newyorkpost--2020-01-21--New York voters have turned against bail reform, new poll says

Left high and dry by the state ’ s new bail reform ...

New Yorkers have turned against bail reform.
Support for the new law eliminating cash bail for most misdemeanor and some “non-violent” felony crimes has plummeted, and now 49 percent of New York State voters say the new policy is “bad” for New York compared to 37 percent who say it’s “good,” a new poll released Tuesday reveals.
That’s a stark turnaround from last April, when 55 percent of residents backed the law while only 38 percent were opposed, the Siena College survey found.
Opposition to the law has spiked amid stories that career criminals have been let loose to strike again because of the ban on cash bail.
“Certainly, all the attention this new law has gotten across the state has had an impact with voters and it is clear that a sizeable number of New Yorkers, who were optimistic that the new bail law would be good for the state, now believe the law is bad for New York,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said.
Support dropped and opposition grew across the board, particularly among older voters, independents and suburbanites.
Last April, 53 percent of voters aged 55 and over endorsed bail reform. Now 57 percent of older voters say it’s bad for New York – a swing of more than 20 percentage points.
Last year, 60 percent of independents or unaffiliated voters backed eliminating cash bail. But now only 29 percent back the law while 56 percent are opposed – a swing of more than 30 percentage points.
A majority of Democrats still support the law, but that support has lessened.
Now 53 percent of Dems like bail reform, down from 64 percent last year.
GOP voter support dropped from 34 percent to 15 percent.
There is a particular backlash against ending cash bail in the New York City suburbs, with 64 percent objecting to it compared to 23 percent who support the law. A year ago, suburbanites backed bail reform 50 percent to 41 percent opposed.
A majority of upstaters now oppose the law. Last year, a slim majority – 51 percent—supported it.
New York City residents back bail reform 50 percent to 36 percent, the poll found.
But even in the more liberal Big Apple support is way down from last April, when residents supported bail reform by a 2 to 1 margin.
There’s a big racial divide with 58 percent of white voters now saying the ban on bail is bad. Last year, a slim majority — 52 percent of white respondents — approved of the law.
More black voters back the ban on bail, with 48 percent in support and only 27 percent opposed, while 49 percent of Latinos support it, compared to 30 percent opposed.
Still, support among minorities fell significantly from last year, when blacks and Latinos backed bail reform by two-to-one margins.
“While every demographic group moved more negative since April, joining independents and downstate suburbanites with the largest movement from ‘good’ to ‘bad’ was voters 55 and older,” Greenberg of Siena said.
The Siena poll surveyed 814 voters from Jan. 11-16 has a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.
Advocates for reform have said the old bail system was discriminatory because meant poor people who could not afford bail languished in jail while the rich could easily buy their freedom — with many pointing to the case of Kalief Browder, who killed himself after spending three years on Rikers on $3,000 bail over a stolen backpack.
But a recent spate of hate crimes against New York’s Jewish community – which included a repeat offender who attacked again after being sprung without bail – has ignited opposition to bail reform as revolving door justice.
Bail reform was approved of part of last year’s state budget by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic-run Legislature. Some lawmakers are now demanding changes to the law such as giving judges more discretion to detain a defendant deemed dangerous to the public.
But legislative leaders don’t want to undo the policy.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Watch: Shirtless suspect stabs man with scissors in Brooklyn fight

A man wielding a pair of scissors tore off his shirt and stabbed another man during a fight in a @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
The suspect was in the Sunset Park house near Eighth Avenue and 53rd @ @ @ @ @ on Jan. 16 , when he got into a fight with the other man , @ @ @ @ @ pulled his shirt off and tried to attack the man , but was being held @ @ @ @ @ the house , video of the fight shows .
The suspect then left the house @ @ @ @ @ plunged the pair of scissors into the victim ’ s back , cops said .
@ @ @ @ @ Maimonides Hospital for the stab wound , cops said .
The suspect ran off and @ @ @ @ @

A man wielding a pair of scissors tore off his shirt and stabbed another man during a fight in a Brooklyn house, police said Tuesday.
The suspect was in the Sunset Park house near Eighth Avenue and 53rd Street at about 1:40 a.m. on Jan. 16, when he got into a fight with the other man, police said.
He then pulled his shirt off and tried to attack the man, but was being held back by someone else in the house, video of the fight shows.
The suspect then left the house, but came back and plunged the pair of scissors into the victim’s back, cops said.
The victim was treated at Maimonides Hospital for the stab wound, cops said.
The suspect ran off and has not been caught.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--11-year-old girl killed in Brooklyn house fire

A fire tore through a Brooklyn home on Monday night , leaving an 11-year-old girl dead , sources said .
The blaze broke out in a residence at 757 Ocean Parkway in the Kensington section of the borough at around 10 p.m. , according to police .
“ I was at my window and I just started smelling smoke , ” said Alex Shamailov , 16 , who lives in a home next door .
“ Then there was a burst of fire , everything was orange.
” Shirr Teved , 11 , suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shirr ’ s teacher , who lives nearby , told The Post she received a frantic call from the girl ’ s mother after the fire broke out .
“ She called me at around 11 and said have you seen my daughter .
I said I have no idea and quickly threw on my robes and came down to see , ” the teacher , Madelyn Novitsky , said .
“ She said she heard about a fire .
But she wasn ’ t that coherent .
She wanted to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said I have no idea.
” Police said early Tuesday morning that the fire did not appear to be suspicious .

A fire tore through a Brooklyn home on Monday night, leaving an 11-year-old girl dead, sources said.
The blaze broke out in a residence at 757 Ocean Parkway in the Kensington section of the borough at around 10 p.m., according to police.
“I was at my window and I just started smelling smoke,” said Alex Shamailov, 16, who lives in a home next door.
“Then there was a burst of fire, everything was orange.”
Shirr Teved, 11, suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to Maimonides Medical Center, where she died.
Shirr’s teacher, who lives nearby, told The Post she received a frantic call from the girl’s mother after the fire broke out.
“She called me at around 11 and said have you seen my daughter. I said I have no idea and quickly threw on my robes and came down to see,” the teacher, Madelyn Novitsky, said.
“She said she heard about a fire. But she wasn’t that coherent. She wanted to know if her daughter is ok. I said I have no idea.”
Police said early Tuesday morning that the fire did not appear to be suspicious.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Joe Biden accepts Bernie Sanders’ apology over unofficial surrogate’s blistering op-ed

Joe Biden , the 2020 Democratic frontrunner , accepted challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ apology late Monday over a blistering op-ed written by an unofficial campaign surrogate who blasted the former vice president as a weak candidate with a serious corruption problem .
Zephyr Teachout , a Fordham Law professor , wrote the column for the Guardian that could be used as a roadmap for President Trump ’ s re-election team in the general election .
She described a candidate happy to be called “ Middle-Class Joe , ” but whose political career is a bit murkier .
She wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ finance over working-class Americans.
” Teachout , who has officially endorsed Sanders , went on to write that nominating a candidate like Biden would make it more difficult to defeat Trump .
She said it would allow Trump to “ muddy the water , to once again pretend he is the one “ draining the swamp.
” ‘ She said Biden ’ s record illustrates the “ grossly corrupt culture in Washington that long precedes Trump.
” Perhaps if the op-ed stood alone it would result in little more than eye rolls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC News reporter pointed out on Twitter that the Sanders campaign circulated the column .
Mediate pointed out that Briahna Joy Gray , Sanders ’ press secretary , refused to “ directly endorse or disavow ” the op-ed ’ s accusations during an appearance on MSNBC .
There ’ s a famous quote attributed to Jonathan Swift , an Anglo-Irish essayist , that goes “ a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.
” At this crucial stage in the primaries , even statements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a campaign .
Sanders was interviewed by CBS News Monday and distanced himself from the op-ed , saying , “ It is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way .
And I ’ m sorry that that op-ed appeared.
” Biden took to Twitter to thank Sanders for the acknowledgment and said it is important that the remaining candidates keep their focus on making Trump a one-term president .
Tensions among the remaining candidates appear to be at its all-time high .
Last week , tensions boiled over on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confronted by Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who accused him of lying about her in the media .
Sanders and Biden have also been feuding over the former vice president ’ s tenure serving under President Obama .
Sanders has claimed that Biden pushed to weaken Social Security .
Biden told an audience that “ Bernie ’ s people ” had circulated a video that falsely suggested that in 2018 he agreed with then-House Speaker Paul Ryan ’ s push to dismantle Social Security benefits .
“ It ’ s simply a lie , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said , adding that Politifact has debunked the video .
“ This is a doctored tape .
And I think it ’ s beneath , and I ’ m looking for his campaign to disown it but they haven ’ t yet , ” said Biden .
An intraparty battle is seen by many political insiders as a gift for Trump , who is currently facing an impeachment trial in the Senate .

Joe Biden, the 2020 Democratic frontrunner, accepted challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders’ apology late Monday over a blistering op-ed written by an unofficial campaign surrogate who blasted the former vice president as a weak candidate with a serious corruption problem.
Zephyr Teachout, a Fordham Law professor, wrote the column for the Guardian that could be used as a roadmap for President Trump’s re-election team in the general election. She described a candidate happy to be called “Middle-Class Joe,” but whose political career is a bit murkier. She wrote he has a long history of supporting “finance over working-class Americans.”
Teachout, who has officially endorsed Sanders, went on to write that nominating a candidate like Biden would make it more difficult to defeat Trump. She said it would allow Trump to “muddy the water, to once again pretend he is the one “draining the swamp.”‘ She said Biden’s record illustrates the “grossly corrupt culture in Washington that long precedes Trump.”
Perhaps if the op-ed stood alone it would result in little more than eye rolls from the Biden campaign, but an NBC News reporter pointed out on Twitter that the Sanders campaign circulated the column. Mediate pointed out that Briahna Joy Gray, Sanders’ press secretary, refused to “directly endorse or disavow” the op-ed’s accusations during an appearance on MSNBC.
There’s a famous quote attributed to Jonathan Swift, an Anglo-Irish essayist, that goes “a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” At this crucial stage in the primaries, even statements debunked outright can have lasting effects on a campaign.
Sanders was interviewed by CBS News Monday and distanced himself from the op-ed, saying, “It is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way. And I’m sorry that that op-ed appeared.”
Biden took to Twitter to thank Sanders for the acknowledgment and said it is important that the remaining candidates keep their focus on making Trump a one-term president.
Tensions among the remaining candidates appear to be at its all-time high. Last week, tensions boiled over on stage after the debate when Sanders was confronted by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who accused him of lying about her in the media.
Sanders and Biden have also been feuding over the former vice president’s tenure serving under President Obama. Sanders has claimed that Biden pushed to weaken Social Security.
Biden told an audience that “Bernie’s people” had circulated a video that falsely suggested that in 2018 he agreed with then-House Speaker Paul Ryan’s push to dismantle Social Security benefits.
“It’s simply a lie, that video that’s going around,” he said, adding that Politifact has debunked the video. “This is a doctored tape. And I think it’s beneath, and I’m looking for his campaign to disown it but they haven’t yet,” said Biden.
An intraparty battle is seen by many political insiders as a gift for Trump, who is currently facing an impeachment trial in the Senate.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Company launches daring effort to retrieve Titanic relics — but US, U.K. not on board

A Georgia-based company is on a mission to save precious artifacts from the wreck of the Titanic — but the US and British governments aren ’ t on board with the plan , according to a report .
RMS Titanic Inc. has unveiled a daring scheme to extract relics from inside the shipwreck by using underwater robots to remove a section of the deckhouse roof , The Telegraph reported .
“ The ship is deteriorating and if we don ’ t take action now , we ’ ll be too late , ” said Bretton Hunchak , president of RMS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a notice of intent in Virginia federal court to retrieve hundreds of Titanic items .
Activists and descendants of the more than 1,500 people who died when the passenger liner sank in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage from England to New York in April 1912 argue that the underwater mass grave should be left alone — and the British and US governments seem to agree .
British Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani on Tuesday announced a “ historic treaty ” with the US that makes both countries responsible for granting permits to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove artifacts .
“ This momentous agreement with the United States to preserve the wreck means it will be treated with the sensitivity and respect owed to the final resting place of more than 1,500 lives , ” Ghani said .
RMS Titanic , a subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions , became the ship ’ s official “ salvor-in-possession ” in 1993 , making it the only entity allowed to collect artifacts from the wreck .
Until now , the 5,500 objects salvaged by the company came from a debris field surrounding the wreck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newfoundland .
It also removed a 17-ton section of the hull .
Hunchak said it ’ s important to save precious items for future generations before they are lost forever .
“ Of course , we recognize and respect the tragedy of what happened , ” he told The Telegraph .
“ But the hard truth is that we need to share what we can see with the rest of the world.
” Among the artifacts the company wants to retrieve is the wireless radio system by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Guglielmo Marconi that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call for help .
“ The Marconi wireless can teach us so much about the last moments of the Titanic and the heroes who died that night , ” Hunchak said .
If the mission is successful , the Marconi would be conserved and put on display at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas before being put on a worldwide publicity tour .
Under the terms of the company ’ s official steward status , it must get permission from a judge before every expedition .
It ’ s unclear if or how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s court request .
Sources at RMS Titanic told The Telegraph that the firm intends to “ entirely ignore ” the British-led agreement because it only needs to answer to US courts .

A Georgia-based company is on a mission to save precious artifacts from the wreck of the Titanic — but the US and British governments aren’t on board with the plan, according to a report.
RMS Titanic Inc. has unveiled a daring scheme to extract relics from inside the shipwreck by using underwater robots to remove a section of the deckhouse roof, The Telegraph reported.
“The ship is deteriorating and if we don’t take action now, we’ll be too late,” said Bretton Hunchak, president of RMS Titanic.
The firm on Monday filed a notice of intent in Virginia federal court to retrieve hundreds of Titanic items.
Activists and descendants of the more than 1,500 people who died when the passenger liner sank in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage from England to New York in April 1912 argue that the underwater mass grave should be left alone — and the British and US governments seem to agree.
British Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani on Tuesday announced a “historic treaty” with the US that makes both countries responsible for granting permits to those wishing to visit the wreck and remove artifacts.
“This momentous agreement with the United States to preserve the wreck means it will be treated with the sensitivity and respect owed to the final resting place of more than 1,500 lives,” Ghani said.
RMS Titanic, a subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions, became the ship’s official “salvor-in-possession” in 1993, making it the only entity allowed to collect artifacts from the wreck.
Until now, the 5,500 objects salvaged by the company came from a debris field surrounding the wreck about 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. It also removed a 17-ton section of the hull.
Hunchak said it’s important to save precious items for future generations before they are lost forever.
“Of course, we recognize and respect the tragedy of what happened,” he told The Telegraph. “But the hard truth is that we need to share what we can see with the rest of the world.”
Among the artifacts the company wants to retrieve is the wireless radio system by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Guglielmo Marconi that the crew of the Titanic used to call for help.
“The Marconi wireless can teach us so much about the last moments of the Titanic and the heroes who died that night,” Hunchak said.
If the mission is successful, the Marconi would be conserved and put on display at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas before being put on a worldwide publicity tour.
Under the terms of the company’s official steward status, it must get permission from a judge before every expedition.
It’s unclear if or how the US-British pact will affect Monday’s court request.
Sources at RMS Titanic told The Telegraph that the firm intends to “entirely ignore” the British-led agreement because it only needs to answer to US courts.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Kemba Walker leads Celtics’ rout of Lakers to end his LeBron James pain

CLEVELAND — The Knicks will pay their respects instead of ...

BOSTON — Kemba Walker finally beat LeBron James, and he did it by helping the Boston Celtics send the Los Angeles Lakers to their biggest loss of the season.
Walker ended a career-long losing streak against James, scoring 20 points to beat him for the first time in 29 tries and lead the Celtics past the rival Lakers 139-107 on Monday night.
“I’m happy I got one at least, before he goes,” Walker said with a laugh after the Celtics snapped their three-game losing streak. “Who knows how long he can play, because he’s just incredible. But you know, it’s only one. One and 28.”
Jaylen Brown scored 20 points, drawing a taunting technical after dunking over James, and Enes Kanter had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Boston. The Celtics gave up the first eight points of the game but turned things around when Anthony Davis, playing for the first time in almost two weeks, went to the bench with a pair of fouls 49 seconds apart early in the first quarter.
“The less he plays, the better for everybody else,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.
James had 15 points and 13 assists for the Lakers, who had won 10 of their previous 11 games. But the Celtics made 13 of their first 22 3-point attempts to open a 103-75 lead in the third quarter — the biggest against Los Angeles all season until Boston made it a 34-point game in the fourth.
“We were fortunate to put the ball in the basket quite a bit,” said Stevens, whose team shot 56% overall. “The ball going in masks some things.”
Walker’s 28 games with out a win against James was second in NBA history only to Sherman Douglas’ 0-30 head-to-head record against Michael Jordan.
“If anybody: him. The guy I couldn’t beat, it’d be him. He’s such a great player, he’s done so much in this league,” said Walker, who spent the first eight years of his career in Charlotte. “He’s beaten a lot of guys. I bet you there’s a lot of people who don’t have a winning record against LeBron James.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Michael Avenatti being held in El Chapo’s former cell in Manhattan

Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti was transferred from a federal lockup in California to the notorious Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan last week — and is now being held in Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman ’ s former cell , it was revealed Monday .
Avenatti ’ s attorney claimed in court papers filed Monday that he ’ s being held in solitary confinement in the “ Special Housing Unit on the notorious 10-South of the MCC-New York.
” His lawyers pleaded with a judge to release him to general population in the prison , arguing he could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He is in a cell reportedly once occupied by El Chapo , on a floor that houses individuals charged with terrorism offenses , ” Avenatti ’ s attorney , Scott Srebnick , wrote .
“ The temperature in his cell feels like it is in the mid-40s .
He is forced to sleep with three blankets .
Not surprisingly , he has been having great difficulty functioning.
” Srebnick noted that Avenatti is being held on lockdown for 24 hours a day , with a guard keeping watch from outside his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all times .
He is also not allowed to shave and has only been allowed two social phone calls since he was transferred to the facility .
Avenatti is being held without bail on charges that he attempted to shakedown Nike for more that $ 20 million and that he extorted and embezzled money from his legal clients .
The disgraced lawyer formerly represented porn star Stormy Daniels , who claims she was paid $ 130,000 in 2016 by the Trump campaign in exchange for her not discussing an alleged affair she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to El Chapo , MCC also housed multi-millionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein until he killed himself in the prison in August .
There are six cells in the 10-South special housing unit where Avenatti is being held , sources told The Post .
El Chapo was held in cell No .
1 during his time in the prison .

Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti was transferred from a federal lockup in California to the notorious Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan last week — and is being held in Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s former cell, it was revealed Monday.
Avenatti’s attorney claimed in court papers filed Monday that he’s being held in solitary confinement in the “Special Housing Unit on the notorious 10-South of the MCC-New York.”
His lawyers pleaded with a judge to release him to general population in the prison, arguing he could not prepare for his trial in those conditions.
“He is in a cell reportedly once occupied by El Chapo, on a floor that houses individuals charged with terrorism offenses,” wrote Avenatti’s attorney, Scott Srebnick.
“The temperature in his cell feels like it is in the mid-40s. He is forced to sleep with three blankets. Not surprisingly, he has been having great difficulty functioning.”
Srebnick noted that Avenatti is being held on lockdown 24 hours a day, with a guard keeping watch from outside his cell and two cameras trained on him at all times.
He is also not allowed to shave and has only been allowed two social phone calls since he was transferred to the facility.
Avenatti is being held without bail on charges that he attempted to shake down Nike for more that $20 million and that he extorted and embezzled money from his law clients.
The disgraced lawyer formerly represented porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims she was paid $130,000 in 2016 by the Trump campaign in exchange for her not discussing an alleged affair she had with now-President Trump in 2006.
In addition to El Chapo, the MCC housed multimillionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein until he killed himself in the prison in August.
There are six cells in the 10-South special housing unit where Avenatti is being held, sources told The Post. El Chapo was held in cell No. 1 during his time in the prison.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--State assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte elected to head Brooklyn Democratic Party

Rodneyse Bichotte became the first woman to head the Brooklyn Democratic Party on Monday night .
The State assemblywoman was @ @ @ @ @ during a meeting held at the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club in Canarsie .
The assemblywoman @ @ @ @ @ , while celebrating her win .
“ It ’ s a very humbling experience , @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s historic and I ’ m really excited.
” The vote was 39-0 @ @ @ @ @ Assemblywoman Joan Millman .
Seddio , a longtime leader and power broker in the borough @ @ @ @ @ in picking Bichotte as his replacement .
Bichotte promised to make the Kings County Democratic @ @ @ @ @ is in the red — “ more transparent ” and more financially solvent .
“ @ @ @ @ @ district leaders play an active role in the fundraising , ” she said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ and get everybody more involved .
”

Rodneyse Bichotte became the first woman to head the Brooklyn Democratic Party on Monday night.
The State assemblywoman was elected chairperson of the group during a meeting held at the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club in Canarsie.
The assemblywoman thanked former head Frank Seddio, while celebrating her win.
“It’s a very humbling experience,” she said. “It’s historic and I’m really excited.”
The vote was 39-0 with one abstention by former Assemblywoman Joan Millman.
Seddio, a longtime leader and power broker in the borough, played a key role in picking Bichotte as his replacement.
Bichotte promised to make the Kings County Democratic Committee — whose campaign fund is in the red — “more transparent” and more financially solvent.
“I plan to have the district leaders play an active role in the fundraising,” she said.
“We are going to try and get everybody more involved.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Henrik Lundqvist finding way to contribute even from Rangers bench

They arrived in New York , one after the other over ...

For the sixth time in seven games since the Jan. 3 promotion of Igor Shesterkin from the AHL, Henrik Lundqvist will not start, instead backing up Alex Georgiev against the Islanders on Tuesday at the Garden.
It will mark the sixth time in that span that Lundqvist will have backed up, whereas Georgiev has backed up only when the Swede started in St. Louis on Jan. 11. Shesterkin has yet to assume that role.
That is not by happenstance.
“He’s a guy who carries a lot of weight in that locker room. I want him around, and I want him to be part of the game,” Rangers coach David Quinn said of Lundqvist. “And he wants to be. These are [some of] the things we’ve talked about.”
With the Blueshirts off until Jan. 31 following Tuesday’s game, management may send Shesterkin to AHL Hartford so he can get some work during the break, just as the club did last season with Georgiev. The Wolf Pack are at home on Friday and Saturday. Plus, though no firm decision has been made, Shesterkin is expected to play in the AHL All-Star Game in Ontario, Calif., on Monday.
Artemi Panarin, who had perhaps his most ordinary game of the year in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Columbus, did not practice Monday, his absence called “a maintenance day” by the Rangers. The winger, who is expected to play against the Islanders, had left Saturday’s practice early with what then was called by Quinn, “a little upper-body thing … maintenance.”
Pavel Buchnevich, who was demoted from the top line to the fourth in a switch with Brendan Lemieux during Sunday’s third period, practiced in Panarin’s spot on the second unit with Ryan Strome and Jesper Fast while Lemieux remained with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.
Quinn said that he is unsure of where Buchnevich, who has been dealing with the flu, will line up on Tuesday. He finished the game against the Jackets on the line with Brendan Smith and Greg McKegg, the latter perhaps the team’s most effective forward on Sunday.
“[Buchnevich] didn’t practice for a full week, but he played games and I really liked his effort on the Island,” the coach said of the slumping winger, who has recorded one goal in his past 13 games and two in his past 23. “I thought he did a really good job, so I give him a lot of credit for that.
“He had a tough night [against Columbus], and he’s probably still probably feeling a little from it. Obviously he’s not getting what he wants from an offensive perspective. He’s not being productive offensively to the level we know he’s capable of and he knows and wants to be.
“Having said that, he’s getting chances, so … he’s a big piece of the puzzle here so we’ve got to keep with him and he’s got to continue to do the things he does when he doesn’t score,” Quinn said. “I thought he did a good job of that in the two games [last week] against the Islanders where maybe he didn’t produce offensively but was an effective player.”
The Blueshirts enter Tuesday’s contest 23-20-4 for 50 points in 47 games. They went into the break last year at 21-20-7 for 49 points in 48 games. … The Rangers, up 2-0 with this game and the Feb. 25 one at the Coliseum remaining against the Islanders, have not won the season series between the clubs since 2013-14.
For more on the Rangers, listen to the latest episode of the “Up In The Blue Seats” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-20--How Derek Jeter overcame Jorge Posada’s first impression

It didn ’ t take Dick Groch long to see Derek Jeter ...

Jorge Posada was in his first full season as a pro baseball player, transitioning from infielder to catcher while at Single-A Greensboro in 1992.
Naturally, he had heard about one of the Yankees’ top prospects, Derek Jeter, who had just been picked sixth overall in that year’s draft.
So he was curious what the 18-year-old would look like when he got promoted to Greensboro in August after Jeter played 46 games in the Gulf Coast League.
“He came up those last two weeks in ’92 and everyone was talking about this first-rounder,” Posada said by phone on Monday. “He was very lean and very tall and he had high tops and ankle braces on and I said to myself, ‘Man, that’s our first-rounder?’ ”
That first impression changed quickly.
“Once he started playing, he made a play in the hole, another up the middle and hit a home run,’’ Posada said. “I went quiet after that.”
Their careers took similar paths up the Yankees’ system. Jeter took Posada’s roster spot at Triple-A Columbus in 1994 when Posada broke his ankle and both got to The Bronx for the first time in 1995.
They went on to win four World Series titles together (Posada wasn’t on the 1996 postseason roster), and with Jeter on the cusp of getting to the Hall of Fame, Posada — now working for Jeter with the Marlins as special adviser to baseball operations — expects to be in Cooperstown in July, where he was a year ago for Mariano Rivera’s induction.
“I’ll be watching on TV [Tuesday],’’ Posada said of the announcement of the BBWAA voting. “I think he will be like Mo with 100 percent [of the vote].”
Posada could point to a lot of examples of why Jeter belongs in Cooperstown, but consistency is high on the list.
“I remember in Greensboro how he always ran hard, no matter the situation,’’ said Posada, now 48. “And that was true in his last game in Boston [in 2014], with that last infield hit.’’
It was the final hit of Jeter’s career, leaving him at 3,465 — and on his way to the Hall of Fame.
Tuesday’s announcement will be the next step of a journey Posada predicted early in Jeter’s career.
“I think it was after his fifth season, when he was getting 200 hits every year and I said, ‘This guy’s gonna get 3,000 hits if he stays healthy,’’’ Posada said. “He came up when he was still young and you knew he was gonna keep doing it.”
Posada played his final game in 2011 and watched Jeter play shortstop for parts of 20 seasons between the minors and the Yankees.
“In ’95, we were at spring training camp together and we hit it off,’’ Posada said. “He wanted the same things I wanted. We made each other better. We had the same personality. We see things different than most people. We saw guys partying or not playing the game the right way and didn’t want to be part of that.”
They went on to win the four titles and now work together again with the Marlins, where Jeter is the team’s CEO, while Posada also continues to raise funds for his native Puerto Rico in the wake of the recent earthquakes.
“What stood out the most was how often he played hurt,’’ Posada said. “He’d be out there limping around, whatever it took to win. … He wanted to win more than anybody.’’


newyorkpost--2020-01-20--NBA breaks Knicks’ holiday tradition with MLK Day snub

A holiday Garden tradition got smashed Monday when the NBA made the Knicks play their first-ever game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day outside New York City.
Two years ago, the Knicks played their first MLK Day matinee outside the Garden — in Brooklyn — but there were logistical issues with the Grammys at MSG. However, this time the NBA shuttled them to snowy Cleveland playing before a slew of empty seats at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in a 106-86 win over the Cavaliers.
Some members of the Knicks organization were disappointed because it wanted to continue a Garden tradition. Knicks president Steve Mills did not attend Monday’s game.
The Knicks, who were also erased from the league’s Christmas slate of games, are the NBA’s standard bearers for diversity hiring in their front office.
Mills and GM Scott Perry became the first African-American front-office tandem in NBA history and their personnel/scouting staff is a majority of black hires, including Craig Robinson, Harold Ellis, Gerald Madkins, Fred Cofield, Allan Houston and Walker Russell. They had an African-American coach in David Fizdale before firing him in December.
Perry, whose father, Lowell, was the first black assistant coach in the NFL, attended the MLK Day contest. A pregame ceremony was staged flashing back to King’s memorable quotations. The Knicks and Cavs wore pregame T-shirts that read:
“We Cannot Walk Alone.”
The Knicks moved their record on MLK Day to 22-12.
Cavaliers rookie point guard Darius Garland, selected fifth in the draft, was heavy on the Knicks’ radar with internal discussions to trade back from No. 3. Garland, who was averaging 12.3 points on 40.7 percent shooting, had one of his worst games Monday — going 4-of-20.
According to multiple sources, some members of the coaching staff preferred to trade a few slots back, but Perry stuck to his guns, insisting upon RJ Barrett as the pick.
Garland wasn’t the only Cavs youngster who struggled. Their 2018 lottery pick, point guard Collin Sexton, was 6-of-20.
“Shout out to Reggie [Bullock],’’ Elfrid Payton said. “He did a good job on Garland, starting on him. It was a team thing. We knew they were going to get their shots. Just make them as tough as possible.’’
John Beilein, who coached Knicks rookie second-rounder Ignas Brazdeikas at Michigan last season, believes the lefty 6-foot-7 sniper will have an NBA future because of his versatility. Brazdeikas hasn’t been given any opportunity with the Knicks, but has excelled for the G-League Westchester Knicks, averaging 19.8 points in 13 games on 48 percent shooting. Brazdeikas did not play versus the Cavs.
“He’s got that size and toughness, he can play different positions at times,’’ Beilein said. “He’s a rugged kid and you can play two small forwards and he can guard a lot of the 4–men in this league. Eventually he’s going to be a player. He’s got to learn the NBA, the spacing defense. He’s got it in him. He played one year of college basketball. That’s the trend right now for a lot of players of his talent level. But there’s a big learning curve awaiting for him in the NBA.’’
In his second interview since getting axed in December, David Fizdale was on “The Jump” and repeated he had no “regret,” but added: “For me personally, the toughest part was that I didn’t fulfill what I went there to do. I wanted to give the fans a relative team, a winner. The fan base was so awesome and so passionate about the team. The fact that I couldn’t get over the hump to where I wanted to get it to, that part is a tough pill to swallow.”
Dennis Smith Jr. (oblique strain), out since Dec. 23, may be cleared to return to action in time for Friday’s game vs. Toronto. He will be reevaluated Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We’ll have a pretty good idea then,” Miller said. “We’ll see if he’s ready.’’


newyorkpost--2020-01-20--Indiana man accidentally shoots himself, son while wrestling, police say

BLOOMINGTON , Ind .
— A 4-year-old Indiana boy is in critical condition Monday after a gun his father had @ @ @ @ @ while the two were wrestling , police said .
The Herald-Times reported that the two @ @ @ @ @ on a bed inside a home near Bloomington , Indiana , when the gun — @ @ @ @ @ concealed near the small of his back — fell and discharged one shot .
The @ @ @ @ @ both shot in the head , according to a news release from the Monroe County @ @ @ @ @ The boy was taken by helicopter to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis , where @ @ @ @ @ condition Monday .
The father was taken to IU Health Methodist in Indianapolis with injuries @ @ @ @ @ Authorities have not identified the boy or his father , but Sheriff Brad Swain said @ @ @ @ @ Monday .

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A 4-year-old Indiana boy was in critical condition Monday after a gun his father had concealed in his clothing discharged while the two were wrestling, police said.
The Herald-Times reported that the two were play wrestling Sunday night on a bed inside a home near Bloomington, Indiana, when the gun — which the 36-year-old father had concealed near the small of his back — fell and discharged one shot. The boy and his father were both shot in the head, according to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The boy was taken by helicopter to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, where he was listed in critical condition Monday. The father was taken to IU Health Methodist in Indianapolis with injuries that were not life-threatening.
Authorities have not identified the boy or his father, but Sheriff Brad Swain said they may do so later Monday.


newyorkpost--2020-01-20--Why Nets cautiously scratched Kyrie Irving: ‘There were some issues’

Kyrie Irving was a late scratch Monday with a tight hamstring , sidelined along with Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan as the Nets dropped a fourth straight .
When the trio decided to come to Brooklyn en masse , this couldn ’ t possibly have been what they expected .
After not appearing on the initial injury report , Irving was downgraded to questionable less than three hours before tipoff and then ruled out about an hour later for their MLK Day matinee loss to Philadelphia .
“ Just came in with some tightness .
We ’ ll play it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose in long term , so that ’ s the plan , ” said coach Kenny Atkinson , who admitted the issue has been nagging Irving for a few days .
“ We looked at him [ Sunday ] , ” Atkinson said .
“ We knew there were some issues and then we tested it again [ Monday ] morning and decided collectively to not play.
” Playing it safe with Irving might be wise , considering his health history .
Beginning with his lone Duke campaign through Monday , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 this season with a shoulder impingement and now the hamstring .
Asked if the Nets were simply playing it safe with some tightness or if the guard had actually suffered a legitimate pull , Atkinson replied , “ I ’ m not sure what a legitimate pull is .
“ There ’ s hamstring tightness .
I don ’ t think you want tightness to go to a strain or a pull .
Can go down the line there .
So I think with these things you have to go on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thumb ) not expected to even be reevaluated until later in the week , Nic Claxton had a second straight strong game as the backup center .
The rookie had a career-high 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting , including his first-ever NBA 3-pointer .
“ Y ’ all flamed me when I said he was the second-most talented person on the team .
Fired my [ butt ] all the way up on social media .
Everybody was going nuts .
That ’ s kind of what I was talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp , ” Spencer Dinwiddie said of Claxton .
“ He ’ s extremely talented .
Obviously , he ’ s still a little bit raw , he ’ s extremely young as well .
He ’ s not our second-best player : That would be Kyrie .
Please everybody don ’ t go crazy on me again .
But he has a very bright future and has a chance to do some very special things.
” Claxton took a hard fall near the end of the third quarter contesting a Ben Simmons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down for awhile .
“ I banged my shoulder up a little bit , but it ’ ll be fine , ” Claxton said .
“ I ’ ll go get some treatment .
We ’ ve got the best trainers in the world , so we ’ re good.
” Joe Harris ’ shooting woes continued , going 1-for-5 from deep with five turnovers .

Kyrie Irving was a late scratch Monday with a tight hamstring, sidelined along with Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan as the Nets dropped a fourth straight. When the trio decided to come to Brooklyn en masse, this couldn’t possibly have been what they expected.
After not appearing on the initial injury report, Irving was downgraded to questionable less than three hours before tipoff and then ruled out about an hour later for their MLK Day matinee loss to Philadelphia.
“Just came in with some tightness. We’ll play it cautious. Don’t want to lose in long term, so that’s the plan,” said coach Kenny Atkinson, who admitted the issue has been nagging Irving for a few days.
“We looked at him [Sunday],” Atkinson said. “We knew there were some issues and then we tested it again [Monday] morning and decided collectively to not play.”
Playing it safe with Irving might be wise, considering his health history. Beginning with his lone Duke campaign through Monday, he’s missed 185 games. That includes 26 this season with a shoulder impingement and now the hamstring.
Asked if the Nets were simply playing it safe with some tightness or if the guard had actually suffered a legitimate pull, Atkinson replied, “I’m not sure what a legitimate pull is.
“There’s hamstring tightness. I don’t think you want tightness to go to a strain or a pull. Can go down the line there. So I think with these things you have to go on the side of caution.”
With Jordan (thumb) not expected to even be reevaluated until later in the week, Nic Claxton had a second straight strong game as the backup center. The rookie had a career-high 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting, including his first-ever NBA 3-pointer.
“Y’all flamed me when I said he was the second-most talented person on the team. Fired my [butt] all the way up on social media. Everybody was going nuts. That’s kind of what I was talking about, the stuff we saw in training camp,” Spencer Dinwiddie said of Claxton.
“He’s extremely talented. Obviously, he’s still a little bit raw, he’s extremely young as well. He’s not our second-best player: That would be Kyrie. Please everybody don’t go crazy on me again. But he has a very bright future and has a chance to do some very special things.”
Claxton took a hard fall near the end of the third quarter contesting a Ben Simmons shot, hitting the deck and staying down for awhile.
“I banged my shoulder up a little bit, but it’ll be fine,” Claxton said. “I’ll go get some treatment. We’ve got the best trainers in the world, so we’re good.”
Joe Harris’ shooting woes continued, going 1-for-5 from deep with five turnovers.


newyorkpost--2020-01-20--Kaapo Kakko taking perfect break from Rangers’ grind

VANCOUVER , British Columbia — Strangely enough , of all the cities ...

Just about all of the Rangers will head to much warmer climes when the club’s bye period begins following Tuesday’s Garden showdown/throwdown against the Islanders in a match of some fair early-winter significance.
But not Kaapo Kakko.
He will be en route to someplace better.
Home.
To Finland.
“It will be so good for me,” the 18-year-old freshman told The Post following Monday’s practice. “I have the chance to be with my family and my friends. It has been some time.”
Kakko has not been home since the summer. He has not seen his parents since they traveled here for the season opener and their son’s NHL debut.
“I FaceTime with my family and friends, but it will be good to be home,” Kakko said. “It will be good to get [this break] and then come back and be better.”
Kakko’s season has not gone quite as planned. The winger has scored a total of seven goals, with one in 27 games over the past two months. Overheated summer projections seem to have overlooked the fact that the second-overall draft pick was, and is, a teenager living in an adult world, and on the other side of the world.
David Quinn said “I do” faster than Sean Avery could get those words out of his mouth at his wedding ceremony with Hilary Rhoda when the coach was asked whether he thought the break is coming at the right time for Kakko.
“As we’ve all touched on, there have been a lot of challenges for him, not only hockey-wise but life-wise for 18-year-olds,” Quinn said. “He’s had his ups and downs, but he had a big smile on his face today when we talked about the break. I thought he had a really good practice.”
When the Rangers seek their third straight victory within nine days over an Islanders team whose hold on a playoff spot has become tenuous after having won just one of the past six (1-3-2) and five of the past 15 (5-7-3) games, Kakko will line up on the right side of a line with 21-year-old Brett Howden on the left and 20-year-old Filip Chytil in the middle.
The youngsters have been together for 10 games, since Quinn united them in Toronto on Dec. 28. Even if the numbers haven’t exactly dazzled (46.3 percent possession, 40.9 percent shot share, 39.5 percent xGF and two goals scored and five against in 82:52 of five-on-five time as a unit), the kids have formed a bond with each other. Sometimes, it is about small steps.
Sometimes it is about kids helping their contemporaries.
“Fil’s been a help to him, and I know Howden’s been a help to him,” Quinn said. “It can’t always come from the coaches. It has to come from the players themselves, and I think those guys have done a good job with him.”
Kakko still won’t use his age and inexperience as crutches. He still heaps immense pressure on himself and expects more from himself. Still, he recognizes that the NHL is not Liga, the Finnish league where he established himself as a top-two selection.
“I think he does [recognize that],” Quinn said. “He and I have talked. This is all new to him. He’s never been on a third line. He’s always been the top guy. He’s always been the guy who’s scored. You know, it’s taken some time for him to realize that doesn’t happen, and I always use Svechnikov as an example to him.”
That was a reference to Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov, the Russian winger who was the 2018 second-overall selection in the draft. Svechnikov had 12 goals and 22 points in 50 games entering the Canes’ bye period as compared to Kakko’s seven goals and nine assists in 43 contests. Svechnikov finished his rookie season with 20 goals and 37 points.
“It was really in the last two months when he kind of turned the page and became the player that he is today,” Quinn said “The more you tell a guy that, I think they start believing it, but I don’t think they believe it out of the gate.”
So one more game before the break. One more game for Kakko before he gets to taste some home cooking. One more game for the Rangers, who dropped Sunday’s to the Jackets in brutal fashion, allowing the 2-1 losing goal at 19:35 of the third period on a three-on-two rush that began below the Columbus goal line.
“We can’t let last night get in the way of tomorrow night,” Quinn said Monday. “We can’t let the last minute of last night’s game cost us two hockey games.”
For more on the Rangers, listen to the latest episode of the “Up In The Blue Seats” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-20--Knicks, Lakers cancel practices to attend David Stern memorial

Madison Square Garden fills up for almost every Knicks home ...

CLEVELAND — The Knicks will pay their respects instead of practicing.
The Knicks and Lakers cancelled their practices so they can attend David Stern’s private memorial service at Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday morning. The Knicks host the Lakers on Wednesday.
“We’re going to go to the memorial service for David Stern,’’ Knicks coach Mike Miller said after their 106-86 triumph over the Cavaliers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “Happy to be a part of it and go to it and pay tribute to everything he’s done in his life. We’re all going.’’
The Knicks’ entire coaching staff and members of the front office will be on hand. Knicks president Steve Mills got his start when Stern hired him into the league office in the 1990s.
It may be no coincidence the memorial was staged with the Lakers in town, allowing the face of the NBA, LeBron James, to be on hand.
Cavaliers GM Koby Altman, a New York native, said he will attend as every team is expected to have at least one representative. A Who’s Who of the league is expected, including Michael Jordan.
NBA players realize Stern’s business/marketing sense as commissioner is why their salaries have skyrocketed.
“As a team we’re going to go to Radio City Music Hall and pay respects to David Stern,’’ Marcus Morris said. “It’s the least we could do.”
Stern passed away on Jan. 1 after suffering a brain hemorrhage weeks prior.
For more on the Knicks, listen to the latest episode of the “Big Apple Buckets” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-20--Scout wouldn’t let Yankees derail Derek Jeter’s Hall of Fame path

It didn ’ t take Dick Groch long to see Derek Jeter wasn ’ t an average high school prospect when he first saw him at an All-Star camp in Michigan before Jeter ’ s junior year .
“ When you ’ re looking at young players , some are Chevys and sometimes you see a Lexus , ’ ’ said Groch , the former Yankees scout who helped the Yankees draft and sign the shortstop with the No .
6 pick in 1992 .
“ He was a major league player .
You could see he could be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why , in the days leading up to that draft — when there was still some question whether Jeter would attend the University of Michigan instead of signing to play professionally — that Groch made his most famous statement in his decades as a scout with the Yankees , Brewers and Expos .
“ Mr .
Steinbrenner did not really appreciate high school players at the time , ’ ’ Groch , 79 , said of George Steinbrenner by phone last week .
“ We were all talking about who we should draft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d better be right.
’ There was concern he was going to go to Michigan , because his girlfriend was going there .
Someone asked if I was sure we could sign him and I said , ‘ He ’ s not going to Michigan .
The only place he ’ s going is Cooperstown.
’ ” Now , nearly 28 years later , Groch ’ s prediction is about to become reality , with Jeter set to be elected into the Hall of Fame when the results of the voting by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s where I thought he would wind up , ’ ’ Groch said .
“ I thought that was his ceiling .
That ’ s how good he was .
I ’ ve seen a lot of great players and he had it all.
” Groch ’ s belief in Jeter wasn ’ t just because of what he did on the field .
“ Anyone could see the skills , but you had to know he could play in New York City , ’ ’ Groch said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He had another special component .
I mean , I think he could have been governor of Michigan and he probably would have done a good job .
He was humble , but he played aggressively .
He played the game composed .
He had an ability to relate to everyone on the team .
He handled failure well .
He assessed what the problem was and played through it.
” That ’ s why Groch didn ’ t think much of Jeter ’ s struggles during his first full season in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Single-A Greensboro .
“ They were thinking of moving him to center field because of all the errors and I said , ‘ He ’ s not at Yankee Stadium yet , ’ ” Groch said .
“ I knew he would keep working and making adjustments and that ’ s what he did .
Then you saw the plays he made , diving into the stands , the flip play and producing in the playoffs .
That ’ s the player I saw.
” According to Groch , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
“ Those plays he made and moments he had , that was the expectation , ’ ’ Groch said .
“ And there are things you can ’ t quantify .
They became a word of their own in scouting : Jeter-esque.
’ ’ Groch is looking forward to a Jeter-esque weekend in Cooperstown when Jeter is inducted in July , where he ’ ll follow Mariano Rivera who was enshrined a year ago .
Groch hopes to be in attendance and can still see the young player that caught his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had an ability to hit and he didn ’ t strike out , which is big as a young player , ’ ’ Groch said .
“ He had an atypical approach at the plate , but he made contact .
He pulled the ball down the left-field line and hit it to right-center .
Those are the two places you want a right-handed hitter to hit the ball to in Yankee Stadium .
When he hit the ball , you could tell it was his choice .
He hit the pitch he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jeter has a chance to also join Rivera as the only players elected to the Hall unanimously .
“ Anyone in the business of evaluating players , the No .
1 responsibility is to find a guy who can play in the big leagues and contribute , ’ ’ Groch said .
“ He looked like he could be an All-Star and a lot more.
” He was right .

It didn’t take Dick Groch long to see Derek Jeter wasn’t an average high school prospect when he first saw him at an All-Star camp in Michigan before Jeter’s junior year.
“When you’re looking at young players, some are Chevys and sometimes you see a Lexus,’’ said Groch, the former Yankees scout who helped the Yankees draft and sign the shortstop with the No. 6 pick in 1992. “He was a major league player. You could see he could be a dominating player.”
And it’s why, in the days leading up to that draft — when there was still some question whether Jeter would attend the University of Michigan instead of signing to play professionally — that Groch made his most famous statement in his decades as a scout with the Yankees, Brewers and Expos.
“Mr. Steinbrenner did not really appreciate high school players at the time,’’ Groch, 79, said of George Steinbrenner by phone last week. “We were all talking about who we should draft and everyone said, ‘You’d better be right.’ There was concern he was going to go to Michigan, because his girlfriend was going there. Someone asked if I was sure we could sign him and I said, ‘He’s not going to Michigan. The only place he’s going is Cooperstown.’ ”
Now, nearly 28 years later, Groch’s prediction is about to become reality, with Jeter set to be elected into the Hall of Fame when the results of the voting by the BBWAA are announced Tuesday night.
“That’s where I thought he would wind up,’’ Groch said. “I thought that was his ceiling. That’s how good he was. I’ve seen a lot of great players and he had it all.”
Groch’s belief in Jeter wasn’t just because of what he did on the field.
“Anyone could see the skills, but you had to know he could play in New York City,’’ Groch said. “It’s not all about athleticism. He had another special component. I mean, I think he could have been governor of Michigan and he probably would have done a good job. He was humble, but he played aggressively. He played the game composed. He had an ability to relate to everyone on the team. He handled failure well. He assessed what the problem was and played through it.”
That’s why Groch didn’t think much of Jeter’s struggles during his first full season in the minors, when Jeter made 56 errors at Single-A Greensboro.
“They were thinking of moving him to center field because of all the errors and I said, ‘He’s not at Yankee Stadium yet,’ ” Groch said. “I knew he would keep working and making adjustments and that’s what he did. Then you saw the plays he made, diving into the stands, the flip play and producing in the playoffs. That’s the player I saw.”
According to Groch, it’s what separated Jeter then — and even now.
“Those plays he made and moments he had, that was the expectation,’’ Groch said. “And there are things you can’t quantify. They became a word of their own in scouting: Jeter-esque.’’
Groch is looking forward to a Jeter-esque weekend in Cooperstown when Jeter is inducted in July, where he’ll follow Mariano Rivera who was enshrined a year ago.
Groch hopes to be in attendance and can still see the young player that caught his eye in Kalamazoo.
“He always had an ability to hit and he didn’t strike out, which is big as a young player,’’ Groch said. “He had an atypical approach at the plate, but he made contact. He pulled the ball down the left-field line and hit it to right-center. Those are the two places you want a right-handed hitter to hit the ball to in Yankee Stadium. When he hit the ball, you could tell it was his choice. He hit the pitch he wanted to.”
And 3,465 hits later, Jeter has a chance to also join Rivera as the only players elected to the Hall unanimously.
“Anyone in the business of evaluating players, the No. 1 responsibility is to find a guy who can play in the big leagues and contribute,’’ Groch said. “He looked like he could be an All-Star and a lot more.”
He was right.


newyorkpost--2020-01-20--Down Town Association looking to add floors to landmark HQ to make room for hotel

A blueblood Wall Street-area social club wants to raise the roof of its century-old , landmark headquarters at 60 Pine St .
It would put the storied organization on firmer financial footing by letting it use less space in the building to make room for a fancy new hotel .
But some members of the Down Town Association are down in the dumps over a possible two-year closure that would force them to find alternate places to meet and eat around town .
The intensely private organization — whose members include publicity-shy financial and legal powerbrokers — first received Landmarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its five-and-a-half-story home in 2010 .
But the Association , whose past members have included Franklin D. Roosevelt , former New York State Gov .
Thomas E. Dewey and statesman John Foster Dulles , couldn ’ t build due to tough financial times .
Now , under a deal being negotiated , its landlord would build the new floors and use them and part of existing floors to create a high-end boutique hotel .
The hotel would be run by an outside operator yet to be named .
The Association no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 57,000 square feet , and reducing its space would save it what a source called a “ significant ” percentage of its current rent , although it isn ’ t known how much it ’ s paying .
The Romanesque Revival-style structure stands in the shadow of next-door 70 Pine St. , the landmarked Art Deco skyscraper that was converted from offices to apartments by Rose Associates — and where the Association leases 33 members ’ bedrooms on the tower ’ s second floor .
The 60 Pine St. building was designed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and opened in 1887 .
It was expanded in 1910 by Warren & Wetmore , the architects of Grand Central Terminal .
The interior , rarely seen by outsiders , boasts elegant white oak paneling , a four-story cast-iron lobby staircase , and Gilded Age-era dining rooms with noble arched windows .
But the club was beset by rising costs and reduced dues from a shrinking membership .
According to its 2017 tax return posted on the state attorney general ’ s charity registry , expenses that year exceeded revenue by $ 4.02 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
In 2018 , the Association sold the building for $ 28 million to Great Empire Realty — an obscure partnership which club members refer to as “ the doctors.
” A source said it is not the firm of the same name run by Chinatown developer Benny Fong , as was widely reported at the time .
The club leased the building back from the buyers .
The deal brought the Association much-needed cash as well as a $ 4 million line of credit .
The club even installed a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Willem de Kooning and Paul Gaugin are on display .
So members were stunned in 2019 to learn of the hotel-building plan , which would force them to find other facilities until the job was finished .
The landlord would use the three new floors as well as parts of other floors for a 66-room luxury inn .
“ Not all of us were happy with the sale and then the hotel came out of the blue , ” one source told us .
In September , the Landmarks Commission again blessed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clubs “ have a tradition of expanding with rooftop additions ” and that the 60 Pine St. extension “ will be set back from the primary facade and will not be visible ” from the street .
The redesign would relocate within the building some of its major historic features including its dining room , bar , and reading room .
A stylish , ground-floor bar for hotel guests would be added to the first floor , which club members could use at discounted prices .
At a December meeting , Association president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Credit Suisse Securities and Citigroup , addressed members ’ concerns .
Club trustee Thomas Boucher , a managing director of investment-management firm Ingalls & Snyder , cited some members ’ fears that they “ wouldn ’ t receive full value ” of their dues for 2020 if the club shut down before year ’ s end .
No start date has been set for construction .
But Altherr promised that members “ will be treated fairly during closure through credits upon reopening and with use of other places.
” The Association has reciprocal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harvard , Yale and Lotus clubs in Manhattan .
Neither Altherr nor representatives of Great Empire Realty could be reached for comment .

A blueblood Wall Street-area social club wants to raise the roof of its century-old, landmark headquarters at 60 Pine St.
It would put the storied organization on firmer financial footing by letting it use less space in the building to make room for a fancy new hotel.
But some members of the Down Town Association are down in the dumps over a possible two-year closure that would force them to find alternate places to meet and eat around town.
The intensely private organization — whose members include publicity-shy financial and legal powerbrokers — first received Landmarks Preservation Commission approval to add three floors to its five-and-a-half-story home in 2010.
But the Association, whose past members have included Franklin D. Roosevelt, former New York State Gov. Thomas E. Dewey and statesman John Foster Dulles, couldn’t build due to tough financial times. Now, under a deal being negotiated, its landlord would build the new floors and use them and part of existing floors to create a high-end boutique hotel.
The hotel would be run by an outside operator yet to be named.
The Association no longer needs all of the building’s 57,000 square feet, and reducing its space would save it what a source called a “significant” percentage of its current rent, although it isn’t known how much it’s paying.
The Romanesque Revival-style structure stands in the shadow of next-door 70 Pine St., the landmarked Art Deco skyscraper that was converted from offices to apartments by Rose Associates — and where the Association leases 33 members’ bedrooms on the tower’s second floor.
The 60 Pine St. building was designed by prominent 19th Century architect Charles C. Haight and opened in 1887. It was expanded in 1910 by Warren & Wetmore, the architects of Grand Central Terminal.
The interior, rarely seen by outsiders, boasts elegant white oak paneling, a four-story cast-iron lobby staircase, and Gilded Age-era dining rooms with noble arched windows.
But the club was beset by rising costs and reduced dues from a shrinking membership.
According to its 2017 tax return posted on the state attorney general’s charity registry, expenses that year exceeded revenue by $4.02 million, twice as much as in 2016.
In 2018, the Association sold the building for $28 million to Great Empire Realty — an obscure partnership which club members refer to as “the doctors.”
A source said it is not the firm of the same name run by Chinatown developer Benny Fong, as was widely reported at the time.
The club leased the building back from the buyers. The deal brought the Association much-needed cash as well as a $4 million line of credit.
The club even installed a new gallery where works by Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning and Paul Gaugin are on display.
So members were stunned in 2019 to learn of the hotel-building plan, which would force them to find other facilities until the job was finished. The landlord would use the three new floors as well as parts of other floors for a 66-room luxury inn.
“Not all of us were happy with the sale and then the hotel came out of the blue,” one source told us.
In September, the Landmarks Commission again blessed the expansion. It noted that many social clubs “have a tradition of expanding with rooftop additions” and that the 60 Pine St. extension “will be set back from the primary facade and will not be visible” from the street.
The redesign would relocate within the building some of its major historic features including its dining room, bar, and reading room.
A stylish, ground-floor bar for hotel guests would be added to the first floor, which club members could use at discounted prices.
At a December meeting, Association president Mark Altherr, a former director of Credit Suisse Securities and Citigroup, addressed members’ concerns.
Club trustee Thomas Boucher, a managing director of investment-management firm Ingalls & Snyder, cited some members’ fears that they “wouldn’t receive full value” of their dues for 2020 if the club shut down before year’s end.
No start date has been set for construction.
But Altherr promised that members “will be treated fairly during closure through credits upon reopening and with use of other places.”
The Association has reciprocal arrangements with other clubs, including the Harvard, Yale and Lotus clubs in Manhattan.
Neither Altherr nor representatives of Great Empire Realty could be reached for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Here’s where to get ‘Star Trek: Picard’ MetroCards featuring Patrick Stewart

“ Star Trek : Picard ” is beaming to a subway station near you .
For three weeks starting Thursday , when the show premieres on CBS All Access , the series will be promoted on special MetroCards available at six MTA stations in Manhattan .
In the drama , Sir Patrick Stewart , 79 , reprises his “ Star Trek : The Next Generation ” role of Jean-Luc Picard , the retired Starfleet admiral and former captain of the Starship Enterprise who is living out his latter days on his family ’ s vineyard in France .
Fittingly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cards — one featuring Picard on the front and his family ’ s sweeping vineyard on the back , the other with Picard ’ s dog , No .
1 , on the front and several planets on the flip side .
The branded cards will be available through Feb. 16 at the subway stations at 14th Street and Seventh Avenue , 28th Street and Seventh Avenue , 57th Street and Sixth Avenue , 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue , 14th Street at Union Square and 28th Street and Broadway .
The Picard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at those locations ; the No .
1 cards will be available at the station booths .
The Union Square stop will also feature posters and other branding within the station .
In a related twist , if you connect the station locations on an MTA subway map , the outline forms the shape of the “ Star Trek ” delta insignia .
Last year , Wu-Tang Clan was featured on limited-edition MetroCards ahead of their Hulu show “ Wu-Tang : An American Saga , ” following the success of David Bowie MetroCards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Thursday , the show will also have a pop-up experience in Times Square , at 46th Street and Broadway , featuring an Instagram-worthy 10-foot-tall Starfleet delta and a towering “ Star Trek : Picard ” video billboard above the nearby American Eagle storefront .
Between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. , “ brand ambassadors ” for the show will hand out “ Star Trek : Picard ” posters to fans who post selfies with the insignia using the hashtag # PicardDelta on social media .
The “ Picard ” tie-in follows a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens , ” in which the show ’ s NYC-born namesake took over 7-train subway announcements and gave them a cheeky spin , to the delight — or derision — of riders .
An MTA spokesperson said that partnership was the first of its kind for the authority .

“Star Trek: Picard” is beaming to a subway station near you.
For three weeks starting Thursday, when the show premieres on CBS All Access, the series will be promoted on special MetroCards available at six MTA stations in Manhattan.
In the drama, Sir Patrick Stewart, 79, reprises his “Star Trek: The Next Generation” role of Jean-Luc Picard, the retired Starfleet admiral and former captain of the Starship Enterprise who is living out his latter days on his family’s vineyard in France. Fittingly, the subway promotion will showcase two different cards — one featuring Picard on the front and his family’s sweeping vineyard on the back, the other with Picard’s dog, No. 1, on the front and several planets on the flip side.
The branded cards will be available through Feb. 16 at the subway stations at 14th Street and Seventh Avenue, 28th Street and Seventh Avenue, 57th Street and Sixth Avenue, 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, 14th Street at Union Square and 28th Street and Broadway. The Picard cards will be sold in vending machines at those locations; the No. 1 cards will be available at the station booths. The Union Square stop will also feature posters and other branding within the station.
In a related twist, if you connect the station locations on an MTA subway map, the outline forms the shape of the “Star Trek” delta insignia.
Last year, Wu-Tang Clan was featured on limited-edition MetroCards ahead of their Hulu show “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” following the success of David Bowie MetroCards to promote a Brooklyn Museum exhibit.
On Thursday, the show will also have a pop-up experience in Times Square, at 46th Street and Broadway, featuring an Instagram-worthy 10-foot-tall Starfleet delta and a towering “Star Trek: Picard” video billboard above the nearby American Eagle storefront. Between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., “brand ambassadors” for the show will hand out “Star Trek: Picard” posters to fans who post selfies with the insignia using the hashtag #PicardDelta on social media.
The “Picard” tie-in follows a promotion for the autobiographical Comedy Central series “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens,” in which the show’s NYC-born namesake took over 7-train subway announcements and gave them a cheeky spin, to the delight — or derision — of riders. An MTA spokesperson said that partnership was the first of its kind for the authority.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Brooklyn prez Adams panned for telling new NYC arrivals ‘go back to Iowa’

He has a dream — of leading a New York ...

A Queens lawmaker Tuesday ripped Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for calling on city gentrifiers to “go back” to Iowa and Ohio, while statistics show that hardly any Big Apple residents actually come from those states.
City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Queens) said Adams’ “disturbing” remarks contribute to an environment of divisiveness at a time when New York has been rocked by a slew of bias crimes, particularly against its Jewish communities.
“We’re going through a lot of anti-Semitism now, and this only kind of helps it along,” said Koslowitz, who represents neighborhoods including Forest Hills, Kew Gardens and Rego Park. “As an elected official, you have to be more careful of what you say.”
In a speech on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network headquarters in Harlem, Adams — the leading fundraiser in the 2021 mayoral race — called on those moving from the Midwest to New York to hang a U-turn.
“Go back to Iowa, you go back to Ohio,” railed Adams. “New York City belongs to the people that was here and made New York City what it is.”
Adams’ inflammatory remarks had an apparent racial undertone, as he invoked the two majority-white states while claiming that social issues such as drug abuse and gun violence went ignored when they only troubled “black and brown” communities.
But it’s questionable whether his claim that Iowans and Ohioans are to blame for New York’s problems even holds water, considering how few of them are actually walking city streets.
A 2018 study by Baruch College looked at the top counties across the US in terms of importing and exporting New Yorkers.
Among the ten counties with the largest net losses of residents to New York City over the five years spanning 2011 through 2015, none is in Iowa, and just one in the Buckeye State, the study found.
Summit County, Ohio, which includes Akron, eked out a spot at #10, losing a net of just 97 people to New York.
Koslowitz said Adams’ comments left her questioning whether he’s fit to potentially serve as mayor.
“Right now, to me, it’s questionable if this is how he feels,” she said.
She said there’s more to being a good neighbor than your race and where you come from.
“If I wanted to move in to, let’s say, Bed-Stuy [in Brooklyn] or Jamaica in Queens, I can’t because of the color of my skin?” she asked. “We have to look at the entire picture, you know, it’s not like every white person is rich. There are a lot of poor white people.”
Adams on Tuesday insisted that he welcomes outsiders to New York — but maintained that they have to treat their new neighbors with respect.
“I welcome all people of good will to New York City — no matter who they are and where they come from,” said the beep in a statement. “All New Yorkers though — whether you just arrived or have lived here for generations — must respect each other and seek to alleviate, and not exacerbate, the problems that we face.
“That is what New York is about. And New Yorkers have every right to be angry with anyone who disrespects the people who have built the neighborhoods they enjoy.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer sues bandmates over Grammy ban

Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer is suing his bandmates , claiming that vocalist Steven Tyler , lead guitarist Joe Perry , rhythm guitarist Tom Hamilton and bassist Brad Whitford have excluded him from rejoining the group after he went on temporary disability leave in 2019 .
The ban extends to the Boston group ’ s performance at this Sunday ’ s Grammys — where they ’ re set to perform a medley of hits after receiving the 2020 MusiCares Person of the Year award — the final straw that urged Kramer to take action .
Kramer , 69 , claims that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year — during which time he was made to pay for his own replacement — he was informed that he ’ d have to audition to rejoin the group , to ensure he ’ d be able to “ play at an appropriate level.
” According to the lawsuit , which was obtained by Rolling Stone , Kramer says there nothing in the band ’ s contract requiring them to “ take any action to ‘ prove ’ or otherwise demonstrate his ability to perform after a period of temporary disability.
” Kramer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he says he was forced to play to a “ click-track ” — a customized metronome program that keeps time changes consistent throughout songs — by himself , without the rest of the band present .
The “ Crazy ” -iest thing ?
Kramer , a founding member , was told that his playing was devoid of the requisite “ energy ” after his January re-audition .
Kramer alleges he was told his performance wasn ’ t “ technically correct ” and failed to “ demonstrate he is able to perform as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replacement and drum tech .
This , despite the fact that the suit claims one unnamed band member told Kramer he sounded “ great.
” “ The fact that I would be asked to audition for my own job , demonstrate that I can play at ‘ an appropriate level ’ and play better than my temporary fill-in with a moving target of made-up standards is both insulting and upsetting , ” he told the music magazine .
“ Other band members and their lawyers will likely attempt to disparage my playing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drums right now .
Nothing could be further from the truth.
” Kramer ’ s statement continued , “ In Aerosmith ’ s 50-year history , no other band member has ever been subjected to this scrutiny let alone be asked to audition for his own job !
” We would be doing a disservice to Joey , to ourselves and to our fans to have him play without adequate time to prepare and rehearse .
Compounding this , he chose to file a lawsuit on the Friday night of the holiday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what is our limited window to prepare to perform these important events .
Given his decisions , he is unfortunately unable to perform but of course we have invited him to be with us for both the Grammys and our MusiCares honor .
We are bonded together by much more than our time on stage .
Page Six has reached out to Aerosmith seeking comment on whether Kramer can be expected back in the ( drum ) saddle again .

Not-so-sweet emotion.
Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer is suing his bandmates, claiming that vocalist Steven Tyler, lead guitarist Joe Perry, rhythm guitarist Tom Hamilton and bassist Brad Whitford have excluded him from rejoining the group after he went on temporary disability leave in 2019.
The ban extends to the Boston group’s performance at this Sunday’s Grammys — where they’re set to perform a medley of hits after receiving the 2020 MusiCares Person of the Year award — as well as the pre-Grammys performance at the MusiCares gala, the final straw that urged Kramer to take action.
Kramer, 69, claims that after just a few months off last year — during which time he was made to pay for his own replacement — he was informed that he’d have to audition to rejoin the group, to ensure he’d be able to “play at an appropriate level.”
According to the lawsuit, which was obtained by Rolling Stone, Kramer says there nothing in the band’s contract requiring them to “take any action to ‘prove’ or otherwise demonstrate his ability to perform after a period of temporary disability.”
Kramer details his “re-audition,” in which he says he was forced to play to a “click-track” — a customized metronome program that keeps time changes consistent throughout songs — by himself, without the rest of the band present.
The “Crazy”-iest thing? Kramer, a founding member, was told that his playing was devoid of the requisite “energy” after his January re-audition.
Kramer alleges he was told his performance wasn’t “technically correct” and failed to “demonstrate he is able to perform as well as John Douglas,” his replacement and drum tech. This, despite the fact that the suit claims one unnamed band member told Kramer he sounded “great.”
“The fact that I would be asked to audition for my own job, demonstrate that I can play at ‘an appropriate level’ and play better than my temporary fill-in with a moving target of made-up standards is both insulting and upsetting,” he told the music magazine. “Other band members and their lawyers will likely attempt to disparage my playing and claim that I am unable to play the drums right now. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Kramer’s statement continued, “In Aerosmith’s 50-year history, no other band member has ever been subjected to this scrutiny let alone be asked to audition for his own job!”
Reached for comment, Aerosmith provided the following statement to Page Six:
Joey Kramer is our brother; his wellbeing is of paramount importance to us. However he has not been emotionally and physically able to perform with the band, by his own admission, for the last 6 months. We have missed him and have encouraged him to rejoin us to play many times but apparently he has not felt ready to do so. Joey has now waited until the last moment to accept our invitation, when we unfortunately have no time for necessary rehearsals during Grammys week. We would be doing a disservice to him, to ourselves and to our fans to have him play without adequate time to prepare and rehearse. Compounding this, he chose to file a lawsuit on the Friday night of the holiday weekend preceding the Grammys with total disregard for what is our limited window to prepare to perform these important events. Given his decisions he is unfortunately unable to perform but of course we have invited him to be with us for both the Grammys and our MusiCares honor. We are bonded together by much more than our time on stage.
Stay tuned to find out if Kramer will be getting back in the (drum) saddle again.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Baseball Hall of Fame 2020: Even Larry Walker didn’t think he was getting in

Larry Walker did not think it was happening .
The Rockies slugger tweeted earlier on Tuesday that he felt that he was going to end up short of the number of votes needed to reach the Hall of Fame .
Walker instead made it by six votes , getting 76.6 % of the 397 from Hall of Fame voters in his tenth and final year on the ballot .
“ Although I believe I ’ m going to come up a little short today I still wan na thank all you that have been pulling for me and showing your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m grateful for all of you !
It ’ s been fun leading up to today reading everyone ’ s thoughts .
Cheers.
” Walker was a .313 career hitter with 387 home runs and the NL MVP in 1997 .
The 53-year-old Canadian told MLB Network after being voted in that his tweet was not a reverse-jinx or anything of that nature .
“ I truly meant that , ” Walker said .
“ I had the numbers in my head and was prepared for a no call .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sudden you can ’ t breathe.
” Walker played 10 years for the Rockies , six for the Expos and two for the Cardinals .
Walker will be joined in the 2020 Cooperstown class by Yankees legend Derek Jeter , who got 396 of 397 votes .
Curt Schilling came up 20 votes short .
The Red Sox and Diamondbacks ace , who has been outspoken politically and controversial in retirement , is in good position to be voted in next year .
“ It was so special .
I barely remember the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone call alerting him that he was getting the nod .

Larry Walker sent out a tweet earlier on Tuesday saying he did not expect to get elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his final year on the ballot.
He was shocked when the call came from BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O’Connell that he had made it.
“I was speechless,’’ Walker said after making the 75 percent grade by six votes, garnering 76.6 percent of the vote.
Walker played 17 seasons for the Expos, Rockies and Cardinals, a seven-time Gold Glove Award winner in right field and a five-time All-Star who won three batting titles.
A native of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, he becomes the second Canadian elected to the Hall of Fame. Ferguson Jenkins, a native of Chatham, Ontario, was elected in 1991.
A hockey player, Walker came to baseball late. He said if he had stuck with hockey he would be missing a few more teeth “and all this wouldn’t have happened. It was a decision I made at 16 and baseball kind of found me. I’m a hockey player, baseball was something I had to learn along the way.’’
Most amazing is how far Walker had to travel in terms of voting percentage. He received 10.2 percent of the BBWAA vote in his fourth year on the ballot in 2014. He is the first player elected by the BBWAA who received less than 12 percent of the vote in any election during his candidacy since Bob Lemon, who was elected in 1976 after he received 11.9 percent of the vote in his first year eligible in 1964.
“The tweet was just me kind of being open,’’ Walker said. “I calculated in my head that I would be about 73.3.
“Then the call game,’’ Walker said. “I think I uttered the words, ‘Oh s—’ when that number popped up and before I answered the phone.
“This year I had a chance, the other years I didn’t watch it like last year,’’ he said of the voting tabulations. “I spent three weeks watching the tracker. Even though last year I had a blast following along and honestly if this year had come up a little short I’d probably be saying the same thing, just how incredible it was that that many people thought I was good enough to come this close.
“This year I didn’t come that close. I made the last hurdle.’’
He becomes the first Rockie to make it to Cooperstown.
“It’s a franchise just like every other one,’’ he said of playing in the rarefied air of Colorado. “You can go to other ballparks that affected their goods and bad. I did really, really well there and I am grateful because it helped getting me to where I am at right now.’’
As for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, who remain waiting on the sideline, Walker said, “What Barry and Roger have done in the game is pretty incredible. I don’t think I know enough about everything they have done or haven’t done as far as when you talk about the steroid stuff. It’s something I don’t delve into. That’s why you guys are voting on it. It’s up to you guys to decide that.’’


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Derek Jeter’s one Hall of Fame snub is sparking outrage

Derek Jeter fell one vote shy of becoming an unanimous Hall of Famer on Tuesday night , drawing outrage from @ @ @ @ @ Jeter had been trending toward unanimity , which would have made him the second baseball @ @ @ @ @ year to reach Hall of Fame perfection .
Members of the Baseball Writers ’ Association @ @ @ @ @ not required to disclose their vote , so the world may never find out who @ @ @ @ @ miss .
Jeter officially received 99.7 percent of the vote .
Larry Walker , the @ @ @ @ @ also was elected into the Hall of Fame by appearing on 76.6 percent of ballots @

Derek Jeter fell one vote shy of becoming an unanimous Hall of Famer on Tuesday night, drawing outrage from many on social media.
Jeter had been trending toward unanimity, which would have made him the second baseball player behind Mariano Rivera last year to reach Hall of Fame perfection.
Members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America who vote are not required to disclose their vote, so the world may never find out who was behind Jeter’s miss.
Jeter officially received 99.7 percent of the vote. Larry Walker, the NL MVP in 1997, also was elected into the Hall of Fame by appearing on 76.6 percent of ballots.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Saudi prince may be responsible for stealing Jeff Bezos’ nudes

Jeff Bezos cracked jokes about his tumultuous start to 2019 ...

The crotch shots that put Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ personal life in the public eye last year may have been stolen by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a bombshell report alleges.
The Saudi royal “hacked” the world’s richest man’s phone by sending him a malicious video file via the chat platform WhatsApp during a “seemingly friendly” exchange, according to The Guardian.
Hidden in the encrypted message was malware that allowed “large amounts of data” to be exfiltrated from Bezos’ phone within hours, The Guardian reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The paper noted that it had no knowledge of what exactly was taken from the phone. But the shocking cyberattack was discovered by digital forensic experts who were examining Bezos’ phone after the National Enquirer threatened to publish details of the Amazon chief’s private life, including below-the-belt selfies he sent to his girlfriend, TV reporter Lauren Sanchez, early last year.
Bezos announced a divorce from his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie Bezos, in January after learning that the National Enquirer was reporting on his extramarital affair with Sanchez. A month later, Bezos accused the Enquirer of trying to blackmail him with a series of racy pics, including the penis pic and a photo of Sanchez “smoking a cigar in what appears to be a simulated sex scene.”
In a shocking blog post on the Web site Medium, Bezos claimed executives of David Pecker’s American Media Inc., which owns The Enquirer, were holding the pictures over his head as part of a scheme to get him to publicly say the Enquirer’s coverage wasn’t “politically motivated.”
The cryptic post mentioned Saudi Arabia numerous times.
Bezos’ investigators have “high confidence” that Mohammed bin Salman delivered the video that allowed the Saudis to get into the CEO’s phone and “[gain] private information” about him, according to the report.
Bezos owns The Washington Post, whose columnist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered and dismembered via bone saw at the hands of the Saudi government. Saudi experts told The Guardian that this relationship was likely the impetus for the attempt to humiliate Bezos.
An Amazon representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Apple ditched iCloud encryption plans after FBI complaints: report

President Trump took a bite out of Apple on Tuesday ...

Just days after President Trump slammed Apple for refusing to break into the iPhones used by a gunman who killed three people at a Florida naval base, a report has emerged claiming that the tech giant is much more deferential to the federal government than previously thought.
Apple two years ago ditched plans to let customers encrypt device backups on its iCloud service after the FBI complained that such encryption would harm investigations, Reuters reported citing six sources familiar with the matter.
The encryption would have meant that Apple would not be able to turn material over to authorities even if it was under court order. The FBI’s cyber crime agents argued that such a plan would eliminate the most effective method for gathering evidence against iPhone-using suspects, according to Reuters.
Instead of protecting all of iCloud with end-to-end encryption, Apple has shifted to focus on protecting some of the most sensitive user information, such as saved passwords and health data.
But backed-up contact information and texts from iMessage, WhatsApp and other encrypted services remain available to Apple employees and authorities.
Apple later scrapped the plan, with Reuters quoting a former Apple employee as saying that “legal killed it, for reasons you can imagine.”
“They decided they weren’t going to poke the bear anymore,” the person said, referring to Apple’s court battle with the FBI in 2016 over access to an iPhone used by one of the suspects in a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif.
The about-face represents a rare acquiescence by a company that has prided itself on protecting customer information and publicly rebuking government requests for access.
The back-and-forth between law enforcement and Apple’s desire for privacy reared its head last week when US Attorney General Bill Barr called out Apple for refusing to unlock two iPhones used by a Saudi Air Force officer who murdered three Americans at a Pensacola, Fla. naval base in December.
Trump joined the fray, tweeting that Apple was refusing to unlock devices used by “killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements.”
Apple responded by saying that it had turned over the shooter’s iCloud backups, and denied Barr’s characterization that it “has not provided substantive assistance.”
With Post Wires


newyorkpost--2020-01-21--Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s first post-Megxit plans revealed

“ Stupid Love ” has leaked to the masses , and Lady Gaga ...

Meghan Markle‘s sporting a million-dollar grin — to go with the star-studded Kardashian-like lifestyle she is already planning to build with Prince Harry, sources told The Post on Tuesday.
The couple — who reunited in Canada on Monday night after their torturous Megxit from the British royal family — are preparing to get down to the business of themselves, sources said.
First off, the pair plans to remain at the $14 million waterfront property owned by a billionaire pal on Vancouver Island for the foreseeable future, sources said.
From their posh digs, the couple will begin building their expected commercial empire, now having the freedom to make millions of dollars and sign a raft of deals benefiting themselves and their pet causes.
Netflix boss Ted Sarandos — who signed up President Barack Obama and wife Michelle to a production deal — has already thrown his company’s hat in the ring in terms of hiring the couple for work.
“Who wouldn’t be interested? Yes, sure,” he said.
Top British PR and branding expert Mark Borkowski told The Post that the pair could each expect to rake in at least half a million dollars per speech — and may even set up their own documentary channel.
“With the kind of work that Meghan and Harry want to do, they have to be free from palace protocol and politics,” Borkowski said. “You can’t speak out properly with the Palace breathing down your neck.”
He said the pair is hopefully savvy enough to not make themselves look crass.
“There is a very clever way of being Kardashian-like. People joke about the Kardashians, but look at their enormous value,” the expert said. “Meghan and Harry are clearly connected to a lot of money, they have a fantastic platform. But it needs to be the right money. They can’t be seen to take money from oligarchs and Middle Eastern princes.”
He continued, “I could see them throwing almighty parties every quarter, like Elton John does to raise money for his AIDS foundation, with the great and the good.”
The PR honcho said he could even seen Meghan running for president in 10 years.
“She has that sort of ambition,” he said.
Still, “The main concern is, without a direct connection to the throne, will Oprah and the Clooneys still love them?” Borkowski said.
Patrick Jephson, Princess Diana’s former chief of staff, told The Post that Meghan and Harry have worked hard to make high-powered US pals and connections together.
“They have obviously maintained a growing US network of friends and advisers, and alongside the wholesale trademarking of ‘Sussex Royal,’ they talk a big game of worldwide philanthropy, which is incredibly ambitious,” he said, adding, “But although they say they are working toward financial independence, they cannot profit from their royal connections.
“You only have to look at the Duke and Duchess of Windsor or Sarah, Duchess of York, to see that the precedents are not good. There is a blurred line between celebrity and royalty, and royal people cross it at their peril.”
Harry and Meghan are working on the launch of their Sussex Royal Foundation with the New York City PR firm Sunshine Sachs and looking for someone to lead the foundation.
The London Evening Standard reported that Harry already has a number of major charity events in the works.
They will be staged across the US with Sentebale, which supports the mental health and well-being of children and young people affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana.
Chairman Johnny Hornby said, “The duke is a global figure, and HIV is a challenge for the world to try to help solve. We know the duke has the ability to challenge the stigma that surrounds HIV and shine a light on these issues, whichever side of the pond he finds himself on.”
Though it remains to be seen where they will finally set up home — Meghan’s mom, Doria, lives in Los Angeles — Canada remains “important to both of them,’’ a source close to them told The Post.
“They’ve loved their time there, it’s so beautiful,” the source said. “These are two people eager for a fresh start, they made this decision together — this was not Meghan deciding for the both of them. She’s been vilified for the most minute actions, from making avocado toast to her British Vogue ‘changemakers’ cover. Show me one person who could withstand this?”
The source added, “And Harry is a man who loves his wife, his child and their family they’re creating together.”