"DO IT FOR DONNIE!"

No, I didn't think that title up myself... my friend Bob did!

@BleednYankeeBlu do it for Donnie.
— Bob Divincenzo (@bdivincenzo) October 16, 2013

Look, Yankeeland lost it's mojo the day the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs this season.  Once that happens, there are several options; you shut the playoffs off and pout in the corner until spring training, You read Bleeding Yankee Blue and smile and laugh your ass off…I like that option… You root for other teams and you root against the Red Sox.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were my pick originally, (Read THE PIRATES WILL WIN IT ALL...).  There was something sweet about seeing the Pirates take it, especially for my 9 year old who is a Pirates fan with absolutely no valid reason why other than he believes in the underdog.  For me, I was pleased that  AJ Burnett and RussellMartin were there.  I also remembered how those "We Are Family" days went with Willie Stargell and Bill Madlock and it was an exciting time for Pittsburgh and it was a different team in the playoffs for a change.  I was in the minority though because many of you wanted the Los Angeles Dodgers…not for the Dodgers… but for Don Mattingly.

It goes back to that quote above by my buddy on Twitter the other night.  It makes sense.  “Do it for Donnie.”  I think about that a lot because I said it a ton of times in the early 90’s when Donnie was a New York Yankee.  The Yankees could never win a championship for Donnie, but should have.  We had a huge shot in 1995, but we didn’t. 

The Mariners crushed our dreams and Donnie then left. It was terrible. Our leader had left us. With a bad back and too many disappointments, it was clear that it was time. We understood, but we wanted to do something about it… but we couldn’t.

When Donnie came back to be the bench coach for Joe Torre, we saw the planet’s aligning.  We knew then that after 4 championships, it was clear, Donnie would finally get a ring as a Yankee.. finally. But the timing was wrong and by the time we did win, he was the bench coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  That Dodger blue looked strange and the number 8 on his back was weirder.

Donnie was groomed to be the manager for the wrong team!  Donnie was given every tool he needed to make the Dodgers a historic team and win a World Series.  Right now, the Dodgers have a real good shot.

I’ll tell you something… I have mixed feelings about Donnie winning as a Dodger.  Winning as a Dodger manager means he didn’t win as a Yankee.  Now, that's selfish of me and yes, I understand that players and managers play hard for any team they are on because of the love of the game.  Donnie’s no different, but Don Mattingly is a New York Yankee and I wonder that if he wins it all with the Dodgers, will that legacy as being a "Yankee for life" be tainted?  After all, if he won in New York first, it would be different… but he hasn’t.

Look, I wish Donnie the best.  Next to Ron Guidry and Rickey Henderson, Donnie was one of my favorites growing up. But you have to think about all he did for New York and he never winning here… well, it’s sad!  Sure… I get it, and I can get on board with “Do it for Donnie”, but does it change everything if he does win it all in Los Angeles? Something to think about...I know I am. 

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WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE FAMILY BALLPARK?

I think I've found the best family friendly ballpark out there, but let me back up and start at the beginning. Look, I’m no tight ass. I like the idea of attractive women at the ballpark, but I’ve noticed over the last 10 years that things have changed fan-wise…and maybe it’s because now my kids are with me to see what I see. Yes, the chanting of “A-hole” when an opposing fan walks down the aisle is the norm, and I can at least tell my kids not the repeat it, but what’s up with the attractive young woman with the low cut shirt showing off her “boys”? What’s going on with women fans holding signs that read “Jeter I want your baby.” My kids can read, and they have questions…. Are you going to answer them? If I knew I was going to teach Sex Ed at the ballpark, I would have brought my former gym teacher along. It’s a little over the top, that’s all.

Look, I’m not judging, I know I have a job to do as a parent. I can choose not the go or explain what true fans are and let them be exposed to all of it to get the “real feel”, pardon the pun. But it’s true, I am a traditionalist and while I love wearing a Posada jersey to the ballpark, I’m not sure seeing male fans rip their shirts off and chanting “RED SOX SUCK” as it’s written on their back really works for me. Yes, The Red Sox DO suck, but the last thing I want to see is my kid doing that at a town football game weeks later. I long for the day when people actually dressed up to go to a ballgame once in a while. Those Sunday matinees with men wearing hats and women wearing sundresses. Yeah, that’s right; I’m actually 102 years old. Look, I’m sounding extreme, and it’s all to make a point.

Whatever happened to the “family” ballpark? What ever happened to bringing the kids to a game at a reasonable price, parking for $6 bucks and having a few hot dogs and a brew totaling $45? At least then you can get a souvenir. But No...

Instead, lately it’s the price of a mini-vacation and my son's asking me “Why is that girl dancing with her bra showing in that man’s lap?” That’s tough to defend; I’m not going to lie. Plus I’d really like to see that, but not with the kids around, maybe on pay per view.

I have to say, Yankee Stadium is not a bad place to bring your kids at all. It’s pretty family friendly and if a fan is unruly, security usually takes care of business right away and kicks them out. But it’s expensive. So, I went for it; I took my kids to a truly family friendly ballpark… Riverfront Stadium in Newark New Jersey...the Home of the Newark Bears. Not sure if you know the history, but the Newark Bears was a farm club of the Yankees in 1937 with names like Joe Gordon and later, Yogi Berra. Later on it was rejuvenated by former Yankee Rick Cerone and they brought in former major league players like Jose Canseco, Rickey Henderson and they’ve had managers like former Pirate Bill Madlock and currently, former Yankee and Expo, Tim Raines. I'm actually very interested in interviewing Mr. Raines because he's had such an incredible baseball career and I hope to have that for my Bleeding Yankee Blue readers.

But back to my point; a Newark Bears game is inexpensive and you see some pretty competitive ball being played. My kid loves baseball as you know and since we’ve been there, we’re looking forward to going back. The park is about as family friendly as it gets and there is plenty to do. If the kids get bored, you can walk around, they have a kids section, the mascots are out meeting the fans and they have something going on almost every half inning games... activities and other fun stuff.

Look, I love being at a pro ballpark, but half naked people and visible tramp stamps are too much to explain to my kids. All I’m asking for is a little courtesy. That’s it. I’m a true fan, I get it, but as I get older I can’t defend you all the time. Hey, that’s sports I guess. It’s just my opinion. But here’s another opinion, for a cheaper cleaner afternoon, check out the Newark Bears next spring, it’s a lot of fun. You can sit back, relax with the kids and you don’t have to worry about boobs, “F” bombs and going broke on a Sunday afternoon.Check out the Newark Bears... That’s the right way to go. Click HERE to find out about ticket information. I'll re-post this closer to the Bears opening day in 2012.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.