Contest: Win a Ruben Tejada autographed baseball gift package, courtesy of Verizon

Thanks to our friends at Verizon, one of our lucky readers can win a Ruben Tejada autographed baseball prize package! Here's what you'll get in the gift package if you win:

• Ruben Tejada autographed baseball 
• Mets cap (official MLB World Series edition)
• Lipstick-sized phone charger 
• Big League Chew gum
• Black Verizon tote

Here is what you need to do if you want to win this: send an email to subwaysquawkers@gmail.com with the subject line "LGM" and your name and mailing address info in the body of the email.

This contest is only open to readers in the continental U.S. Please enter between now and tomorrow (Friday, October 30) at 5:00 p.m. We will pick a winner at random before Game 3 of the World Series Friday.

You may remember that Verizon got me into a sweet Citi Field suite on Opening Day, and lent me a Verizion Ellipsis 8 tablet to take pictures with (my shocking shot with Mr. Met came from the camera in the tablet!) Incidentally, if you are in the market for a tablet, I highly recommend the Ellipsis 8. And don't forget the Verizon charging station at Citi Field: I have used it more than once to charge my iPhone at!

Verizon also has some tips at this link and below for baseball fans to offer a seamless mobile experience for the World Series games at Citi Field this Friday, Saturday and Sunday:.

 • Keep your selfie game on point. Lose the selfie sticks out of respect for your fellow fans, but gain more “likes” with selfies that don’t just highlight your face, but include the field green and scoreboard in the background. If you’re taking the subway, snap a shot getting off the 7 train to capture the energy of the crowd before the first pitch.

 • Share updates in real time with your family and friends. Love what you just saw? Tweet it, upload a picture of it and tell your friends. There is no such thing as oversharing when it comes to the championship.

• Ensure your connection is strong. Verizon has increased capacity at Citi Field by adding more sites and allocating more spectrum to LTE so customers should experience a fast and reliable connection during the series. Fans can also leverage Verizon’s free Wi-Fi in the stadium.

• Stay fully charged in the stands. Don’t let the fear of your battery running low limit your game time data usage. Pick up a Mophie Powerstation to extend the power of your device and stay in the game.

Contest: Rabble.TV giving you free jersey, alternative to Joe Buck

Squawker readers know how much certain baseball broadcasters drive me nuts. Now there is a solution to this issue: Rabble.TV. And to let our readers know about their new service, where you can mute the broadcasters and do your own squawking instead. Read on to learn about Rabble.TV and how you can win a free Yankees or Mets jersey!

 Know what’s pretty annoying? When the Yankees or Mets are the Fox National Game of the Week and we’re stuck with Joe Buck.

No more, baseball fans! Rabble.TV just launched its live audio streaming service and iOS app to give you alternative ways to listen to Yankees and Mets games this year. The games are broadcast by fellow passionate and (gasp!) knowledgeable fans just like you.

What’s even better is you can finally prove you’re better than Mr. Buck by broadcasting and commenting on games yourself. Having friends over during the games? Rabble.TV lets all of you comment, joke, jeer, and jest (think Mystery Science Theater 3000 for baseball).

So to celebrate Rabble’s launch and another season of Yanks and Mets baseball, we’re partnering with them to give one lucky fan a sweet jersey. The winner will get to choose any jersey priced at $79.95 or lower, including this sweet Doc Gooden throwback. (Jersey and sizes subject to availability on Fanatics.)

Here’s How to Enter to Win Your Free Jersey:

·         In the comments section below, give us your favorite, funniest, or most memorable Yankees or Mets opening day memory

·         We’ll select the best comment and contact the winner after Monday, April 13

·         Comments must be submitted by 11:59 ET on Sunday, April 12th

About Rabble.TV

·         Broadcast live Yankees and Mets games to listeners all over the world

·         Listen to passionate and humorous fan-created commentary on any TV show or sporting event

·         iOS mobile companion app lets baseball fans listen to games from anywhere, including those typically blacked out in your local market

·         You don’t need to audition for a broadcasting spot – just sign up and start Rabbling today

We have our winners of the Johan Santana no-hitter DVDs!

Five Subway Squawkers readers have won copies of  "BASEBALL’S GREATEST GAMES: NEW YORK METS FIRST NO-HITTER," courtesy of A+E Home Entertainment/MLB Productions.

The DVD includes the television broadcast of Santana's June 1 no-hitter over the St. Louis Cardinals as well as a special audio feature allowing fans to watch the television broadcast and listen to the Mets radio network announcers in English or Spanish.

The DVD is available online at the Mets' online shop and in the Mets Team Store.

We asked those entering the contest to tell us at what point during the game they first started to think that Santana might actually pitch the Mets' first no-hitter.

Here are the winners and their responses:

Taryn and I were doing laundry that night so I had to listen to the first two innings on the radio.  We got back home in time for me to notice that both Santana and Adam Wainwright had not allowed a hit through two innings.  When both pitchers got through three innings with neither team collecting a hit, that was when I first started thinking about the no-hitter for Santana.  I said to myself, "Santana might have to throw a no-hitter to beat Wainwright tonight".

In the bottom of the fourth inning, David Wright broke up Wainwright's no-hitter and started a two-run rally.  Once the Mets had the lead (and some hits), my full focus turned to Johan's attempt to make history.  After the Cardinals went down in the fifth inning and still did not have a hit, Taryn decided she was going to go to the supermarket after the next inning.  I decided I was going to stay home.

When Carlos Beltran didn't break up the no-hitter on the ball that kicked up chalk down the left field line, I really started to feel that I was watching something special.  But Johan was already approaching 100 pitches and felt there was no chance Terry Collins would leave him in the game, especially considering his injury from the previous year.

As odd as it may seem, part of me wanted Johan to give up a hit because I didn't want the team's first no-hitter to be a combined effort.  It wouldn't feel right to see a reliever celebrating the final out instead of a deserving starter.  Notice how I assumed the Mets were going to throw the no-hitter there.  I was getting very confident about it at that point.

That confidence grew in the seventh, when Mike Baxter made the play that will make him a Mets legend forever, a la Ron Swoboda for his World Series catch and Endy Chavez for his NLCS catch.  After Johan had finished his seventh hitless inning, I called Taryn (who had left for the supermarket one inning earlier), telling her to rush back from the store because Johan was taking his no-hitter into the eighth.  She made it back within a few minutes.

In the eighth, I kept thinking that I had been in attendance at Shea Stadium the last two times a Mets pitcher took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but both Tom Glavine and John Maine fell four outs short of making history.  When Santana got the first two outs of the inning, that was the one time I felt a lack of confidence.  It was slight, but it was there.  But then he induced a harmless infield pop-up that ended the inning.  He was now only three outs away.

Only five weeks before, I had written a fairly lengthy piece on the Mets' lack of no-hitters, discussing interesting coincidences and anecdotes surrounding the topic.  I then realized that piece might be rendered obsolete if Santana could get three more outs.  I didn't mind that at all.

Taryn was sitting on the floor and I was sitting on the couch.  Neither of us moved throughout the entire ninth inning.  When Matt Holliday hit a first-pitch soft liner to center, Taryn thought for sure that the no-hitter was over.  It wasn't.  Andres Torres raced in and caught the ball in shallow center.  Then Allen Craig hit a fly ball to left field.  Although Kirk Nieuwenhuis took an odd circuitous route to it, he made the catch and Santana was one out away from baseball immortality.

David Freese came up and Santana threw him three consecutive balls.  Although he had now thrown 131 pitches, I wasn't concerned with the pitch count.  I knew that even if walked Freese, he wasn't going to be taken out of the game.  It was his no-hitter.  No one was going to share it with him.

Then came a called strike.  Two strikes away.  That was followed by a slow topper down the third base line.  As soon as Freese hit it, I thought of Paul Hoover hitting a 30-foot swinging bunt that ended John Maine's no-hitter in 2007.  That ball stayed fair. This one went foul.  Santana was now one strike away from the moment all Mets fans had been waiting for from the first time they said "Let's go Mets".

Taryn was twiddling on her phone on the floor.  I was practically hyperventilating on the couch.  Then Santana looked in, got the sign from Josh Thole and fired away.  Swing and a miss!  He had done it!  The no-hitter was complete!  I immediately leaped off the couch and into Taryn's arms, jumping up and down in place a la Billy Wagner and Paul LoDuca after the Mets had clinched the NL East title in 2006.  The tears were flowing.  Most of them were mine.   (I'm not ashamed to admit it.)

As Gary Cohen said on the air, "it has happened".  And it did.  Johan Santana had finally gotten the monkey off the team's back.  The Mets finally had their first no-hitter.  No longer did we have to keep track of the number of games the team had played without a no-hitter.  (It was at 8,019 before Game No. 8,020 ended the no-hit drought.)  After two innings, I first started thinking about it.  By the time the Mets took the lead in the fourth inning, I really started thinking about it.  By the seventh inning, I knew Santana was going to get it.  Two innings later, he did.

It was a moment I'll never forget (as you can see by this detailed recap of it).  I'm sure it's a moment all Mets fans will never forget.

Thanks for holding this contest, allowing me to share one of my greatest memories as a Mets fan.  Let's go Mets!
Ed
New York, New York

Being in Nashville, I don't usually get to see the Mets play, so I live vicariously through what I can get from MLB At Bat & Twitter.

I was having a catch-up evening with an old acquaintance, and I checked my twitter feed between our dinner and trek for coffee.

Keith Olbermann was the one whose tweets caught my eye that night. I think he first mentioned it in the 5th. Then the 6th came, and once the Beltran thing happened, I dared to believe. We got the bounce that we usually didn't, the call that goes against us (see: R.A.'s 1 hitter that came after) went for us, and we had a chance.

We got our coffee and sat outside in a part of town called Hillsboro Village. Across from the coffee place is a sports bar. While eavesdropping on some Vandy students debating anarchy and government, a familiar hat logo caught my eye. One random TV in the sports bar across the street was showing the Mets game instead of the NBA. 

We hightailed it across the street, found the game set, stood around as inconspicuously as possible, and watched it finish. 30 years of waiting, and I actually got to see it. So sweet!
Jillian
Nashville

Honestly, I was at my grade school reunion and was not watching the game.  When the news came over my smartphone, the Met fans present had quite the celebration.
Kevin
New York, New York

I thought it was going to be a no-hitter after it ended.
David
Boulder, Colorado

When I first started thinking Johan might pitch a no-hitter?
When I read about it on the MLB website the next day...
Brian
Nottingham, UK

Blimpie Contest Winners!

Congratulations to Patricia and Thoughts, the two winners of our Blimpie Ticket Giveaway. Each winner gets two tickets to this Sunday's Father's Day game - Mets-Angels at Citi Field.

If you are one of the winners, please send us your mailing address info ASAP to subwaysquawkers@gmail.com, so Blimpie can get you your tickets! We need to hear from you ASAP!

Win Free Tickets to Mets-Angels; Mets' Baserunning Blunders

If you want to go this Sunday's Mets-Angels game on Father's Day, a pair of tickets on Stubhub starts at $32 each. But thanks to our contest courtesy of Blimpie, two pairs of our readers will get to go for free.

Go to our earlier blog entry to enter:

Sunday's game also features the Mr. Met Dash, in which kids 12 and under can run the bases after the game. Perhaps Mr. Met can also offer remedial baserunning tips for the actual Mets. Last night brought two more blunders - Daniel Murphy getting caught off second when Mike Pelfrey missed a bunt attempt and Lucas Duda turning a sac fly into a double play (the second game in a row that the Mets managed to do that).

While you've got to be pleased with how the Mets have remained competitive under Terry Collins despite all the injuries, the shoddy baserunning was supposed to be a thing of the past. And while a singles-hitting team needs to be aggressive, they can't afford to be reckless, much less incompetent.

Also, weren't mysterious injuries that never get better also supposed to be a thing of the past? The more things change...

This Father’s Day, Enjoy America’s Favorite Pastime Courtesy of Blimpie, America’s Favorite Sub Shop!

Update - June 16 - We have our winners! Thanks to everyone who entered.

Some good news this morning -- Blimpie, our favorite place to get a sub, is partnering with us again this year on another ticket giveaway! This time around, it's a Father's Day giveaway for two sets of Mets tickets. Here are the details:

Blimpie is sponsoring a Father’s Day Giveaway for two pairs of two tickets to the New York Mets game against the Los Angeles Angels at Citi Field on Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 1:10 p.m. Two lucky winners will be able to treat Dad to a day at the ballpark!

Here's how you can win:

* Leave a comment on this blog entry about your favorite Blimpie sandwich and after reviewing their website at www.Blimpie.com, please list a sandwich you would like to try the next time you visit a Blimpie
in the same entry. (Also, please put an email address we can reach you at.)

Additional Extra Credit Entries:

*Subscribe to Subway Squawkers
*Follow Subway Squawkers on Twitter and leave a note on how you want to enter the Blimpie contest
*Fan/Like Blimpie on Facebook
*Follow Blimpie on Twitter

Please enter by Thursday, June 16. A winner will be picked that day, and the tickets sent via overnight mail. Good luck, and tell your friends!

Steiner Sports gives two of our readers the chance to see Goose Gossage and Mickey Rivers for free

Steiner Sports has a cool deal for Subway Squawkers readers. Goose Gossage and Mickey Rivers will be signing autographs at the company's Westchester office this Saturday, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. And two of our readers will get access to the meet and greet event for free!

Here are the details of the event, to be held at the Steiner Sports office in New Rochelle. Keep reading so you can see how you can attend:


Goose Gossage and Mickey Rivers Meet & Greet – 11/6


Saturday, November 6, 2010 – Steiner Sports Corporate Office – 12:00-1:00pm


· Meet & Greet with Hall of Famer Goose Gossage and 2x WS Champion Mickey Rivers


o 2-Ball Set with Double Glass Display Case - $154.54


o Purchase this set and come meet both players for FREE on Saturday, November 6th


o A limited number of spots are available

Okay, here's how you can attend for free. The first two Subway Squawkers readers to call into Steiner Sports at 1-800-759-7267 will get free access to the event (no ball set however). Just mention that you heard about this at Subway Squawkers, and you're in! How cool is that? Readers, start dialing now!

Contest: Win a trip to Fenway Park for Yankees-Red Sox

The site Overstock.com, a site I regularly shop at, sent us an email the other day to let our readers know about about their Ultimate Red Sox Experience contest. To me, the Ultimate Red Sox Experience is watching Jonathan Papelbon blow yet another save -- preferably against the Yankees! But Overstock has something a little different in mind. Here's the deal, from the email they sent me:

The “Ultimate Red Sox Experience” sweepstakes, created in partnership with Overstock.com and the Boston Red Sox, will give three winners all-expense-paid trips for two to see the Red Sox battle the rival New York Yankees at Boston's Fenway Park October 2nd. A grand prize winner will have the opportunity to post balls, strikes and runs on the stadium's iconic “Green Monster” scoreboard for an inning.

You can go to Overstock.com/RedSox to enter the contest. Of course, it's geared towards Red Sox fans -- many of which are regular readers of Subway Squawkers. But that doesn't mean Yankee fans can't enter. And I want to win this contest! Believe it or not, I have never been to Fenway Park, or even Boston, so this would be a cool trip to win, especially to finally see a Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway Park! And how fun would it be for this Bombers fan to run the Sox's scoreboard for an inning!

The contest ends September 10, so hurry up and enter. When you go to the site, you can also see "webisodes" showing what happens when the VP of Red Sox Nation -- and the VP of Overstock -- switch jobs. Hilarity ensues!

Suite Relief: A look at our big day in the sun at the Subway Series

I've been busy all this week studying for a whole heap of Microsoft certified application specialist exams, so I haven't gotten a chance to squawk about our great time at Saturday's Subway Series game. Squawker Jon did a great blog entry on the subject, so let me try to match that.

Thanks to the good folks at Blimpie (with an assist from the YES Network), Jon and I got to sit in the Stadium's Legends Suite seats, right by the third base line, and get all the amenties (unlimited food and soft drinks) included with the tix. So how was it? It was pretty darned awesome, and something we will never forget!

Here's how the day began. When you go into the Stadium (via the Suite entrance by home plate), they give you a wristband to mark your access, and then you head to the restaurant. There are two floors; we ate at the top floor (you can see people eating through the glass if you're on the main level.) It was a nice-looking place, with all sorts of great TVs showing the pre-game (my fave clip was that one of Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher showing kids how to vote in the All-Star Game!)

The food is buffet-style, with stations set in a big square. You go around to whatever you stations you want, and tell the server what you would like.

I didn't eat for most of the day before, just to prepare myself for this lunch. And it was worth it - the food was so much better than the rest of the Stadium fare it's not even funny. Even the soft drinks ruled - I drank San Pellegrino Limonatas with my lunch, and it was both fantastic. I knew it would be the best food I would likely ever get at the Stadium, so I was determined to enjoy it all! Here were some of the standouts:

* Prime rib
* Shrimp tempura sushi roll (it also had tuna in it)
* Rao's seafood salad (with crabmeat, lobster, and shrimp)
* Rao's meatballs and penne
* Haricots verts with crabmeat

I was really excited to meet Frank Pellegrino of Rao's. As we're most likely never going to get into that place, it was awesome to get a taste of it!Make that two tastes - I went for seconds!

I skipped the whole omelet stuff, as I don't eat eggs, and I skipped eating the type of food I would be able to get in the ballpark any other time, like the pretzels. Did get pigs in the blanket, though. Tasty! They should offer that in the stadium.

As if that weren't enough, there's a dessert station set up, with not only ice cream, but all sorts of cool candy treats - gummi bears, sour candies, truffles, and the like. You can get the candy in one of those plastic Yankee helmets. Very cool!

Oh, and the bathrooms are pretty plush - best part are the plasma screen TVs embedded in the bathroom mirrors! I wanted to take a picture, but thought better of it. Suffice it to say that the TVs look pretty cool!

Jon and I finally pushed ourselves away from the food table at around 12:55 p.m., only to see that there were even more food items/selections at the restaurant downstairs, including pasta by Fresco by Scotto. We didn't grab anything then, but I went back there later to bring some crawfish and jumbo shrimp (an oxymoron, I know!) back to our seats.

Just before you leave the downstairs restaurant to head to your seats, there is a whole wall of treats, with everything from potato chips to Three Musketeers to Skittles to all sorts of candy available for the taking. And yes, you can take as many as you'd like!

When we got to our seats in front of the moat, we saw that there are big coolers containing soft drinks for the taking - with diet Pepsis, Sierra Mists, San Pellegrinos, and the like. There's also a DKNY Lounge, with private restrooms and stadium-type food and snacks. And you can get free food delivered to your seat as well, although Jon and I were too full to partake in it.

So how was the view at our seats? They were so good that our section was next to the photographers' pit! We would have been close enough to shout to A-Rod - if he had not started the day at DH, that is. Jon snickered over Kevin Russo starting at third over Alex!

I got a little teary-eyed at first when we got to our seats, just taking it all in. The day seemed like a dream - and it still does! It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life, from the food to the view to watching the Yankees beat up on the Mets!


Now, I don't know if you can say that seats with a face value of $225 each are a bargain. But considering everything that came with the seats - the great view, the unlimited food and soft drinks, the snacks, the great service, the waiter service at your seats - it's the closest I've ever come in my life to feeling like an VIP. If you ever get the chance to buy such tickets, I would definitely say to do it. It was a simply wonderful experience!

We're going to Saturday's Subway Series game - in style!

A few days ago, Squawker Jon and I were resigned to the fact that we wouldn't be going to the Subway Series at all this season, for the first time since we started writing Subway Squawkers.

Well, thanks to the good folks at Blimpie, not only are we going to Saturday's Subway Series game, but we're going to be sitting in the Legends Suite box seats!

We're so excited - and grateful - over this. I'm feeling like one of the women on "Oprah" who just found out that they're part of the "Oprah's Favorite Things" programs!


Here's the deal. Squawker Jon and I ran Blimpie's Subway Series giveaway contest for our readers, but we didn't expect anything out of it (we were just happy to give away a pair of tickets to one of our readers!) In fact, Jon and I joked to each other that this contest was the closest we were going to get to the Subway Series this year.

Then Thursday morning, I came home after running errands to find out literally the best news I've heard all year. There was a FedEx envelope from the YES Network (Blimpie is a sponsor for them) that my landlord had signed for me. Inside were the tickets.

To have something so cool - and so surprising - happen was amazing. But to have them for Saturday's Subway Series game is even more awesome. We can't wait for the game!

We have a winner in our Blimpie Subway Series contest!

Thanks to all the many readers who entered to win our Subway Series ticket contest, courtesy of Blimpie Sub Sandwiches. And thanks to Blimpie for sponsoring the contest!

Anyhow, without further ado, here is our winner - Peter Pak of Leonia, NJ! Peter, a Yankee fan, was of course very excited to win tickets to Friday night's Yankees-Mets matchup in the Bronx. He also received a Blimpie gift certificate. Cool stuff!

Contest: Win a Strat-o-Matic game!

Remember the Strat-O-Matic baseball game from back in the day? Squawker Jon was a huge fan. Well, the game is still around - there's now a computer version - and here's your chance to check it out.

Just send an email with your name, address, and phone number with the subject line Strat-O-Matic to subwaysquawkers@gmail.com. If you're the lucky winner, you'll get a brand-new Strat-O-Matic computer game to play around with.

Please send your email no later than Wednesday, June 22. Thanks!

Win a trip to the World Series from Krylon

Quick note: Krylon, the paint company, is sponsoring a contest where fans can win a trip to the this year's World Series. Whether you're a Yankee, Met, or Red Sox fan, or root for one of baseball's other teams, you are welcome to enter the contest - go to Save Our Saturdays for details.

Each month, the Save Our Saturdays site will ask you a sports-related question related to upcoming events. Answer the question, and get an entry to the contest. If your answer is correct, you get five additional entries. And you get another five entries for agreeing to be added to their mailing list.

Here are the details for what you can win from Krylon:

The Grand Prize winner will receive a prize package consisting of the following: Two tickets in the lower level outside of the bases to the 2009 Baseball's Fall Series, a round-trip coach air transportation for winner and winner’s guest, including airport transfers to hotel and hotel accommodations for two consecutive nights. Approximate retail value of the Grand Prize package: US $6,200.

The First and Second Grand Prize winners will receive a 42” or larger big screen TV, approximate retail value of US $1,000 each.

Ten monthly winners, for the duration of six months, will be awarded a $25 gift card to a specific retailer or an American Express gift card. Monthly winners in May will receive a $25 ACE gift card.

Total retail value of monthly prizes is US $1,500.

Go to Save Our Saturdays monthly from now through September 30 to enter the contest.

Win the new DVD 'Road to the Big Leagues'

It's time for another Subway Squawkers giveaway. Today marks the DVD release of the new documentary ROAD TO THE BIG LEAGUES (RUMBO A LAS GRANDES LIGAS). And one lucky Squawker reader will win a copy of the film.

ROAD TO THE BIG LEAGUES tells the story of the importance of baseball in the Dominican Republic. The film, which has been described as a "Hoop Dreams" for baseball, follows a group of young players striving to make the majors. It's a must-watch for baseball fans.

The film features interviews with baseball stars David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, and Carlos Gomez, as well as taking viewers behind the scenes of the Mets' Dominican Camp.

If you'd like to win a copy of ROAD TO THE BIG LEAGUES, just send your name and address info to subwaysquawkers@gmail.com. Please put the phrase "Big Leagues" in the subject line. You have until Wednesday, April 15 at 5 p.m. to enter the contest.

For more info on the DVD, click here.

We have a winner! This reader will have a new Hava

Remember our contest to win a new HAVA, the device that lets you watch your TV programs on a computer or cell phone? We asked readers to tell us about what baseball clip they never got tired of seeing, and why they love that clip.

We got a lot of great entries, and the folks at Monsoon, sponsors of the giveaway, picked a winner of the HAVA, which retails for $99. So, without further ado, here's the lucky reader - Wendy of Oklahoma City - and her winning essay:

Love your blog. Not sucking up so I win the Hava. If I lose, still love your blog.

My favorite clip that I could watch a ZILLION times is Reggie Jackson's three homer game in the 1977 World Series against the Dodgers. I was about 13 then. Yankee fan from birth. My grandad used to play ball with Phil Rizzuto, so for us, anything but pinstripes was never a choice.

I digress.

This is my favorite clip because we were returning to Connecticut from a family vacation in Bangor, Maine. We were listening to the start of the game on the radio. Suddenly, we heard a horrifically loud "BOOM" and it didn't take long to see that we had acquired, not one but two simultaneous flat tires, and only one spare (Who has two spares....seriously....)

We sat in the car for a short while listening to the game while mom and dad came up with a plan. We were on a narrow highway as I recall, and it was getting dark, so it became apparent to the parents we were safer OUT of the car than in it. My brother and I were not about to miss the game! Dad turned the volume up all the way on that little factory radio in our old blue Country Squire station wagon and the five of us listened to the better part of the entire game sitting way up on the hill, watching cars zip by our crippled car. Missed seeing all three of Reggie's homers. Missed every one!!

That's why I could watch it again and again. I missed it the first time, but also because it reminds me to make the best of what life throws at you, and listening to baseball with your family when you are stranded by two flat tires on a cool October night during the World Series wasn't such a bad gig when I was 13.

Take care and have fun!

Congrats to Wendy.

For further info on a HAVA, click here.

* * *

Speaking of Reggie Jackson, I watched MSG's rebroadcast of the first episode of "The Bronx Is Burning" last night. They also had interviews with Yankees from that year, like Reggie, Sparky Lyle, and Graig Nettles. Good stuff. I even enjoyed the Fran Healy interview with Jackson on "The Game 365," a show following "The Bronx Is Burning." Click here for more info on MSG's Summer of '77 extravaganza.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Reminder: HAVA contest deadline is Friday

Entries for our HAVA contest, which gives you the chance to win a device that lets you watch your TV on a computer or a cell phone, are due Friday at 5 p.m.

How do you win the HAVA? Tell us about your favorite baseball clip, one you would love to see over and over. Mike Piazza's homer after 9/11? Derek Jeter diving into the stands? Curt Schilling's bloody sock?

Click here for more details, and to enter the contest.

What baseball clip do you never get tired of seeing?

Just a reminder that we have a contest going on this week, with your chance to win a HAVA, a device that lets you watch your TV on a computer or a cell phone.

How do you win the HAVA? Tell us about your favorite baseball clip, one you would love to see over and over. Click here for more details, and to enter the contest

Schlotzsky's giveaway is in the big leagues

When I moved to Austin, Texas in the 80s to go to college at the University of Texas, I was introduced to the majesty of a Schlotzsky's sandwich. And every time I go back to Texas to visit, I make a point to get another one of those tasty treats.

Now, in honor of their new Big League Clubz sandwiches, the delicious restaurant has something yummy for baseball fans - a whole slew of contests and games at BigLeagueClubz.com.

Here's your chance to win a trip to St. Louis for the All-Star Game, get a personalized mini-bat, play games online, and get baseball scores on your desktop. All very cool stuff.

You can register online at BigLeagueClubz.com to enter the All-Star Game contest.

To get the mini-bat, you need to visit a Schlotzsky’s and try one of the Big League Clubz sandwiches. You'll get baseball cards for doing this at the store. Collect three cards, and upload a pic of yourself holding the cards, and if you're one of the first 1,000 to do, you'll get a free personalized mini-bat. I will be doing this very soon, so you can check and see what I posed like.

Anyhow, check all this stuff out at BigLeagueClubz.com. Good luck!