Marakovits is in a New York state of mind

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER Had a nice chat today with Meredith Marakovits for a column in tomorrow's print version of The Morning Call. Marakovits, a Central Catholic graduate, is in her first season as the clubhouse reporter for the Yankees on the YES Network and really seems to be enjoying herself. As we've said before, she's not just a pretty face. No one in the media works harder, and I have no doubt that she's just getting started with a career that is going to take her as far as she wants to go. Here is some stuff that didn't make the column:Marak Does she notice what's going on in baseball besides the Yankees? I pay attention to the Phillies and have kept an eye on what they're doing lately, trying to get that second wild card. And obviously, being in New York, I follow what's happening with the Mets, and the rest of the wild-card race in the American League. While it's primarily the Yankees, I keep an eye on the league as a whole and when baseball ends, I'll probably turn my attention to the NBA since I covered the 76ers. I hope that trade works out for them. I had a great experience there and I'd love for them to do well. Bynum is probably the first legitimate big man they've had since Moses Malone.Marak2 How has she been received by the Yankees fans who watch the coverage on YES? I don't know for sure. I hear people say some nice things and I get some nice responses on Twitter and Facebook. But for everybody who likes you, I am sure there's somebody else who doesn't. That's just part of the job anywhere you go and in any walk of life. What does she think of Joe Girardi? He's a nice guy. I've done the Joe Girardi Show a few times and sat down with him for longer interviews. And he has been really good to me. He's in a high-stress position in the top market in the country. So, I think that plays into how he handles his press conferences at times. When the team is doing well, you get a much more animated and a much friendlier, nicer Joe Girardi. When the team isn't playing as well, you get a much tighter, a little more closed-off version. But that's not just him. That's professional sports as a whole and that's the ebb and flow of the season. It's weird, I really don't have any complaints all the way around. Everybody has been pretty good to me. It's difficult for me to find something negative to say about anybody. How does the New York press corps differ from Philly? New York is tougher because there are so many more members of the media with the New York Post, the Daily News, the Ledger, Newsday and probably one or two smaller papers. Often times at home, each paper will send at least two people. And then you add in radio, TV, SNY, Channel 4 and all of the local outlets ...it's just a huge contingent. In Philly, especially with the Phillies when they were playing well there's a large group, but it's still not comparable to the amount of people in New York. People are always looking for stories in New York. They do the same in Philly, but I think even in Philly they'll let more things slide. In New York, the players and manager are challenged a little bit more on every single subject, every intricacy of the game. People don't let things slide. There's no nonsense. I think there is a difference. Remember, too, in Philly, the guys can basically go wherever they want, and you may hear about it, but it's often not printed. Here, with guys like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, you go to a restaurant and a bar, and everybody will hear about it. They really dive into the personal lives here more. Do you respect guys like Jeter more after seeing what he goes through on a daily basis? It's insane. The playoffs will be a total circus, but it can be like that on any given day for a guy like Jeter. For him to deal with it for as many years as he's dealt with it, and you've never really heard any bad things about him, that's pretty remarkable. And then you factor in the fact that he can't really go out and he must be so careful about where he goes and what he does and how he conducts himself. People only see the part on the field and judge you on how you're doing there. They think only about the money they're being paid to play. People don't realize the other parts of their lives. They always have to be on their 'A' game. When you're a Jeter, you're never allowed to have a bad day from a personal standpoint. Everybody expects that when they come up to you, you're going to be that nice person they're expecting. Most normal people can do whatever they want and whenever they want without worrying about who's watching them and how they're being perceived. It can't be easy, but it comes with the territory and I am sure if you asked them if they wanted to trade their lives with other people, they wouldn't.