Arun with a View

I'll admit -- I only vaguely remember Bobby Murcer from the 1981 World Series against the Dodgers (he barely played). I was 8 years old and just starting to watch baseball and don't recall too much except that the Yanks lost.

But I do remember and cherish years of watching games since then and listening to Bobby as a broadcaster -- with Phil Rizzuto, Rick Cerone, and most recently with Ken Singleton and Michael Kay.

He was such a personable guy in the air. I could tell that he and his collegues genuinely enjoyed each others' company. They relished their time in the broadcast booth, calling and analyzing the plays and reminiscing about their own careers on the playing field.

I also fondly remember when Bobby took the field a few years ago at Old Timers' Day and agreed to wear a microphone. What seemed at first like a silly idea turned out to be a lot of fun as Bobby narrated the game while he was playing.

There he was in the outfield, chasing down a ball hit to him! He exclamed into the mic something about being terrified, giving his buddies in the booth -- and the viewers -- a hearty laugh.

I'm pretty sure he caught that ball.

Thanks for the memories, Bobby.

>>WATCH THE YES NETWORK TRIBUTE TO BOBBY MURCER

You can still vote for your favorite player that got snubbed in the initial All-Star vote. Check out this voting widget.

I went to two games at Yankee Stadium in recent days, and I came away with some observations.

These are things that make NO SENSE to me:

1. Fans who wear jerseys and caps of sports other than baseball. Dude, I get it, you like the New York Rangers. Get your butt down to the Garden then.

2. (Corollary to #1) Fans who wear jerseys or caps of baseball teams other than the two on the field. Listen, there's no rule you have to be a Yankee fan to go to Yankee Stadium -- but what's with the Mets gear? Fly your colors at Shea or at a Subway Series game, but other than that you look like a jackass. Worse still is the guy who flaunts a Phillies jersey at a Yanks-Tigers game. Seriously? At least the Mets are a local team. If I were at Wrigley Field for a Cubs-Cardinals game, I wouldn't wear a Yankee cap. Why not? Because I'm not an idiot.

3. If a jackass insists on wearing Red Sox gear at a Yankee game EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PLAYING THE TIGERS, why would said jackass sit in the bleachers? Do you WANT to get heckled? Now mind you: A sports rivalry should NEVER be an excuse for violence, ever.

4. Tickets for left field upper deck that are labeled with instructions to enter at Gate 6, which turns out to be at right field... forcing the ticketholder to shove his way from one wingtip of the stadium to the other through pre-game crowds? Why the hell wouldn't the Yankees let the fan enter at Gate 2 at left field?

5. Uniformed police officers that remove their hats and place them over their hearts during the National Anthem. Nope. You're not civilians AND you're in uniform. Keep the hats on and render a hand salute. You'd never see a full-dress Marine remove her 'cover' outdoors. Ever.

IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR YANKEES BASEBALL!!! CHECK OUT THIS COUNTDOWN CLOCK...

Yankee shortstop and team captain Derek Jeter has broken his silence on the departure of longtime manager Joe Torre.

"In my eyes, Joe Torre is more than a Hall of Fame manager," Jeter said in a statement. "He is a friend for life, and the relationship we have shared has helped shape me in ways that transcend the game of baseball."

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I would say I am abnormally conscious of the passage of time and my own aging. By this I mean it bothers me a lot. And yet, it's not like I go all-out to make the most of my life. In 2006, I made some strides health-wise, but towards the end of the year I got off-track a bit.

This is not meant to sound like a cliche, but in 2007 I want to do better. I've joined a gym and have enjoyed going... plus I'd like to open my mind to other things that might make life better.

Hopefully 2007 will also bringall sorts of new challenges and adventures -- in my personal life, my volunteerism with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and here at work, at MyFox New York.

I wish all of you a happy and healthy 2007. Keep blogging!

My weight loss battle is going well (36 pounds since February) but lately it has been hard. I find I have very strong cravings for certain foods -- pizza, donuts, burgers -- that take over my body almost the way withdrawal might affect a drug addict or alcoholic.

But the beauty of the Weight Watchers program is that you do NOT have to deprive yourself of any food, you just have to be aware of portion sizes. For now, I allow myself pizza once or twice a week, in moderation, and I've come to enjoy Boca Burgers, which help with my hamburger cravings.

And as I mentioned in my last blog post, I've really made a concerted effort to be active. I've been doing a lot of walking, continuing to walk to or from work when I can.

My desire to be more active and lose the weight has also prompted me to set a specific fitness goal: I've decided I want to try to train for the Firefighter Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run. In case you don't know Siller's story, he was a New York City firefighter on his way home after an overnight shift on September 11, 2001, when the planes struck the Twin Towers. He stopped his truck, put on 75 pounds of gear, and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center, where he died.

The Tunnel to Towers Run is a tribute to Siller and his 342 fellow firefighters who died that day. Participants follow in Siller's footsteps, running through the tunnel to Ground Zero. The run is 3.1 miles, and I know I can walk that easily (the distance from my apartment to the Fox offices is more than 4 miles), but the challenge for me is to get into shape and RUN the course. It won't be easy, especially since I've suffered some back problems in the past.

But I have to try. It's an imoportant event that raises money for good causes. And it's a fitting memorial for the uniformed service members lost in the attacks.

Anyone who knows me is familiar with my never-ending battle with weight problems. Since I was a teenager, I've struggled to achieve a healthy weight, and I've suffered a number of related health problems as a result -- back pains, high blood pressure, and more.

Since February, I've been on Weight Watchers and I've also made a concerted effort to lead a more active life. So far, I've lost 33 pounds. But I have a long way to go. In recent weeks, I've taken to walking and biking to build up some stamina to then take on higher-impact exercise.

Last Thursday, I walked from my home neighborhood in Astoria, Queens, to the Fox 5 newsroom on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It was a great walk that took me through Astoria's residential neighborhoods, over the Queensboro Bridge, and into Manhattan. I covered 4.5 miles in about an hour and a half, listening to an eclectic mix of dance songs on my iPod for inspiration. I took my Canon digital camera and snapped some shots. See the photos I posted to my albums.

I also walked part of the way home the same night, and then walked part of the way to and from work a few times since then. Yesterday I walked a total of 10 miles in three legs, from Family Court downtown all the way home in Astoria.

But the struggle continues!