twilightdawning

A writer's thoughts – mainly about music, sport and theatre. Shakespeare, Bob Dylan, live shows, New York Yankees

Working with gospel great, Randy Matthews

Posted on August 22, 2025 by twilightdawning

I’m going to be the producer on Randy’s re-release programme. In September, I’m flying in from the south of England and Randy will be flying in from Florida. We’ll be meeting in New York City to flesh out plans. We’ll be meeting at Yankee Stadium and living in Manhattan. Please pray for us. If everything comes together there will be a Kickstarter programme to finance everything.

Again, I want to emphasise that there will be no streaming releases and those that are out there are doing that to Randy’s financial disadvantage. There will be downloads, cds, and vinyl (depending on demand).

Consideration is also being given to a possible new album. We’ll see.

Bim Ingersoll is also prominently involved. He has been a great help in planning this.

The New York Yankees in June – Part Two – The Pitchers (2025)

Posted on July 4, 2025 by twilightdawning

13-14? 13-14 on the month of June? How did the New York Yankees suddenly collapse to a point where they are winning less than half the games in the month?

Well, as we have seen in my first article. most of the batters (with the exception of Jazz Chisholm and Cody bellinger) are no longer hitting. And whilst the starting rotation (injuries aside) is holding up, the bullpen is falling apart…

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A New York Yankees Diary – Day Sixteen – September 26th, 2024

Posted on October 1, 2024 by twilightdawning

So, 4 games to go and 4 games in front. And to be frank things were not going well for the Yankees as the Orioles were two up in the series already.

Now this evening game had a very tough pitching matchup with Gerrit Cole leading off the pitching for the New York team and Orioles’ ace Corbin Burnes the other guy on the mound. This one was wide open and could have gone either way.

Gunnar Henderson hit a fly out to Aaron Judge in centerfield which was followed by two gentle ground outs – Jordan Westburg out 6-3 and then Anthony Santander hitting directly to Antony Rizzo to finish out the Baltimore time at bat.

Burnes suggested he might have the edge tonight. In 9 pitches, he got the first three Yankees’ batters to strike out swinging (Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto and
Aaron Judge).

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The New York Yankees in May – Part One – The Batters (2024)

Posted on June 5, 2024 by twilightdawning

The New York Yankees had a sensational month in May. They went 21-7 and dominated the league and their division.

Aaron Judge, who had struggled in April, bounced back with strength. Juan Soto continued at the high level he set in April. Their starting pitchers exceeded expectations. The bullpen had as much depth as anticipated.

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New York Yankees Diary – September 30th, 2023

Posted on October 2, 2023 by twilightdawning

So, my month at the Stadium is over.

What can I tell you? It didn’t work out quite the way I had anticipated it when I accepted the commission at the beginning of the season.

Then the Yankees looked like one of the strongest, if not the strongest team in Major League Baseball. I would have ranked them alongside the Atlanta Braves as the strongest team in the majors

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New York Yankees Diary – September 11th, 2023

Posted on September 14, 2023 by twilightdawning

Value for money. It’s a big issue in the times when your baseball team are not doing so well.

Unlike most critics, I don’t think the Yankees have got some divine right to win – no matter how much the Steinbrenners and Cashmans of this world promise it. However, I do think the Yankees have a duty to take care of their fans and treat them well.

Stadium tours. If you look at what is being charged, and what is being given, it doesn’t seem to be happening.

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New York Yankees Diary – September 9th, 2023

Posted on September 11, 2023 by twilightdawning

Mike Jerzembeck.

Mike Jerzembeck?

Mike Jerzembeck was introduced to the crowd at Old Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium, and a large percentage of the crowd (including those in the row near me) seemed to collectively go “who?”. Especially since Old Timers’ Day concentrated on the squad of players who played for the Yankees in 1998, and Jerzembeck was one of them.

Now, the 1998 Yankees are one of less than a handful of teams who are considered when the question is raised as to who is perhaps the greatest club Major Leagues history so to even be a minor figure in that story is quite something…

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New York Yankees Diary – September 7th, 2023

Posted on September 8, 2023 by twilightdawning

(Having been commissioned to be at Yankee Stadium for the home games during September, I kept a diary to submit to my publishers. I am now able to present some of my writings on the games here).

Before tonight’s game, the Yankees, who had been told in no uncertain terms in August by General Manager Brian Cashman that their season was a disaster, then had one of their best runs of the season winning 8 of their previous 10 games. Indeed, one of the two they had lost was due to a walkoff. They were pretty much in contention for every game.

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The New York Yankees in August – Part One – The Batters (2023)

Posted on September 4, 2023 by twilightdawning

So, you thought the July Yankees could not get any worse in August?

Wrong! 10 wins -15 losses in July, 10-18 in August.

At the beginning of the month, they had been deliberating whether to buy or sell at the trade deadline. At the deadline, they really did neither. Their only change was to bring in right-handed relief pitcher Keynan Middleton (from the Chicago White Sox) for another right-hander from their farm system, Juan Carela.

And by the end of August, as they were out of contention and the rosters were due to expand, they decide to do a little cleaning house. Predictably but expensively, they cut Josh Donaldson. Also going through the out door was Greg Allen, who wasn’t being used much, but did bring something to the team. More surprisingly, they placed Harrison Bader on waivers.

Let’s see what else happened:

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The New York Yankees in June – Part Two – The Pitchers (2023)

Posted on July 5, 2023 by twilightdawning

As we have seen in the analysis of the batters’ statistics the Yankees really over-depended on the pitchers in June, and in particular their bullpen.

Obviously, this cannot continue. In a peculiar way, the steady drip, drip, drip, of pitchers returning from injury means that fresh arms are being made available. Some have been out all season (Tommy Kahnle), others for a shorter time (Ian Hamilton). And the return of Carlos Rodon is not too far away.

It seems likely that before the trading deadline, the Yankees will need to bring new offensive and pitching stars. Let’s hope they are able to do so without giving too much away.

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