Big Apple orchard
All-Star symbols scattered about city
They don’t call it “The Big Apple” for nothing.
In conjunction with Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Citi Field, Major League Baseball placed 35 giant apples around New York in Manhattan and Queens. Each team’s logo appears on an apple, accounting for 30. The other five are apples with the NL and AL logos, the All-Star Game logo (at Citi Field in Queens), the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants apples (both at Grand Central Station).
But finding them all is no easy task. Take it from someone who spent last weekend doing just that.
“When I first heard about the apples a few weeks ago, I planned a running route to see the ones located in the more central Manhattan area,” Megan Brown, a 25-year old Brewers fan who grew up in Indiana and now lives in New York, told The Rumble’s David Satriano. “Sadly, only a couple were even out at that point, so I wasn’t sure if I would even get to see any of the others, and I kind of shelved the idea of completing the list.”
But when her parents came into town, they stumbled upon another apple, which sparked her interest again.
“My parents were visiting me during the Fourth of July weekend, and we were walking by FOX, where the Royals apple was. My dad asked if I wanted a picture with it,” she said. “Just as I was telling to my parents the apples were all over the city for the All-Star Game, some really nice guys had perfect timing to also be apple hunting in the same spot and gave us a printed out map.”
The map helped, as Brown used it to plan out a route that took her as far south as Whitehall Street downtown and as far north as 125th Street. Some of the apples are in places associated with their teams. The Mets one is outside SNY studios, the Braves apple is inside the Time Warner Center and the Nationals is near the Intrepid. Others are randomly placed. The Yankees apple is at Modells on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues.
“It took me about four days, mostly walking,” Brown said. “One day, we walked from the downtown apples, the furthest being the Indians apple at Whitehall Bridge, up to the Red Sox near Penn Station, which is no joke when it was as hot out as it was that day.”
The Rumble also set about tracking down each apple. It took 9 hours and 45 minutes, nine subway trips, one cab ride and seven miles of walking over three days to visit them all.
Brown also got to see many New York City landmarks and met some new friends along the way.
“I admit that I’m somewhat biased,” Brown said. “The Brewers apple was definitely my favorite. How can you not love the Racing Sausages, Bernie Brewer’s mustache and the iconic ball-in-glove logo all in one place? Others that I thought were especially well done were the Mariners, Blue Jays, Rays, Nationals and Reds.”
Brown did have one close call, ironically the first apple she saw. She was unable to get near the Royals apple, as it is blocked off from pedestrians. She slipped under the caution tape anyway and had her dad snap a picture before a security guard approached her. Luckily for her, it was July 4 and he let her off with a warning.
“It was very exhausting, but it felt good to complete the entire list,” Brown said.
The apples were placed in the city over the past few weeks, and will begin to be removed July 17. They will be signed by players and 15-20 of them will be auctioned off to benefit Hurricane Sandy relief and the Bryant Park Corporation on http://www.mlb.com.
Major League Baseball also is holding a contest where fans can win tickets and merchandise by posting their pictures of the apples to Twitter or Instagram.
Dwight is Gooden ready for bobblehead night
When Dwight Gooden looks at his bobblehead, which will be handed out to the first 25,000 fans next Sunday when the Mets face the Phillies at Citi Field, it will bring back nothing but fond memories for the Mets’ former Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award winner.
“Even though I haven’t pitched for the Mets since 1994, I still feel a closeness to the fans,” said Gooden, who will play in the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball game at Citi Field today. “They stood behind me through my good times and my bad times and for that I’ll be forever grateful.”
Gooden went 24-4 in 1985 and made the All-Star team four times in a Mets uniform. He is part of an All-Star bobblehead series, along with John Franco, Ron Darling, David Wright and Tom Seaver this year.
“I look forward to seeing Matt Harvey pitch on Tuesday in the All-Star Game,” Gooden said. “He’ll have a long career ahead of him.”
Gooden will also be sign a copy of his book, “Doc: A Memoir” for fans who buy it at the ballpark that day.
NYC Marathon gets Olympic assistance
For the first time, the non-profit U.S. Olympic Committee has put together a team to raise money and run the NYC Marathon for Team USA in advance of Sochi 2014. The deadline is approaching, but there still are a few spots left. For more information, visiti support.teamusa.org.
One-strike PED policy would go over Wells with David
David Wells, on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Radio channel with host Adam Schein on Friday, said that if he were commissioner, he would ban players after one failed test.
“First thing I would do, obviously, is reinstate Pete Rose,” Wells said. “I’d put him in the Hall of Fame where he belongs. But you know what, just kind of have an open mind and watch these guys play. And the first time if somebody comes up dirty, I’d ban them. I would do a one-and-done. I’d be that guy. I’d make sure the game is clean.”