of course with the way the roster currently looks, the Yanks need three infielders, a starting pitcher or two and another reliever, and those pieces aren’t coming out of Scranton in April, Rob Refsnyder notwithstanding.

But you know what the Yanks need. Your wish lists is mine: the best players yesterday and that parade down Broadway in Lower Manhattan. For my take on the offseason, I want to talk about a different kind of wish list. This is about mystique and aura, no longer appearing nightly. It’s about the team’s image — their brand, if you will. Now that Derek Jeter has retired, the Yankees need to pass the baton, but to whom? Bernie Williams and Paul O’Neill were there after Mattingly’s departure, and Jeter burst onto the scene. In 2015, the Yankees don’t really have a franchise face or up-and-coming star. It’s time to rebrand.

1. Do Something About Yankee Stadium

For better or worse — until the Yanks pull a Braves in twenty years — New Yankee Stadium is what we have, probably for most of the rest of my life. I tolerated it at first, and it helped that the Yanks won a World Series in the park’s first season. But as far as baseball stadiums go, it’s a nothing. There’s no charm or attitude to it. It’s sterile-looking with the feel of something you should look at but not touch.

In September, during Jeter’s last home stand, I went to a game with a friend of mine. We had comps — good seats in the 100s level that were supposed to be next to each other. Instead, we got to our seats to find a table in between the two of us. I have no idea why the Yankees decided they needed to remove seats to stick tables in between them. We all managed at baseball games for decades without tables. But my friend and I had a table, and we had to spend the whole game either leaning toward each other or shouting to be heard. These seats and that table seemed to be built with attendees who care more about the scene than the game.

The Yankees aren’t going to gut their new stadium and reconfigure the seating bowls to better resemble the Yankee Stadium of my childhood and teenage years. But they could find a way to make the stadium feel more inclusive and fan-focused. If the product on the field isn’t going to be impressive, the ballpark at least should be. Right now, with Painfully Awkward George Steinbrenner looming over everyone, it’s grand but lacking.

2. Change the In-Game Experience

This goes hand-in-hand with No. 1 on my list, but must we sit through another season of the grounds crew doing the YMCA dance, Cotton Eye Joe and “God Bless America”? Must we be bombarded with sound at every opportunity? At the risk of sounding like a cranky old man, there’s something to be said for a simple game experience. I saw a Sunday matinee at Fenway this past year, and the only sounds were the PA announcer and the organist. I don’t expect the Yanks to sacrifice scoreboard revenue every day but doing so once in a while would be a nice treat.

3. ‘It is high…it is far…it is still broadcasting Yankee games!’

Every winter, I hope that John Sterling isn’t still broadcasting games come Opening Day, and every Opening Day, he is. We already know that the 2015 season will be no different, but I can dream.

Overall, the Yanks’ radio broadcast needs a rethink. It’s become an advertising vehicle for WFAN that also happens to provide some amount of play-by-play and the bare minimum of informed commentary. The Yankees and CBS make their money through endless sales of everything on the broadcast, and Sterling’s schtick can sometimes be enjoyable in that grandfatherly rolling-of-the-eyes sort of way. But as a way to learn about what’s happening on the field or gain insight into a baseball decision, well, you won’t find that on the John and Suzyn Variety Show. Maybe next time.

4. A Redesigned RAB

4. Re-Sign David Robertson

Okay, okay. Not everything can be a complaint about the in-game presentation. We do need to focus on the field too, and for me, keeping David Robertson around for a few more years is a top priority. I realize there’s a prevailing sentiment that Dellin Betances can close and for a lot less money, and maybe that’s true. However, moving Betances into the closer role has a cascade effect on the rest of the game and not in a positive way.

By the middle of the season, Joe Girardi believed in Betances to use him perfectly. He was the fireman when there was a problem in the 7th; he could handle the 8th with aplomb. He was a versatile reliever with a rubber arm and a 100 mph fastball. As a closer, he’ll take those last three outs, 3-run lead or 1-run lead, and his innings and utility will drop. Plus, someone else — Adam Warren? Shawn Kelley? — will have to pick up higher leverage innings.

Meanwhile, Robertson has been one of the best, most consistent relievers in baseball over the last five years. He can handle the 9th in New York, and he’s at a prime age for a pitcher. Simply put, Robertson gives the Yanks comfort in the 9th and a deeper, more versatile bullpen overall. I’d sign Andrew Miller too, but that’s just being greedy.

5. A Short Stop

Brendan Ryan is the only short stop under contract for the 2015 Yankees. Gulp.

* * *

All in an all, it’s a tough winter for the Yankees. They have a lot of dead or dying weight on the books for the next few seasons and aren’t rushing to add more. They have some promising high-ceiling prospects in their lower levels, and the best thing for the future of the club would be for the farm system to have an actually good year all around next year. For now, though, this seems to be a franchise in a holding pattern. The books closed on one great era of team history. We’ll see what comes next starting in April.

Filed Under: Hot Stove League

CC you later: Sabathia opts for season-ending knee surgery

July 18, 2014 by Benjamin Kabak 51 Comments

Erstwhile Yankees ace CC Sabathia will miss the remainder of the 2014 season as he is set to undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee next week, the Yankees announced this afternoon. On the bright side, Sabathia isn’t undergoing microfracture surgery yet, and the team is calling this procedure a “clean up.” But with a degenerative condition in his knee, it may be a matter of when, and not if, CC needs a more serious operation. Sabathia had consulted with four doctors — Neal ElAttrache, James Andrews, Yankees team doctor Christopher Ahmad, and Rangers team doctor Keith Meister — before making the decision. Although the Yanks and CC hope for a Spring Training return, the team and its lefty hurler are heading into a bit of an unknown with this latest surgery as the scope could lead to a more dire diagnosis.

For the Yankees, looking forward, this decision ultimately confirms what they had expected: They will get no more innings from Sabathia this year. With Masahiro Tanaka on the shelf indefinitely and Michael Pineda ever so slowly making his way back from shoulder inflammation, the team is thin on pitching right now and could use a lefty starter. Expect Brian Cashman to be working the phones over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, CC effectively has three years and $72 million remaining on his contract. Don’t think about it too much.

Filed Under: Asides, Injuries Tagged With: CC Sabathia

Sabathia, Solarte lead 10-2 attack against the Rays

April 18, 2014 by Benjamin Kabak 112 Comments

Mike had some dental work done earlier today, and the rest of my day was busier than expected. We dropped the ball on the game thread, but it seemed to be a good luck charm for CC and the Yanks. The erstwhile ace won in Tampa Bay for the first time since 2010, and the Bombers turned a triple play behind him while also knocking out three home runs. It was, all around, a Solarte Party for a team that’s won five in a row.

CC’s Big Day

As Yangervis Solarte, Brian Roberts and Scott Sizemore turned a triple play in the second inning, CC shot his arms up in the air in celebration. The Yanks held a 4-0 lead, and for a minute, it looked like CC would crack. Yet, for the third time in his Yankee tenure, the infield turned a triple play. (The first involved A-Rod, Cano and Nick Johnson while the second was one of the zaniest rundowns you’ll ever see.) For a guy not known for his hot corner defense, Solarte had the presence of mind to head to the bag and flip to second. From there, it was nothing more than a routine play, and CC escaped.

From then on, it was relatively smooth sailing. A passed ball led to an unearned run while CC’s nemesis Sean Rodriguez lofted a home run in the 7th. By then, though, the Yanks led 8-1, and the Rays’ run was harmless. Sabathia again didn’t have much velocity on his fastball, but he hit his spots and changed speeds effectively. He ended the night throwing 72 of 107 pitches for strikes with six Ks.

Big Bats vs. Price

Offensively, the Yanks made tonight’s game look easy. The Rays opted to hold David Price back a day to face the AL East leaders, and it backfired. Price gave up six runs in five innings, and of the ten hits he allowed, six went for extra bases. The Yanks hit two triples in one inning, and Soriano and McCann went back to back in the 5th. After missing three games with a back injury, Brian Roberts went 3 for 5 with a double and a triple, and in the 9th, April superstar Yangervis Solarte lofted a Grant Balfour offering into the right field seats for his first Major League home run. Solarte, who had doubled earlier, is now hitting .373/.448/.569. It’s hard to imagine it will last, but it’s been a fun ride.

Odds and Ends

Carlos Beltran took a nasty spill when he ran full speed over the wall in right field. He seemed OK, but it sure would be nice if the Rays could afford a real warning track…Dellin Betances had a tough time throwing strikes in the 8th inning, but he still struck out three of the eight batters he faced. He threw only 16 of 31 pitches for strikes, but his stuff, when over the plate, is nearly untouchable. He now has 11 strike outs in 6.1 innings but 4 walks too…Derek Jeter is very quietly hitting .295 with a .380 OBP. With a .364 slugging, the power isn’t quite there, but I’ll take the average and OBP with no complaints…These two teams face off again tomorrow as Hiroki takes on Erik Bedard, making his first start of the year.

Filed Under: Game Stories Tagged With: CC Sabathia, Yangervis Solarte

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