Three-thousand

"My league too major...I'm hip-hop Derek Jeter..."


Ace Hood - Hustle Hard


Baseball is a numbers game deeply rooted in milestones. From Hank Aaron's 755 HR's...to DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, and Lou Gehrig's 2131 consecutive games played...the history of the sport is all mathematics.


Dreams


Derek Jeter entered today's game against the Rays standing on the verge of career hit number 3,000. In true Yankee fashion he etched his name in the history books on a solo home run in the 3rd-inning. The magic didn't stop there, as he led his team to a 5-4 victory, on a perfect 5 for 5 outing along with the winning RBI.


All his home runs have been memorable, mainly because he rarely hits any. Two stand out as I reflect: the first November HR in baseball history, and today's blast over the left-field wall.


What mattered most to Derek Jeter today was the win, as he expressed his feelings post game saying, "the most important thing is that we were able to win."


The Yankees are one of the top teams in baseball trailing the Red Sox and Phillies for the best record. The mission for any team is to win the World Series, and if the Captain has anything to do with it...he'd like nothing more than to add another ring to his legacy.


Ironically, the New Jersey born, and Michigan bred young Yankees fan, grew to be a man...that would one day play for his favorite team, and become one of the greatest athletes of all-time.






Words: @axgilbert


Photo: AXG

Red Light

"Depend on me like the first and fifteenth..."

2PAC - All Eyez on Me

It's October and while that means a lot of things to many people...for me it's the month when a World Series champion is crowned. Yesterday I tweeted the following: "Just so I don't look like I jumped on the bandwagon, the @Phillies will win the World Series, and go @Yankees..."

Conflict Resolution

I'm from the City of Brotherly Love...Philadelphia for those who don't know. And while I cheer for the Eagles with fervor, it's my affection for the New York Yankees that confuses everyone. New York City is a place like none other, and yes I lived there for a long time, and one of the things I picked up over the years is a love for baseball. I could never cheer for the Mets, since I'm a Philly native...I knew that much, so I began watching that pinstriped team in the south Bronx.

When the Yankees didn't make the playoffs in 2008, it opened the door for my hometown Phillies to win and bring our championship starved town a winner. I was happy for the Phils in '07, and a year later they did what many thought was impossible...and that made me even happier!

I attend a number of Phillies games because I love baseball, and instead of driving to NYC or Baltimore for the Bronx Bombers, I take a quick trip to South Philly. So here is my moment of honesty...I actually like the Phillies, however the Yankees are my team. I know it makes zero sense, and this post is like covering myself with a security blanket.

Can the Phillies win it all...yes they can. They have 3 Aces in Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt, and they have an American League style of play with Ryan Howard, Rollins, Utley, Werth, and Ruiz. Pitching is the key to any pennant and World Series...so if the Phils bullpen can hold and save games, it'll be a red October in Philadelphia.

Baseball is tricky and anything can happen, so I wanted to write this ahead of the first game to explain my loyalty to the team everyone loves to hate.

Tomorrow Never Dies

Heart

"Yes this is Philly, you're welcome to come check us..."

Peedi Crakk - Flip side

The New York Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st, however the Phillies had more to prove in Game 5.

3-2 Full Count

The fans in South Philly have seen their last home game of the season, and for the City of Brotherly Love, it was one to remember.

There will be a Game 6, as the Fightin' Phils fought off elimination on Monday night...defeating the Yankees 8-6. Cliff Lee took to the mound pitching well enough for the win along with an early 3-run home run by Chase Utley in the 1st, and another shot in the 7th for a total of 5HR's in the World Series.

The series gets a little more interesting as the questions have begun to swirl around who will pitch for both teams if this goes to a 7th and final game. Not too get ahead of myself or the World Series for that matter, but as the venue heads back up the interstate, all the pressure falls on the Yankees to win their 27th title in the new Yankee Stadium.

At this point of the season, the game is simple, as the team with the best pitchers on the mound, win ball games.

I spoke with Chase afterward...

AG: You have a very low-key disposition, but can you talk about how you've been able to lead by example throughout this World Series for your team?

Utley: I don't think we really need to be pointed in the right direction. We all have the same mindset, and we all play the game the right way in my belief. You know, you go out there and you play hard. You give it everything you can, and play that game like it's the last.

Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images

By Any Means Necessary...

"No matter how much I elevate, I kiss the floor..."

Common - Forever Begins

Mr. November

2,722

"Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game..."

Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind

I started watching baseball in 1995, and the team that helped me to understand the nuances of the game is the New York Yankees. My favorite player then and now is none other than Derek Jeter.

Consistent

Today is always tricky, as it wasn't that long ago when the nation was brought to tears from the tragedy that marred people worldwide on September 11, 2001. The troubles of that morning were soothed by the play of the Yankees, as they competed for the World Series title that year...and even though they lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, they provided enough hope and positivity to capture the hearts and minds of Gotham City.

The catalyst to much of the team's success is Jeter, as he entered the game tonight standing 1-hit away from becoming the all-time Yankee hits leader, to surpass the incomparable Lou Gehrig. After striking out in the first inning...he opened the bottom of the 3rd with a single down the right field line for hit number 2,722.

Baseball is a numbers game, and tonight...Derek Jeter is numero uno.

At Bat with Jimmy Rollins

Last week I sat down with Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins...and not only did the interview go well...this video is currently appearing on BET.com, and with that said...I truly believe that this is the beginning of something special in my career.

There is no substitute for hard work.

Street's Disciple

Preparation

Desire

"Pure euphoria...a dose of death to all of ya...coroner choruses sung from the 'Bridge to Astoria..."

Nas - Money Over B******t

The NBA season ended with the Lakers winning it all, outlasting the Magic in five games, and while the landscape of sports has shifted to the World Cup qualifiers, baseball, and Wimbledon...the Lake Show is back making headlines.

Thirst

Ron Artest has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers...and while many teams around the league are making roster moves...the fact that Ron Ron has taken his talents to the City of Angeles for an NBA mid-level exception is bigger news than Shaq to Cleveland, or Hedo Turkoglu to Toronto.

The main factors in this deal are two-fold...let's start with the obvious...as the reigning champions, they are looking really good to repeat by adding the former league Defensive Player of the Year. This move complements Kobe Bryant, a defensive stopper in his own right, more than possibly we can understand. Artest is a basketball player with the heart of 10 men. The other interesting fact is that he's not playing for the money...this is about winning a title. He was on SportsCenter the other night, and he explained that, "I have money...I've made money...this is about winning..."

I'm never one to make predictions, however I'm already looking forward to October, so I can watch the World Series, and get ready for what is shaping up to be another great year in the NBA.

1 Game at a Time

Poise

Attrition

"Brothers front, they say the Tribe can't flow, but we've been know to do the impossible like Broadway Joe..."

Phife Dog - Scenario

Yesterday I was having a conversation with one of the Philadelphia Eagles. It was off the record so I'll keep his jersey number to myself. However after visiting with him and his family, I drove home thinking to myself that the Birds could be on the cusp of something special.

Winning is an attitude

Philadelphia could very well become a major sports city, much like Boston, as the great New England city of the north, has become the modern day Title Town...with the Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots, as they have been the toast of the sports world winning championships in recent years. 

The now defunct Philadelphia Soul won the Arena Bowl in July, the Phillies captured hearts, minds, and the World Series in October, and now the Eagles have shocked the so-called "experts" by not only making the playoffs, but also through winning and moving on to the Divisional round.

It's one game at a time, and in football anything can happen...on any given Sunday.

Photos: Webster Riddick

'08 Year in Review

25-years in the making

Gold Standard

Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Olympic Gold

Superman

Pursuit of happiness

"Shine your light for the world to see..."

Mos Def - Umi Says

Today as I look back at the past year in sports...I eagerly anticipate what 2009 will bring. Penn State has returned to the Rose Bowl as they will battle against USC, the Lakers and Celtics are once again 2 of the better teams in the NBA, and the NFL doesn't have a clear cut favorite, making the playoffs more interesting than it's been in recent years. No matter the outcome from the various teams around the leagues this upcoming year, 2008 was one of the best 365 days of sport in a longtime.

Great in '08

The things that made last season one of the best ever was a combination of the underdog, and the allure and delivery of memorable moments from the summer games in China. I'll keep this post short, because everyone has their own opinion, however I feel that when a team like the New York Football Giants won the Super Bowl against the juggernaut favorite, New England Patriots, it shifted the paradigm in all of sports. To further the shift, the Philadelphia Phillies did the impossible by not only making it to the World Series, but to win it all and restore order in the City of Philadelphia...that may have been something only the Phillies saw coming. Last but not least...'08 was an impressive Olympic year...between Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, and the USA basketball teams, it made for some of the most magical summer memories, reminding me of the '88 and '92 games, with Flo Jo, and the Dream Team.

2009 could very well be the year of the championship teams everyone loves to hate. The University of North Carolina could win the NCAA basketball title, the New York Yankees may return to their winning ways, and the Los Angeles Lakers could win that elusive 4th ring for Kobe Bryant, making last season a distant memory.

The game isn't won on paper, or my computer screen for that matter, so we will all watch and wait, for what will be another interesting sports cycle.

Tale of two Cities

Success

Can and AG. in DC

Teacher and student

"Friends, how many of us have them...friends, before we go any further, let's be friends..."

Whodini - Friends

The Philadelphia Phillies are back in the World Series for the first time since 1993. The City of Philadelphia is drunk with excitement, as the Phillies are on the verge of bringing a major championship to this famished blue-collar town.

Sunday, October 19, 2008. Today is the first day of the week, and within this week the Phillies will play 3 World Series games, and the landscape of this city can change forever with the swings of a bat, and the pitch of a baseball. I was hopeful that the rest of the week can be as good as Sunday. I was not only on BET in the morning, talking sports on Bring that week back...but I was also mentioned in the Philadelphia Inquirer, in a column written by Annette John-Hall, Black and White are red all over.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008. Game 1. I'd been driving around a lot today and from North Philly to West, everyone is wearing Phillies, jackets, and caps. Even the SEPTA buses have a GO PHILLIES message on the route display sign, which is something I have never seen this late in October. Around 4:30pm, I received a call from the hospital saying that my grandmother had been addmitted for shortness of breath. That was a damper on what had turned out to be a good day leading up to the first game of the World Series.

Grandmom, got the attention she needed and was held over night. I later went to Modell's and purchased a Phillies World Series cap. On my drive home, I had an idea to text a good friend and Tampa native, Candice Dupree about her thoughts and feelings on the national pastime.

6:02:19 PM. I text Candice.

"Hey Can. Hope you are well. I wanted to ask you what your thoughts are on Philly playing Tampa in the World Series? Do you have a team that you are cheering 4?"

9:28:22 PM. Candice writes back.

"Now u should already know that I don't get down with baseball like that."

9:29:23 PM. I retort.

"I do know that, but its both of your cities in the World Series. Hometown and college town. Your thoughts?"

9:45:54 PM. Candice says:

"Well the fact that Tampa has a bunch of youngsters and no "famous" players says a lot abt their team. I know absolutely nothing abt the Phillies."

9:46:39 PM. I reply:

"Okay Can, that's a great answer. Thank you."

The Phillies won 3-2 behind the great pitching of Cole Hamels, Brad Lidge, and 2-run homer by Chase Utley.

The Rays however won Game 2 on Thursday night, 4-2 as Ryan Howard was able to finally get involved, but it wasn't enough as Big Game James Shields pitched a gem, and BJ Upton played well with 2 hits and 1 RBI, sending the series to Philadelphia knotted up at 1 game each. By the way, Phillies also had 2 errors, and that didn't help either...and last but not least, the home plate umpire called a terrible game, but I digress, I don't want to turn this into my own personal soap box for poor officiating.

Game 3 is set for 8:00 PM, October 25, 2008, in South Philly. This is the real test not only for the Rays, but also for the Phillies.

Playing at home for this town is both the gift and the curse.

Rewind

NL Champions

Youth

Ambition

"Are they still getting down where we used to go and dance? Will our ball club win the pennant...do you think they have a chance..."

Marvin Gaye - What's Happening Brother

15 years ago, I was but a young teen just learning my way, as I often adhered to my parent's teachings, and the life lessons taught to me via the outside world. Last night the Philadelphia Phillies chased away doubt, and provided the championship starved City of Brotherly Love with a glimmer of hope that hasn't been seen since 1993.

'93 til Infinity

My first professional sports memory would be of my father taking my brother and I to Veterans Stadium to see the Phillies. It seemed like a lifetime ago, as I didn't understand baseball or sports for that matter back then. It's interesting how things twist and turn in our lifetime, as I went from being ignorant and apathetic about sports, to making a career being as knowledgeable about it as possible...writing about everyone from Tiger Woods, to Kobe Bryant. 

Last night in the crisp southern California night, the Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to capture the 2008 National League Pennant, earning a trip to the World Series for the first time since I used school tokens, and carried a bag lunch. During those years, I wanted to be on television, covering the NBA. The fact that my home team was playing for the championship didn't mean much to me, as basketball was the only thing on my mind...well that, and a few girls. At that time it was Raquel Hernandez, Mimi Crespo, Selene Mendez, and several others, but when I say my mom had very strict rules, I'm not exaggerating. Rule number 1: NO GIRLS, so I focused on my dream of playing and one day working in sports. 

Fast forward to the present day, and I don't have to worry about my mother's rules anymore, however its funny how I can still hear her voice as I navigate through my adult life. Nevertheless, the Phillies are vying for supremacy of Major League Baseball and I'm now living my dream covering sports. One goal is fulfilled, and others remain a work in progress. 

Do I have a girlfriend...technically no...I also don't have my own half-hour sports show either.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Go Phillies!

Photo credits: Gilbert family, www.nicekicks.com