Also, note that MLB’s new charitable campaign, called 4 ALS Awareness, to combat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” will culminate today, which is the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s famous farewell speech at Yankee Stadium. More via Marc Carig -

Players, coaches and umpires from all across baseball will wear a 4 ALS patch. A 4 ALS log will also appear on first base at ever ballpark, which will later be auctioned off to raise funds for research. A video to commemorate specially created to commemorate the event be played before every game.

The Yankees will recognize Michael Goldsmith, a baseball fan who lobbied for the creation of the 4 ALS program. The Yankees Foundation is also planning to make a $25,000 donation to the ALS Foundation of New York.

And, of course, Happy 79th Birthday to Big Stein today!

Lastly, enjoy the holiday today and drive safe!

An upcoming promotion by the Rays’ Hudson Valley (N.Y.) minor-league team has turned into a bit of a battle of the sexes.

The (aptly named) Renegades planned Tuesday’s promotion to honor women by keeping men outside the gates for the first five innings, dressing their male employees in ladies clothing and offering spa treatments.

The idea, hatched by Tyler Tumminia, a female executive with the ownership group, was to spotlight women in baseball (Yankees assistant general manager Jean Afterman will throw out the first pitch) and salute the purchasing power of female fans.

But then the naysayers started squawking, with Duchess County officials requesting the promotion be canceled due to human rights issues and a sponsor, the New York Lottery, asking out (though several others bought in just for the night).

“It’s gotten a bit overblown,” said team president Jeff Goldklang, who has no plans to cancel. “We’re a bit surprised. We were trying to have a little fun, create a unique kind of Ladies Night and poke a little fun at the political correctness that’s taken over.”

Throwing out the first pitch at a home game for the Tampa Bay Rays Short-Season A-Ball Affiliate?

My, that Jean Afterman, she does get around, doesn’t she?

You know, the Yankees have now won 8 of their last 9 games. But, on the whole, I still feel like their offense is not clicking on all cylinders. Over the last 6 games, it feels like they’ve been somewhat pedestrian with the lumber and often scoring on breaks/errors/bad plays and not scoring enough when big innings seem to be developing. Again, this is just a “feel” thing – so, it could just be me?

For what it’s worth, in terms of facts, New York has now scored 75 runs in their last 16 games – and that’s an average of 4.7 runs per game. And, coming into this game, the American League average for runs scored per game was 4.79 (R/G).

O.K., I just checked – and the Yankees are scoring 4.8 runs per game in their last six games – again, right about league average.

In the end, I guess we should say “Thank goodness for the Yankees good pitching lately,” right?

To this day, if I close my eyes, I can quickly remember the feeling of sitting in Yankee Stadium, as a 13-year old, with my father, watching the Yankees play with Munson at bat and runners on base.

During these moments, my heart would race – where it felt like it was about to jump out of my chest (because it was beating so hard and fast). Why? Because I wanted Thurman to come through…as he was “my guy.”

And, more times than not, Munson did the job.

It’s been so many years, but, in this memory, I can still see Munson slapping a line drive into right field, as if he was picking the ball out of opposing catcher’s mitt with his bat, waiting until the last minute to go the other way with the pitch, with Yankees runners rounding third and coming home to score…man, talk about pure exhilaration…that was it.

Being such a Munson fan, I was (and still am) very interested in learning more about him.

Granted, back in 1978, Thurman Munson did publish an autobiography (with Marty Appel). However, that was more of your typical “baseball biography” in the sense that it told us what Thurman wanted us to hear and is what many would consider to be a “comfortable” read. Plus, the book only covered the Thurman Munson story through the winter of 1977-78. And, we know that’s not where his story ends.

Further, in 2001, Christopher Devine authored a biography “Thurman Munson.” However, while I found Devine’s book to be incredibly well sourced, I did not find the book to be “gripping” – and, for someone like me, a huge Munson fan, that’s a bad sign.

Basically, for the last three decades or so, I’ve been waiting for the ultimate book covering the entire story of Thurman Munson. And, now, thanks to Marty Appel, with his new book “Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain,” we have what I have been waiting for…all these years.

With this new book – to be released on July 7, 2009 – Appel provides us with the complete account of Thurman Munson’s life and untimely passing…with no holds barred.

With this work, we get to see the many facets of Munson’s life: Thurman as a ball player, a friend, the family man and a real estate entrepreneur. And, we get to see the good and the bad sides of the man. This includes getting to see Thurman as the everyday likeable guy who eats Oreos and milk for breakfast, watches the Three Stooges, sings commercial jingles to himself, has a terrible sense of fashion, and who would go out of his way to help people (with no fanfare whatsoever). But, we also get to see Thurman as someone who was somewhat insecure at times, cursed at sportswriters, gave the fans “the finger” during a game, cut many of the dysfunctional family members out of his life, and who once fired a gun in the Yankee Stadium parking lot.

Also, with this biography, Appel provides a superior account of the complete Thurman Munson timeline – bringing us from Munson’s youth, through his time with the Yankees, to covering his tragic death in terms of the event itself and the impact it had on many (both inside and outside the Munson circle).

But, what I enjoyed most about “Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain” is how the story is told. In the book, Appel uses his own voice as well as those of many others who knew Thurman – including his teammates and friends. And, many of these sources are people who most were never aware (until now) as being a big part of Munson’s life or parties that you would not expect to have some insight on the Munson story.

Also, I found this book to be acutely accurate with its facts and figures. Being diehard Yankees fan, as well as a long-time baseball fan in general, I am often a stickler about landmark baseball books (such as this one) being careful with the presentation of data – especially when it pertains to the Yankees (with that being my area of fan expertise). Related, the only issue I had with my review copy of this one could be found on page 128 where it said that Munson batted .435 in the 1976 World Series – when, actually, he batted .529 in that World Series and .435 was his batting average in the 1976 A.L.C.S. (But, this is a very small faux pas when you consider the amount of detail correctly stated in this book.)

In summary, I would offer that “Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain” is a must read for any Yankees fan over the age of forty, a highly recommended read for Yankees fans of any age, and a recommended read for anyone interested in baseball and a very well-done story about one of more notable players from the last half-century of the game’s history.

This book will engross, entertain, enlighten and “touch” you all at the same time. It’s too bad that we had to wait 30 years for a book like this on Thurman Munson. But, now that its here, I cannot imagine a better one ever being done compared to the job Marty Appel did with “Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain.”

Oh, and, Russell Branyan hit a “restaurant quality” (as Ken Singleton called it) homer (banging it off the Mohegan Sun sports bar in center) against Alfredo Aceves in the 9th inning. Betcha that woke up a lot of people who were watching the game on T.V., and who fell asleep as the fans in Yankee Stadium were being equally bored doing the wave…

That was the first time a batter has reached the Mohegan Sun with a homer at the new Yankee Stadium.

Now comes an interesting run on the Yankees schedule: Four day games in a row against the Blue Jays – when was the last time the Yankees played four day games in a row? – followed by three games on the rug and under the lid in Minny and then three games way out west in Los Angeles (before the All-Star break).

I have to wonder if any Yankees players will get into trouble having four nights off, in a row, while the team is in New York? Is the Copacabana still open?

O.K., true story that has nothing to do with the Yankees or baseball, but, one I have to share: A church around the corner from me is holding one of those 6-day Annual Fairs that features games, rides, raffles, food, etc. So, me, my wife, our 7-year old daughter and 5-year old son decided to check it out.

One of the rides there was “The Flying Bobs.” (If you’ve never seen it, check out the video below.) Basically, this thing whips you around, fast, at times tilting you to the side, as you sit in it, two in a tub – and then it does it again, but this time in reverse, just as fast, etc.

My daughter decided that she wanted to ride “The Flying Bobs” – and, since she’s just seven, I joined her on this one.

As we’re on line, waiting our turn to ride it, I was watching the people riding it (before us). And, as this thing is whipping around, I noticed a young girl (probably around 14-years old), sitting with another girl, riding “The Flying Bobs” and “texting” someone on her mobile device at the same time. Simply, unbelievable – but true.

What can possibly be next?

After weeks of dead-end trade proposals Brian Cashman finally has a live one. It’s July 31, the last day of Major League Baseball’s midsummer trading period. Cashman was awakened in Darien at six this morning by his 1-year-old son, and watching The Wiggles with Teddy seemed like the only fun Cashman would have all day. What the 37-year-old general manager of the Yankees has to look forward to, mostly, is being quizzed by his boss, George Steinbrenner, as other teams announce deals: Why’d the Marlins get him? Why don’t we want him?

Now, with one hour to go before the trading deadline, in his narrow office above home plate at Yankee Stadium, where the walls are lined with the color-coded names of every big-league player, Cashman finds himself on the verge of moving erratic pitcher Jose Contreras to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for right-hander Esteban Loaiza.

Just before hustling downstairs to the clubhouse to talk to Contreras—whose contract gives him the right to block the deal—Cashman makes another call on his BlackBerry. It’s to one of his best friends in baseball, San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers. “What’s up, dude?” Cashman asks, constantly panning for useful information. “I’m talking to the White Sox,” Towers says, “about getting Loaiza and spinning him off to Boston to get us Derek Lowe.”

Uh-oh. Losing out on Loaiza would be disappointing, but not fatal. Losing him to the Red Sox, on the other hand—in Steinbrenner’s world, that’s a hanging offense. Cashman hangs up, speed-dials Kenny Williams. The White Sox general manager says Contreras remains his first choice. Hmmm.

Contreras signs off on the trade, and with one minute to go before the deadline, Anthony Flynn, a Yankees aide, faxes in the official documents. “Conversation, man, that’s key,” Cashman says. “Just stay communicating; you might get lucky. It’s that old principle: One man’s shit is another man’s ice cream.”

Oh, if only the Red Sox had been able to trade Derek Lowe for Esteban Loaiza back in July of 2004…

Part of the fun of Manny Ramirez’ return to the Dodgers, scheduled for Friday night, will be the exposure of Charley Steiner as a hypocrite. Michael Kay was the first to go down, and Charley’s next.

At the height of Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the home-run records, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow made lively, enthusiastic calls on the Giants’ network. They always loved Bonds as a ballplayer. They knew that whatever the extent of his plunge into steroids, it didn’t tarnish his reputation as one of the greatest and most entertaining hitters of all time. Most of the Giants’ fans knew this, as well, and they cheered their hearts out whenever he went deep. Kuiper’s home-run calls, in particular, go down with the most inspiring of modern-day broadcasting.

It seems this didn’t go over too well in other cities. Kay, who anchors the Yankees’ telecasts, ripped Krukow and Kuiper in a public forum for getting so excited over a steroid guy. Steiner, part of the Dodgers’ radio team, made some equally rude comments (off the air), establishing himself as a real high-and-mighty beacon of integrity.

Except it doesn’t work that way. Alex Rodriguez opened the season in disgrace after the steroid-related embarrassment of spring training, but that didn’t stop Kay from going nuts when A-Rod slugged his first home run. Presto — instant hypocrite! Now we get to hear Steiner when Manny rocks Dodger Stadium for the first time. What, he’s going to treat it like a funeral while the place is going crazy?

I’ve known Kay since his days as a Yankee beat writer in New York, and he’s a good guy. So is Steiner, who livened up many an ESPN “SportsCenter” before he joined the Dodgers. Ripping the Giants’ broadcasting team, to say the least, was not their finest hour.

I cannot blame a broadcaster for getting excited about a player on “his team” hitting a homer, etc., even if the player was caught for using PEDs. That’s pretty much their job. That said, Jenkins has a point here – in that said broadcasters should not have thrown stones, if they really did, at another time.

Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if Kay responds to this claim. Nothing like a little coast-to-coast media tinkling contest to throw another log on the Yankeeland entertainment/circus fire, right?

Joe Dunand Jr.’s nickname is Lil’ Joe, but you might as well call him Lil’ A-Rod.

Dunand Jr., a 13-year-old slugger, is A-Rod’s nephew. He’s also a 5-9, 140-pound spitting image of the Bombers’ third baseman.

His father, Joe Dunand Sr., is Rodriguez’s half-brother.

“He looks more like his son than mine,” Dunand Sr. said half-jokingly earlier this week as his son took batting practice at Jose Martinez’s Baseball Made Simple Academy in the Bronx. A-Rod’s nephew has a smooth, powerful swing for a 13-year-old, finishing with the same high follow-through as his uncle.

“He’s got great aptitude and he’s got nice pop in his bat,” said Martinez, who tutors some of the area’s top young players at his academy. “He picks things up quick and he works hard. Unless you tell him ’stop,’ he’s going to keep going.”

Dunand Jr. lives in Miami and usually spends his summers there, but he has been staying at his father’s place in the Bronx for the past few weeks to work with Martinez on refining his swing while playing shortstop for coach Steve Bort’s Bergen Beach 13s – the same youth team A-Rod played for as a teen.

It will be interesting to see if A-Rod and Dunand follow the Dwight Gooden/Gary Sheffield route in terms of being an uncle/nephew combo to star in baseball. Then again, this could end up like Rico Carty/Julio Santana, Dan Driessen/Gerald Perry, or Phil Niekro/Lance Niekro.

Hey, we in Yankeeland – at least most of us – remember the Larry Bowa/Nick Johnson and Gene Mauch/Roy Smalley Jr. uncle/nephew combos. But, did you know that Yankee nemesis Kevin Millar is the nephew of former big leaguer Wayne Nordhagen? I just learned that today.

And, Wayne Nordhagen was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 7th round of the 1968 amateur draft. He was later traded in 1973 by the Yankees (with Frank Tepedino, Dave Cheadle, and Al Closter) to the Atlanta Braves for Pat Dobson. So, I guess Millar has a Yankees connection, of sorts. Yuck.