Todd Drew, Rest In Peace

Todd Drew (May 13, 1967 - January 15, 2009)

A memorial service will be held Sunday January 18th at 3:00 pm at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 West 76th at Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY.

Yankee hats and casual attire are encouraged.

Donations may be made in Todd’s memory to:

ACLU
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor,
New York, NY 10004

Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club Inc,
1930 Randall Avenue,
Bronx, NY 10473

The Doe Fund,
232 East 84th Street,
New York, NY 10028
(holistic program to meet the needs of a diverse population working to break the cycle of homelessness).

Posted by Todd's friend, Michael

Off-Season Surgery

I am scheduled for off-season surgery tomorrow. I will be in the hospital for 10 days and out of action for a few weeks. I have already faced cancer with my father and my mother. Baseball was there for me both times. I wrote about that over at Bronx Banter.

They Never Ask

Nobody ever asks what I think. But I went ahead and told the guys on the corner of Gerard Avenue and East 157th Street anyway. Since I didn’t get punched it was okay to write it all down at Bronx Banter.

Any Price

The word on the street is all about big arms and big bats. CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett will help anchor a strong rotation and Manny Ramirez may come to the Bronx where he has done so much damage for the other side.

“Manny bashing homers for us would be great,” said a man on Broadway this afternoon. “I would call that poetic justice.”

And justice is worth any price.

Struggling Forward

Life is hard for a lot of people these days. There are no jobs and those without a paycheck are quickly without a home. It’s probably not going to get better anytime soon, but the Yankees are loading up for a run at the World Series. Last night I talked to a man who is struggling, but is also looking forward to a great baseball summer. The story is over at Bronx Banter.

Pricey

I bought all the newspapers this morning: The New York Times, the Daily News, the New York Post and Newsday. It cost a bundle – three dollars in all – but it was worth is for the wall-to-wall coverage of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

A Great Day

Even bad days can offer something.

This was one I would usually pass off as a loss and look forward to a better tomorrow, but CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett were introduced in the Bronx and that made everything alright.

Yeah, this was a great day to be a Yankees fan.

Better Days

Better days are coming for my friend Karl with a K. He thinks better days are coming for all Yankees. I agree. The story is over on Bronx Banter.

Bet Your Life

There is a guy from the Bronx who bets his heart and his soul and his life on the Yankees. The story is on Bronx Banter.

Everyone

The Yankees seem determined to remember all of us this holiday season. A couple of guys talked it over on Bronx Banter.

Curveball

Ian Kennedy found his curveball in Puerto Rico. I met an old man in the Bronx who lost one there many years ago. The story is over at Bronx Banter.

Toe the Line

Yankees fans toe the line between love and hate. Mark me down as being clearly on the love side for A.J. Burnett. My story is over on Bronx Banter.

Rotation

Things are coming together in the Bronx. The rotation is shaping up nicely and it’s going to be a beautiful baseball summer.

Nothing

Derek Jeter – the man who means everything in the Bronx – is the master of saying nothing.

This is what he told reporters about CC Sabathia during the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.

“If this were to happen [since the deal isn’t finalized], it would be a great first step.”

He gives the media nothing and they have to like because everyone in this neighborhood loves The Captain.

Money Maker

The finest baseball minds in the Bronx are talking about the CC Sabathia deal and one man is making money on it. Hear what Juan Carlos has to say and what he serves the guys over at Bronx Banter.

Safe At Home

Alex Rodriguez may be a target in the rest of the country, but he is safe at home in the Bronx. The whole story is on Bronx Banter.

Bridge Work

I took a walk across the 145th Street Bridge and got a new view of an old friend. The story is over at Bronx Banter.

World Series Gods

My friend Jose Calero received a sign from the baseball gods. It points to a World Series victory for the Yankees. I covered this religious experience over at Bronx Banter.

Job Loss

Jobs are nearly impossible to find these days so people are doing everything to hold onto what they have. This was just one daring move in the Bronx that I wrote about over on Banter.

Library Card

A library card gave me the world. “The World of Jimmy Breslin,” “The World According to Breslin” and “Nobody Asked Me, But… The World of Jimmy Cannon.”

I checked the Cannon book out of the library about a hundred times and probably paid more in fines than it would have cost to buy it. I was determined to master his style of one-liner columns. I have tried many times and never come close, but that doesn’t stop me from trying again and again.

I took my latest shot over at Bronx Banter.

Blog That

Some of the guys who gather around Juan Carlos’s coffee cart tried to get rid of a grump by turning him into a blogger. It seems to have worked. Check out the story at Bronx Banter.

Times Are Changing

The New York Times is the best newspaper in this country, but it’s not as good as it used to be. I took a swing at them on Bronx Banter because I care.

Trouble

My friend Javier is always getting himself into trouble. Luckily he knows how to get himself out, too. I wrote about his latest over at Bronx Banter.

Music Of The Game

A baseball tune came to me last night. Give it a listen over at Bronx Banter.

A Nice Visit

Some people were visiting New York City over the weekend. Everyone got a lot out of it over at Bronx Banter.

Bag Man

Making money is the name of the game here in America. A guy they call Mr. Quick shows how it’s done in New York City. I have his story at Bronx Banter.

Shopping For Justice

A bit of justice played out on the busiest shopping day of the year. The whole story is on Bronx Banter.

Working Days

It is never a holiday for everyone. I wrote one of a million stories about workers on this Thanksgiving. I’m laboring over at Bronx Banter these days.

The Right Time

Time is what each person makes of it.

The Secret Of Youth

I met a man who stays young on the 2 train. The story is over at Bronx Banter.

Winter Blues

People are still trying to find their way through the long winter in the Bronx. The worst part is that it’s really just getting started. I wrote about one view at Bronx Banter today.

The Bronx Boss

The Boss is a man of many faces, but they are all loved in the Bronx. I wrote about the best owner in baseball at Bronx Banter today.

Working For A Living

Workers are feeling the pinch, but they haven’t lost their ingenuity or their determination or there sense of humor. I ran into one of them on the 2 train and put his story on Bronx Banter.

Edited

I was having trouble with a story for Bronx Banter and my friend Michael Allen made it work. Good editors are hard to find. Good writers are even harder to find. Michael is both.

A Face On The 2 Train

Every situation is hard to imagine until you’re faced with it.

Quick Eats

A curbside breakfast and some baseball talk filled me up this morning.

Lessons On The Truth

I wrote the truth today. Langston Hughes showed me how. An instructor at City College showed him. That was back when people without much money could still go to City College. We’ll get back there again.

Decisions

Darrell Rasner made a difficult decision last week. The hardest part may be living with the fact that he’ll never know if it was the right one.

Moving Up

Everyone hopes that CC Sabathia will do great things for the Yankees and all New Yorkers.

The Best Party Ever

They put together one heck of a party on the Westside of Manhattan last Saturday.

Emotional Day

The first day of free agency was filled with emotions in the South Bronx.