Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

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There’s No Place Like Home

September 29, 2018

Done! The Yankees secured the WC home field advantage last night in the opener at Fenway. Whew. I was worried about them having to fly out to Oakland, but now they’ll play the winner-take-all contest on Wednesday night at 8pm ET in the comfy confines of the Stadium with its even comfier short porch in right field.

What’s more, they hit enough homers last night – including Judge’s first after his too-long stint on the DL – to set a record for homers in a single season. Hoorah. Hitting them against the Red Sox last night only made the Janer – yes, they scored 11 runs – that much sweeter.

But now the nerves set in. Wednesday night will be a pressure cooker. Who will pitch? I vote for Happ to start. Severino is my second choice and Tanaka is third. I think Happ has been the most consistent of the three, last night’s grand slam to Pearce notwithstanding. I just hope the relievers will bring their A game.

I’m not happy that Sanchez and his tendency to allow passed balls will be catching, but I guess if he brings a hot bat it’ll be OK. Didi seemed to manage his wrist brace well enough last night, but between now and Wednesday everybody needs to stay healthy. Boone will rest the starting players and use subs this weekend, which will help. But personally, if somebody’s hot I think he should keep playing to maintain the momentum and not get rusty.

So, another season, another postseason. I just hope it lasts more than one game :)

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: home field advantage, Oakland A's, Red Sox, Wild Card, Yankee Stadium, Yankees

Our Excellent Legends Adventure

May 12, 2016

Legends seats (1)

Thanks to Michael’s sister, Lawson Forester, we sat in Yankee Stadium’s best, cushiest, and priciest seats in the house last night. (The wide angle lens on the iPhone isn’t exactly flattering, but I took the selfie anyway.)

Positioned perfectly just to the third base side of home plate, we could see every aspect of the finale (reader Darren just reminded me it wasn’t the finale – there’s another game tonight) against the Royals as if we were on the field. Unfortunately, what we saw on that field wasn’t so hot. Pineda got into the trouble in the first inning and things went downhill from there. I’ve been calling him Piñata lately, reminiscent of my nickname for Eduardo Scissorhands. He’s capable of pitching really well, but sure hasn’t shown it so far this season.

But let me back up to the fun before the game. We arrived early, so we could have dinner in one of the fabled Legends Suites dining rooms. First impression? Sheer gluttony. The concept of “all you can eat” has never appealed to me. Neither has buffet-style dining. I much prefer being served at a restaurant, so call me a food snob if you must but there it is.

Our server, Marcos, was a doll. So thoughtful, so accommodating. We loved him and he ended up telling us his whole life story. (This happens to me wherever I go. Michael calls me The Interrogator.) He brought me a glass of terrific Malbec and explained the food setup. And then off we went to get some grub.

The raw bar was top on the list of Must-Try items. We loaded up with shrimp, primarily. They were big but limp and not cold enough. (I warned you. I’m a food snob, and I care about quality more than quantity.)

Next, Michael headed straight for the carving station as he’d been salivating at the very thought of sliced rare beef. He wasn’t disappointed, although he was hoping for tenderloin, not flank steak. He gave the mashed potatoes a thumbs-up.

Not seeing a fish entree, I ordered up the roast chicken “au jus” that came without any “jus.” It was tender but absolutely flavorless. No salt and pepper. No seasoning whatsoever. I might as well have been eating hospital food. The featured side dish was – I kid you not – peas and corn. I could have opened a bag of Bird’s Eye frozen stuff and it would have tasted the same. Disappointing. Our buddy Marcos told us they were experimenting with different chefs and had gotten numerous complaints about the food, so I wasn’t the only whiner. But the salads were winners. (I know. How does someone get excited about salads? I did.) I had a delicious arugula salad with grilled peaches and feta cheese and a fantastic quinoa salad with black beans and scallions.

In the dessert category, we shared a slice of carrot cake (Michael loved it), an Oreo cake (meh) and, once at our seats, a banana sundae (satisfying).

But as much fun as the dining room was watching Yankee fans loading up their plates and then going back for more, what we enjoyed the most was being at the game. The Legends seats are swell – super comfortable and right there for all the action. It was a terrific night. Thanks again, Lawsie. xo

 

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: Legends Suites, Michael Pineda, Royals, Yankee Stadium, Yankees

Hip Hip Farewell

January 24, 2012

Well, we knew after the last game of the 2011 season that Jorge would be emotional…

http://youtu.be/ix5zBkfPSqc

And while he got through the beginning of his press conference at Yankee Stadium today without choking up, he did shed a tear (as did I) when he spoke about his parents.

A few random thoughts as I watched the proceedings:

  1. I’ll miss Jorge a lot, obviously. He’ll always be a True Yankee. Even Jason Varitek said so. (Check out boston.com. I don’t have the link handy.)
  2. Mrs. Munson was the essence of grace and dignity, and I loved her speech.
  3. I was glad the Steinbrenners showed up.
  4. Jeter looked like he’d been hit by a truck; I thought he’d cry for sure.
  5. Mo was dapper in one of those Italian suits he wears in the magazine ads.
  6. Where was Andy?
  7. I couldn’t believe one of the writers asked if Jorge would be making a comeback. LOL.
  8. They really should have done the presser with subtitles for those of us who don’t speak/understand Spanish.
  9. There’s no way not to cry during the retirement announcement of a great Yankee. No way at all.

 

 

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: Jorge Posada, press conference, retirement, Spanish, Yankee Stadium, Yankees

Why The Yankees Will Beat The Tigers

September 29, 2011

Yes, Verlander is a great pitcher.

Yes, Cabrera is a scarier hitter than Jose Bautista.

Yes, our friend Austin Jackson was the kid we hated to give up.

And yes, they have position players like Martinez and Polanco and some setup guy that’s supposed to be as good as D-Rob, plus a closer that dances around the mound after a save.

Photo: Paul Sancya/AP

Doesn’t Verlander look like Luke Wilson, btw?

OK, maybe not.

Anyhow, yes, the Tigers have a lot of strengths, including manager Jim Leyland, who’s always been a favorite of mine. He’s not just a tough guy. He cries, people.

But the Yankees are, quite simply, the Yankees. Detroit may have beaten us in 2006, but we’re  a different team this year. A better team. There’s no dead wood, nobody who makes me roll my eyes every time I see him. (Well, except for Eduardo Scissorhands, but I know I’m in the minority there.) We’re solid. Not perfect, but no team is. We have a nice combination of veterans and newbies, along with players who are right in their prime. And we have a really good bench for a change.

Most of all, especially for Games 1 and 2, we have these.

Oh, and we have one more reason to win: me. I have no interest in writing a sad blog post about how we lost.

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: ALDS 2011, Jim Leyland, Jose Valverde, Justin Verlander, mystique and aura, Tigers, Yankee Stadium, Yankees

So Who’s Going To Tomorrow’s Game? Last Call.

August 24, 2011

Audrey is going, right? And YankeeCase? Leo too? And maybe Melissa? If so, we need a meet-up place prior to the first pitch.

Alternatively, I’ll be in Section 104, row 17, in case anybody wants to just stop by and say hello.

The forecast is not good, and I am not amused!

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: Yankee Stadium, Yankees Versus A's

So Who's Going To Tomorrow's Game? Last Call.

August 24, 2011

Audrey is going, right? And YankeeCase? Leo too? And maybe Melissa? If so, we need a meet-up place prior to the first pitch.

Alternatively, I’ll be in Section 104, row 17, in case anybody wants to just stop by and say hello.

The forecast is not good, and I am not amused!

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: Yankee Stadium, Yankees Versus A's

Rain, Rain And More Rain

August 14, 2011

It’s been pouring here (am I allowed to miss sunny California for a day?), so there was no baseball. But Friend of the Blog John sent this pic from his vacation in Red Sox Country where there was plenty of sun.

Note his Yankees paraphernalia – including the umbrella. He wanted us to know that the umbrella was a sanctuary for other Yankee fans at the beach and that he became known among the locals as “the Yankee Guy.” I wonder why.

I finally have my date for a trip to Yankee Stadium nailed down: Thursday, August 25th – a day game against the A’s. If anyone else plans to be there, I hope you’ll come say hello. I’ll be sitting out in Swisher country this time, thanks to season tickets holder and my Twitter friend Mark Schwartz (@SchwartzsLaw), who was kind enough to offer up his seats. I’m starting my conversation with Mother Nature right now, because I do not want it to rain on my parade!

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: Yankee Stadium, Yankees

Premiering Tonight On Comedy Central…

January 11, 2011



With absolutely nothing going on in Yankeeville, I think the Onion’s new show parodying ESPN will be the perfect way to fill the void and I intend to watch the show’s debut tonight. The folks at the Onion always deliver laughs. Remember this vid about the new Yankee Stadium?



“Artisan crafted sunflower seeds dispensers.” LOL. “Gazebo covered on-deck circles.” HAHAHA. If the new show is half as funny as this spoof was, I’ll have a very enjoyable evening.


Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: Comedy Central, Onion Sports Dome, Yankee Stadium, Yankees

Sunny Days Will Be Here Again: A Happy Post

January 8, 2011

Since we’re all feeling a little impatient/perplexed/downright angry about the Yankees’ off-season thus far, I figured I’d lighten the mood with a bulletin: It’s almost spring training, which means it’s almost Opening Day. I know, I know. I’m not the only one with a calendar, but I just might be one of the only ones with a preview of the new Yankee Stadium E-Guide, which is the fantastic creation of Kurt Smith as part of his BallparkE-Guides series.

(courtesy BallparkEGuides.com)

Each e-guide is a detailed, PDF-formatted booklet that takes us through our favorite parks in a way that teams’ official programs and web sites don’t. For example, at Yankee Stadium you can’t get back into the ballpark once you leave, right? Wrong. Thanks to a tip in the Yankee Stadium E-Guide, I learned that if you enter via the Hard Rock Cafe and have your ticket punched there, you can come and go as often as you want. The E-Guide has insider info about buying tickets, paying less for tickets, figuring out what and where the best food is, not to mention getting to the Bronx without stress. It’s all here and it’s only five bucks, downloadable from Kurt’s site. I’ll definitely consult the Yankee Stadium E-Guide before my next visit to the Stadium.

Speaking of which, I predict that the Yanks will, indeed, end up signing Rafael Soriano.

(courtesy Greg Flume - Getty Images)

Why? Because there’s precedent for bringing in a proven closer as our setup guy. Does the name Tom Gordon ring a bell? He worked out pretty well setting up for Mo even though he’d been a closer for the Red Sox. Despite Cashman’s comments about staying “in-house” for the eighth inning and trying to avoid an expensive LaTroy Hawkins or Kyle Farnsworth-type flop, Soriano is no Hawkins or Farnsworth. He’d fit the bill just fine.

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: BallparkEGuides, Brian Cashman, Hard Rock Cafe, Rafael Soriano, Rays, Yankee Stadium, Yankees

The New Year Ushered In A New Yankees Friendship

January 1, 2011

I’m relieved to say I survived last night’s New Year’s Eve karaoke party. Actually, I not only survived but ended up having a really great time. Our hosts were gracious, everyone was in the holiday spirit and, once the machine started shooting out song after song, we all got into it. (Alcohol helped.) I’m hoarse today, so I must have been belting them out without realizing it. Anyhow, as promised, here are a couple of guests covering the Beatles. (Notice the guy in the background with the beard and glasses? That’s Michael, who claimed he didn’t sing, but as it’s plain to see he was moving his lips!)



Next up were our hosts (I promised I wouldn’t reveal their names so they wouldn’t be mortified). I hardly remembered the song “King of the Road” by Roger Miller but now I can’t get the damn thing out of my head.



The party was moving right along toward midnight when suddenly the karaoke machine started playing Neil Diamond’s….you guessed it….”Sweet Caroline.” I immediately held my ears and yelled, “God, no! Not that awful Red Sox song! I’m a Yankee fan!”

“You are?” asked Steve, one of the other guests.

“Absolutely,” I said, a little wary of admitting my allegiance in a town where most people root for the Dodgers or Angels.

“So am I,” said Steve, who explained that he grew up in Connecticut and has been a Yankee fan his whole life. “I’m really worried about the team going forward. The Red Sox made so many moves and we didn’t. I still can’t believe we didn’t get Cliff Lee.”

Well, that led to a discussion of the Bombers and our concern about the pitching, etc. Before we knew it, the TV came on and Ryan Seacrest was in Times Square counting down to midnight – and Frank Sinatra was in the background singing “New York, New York.”

“Now that song makes me feel a lot better,” I said. “We could be at Yankee Stadium right now.”

Which was not a bad way to end the evening.

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: Angels, Beatles, Cliff Lee, Dodgers, karaoke, King of the Road, Neil Diamond, New Year's Eve, Red Sox, Roger Miller, Ryan Seacrest, Santa Barbara, Sweet Caroline, Yankee Stadium, Yankees

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About Jane Heller

Jane Heller is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her fourteen breezy, witty novels of romantic comedy and suspense are now entertaining millions of readers around the world, along with her two books of nonfiction.

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