centerfield maz's Top CD Albums of 2010

The top albums of 2010 include some great anniversary reissues with all new unreleased tracks, rock & roll movie soundtracks, female jazz vocalist & my latest favorite current genre- female fronted metal bands. Most femme metal bands are out of Europe & can be classified as gothic metal, symphonic metal, progressive metal, etc. This style is huge around the world & beginning to grow more in America. (thank goodness for itunes & youtube) *some albums may be a bit behind due to american releases or me getting my  hands on it late

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & The E. STREET BAND

-THE PROMISE
(THE DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN STORY)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tvcAmNlv80

THE ROLLING STONES

-EXILE ON MAIN STREET 
(2010 REMASTERED with UNRELEASED TRACKS)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6ZnmXrRUIQ

ANSOTTICA

-RISE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUQY0ZmQyv8

AUTUMN

-ALTITUDE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-p1FuG_Kh8&feature=related

TRISTANIA

-RUBICAN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S_QhVHGKZQ

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET

-DIVINITY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgtb_e2tH1E

UNSUN
-
CLINIC FOR DOLLS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Iic1MxE5Q

GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURALS

-GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHlhOgQ36m8

ELYSION

-SILENT SCREAM

THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE

-PINS & NEEDLES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLOfluH8mgQ

AMBERIAN DAWN

-THE CLOUDS OF NORTHLAND THUNDER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IrlUb2QSIo

WITCHBREED

-HERETIC RAPTURE

PYTHIA

-BENEATH THE VEILED EMBRACE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-AaY00F6UI

THE RUNAWAYS

- MOVIE SOUNDTRACK (Various)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN21HlKBi3Q&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RTipAZuMRI

THE DOORS

-WHEN YOUR STRANGE
(MOVIE SOUNDTRACK)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMMo3EmIfJw

BARE INFINITY

-ALWAYS FOREVER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrZ0uKXQ-Mk

CORONATUS

-FABULA MAGNA

LEAVES EYES

-NJORD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JudU0SCYNTk

THE BEST OF APPLE RECORDS

-COME & GET IT
 (various artists)

WINTER IN EDEN

-AWAKENING

JIMI HENDRIX

-THE VALLEYS Of NEPTUNE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjxH_a5U7wA

TARJA

-WHAT LIES BENEATH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxod9jF9c-s

INGRID LUCIA

-MIDNIGHT RENDEZVOUS

ELIS

-CATHARSIS

KERION

-THE ORIGINS

DIE SO FLUID

-THE WORLD IS TOO BIG FOR ONE LIFETIME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AV_tcYqyxY

DIABULUS IN MUSICA

-SECRETS

TRAIL OF TEARS

-BLOODSTAINED ENDURANCE

SAMANDRIEL

-AWAKENING

WE ARE THE FALLEN

-TEAR THE WORLD DOWN

RINGO STARR

-Y NOT

SHERYL CROW

-100 MILES FROM MEMPHIS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws7D9MHJBho

LAURA PAUSINI

-LAURA LIVE WORLD TOUR 2009

SEVEN KINGDOMS

-SEVEN KINGDOMS

& although no new songs- an awesome reissue / remastered package

JOHN LENNON

-THE LENNON SIGNATURE BOX

Former Italian /American Player of the Day: Yogi's Kid- Dale Berra (1977-19887)

Dale Anthony Berra was born December 13, 1956 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He of course is the son of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. Dale attended Montclair High School & was a highly sought out prospect, getting signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1975 in the 20th round.

At the age of 20 he was brought up in August 1977 playing in 17 games batting just .175.

Berra would be a reserve third baseman & short stop in Pittsburgh for five seasons, before becoming their regular short stop in 1982. That year he had career highs, as he batted .263 with 10 HRs 25 doubles 64 runs scored & 61 RBIs. At short he committed 30 errors second most in the league & would repeat that the next season.

He had 10 more HRs the next year, but his average was falling & by 1984 he was hitting just .222 with 9 HRs 52 RBIs in 136 games. In December of 1984 he was Traded along with Jay Buhner to the A.L. New York team for Tim Foli, Steve Kemp and cash. Yogi Berra had been the teams manager since the start of the ’84 season, & Dale became the first son to play for his father in the majors since Earle Mack played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1937 &1939 under Connie Mack. In 48 games he batted .229 playing mostly at third base behind Mike Pagliarulo.

In the September 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials, Berra testified & admitted he used cocaine as a player in Pittsburgh. He said he used along with Lee Mazzilli, John Milner, Lee Lacy & Rod Scurry in the Pirate locker room. He also said he was using a lot of cocaine in 1984 when he got injured. The Berra name was now blemished & Dale’s career was never going to peak again. In order to avoid a suspension he was allowed to donate 10% of his salary & commit time to drug programs as per Commissioner Peter Ueberroth.

In 1986 he was seeing more action at short starting quite often & got off to a good start batting over .300 until Yogi got fired as the teams manager. After that he saw less playing time only batting .231 with 2 HRs & 13 RBIs in 42 games, getting released in July.

Dale signed with the Astros that August where his dad Yogi was now coaching; he did not play on the Astros 1986 team, but saw action in 19 games in 1987. He only batted. 178 & was released finishing his 11 season career. Berra played in 853 games, with 603 hits 109 doubles 49 HRs 278 RBIs & a .236 batting average. He played more games than any other Hall of Famers son topping Dick Sisler 853 to 799.

Retirement: In 1989 he was indicted in a drug raid that distributed cocaine in Northern New Jersey including his home area of Essex County. In 1990 he ran a construction outfit in Cranford, NJ.

 His brother Larry at one time played in the Mets organization & his other brother Tim played football for the Baltimore Colts in 1974. He played in all 14 games as a punt & kick returner.

Former Met of the Day: Tim Leary (1981-1984)

Timothy James Leary was born on December 23, 1958 in Santa Monica California. The golden boy was a star pitcher at UCLA and considered a highly touted prospect. He struck out 16 batters in 17 innings in the 1978 Amateur World Series. Leary went 2-1 taking the loss as Team USA lost the final game against Cuba to win the Bronze Medal. The Mets drafted him in the first round (the second pick overall) in the 1979 draft.

In 1980 he won the Texas League MVP Award with the Jackson, Mets. The next year, the Mets thought he was ready; he made his MLB debut on April 12, 1981 at Wrigley Field. He pitched only two innings striking out three Cubs. It was his only start of the year, as an elbow injury shut him down and he didn’t resurface on the Met roster until September of 1983. In two games that month he went 1-1 allowing 10 runs (four earned) on 15 hits. His win was a complete game victory against the Expos on the last day of the season.

With the emergence of Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling & Sid Fernandez, Leary found himself in the bullpen. In 1984 Leary got the win in relief on the 5th game of the season. He would pitch in 20 games, going 3-3 with a 4.02 ERA going into July before he was sent back down. In January of 1985 he was part of a four team trade that sent him to Milwaukee and the Mets received a pitcher named Frank Wiills, who never pitched an MLB game for them.

As the Mets were winning the World Series in 1986, Leary went 12-12 in Milwaukee pitching in his first full season. He was then traded back home to Los Angeles along with Tim Crews for Greg Brock. He fell to 3-11 and was back in the bullpen. He turned it all around in 1988, winning the Comeback Player of the Year, a Silver Slugger Award and a World Series with the Dodgers. Leary went 17-11 with a 2.91 ERA, 180 strikeouts, while pitching in 228 innings.

The Mets roughed him up in Game #6 of the NLCS getting him for four runs in four innings pitched, as he took the loss. He pitched two games of relief in the World Series against Oakland, allowing only one run on six hits in 6.2 innings pitched.

His career took another down fall as he lost 14 games in 1989 getting traded to the Reds. In 1990 he was on the AL New York team, and led the league with 19 losses and 23 wild pitches. He lost 10 games with losing records in each of the next two seasons, before winning 11 games in Seattle in 1993 (11-9). He finished his career in Texas.

After a 13 years career Leary went 78-105 posting a 4.36 ERA with 888 strike outs in 1491 innings pitched in 292 career games.

Retirement: After his playing days he was a pitching coach at UCLA & more recently at Loyola Marymount University. He resides in the Pacific Palisades.

The Passing of Phil Cavaretta- The First Mets Batting Coach

This weekend Phil Cavaretta passed away after suffering a stroke. The Italian /American Cavaretta was the oldest living former Major Leaguer at 94 years of age. Here is the centerfieldmaz original posting from 7/16/10:

Phil Joseph Cavaretta was born July 19, 1916 on the North side of Chicago Illinois to Italian imigrant parents.

He became a star with his home town Cubs, playing there from 1934 through 1954. After a brief seven game debut in 1934 he became the Cubs main first baseman, hitting over .290 nine times, making three All Star appearances & winning the 1945 MVP Award.

His best stretch was from 1943-1947. In 1943 he hit .290 with 73 RBIs posting a .382 on base %. In 1944 he led the N.L. in hits (197) and batted .321 (5th in the league) with a .390 on base %.

1945 would be his best year, he won the N.L. MVP Award and leading the league in hitting (.355) & on base% (.455). That year he drove in a career high 97 runs, scored 94 runs, hit 34 doubles with 10 triples & 6 HRs. 

He was amongst the top ten batting leaders four times, on base percentage leaders five times & hits leaders three times. He was among the leagues top ten in triples five times, walks & runs scored four times & RBIs three times.

His twenty years with the Cubs is the most of any Cub player except Cap Anson. Lifetime Cavaretta batted .293 lifetime with 1977 hits, 990 runs scored, 347 doubles, 99 triples, 95 HRs, & 920 RBIs.

He appeared in three World Series with the Cubs, losing each time. After a disastrous 3-25 World Series in 1935 he hit well over .400 the next two trips to the Fall Classic.

He became the Cubs player/manager in June 1951 succeeding "The Fordham Flash" Frankie Frisch. Over two and a half seasons he compiled a 169-213 record.

Cavaretta was fired in 1954 after he publicly stated that the team wouldn’t finish above 5th place. He managed at the minor league level & then served as a scout before the New York Mets came calling him.

Up until the early seventies batting coaches weren’t the norm yet, and the Mets were no exception. In 1973 GM Bob Scheffing hired Phil Cavaretta as a special batting instructor to the team. The two had been team mates in the forties & developed a friendship.

Cavaretta was to work with hitters during Spring Training only, and when the season started he was to instruct in the minor league levels. In his first season he also helped a young John Milner make the adjustment from outfielder to first baseman.

Eventually he was helping the hitters at Shea Stadium, on home games only, and just during batting practice. He didn’t travel on the road with the ball club.

Cavaretta was a great help to many hitters on both levels, as the 1973 Mets went all the way to the World Series. He remained with the team until the late seventies and then moved on to scouting.

Cavaretta had the honor of being the oldest former major leaguer still living before his passing at 94 years old.