“… for curious individuals wanting to explore a new local record store scene or someone on their lunch break looking for a quick crate dive, this is an app to try.” - via NPR.org’s All Songs Considered by Dan Raby

“This is my favorite kind of tool, one that accomplishes a practical task with aplomb and few frills to get in the way… the next time I’m in an unfamiliar city with some time on my hands, I’m busting this thing out.” – via Gizmodo by Andy Cush, Evolver.fm

“ The Vinyl District has created a new, free app that locates the nearest U.S. record store to you… TVD takes user submissions, so go tell them about the other stores you like for vinyl.” – via Alibi.com by Jessica Cassyle Carr

“Shopping for wax this holiday season?  Try putting the Record Store Locator from the Vinyl District into your pocket.  The iOS or Android app locates vinyl shops in your geo-surroundings.” via Digital Music News by Alexandra

“… it’ll direct you to your nearest independent music outlet, and with the US and 400 British record shops included – plus further coverage promised for Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Canada and beyond – full global reach can only be a matter of time. It’s free too, so take the cash you could’ve spent and buy some records.” via Mojo Magazine

- – -

We’re always pleased to hear our customers’ success stories, and invite you to share your experience with us at shoutem@shoutem.com. We may consider your app for an “App Spotlight” here on our blog!

Nothing? Us either, but this is what makes quality tourism/location based apps important to communities. Did you know that 50% of the United States population lives within a 500 mile radius of Columbus, OH? Maybe it’s time for visit!

Rashied Tyre, founder of Harbinger, created Columbus – The App to share the love of his city with the world. He was kind enough to answer some questions for us.

Tell us about your city Columbus, OH and what inspired you to create this app for your community…

Columbus is a pretty diverse city with a strong focus on the arts. From visual artists to musicians, there’s a great deal of local talent seeking an audience. In addition, we have a large restaurant and bar market with a very supportive yet discerning consumer community. Add in The Ohio State University, one of the three largest schools in the U.S., and the need for an app like Columbus – The App (CTA) quickly becomes apparent. Jake Sidorski and Jesse Straight (my Columbus-based partners) were very supportive of my concept and gave me the ball to run with. We wanted to be sure that we didn’t just do “well”, but do “good”, meaning that we provide a free service to the over 1,600 people who’ve downloaded Columbus – The App.

We at Harbinger felt the same need when putting together our most recent release, Tampa Bay Bars (TBB), which is a mobile bar locator serving the Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area. One of our partners, Pavlo Synadinos, saw an opening for such an app due to the fact that the area is a prime tourist destination year-round, especially for Spring Break.

What are some of the features Columbus residents, or tourists to your area can utilize in your app?

We really gave the Shoutem platform a workout when building CTA. For music fans, the app features an event calendar, a feed from local indie music bible Donewaiting.com, and a weekly in-app podcast of local music from WCRS Community Radio. We’re in talks to bring videos of live shows to the app in the very near future as well. Food and drink lovers can use our curated GPS-enabled list of bars and restaurants that we’ve give the “thumbs up”, reviews from The CMH Gourmand, as well as our in-house profiles that feed in from our blog. We’re really glad we landed our content partners, especially The Naked Redhead, whose blog/advice column shows a wit and vulnerability that we like to think is uniquely Columbus. Columbus – The App started off very simply but is quickly evolving into an app-as-magazine sort of concept, which is more than I initially imagined it would be.

Born and raised in Columbus, or a proud transplant? What are some of your favorite Columbus memories?

I’m a transplant, arriving here during high school after an amazing childhood in New York City and Southern California. While I’ve had a lot of great memories in NY & CA, Columbus is where my love of music took me from being a fan to being an artist. I can’t count how many incredible bands I’ve seen perform in this town, how many talented artists I’ve had the fortune of meeting, or how many great nights of fantastic food and drink I’ve enjoyed – sometimes a little too much. So while I may be a transplant, I am quite proud of this place and hope that Columbus – The App is helping others to have their own versions of those same moments.

Care to share some of your favorite places/pastimes in Columbus?

Favorite Columbus places & pastimes? Well, The Varsity Club counts as both because it’s where we watch Ohio State football games in the fall. We’re big fans of the Short North area, with establishments like Press Grill, Betty’s, and Skully’s, which is one of THE best venues to hear music in the city. We’ve even got Brothers Drake Meadery, for those moments you just have to have delicious alcohol made from honey. Lately, my home away from home is Dick’s Den – a cheap, friendly watering hole with a very diverse crowd and a ton of good Jazz and Bluegrass performances.

Parting thoughts?

We couldn’t have created Columbus – The App or Tampa Bay Bars anywhere near as quickly as we have without ShoutEm. Go Bucks!

Download Today!

Columbus – The App is available in both the iTunes Store and Android Market. We’ve included the links to each version here:

Columbus – The App – iTunes Store

Columbus – The App – Android Market

Enjoy!

Your App Could Be Next!

If you haven’t explored opportunities in the mobile marketplace, ShoutEm offers an extremely easy solution for app creation. We’re free to build and test, so we invite you to check us out!

Sign up today!

Our latest release of the ShoutEm API plugin on WordPress is all about letting you leverage the power of plugins from your ShoutEm mobile app! We’ve made it easier to integrate the most popular content: galleries, podcasts, events, and video plugins. You can see these new changes via the WordPress import panel in ShoutEm builder, under “Integrations”:

Galleries (Photos)

We have provided integration with the two gallery plugins that we feel are the most prominent: NextGEN Gallery and GRAND FlAGallery. There are two aspects of how the galleries integrate with ShoutEm. Firstly, you can use the galleries as photo feeds. For example, the two galleries that we have set up on our test site (safari, and ships), automatically became available inside the Photos section of ShoutEm builder.

Podcasts

For Podcasts, we have selected two plugins: podPress and PowerPress. These plugins make it easy to add a podcast to your posts, and provides a way to create and manage RSS feeds with your podcasts (iTunes podcasts integration is one of the main features). Although you can import RSS podcasts feeds directly into ShoutEm, we now make the integration even easier by automatically detecting your podcast. For example, your “podcasts” feed from WordPress  will automatically appear inside ShoutEm builder:

If you’d like, you can mix in podcasts with your news posts. For example, you could have a category of posts relating to sports, and decide to include an interview as part of one of the posts. Even though that post is not in the podcasts category, the interview will be shown inside your mobile app.

Events

For events integration, the following two plugins are selected: Events Calendar and Events Manager. Event feeds from WordPress will be automatically available under the events section of the builder:

Videos

For videos, you can directly embed video inside of your posts, or use one of the popular plugins like: Viper’s Video Quicktags or Smart YouTube PRO. Either way, your videos should be visible in the posts on your mobile app.

The new ShoutEm API Settings panel

You can find this the new settings panel by navigating to “Settings”, and selecting Shoutem API from the menu on the WordPress admin interface. You can control all the basic settings of the plugin from this panel:

1) Change the encryption key

2) Control cache expiration – This setting affects the amount of time that the changes to your posts such as updates and/or adding new posts get propagated to ShoutEm app; For example, it would take one hour for a new post to be visible inside your application if your cache expiration time is set to 3600 seconds, or one hour.

3) “Include featured/thumbnail image” – If unchecked, the “featured image” of a post, as WordPress calls it, is ignored and not shown in the app.

4 ) Facebook/Wordpress comments - You can enable/disable these comment options for your application.

5) Plugins Section – The plugins section lists all of the plugins that ShoutEm is capable of integrating with, and shows you a integration status message for each one.

—

A big thanks to our own Dino Matijaš for his work on this post!

Questions or Comments?

We’re always here to help! Drop us a line at shoutem@shoutem.com if you have any questions about the plugin integration process, or in general.

Looking to try us out? We’d love to have you! Sign up here to begin work on your mobile app today.

The application submission process may seem intricate at times, but ShoutEm takes care of the heavy lifting by submitting your app to the iTunes Store on your behalf. One requirement, which allows you to release your mobile app under your, or your company’s name, is a paid iOS developer account. We have more details on how to sign up, and what information ShoutEm needs from this process, below.

A Quick Note

The iOS developer approval process can take anywhere from three days to a month, depending on the type of account you select (see Individual vs. Company below). It’s easiest to begin the process now, so your account is ready for submission when your app’s review process is complete. We suggest beginning this process immediately, should your application’s approval and in-store date be time-sensitive.

If you already have a paid developer account, you may skip to “Preparing Your Account for ShoutEm’s Submission Process” further down.

Signing Up for the iOS developer account

If you’d like to release your app in the iTunes store, you are required to sign up for a paid Apple developer account. ShoutEm is unable to release your app under our company developer account.

If you don’t already own a paid iOS dev account, you may sign up for one here:

http://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/

Keep in mind that there are two types of developer accounts with Apple. One is a free account, the other, which you want to make sure you select, is a $99 a year service. The link above will make sure you’re in the right place.

You’ll be prompted with a few options, depending on your existing Apple account situation.

New Developers

The first option is for those who don’t have an Apple ID account. The second option is for those who do have an ID account with Apple, which is typically your iTunes log-in information.

Existing Developers

If you’ve already signed up for a developer account you would choose from the following:

The first option is for those who have the free developer account with Apple. The second option is for those who already have a paid developer account with Apple; Mac/OS X developers, for example.

Individual vs. Company account

Individual accounts require less paperwork/verification, and are typically quicker to be approved. However, you may wish to tie your company, LLC or other business entity to the developer account through the “Company” option. Be prepared to provide copies of your company’s legal documents as proof of ownership. This can extend the amount of time it takes to approve your iOS account.

After verifying which is best for you, you’ll be prompted to complete your professional profile for the account. This is a quick, and required questionnaire.

The last choice you’ll make before the Apple account review process is the program type. For now, all you’ll need is the iOS developer program.

Review Process

Now it’s time for the waiting game… As we mentioned at the start of the article, this process can take anywhere from 3-30 days, and it’s best to be patient and let Apple do their thing. If there’s any part of the process they need to re-confirm or verify, they’ll contact you at the email address you signed up with.

Once Apple approves your your iOS dev account, you’ll have to pay the $99 per year fee and activate the program.

Congrats, iOS developer!

Preparing Your Account for ShoutEm’s Submission Process

When it’s time to submit your finished app to Apple for approval, we’ll need your iOS developer log-in information.

When logged in at ShoutEm.com, look for the “Publish Info” section in the builder:

As you already have your paid developer account, fill in your iOS dev account log-in information under “Your iOS developer account”.

When you’ve finalized and submitted your app for review, we’ll double-check that your iOS developer account is ready for submission, and email you if we run into any issues.

Questions or Comments?

As always, we’ve got your covered! Send us an email at shoutem@shoutem.com or use our handy contact form.

We hope that your ShoutEm app is the next big success in the iTunes Store!

Just in time for the holidays, we’re pleased to introduce the latest addition to the ShoutEm app family, The Vinyl District! If you’re looking for a unique and meaningful gift this season, why not give the gift of music and support your local record store at the same time? The Vinyl District (TVD) app has a GPS-based directory of record stores around the US, as well as the excellent blog content that’s made TVD the voice of vinyl. We connected with Jon Meyers of The Vinyl District to get his take on the new app.

Tell us a little about TVD and its community…

I like to think of TVD as a virtual trip to any record store with its divergent genres, news, freebies, and whatever else one might find under one roof at any mom and pop shop.

The readership is as diverse – young and old, male and female – who appreciate the warmth of wax or the community that the brick and mortar shops engender.

What are the benefits of having a mobile app for TVD?

Firstly and most obviously, it’s a tool for the like minded to easier patronize indie music retailers. Secondly and perhaps more importantly, it fosters a sense of community among fans of vinyl records and the shop keepers, underscoring the value that these brick and mortar shops offer to the actual community in any city.

What are your favorite features in the TVD app?

The GPS-based store locator is an invaluable resource. Couple that with the real time ability to sign in at any store and share your finds on Facebook, Twitter, or Foursquare and you’re building a bedrock of community among the record store …fetishists.

What’s your favorite record store memory? First album purchased that you remember?

TVD was founded upon my favorite record store memory. My dad passed away in 2006 and of the many, many warm remembrances that I have of him and our time together was the time we spent in the record department of the now defunct chain store, Two Guys in Neptune City, NJ.

Every Saturday afternoon we’d head over there so I could purchase the latest 45s that were blowing up my ears at age 6 or 7, courtesy of WABC or WNBC AM radio out of New York City. Soon I graduated to my first LP—The Beatles’ Rock and Roll Music, the Capitol compilation (with the thumbs on the cover) from the mid 70s, purchased at the aforementioned Two Guys.

Cut to the scene, 35 years later, my most recent and perhaps most cherished ebay item recently arrived in the mail; a sealed copy of The Beatles’ Rock and Roll Music. With a Two Guys price sticker.

Demand for vinyl seems to outlive other media (cassettes, CD’s), why do you think that is?

Cutting through all the chatter about vinyl and analog recordings being richer and warmer (they are) and the feel and experience of a 12″ x 12″ physical product in your hands (nothing beats it) vinyl was simply…first. And it’s forever ingrained in our culture.

I was a Record World employee in DC the day the first load of CDs arrived at the store for which we offloaded about 50% of the vinyl on the floor in the shop, and I recall all of us looking at each other…”We’re pitching the records for…these?

You could tell it wouldn’t fly long term from the outset (longboxes anyone?) and almost 25 years later that inclination was proven to be accurate.

And cassettes? Well, you know.

What are some of your favorite records right now?

In my office at TVD HQ are wooden crates on the floor with nothing but sealed records—copies of records I already own, but in this case pristine bookmarks of a time and place.

Because, aren’t they all?

—

We appreciate Jon taking the time to chat with us, and encourage you to check out the The Vinyl District app today! You’ll find the download links below.

Download Today!

The Vinyl District is available in both the iTunes Store and Android Market. We’ve included the links to each version here:

The Vinyl District – iTunes Store

The Vinyl District – Android Market

Enjoy!

Your App Could Be Next!

If you haven’t explored opportunities in the mobile marketplace, ShoutEm offers an extremely easy solution for app creation. We’re free to build and test, so we invite you to check us out!

Sign up today!

The following is a step by step process to guide you to configure advertisement with MoPub and ShoutEm:

1) Go to http://app.mopub.com/account/login/ to register for a MoPub account. If you already have an account, you can log in at http://app.mopub.com/account/login/

2) After the registration you will be automatically prompted to set up a new application.

Enter your application name. Select iOS under the Platform field to create an advertisement for an iPhone application. For an Android application, you must select Mobile Web under the Platform field. URL and icon fields can be left empty.

Caution: Choose Mobile Web, and not Android platform to display ads on your Android ShoutEm application.

Device format must be set to Phone. The Ad format must be set to Banner, as other banner formats are currently not supported by ShoutEm app. For Ad Unit you can optionally change the name and description fields.

Click continue.

Copy the Ad Unit ID from MoPub into ShoutEm builder and click save.

3) Return to MoPub admin interface and open Campaigns tab.

4) Click on “Add a campaign” button.

5) Set up an Ad Campaign

You have a choice of several campaign types:

• A Guaranteed ad campaign is typically a direct sold ad campaign.
• Promotional campaigns are for house ads like an upsell.
• A Network ad is an ad served from an ad network like AdMob.

For demonstration, we’ll create a promotional campaign.

Select promotional campaign type. Set the name of your campaign, dates and, optionally, the description of your campaign.

Be sure to select the check-box next to your application in Targeting, without this the campaign will not be associated with your application.

Click continue.

6) Add a creative.

Select 320×50 banner format, other formats are currently not supported. Choose Creative type option HTML. Fill in the ad fields and click save. Use this HTML for HTML Body field:

<style type="text/css">
  body {
    font-size: 12px;font-family:helvetica,arial,sans-serif;
    margin:0;padding:0;text-align:center;background:white}
    .creative_headline {font-size: 18px;}
    .creative_promo {color: green;text-decoration: none;}
</style>
<div>Welcome to mopub!</div>
<div><a href="http://www.shoutem.com">Click here to test ad</a></div>
<div>You can now set up a new campaign to serve other ads.</div>

7) Test it out in Mobilizer!

Have Questions Or Need Help?

Let us know at support@shoutem.com! We’re happy to help you find the best ways to integrate any of your content, including images, videos or podcasts.

Changing Your Profile

If your in-app social network is enabled, you’ll see a “Profile” icon on your homescreen. This is the only element of the network that can’t be disabled.

Select “Profile” and you’re brought to the network’s log-in screen. You’ll want to use your ShoutEm.com credentials to log-in.

If your credentials are correct, you’ll arrive on the Profile page. This displays any “Shouts” you’ve created, a “Change Profile” option, and additional profile information. Select “Change Profile” for now.

Here you can update your: profile name, location, site address and a short bio about yourself. This helps your audience identify you, the creator of the app. If you wish to remain anonymous, that’s up to you!

If you’d like to update your avatar image, tap the “SE” icon, or whatever picture you see there. You’ll have the option to choose from the existing images on your device, or option to snap a new photo. Be sure to “Save” your progress.

That’s it! Now you have a customized profile and are ready to connect with your audience.

Deleting Demo Shouts

After you’ve saved your profile information navigate back to the Profile page by hitting the “Back” Button.

From here you’ll see that there are three Shouts, click on this button.

Here you’ll see the demo Shouts displayed in succession. To view, and ultimately delete the Shout, tap it.

This brings you to a screen with that specific Shout, including “Likes” and other information. You’ll want to select the “Arrow” in the top right corner for more options related to the Shout.

The functions you see here also relate to other’s shouts. You may comment on that Shout, and “Re-Shout”, or share the Shout with others. You’ll also see the option to “Delete” the Shout. This is the option you want in this case.

Repeat this process for all demo Shouts you want to delete, or any you’d like to delete in the future.

Now you’re ready start creating your own Shouts!

Questions?

We’re here for you! If you need any additional clarification or questions answered, please let us know at shoutem@shoutem.com.

Happy building!

Twitter

To customize your Twitter sharing, as described above, the following steps need to be completed.

• Navigate to http://dev.twitter.com/apps.
• If you’re not already, log in with your Twitter credentials.
• Fill in “Name”, “Description” and “WebSite” fields with your application data. If you get “Not a valid URL format” error, check if you’re missing the “http://” prefix.

• Set “http://www.shoutem.com/twitter_callback” as a value for “Callback URL” field.

• Read the API Terms of Service, and click “Yes, I agree”.
• Press “Create your Twitter Application” button. Application will be created and application properties page will appear.
• Go to Settings tab and turn on Read & Write Access.

• After this process is complete, you may also change other options under “Settings”. You can change any details you entered previously, add an application icon or add an organization name/website.
• Go to the “Details” tab, and note the “Consumer Key” and “Consumer Secret” codes. This is the information ShoutEm needs to connect your app with Twitter for this process. Email us at shoutem@shoutem.com with the subject “(Your App Name) Twitter Consumer Keys”.

• After we’ve completed our end of the process, when your users share your app’s content, your custom name and information will be displayed.

Facebook

Facebook’s share customization is relatively similar to the Twitter process.

• Go to Facebook and search for the “Developer” application using Facebook’s search, or go directly to http://developers.facebook.com/apps
• Inside the “Developer” application click on Create New App.

• Enter your desired Facebook application name and agree to Facebook’s terms of service.

• This will land you on the “Settings” page. If not, you can click on the top left, under Settings > Basic.
• You’ll need to add your website URL, which is under “App Domain”, and “Save” changes at the bottom of the page. You can also add your own icon, this is optional and at the top of the “Settings” page.

• Copy the values under “App ID” and “App Secret” send it to us at shoutem@shoutem.com with the subject “(Your App Name Here) Facebook App ID / Secret”.
• Now users will see that these shares are coming directly from you, your app, or your company!

Need help?

We’re always available to help at shoutem@shoutem.com, should you need any assistance with this process!

Startup guru Eric Ries knows the in’s and out’s of startup and entrepreneurial culture better than most. Having served various roles at his co-founded company IMVU, Ries’ expertise comes from first-hand experience.

“Lean Startup isn’t about being cheap [but is about] being less wasteful and still doing things that are big,” Ries mentions.

An author, speaker and creator of the “Lean Startup methodology,” Eric recently released a new book The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. ShoutEm is proud to provide his iOS and Android apps.

Features

The Lean Startup (TLS) iPhone/ Android app utilizes many of ShoutEm’s features.

• News – Eric’s widely-read “Startup Lessons Learned” blog is viewable from the app.
• Events – Ries is often on the road, speaking at various conferences and meetups. His events feed keeps fans up on the next TLS event.
• Videos – Learn more about TLS, view various speeches and previews.
• Links – Our web module displays Eric’s Twitter feeds, provides a link to purchase the book and a list of meetups in your area.
• Community – The TLS app has its own in-app social network allowing him to connect with his followers in a unique way.
• Photos – See photos from the Startup Lessons Learned conference and other events.

The Lean Startup iPad app, in the iTunes store now, provides a similar experience:

Download the App Today!

Eric Ries’ startup knowledge will guide your ideas or business in the right direction. Be a part of the entrepreneurial discussion with The Lean Startup app.

iTunes – iPad

iTunes – iPhone/iTouch

Android

Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees are among the most recognizable and iconic sports franchises in the world. Providing in-depth coverage of 162 games a season, in addition to the Yankees being perennial playoff contenders, is no small feat.

ShoutEm is proud to have The Yankee Analysts on our team, and we spoke to TYA co-manager Larry Koestler as part of this week’s App Spotlight.

Tell us about TYA and its community…

The Yankee Analysts (TYA) is one of the premier destinations on the web for high-end New York Yankees statistical analysis, insight, comprehensive series previews and daily game recaps for all New York Yankee regular season and postseason contests, among a wide variety of other content. Visitors will find anywhere from six to eight new items to read on a daily basis—seven days a week, 365 days a year—which means that you’ll almost always be treated to something new if you frequent the site multiple times a day.

Our wonderful readers are as loyal as one could hope for, and for the most part are like-minded statistically-inclined fans who want to share and discuss every single aspect of what goes on during Yankee games. If you’re a Yankee fan—or even just a fan of advanced statistical analysis—you should be reading TYA.

As someone who’s been obsessively reading about the Yankees on the web since the Godfather of all Yankee blogs, Bronx Banter, was launched in 2003, in my opinion the essential daily reads for any Yankee fan include River Ave. Blues; The Pinstriped Bible; Replacement Level Yankees Weblog; It’s About the Money, Stupid; and of course, TYA.

What are the benefits of having a mobile application for TYA?

It goes without saying that with every passing day we’re becoming an increasingly mobile society—I’ve seen a handful of studies that predict that at some point in the not-too-distant future mobile devices may overtake PCs as the most common web-browsing device—making it of the utmost importance that our readers can access and digest TYA as conveniently and quickly as possible.

Having one-click access to TYA ensures that every time you’re bored and you whip out your mobile device—and let’s face it, you’re doing this countless times a day, between waiting for the elevator, riding the elevator, riding the subway, walking down the street, waiting for your friend to meet up with you, etc.—we’re there for you, providing hard-hitting analysis without even having to open your web browser.

What are your favorite features in the application?

I love that the TYA app is sleek and incredibly easy to interface with, and our fanbase has been incredibly excited and vocal about having one of their favorite websites appear as an app on their phone screen. There’s something very cool about seeing “The Yankee Analysts” next to G-Mail, Angry Birds and iTunes, among other things. I also like that our most popular post categories are readily available, and as I mentioned above, having TYA available at the touch of a button has truly revolutionized our readers’ experience.

What are some of the highlights this year for the Yankees and their fans? How is the post-season outlook?

On an individual game level a couple of events immediately spring to mind—Bartolo Colon’s complete-game shutout of the A’s on Memorial Day; obviously Derek Jeter’s 3,000-hit game; CC Sabathia’s complete-game shutout of the Rays; the historic three-grand-slam day; and most recently, Jesus Montero arriving to the big leagues in style, with two home runs—including the game winner—in his fourth career game.

Taken as a whole, regardless of the ultimate outcome I think the 2011 season has truly been one for the ages. After being shunned by Cliff Lee in December and learning that Andy Pettitte wouldn’t be returning a month later, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Yankee fan not significantly depressed about the team’s likelihood of a playoff run in the immediate aftermath. If, back in February, I told you that Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon would not only play integral roles but perform as the Yankees’ second- and third-best starters on a playoff-bound team, you’d have looked at me as if I had three heads.

But here we are today, with the Yankees cruising into a postseason berth and possible division title, and boasting a pitching staff that may not only end up with one of the lowest Yankee team ERAs of the last 33 years, but also end up being one of the most well-rounded Yankee teams of the League Championship Series era.

As far as the postseason goes, TYA will be previewing the heck out of it as is our wont, but it’s critically important to remember that the inherent nature of the way the playoffs are structured dictates that typically the hottest, but not necessarily best team will take home the trophy.

That being said, a devastating, extremely balanced offensive attack, along with a masterful ace supported by a handful of solid secondary starters and lockdown bullpen will make the Yankees a difficult opponent for any and all comers. Of course, if the Yankees run into a hot pitcher or two (think Colby Lewis last year), and the offense goes into a collective coma—something not all that uncommon for any team in postseason play, given the elite level of pitching talent faced in the playoffs—then they could be in for a short stay in October. But given that they’ve surprised us time and again this season, I think they’re as good a bet as any to win it all in 2011.

What are you favorite moments/memories as a Yankee fan?

There are so many that this is a near-impossible question to answer. Off the top of my head I would go with the following: Aaron Boone’s walkoff home run in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, particularly since I was in attendance, and to this day it remains the most unbelievable, insane sporting event I’ve ever experienced in person; the 2009 World Series championship, as it was the first trophy won during the “blogging era,” validating the countless hours I’ve spent analyzing, reading about and discussing the Yankees each and every day for the last decade, not to mention the fact that the 2009 squad was just a powerhouse and it would’ve been pretty disappointing had they not gone all the way; and of recent vintage, I’d go with the Montero two-home-run game I mentioned in the previous answer. Getting to see the most heralded Yankee hitting prospect since perhaps Bernie Williams finally get the call to the Show and come out of the gate with a bang was pretty electric.

Download the App Today!

The Yankee Analysts app is where you can find pre-game lineups, discuss the current game in open threads and listen to interviews with Yankee personnel. Whether it’s another towering A-Bomb from A-Rod, a milestone Jeter hit or another 2-hit shutout from CC, the Yankee Analysts have it covered.

iTunes

Android