The Mets introduced their new general manager Sandy Alderson today in a special press conference at CitiField. "Sandy has the intelligence, leadership and creativity to reinvigorate this franchise and implement a structure and system that will produce a winning and contending team for the long term," chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said in a statement. According to ESPN, Alderson signed a four-year contract with the team. Alderson, who sported a yellow Mets tie during the introduction, talked to reporters afterwards, and indicated that the Mets will not be big players in the free agent market, as there is little payroll flexibility in 2011. more ›

The Mets have gone through their own version of the 12 step program this off-season: sometime mid-summer, they admitted to themselves they were powerless over sucking, then they made a fearless moral inventory by admitting the wrongs of Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel and firing them both. They held a press conference in which they admitted their failings, asked the media for forgiveness, and promised to make amends to the fans. And now, through prayer, meditation and a complicated interviewing process, the Mets are reportedly going to sign Sandy Alderson to be their next general manager. more ›

Following beloved Hotel Chelsea manager Stanley Bard's ousting from the historic establishment in 2007, there's been a tidal wave of corporate changes, but throughout it's been heartening to see the tenants of the building (and community) standing up and overcoming new management. Over the weekend the bloggers embedded at the hotel reported on their latest victory, stating: "General Manager Andrew Tilley handed in his resignation last week. If you're keeping score at home, the score card reads: Andrew Tilley—7 months, Glennon Travis—8 months, Stanley Bard—50 years." Curbed wonders what "the over/under for the next manager/masochist is." more ›

Earlier this month word came in that a Manhattan judge had ordered Jay-Z's 40/40 club management to turn over records of all employees in the past three years, for a class-action lawsuit filed by a former waitress. The suit claims the workers never received overtime or minimum wage. Now The NY Post reports that the club's general manager, Desiree Gonzalez, has told (ahem, threatened) some employees who might join in the suit. Allegedly she warned that she would "[bleep] up his tax life" to one, and told another she'd "lock him up" if he failed to sign a release from the suit. more ›

According to its website, Murray Hill's Tonic East “is the most well rounded sports bar in the area, with an attractive scene of locals.” But it seems black was not deemed beautiful by the management: they recently agreed to settle a discrimination lawsuit brought by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to the tune of $35,000. more ›

For all the noise of this Yankees offseason, as far as the team on the field goes, all it amounted to was the status quo. Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera are all back -- and richer. Young pitchers Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and center fielder Melky Cabrera didn't go to the Twins for Johan Santana. The 2008 Yankees will be a slightly older albeit considerably more expensive version of the 2007 team. And most fans are fine with that. more ›

Even after only being open since October, Dell'Anima, the brainchild of some Babbo and Del Posto alums, is already tough to get into. Sure, it's partially because it's a small space, with seating for just over forty, but it's also due to the cozy, warm and inviting atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and for the delicious rustic Italian fare. more ›

After news that a Green Bay Fox affiliate would not be showing Seinfeld because it's Giants quarterback Eli Manning's favorite show (the Giants are heading to the land of Cheeseheads to play the Packers in the NFC Championship), it was up to Jerry Seinfeld to rise to the occasion. The Mets fan told the Post, "I'm going to send Eli a complete collection of 'Seinfeld' DVDs and a partial collection of 'Hogan's Heroes' for inspiration!" We think Eli's gonna have to ask Archie about Hogan's Heroes. more ›

The mice at The Mermaid Inn’s East Village location picked a mischievous moment to scurry out into the dining room a few nights ago – as luck would have it a writer for Time Out New York was there waiting for a table! The immodest mice must have been looking for their 15 minutes of fame, because they timed their appearance perfectly with TONY staffer Jordana Rothman’s emergence from the bathroom. more ›

A Historic Collapse: The Mets held a seven-game lead with 17 to play and were caught looking ahead to the playoffs. What followed was among the worst collapses in history and one that revealed the weaknesses of the players, the manager and the general manager. Jose Reyes and his questionable -- and downright poor -- play summed up the the performance on the field. Manager Willie Randolph's mismanagement of the bullpen came to light more down the stretch. So did Omar Minaya's complete neglect of the roster's periphery. The Mets trotted out inexperienced and ineffective pitchers down the stretch, and the bullpen that Randolph had to deal with wasn't that good to begin with thanks to some questionable trades. What this means for the 2008 season remains to be seen, but it cost the Mets fans Lastings Milledge, another symbol of the collapse. He was dumped dealt to the Nationals for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider. more ›

"O Stephon, Stephon, wherefore art thou Stephon?" Those are the words that Isiah Thomas might be saying. At least if what one media outlet is reporting is true. Not because the Knicks seem like they their star point guard after last night, or because Stephon Marbury is AWOL, but because the Knicks star point guard may have the dish on his head coach. While on the flight to Phoenix, Marbury learned that he wasn't going... more ›

One less headache for Knicks coach and General Manager Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden: The Reverend Al Sharpton has called off his boycott and protest of Knicks games. Now, if only the Knicks can convince their fan base all is not lost! Last month, a jury believed former Knicks marketing VP Anucha Browne-Sanders' allegations that Thomas and Madison Square created hostile work environment and awarded her $11.6 million. Thomas said, during an 11-minute... more ›

Joe Girardi made his first appearance in Yankee pinstripes as the new manager today. He chose the number 27 for his jersey, referring to more World Series wins in the Yankees' - and his, he hopes - future as the Yankees have 26 World Series championships. The former Yankees catcher said, "The team's expectation is always going to be to win the World Series. It's not going to change." He also mentioned that he... more ›

Reverend Al Sharpton is calling for a boycott of the Knicks unless coach and General Manager Isiah Thomas issues a formal apology for testifying that it was alright for black men to refer to black women as bitches. Thomas' distinction became public last month after a deposition was released in the sexual harassment suit of Anucha Browne Sanders. The female executive was suing the Knicks organization after she was fired while accusing the team, and Thomas, of sexually harassing her. Thomas testified that it was okay for black men to refer to black women as bitches, while he considered it less acceptable for white men to do so. Sharpton objected:

"We are calling on him to apologize because of what came out during the deposition . . . when he said it was all right for black men to call black women 'bitches.'"

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After two years in service and almost as long as media gossip fodder, Times Select, NYTimes.com's service that offered access to the rich archives of the New York Times through a paid subscription modeled, is officially dead. The service put certain current online content behind the Times Select wall, such as columns by Op-Ed writers, and there was much criticism, even from within the Times, about restricting access the paper. more ›

Has WABC Changed for the Worse? We are starting to think that Bill Beutel, Roger Grimsby, or Tom Snyder would not recognize their former station if they came back to life. Sure the station is dominant in the ratings but has the quality of the news product gone down? more ›

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Last night Beverly Sills lost her battle with lung cancer, she died at her home in Manhattan at the age of 78. While she was a lifelong non-smoker and only found out about the cancer a few weeks ago, this wasn't her first experience with it - she underwent a successful surgery for cancer in 1974. more ›

7 Back on Set more ›

Save Veronica Mars Campaign Does Not Effect Local Mars Bar Availability more ›

Give him the shiny blue National League jacket, spangled with every team logo, not the Mets jacket. Sure, he'd use police barricades as planks to scale the fence at Shea, but he was there to root for players -- Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays and Juan Marichal -- not the home team. Too tight a circle. Too small an o.

Down at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party Sunday it sure seemed that everybody was having a grand ole' time. It seemed bigger than ever, with people spilled into every nook and cranny of the park, filed into a long row of picnic tables on Madison, and splayed out on to the sidewalk everywhere else. Our group was made of up veterans of the previous four events, had the lay of the land and knew many of the returning players. Everyone had an opinion, but when all was said and done, we enjoyed a delicious day of barbecue. more ›

Over the weekend, WNBC 4 launched an updated version of the classic "We're 4 New York" station image campaign. The original (see it here) first rolled out in 1992 when a new general manager, Bill Bolster came from St. Louis came in to revitalize the station. At the time, some dismissed it as a promotional campaign that made New York look like it was a generic Midwestern place. It actuality, it was filled with high production values from the photography to the music composed by Edd Kalehoff. The campaign was also briefly revived in 2002 after during the Olympics. more ›

Wine stores just keep on getting better, and Vestry Wines, which opened this past Monday, has set the bar even higher. Well, actually they set the bar on the back side of the checkout counter (where they conduct free in-store tastings), but you get the point. What sets Vestry Wines apart is their breath and depth of selection in Italian, Californian and French wines. General Manager, Jim Kuhner and Wine Consult, Shelley Lindgren (Wine Director at A16 in San Francisco) are largely to thank for that. Their vast experience and relationships with Italian and California wines producers has resulted in a special selection of wines that you don’t find just about anywhere else. In fact, many of the wines available at Vestry are not sold at other retailers in Manhattan. more ›

Filling the "It's so ridiculous," "It's true" and "You certainly didn't get what you paid for" categories is news that the combined salary for the New York Knickerbockers for the 2006-07 season was a whopping $139,381,526. While the astronomical payroll of the Knicks isn't new news, it's always fun to look at the payrolls of teams that didn't make the NBA Playoffs. more ›

We certainly know how some Yankee fans feel about the baseball season so far, but what about The Boss? George Steinbrenner, the Yankees principal owner released a statement yesterday, supporting manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman. Steinbrenner's statement said:

"The season is still very young, but up to now the results are clearly not acceptable to me or to Yankee fans. However, Brian Cashman, our general manager, Joe Torre, our manager, and our players all believe that they will turn this around quickly. I believe in them. I am here to support them in any way to help them accomplish this turnaround. It is time to put excuses and talk away. It is time to see if people are ready to step up and accept their responsibilities. It is time for all of them to show me and the fans what they are made of.

With the Yankees' win over the Red Sox yesterday that ended a 7-game losing streak, it seems that Yankees manager Joe Torre can breathe easily - for the moment. Torre answered questions about his job security before the game with aplomb, saying, "For me to say 'this,' 'this' or 'this,' I don't want to pawn it off and say it's not my fault. I'm in charge here. If you're going to enjoy the good times, you have to understand that to get there, you have to deal with some potholes." His players chimed in:

Jason Giambi: "I know in New York there's a lot of shock value. It's pretty ridiculous. This is a good ballclub. Joe can't control injuries; all he can do is put guys out there that want to play and want to win." more ›

Ruth Ann Swenson, who just six weeks ago finished chemotherapy for breast cancer, has begun a six week run of Handel's “Giulio Cesare." She's been a mainstay soprano at the Metropolitan Opera, yet after this run - the Met may be letting her go after more than twenty years of performances there (her debut was in 1988). more ›

Besides the Umenyiora pick, Reese has been widely respected for his work in scouting and was considered in many circles as a potential GM for some time. Since Reese comes from within the organization, that should simply personnel decisions and prevent any conflicts with Tom Coughlin. more ›