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While I have a hard time recalling my first visit to Yankee Stadium, I remember almost everything about my final trip to the Yankees Iconic home...

Last Trip to Old Yankee Stadium Winds Up Being FIRST Trip INSIDE New Yankee

by Rocky Miskelly (Scribe)

27

1,491 reads

Opinion

October 09, 2008


While I have a hard time recalling my first visit to Yankee Stadium, I remember almost everything about my final trip to the Yankees Iconic home. It was July 9th this summer, and little did I know that not only would it be my last visit to the current stadium, but my first visit to the new one. 

It was a Wednesday. I parked across from John Mullayly Park, above 165th Street about a quarter 'til noon.  I quickly made my south on River Avenue for the 1:05 start with the Tampa Rays. The construction of New Yankee Stadium dominated my view as I strode beside the park on the west side of the street.  Within three blocks, I was passing the construction entrances on the backside of New Yankee Stadium’s right field. I stopped and loitered for a moment, hoping to catch a view inside the new arena.

As I stood there gazing at welders on a framework outside of and above center field, the lunch whistle sounded and a few moments later, workers started pouring out of the construction site and onto the sidewalk. Most of them turned north and began to trudge toward 164th Street, where a string of lunch trucks were double parked. Within a few minutes, two security guards stepped out from behind the fence and briefly conversed. 

One of the guards was young, late 20s, the other much, much older; I made him to be 75-plus. The younger guard looked at his watch and spoke to the other man without really looking him in the eye. He pointed up the street toward the makeshift cafeteria and shuffled a half step in that direction. As he turned to walk away, he shouted something over his shoulder and then took a full stride up the street and then with a half trot, he was gone, disappearing into the lunchtime crowd.  

The older guard, now alone next to the open entrance to the site, leaned against the wall. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, which he fingered nervously, as only a nicotine addict can. It was obvious he was more than a little peeved that he was catching the late lunch shift, if only because he desperately need a nicotine fix. He looked past me toward his younger boss, and I watched as he mouthed an expletive.

I suppose it was a combination of curiosity and impulsivity that made me approach him.  The other reason is I figured I had nothing to lose and that my hair-brained scheme, conceived in that instance of observing him, might actually have a chance of succeeding. I took a deep breath, rehearsed in my mind what my first words to him would be and approached the guard with a singular intent: begging or buying my way inside the perimeter to gain a view of the Yankees new confines.

As I stepped toward him he looked up and I said, “Well, I don’t guess he’s ever heard the phrase ‘age before beauty.’” 

“Beauty was a horse,” he quipped. 

“Say, you can probably tell by my accent I’m from the deep south. I’m a huge baseball fan, a Yankee fan, and I was wondering, is there any way on earth you could lead me in there for about a 30 second glance at the new stadium?"

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27 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Todd Jackson 9 months ago

    Tell me theres more bro. What an intriguing story. It really is going to be great to share that with your children. I thoroughly enjoyed it, yet it ended so abruptly. I wanted to keep reading which I guess makes it quite a success. Good for you and the best read Ive had all day sir. Take care.

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Thanks Todd, and their actually is more, I just have to figure out how to get a series linked up. In the meantime, here is the first part... http://bleacherreport.com/articles/67073-farewell-to-the-cathedral-last-game-brings-back-fond-memories-of-yankee-stadium

      Thanks for your kind workds

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      OPPS! Sorry Todd, I didn't even post all of that section. While it is a serial piece, here is the WHOLE section. THANKS for your post or I would have never noticed that the FIVE GRAPHS were MISSING!!!!!

      THANKS!

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    • Todd Jackson 9 months ago

      No sweat my friend, I knew there must have been more. Wow man, you paint a great picture for the reader. Seeing the inside of both stadiums on the same day as a specator is rare indeed. Good for you. Glad I could assist. Take care.

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  2. dominica. 9 months ago

    Great article. Really heartfelt, what a nice guy. lol, and a great opportunity!

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Thanks. He was a great guy, and I think in some way, it gave him a certain sense of control to let me in for just that few minutes. But he was a champ of a guy in my book. Thanks for reading.

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  3. Janis Weems 9 months ago

    Rocky, That was the best thing I've read in a long time. If you're not a writer by profession, you should be. Awesome experience, as I felt like I was there with you.

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Janis, thanks so much. I'm not a pro, but I wish I was. I am hoping to find some other stories to write for bleacher report though. Thanks for reading.

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    • Anthony Elias 9 months ago

      Janis, I felt the same way. Rocky I felt like I had a hard hat and clipboard as well. What a great story. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  4. Mark Bender 9 months ago

    What a cool thing to happen to you!

    Great story!

    POTD Material!

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Thanks Mark,

      My 16 year old son and I were out to Anaheim this summer for a Halo's game. We had a great time and it was his first chance to visit the Angles Stadium. We wound up sitting next to the sister of the pitcher who gave up Bonds record setting blast last summer. That was a story all by its self. Maybe I'll have time to write that up for you angle fans sometime.

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  5. Brian Gaylord 9 months ago

    Rocky, this is a terrific story and well delivered. I was thoroughly engrossed in your narrative.

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  6. Jim Sheridan 9 months ago

    Awesome story Rocky!!!! you brought back alot of memories, I used to drive limos to Yankee games and I found that I was able to get into the games for free more often than not. Great story. 5 stars.

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  7. Kara Martin 9 months ago

    Rocky, Holy moly.....what an amazing story, I LOVED it!! Not only was it a great tale, but it was written beautifully. It was fate, you were in the right place, at the right time, with the right guy! Good for you for having the nerve to approach Frank & God Bless Frank for giving you a heck of a story to tell for the rest of your life. I am quite sure he is sharing his experience with you with his friends & family as well!

    POTD & 5 stars! Fantastic!

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Thanks Kara, I know the 'gula area well. I also used to be an EMT and to top it off have lived in DC and married a Texas girl! But she's not a Nascar fan. Again, glad you liked it and thanks for reading

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  8. Derek Coffelt 9 months ago

    Great story. I myself am from the south (Georgia) and am a huge Jeter fan. I've never been to New York, let alone Yankee stadium so I feel your anxiousness to want to see the new stadium. This story just goes to show that people are willing to do the right thing for deserving people.

    POTD for me. Keep up the great work.

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Thanks Derek, I too am a Cardinals fan, as were my parents before me, and their parents before them and believe it or not their parents before them. The '04 series, was a conflicted time being that the Cardinals were my long time NL team and the Yanks my AL team. I always thought I wanted to see them in the series together, but when it happened, I wished it hadn't. I was pulling for 7 games. But as you said, it was disastrous for the Cards. Good luck with the carrier and thanks for reading.

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Derek, I made about as much sense as mud in that last post. it seems that I deleted a couple of lines before I hit "post." The deletion made it sound like the yanks and cards were in the 04 series.

      The posed should have read:
      I always thought I wanted to see them in the series together,

      (here's the deleted part)

      but it just wasn't to be as was clear in game 7 of the ALCS, Boston was a team of destiny. The way they pounded the Yankees was proof of that. What hurt in the Series, was I wanted the Cards to beat the Sox in St. Louis in game seven as I had tickets to game seven had it made it back to St. Louis. I guess with a team of destiny you have to accept what destiny deals you, even if it's a sweep,

      but when it happened, I wished it hadn't.

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  9. Shaybo Shaybo 9 months ago

    Aren't you scared of getting the poor old guy fired? Would he have brought you in had he known you were going to post it on the internet?

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Actually I'm not worried about Frank. I talked with Frank later (and if you read a followup piece I am writing you'll learn in my conversation with him, he was moving out of New York at the end of September. This event happened in July so I waited before writing it or posting it. But I am glad you joined Bleacher Report just to make that comment. Hope you'll hang around and read some other folk's stuff. Welcome aboard.

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  10. John Llewellyn 9 months ago

    Great writing and terrific story. I got goose bumps just reading it. I too am a huge Yankees fan, and an Ole Miss Alumni and fan. I try to go to Yankee Stadium a couple of times a year, but have not been as lucky as you to see the new stadium from the inside. Thanks for sharing your adventure!

    John

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Hotty Toddy John! I'm gonna have to write about the Grove sometime too. Where do you live and when were you ate Ole Miss?

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  11. Shaybo Shaybo 9 months ago

    I didn't join just to make that comment...don't flatter yourself.

    It was a legitimate question because, for me, your piece raised a moral/ethical question. Within the context of this piece you could have exposed the employee to disciplinary action. Had you stated here that Frank was moving then I wouldn't have felt the need to raise it. I'm not psychic so I couldn't have known that you are writing a follow up piece.

    Finally, if you're so very sensitive to less than glowing comments, perhaps you should reconsider posting your pieces on an open forum.

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    • Rocky Miskelly 9 months ago

      Shaybo, I am not sensitive to your comments you raised a good question. I didn't put in the piece the information that I shared with you in the comment post because it intrudes in the piece and breaks the wall between the occurrence (which is the story) and the process of telling the story. But I was HAPPY to share the answer with you.

      Secondly, YOU JOINED and POSTED THE COMMENT with in 1 minute of each other. Perhaps you didn't know it tells on your profile how long long you've been a member. When I looked at you comment it said POSTED 19 MINUTES ago, and when I read your profile it said JOINED 20 MINUTES AGO.

      Perhaps I am wrong, and if so forgive me. But it seemed real obvious you joined and commented within seconds of each other.

      Either way, I offer this in a neutral tone, and can take whatever you want to comment on. But, if you're really concerned about Frank, understand that the moral question isn't there.

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  12. SAM Morris 9 months ago

    Starting reading with little intention of finishing -- loved the story. Well written. Enjoyed the reality of human interaction. Thanks. Sam

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