How amazing is Andy Pettitte? Well, without him, the Yankees are possibly 0 for the season so far. His third game of the season start versus the rival Red Sox was declared a "must win!" by no other than the ghost of George M. Steinbrenner (see: @GeorgesGhost). Of course, had The Boss still been around, the Yankees wouldn't be in the position to rely so heavily on the old, once-retired Texan, but here we are.

Pettitte has turned himself into one of the best pitchers in the game despite not having the stuff he had when young. The old line about youth being wasted is rarely as obvious as with Major League pitchers. But not only did the crafty left-hander shut down the Bosox bats, he drove a nail into even thoughts of stealing.

Watching Pettitte from the stretch, especially with a runner on first, is something amazing. Whenever I remembered to look for it and when the TV camera angle permitted it, on nearly every single pitch to the plate, the runner on first was going back to the bag.

How big is that? First off, even if the guy wasn't attempting to steal second, the runner's momentum heading back to first can be huge. Trying to break up a double-play? Not so easy if you have to reverse course before trying to take out a middle infielder. Going first-to-third on a hit to the outfield also becomes less of a guaranteed or smart move with the kind of move Pettitte has.

Is it a balk? Most lefties have something of a balk move, but Pettitte is truly the master of it. His reputation and his seniority give him the benefit of the doubt from most umpires and make base-runners wary as all get out.

The bats have been slightly better than expected, which is something of a backhanded compliment no doubt, but one week into the season the castoffs and re-treads (Youkilis, Wells, Overbay) have been getting the job done in the early goings. Clearly, so much more is needed from the place-setters, Gardner and Ichiro I'm talking to you, so that this new "heart" of the lineup can knock some runners in.

Sabathia versus Verlander is an epic early season match-up and one the Yanks, who actually have fared well against the Tiger ace, need this one to not end the first week of the season with but the one "W" crafted by Andy Pettitte.

*************

Upcoming Rose news:

I'll be reading one tale from the book at the Midway/Hamline library in St. Paul this coming Wednesday, April 10th at 6:30PM.

The first stop of the book tour -- Los Angeles -- will be May 3rd-6th. I'm currently ironing out the details of the appearances and will share those with y'all as soon as those are concrete.

New York City dates should follow in June. Looks like I will be headlining along w/singersongwriternovelist, Darren Gaines, at the premier Dixon Place event night brought to you from the guy behind the great artist series at the Gershwin Hotel.

Cheers
B

If you want the doom and gloom prognostication of the 2013 New York Yankees season, you can pretty much go to any newspaper or website, but not here. I have filled the glass with something while appearing clear in color, may not be in content and I have taped the rose-colored glasses to my face as I look forward to Opening Day on Monday.

Anyone who has paid a moment's attention to this off-season knows that the Yanks were dedicated to getting the payroll under the luxury tax limit of $189M for the 2014 campaign which meant pretty much no big deals, no long-term deals, either. There were already the challenges of core players, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and CC Sabathia coming back from serious injuries requiring surgery. Many important players - both regular and bench positions - went elsewhere this winter: Nick Swisher, Russell Martin, Raul Ibanez, Eric Chavez, Andruw Jones and with them a lot of the power. Of course last season everyone complained that the Bronx Bombers were way too dependent on the long-ball. That probably won't be an issue this season.

The Captain, who vowed he'd be recovered from the injury sustained in the playoffs in time for Opening Day, couldn't get his thirty-eight year old body comply with that and will start the season on the disable list. Same for Curtis Granderson who has his forearm broken with a pitch in his first spring at-bat. Mark Teixeira lasted a little longer; he wasn't injured until hitting off a tee in preparation for his participation in the WBC. We already knew we were to be without A-Rod for the foreseeable future. He had already been replaced before the spring got going. For good measure, number four starting pitcher, Phil Hughes, will also start the season with "DL" next to his name on the roster.

So, what's good? Well, the pitching has the potential to be excellent. Big money did go out to Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Hiroki Kuroda to keep them in pinstripes this season. Those starters, anchored by CC Sabathia and rounded out by the emerging Phelps, the potential of Nova and the contract-year of the aforementioned Hughes. Adam Warren and now, Chien Ming Wang are waiting in the AAA-wings should any of the top five falter of get injured.

The bullpen, with Mo back is also solid as can be. Closer heir-apparent, David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain set him up very nicely. David Aardsma was just let go, but Boone Logan looks ready to go. Girardi counts on this 'pen a lot and if they deliver, the Yanks can win a lot of close games and they may be in many of them as it's true- they won't score as much this year.

But there's more speed than there has been in some time with an Opening Day line-up that should include Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki and Eduardo Nunez and that speed, despite Nuney's throwing issues should help shore up the defense.

So, what's the major concern? Well, much like in some seasons past where it seemed like GM Brian Cashman was taking every available arm off the slag heap and giving them a shot that brought the unexpected, happy results of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, this year the aching, huddled masses were players on the decline (Youkilis), released players (Boesch, Overbay), un-tradeable players (Wells). During the spring I had hoped that the Yankees would give some of the bigger payback/no investment kids a shot; Mesa, Mustelier, Neal and others got a good long look. As did castoffs like Juan Rivera and Dan Johnson, but doesn't look like any of them made the last cut.

But here is what could go very right with these guys. There are some of these guys, on 1-year deals, who have a lot to prove and a lot of money on the line should they produce for the Yanks in the early goings. Kevin Youkilis, for whom no real Yankee fan feels inclined to root, is on such a bubble. He doesn't want to be with the Yankees either, but knows his career is on a precipice. Should he fail to produce for the Yanks, the $12M New York is paying him will most likely be the last big dollar pay-out he sees. But, should he be able to resurrect his career filling in for A-Rod, a multi-year deal with similar money could be his this off-season and you have to KNOW that is rather motivating.

The same goes for Vernon Wells, Brennan Boesch, Ben Francisco and most of the other stop-gap guys Cashman has brought on board to tie the Yankees over until Tex, Granderson and A-Rod return. Adding in to the 'pro' column is that the Yanks get to come into this season as something of an underdog; strange territory but also a situation that has the potential to gel this team, to build some early team chemistry that could lead to some wins. Yeah, yeah, my glass is half-full to be certain, but we'll see -- that's why we play the games, right?

Next blog post will be about the goings on around my upcoming book tour. I am currently lining cities and locations up and will share that early in the coming week.

Thanks
Brian

hello kind and supportive people: i have so much gratitude for the outpouring of boosts, shares, well-wishes, moral support and the generous contributions.
exceeding the goal by 30-freakin'-% not only covers the approx. 11% fees, but it shall enable me & Rose to do all the things (personal appearances, reviews, publicity, etc.) originally conceived and a few more yet-to-be-determined marketing schemes for the book.
i will start planning the first round of the mini-tour (NY, LA & SFO) as soon as indiegogo releases $ to me as well as planning on nice launch event here in the Twin Cities!
thank you my friends for all the encouragement and support: i look forward to seeing many of you in the coming months and relish the opportunity to read to you...
thank you all ever so much, Brian

Out of the box and onto your shelf. Today is the last day of my Indiegogo campaign to aid & abet my Rock 'n Rose Spring Book Tour. NYC? Yes, I'm on the way -- thanks! SFO? Same for you! Oh, vexing Los Angeles? You know you want it. Seattle? Moving on up...

Click here to go straight to the Indiegogo page. Click here to see the Facebook invite.

Here's what I'm talkin' about:

Short Summary

I woke up one crisp October morning with a story in my head. This isn't terribly out of the ordinary, but the form that it was in was totally different. With a film background (grad of NYU Film School) all the works of fiction that I created were for the screen.

But this was a short story and it flowed out onto the page and I thought little about it until another story burst free, nearly fully formed, and demanded space on a page. Before none too long, a theme had developed and I wrote the twenty-six tales that became my first book, "A Rose by any Other Name" although it took me a number of years to finally push this puppy out of the nest.

The book was released in April 2012, but immediately after that my time was demanded toward a greater goal of assisting a dear friend who had been diagnosed with a terrible disease and while I have been able through direct sales, Amazon and Kindle to put my stories in front of some sets of eyes, I hadn't had the opportunity to really present the book to the world.

With your help, I would like very much to be able to begin to do that this Spring.

What We Need & What You Get

I am looking to raise $3500.00 to help with the above stated goal. What I would like to do is to be able to afford to send copies of the book in to publications and websites for review in an attempt to spread the book beyond my own wingspan.

Additionally and perhaps even more importantly, I would like to be able to take the book and myself on the road and present it to the public in personal appearance and readings/signings in some of the cities in which the tales take place: Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York first and foremost.

The advantages of first bringing "Rose" to those cities in which I have lived is that hopefully I have something of a built-in audience of friendly faces. But from a practical stand point, I will be able to keep the costs of the mini book tour minimal as I will have places to stay and venues at which I can perform.

But hopefully visits to those cities will permit me to be able to add more: Boise, Austin, Seattle, Tel Aviv? You're all on the list. 

The funds would go to airfare but also for publicity to make those appearances worth while. The money would also permit me finally to purchase and submit copies of the book for review and PR purposes.

Perks of contribution will include:

* grateful acknowledgement in future print and electronic editions of "Rose"

* inscribed copies of "Rose"

* original, hand-written versions of the tales in "Rose"

* original, signed art-work by Meital from the publication of the tales in the Jerusalem Post Lite

* your name as a character in my upcoming work

* the grand prize: a lifelong promise that I will never use your name in any of my upcoming work.

The Impact

The world of self-publishing really is fantastic. Unlike my experiences in the world of film where there are so many cooks are in the kitchen, I was able to put "Rose" out into the world - warts 'n all - as I saw fit and in the manner of my own choosing. That said, getting the book into the hands of other people has been the ongoing challenge.

Other Ways You Can Help

I know we get asked to contribute to campaigns such as this all the time and I am fully conscious of that fact. If you can help - great! I really appreciate it. If you cannot - great! I understand that fully as well, but if you could share this with friends who may wish to assist, I would really appreciate your help. 

If you would like to read some of the tales for free, go here: http://www.wattpad.com/user/BrianMazo

You can purchase a copy here: https://www.createspace.com/3527985

Thanks for either "coughing" or "squealing" ... or just scroll on to the next campaign. I sure do appreciate your help.

Brian

In honor of St. Paddy's Day, here is the one poem from my book, "A Rose by any Other Name: An Alphabet of Tales About a Man and a Woman" -- it's called:

Fiona, the Irish Girl

He sat at the Original Blarney Stone bar

And watched her toil

Whenever he was drinking alone.

The crimson beer signs overhead

Blazing in her coppery mane

Making her freckles dance a jig.

Her name is Fiona

And he called her that

Whenever he could

Without sounding so obvious.

She knew his name was Brian

From the tab kept on his credit card

And he longed for her to comment

On the Irishness of that.

He’d tell her the truth,

To lie to her impossible,

That no, he wasn’t of her Isle

No emeralds shone on his family tree.

Not in this lifetime, he’d jest

And if he hooked her with that

He’d confide his fears

Of all things Irish:

The Words

The Whiskey (of this she had a clue)

The Women.

And of all the bonnie Irish lasses

No colleen stoked the flames brighter

When she pulled a pint of Guinness

Or pour’d a shot of Jameson and son

Than Fiona, the Irish girl.

Want the original, hand-written version of this tale -- or another -- from the book? That could happen. Click here to go to the page for my IndieGoGo campaign for the Rock 'n Rose book tour.

Thanks!
Cheers!

Brian

Okay, I'll give you a little break today from the plug-plugging of my book's crowd-fundraising campaign (click here if you want to see what I'm talking about) and let's talk about what's going right in Yankee camp this Spring Training.

The obvious need not be stated (again) so I won't. First off, the pitching has been dominant as the last couple weeks of the grapefruit league games are getting played and the players are rounding into shape. The Yanks who had barely won any games so far this spring (but, really, much like spring stats wins and losses don't account for ... anything) but over the last three games and after the word came down that the Bombers were going to rely on speed and pitching especially during the injury-plagued beginning of the season, the pitching- from top to bottom - has been phenomenal.

How phenomenal? How about one run - total - in the last three games facing the Blue Jays, Cardinal and Rays (two of the three being very good hitting teams) and yes, the Yankees won all three. With that kind of pitching, scoring three or four runs per game is more than sufficient. Kuroda has looked as sharp as he did last year. The back-end of the rotation, most notably Nova and Phelps, have been pushing each other with fantastic results. I think between the two of them, they've given up one run in 20+ innings.

As for the battery, once the Yanks let Russell Martin go, it was decided it was going to be defense over offense for the catcher position. If the previously mentioned pitching is any reflection on the backstop, well then point made. Want a stat? Francisco Cervelli has thrown out five of seven runners attempting to steal. If that's mid-season form, it's pretty impressive. It may not reflect on how he does once the real season starts, but it does indicate that he's doing something right behind the dish.

In front of the dish, Robinson Cano has been beating the crap out of the ball for the Dominican Republic WBC team. He's hitting up a storm, over .500. Brett Gardner is proving he's healthy and perhaps ready to make the jump to star. Yes, defensively the injury to Curtis Granderson will see Gardy still in leftfield even when  Granderson is back, but he's also a star in the making as a centerfielder.

And as Brian Cashman is reaching out to the AARP for players, some of the kids being given a chance such as Melky Mesa and Cuban Mustelier and are impressing. We kind of know what kind of (limited) production we would get from the likes of Rivera, Diaz and Francisco, but in the short-term and especially as pitchers would need to learn them, the potential upside of one, or more, of these kids being given the chance to start the season, and see some playing time with the big club could be bigger than the diminished expectations.

Okay, that's my glass half full perspective. Ahh, spring training: all that sound and fury and hope, signifying ... who the heck knows.

Cheers,
B.

"A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME"

as told by art and tweets

"Why settle for diner pancakes the morning after when a good looking, well dressed, fine smelling man had already offered up dinner?"

"She wanted Paul to know she was capable in the kitchen, maybe not in his league, but still in the game."

"She wasn't exactly playing hard to get, she just wasn't going to be got tonight."

"He stole a look at Dinah and could see that she was melting and the temperature wasn't that high in her kitchen."

 She saw the burst of beautifully colored flowers before she spotted the handsome man they were attached to standing near the curb.

Both of them wanted to say something. Neither of them did.

It was over. He knew it. She confirmed it.

He hurriedly completed the task of removing the last page from each and every one of her books.

He could come clean. He could tell her what he did.