Aaron, on one hand condolences. On the other: Congratulations! This is an impressive achievement.

Do you think they'd let you hang a banner telling the masses that the drum got banned because of Yankee whiners?

Wow. I'm sorry I missed it. Getting bent out of shape at police officers is perhaps my greatest talent. Perhaps on another day.

It's true. It's true.

We were frustrated with the SkyDome personel at the beginning for giving us these vague orders to stop without telling us why. All the cop said was that a complaint was radioed up to him from "the field level" and that he didn't know exactly who it was from, but we had to cease drumming.

The SkyDome ushers told us that we had to obey the cop and that we couldn't drum. However, we pressed them for answers, and eventually they did get back to us, to their credit.

They explained it to us clearly, and it was exactly what NFH said. One of them told us the order came from the Yankees, on the field. They told us that they were trying to sort out how this effects thing and to speak to Blue Jays officials later, but they seemed unclear on what the future of the drum was.

You heard it here first. The Yankees can't take opposition fans. They are a bunch of arrogant whiners. Loud racuous Yankee Stadium fans are okay but basically the only loud Jay fans in SkyDome have to be quieted.

I hope that if the drum situation gets resolved positively for the weekend that whoever is here goes down there and gives the Yankees a game to remember. This should certainly give you some encouragemenmt. I won't be here, but to double the noise generated tonight would be something.

i say, hang the banner

Simply unbelievable. One of the best 3 innings of cheer club action possibly in history. We were ON FIRE.

And yet because a bunch of whiny overpaid fogeys can't take the noise, we have to kill the enthusiasm.

Now, I won't delve into how stupid this is for the skydome staff - let's look at how this makes ANY SENSE at all logically.

1. THIS IS NOT GOLF. One of the things the ushers said was that we could play as long "as the ball isn't in play". This comes from the team who flashes "Make some Noise", "Serious Noise" and the like while the ball is, guess what, IN PLAY!!!!! NOISE IS PART OF THE DARNED GAME! THIS IS WHAT CROWDS DO, THEY MAKE NOISE FOR THEIR TEAM!

2. What on EARTH is the difference between us playing a drum, and say, 10,000 fans standing up and clapping? We don't get 10,000 fans to stand up and clap, so we compensate with the DRUM. By this logic people can't clap while the ball is in play because it might serve as some sort of distraction.

3. I certainly didn't hear any complaints about the Yankee fans, who, sad to say, are much louder than Jays fans, thus neccesitating the drum in order to drown them out.

TELL ME why they're allowed to do this. TELL ME why the Yankees can whine about a drum.

There was a cowbell being rung in the lower bowl - why didn't they order that out?

And perhaps the most obvious thing of all that the entire cheer club came upon - THE BLUE JAYS SELL THOSE GIANT BLUE STADIUM HORNS!!! These things make noise that carries THROUGHOUT THE STADIUM. What is the difference between THAT, which they SELL, and the drum, which makes about as much noise as if the entire cheer club were to play those horns at the same time?

Absolutely ridiculous.

Well, that's my rant for the night.

On another note - am I going to be the ONLY person in 518 tomorrow? Such a thought greatly pains me, as seeing Esteban Loaiza get killed seems like a perfect opportunity for a cheer club heckling adventure.

Or wait... is everyone going to be in the "TBG" section for tomorrow's game? If so I should pick me up a ticket.

m still stunned by the whole thing, and I really don't know what else to say. Sorry, Mick, your Yankees are gutless whiners.

Nah. This is the same thing as an opposing manager insisting that the umpire continually check Gaylord Perry for illegal substances.

Perry loved it because he believed it meant he was in the heads of the oppositions, and the opposing manager got what he wanted -- a perfectly legal way of breaking the rhythm of a 300-game winner.

Now the Cheer Club gets what they want -- a legitimate reason to complain more about the Yankees AND a minor spotlight (get this story to Geoff Baker, stat!) and the Yankees get what they want -- they get a minor distraction stopped AND get into the heads of the only noisy fans a SkyDome (and, by the way, get Mo his 45th save; he ust have a shot at Thigpen).

They requested it stop because they could. Just as if the ump had said "Sparky, shut up, I'm not frisking Gaylord again tonight," I don't imagine if the drum had stayed in place it would have made anyone even blink.

Should they have made the demand? Of course not. But they had the right to. And it worked. On muliple levels -- this very thread is proof of that.

I don't imagine if the drum had stayed in place it would have made anyone even blink.

It stayed in place, it just wasn't banged upon.

And yes, people would have blinked, and bothered us, and most likely ejected us. You've got to realize the mentality of the skydome staff. They ARE a fascist dictatorship - it's not even funny. That's why you may scoff at the idea that it's not a big deal, as an outsider observer I would too most likely, but in the skydome it's just more of the staff putting an immediate stop to enthusiasm, which is something we REALLY don't need - especially with the yankees in town.

Why on earth would the Yankees give a damn about "getting into the heads" of noisy fans at the skydome?

"Heyyy maybe if we piss them off, they'll post a thread on battersbox!!"

Sorry man, that's just lame.

Italics - YER OUTTA THERE!

(Having written all of this up, I just now realized that Thomas had already finished my rant for me in a far more succinct manner just when I started writing it. But here goes anyway...)

What frustrated me about the whole event above all else was the stadium staff's inability to communicate what was going on to us. The uniformed police officer came up and told us to stop playing because of "a complaint" from field level. What field level was was a mystery to him: he didn't tell us whether it meant an uptight fan in the 100s or someone in the Yankees' starting nine, and wasn't particularly active in finding out for us. He left, gave a half-smile and a thumbs-up on his way out (but didn't say anything about what that meant either), and left. We did not see him again.

A few innings later, the usher from our section told us that he'd talked to the head of security and that it would be acceptable to drum during instances when the ball is not "in play" - i.e. between batters and pitches, competing with the SkyDome PA. It would still be worth doing, but wouldn't have the same feel as pounding the drum during, say, a grounder deep in the hole. He suggested that we move over one section - even though our section absolutely loved the drum. (I take full credit for that.) We asked him what was going on two more times, and he couldn't give us anything. To protest against not knowing what circumstances were responsible for the castration of the mighty O-Drum, we just didn't bother drumming. Putting our collective Gandhi hat on, we took it a step further and duct-taped our mouths in the eighth. That didn't get any play, but it felt strangely gratifying. And I kind of liked the smell of the glue on the duct tape.

When we got our answer, it was 7-4 in the top of the ninth and the rout was on. We were too dejected to cheer.

If we'd known that the complaints came from the players and not the fans, we would have kept the drumming going at "acceptable" times throughout the game. Our usher encouraged us to in the second half of the game, but we didn't bother.

What I would like to know is exactly what rule Joe Torre cited that allowed him to force the drum to go silent. As many in this thread have said, crowd noise is a part of the game. The drum is infinitely less distracting and intimidating (if at all) than 35,000 screaming Beantowners in Game 5 of a tied ALCS. The Cheer Club is not affiliated with the Blue Jays in any way - we're just fans. I'm sure there's a ridiculous interpretation of some MLB policy that allows a manager to request that fans cease doing anything that renders his team unable to compete that gives Torre the right to do what he did; I'd just like to know what it is.

Hopefully, as Thomas says, this all gets resolved peacefully and the Yankees get a healthy dose of furious noise from the SkyDome faithful this weekend.

You liked the smell of the glue? I thought it was disgusting.

I thought the best protest was our "air drumming" during the "We are Toronto" spiel.

What I want to know is:

Did the Yankees complain to the umpire, who then instructed Blue Jays personnel to silence the drum, or did the Yankees complain directly to Skydome personnel?

This is beyond the realm of the ridiculous and well within the realm of the absurd, notwithstanding Mick's insipid (or perhaps humourous, it's hard to tell) attempt to provide a rationale.

They do say that fans are prohibited from disrupting the game in a negative fashion, but depending on how that is interpreted the fans would have to be as quiet as at a tennis match.

This is a classic Joe Torre move. Similar to when he put up a huff when the Jays put out the ad with a Yankees cap dotted with bird droppings (excrement, not our once drummer).

What was really eerie was how the game turned as soon as the drum was silenced. It was 4-0 and we were just about to rally (2 on, none out) when we got the gag order, the Yankees had their way ever since.

BTW: Frasor was brutal tonight. Three straight fastballs to A-Rod: mix it up man! At 0-2 make him chase something.

Alex's post also hits upon a key point. We got overwhelming support from both people in our section, and at least one person who appeared to be from several sections over who thought our silencing was "asinine" and strongly supported us. It really appears to us like far more people at SkyDome like us then do not.

We had people move from our section today, as we usually do. However in the 500s the views are all pretty similar, the seats are not filled to near capacity and often people who do not like the drum in 518 simply move to similar seats in 520 or 522 or something.

They do say that fans are prohibited from disrupting the game in a negative fashion,

That's crazy though - if you get the whole 100 level left field section heckling Manny Ramirez (as we did a few games ago), does that mean that they can all get ejected?

It's ridiculous - it's not anywhere near as "negative" as much of what people yell - it's a "pump up the team" tool.

If we want to impact a game negatively, we heckle sans-drum.

The only "negative" thing I can think of us doing with the drum is chanting "Overrated" at Jeter.

Then again, he NEVER hits when we do that. Maybe he's the one that complained.

Tyler,

I agree. And I've never understood what "negatively disrupting a game" might mean in a baseball context, other than perhaps running onto the field or throwing projectiles onto it. Apart from that, I say almost everything goes.

Robert: The woman who worked in security who finally got the dirt and explained to us what happened told us two things.

(1) The complaint came from the players on the field, and

(2) The orders to silence the drum during play progressed from the mysterious "base" to the head usher, and to the head of security, and then to the catfood tester, and so on.

No mention of to whom the Yankees complained. So we don't have any idea whether it was in fact the umps who acted on the Yankees' complaints... unless I missed something.

This is a longshot, but did anyone notice any Yankees actually conversing with umpires in the third inning?

"at least one person who appeared to be from several sections over who thought our silencing was "asinine" and strongly supported us"

Thomas, didn't he say "I adore you" and not "I support you" ?

What about those cocky Quantrill kids, they were a pain in the ass.

I was thrilled to sit next to Brumfield, especially because he looks exactly like Frank Menechino with a goatee.

I just remembered something. In Seattle once they felt the need to ban "Yankees Suck" t-shirts from Safeco field. Anybody want to go conspiracy theory and suggest the other teams really suck up to the Yankees because they bring so much to revenue sharing and the gate?

Anybody want to go conspiracy theory and suggest the other teams really suck up to the Yankees because they bring so much to revenue sharing and the gate?

I wouldn't be surprised - look at how much Yankees merchandise the Skydome sells.

Cheap sellouts.

And yes, those Quantrill kids pissed me off. "WE WANT Q" - YES CHILDREN I AGREE, PAUL QUANTRILL SHOULD PINCH HIT FOR HIDEKI MATSUI.

It's all to easy to say that the Bosox and Yankee fans in SkyDome are all out-of-towners. Sadly it's not true. I realized this when after the game, after taking the subway, watching a foursome of Bosox merched-out fans get into a minivan at Wilson station with Ontario plates, presumably to drive home. What would out-of-towners be doing at Wilson station? A minivan? Pathetic Torontonians. Major League Baseball in your city is a privilege and you should damn well support the home team no matter how poor their record is. How do these people look themselves in the mirror? How do they sleep at night? What do they tell their children? Spineless monkeys, the lot of them.

This is ridiculous, I'll just have to add this to my ever growing list of reasons to hate the Yankees. (The book will be out soon)

I personally will be laughing my head off when Jim Edmonds hits an extra inning home run off Tom Gordon at Busch Stadium in Game 4, winning the series for the Cardinals.

Even better, replace 'Edmonds' and 'St. Louis' with 'Kotsay' and 'Oakland'.

Perhaps a banner of 'Free the O-Drum from the Yankee Oppressors' or something along those lines.

A more likely scenario is "Guerrero" and "Anaheim", given that the Yankees have already demonstrated that they can't cope with thundersticks.

Or Rally Monkeys.

Major League Baseball in your city is a privilege and you should damn well support the home team no matter how poor their record is. How do these people look themselves in the mirror? How do they sleep at night? What do they tell their children? Spineless monkeys, the lot of them.

Indeed. Alex and I have a friend who is quite the Red Sox fan.

We forgive him, though, because he cheers for the Jays against any other team.

He even went to New York and cheered for the Jays IN YANKEE STADIUM.
That means something.

Still a weasel though. The lot of 'em.

Speaking of Thundersticks - the Jays NEED to get those.

The Argos have been handing them out at EVERY game and I have never heard a louder crowd in my life. Those things are AMAZING.

And much easier than clapping.

And yes, people would have blinked, and bothered us, and most likely ejected us.
That's not at all what I meant. You're talking about the SkyDome staff, which is hardly answerable to The Empire; I meant that had the drum stayed in place, no Yankees would have really minded. So why make the demand? See next point.

This is a classic Joe Torre move.
Exactly. A Hall of Fame manager plays every card in his hand, no matter how seemingly petty. Thus the comparison to Sparky Anderson having Gaylord Perry searched every six minutes when he pitched against the Reds until the umps said "That's enough for today, George."

Major League Baseball in your city is a privilege and you should damn well support the home team no matter how poor their record is.
Abolutely NOT, and that is fascist. When I get out to Ameriquest Fieldpark in Arlington for a Rangers/Yankees game, the NY caps consistenly outnumber the T hats; they outnumber us by a wide margin, but we are louder. My employer is the largest in the Metroplex, and as it relocated from NYC to DFW 25 years ago this week, it is littered with native New Yorkers. To us, the Yankees are the home team.

And by this logic, since I live in DFW, I assume if I ever make it up to TO for a Jays/Rangers matchup at SkyDome, that I should yell loudly for the Rangers, since they are currently my "Home team." And in fact, Cheer Club would encourage me to do so and be disappointed if I didn't, and not try to shush my "Vernon! Come back to Fort Worth!" pleas.

Of course it's a special case if you're a transplanted fan. In fact, it's admirable. But, those Bosox fans at Wilson Station, do you really think they were Bosox fans in October of 1993? How did the Braves get so many fans all over North America in the 1990s. In the 1980s nobody cared about the Braves. (TBS on cable TV might have something to do with this, though.)

Funny. I consider myself a Braves fan, and would love to see a rematch of the 1992 World Series. (With the same result of course)

I was turned onto the Braves by really just one player. Greg Maddux.

I am right pissed off at this. I'll be in the left field seats for Saturday's game, and I have half a mind to buy a bedsheet and write FREE THE O-DRUM FROM YANKEE SUCK on it. Too bad I'm in row 3, and not row 1 like I will be for Sept 4th. What are the odds in favour of having Jays fans in the front row and no overprotective, thin-skinned, mealy-mouthed f'n Yankee fans there? My last game against the Yankees, this Yankee fan wanted me thrown out for using "sucks" and various Yankee names in the same sentence. Not in front of my kids!!! You haven't said one positive thing about a Yankee!!!

In conclusion: The Yankees and their fans are bitches.

Well they better ban the drum in Cleveland too, or is that one grandfathered. But man i sure wish they'ed ban the Braves Tomahawk chop moan. I can't watch a Braves playoff game because of it. Drives me batty.

Anyway, Justin Miller should pitch sleeveless tomorrow in support of the Cheer Club.

The Yankee's suck and so do their fans. All of them.

The Yankee's suck and so do their fans. All of them.

That's not true. The Yanks have great fans such as myself. I'm wearing my Yanks shirt right now with pride:)

Sorry, but honestly... what the hell??

Can these guys not take a drum beat?

This is absolutely disgusting if its true. If any yankees think Toronto is bad, do they cry in the dugout when they goes to Boston?

Mick, I hear what you're saying, but here's how it's going to backfire for them:

Today a foursome of us from last night bought nice tickets from TBG Jim (who still has extras). We're going to buy those horrible blue horns, because they are obviously "stadium legal". A specific part of the complaint was that we couldn't make noise once the pitcher raised his leg (which leads me to believe the complaintant was Lieber, and he sure turned it on once we were quite). Well, hey, why don't we give Esteban the horn every time he raises his leg? We were going to give him the gears anyways.

And I will make sure that they know why we're doing it.

quite = quiet

And I encourage the rest of you who are coming to 1) buy a ticket from Jim -- he has seats in 128 and 129, and 2) MAKE A TON OF NOISE AT THE MOST DISRUPTIVE TIMES POSSIBLE for the Yankees.

But they had the right to.

Mick, how in the world do the Yankees have this right? I don't think they could have gone to Atlanta and told everyone to stop "Tamahawking" with that annoying "uhhhh ohh ohhh." Or Cleveland with their incessant drum. If they have this right, so do the Jays at any other visiting ballpark. What a joke. I hope this somehow gets out. I'd love to see a piece on Sportscenter how the Yankees asked fans to be quiet-and the actually had to be!?!?? That'd be histerical.

http://aaronreynolds.ca
There's part of the joy of the blue horn: it has no warning label or cautionary instructions when sold for TEN DOLLARS at the game. If they ask us to be quiet because we are "disrupting play", we would get to ask for our money back and for all of the other blue horns to be removed from the concession stands.

Hey, does anyone work at a golf course? We could bring QUIET PLEASE sticks to hold up when the game is underway.

To me, the villain here is the SkyDome security staff, for honouring the Yankees' request. (I am assuming that it wasn't the umpires who made the request.)

Disrupting the opposition is what home-team fans are supposed to do, isn't it? And aren't the paying customers allowed to make noise, taunt the opposition, cheer wildly for the home team, and do all those fun things that make actually going to the park a worthwhile thing to do?

For me, the bottom line is this: if a fan does something that irritates other fans, and adversely affects their enjoyment of the game, he or she should be spoken to by the security staff. But, from what I've read, the other fans enjoyed the O-Drum.

I hope that, someday soon, the Jays and the SkyDome wind up being owned by the same people.

THE BLUE JAYS SELL THOSE GIANT BLUE STADIUM HORNS!!! These things make noise that carries THROUGHOUT THE STADIUM. What is the difference between THAT, which they SELL

Maybe the O-Drum is interfering with a revenue opportunity.

But, those Bosox fans at Wilson Station, do you really think they were Bosox fans in October of 1993?

They might be - some Ontarians are fans of other teams. I don't have a problem with this, as long as they remain fans of that team during the bad years as well as the good.

And Mick D has a valid point - people relocate all the time.

The Yankee's suck and so do their fans. All of them.

That's going too far. I don't have a problem with Yankee fans, even (or especially) in this blog, provided they keep their gloating to a minimum. :-) After all, none of us who are Jays fans were complaining back in 1992 and 1993 when the Jays were the big dog at the top of the heap, were we?

While I take great pride and joy in seeing the Yankees lose, and would be happy beyond belief if they were to slip to, say, 62-100 next year, I can understand that there are lots of people, both inside and outside New York, who care deeply about the Yankees. That doesn't make them bad people.

But they had the right to.

Mick, how in the world do the Yankees have this right?


Anyone can request anything.

Complying with the request is something different.

I'll be in 124, but I'll see what I can do about yelling whenever E- L- lifts his leg.

I was at the game last night and I liked the drum.. I wondered why it went silent in the 4th...

I think I know the answer though...

Did anyone else see the vendors walking around with caps and flags for sale in the stands.... YANKEES ONLY...

I think the Yankees might own Skydome too

I don't have a problem with Yankee fans

Just like our experience with Red Sox fans this homestand, there are some really nice ones and some that shout that Alex and his Expos jersey should "go back to Portugal". Last time we had the drum out vs. the Yankees we got a lot of "I'm not gonna root for your team but good work with the drum" comments from visiting New Yorkers (and I think one of them offered Mike a place to stay if he came to NY to see a game) mixed in with the dirty looks during the "O-VER-RA-TED" chant.

http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/events/mlb_odyssey_story.jsp?type=notes&day=story_0804
COMN for a glowing article (from MLB no less) on the original drummer, John Adams in Cleveland, who's been banging his drum for 30 years. Doesn't sound like he has ever had a problem with stadium officials.

Heck you should go down to BP before the game when the Yanks are hitting and pound that thing.

BEST IDEA EVER. Who wants to go early on Saturday? :)

(btw I'm a Yanks fan and even I can't stand for this nonsense)

The Yankees fans (I'm assuming -- they were in Jeter/Matsui/Posada jerseys and Yankee caps for the most part) who asked us after the game why we stopped drumming were mortified that the Yankees had done this. They seemed downright embarrassed by the behavior of their team.

To me, the villain here is the SkyDome security staff, for honouring the Yankees' request. (I am assuming that it wasn't the umpires who made the request.)

See, that's the thing: it has to have come from higher in the food chain than I've communicated with in the past. My contact in security (who has been a really fantastic help just getting the drum into the Dome in the first place) didn't know where the order had come from, according to the ushers and supervisors we spoke to. Nobody knew.

While I've made complaints about the overzealousness of SkyDome ushers and security in the past, I don't think that they can really be faulted here. When the first line of contact for us is a uniformed police officer who has been dispatched by "base", it has to have come from somewhere important. The rest of them are kids, for the most part, doing their jobs as dictated to them by the walkie-talkies.

By the way, I had a dream last night about the drum. I was sitting up in 518 with it, but we weren't allowed to play. I looked over to 517, and there were Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, in uniform, razzing the Yankees. I got up and walked over to them and explained the situation. At first Manny was angry and wouldn't talk to me because of how we heckled him the other night, but then when he started to understand the implications of what I was explaining -- that the Yankees had the police make Jays fans be quiet in the Jays' stadium -- he got really mad at the Yankees. He said, "David, this isn't right. Let's fix it." Ortiz gave him a huge grin and they both stood up and ran down the aisle and into the concourse. Moments later I saw them explode out of the camera bay steps and run into the Yankees dugout and start beating the hell out of individual Yankees, cartoon-style, with big, exaggerated wind-up punches and clouds of smoke when the Yankees hit the ground. Joe Torre was crying, "Why, why why" and Ortiz shouted, "THIS IS FOR THE DRUM, JOE!" and knocked him clear across the field.

Hank,

That is really funny.

http://aaronreynolds.ca
I just had a very interesting phone conversation!

Here's the upshot: the O-Drum is loved and welcomed, and with one minor change to the rules regarding its implementation, it is free to continue as it has, including against the Yankees.

We've tried to sit in a deserted section in the past to avoid irritating those fans who may not expect a ballpark to be loud. This is actually a reasonable expectation in SkyDome, as sad as that sounds. Anyways, we're always scooted back into the last populated section by the ushers, and we're always made to sit in the front part of the section rather than higher up, in the back, so we end up close to people.

The ushering staff have now been instructed to allow us into the first unoccupied section.

As a Red Sox fan, let me just say, the Yankees Suck enormously. They have a financial advantage over everyone and it's not enough. They manipulate every little thing they can to suit themselves.

Of course, if I were the Blue Jays management and the Yankees complained about the noise I'd have told them to bugger off.

Have you ever been to Yankee Stadium? Incessant scoreboard crap noise.

By the way, this...

"By the way, I had a dream last night about the drum. I was sitting up in 518 with it, but we weren't allowed to play. I looked over to 517, and there were Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, in uniform, razzing the Yankees. I got up and walked over to them and explained the situation. At first Manny was angry and wouldn't talk to me because of how we heckled him the other night, but then when he started to understand the implications of what I was explaining -- that the Yankees had the police make Jays fans be quiet in the Jays' stadium -- he got really mad at the Yankees. He said, "David, this isn't right. Let's fix it." Ortiz gave him a huge grin and they both stood up and ran down the aisle and into the concourse. Moments later I saw them explode out of the camera bay steps and run into the Yankees dugout and start beating the hell out of individual Yankees, cartoon-style, with big, exaggerated wind-up punches and clouds of smoke when the Yankees hit the ground. Joe Torre was crying, "Why, why why" and Ortiz shouted, "THIS IS FOR THE DRUM, JOE!" and knocked him clear across the field."

...is beautiful.

That's great news.

I strongly suspect that last night's complaint originated with Jon Lieber. We've drummed against the Yankees before last time they were here, and that went on without incident. Lieber pitched the third game of the series, but I specifically remember the drum was not present at that game. It seems quite probable to me that he disliked the drumming and was the instigator of the complaint.

http://aaronreynolds.ca
So, who wants to drum with us on Saturday? We'll probably be in the right field corner of the upper deck, that's how seat sales are going.

I'll make a banner that reads IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT, GET OUTTA SKYDOME or something like that.

And that dream is 100% true. I woke up crying tears of gratitude and for some reason I find myself liking the Red Sox today.

http://www.portlandsoxfan.com
You guys got a lot of mention from the Sox radio guys during that last series...they joked about you a few times, and wondered if you had to buy a ticket for the drum.

I'll be flipping between Sox games and Yanks games this weekend, I hope to hear the drum...

You guys seriously rock. Keep up the good work. Hope to join your ranks for a few games in September.

Thomas, didn't he say "I adore you" and not "I support you" ?

I can't help it if I'm cool and attractive.

NFH, how about a banner that reads:

IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE BEAT, GET OUTTA THE SKYDOME

http://aaronreynolds.ca
Morty, that's brilliant.

Jim, let us know what dates you're looking at and we'll guilt Mike into bringing the drum out. ;)

http://aaronreynolds.ca
I have "Revolution" by the Beatles cranked here at work while I'm making Morty's sign.

Paul S.,

I will be in the front row for Saturday's game in 518 ( I believe )
I'll be wearing a Bob File road jersey from last year. Feel free to put your banner in my area. I'll guard it.
You're right about the Yankees and their fans being bitches and Aaron, that dream is one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life. Problem is Manny Ramirez probably doesn't even know who the Blue Jays are! hahaha

-Bob

BEST IDEA EVER. Who wants to go early on Saturday? :)

Count me in!

I'll also be there today with a TBG ticket.

Ooooh this should be quite fun :-)

http://aaronreynolds.ca
NYJF, in the dream I remember being surprised by how intelligently Manny spoke. Anyways, he beat up the Yankees for me, so I'm not going to say anything bad about him ever again, even if it was only a dream. ;)

We'll look for your jersey and wave to you!

I was thinking about going on Saturday, but now that I've heard that it's not only Retro Cap day, but also "take revenge on the Yankees for banning the O-Drum" day, I'll try to go. Besides, I have U of T library books due, so I need to go downtown anyways.

http://aaronreynolds.ca
Did you get the one beside me and Mike B and KT, Tyler? We're in section 128, row 29, Seats 105-108.

http://aaronreynolds.ca
Woo-hoo!

Alrighty!

Who exactly is coming then? Me, NFH, KT, anyone else?

I know Alex has seats in the 100 behind home plate.

There's a 70% chance I might be at tonight's game (transportation is a little iffy as of now), but I already have tickets in the outfield.
Thanks for the offer, though, Jim.

And I will be all over L----- tonight, if I'm there. But, how do I heckle him if I can't say his name? ;)

With regards to the new rules about the drum - i.e. allowing us into the first unsold section:

Does this mean a ban on non-cheer club people coming over to our little section?

And lastly - how ever will we get the same satisfaction without the dirty looks from the people with Derek Jeter jerseys with NAMES ON THE BACK?

That post sounds weird. Let me rephrase it.

I bought the OF tickets a while back, but I just realized I might not make it to the game tonight.

http://aaronreynolds.ca
Does this mean a ban on non-cheer club people coming over to our little section?

Nah, all we have to do is say "They're with us."

http://aaronreynolds.ca
Heh, forgot to answer the other part:

Me, KT, someone with KT, Mike B and you are together.

Best. Joke. Ever.

If you want the dirty looks from the Jeterites, I suggest a two-part banner.

Banner 1:
What do you call a slow roller to Derek Jeter's left?

Banner 2:
Base hit up the middle!

This man is a genius.

http://aaronreynolds.ca
That's great!

Unfortunately, the $8000 printer just passed away again. This could mean no weekend banner.

Unfortunately, the $8000 printer just passed away again. This could mean no weekend banner.

Oh, Aaron, you're so un-clutch.

http://aaronreynolds.ca
No, Epson are non-clutch.

No, Epson are non-clutch.

Amen to that. My printer has been out of ink for months, but the printer refuses to admit it, so I can't load a new cartridge.

Did somebody say Epson?!

"Ooh, baby, baby baby please! Ooh baby, you've got me on my knees."

Does anyone else hate that commercial more than me? Still better than the Epson Cowboy, though.

Okay, I need your help. I'll most likely be sitting in a quiet section again, so I need something I can yell at L-----, while making everybody around me very angry at this damned loudmouth kid.

How about...
"L-----, CONTRERAS IS BETTER!"
"THIS ISN'T 2003, L-----!"

And I hope the printer gets fixed. I was looking forward to
HOW DOES THE DRUM SOUND, LIEBER?
getting tossed out of the game, like last year with the Cuzzi sign.

I dislike rendering video. It's killing me and makes me look like I'm useless...

Anyways, I shall see you darlings tonight. Thomas, you will be adored although not in attendance... Alex, I seriously think that you should try your hand at writing a screenplay.

That is all.

http://me.woot.net
Jeter's printer makes that sign.

If the Yankees had made this request at Fenway, the Sox ownership would have a 'drum giveaway' promotion the next time the Yanks came to town.

You canadians are way too polite.

Damn. I just found out I can't get to the game tonight. No car, nothing. So I'll have to wait until another Yankees series to boo L-----. Bang that drum, boys. I want to hear it on TV all game! And you'll have to be loud, as I will be yelling "YOU SUCK, LOAIZA" from the couch. ;)

Then it falls into the stands and injures itself for the sake of drama.

I've seen that many times but I could never decide if it was just a dramatic thing or if Mr. Clutch actually had to do that. My hatred for Jeter makes me think it's the former, but what do others think?
Did Jetes have to fall into the stands like that? What if the O-Dog did that -- would we praise him while mocking Jeter?

http://aaronreynolds.ca
We'll be drumless, but we'll be loud.

Can someone tape the game for me tonight?

And does anyone have the YES network? I'd like to see their coverage, too.

Can someone tape the game for me tonight?

Done.

http://aaronreynolds.ca
I just thought of something --

We're sitting in 128, right?

128 is the section you see on TV in the shots of the pitcher from the side!

http://aaronreynolds.ca
Thanks, Alex. And if any US readers who will be watching on YES can tape the game for me, I'll send you a fabulous present in exchange for the tape.

Just noticed this now:

I'll be in 124, but I'll see what I can do about yelling whenever E- L- lifts his leg.

And I'll be doing my best to fire up 122. So that's like having a Cheer Club presence that spans seven sections, right?

I'm thinking biggest "Going Going Zaun" chant ever.

Not only that, but we're surrounded by York Baseball Association people! NOT YANKEE FANS!

By the way, Alex, send me an e-mail.

http://www.torontobaseballguys.com
Well, people who bought tickets from York Baseball Association people anyway. :) Has to be better than Yankees fans, right?

I'm off to meet some of my ticket holders for dinner. See you guys at Gate 11.

NFH: The mail is sent.

I lied about my location - I'm actually in section 121, row 33, seat 7. Still behind home plate, just one section over.

Sorry I didn't get to this until now thanks to work. Figures, everyone will stop reading at this point but here goes anyway....

Of all the great posts I've read on this website, this may have been the best! NFH's dream and the suggestions for signs to bring to the games this week-end all had me laughing.

I was at the game last night and the more I think about it, I think that cop knew exactly what was going on and who complained. Nice of the men in blue to be forthright with the public.

I got to the game in the 3rd inning and yes, Alex Van Halen was on fire with the O-Drum, way better than Bird Droppings (kidding!). :)

Life was good, Hudson homered, the Good Guys were up 4-0 and had a rally going, and then it went to hell in a hurry after the Drum was silenced. I didn't think it was possible for me to respect the Yankees any less, but after last night, now it is. Bunch of whiners, especially Jeter (really lost respect for him after the Huckaby incident). As far as I'm concerned, Huckaby's a folk hero for that. There should a bobblehead doll of that incident given away for a future game, have Huckaby step on Jeter's head with a big grin!! Anyways, I'm off on a tangent here...

Basically, this proves again the Yankees are whiners. Carlos Delgado put it best - "This isn't ballet, this is baseball".

And yes, those Quantrill kids pissed me off. "WE WANT Q" - YES CHILDREN I AGREE, PAUL QUANTRILL SHOULD PINCH HIT FOR HIDEKI MATSUI.

Those kids really showed their baseball savvy, cheering for Quantrill to pitch during the Yankees at-bat. Hopefully, they're not future posters on this site.

As for the game, Woodward's error really opened the floodgates. He can't throw out the catcher but then makes a great play to get Jeter later in the game. Just no consistency when he's on the field.

From Keith Talent.....
I was thrilled to sit next to Brumfield, especially because he looks exactly like Frank Menechino with a goatee.

I don't see it but hey, Menechino's not the worst guy in the world to be compared to.

I'm glad the O-Drum will be back, I don't know if I'll make it out this week-end but have fun harrassing the Yankees!!

I woke up crying tears of gratitude and for some reason I find myself liking the Red Sox today.

I think you'll get over that...

But well done.

Give it up for the drum, everyone...tear the roof off the sucker.

We need the drum
Got to have the drum
Aaaaw, we need the drum....

Just to confirm, will the cheer club be in 518 on Saturday?

Paul, we'll be on the first base side in the first empty section in the 500 level, probably 510 or 512. You'll hear us. ;)

Allright, I think I'm going to join you.
I haven't been to a Cheer Club event yet, so I thought I'd head down by myself tomorrow and enjoy the game.

I plan on arriving obscenely early tomorrow to guarantee a hat for myself and to try to deliver our heartfelt Hallmark card to Jon Lieber.

Should I just hang out in 518 or thereabouts until the drum arrives?

Exactly, Alex.

I'll be there way early, too. Maybe I'll bring a deck of cards. ;)

The Lieber card is brilliant -- do you have a scanner or anything to make a copy of it before you give it to him?

Can someone update me as to what I missed?

Were you guys loud? Did you overcome the hoardes of Yankee fans? I heard Mike got a beer thrown at him? Is that true? A full one? From how close? Did you guys give him a big cheer today when he pitched?

Thomas,

Aaron reviewed his experiences during the Yankees series in the new cheer club v Seattle thread.

Thanks.