Mets 7, Padres 6: When Trevor Hoffman enters a game, more often than not, it's over for the opposing team. Then again, the all-time save leader with 513, has never been good in New York. Last night, the Mets came back from a one-run deficit in the 9th with Hoffman in the game for a dramatic victory. From the Mets standpoint, the bottom of the 9th was perfect and they looked like the Mets of......

In a flash the Rangers remade their team on the first day of free agency, adding Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. Drury, grew up in Trumbull, Connecticut as a Rangers’ fan and has been one of the top centers in the game since breaking into the league with Colorado in 1998 (not to mention a Little League World Series champion). Gomez has been with the Devils since joining the league in 1999 winning two Stanley......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a stabbing at the 41st Precinct House in the Bronx, a homicide on Parkhill Ave. on Staten Island, and a double shooting on East 113th St. in Manhattan. Forget aluminum bats, a Staten Island mom is suing her son's former Little League coach for not teaching the then-12-year-old how to slide correctly. The Daily News interviews Jeffrey Hill, the track worker injured by the train that killed his co-worker......

The most devoted baseball friend we know grew up in Hartford, CT. Halfway between NYC and New England, Hartford is a baseball fan's crucible, where one must decide at an early age whether you're for the Red Sox or the Yankees. If geography poses a dillema in Connecticut, it really is a problem once you're living in the boroughs or its neighboring towns. The New York Times notices today a growing movement of Mets fan......

Yankees 10, Orioles 7: Yeah, you read the headline right. Alex Rodriguez came through in yesterday afternoon's game in the biggest way - with a two-out game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the 9th inning. It was his 2nd home run of the game. The bottom of the ninth inning went something like this: out, out, Robinson Cano single, Derek Jeter walk, Bobby Abreu hit-by-pitch, grand slam by Rodriguez into the black seats. Kei......

In keeping with our lists of events from 2006, here are some of the sports stories that Gothamist found compelling in the past year. It ranges from the playoff disappointment from the Mets and the Yankees to the welcome performances of last season's Rangers, this season's Jets and Rutgers. Mickelson Chokes at Winged Foot: Everyone knew the Winged Foot course in Mamaroneck, N.Y., was a tough place to play, but no one found it crueler......

- While he was at USC, Reggie Bush paid homage to his hometown by writing "619" on his eyeblack. Now those that live in New York City can show off their area code pride with "212" sneakers from Nike. We doubt the sneakers will be be quite as coveted as an actual 212 phone number (limitless availability and ugliness of sneaker). And while we're all for representing New York, what about 347, 646, and......

Earlier this week, Queens assemblyman Brian M. McLaughlin was charged with 43 different crimes, including racketeering, embezzlement, stealing from a Little League, fraud and more, taking $2.2 million. McLaughlin's office was raided by the FBI in March, and the indictment that was unsealed this week was 186 pages. The NY Times summarized some of his misdeeds:Law enforcement officials said that Mr. McLaughlin used subordinates as “personal servants,” to take his dog to the veterinarian, hang......

-- The city has seized control of the BAM Cultural District in Fort Greene. After their huge successes in the WTC, West Side Rail, and Brooklyn Yards projects, what could go wrong? -- Did you know that Ocean Parkway was the first bike path in America? It's getting a facelift this year. -- But wait, there's more: Ron Popeil's Biography episode is on tonight! -- Shaolin's Mid-Island team is going to the Little League......

- The Brooklyn community of Gerritsen is quiet to the police after hate-crime arrests - A newspaper vendor was killed by a hit-and-run driver in the Bronx yesterday - and a pedestrian was hit by a car in Queens - Mayor Bloomberg wants solid proof that September 11 made rescue workers ill when their relatives are applying for September 11 death benefits - The Little League teammates of Shamar Porter, the 10 year old......

- Manatee mania (or in our case, Missing the Manatee Mania) - he was spotted up by Sleepy Hollow and he's "massive" - A Brooklyn Little League team vows to win the championship game in honor of their teammate who was killed after their last game - If there's a movie called World Trade Center opening this Wednesday, then you must coordinate fundraising direct mail with that! - We don't get it - $815,000......

Ten year old Shamar Porter was biking home from a Little League game when a red van fatally hit him yesterday evening. Porter had been biking near where Williams Avenue meets Linden Boulevard (map)when the car hit him; he was taken to the hospital, but doctors were unable to save him. His team, the Brownsville Rec Center's Athletics, had just advanced to the championship game. The driver, who remained at the scene, was not charged,......

Both the Mets and the Yankees were resting Monday night after a busy day for both teams. Their New York-Penn League teams did play though. - Yankees 11, Renegades 7: The Baby Bombers defeated Hudson Valley in a shootout as the teams combined for 27 hits in the game. Fun note - there are some Staten Island Little League players in Japan as part of Hideki Matsui's "International Friendship Program". They've even got a sparse......

Saturday is Opening Day in Prospect Park and Gothamist is hoping we're wrong about the weather. The annual spring celebration kicks off with the Little League Parade at 10am, which starts at 7th Ave and Carroll Street and ends at the Bandshell. For the more civic minded New Yorker, an Opening Day Clean-Up is planned for 10am-2pm (meet at the Tennis House). For the nature minded, electric boat tours are being run from 12-4:30pm,......

Say it ain't so! The United States has been eliminated from the World Baseball Classic. Great news for George Steinbrenner, bad news for US baseball. Last night in Anaheim (or Los Angeles as the Angels would have you call it), Mexico defeated the US, 2-1. In the loss, the US team only managed three hits off 8 Mexican pitchers. If you're scoring at home, that's a single by Junior Griffey, a double by Chipper Jones......

We were strangely fascinated by the article in Sunday's New York Times magazine about the business of creating the perfect pre-sliced apple that could be marketed as the perfect portable snack. You may be thinking the same thing we were thinking -- aren't apples pretty damn convenient the way they are? Apparently not, and apparently people are willing to pay extra for pre-sliced apples; Crunch Pak has surveyed the market: Crunch Pak's first market research......

Could a "World" Baseball Classic really be called that without one of the world's best baseball nations? Probably not, which is why it's great to hear that Cuba will be playing in the inaugural WBC. President Bush, former owner of the Texas Rangers, stepped in to help solve the issue. Each team that plays in the tournament is guaranteed 1% of the net profit with escalating amounts as they advance and any winnings Cuba would......

Two weeks after the city council passed a bill providing harsher penalties for fans that enter a field of play and try to harm athletes, Mayor Bloomberg signed the bill into law. The law calls for up to a year in jail and up to $25,000 worth in fines. The Post graciously points out that the old law in place, aka the "Calvin Klein Law", only called for fines for those that stepped onto the......

Leave it to a conservative family group to claim that Spongebob Squarepants is an evil force that is supporting the homosexual cause. Focus on Family and the American Family Association claim that a video that includes everyone's favorite pineapple-dwelling porifera specifically asks kids to pledge tolerance of sexual identity. Uber-producer Niles Rodgers who created the video says the video actually promotes multi-culturalism and that the two groups are confused, because the foundation he works with,......

Over the weekend at Shea Stadium, Monroe High School of The Bronx defeated George Washington High School to win the Public School Athletic League Class A title in baseball, 4-0. The shutout by Monroe was pitched by Danny Almonte, the former Little Leaguer who was too old to play. Almonte, the games MVP had 11 strikeouts and only one walk. Monroe was also in last year's championship game, but lost to Tottenville 8-7. Three years......

Today's NY Times looks at baseball in China, which has four teams and is hardly a national pasttime. The Times reports that China has a rich history of baseball, which dates to the early 1900's, but was wiped out by the Cultural Revolution in the 1960's (silly revolutions). The man behind the Chinese Baseball League is Boston-native, Thomas McCarthy, which gives Gothamist doubts about the whole thing. What is McCarthy going to teach them, the......

New Mets shortstop and Gothamist's favorite Japanese shortstop, Kazuo Matsui made his debut at shortstop yesterday. Sure, it was Spring Training, sure it was only for five innings, but he sure made an impact. Earlier this spring, Matsui cut the middle finger on his throwing hand and required two stitches. With only two fielding opportunities Monday, a high-chopper and a routine double play ball (Gothamist knows that no double play is assumed), Kaz had little......

Today we'd like to announce the addition of Tien Mao, known for his little read book, to our growing Gothamist family. Tien, a lifelong New Yorker, will be covering the sports beat, just in time to ring in the March Madness, the new baseball season, and Gothamist's first Little League season. So, welcome Tien. Thanks to everyone for their support. We're thrilled with how The Gothamist Forum has been going and you'll be hearing from......

The Parks Department is renovating 86 of its 683 public restrooms this year. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe explains, "We're the only city agency with a large number of public toilets. While we've been closing them for a number of years, we're now in an expansion mode." The Post lists the details: Seven of 11 brand-new restrooms, 30 of 35 complete renovations and all 40 spruce-ups have been completed. Renovations include new lighting, hand dryers, ventilation......

• Gothamist has exceeded its goal of raising $800 to sponsor a Little League team, so many, many thanks to all contributors; the additional money will be donated to the West Side Little League for new baseball fields (per their registration form, PDF). We're in discussions with the league, so we'll keep you posted. • New Gothamist tees in blue are available at Tiny Factory! In the tradition of American Apparel, we'll be working on......

In the spirit of New Year's, these are the resolutions (damn you, Babylonians) on Gothamist's list for 2004: • More meat • Less "blog" • More playing–hating • Less regard for factual accuracy • More attention to spelling and grammar • Less big words or coherent sentences • More Happy Hours • Less embarrassing incidents caused by drinking • More restraining orders • More naked pictures of other bloggers • Less friends More specific resolutions......

After announcing our interest in sponsoring a Little League team, many of you have generously donated to the cause. But, we're still shy of $800, so please donate via the Paypal button below: Gothamist is not kidding when we say we can see one of the baseball fields in Riverside Park from the uptown office's windows. We'll be holding a little peanuts and Cracker Jacks gathering for our contributors when the season begins at......

After the great suggestion from eebmore yesterday, Gothamist wants to sponsor a Little League baseball team. It will be a great way to support the community, groom our future readers, and wear white turtlenecks under blue blazers, a la George Steinbrenner. We're leaning towards sponsoring a team of seven year–olds with West Side Little League, as WSLL hold many games at Riverside Park – right outside the uptown offices. And while we may dress like......