Rieber's World Series buzz
Photo credit: John Dunn | Nick Swisher's post-game tweets (only after Yankees wins) have become a hit with fans. (October 23, 2009)
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Swisher's tweets are always hits
Nick Swisher and CC Sabathia are the only Yankees we are aware of who use Twitter to communicate with fans.
Sabathia, after a spate of tweeting early in the season, hasn’t uttered a tweep since April 30, when he announced, “Feels great to be home and with my family” after the Yankees returned from a road trip.
Swisher, though, is a prolific Tweeter — but only after the Yankees win.
A World Series Buzz analysis of Swisher’s postseason tweeting shows a disturbing pattern. When the Yankees win, he tweets. When they lose, he is silent.
Example: Swisher tweeted three days in a row when the Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the ALCS vs. the Angels. But after the 5-4 loss in Game 3 in which he went 0-for-4 with three Ks? Nothing.
After Swisher popped out with the bases loaded to end Game 5 in Anaheim? He wasn’t inclined to let his fingers do the talking.
After the Yankees won the AL pennant, Swisher tweeted: “Yankees Win!!! We’re not done yet! Still lots of work to do! World Series here we come!”
Think that’s boring? Well, as of yesterday, Swisher had 993,150 followers.
Rieber had 122.
Swisher’s tweets also link to his Web site, www.nickswisher.net, where you can buy “Swish’s Wishes” T-shirts, with the proceeds going to a children’s charity.
Even Yankees fans can reach for a Philly chessesteak
On Philly cheesesteaks, do you go Cheez Whiz or actual cheese?
For the answer, we went to one of the top cheesesteak impresarios in Philadelphia, Tony Luke Jr. of Tony Luke’s, which is available at Citizens Bank Park, site of Games 3-5.
“I can only speak for me,” Luke said yesterday. “To me, a Philly cheesesteak is Cheez Whiz and fried onions. In my store, I sell half and half. There are some die-hard Whiz fans and people who wouldn’t put Whiz on a cheesesteak if it was the last cheese on Earth. I happened to think that the absolute classic Philly cheesesteak is Whiz and fried onions.”
Of course, you can get a cheesesteak at Citizens Bank Park, but what about Yankee Stadium? Well, one of the most popular food items at the new ballpark this year has been Carl’s Steaks Philly Cheesesteaks.
It will be interesting to see if Yankees fans who loved the sandwiches this season (judging by the concession-stand lines) will be able to put aside their partisan leanings in the World Series.
Psychological choice for Mets fans
OK, so we know Mets fans are not happy with Yankees vs. Phillies. But is it healthier to avoid or embrace? We asked Hofstra psychology professor Joseph Scardapane.
“What I would say is it really depends on your psychological makeup,” he said. “A mature and integrated person, they can be extremely gracious and an embracing fan of baseball, period, whether it’s the Yankees and Phillies or Arizona and Detroit in the World Series. If you are a mature individual, you can love the World Series for the excitement and the purist nature of baseball.”
Sound reasoning. But here’s the rub — Scardapane is a Mets fan, and a pretty passionate one judging by his critical comments about the team’s management.
So what is he going to do tonight?
“Many of us, including myself, have a lot of problems embracing this series,” he said. “I will go out of my way to avoid watching the games.”
Wait . . . is that OK psychologically?
“Absolutely, it’s OK to avoid it,” he said. “Because this isn’t one of the most important things in life.”
>>INTERACTIVE: Yankees vs. Phillies scouting report
>> COMPLETE COVERAGE: Yankees go for 27th World Series title
>> PHOTOS: Reasons to fear the Phillies | Yankees celebrate 40th AL pennant | ALCS highlights
>> BLOGS: Yankees postseason | Ken Davidoff's MLB Insider
>> FUN: SimSeries | Yankee pie chart (walkoff wins) | Tale of Two Cities: NY vs. Philly | Core Four: Who's the best?
>> MORE: World Series pitching capsules | VOTE: Who wins?
