Highbridge News: A Rare #Yankee Stadium Victory for NYCFC

Highbridge News: A Rare #Yankee Stadium Victory for NYCFC: A Rare #Yankee Stadium Victory for NYCFC  By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The two MLS freshman clubs of the 2015 se...

A Rare #Yankee Stadium Victory for NYCFC

A Rare #Yankee Stadium Victory for NYCFC 

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The two MLS freshman clubs of the 2015 season, NYC FC (6‐9‐6) and Orlando City SC (6‐9‐6), met for the second time this year on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Their first meeting was their first match of the season, a 1‐1 draw, before a huge crowd of more than 62,000 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

Judging by the play earlier in the season, it appeared Orlando would be the favorite. The visitors have the second best record on the road while NYC has the worst home mark.

A large crowd of 32,041 were present for Latin American day celebration. Latino students were honored. The very talented City Beats, a 15-piece band that entertains fans across the street before all contests and during the matches in the Stadium, played a medley of Latin music during the halftime intermission. New York Yankees fans received a thrill of again seeing Yankees icon Bernie Williams on the field as he performed the National Anthem. The talented musician exhibited his skill on the guitar by his excellent rendition.

The soccer fans had a wonderful opportunity to see several world renowned superstars during the contest. Kaká of Orlando was the FIFA Player of the Year in 2007, Andrea Pirlo of NYC, in his first match with them, was on the 2006 World Cup Champs and David Villa was on the 2010 World Cup winners.

The first goal came in the closing minute of the first half on a shot by Viila, his 11th of the season. Goals came much more quickly in the second half. Cyle Larin, a Canadian, scored the first of his three goals to tie the game in the 50th minute. The score was knotted again in the 61st minute after both teams scored. After two more NYC goals in the following 10 minutes, the home victory was ensured. Although Villa scored twice and Kwadwo Poku had three assists, the post‐game attention was given to Italian international Piro in his first contest for NYC.

NYC coach Jason Kreis said of Pirlo, “He’s a special player. He can really open up the game. He made a big difference for us today after only four days of practice.”

His new teammate, Villa, also was fulsome in praise, “It was fantastic to play with him today. There are very few players at that level. He will give a lot of confidence to the young players.”

Another new international addition, Frank Lampard, may soon the club.

The 5‐3 victory was very important to NYC as the three points tie them with Orlando for 6th place. Six teams in each division qualify for the playoffs.

#Soccer #NYCFC #YankeeStadium

Gunman shoots up Bronx street caught on tape

Highbridge News: #Bronx Bloodshed At The BBQ,

Highbridge News: #Bronx Bloodshed At The BBQ,: #Bronx Bloodshed At The BBQ, Six Wounded on The Grand Concourse By David Greene Five teens and one adult were w...

#Bronx Bloodshed At The BBQ,

#Bronx Bloodshed At The BBQ,

Six Wounded on The Grand Concourse

By David Greene

Five teens and one adult were wounded during an illegal midnight barbecue at Franz Sigel Park, in the Concourse Village section of the borough.

Police and EMS were called to the Grand Concourse and East 153 Street, at just after midnight on July 20. Arriving paramedics discovered three victims at the scene.

One victim was reportedly discovered across the street at 730 Grand Concourse and another victim was discovered at East 161 Street, across the street from Bronx Supreme Court. One victim removed himself to Lincoln Hospital.

Officials say the victims included five young men and one woman, five of the victims were teens and one victim was a 20 year-old man.

Police say a 17-year-old male was shot in the right knee, a 16 year-old was hit in the right leg and another slug tore through the forearm of another 16 year-old. The 20-year-old victim was shot in the left calf and the female victim was struck in the right thigh. A 14 year-old was also shot in the left foot.

All of the victims were being treated at Lincoln Hospital and Bronx Lebanon Hospital and none of the injuries were thought to be life-threatening.

Detectives were reportedly looking for the lone gunman seen running from the scene after the shooting. Sources say police had taken an unidentified 19 year-old male to the 44th Precinct for questioning, but that could not be confirmed.

Several trays of untouched food were left at the parks entrance across the street from Cardinal Hayes High School-- as the large crowd quickly dispersed when the gunfire began.

The bloody barbecue capped an end to another bloody weekend in which five people were murdered across the city, including two people shot dead in seperate shootings in the Bronx.

The shooting comes a month after 350 officers were taken off of desk duty and moved to street patrol as part of the"Summer All Out" program, which puts additional police officers in high-crime areas such as Concourse Village.

Police officials could not immediately say how many of the 330 officers were sent to the 44th Precinct.

One area resident claimed there was gunfire the night before at the local McDonald's and two weeks earlier a man was shot dead on Gerard Avenue. The resident added, "I stay away when they barbecue and this is why."

A second resident who slept through the gunfire, added, "There's always something going on in that park."

The park which closes at dusk, sits behind the Bronx Supreme Court and is named after German-born educator Franz Sigel, who taught in the New York City public school system and co-founded the German-American Institute.  

Highbridge News: Cops Coming to Reduce Crime

Highbridge News: Cops Coming to Reduce Crime: City Hall Finally Listens to Wakefield  Cops Coming to Reduce Crime By Robert Press BRONX, NEW ...

Cops Coming to Reduce Crime

City Hall Finally Listens to Wakefield 

Cops Coming to Reduce Crime

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK,JULY 16- Elizabeth Gill, President of the 47th Precinct Council, demanded action when crime was going way up last year in the 47th Precinct, and it seems that City Hall heard her.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton came to Cardinal Spellman High School to explain the new 'Summer All Out' police department program. It is a three-month program called 'Summer All Out' in the 10 highest crime police precincts. The mayor and police commissioner praised the new program that was started last month. Crime decreased in the 47th Precinct in Wakefield with shootings down 70 percent for the past month.

In the past the Mayor said that there was a chain of command that had to be gone through to change the deployment of police officers in a precinct. Now that red tape has been cut to allow for an almost instant redeployment of officers where they may be needed when problems pop up. The 47th Precinct has been assigned 26 additional officers for three months, and several other officers commonly refereed to as 'House Mouse Officers' have also been deployed into the streets of the precinct. In all there are 330 additional officers that have been sent to the 10 precincts in the 'Summer All Out' Program which began on June 8th. Other Bronx police precincts in this three month program are the 43rd, 44th, and 46th according to Bronx Assistant Chief Commanding Officer Larry Nikunen. 

Deputy Inspector Stevenson of the 47th Pct. had only praise for his police officers, and he thanked 47th Pct. Council President Elizabeth Gill for her help in getting his command the much needed manpower to reduce the high crime rate. 

Commissioner Bratton spoke of how the NYPD must keep coming up with new strategies to keep ahead of the bad guys. However when asked the question - that it looks like the first thing that the new street officers are doing is looking at car registration and inspection stickers when they arrive on their beat. I then said that to me it looks like these officers might have a ticket quota to fill. 

Commissioner Bratton fired back to me, 'Well that's what it looks like to you', and then stepped away from the podium without any real answer. I asked one of the new officers the same question, and was told if the situation warrants a summons it will be given. 47th Pct. Commanding Officer Stevenson said 'No Comment' when I asked him the same question.  

#NYPD #MayordeBlasio #Bratton #SummerAllOut #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Blaz hails record # of affordable housing units

Highbridge News: Blaz hails record # of affordable housing units: Blaz hails  record # of affordable housing units By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 13- Mayor deBlasi...

Blaz hails record # of affordable housing units

Blaz hails record # of affordable housing units

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 13- Mayor deBlasio took a victory lap in the Bronx to hail the record number of affordable housing units created on his watch.

In an announcement in front of a 66-unit affordable housing building, located at 950 Summit Avenue (just north of Yankee Stadium), Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Bronx Borough President, and many local Bronx elected officials cheered that more affordable housing were created last year than since 1978. 

Mayor de Blasio said, “This is real progress, in real time, for real families. Together with the city council, community based organizations, and the private sector this will remain a city for everyone.” 

Speaker Mark-Viverito said, "It is imperative that we proactively protect affordability in our communities.” 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said that his office will continue to work with the de Blasio administration to plan and build new affordable housing units that work for the people of the Bronx. 

Other Bronx elected officials on hand included Congressman Jose Serrano, State Senator Jose Marcos Serrano, Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, Assembly members Latoya Joiner (who thanked the Rent Guidelines Board for its rent freeze for one year leases), Michael Blake, Luis Sepulveda. HPD Commissioner Vicki Been said that surpassing the goal of 20,000 units this year is a testament to the work that is being done at HPD. HDC President Gary Rodney added that the record breaking 20,000 plus units demonstrates the the de Blasio Administration is achieving concrete results towards its ambitious vision of Housing New York.

The 66-unit building on Summit Avenue is currently under construction, and is slated for completion in a little over one year from now. A lottery system will be put into place to select the winners of the various income level tiered apartments which will be advertised a few months before construction on the building is finished. 

The goal of Mayor Bill de Blasio's affordable housing plan is to have 200,000 new or rehabilitated current affordable units by 2021 completed or in construction.  

#BilldeBlasio #AffordableHousing #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: #Soccer NYCFC draw

Highbridge News: #Soccer NYCFC draw: NYC FC Toronto FC Draw By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 13 - The Sunday contest between NYC FC an...

#Soccer NYCFC draw

NYC FC Toronto FC Draw

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 13- The Sunday contest between NYC FC and Toronto FC at Yankee Stadium was an opportunity for NYC, with a victory, to tie Toronto and the Red bulls for 5th, 6th and 7th place in the Eastern Conference standings with 23 points. The first six clubs in each of the two conferences qualify for the MLS playoffs.

Experienced NYC goalkeeper Joshua Saunders described the result in a balanced manner, “We didn’t widen the gap, but we didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.” The clubs drew at 4, which gave each one point.

Having won four of its last five matches, NYC was hoping to continue its move upward. The recent success of the club encouraged fans to flock to Yankee Stadium for its latest game.  27,533 fans filled all the available seats. Many of the fans may have come because it was expected that the English superstar Frank Lampard would play in his first MLS match for NYC, but a recent injury caused his absence.

After missing an earlier shot, NYC Captain David Villa booted in the first goal of the match in the 17th minute to excite the fans. Twelve minutes later, NYC was awarded a second goal as Damian Perquis of Toronto kicked in an own goal.

The optimistic feeling of the NYC supporters quickly dissipated as Italian international Sebastian Giovinco began an offensive assault with three goals in less than 10 minutes. The “Atomic Ant”, whose diminutive size of 5 foot 4 and 130 pounds has not prevented him from becoming one of the top scorers in the league in his debut season.

His first goal was on a penalty kick in the 33rd minute. His next two goals were scored in the 40th and 43rd minutes. NYC coach Jason Kreis spoke with mixed feelings regarding his performance, “I think Giovinco is a fantastic player, but for him to get that much space and time is incomprehensible.” The 28-year-old veteran of nine years in the Italian league, most recently with championship club Juventus has as adapted easily to play in the MLS and the United States. He was chosen MLS Player of the Week in the 13th and 14th weeks of the current season.

The other superstar on the pitch, Villa, knotted the score at 3 with a penalty kick. Both he and Giovinco have reached double figures in goals this season.

The game ended in a draw as each club scored one again before the second half reached its conclusion.

Kreis called the contest, “It’s the type of game that fans love and coaches hate, a lot of loose play.”

#Soccer #NYCFC #YankeeStadium #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Authorities Snuff Out $2M bootleg Smokes Ring

Highbridge News: Authorities Snuff Out $2M bootleg Smokes Ring: Authorities Snuff Out $2M bootleg Smokes Ring BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 9- District Attorney Robert Johnson announced mu...

Authorities Snuff Out $2M bootleg Smokes Ring

Authorities Snuff Out $2M bootleg Smokes Ring

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 9- District Attorney Robert Johnson announced multiple indictments of 20 people and six corporations containing 1,345 counts regarding a major smuggling operation that brought more than 44,000 untaxed cartons of cigarettes from Virginia to the Bronx during a single five-month period in 2014 alone. The participants are accused of evading more than $2.978 million in New York State and City taxes. The total maximum tax penalty, for New York City and State combined, is more than $35,768,000.

The various defendants face State felony charges ranging from Enterprise Corruption, Criminal Tax Fraud, and Money Laundering, to New York City Administrative Code violations of the Cigarette Tax laws.

After a two-and-a-half-year multi-agency investigation, 19 men and one woman were charged following simultaneous arrests in New York, Virginia, Connecticut and New Jersey. The Bronx County grand jury indictments were unsealed with the Supreme Court arraignment of several of the defendants in Part 60, before Justice Steven Barrett.  The following defendants are named in one or more indictment:

Cigarette smuggling is big business.  It is estimated that, in New York State, 58 percent of all cigarettes sold are untaxed, and smuggled in primarily from Virginia. With per pack prices topping $11 and more, bringing in untaxed cigarettes is very profitable – New York state and city taxes add $5.85 to each pack.

It is alleged in the indictment that the boss, Mohamed Mustafa, headed the operation by acquiring cigarettes for distribution from Virginia, storing those cigarettes at 2118 Matthews Avenue in Morris Park and other locations in the Bronx, and by controlling the distribution of cigarettes to the New York City area without paying New York State or City tobacco taxes, thereby generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit proceeds for himself and other members of the enterprise. His lieutenant, Hiyad Chaib, is alleged to have assisted the criminal enterprise in all aspects of the operation, and would serve as the central contact for the employees and associates when Mustafa was away.

Mustafa and Chaib determined the New York-based distributors to whom they would sell cigarettes, the prices the

distributors had to pay for cigarettes, and the times and locations at which the distributors would exchange money for cigarettes, it is further alleged. They also controlled the storage facilities and both of them actively answered a “business line” to collect orders and arrange deliveries. Each week, almost 2,000 cartons of cigarettes (400,000 cigarettes) would pass through the enterprise costing the state over $100,000 in tax revenue. The total tax fraud is estimated to be close to $3 million; total maximum tax penalties, if the defendants are convicted, will reach nearly $36 million.

Indictment papers also describe how Mustafa and Chaib originally acquired the majority of the cigarettes they distributed in the Bronx from suppliers Rabih Saba and Moeen Khan, residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia, who owned and managed a chain of mattress stores (“The Mattress Place”) and dollar stores around Richmond, Virginia. Indeed, Saba and Khan used their Virginia businesses, in part, as collection and distribution centers for cigarettes purchased in Virginia with only the low Virginia cigarette tax, and thereafter controlled the distribution of

the cigarettes to the New York City area without anyone associated with the Enterprise paying New York State or City tobacco taxes for those cigarettes. They also used their business and personal accounts to transfer money from the Bronx and Manhattan to them in Virginia.

To generate said money, Saba and Khan are accused of forming a network of cigarette buyers in Virginia who would visit Costco, Sam’s Club, Wawa, and other retail sellers of cigarettes, to purchase cartons of cigarettes in a large enough quantity to make trafficking them to New York profitable. Saba and Khan arranged with Mustafa and Chaib for near-daily deliveries to New York. Some of the proceeds were also sent to a number of the defendants’ home countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Money seized from the operation totals more than $100,000.

Operation Smoke Brake is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys W. Dyer Halpern, Jessica-Deanna Lupo, and Caitlin Carroll of the Arson/Auto/Economic Crimes Bureau, which is under the supervision of Counsel to the Investigations Division Mary Jo Blanchard, Bureau Chief William Zelenka and Executive A.D.A. Thomas Leahy.

#Cigarettes #BronxDA #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Inmate charged with attacking social worker in Rik...

Highbridge News: Inmate charged with attacking social worker in Rik...: Inmate charged with attacking social worker in Rikers District Attorney Robert Johnson announced the indictment of 35-yea...

Highbridge News: Inmate charged with attacking social worker in Rik...

Highbridge News: Inmate charged with attacking social worker in Rik...: Inmate charged with attacking social worker in Rikers District Attorney Robert Johnson announced the indictment of 35-yea...

Inmate charged with attacking social worker in Rikers

Inmate charged with attacking social worker in Rikers

District Attorney Robert Johnson announced the indictment of 35-year-old Jonathan Hodgson in the brutal June attack on a Rikers Island medical worker.

Hodgson was arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court before Justice Joseph Dawson and pled not guilty to: assault in the first degree (Class B Felony); assault in the second degree (3 counts) (Class D Felony); assault in the third degree (Class A Misdemeanor) and resisting Arrest (Class A Misdemeanor). 

Hodgson is being held at Rikers Island’s George R. Vierno Center on an underlying Manhattan indictment for attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the first degree for a January, 2015 attack. On June 18^th, he stepped into the office where 69-year-old mental health clinician Ralph Atlas was working.  

Hodgson is accused of, without warning or provocation, pummeling the Corizon employee in the face and head, breaking the clinician’s jaw, fracturing his eye socket and nose, as well as causing other injuries for which the victim had to be hospitalized.        

Bail was set at $10,000 following the D.A.’s request for $250,000; Hodgson is to return to court on September 1, 2015, Part 77, Hall of Justice, 265 E. 161^st Street, Room 680. The defendant has asked to represent himself in Court.

If convicted of the charges, Hodgson faces up to 25 years behind bars.  The case against Hodgson is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ara Ayvazian of the Bronx D.A. Intake Bureau.  The charges in this indictment are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.    

#RikersIsland #NYPD #BronxDA #Bronxnews      

Highbridge News: Tex is real MVP

Highbridge News: Tex is real MVP: Out if the way #A-Rod! Tex is the Real MVP By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 9- You can make a valid statement t...

Tex is real MVP

Out if the way #A-Rod!

Tex is the Real MVP

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 9- You can make a valid statement that Alex Rodriguez is having a comeback year for the New York Yankees with 16 home runs, 47 runs batted in, and a .276 average at the plate. But, Rodriguez went 0-for-4, with two strikeouts Wednesday night in the Bronx in a Yankees 5-4 win over the Oakland Athletics.

It seems for the first time this season, that Rodriguez has hit a bump in the road with one hit in his last 14- at bats, and any talk that he is the first half Most Valuable Player of the Yankees does deserve some recognition.

Mark Teixeira, on the other hand, with two more home runs in the Yankees win, and with outstanding plays at first base, deserves that MVP recognition. And with four games to go before the all-star break and mid point of the season, Teixeira has the numbers to be considered a first half MVP of the American League and Comeback Player of the Year.

Consider at this juncture last season, Teixeira was struggling with a bad wrist that limited his ability to hit for power. The perennial home run hitter signed an eight-year contract with the Yankees in 2009, a deal that extends until the end of next season.

And with the two home runs that went to right-center, the first helping the Yankees tie the score in the fourth inning, and the second in the sixth that gave his team a 4-2 advantage, Teixeira matched his season total of last year at 22, and has a league leading 61 runs batted in.

So there is no doubt that “Tex” has been instrumental in the Yankees offense and resurgence of being that home run team made for Yankee Stadium. The manager, Joe Girardi has said that and more importantly when Teixeira and Rodriguez are locked in, the Yankees are a threat to hit the long ball and drive in runs.

And we all recall, last season, the Yankees were miserable when it came to scoring runs, next to last in the league which eventually caused them to miss the postseason for a second straight year.  

But the power has returned, and so has the defense at first base for Teixeira who made an unassisted double play in the first inning, leaned over the rail over the Yankees dugout in the seventh, and also stopped a double down the line off the bat of Josh Reddick in the eighth inning that could have put runs on the board for Oakland.

So the home runs and the defensive gems of Teixeira, who is headed to the All-Star Game next Tuesday in Cincinnati, were instrumental in the Yankees win and it sets up the rubber game of the three-game series Thursday afternoon before New York heads to Boston for three before the break.

Said Girardi, and the obvious reference about the home runs of Teixeira, “It’s a big part of our game. That’s how we are going to win games. We are designed to do that here. Last year we did not have the success of doing that.”

And because Teixeira could not get a grip on the bat, and with constant pain that requires stints on the disabled list, that power and home run ball had the Yankees as a team sitting in the lower third of the league when it came to the home run ball.

If Teixeira keeps up this pace, it is conceivable that 45 home runs and over 120 RBI would make him a league and team MVP. But he has to remain healthy.

It has changed because Teixeira is healthy, and he had his 18th career multi home run game as a Yankee. It was good enough again to get the Yankees another win that keep their first place lead in the tight Al East division race. 

And it further made it easier to understand why Teixeira is the first half MVP of his team and maybe in the American League.

“Two home runs are nice,” Teixeira said, “But the win is better.” And for the Yankees, a healthy Teixeira in the second half will not hurt their chances and their quest to play October baseball again in the Bronx.   

Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com   Twitter@ Ring786   Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

#Yankees #Teixeira #Arod #Bronxnews

 

Highbridge News: A Rare Betances Failure

Highbridge News: A Rare Betances Failure: Oh Mo! A Rare Betances Failure, #A-Rod Not Upset about All-Star Snub By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 8 - It ...

A Rare Betances Failure

Oh Mo!

A Rare Betances Failure,

#A-Rod Not Upset about All-Star Snub

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 8- It has not happened much, a Dellin Betances failure out of the bullpen for the New York Yankees. There has been that invincibility and similarities to Mariano Rivera who rarely came out of the pen and gave up a tying or go ahead run.

But Rivera had his share of bad moments, and those that went on the wrong side were quickly forgiven, and the Yankees and their fans will always remember how Mariano Rivera rebounded the next night. Betances, who has been unstoppable is beginning to understand those moments now that he has given up two home runs out of the pen in his last two games.

The home run Tuesday night in the Bronx was the difference in the Yankees 4-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics in 11-innings. Brett Lawrie, leading off the inning, got hold of an 0-2 breaking ball that went down the left field line and that was the difference.

This is not supposed to happen. Betances was selected to the roster of the American League All-Star team on Monday night, his second straight year representing the Yankees, and has allowed a run in consecutive games for the first time since last July 27th against Toronto and in a game against Texas days after.

  

And in all due respect, Betances can be called untouchable with an ERA of 1.65, with two blown saves in nine opportunities. There are no excuses, even though Betances has been doing extra work with the absence of Andrew Miller, who is expected to come off the disabled list and be ready for game two against Oakland Wednesday night.   

“It doesn’t happen very often but it happened tonight,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.  “It’s a game where there is a human element involved.” The manager was making no excuses about his stopper who has been pretty much perfect in late situations, and has handled right handed hitters and the 0-2 count with minimal difficulty.  

Now with Miller set to return, Betances will in all probability return to his normal eighth inning role and there should be no questions about fatigue and the 43-⅔ innings he has thrown in 38 games, though that was asked because the right-hander has given up home runs in back-to-back appearances for the first time in his career.

“It’s definitely tough when you are ahead in the count,”said Betances about the home run ball. “You have to be able to put guys away and I left that pitch over the plate. He obviously crushed it.”

Girardi will once again mix and match, alternating Miller and Betances in the late innings as situations arise. That was often the case before Miller was put on the DL with a left forearm muscle strain on June 11th.

“It will obviously help,” Girardi said about the return of Miller. And he made no excuses about the home runs balls given up by Betances, except that the past month he has pitched more innings than what was seen in April and May. 

Added Girardi, “Obviously we guard against that and we watched how much he worked. But obviously getting Miller back will help.”

THE REASON GIRARDI LIFTED HIS STARTER:  Nathan Eovaldi was cruising along in a 3-3 game and Girardi lifted his starter in the sixth inning with one-out and nobody on base. And with a 86 pitch count and overall good control, the question was asked why?

The reason was a matter of percentages and the batter was left handed hitter Josh Reddick who had an RBI single off Eovaldi in the first inning. And Reddick hit the ball well in two previous bats off the right hander…

A-ROD CONTENT WITH NOT BEING AN ALL-STAR:  Alex Rodriguez was content at not being selected to the AL All-Star squad, though he expressed his disappointment being bypassed. And there was no nonsense of being bitter, or for that matter he did not mention that it had anything to do with his sitting out all last season because of his suspension from the Biogenisis drug scandal where he was the center of attention. 

“I am not disappointed,” he said meeting with reporters in the Yankees clubhouse Tuesday afternoon. “It would have been fun to go out and represent the American League for sure. But I know that while serving the suspension the time off was good for me.”

And when A-Rod said. “I hope the four days will be, too,” it was an obvious reference that the soon to be 40-year old is starting to tire after having a successful and surprising first half of the season and that some rest was needed.

He went 0-for-4 Tuesday night with a strikeout and his walk in the 10th inning became a potential winning run, though he and Brett Gardner were stranded when Mark Teixiera struck out swinging to end the game.

Rodriguez, who can easily be considered a first half AL Comeback Player Of The Year with his 16 home runs, 47 RBI and ..280 average, used mostly as a designated hitter, once again provided the correct answers and swayed away from controversy.

But, deep down there was that overall expression of a definite certainty he belongs on that roster next Tuesday night in Cincinnati. 

“My goal early on was to make the team,” he said. “I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know how many at bats I was going to get. I will be watching, I will be cheering and I hope we get home field advantage.”

Rodriguez also said Prince Fielder, who was picked over him was deserving. Though there is a chance if someone gets injured, that he could become a last minute replacement and pick of AL Manager Ned Yost, though chances of that happening are very unlikely.

So throw out a conspiracy that A-Rod was damaged goods when his name was considered for All-Star consideration. He has not said anything wrong since spring training, most of all his stats were credible and deserving enough to be an All Star.

“There are so many great players in the American League and I was a long shot,” he said.  And you get the feeling that A-Rod does not mind being bypassed in order to get some extra rest for the second half.

Easy to understand why four days of rest will benefit a player who is hustling on a daily basis with two bad hips. And A-Rod has said all along, the intent is to get to the postseason again, a goal also for the Yankees who have missed the playoffs two straight years.

A healthy and productive Alex Rodriguez makes more sense for the Yankees in their goals for a return to playing baseball in October.

Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring796@aol.com  Twitter@Ring786  Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

#Yankees #ARod #AllStarGame #Betances #Bronxnews