Bigwigs ball out on Staten
STRIKE the power of “The Rock.” Dwayne Johnson’s real strong arm is his ex-wife — also his business partner — Dany Garcia who’s making Staten Island into a whole peninsula. She’s done a deal that will make Staten Islanders forget having just lost their minor league team.
It was Major League Baseball’s decision to kill their older-thanTodt Hill New York-Penn League. Mother league of the Class A Staten Island Yankees, a farm team for the big guys, this left those of the borough called the Rock feeling their ferries had been sunk.
But! Then the Atlantic League sailed up to St. George Terminal and offered fans another franchise.
Owners of the nowdissolved SI
Yanks — nixing
Major League Baseball’s offer to acquire them an Atlantic League franchise team, you know, to keep the ball rolling on the Rock — struck out.
Put down your hot dog. Shove your mustard. This is where the deal went into extra innings, and only Madam Adams knows what happened only in New York, kids.
Randy Levine, former New York City deputy mayor for economic development, current president of the big league Bronx version of the Yankees, did what his former title said he did and still does as now overseer of our players in pinstripes: He economically developed Staten Island after MLB asked could he put together a group that would operate a new Atlantic League franchise on the Island of Staten.
So he did.
And it’s done.
John Catsimatidis is chairman. Jersey politico slash lobbyist Eric Shuffler, president. The Rock’s ex-wife Dany stays. She’s a hitter heavier than Babe Ruth.
Entertain us
THE only-now-at-this-moment reveal?
There’s more to the investment group.
“Saturday Night Live” has two Staten Island-born stars — Pete Davidson and Colin Jost are getting in on the play. Also Jost’s “Weekend Update” sidekick Michael Che — he who grew up on the far far away Lower East Side.
Yankee Global Enterprises and RedBird Capital Partners are players in this new Atlantic League team. Yet the team will reportedly not be affiliated with the MLB.
It’s worth a ticket to see baseball rules change — like an electronic strike zone — like moving the pitching rubber — like something called a pitch clock.
Listen, it beats watching this town’s mayoral election.
COMES news from politicians in Albany that the White House is monitoring its Main Man carefully. Staffers keep checking his dinner menus. They realized that it could be maybe only a chicken bone away from a Kamala presidency.
Of course this worry might be only in New York, kids, only in New York.