Goodbye Yankee Stadium

It has been 85 years and now we must say goodbye.  Watching the New York Yankees' final home game of the season—and of course the last game that will ever be played at Yankee Stadium—I couldn’t help but get chills.  While my memories of Yankee Stadium may not be as storied as others, they are my memories.  For my 16th birthday I asked my parents for one thing:  Take me to Yankee Stadium.  About five months after turning 16, I entered the house that Ruth built.  Mike Mussina was pitching, we sat on the third-base line, I took home a Yankees bandana as a souvenir, and the Yankees took home a loss.  Although my first game at Yankee Stadium ended in the loser column, I knew my first time there would not be my last. 

In the summer of 2006 I interned for the YES Network.  After shooting a commercial with Yankee great Paul O’Neill in the morning, I was invited up to the booth for the day-game.  Witnessing the game from the perspective of the announcers is certainly a different experience from that of the fans.  Honestly, it’s better to be in the stands, that’s where the heart of Yankee Stadium is—it lies in its fans.  A couple of weeks later I went to another day game with all of the summer interns. Chien Ming Wang was pitching.  Sitting in the upper deck roasting, I could sense a purchase of aloe in my future.  The game went to extra innings, finally ending with an Alex Rodriguez walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 11^th.  The sunburns were worth it. 

My last game that summer was magical.  I arrived a little before the start of the game and because of my intern status was privileged enough to stand on the field during warm-ups.  Yes, you heard me right.  I stepped onto the same grass as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Joe Dimaggio, Reggie Jackson, and Derek Jeter.  I stood on hallowed ground.  The Yankees were down for most of the game.  Suddenly storm clouds appeared and the stadium was covered in a light mist of drizzle.  Along with the change in weather came a change at the plate. 

The Yankees began to rally. 

By the end of the eighth inning the game was tied.  The lightning bolts sent down from the heavens matched the thunderous roars from the fans.  I have never been a part of something so amazing.  The game was delayed because of the weather but nobody left.  We waited it out in the pouring rain.  A little over two hours later the game ended with a Yankees victory.  Robinson Cano had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th.  The drenched clothes were worth it. 

I returned to Yankee Stadium this past August.  The Yankees were playing the Kansas City Royals—not the most exciting competition—but hey, I wouldn’t miss one of the last stops on the stadium’s farewell tour.  Mussina allowed three runs in the first inning.  Things weren’t looking good. 

No worries though, the Bronx Bombers came out to play.  They scored six runs in the bottom of the first.  The final score was Yankees 15; Royals 6.  It was a game in which Jeter went 4-4, A-Rod had 5 RBI’s, and Jason Giambi hit a grandslam.  My last game at Yankee Stadium had all the fireworks of Fourth of July.  The date was August 17^th and after that game there would only be 16 more games at Yankee Stadium. 

The final game happened last night, September 21, 2008.  Unfortunately it is time to say goodbye.  Nobody wants to, but the stadium next door with its luxury box seats and impressive food court is waiting with open arms.  I will go to the new stadium and make new memories.  However, the home of the Yankees is and will always be Yankee Stadium (1923-2008).  Home is where the heart is.