Yankees blamieren sich beim Season Opener in der Bronx

1,5 Milliarden Dollar für ein neues Stadion, mehr als $ 400 Mio. für neue Stars: Die Yankees hatten sich für diese MLB-Saison nicht gerade wenig vorgenommen. Das Vorhaben ist jedoch aufs Erste gescheitert. Nach der Auftaktpleite in Baltimore gegen die Orioles (5:10) vermasselten am Donnerstag die Cleveland Indians den Yankees die Eröffnung der neuen prunkvollen Arena.

48.271 Zuschauer sahen ein erschütterndes 2:10 gegen den Aussenseiter (double digits again). Teilweise hatten die Fans 2625 Dollar für ein Ticket bezahlt.

«Das ist nicht gerade das, was wir erwartet haben», meinte Yankees-Manager Joe Girardi, «aber die Geschichte des neuen Stadions sollte nicht durch ein Spiel vorbestimmt sein.» Im alten Stadion hatten die Yankees 85 Jahre gespielt und 26 Mal die World Series gewonnen.

Den ersten Homerun im Neuen Yankee Stadium schlug übrigens Jorge Posada der Catcher der «Pinstripes». Dam' I hate the Yankees!

Die Tigers haben übrigens ihren Season Opener im Comerica Park mit 15:2 gegen die Texas Rangers gewonnen. Und dies in diesem Jahr ohne die «Big three» als Sponsoren.

D-Pride: Always a Tiger!

Another little history in cricket

Die «Rockstars of Cricket» aus Indien hat also den Test (inkl. ODI's) gegen New Zealand mit 1:0 gewonnen und wieder einmal Cricket-Geschichte geschrieben. Congratulations: A job well done by professional India.

Hier eine Zusammenfassung von Sidharth Monga, die ich euch in englischer Sprache poste. So kommt es meiner Meinung nach einfach viel besser «rüber»:

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The final Test of the series summed up where India and New Zealand stood with regard to history and Test rankings.

India, not having won a Test series in New Zealand for more than 41 years, shed the daredevilry that has become their trademark of late and went for safety first. It showed how much series wins outside the subcontinent, rare as they have been, mean to an Indian team. You can't really dump all the historical baggage.

With a little help from the weather, New Zealand hung on, which will give them some satisfaction, a mini-milestone for a team on a long road to recovery after sudden retirements and an abrupt changing of the guard. The emergence of Jesse Ryder and the return of Chris Martin will be their biggest gains.

The series confirmed the ICC Test rankings, but in Napier, New Zealand showed they could not be written off as a Test side. After their capitulation in Hamilton, a 3-0 result had become a distinct possibility. In application New Zealand might have lacked, in talent they didn't. But as usual they left their followers wondering which was the real New Zealand: one that almost won in Napier or the one that almost lost next week in Wellington? Did they play above themselves in Napier, or did they under-perform in Wellington? We will know over the next year or two.

The series overall wasn't one that made neutrals sit up and take notice, as did Australia and South Africa in back-to-back series. New Zealand fought over seven days out of the 14 days of cricket. But those seven days made for compelling viewing, Ryder and Daniel Vettori thwarting India's charge on day one, Ryder and Ross Taylor setting up a huge total in Napier, and Martin and Co surprising India on the first day in Wellington. That India survived those days was crucial to the 1-0 result. And those should be the days to remember the series by.

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Go Blackcaps!