I sadly don't recall that very first game I went to, I believe it was in 1993 or 1994. I do have a book filled with baseball card sleeves from one of those early games.
My first true baseball memory is not Yankee related - Grissom catching the fly ball in center field to win the 1995 World Series - was the starting point of the memorably spoiled upbringing of the late 1990s New York Yankees.
I loved Bernie Williams, he was quiet, not the biggest of stars and just a really solid player. I was so excited when he was on the cover of SI for Kids, I kept that one a while.
There are so many games to talk about as I have been blessed (my dad got me tickets as a youngster from work and thanks to my mom, I have gone to seen many Yankee games in recent years). I'll just list a few memories...
No regular season game is ever as loud as a playoff game, when even the wealthy businessmen in their $2,000 suits are standing and screaming the entire game. I was at the clinching game 5 of the 2001 ALDS against the A's. That game was special for 2 reasons...first, Derek Jeter made a remarkable play, diving into the stands behind third in a big spot in the 8th inning. (It was a classic Jeter play, but not nearly the biggest of the series as "the flip" takes that cake.)...second, the Yankees is the only team to have ever lost the first 2 games of a divisional series (at home) and then taken the next three games. The excitement and singing of Frank Sinatra's famous song as everyone walked back to their cars gave the little 9th grader that I was quite a thrill.
I have been to other playoff games, but that one takes the cake.
There are other, memorable, regular season games as well...
I had fantastic seats, front row behind home plate (touching the net and in near perfect line with the catcher - basically staring over his left shoulder as the umpire would if a lefty is up) and I got to the game early to ask for autographs from players and coaches. After the game I dashed over to the Oakland A's visiting dugout because there was a mass of people at the Yankees. I asked the bat boy if he had anything cool laying around and he asked me if I wanted the lineup card. I said sure (because I was going to take anything) but the relative coolness of the official Yankee lineup card with the
signature on it is something unique and very cool (at least I think so, and I am no longer enamored with autographs.)Ah, the single best regular season game I have ever been to was easily a game against the Padres on June 13th 2004 that has since become a Yankee classic that has been replayed on YES. It was warm Sunday and a relatively boring game (even for me) as the Yankees were down 2-0 going into the bottom of the 9th inning and facing Trevor Hoffman (for those who don't no, Trevor Hoffman has never saved a big game in his life; however, I had reason to be concerned because this game was not really a big one.) With 2 strikes and 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth (as if in a dream), Hideki Matsui hit a home run to right field to cut the deficit to 2-1. Then, for some odd reason, Joe Torre pinch hit Kenny Lofton, a slap hitter, for Tony Clark, a power hitter, (even with Reuben Sierra on the bench) and Lofton proceeded to hit a short porch homer to tie the game. Us Yankee fans who hadn't actually walked out went ballistic.
Moving on to the 13th inning...the stadium went silent and the masses began to leave when the Padres scored 3 runs in the top of the inning. The odds of coming back from that large a deficit is quite low...but we stayed, my friends and I had faith. And, in the bottom of the 13th, the Yankees scored 4 times, with the final tally on a Sierra walk-off single to left field. There were not many people there, but those of us who remained saw an incredible comeback. I remember walking out of the stadium thinking, 'wow, I just saw one for the ages.'
_____________
Lastly, the final memorable experience I have from Yankee Stadium is the final opening day. I sat through the supposed rain delay (even though it never really rained) and then went back for the actual game the next day. The Yankees beat Roy Halladay behind Chin Ming Wang in a solid victory.
To conclude, the memories are numerous and I enjoyed almost all my Yankee Stadium experiences. The lack of cleanliness, crazy drunks and nasty bathrooms were all part of the experience.
______
Yaros
No comments:
Post a Comment