First off, sorry about the lack of Derek Jeter updates these past few days...things got a little crazy!!
Today, i'm sharing an article from June 8,2003...the last time the New York Yankees played the Chicago Cubs, and quite possibly the most important game i've ever been to...
It was the last major league game I got to attend with my dad, and I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember having to park miles away because of the huge crowds around Wrigley Field. I remember sitting right behind home plate, seats away from Brian Urlacher and his brother. Laughing so hard about anything and everything with my dad, talking about baseball and having him explain every little detail to me about the game. Eating hotdogs, nachos, peanuts and most importantly, cotton candy ;) I remember being able to hear the collision of Kerry Wood and Hee Seop Choi which knocked Choi unconscious. But far more importantly, I remember being so ecstatic that I got to spend it all with my dad, the person who is responsible for my love of the game. Everytime I step into a baseball stadium now, I get butterflies, the way I did that very day, at age 13. It's a feeling I can't really describe, the joy that baseball brings to my life and the way I hold it so close to my heart.
I thought i'd share some memories of this game with all of you, not only because this weekend will be the first Cubs/Yankees series since then, but also because it just so happens to fall on Fathers Day :) I am so lucky and so blessed to have these memories with my dad. I hope everyday you guys make lasting memories with the ones you love...I can't stress the importance of that enough!
So check out this article and while you do, count your blessings
http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=230608116
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Always Keep Your Dreams Alive!
This post is kind of a follow up of "finding balance," my last post. This is about finding where you belong and embracing it.
We all look for happiness, but the reality of it is, happiness should find us. It finds us when we are content being who we are, its when we are comfortable enough in our own skin to do our own thing- to live our life worry-free of what others think of us. To do what makes US happy.
I can say, for myself, I've always been happy with the person I am, its something I owe to my family, for making me believe in myself, and the beauty of my dreams. Making me feel like no matter what I do, I have worth. I have been a lot of places in the past few years- mentally and physically. I think about where I was 3 years ago when I moved to Los Angeles, and where I am, today, in New York, looking to turn the page of the next chapter in my life. Every day of the past few years has taught me more about what I want out of life, what I need out of life and most importantly, what i deserve.
What I've learned over the past 3 years is that sometimes hard work is noticed, sometimes it isn't. Regardless, never let that change how hard you work. Someday, someone will notice your hard work and drive and give you a chance.
Never change who you are for someone else. You are yourself; unique and beautiful. Nobody should ever tell you your not good enough, and if they do, chances are they are just miserable in their own skin that they have to put other people down. Feel bad for them, and hope that one day they find their calling.
Take time to just enjoy where your at, enjoy how far you've come and enjoy the beauty of living.
Dream big, dream huge...whatever you do, don't give up on your dreams!
Do your best, day in and day out. Don't take any moment for granted. Work hard, stay happy and breathe in fresh air.
One more final thought-don't ever get too comfortable in your everyday life that you forget what your real dreams and goals are. Continue to dream and persevere every single day, and you can't go wrong.
We all look for happiness, but the reality of it is, happiness should find us. It finds us when we are content being who we are, its when we are comfortable enough in our own skin to do our own thing- to live our life worry-free of what others think of us. To do what makes US happy.
I can say, for myself, I've always been happy with the person I am, its something I owe to my family, for making me believe in myself, and the beauty of my dreams. Making me feel like no matter what I do, I have worth. I have been a lot of places in the past few years- mentally and physically. I think about where I was 3 years ago when I moved to Los Angeles, and where I am, today, in New York, looking to turn the page of the next chapter in my life. Every day of the past few years has taught me more about what I want out of life, what I need out of life and most importantly, what i deserve.
What I've learned over the past 3 years is that sometimes hard work is noticed, sometimes it isn't. Regardless, never let that change how hard you work. Someday, someone will notice your hard work and drive and give you a chance.
Never change who you are for someone else. You are yourself; unique and beautiful. Nobody should ever tell you your not good enough, and if they do, chances are they are just miserable in their own skin that they have to put other people down. Feel bad for them, and hope that one day they find their calling.
Take time to just enjoy where your at, enjoy how far you've come and enjoy the beauty of living.
Dream big, dream huge...whatever you do, don't give up on your dreams!
Do your best, day in and day out. Don't take any moment for granted. Work hard, stay happy and breathe in fresh air.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Finding Balance-
For anyone who knows me, you know I dream big...Okay, maybe big isn't the word...Huge. I've always been a dreamer, but now more than ever. Things are within my reach that I couldn't have even imagined a few weeks, months or even days ago. Some of these things aren't what I would have ever expected- but they're what I needed. The simplicity of combining your dreams with your realities. Finding Balance. Life moves fast, it doesn't stop for anyone or anything, so that's why it is important and up to us to find the balance between what we want, and what we deserve.
We have to find balance in our everyday lives; balance between work and fun, between eating healthy but giving our body what we want, between accepting and not giving up. More than we realize, we have to find balance.
One thing we should never have to second guess, though, is our happiness. So what makes you happy? Is it your career? Your family? A hobby? Just like this- we should all be able to find balance between life and living.
The difference is life is what we are given, it is a gift. Living, however, is what we make of our lives. Life is something we should never take for granted, that's something we have been told all of our lives, but another thing we should never take for granted is doing what makes us happy.
Just a little note to remind you that your life IS worth living! So go ahead and do something for yourself today, big or small, appreciate the life you have been given, and realize that you are worth something great!
You're in control of your destiny!
We have to find balance in our everyday lives; balance between work and fun, between eating healthy but giving our body what we want, between accepting and not giving up. More than we realize, we have to find balance.
One thing we should never have to second guess, though, is our happiness. So what makes you happy? Is it your career? Your family? A hobby? Just like this- we should all be able to find balance between life and living.
The difference is life is what we are given, it is a gift. Living, however, is what we make of our lives. Life is something we should never take for granted, that's something we have been told all of our lives, but another thing we should never take for granted is doing what makes us happy.
Just a little note to remind you that your life IS worth living! So go ahead and do something for yourself today, big or small, appreciate the life you have been given, and realize that you are worth something great!
You're in control of your destiny!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Por que, Jorge?
A simple question all of us Yankees fans have been asking ourselves since last night, "why?" Why would Jorge, a yankees star in his own right, a fan favorite and a 13 season Yankee starter, decide an hour before game time to take himself out of the line-up as a DH for no known reason? It's a tough thought for all of us to process when we think about the Yankees without Jorge, but Jorge hasn't even mentioned retiring, so why?
After being the Yankees starting catcher for so long, to only being able to DH, to being told your batting 9th? I'm sure it stings Jorge. It can't feel good. Which may be the reason he decided to "clear his head" last night. Which I believe was a good decision, however, a good decision that should have been made clear the night before the game and not an hour before game time. The major thing rubbing me the wrong way in this situation is that he didn't "take himself out of the lineup" until he was told he was batting 9th. Isn't baseball a TEAM sport? Every spot on that batting order counts, especially against the Red Sox.
Google News "Jorge Posada" today and read all of the 'he-said, she-said' comments made and thrown around since last night, in reality none of us know exactly what goes on behind closed clubhouse doors.
So here's just my opinion, I love Jorge, he, in my eyes, has always been one of my favorite players- hes been consistent (OK, well, up until last year) hes played through pain, hes been a part of the core-four and he has always been a stand-out man, are we really going to throw all of that away on one stupid decision? I would hope not, his decision last night effects his FUTURE with the Yankees, not his PAST.
I'll be back with more on this when more comes of it...until then, please feel free to leave your opinions and comments!
After being the Yankees starting catcher for so long, to only being able to DH, to being told your batting 9th? I'm sure it stings Jorge. It can't feel good. Which may be the reason he decided to "clear his head" last night. Which I believe was a good decision, however, a good decision that should have been made clear the night before the game and not an hour before game time. The major thing rubbing me the wrong way in this situation is that he didn't "take himself out of the lineup" until he was told he was batting 9th. Isn't baseball a TEAM sport? Every spot on that batting order counts, especially against the Red Sox.
Google News "Jorge Posada" today and read all of the 'he-said, she-said' comments made and thrown around since last night, in reality none of us know exactly what goes on behind closed clubhouse doors.
So here's just my opinion, I love Jorge, he, in my eyes, has always been one of my favorite players- hes been consistent (OK, well, up until last year) hes played through pain, hes been a part of the core-four and he has always been a stand-out man, are we really going to throw all of that away on one stupid decision? I would hope not, his decision last night effects his FUTURE with the Yankees, not his PAST.
I'll be back with more on this when more comes of it...until then, please feel free to leave your opinions and comments!
Monday, May 9, 2011
A Classless Exit for Jackson, L.A. Lakers.
(I'm going to start this off with stating that I am, indeed, a Lakers fan, so I'm writing this in all honesty of how I saw this game Sunday.)
Who knew such big men could act like such little babies? Since when are flagrant fouls (not to mention 1 minute apart from each other) an acceptable form of basketball? Well, its not, and I feel like the Lakers got what they deserved Sunday. A game is a game, which ever way you look at it. The reason it's a competitive sport if because noone has the upper hand. We may have had Phil Jackson, who through the years has coached the Chicago Bulls to six titles and the Los Angeles Lakers to five titles, but none of that matters when you hit the court. The Mavs came to win, and winning is what they did. Phil Jackson noted this will be the last game he coaches, after recieving a $35K fine from the NBA for making comments about the refs. I wish I could sit here and get into detail about the game, even the series, but this is what I took away from this series, a bunch of grown men who don't know how to handle losing. It's sad when these multi-million dollar salary players decide to take the low route and exit the game with an ejection because they can't handle losing. Trust me, I give them the benefit of the doubt that it's not easy to lose, let alone by that much and be swept in the series, but with the contract they sign, this isn't just a game, its their CAREER. Kobe Bryant said it simple and best by saying "You don't want to see that. You don't want any of their players getting hurt."
So rest up this off-season, Lakers. I look forward to seeing you next season. (Maybe minus a few of you ;) )
Let's Go Bulls!
Who knew such big men could act like such little babies? Since when are flagrant fouls (not to mention 1 minute apart from each other) an acceptable form of basketball? Well, its not, and I feel like the Lakers got what they deserved Sunday. A game is a game, which ever way you look at it. The reason it's a competitive sport if because noone has the upper hand. We may have had Phil Jackson, who through the years has coached the Chicago Bulls to six titles and the Los Angeles Lakers to five titles, but none of that matters when you hit the court. The Mavs came to win, and winning is what they did. Phil Jackson noted this will be the last game he coaches, after recieving a $35K fine from the NBA for making comments about the refs. I wish I could sit here and get into detail about the game, even the series, but this is what I took away from this series, a bunch of grown men who don't know how to handle losing. It's sad when these multi-million dollar salary players decide to take the low route and exit the game with an ejection because they can't handle losing. Trust me, I give them the benefit of the doubt that it's not easy to lose, let alone by that much and be swept in the series, but with the contract they sign, this isn't just a game, its their CAREER. Kobe Bryant said it simple and best by saying "You don't want to see that. You don't want any of their players getting hurt."
So rest up this off-season, Lakers. I look forward to seeing you next season. (Maybe minus a few of you ;) )
Let's Go Bulls!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Happy Mothers Day!!
Sorry for the delay on posts, I've been out of town for the past 2 weeks. Back at home where my sister became a Mommy for the first time to my little nephew, Dean! Congrats to Becky and Mike on your little blessing! We are SO excited to welcome Dean to our family! He is the definition of perfection! Love you all!!!
Next up, Happy Mothers Day to my mom! The worlds best! I know people say that all the time about their mom, but I can say that about mine in all sincerity. My mom is the most hard working woman I have ever met in my life. Through thick and thin she has kept a smile on her face (which im sure was most of the time for the sake of me and my siblings!) She has been our rock and our inspiration through every stage of our lives. Without her, I know I wouldn't have had the confidence to pursue my dreams, but knowing I have her on my side at ALL times has helped me become the strong person I am today!
She has supported me through everything, whether it was; softball, basketball, volleyball ,my dreaded day-long irish dance competitions, or moving from home to California, back home, then out to New York. She has been my number 1 fan!
Most importantly, she has raised a family with a bond like no other. Even through the roughest of times, she has made sure that all of us are happy and there for each other. I can say truthfully that I have NEVER met a family with a bond like The Vacco's! We love you, mom!!!!!
Words and thanks can't say enough about my mom. She is so wonderful and so amazing. I am the luckiest daughter in the universe to have her and to watch first hand the example she has set for us. I love you, mommyo! You are my life!
Next up, Happy Mothers Day to my mom! The worlds best! I know people say that all the time about their mom, but I can say that about mine in all sincerity. My mom is the most hard working woman I have ever met in my life. Through thick and thin she has kept a smile on her face (which im sure was most of the time for the sake of me and my siblings!) She has been our rock and our inspiration through every stage of our lives. Without her, I know I wouldn't have had the confidence to pursue my dreams, but knowing I have her on my side at ALL times has helped me become the strong person I am today!
She has supported me through everything, whether it was; softball, basketball, volleyball ,my dreaded day-long irish dance competitions, or moving from home to California, back home, then out to New York. She has been my number 1 fan!
Most importantly, she has raised a family with a bond like no other. Even through the roughest of times, she has made sure that all of us are happy and there for each other. I can say truthfully that I have NEVER met a family with a bond like The Vacco's! We love you, mom!!!!!
Words and thanks can't say enough about my mom. She is so wonderful and so amazing. I am the luckiest daughter in the universe to have her and to watch first hand the example she has set for us. I love you, mommyo! You are my life!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
My Guardian Angel Wears a Yankees Hat..
“Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character and we must learn that setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.”-Henry Ford
It has been said that we are shaped by the experiences we encounter; that maturity comes with experience, not age. I couldn’t agree more. I learned at a young age that things don’t always go as expected and that the most important lessons are the ones learned through experiences that are out of our control. It is then when our true colors shine.
I was twelve years old and it was like any normal basketball season at my school, the best part of playing was that I had my dad coaching my team. We were on our way to yet another championship when something bigger then I could’ve ever imagined happened. My dad was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Yes, it happened that fast; in the blink of an eye my whole world became blurry. I slowly processed that my life was about to change forever, that I would soon have to watch the strongest person I have ever known battle something out of his control. At this time, I had no idea how much the next two years would teach me.
I watched my dad fight the good fight; he continued to live his life with the utmost optimism. "No matter how bad you think you have it, remember that there is someone out there who has it ten times worse." That was what my dad would tell us every time we would get down about him being sick. No matter how much he was suffering, he always stayed positive. To me that was the most important lesson I learned through this experience. I idolized his optimism and therefore continue to live my life with the same outlook in hopes of carrying out his message of living life to the fullest. He taught me that being “strong” meant more than being able to hit a baseball out of the park. It means holding your head high and knowing that everything happens for a reason. In January of 2004, I lost my best friend; my dad.
My guardian angel wears a Yankees hat.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
MLB Dream Job!
So for anyone who read my "Baseball Through My Eyes" blog, it was originally written for the MLB Dream Job competition that was going on prior to the start of the MLB season. Basically what it is, is an opportunity for two of MLB's most dedicated and knowledgeable fans to live the "dream" of watching approximately 15 baseball games/day and writing/blogging and having their own "talk-show/reality show" type show along with it!
I was honored enough to make it to the 2nd round, which gave me a complete and utter "ego boost" knowing my writing caught someones eye! Well, surely enough, I did not win the "dream job," but that's absolutely okay with me, I believe the two young men who were chosen were the most suitable for the job this season! I wish them the most good luck and fun they can possibly have living in the so-called "fan cave" MLB has for them! Lucky guys! So, good luck guys! We will be looking forward to some great work from you!
I was honored enough to make it to the 2nd round, which gave me a complete and utter "ego boost" knowing my writing caught someones eye! Well, surely enough, I did not win the "dream job," but that's absolutely okay with me, I believe the two young men who were chosen were the most suitable for the job this season! I wish them the most good luck and fun they can possibly have living in the so-called "fan cave" MLB has for them! Lucky guys! So, good luck guys! We will be looking forward to some great work from you!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Here weeee go! Opening Day 2011!
"You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen."-Joe DiMaggio on Opening Day.
It doesn't matter what the stats say about the team you love having no chance, little chance or all the chance in the world to win the World Series, we all go into Opening Day with the mind-set that "this is our year!" Now, being a New York Yankees fan, I know I go into each season looking for the next championship, especially with my favorite players getting closer to retirement each coming season, but today is the day when I can sit back, relax and watch my favorite players take the field to play a game that I learned to love before I even knew how to walk.
To me, (and hopefully you, too!) baseball is the best sport in the World. It's a sport that brings families and people of all ages together, and hopefully for all of you, Opening Day restores the feeling you used to get as a kid watching baseball, before all the rivalries started. Just a simple, enjoyable adrenaline rush knowing that this is a brand new season and there's always a chance that "your" team will make it all the way this year!
So, cheers to each and every Major League Organization, thank you MLB for giving us all that feeling of pride and hope today. We will hopefully all watch with smiles on our faces, because hey, it's great if we win but if we lose, we've always got the excuse that this was only the first game of the season and we've got PLENTY more to win. ;)
Happy Opening day, everyone! GOOOOOO YANKEES!!!!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Too many thoughts..
11:20 P.M on a Wednesday night and I have one too many thoughts to make an actual 'blog' with, so I'm leaving you all with this...
Go into tomorrow with the knowledge that you are exactly whom you are supposed to be, and give back a little, random acts of kindness mean more than you'll ever know....
:O)
Go into tomorrow with the knowledge that you are exactly whom you are supposed to be, and give back a little, random acts of kindness mean more than you'll ever know....
:O)
Friday, March 18, 2011
World Autism Day!
Just dropping a quick little info. note!
On April 2nd, thousands will celebrate Autism Awareness Day, if you would've asked me last year at this time about Autism, there's not much I would've known. In September, I started nannying for a family of 3 kids, one of which has Autism, I automatically took an interest in learning about Autism and educating myself on it. I can honestly say this kid has impacted my life in so many ways already.
Autism Speaks is helping with making Autism Awareness known by asking everyone to wear blue on April 2nd, I hope you all, too, will help in making the world a little bit more aware of Autism, which affects 1 in 110 children, and 1 in 80 boys.
check out http://www.autismspeaks.org/ to learn more!
On April 2nd, thousands will celebrate Autism Awareness Day, if you would've asked me last year at this time about Autism, there's not much I would've known. In September, I started nannying for a family of 3 kids, one of which has Autism, I automatically took an interest in learning about Autism and educating myself on it. I can honestly say this kid has impacted my life in so many ways already.
Autism Speaks is helping with making Autism Awareness known by asking everyone to wear blue on April 2nd, I hope you all, too, will help in making the world a little bit more aware of Autism, which affects 1 in 110 children, and 1 in 80 boys.
check out http://www.autismspeaks.org/ to learn more!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Baseball through my eyes.
Some people wonder why I am so passionate about baseball, so I'm posting this entry to give you all an inside look at why I love the sport as much as I do, why it means more than the world to me, and why I decided to dedicate my life to it in hopes of becoming a successful Sports reporter. This entry is one I wrote not too long ago for a contest.
Here it is!
To start this off, my name is Jessica, I'm a 21 year old girl whose biggest passion in life is baseball and my dream in life is to be a field reporter for the New York Yankees. To me, baseball is more than a sport, its a lifestyle. It's America's past time, but for me, it's my families past time, too! I was raised in a family where baseball talk was talk all year round. It was one of the biggest bonding experiences of my childhood; whether it was playing, watching or conversing about it. Starting from my earliest memories, I remember carrying a baseball around with me basically everywhere I went. I played and kept up with the boys until we got to the age they didn't want me around anymore. Growing up in Chicago and being raised Yankees fans, it gave us such a sense of pride (and I believe it helped me become a the strong woman I am today, trust me, its not easy being a Yankees fan in that town!.) This may seem like a story that you hear a lot, but mine differs in a very significant way. My dad was the main reason we were raised baseball fanatics. He was an amazing baseball player in his time and he made sure we were raised with knowledge and love for the sport. When I was 12, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. While he was going through treatments and couldn't do much, we would sit together, watch baseball and talk about everything from stats to our favorite players. In this time I spent with my dad, the game became even more important to me than I could've ever imagined. It was what could bond my entire family at even the roughest of times. The last game I got to go to with my dad before he passed away was the last time the Yankees played the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The look and emotion my dad had on his face when we walked into the stadium, and all through the game made me really realize how much this game meant to him. Right then and there I decided that I would carry his passion for the sport we all love out by being the best Sports Reporter I could be. Baseball is the one thing in my life that I can always count on. The butterflies I get every game I watch a game remind me that I am happily carrying out the Vacco Baseball Tradition.
Here it is!
To start this off, my name is Jessica, I'm a 21 year old girl whose biggest passion in life is baseball and my dream in life is to be a field reporter for the New York Yankees. To me, baseball is more than a sport, its a lifestyle. It's America's past time, but for me, it's my families past time, too! I was raised in a family where baseball talk was talk all year round. It was one of the biggest bonding experiences of my childhood; whether it was playing, watching or conversing about it. Starting from my earliest memories, I remember carrying a baseball around with me basically everywhere I went. I played and kept up with the boys until we got to the age they didn't want me around anymore. Growing up in Chicago and being raised Yankees fans, it gave us such a sense of pride (and I believe it helped me become a the strong woman I am today, trust me, its not easy being a Yankees fan in that town!.) This may seem like a story that you hear a lot, but mine differs in a very significant way. My dad was the main reason we were raised baseball fanatics. He was an amazing baseball player in his time and he made sure we were raised with knowledge and love for the sport. When I was 12, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. While he was going through treatments and couldn't do much, we would sit together, watch baseball and talk about everything from stats to our favorite players. In this time I spent with my dad, the game became even more important to me than I could've ever imagined. It was what could bond my entire family at even the roughest of times. The last game I got to go to with my dad before he passed away was the last time the Yankees played the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The look and emotion my dad had on his face when we walked into the stadium, and all through the game made me really realize how much this game meant to him. Right then and there I decided that I would carry his passion for the sport we all love out by being the best Sports Reporter I could be. Baseball is the one thing in my life that I can always count on. The butterflies I get every game I watch a game remind me that I am happily carrying out the Vacco Baseball Tradition.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Here goes nothing!
Hi everyone!
To start this out, I figure i'll explain a little bit of what the title means, for those of you who don't know being "on-deck" in baseball is a term used to refer to the next batter up in the inning. So, as my story goes, (we all know my love for baseball) I believe im "on-deck" in the game of life. I'm working my hardest to get where I want to be, and I feel like im the "next batter up."
So, my main reason for writing this blog is just to get a little more experience writing and hopefully informing you all on some cool things going on in my life!
Next blog up...A trip to the Monster Jam in Baltimore to work a promotion, and an offer to be the first model for "Heart Juice"! Stay tuned!
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