Yankee Stadium is fantastic – if you’ve never been, get down there when you get a chance. We had the most amazing seats for the game, thanks to my fiance’s father who took the whole family down there as a gift to us.

We were down the first base line just behind first, 17 rows up, which meant I was able to get some nice pictures. Have a look through and see what you think. If you like them, there’s plenty more from this game at my Shutterfly album.

*****

The House that Taxpayers’ Money Built

Monument Park

My photo montage of big fat CC Sebathia

Placido Polanco

IN one of baseball’s most historic cities, the stars of the American League continued their mid-summer dominance of the NL to stretch their unbeaten streak to 13 years.

It was a game where a Tampa Bay outfielder saved a Red Sox pitcher from a loss, a first-time All Star drove in the go-ahead run, a veteran in pinstripes improved his unbeaten ASG record to 9-0-1 and the best closer in the history of the game slammed the door for a record-setting fourth year to consign the National League to yet another defeat.

The American League plated a pair of runs in the 1st inning but the NL hit right back with a three-spot in the home half of the 2nd.

The visiting AL fought back to make it 3-3 in the 5th inning and they came from behind to take the lead in the 8th.

While the pre-game festivities – so often just a predictable preamble to the on-field action – had their share of cheers and jeers, one highlight was the ceremony recognising the true all stars of communities across the country who embody the values that aptly represent the baseball nation – hard work, leadership, passion and teamwork.

Elsewhere, President Obama, sporting a White Sox jacket, threw out the first pitch – a low off-speed offering for those who cared – and then mocked the awful Washington Nationals, Sheryl Crow took the mic to sing the national anthem and Stan The Man Musial received the biggest cheer of the night as he appeared on a cart from right field.

On the field, the best of the best then took centre stage… and Albert Pujols was nowhere to be seen.

In fact, it wasn’t quite the two days the St Louis faithful had hoped for. The slugger failed to win a fat man a Chevy before the home run derby on Monday night, he didn’t make it past the final four in the derby proper and he went 0-3 with an error during the Mid-Summer Classic itself on Tuesday.

24 hours after Prince Fielder stole the manbeast’s thunder in the frankly disappointing longball showdown, it was Carl Crawford, Curtis Granderson and Adam Jones who took the plaudits to give the AL home field advantage in the World Series this fall.

The National League’s heartache began early on, subsided as quickly as it rose and then seared its ugly head again as they failed to solve the connundrum of the Greinke, Paplebon and 39-year-old stopper Mariano Rivera.

Reigning Cy Young winner and NL starter Tim Lincecum gave up a broken bat base hit to lead-off hitter Ichiro Suzuki and he beaned Yankees shortstop Jeter Jeter on the left wrist with an 0-2 changeup.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer grounded into a forceout at third and Mark Teixeira reached on a Pujols error on an in-between hop to score Jeter from second.

Jason Bay singled back up the box to load the bases and Mauer scored to make it 2-0 on Josh Hamilton’s groundball to the right side when Lincecum was slow to cover first base.

The AL’s lead was short-lived however, as Charlie Manuel’s team rallied on the strength of three base hits and an error to move ahead 3-2.

David Wright flared a two-out broken-bat bloop and moved over to second on Shane Victorino’s base hit. Hometown boy Yadier Molina drove in Wright with an RBI single to right field and Victorino tied the game at two when Josh Hamilton’s throw to third base hit the Phillies’ switch hitter and bounced away to the stands.

The National League then took the lead on pinch hitter Prince Fielder’s ground rule double down the left filed line, but the AL knotted the game in the top of the 5th inning when Joe Mauer laced an RBI double down to left to score Derek Jeter from 1st after he had earlier grounded into a forceout at second base.

The NL bats were mostly quiet from here on out until the 7th inning when Red Sox closer Jonathan Paplebon was given a brief scare.

Brad Hawpe launched a first pitch towards the AL bullpen in left field, only to be robbed by a jumping Carl Crawford who pulled it back into the yard for a long, loud out.

Hawpe was one out in a sequence of 18 hitters who were retired in order, such was the American League’s pitchers’ dominance.

The catch would prove to be pivotal as the AL would take a lead they would not relenquish.

Curtis Granderson legged out a one-out triple off of Heath Bell in the top of the 8th inning and he came home on Adam Jones’ 0-2 sac fly to right field.

Adrian Gonzalez took a two-out walk off of Twins’ closer Joe Nathan and the big-hitting Padre went first-to-third on Orlando Hudson’s base hit off the glove of shortstop Jason Bartlett.

The mini-rally brought Ryan Howard to the plate to pinch hit, but Howard fanned on a 2-2 fastball down and in to preserve the slender lead.

Mariano Rivera then took care of business in the bottom half of the 9th inning, setting the side down in order to record his eighth consecutive scoreless inning.

I would be more upset, but with the Mets six-and-a-half games behind in the NL East, I doubt we will be going to the Series anyway.

As with so many other things for Mets fans, there’s always next year.

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4 weeks ago I finished my job at the Harrogate Advertiser where I had spent the last three years as a senior reporter. I had the cover story for my last ever edition which was quite nice too and I got some fantastic gifts from everybody there.

This was one of the gifts…
For the Mets fans out there, definitely check this out if you haven’t already. Later on in the season, I’ll write an actual review of this DVD, so keep your eyes peeled.

I had a going away party at work and a week later I came back for my stag party.

We went go-karting (I was rubbish)

and later when we went out on a bar crawl, they made me wear a very nice dress.

Two weeks ago I had a few leaving drinks with my family at the village near near my home

and then I finally moved permanently to New York to be with my fiance Lisa.

We are living in a quaint little neighborhood in Queens

and as well as being a tourist and taking photos of everything, we watched the 4th of July fireworks from the roof of our apartment.

Plans are also afoot to go and see both the Mets and the Yankees, but I did go along to fireworks night at the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones on Friday for their game against the Tri-City Valley Cats.

Keyspan Park is a gorgeous and intimate little ballpark in Coney Island next to the beach, backing on to the Atlantic Ocean.

Both teams played really well, but the Cyclones pulled out a rally in the bottom of the 9th inning, winning the game 3-2 on a bases-loaded walk-off single off the wall in left field.

No matter what the level, or what the team, this just proved that the magic of baseball can be seen anywhere, anytime. You don’t need to pay $150 for good seats to a great game.

Here are the pick of the pics I took down there…

The wedding is now less then 7 weeks away, so if I go MIA now and then, fear not, I am still here, but probably just very busy. And if you know of any writing gigs in NYC, you know where to find me.

Until then, keep working hard – I need your taxes

Hello and welcome back to my blog. What a crazy few weeks it has been with me – I have left my job, emmigrated to New York to be with my wife-to-be Lisa and I have had to try and help plan a wedding from England.

That’s like three crazy things which are hard enough on their own, let alone trying to do them all at once!

So, that is the reason for my absense. I will have a proper update about what’s been going on with me tomorrow. For now, here’s a quick note about today’s Mets-Cards game.

Enjoy

**********

IT was billed as a pitching duel between two of the modern
day greats and it did not fail to live up to the expectations as the New York
Mets edged the St Louis Cardinals 3-2 to take the series at Shea Stadium Citi Field.

Just one day after ripping the Cardinals for 11 runs on 16
hits, Johan Santana and the Mets came up against a much stiffer opponent in
Chris Carpenter.

The Mets have given Santana just 3.1 runs of support this
season, the third worst in the majors, but it was three important runs which
proved just enough to give the Mets their first series win in three weeks.

While Santana, who entered the game with an 8-5 record and
3.22 ERA, struggled with his command early on, Carp came out of the gates
flying, showing the Queens faithful why he is 5-1 so far this year.

Carp – who receives an equally dire 3.2 runs of support
during his starts – was backed by a rare 1^st inning run off of
Santana, but the Mets plated a trio of runs in the 4^th inning to
give them the lead they would not surrender.

Santana, who had allowed just two 1^st-inning runs
in his 13 previous starts coming in to today’s game, fell behind 1-0 on the
strength of two hits and a catcher’s interference.

Skip Schumacher scored from second base on Yadier Molina’s
RBI single to center field after Rick Ankiel was waved to first on catcher Omir
Santos’ error.

Carpenter started well and never eased up, gaining the upper
hand on his Cy Young counterpart until the Mets finally broke through in the 4^th
inning.

Carp didn’t allow a hit through the first three innings of
work and he threw just five balls compared to 27 strikes as he moved the Mets
down one after another.

But things were about to change thanks to some timely
hitting and a little bit of good fortune as the Mets rallied half way through
the game.

Luis Castillo singled and David Wright reached on an infield
single when his hard-hit ball up the middle rebounded off of the pitcher’s
glove and away from Joe Thurston.

Ryan Church grounded into a broken bat fielder’s choice to
Golden Glove Albert Pujols but Fernando Tatis singled to right field to draw
the Mets level.

Fernando Martinez advanced the runners to second and third
on a grounder to the left side of the infield and Nick Evans laced a two-run
double the other way to right field to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.

Thurston brought the Cardinals to within one run in the 6^th
inning when his two-out RBI single to center field scored Rick Ankiel.

Santana pitched through the 7^th inning despite a
rocky start to the game, finishing with seven hits, three walks and three
strikeouts, giving up two runs – one earned.

Pedro Feliciano pitched around a leadoff single to preserve
the lead in the 8^th inning

That returned the momentum to the Mets who loaded the bases in
the bottom of the frame but failed to add to their slim advantage.

Denny Reyes, who came in
relief of the fantastic Carpenter, gave a lead off single to Daniel
Murphy and followed it two batters later with a walk to Luis Castillo.

McClellan replaced Reyes
but walked David Wright and leftie Trever Miller then came in to strikeout Ryan
Church with the bases loaded.

Jason Motte, the fourth Red Birds pitcher of the inning,
completed St Louis’ escapology act by getting Tatis to pop up to end the
inning.

Francisco Rodriguez then recorded his lead-tying 20^th
save of the season, despite back-to-back two-out walks to Pujols and Ludwick,
earning Santana his NL lead-tying ninth win of the year.

It was a game played the way baseball should be played. With a month left until the break, let’s hope the Mets can produce more of the same.

The mother of four was pronounced dead in their Arizona home shortly after noon and I know the whole baseball community will be shocked and saddened by the news.

I can’t begin to imagine how a family could come to terms with a loss like this, but I’m sure they will have all the love and support in the world. Stay strong.

The Pirates did reduce the arrears in the 9th inning when McLouth hit a two-run home run off of Shaun Green, but Green retired the next three batters he faced to give the Mets their seventh consecutive win.