Caught the last game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. As I'm sure everyone has heard, they let fans come on the field before the game. This was pretty surreal. Here's a photo of me in right field, the same area once patrolled by Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield and Paul O'Neill.
Note this: That wall was a lot higher than it looks on TV or even when you're at the game. I'm 6'2, and even with my arm fully extended, wearing a glove, and leaping as high as I could, it would be very hard to rob somebody of a home run. For now on, whenever I see an old clip of Winfield or anybody scaling that fence and pulling one down, I'll have an even great appreciation for it.
More thoughts on the final game in the comments area:
5 comments:
What ruled on Sunday at Yankee Stadium:
1) Seeing Yogi Berra standing alone behind home plate one last time. He's 83, yet he stood there in that old-school style uniform behind that plate with such pride and dignity. The man has 10 rings. 10!!
Unreal. It was the best part of the pre-game ceremony.
2) Seeing Whitey Ford standing alone on the pitcher's mound one last time. He is the greatest pitcher in Yankee history. He also stood there in that old-school style uniform with great pride and dignity. Seeing both Yogi and Whitey, at their former positions at Yankee Stadium for the last time, was pretty moving.
3) Bernie
4) Seeing Cora Rizzuto stand at shortstop and Kay Murcer and her kids stand in center field. These people haven't been gone for very long, and I can't imagine how emotional that must have been for them.
5) Seeing Mo bust through the bullpen doors to "Sandman" one more time.
6) Jeter and the team thanking US, the fans, after the game. We fans spend a lot of time idolizing the team. There is certainly some hero-worship involved, and the pre-game ceremony was clearly all about hero-worship. That's fine. That's half the fun of baseball. But to have the team, as its very last gesture at Yankee Stadium, basically say "Right back at ya" and show us the same love and respect was very cool. They tipped their caps to us, and I'm not ashamed to say that after all of the time and money I've spent there, it meant a lot to me. Jeter says he hopes we can bring all of the love across the street next year. He needn't worry. We will.
7) Seeing the Yankees win at Yankee Stadium one last time.
Thank you, Yankees. You made it a very special night. - Alan
It was an awesome night, which I enjoyed in hi-def glory on the big screen in my living room. It was the one thing they did right this year..plus I don't think the Orioles would have made it out of town alive if they won that game. I recorded every moment..plus every pre and post game from YES and ESPN..if only I can figure out how to transfer them off my TIVO...
The Yogi thing was surreal..after the game, ESPN played a short video with Yogi narrating that will put a lump in any Yankee fan's throat...or any real baseball fan..aside from maybe a Red Sox idiot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4qbfk8t97o
The day before, on the final YES broadcast, they had a short clip set to a Sinatra song called "There Used to be a Ballpark" that I'll admit I've never heard, but it was so fitting..another choke up moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsYItVzkBTo
Though it is not the same Stadium..by any stretch of the imagination..as the one that Ruth and Mantle and Gehrig etc. played in..it is still hallowed ground.
What I'm wondering is why nobody thought of this - the Mets are also getting a new stadium. Why couldn't we have played out this year, moved to the vacated Shea for 2 seasons while they built the new Stadium on the same ground as the old one? I'm sure there are reasons why that WASN'T done, but I think if you polled Yankee fans, that would have been just fine with them. Maybe it just wasn't even logistically feasible, what with the new house being 65% larger..afer all..it is all about the Benjamins when all is said and done..
Being there with Alan, in the place we spent so many summer days back when the Stadium was half empty. I wish they could have had just 1 "Dark" guy there.
Have to agree, Berg. Going with you, and having West there too, was also special. We were there the year they lost 95 games. We once got very excited when they "reaquired" Claudell Washington. We once thought Kevin Mass, as DH, might be the savior.
We had just as much fun during the dark years as in the late '90s. Glad we were there together. - Alan
The Sinatra song is cool. Somebody told me it was first written as a tribute to Ebbetts Field, but it was also a perfect fit for the last game at Yankee Stadium.
Also agree about wishing they built the new place around the old, original field. The new place looks FABULOUS and I'm sure we're going to love it, but it would have been nice to have had it built on the exact same spot as "The House That Ruth Built."
- Alan
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