Don B Live at CenterStage
Don B Live at Center Stage
While waiting on line for over an hour to get upfront seats,, we ( Yankee fans ) all talked about the TEAM !99% of us want J O B A in the pen. the common opinion was to let Hughes have the # 5 starter role & keep the Big Chief in the 8th inning role til he inherits Mo’s spot.
Getting on line early didn’t help much cause there were reporters from the DN & Post who got the good frontrow seats, & others had special seating given to them so they looked good on camera.
We had third row seats but some bigheadded guy was in front of us,,, DRAG !!!
the warm-up comic was a wannabe funnyman but he had a few good lines,,
Michael Kay ‘splained to us Bernie & his band would do three songs 1st, but they would be incorporated into the show. We got the 3rd tune but it will not be on YES. HIS BAND ROCKS !!!! Bernie got some game on his gitar & his writing.
His acooustic version of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” is soo cool,
he wrote it as a quasi-goodby to the G A M E !
He had some reverb problems on the 1st take but finished it cause he didn’t know in TV you can stop & re-start. <gg> He re-did the tune afterwards & it was PERFECT !
They announced that cards were hidden under yr seats & if you had one with a number you won a new CD from Bernie caled ” Moving Forward” I WON !!! They showed a 6 minute promo about the cd & some friends of me & Unk were there.
Shawn Pelton, T-Bone Wolk, David Sancious, Patty Scalfia, LELAND SKLAR, & many other notables, very kewl.
When Bernie came out for the show, we all gave him an extended rousing Standing O !!! for a few minutes & he looked visibly touched.
He was warm & personable & very honest & open to everything Michael Kay threw his way.
They started back in P.R. in his childhood & came right up to the present.
He was shocked @ how much MK knew about his life & career, stuff like his “being hidden” when he 1st came up with the NYY cause they didn’t want scouts to know about him. He was still trying to shhh it a bit,, funny bit, & he didnt know how Mattingly – Donnie Baseball, went to some of the ball-busters like Mel Hall & told them to lay off this rookie, he had game & was gonna be a star for the team. He was touched when he found it out. Watch the show, you will see it,
He said the return to the Stadium for the Last Game was a moment he will NEVER forget.
He knew it was huge when he was into’d before the GREAT YOGI BERRA! That, he said, was so touching & such an honor, he was embarrassed by it. ‘Cause the YOG always gets into’d last, the crowd’s love shook him to his bones.
Talking about his 1995 teamates like Stanky the Yankee, Kevin Maas,& some of those others forgotten by now, he said they were all team-1st guys & they all played hard, but they knew the page was turning & so it did in 1996. He said that Showalter was a great friend to many of these younger players too.
He had humor, humility, perspective & warmth & it all comes thru,
when MK did ” Hit & Run” Bernie had some thoughtful answers & MK was surpised by a few of them,
I was a bit dissapointed by the seating fiasco but overall, YES did a fine job & this was my 2nd CENTERSTAGE taping ( Tony Danza was our 1st ) & they do an ok job.
One Father & son in front of us, said they had tix to see Bernie’s show 4 years ago & it was cancelled & they got an e-mail from YES all this time later – That was impressive to me.
That’s it from Da Don in da hills of NY, kids,,,
Don Butchie
The Butchie Photo Archive
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Butchie, sounds like you had a good night.Thanks for the pics.I dont get the Yes network down here so I will have to wait and maybe see it online.
jrzinbatonrouge
March 30, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Congrats Butchie, sounds like a great time and I enjoyed reading this.
libertyboynyc
March 30, 2009 at 2:02 pm
HEY !! I am just honored to be in the presence of GREATNESS here, with all you cats,,,
Truly an honor to be on UNK’s blog,,,
Don B
Don Butchie
March 30, 2009 at 3:34 pm