Final Game At Yankee Stadium

[Jdurg]

While this year the Yankees have not had things go their way (Brutal injuries to key components of every part of their team including starting pitching, bullpen, and offense), today is a pretty big day.  I'm a Yankees fan, and I started watching baseball in the mid 1980's when Don Mattingly was the only real star of the team.  I remember each year hoping that they would finish above .500 for the year, and recall seeing the stands nearly empty every single day.  I lived through the times of Eric Plunk, Mel Hall, Roberto Kelly, Jim Abbott, Tim Leary, Mike Gallego, etc. etc.  They were tough times, but my dad always told me of how he grew up seeing Mickey Mantle play, Goose Gossage, Roger Maris, and all the great Yankee classics.  He told me about all of the great times the Yanikees had and I just had a lot of trouble beleving it.

A memory I have that seems kind of funny in retrospect was when the Yankees traded their young, star outfielder (Roberto Kelly) for some no-name guy named Paul O'Neill.  This was before the internet and constant coverage of players, so I had no idea who Paul O'Neill was.  I didn't realize that he was a good young outfielder.  In his first game with NY, he struck out and went into the dugout and beat the living crap out of a water cooler.  I had NEVER seen a player on the Yankees with that much emotion and fight in him.  He immediately became my favorite player.

I also remember seing Bernie Williams come up through the minors and to NY, and the Yankees slowly build up a competitive team.  In 1994, I though I would finally see my Yankees go to the playoffs.  Then the strike came and I was shocked, angry, and sad.  I saw my first every baseball game up in Fenway Park in 1993 with the Yankees battling the Red Sox.  It was Jimmy Key versus Paul Quantrill.  Key lost only 6 games that year.  Sadly, that was one of them.  Paul O'Neill had a great game including a homerun, but Mo Vaughn ruined my night.     I was going to see another game versus the Red Sox in September of 2004, but the strike ruined that and my dad refused to go to a game for a good few years because of it.

Finally, in 1998 he got tickets again.  During a season that the Yankees DOMINATED the league, even moreso at home, I was certain I'd see a victory.  It was my first game at Yankee Stadium and I was psyched.  Sadly, Mo Vaughn ruined my day again as he hit a homerun to win it for Boston.  One of NY's VERY few losses at home that year.  I hate Mo Vaughn.   

Finally, in October of 1999 I was a sophomore in college and had been at a party one night and was really drunk.  I stumbled home to my dorm room and went on Ticketmaster and while very drunk I went and bought three playoff tickets to Yankee Stadium 3 rows from the front of the upper deck behind the 3rd base dugout.  The next morning, realizing I had no way to go to the stadium, I posted an offer on the school's site for a free ticket if someone was willing to drive.  In only five minutes I got an offer and we went that following night.  NY won the playoff game against the Rangers and the stadium was so incredible in the playoffs.  Mariano Rivera came in to Enter Sandman, and the stadium literally shook.  I saw my first ever Yankee victory, and I saw a playoff game at Yankee Stadium.  Over the next few years, I went to four of five more games and saw a victory each time.  A few months ago, a friend at a bar had a couple of extra tickets and gave them to me.  I skipped work that day and went to the game.  NY won in extra innings on a Bobby Abreu double.  The last game I'll ever see at the Stadium was a win.   

Tonight, the final game will be played there.  I don't care if you hate the Yankees or love them.  This is a memorable event and if you care at all about history, you should watch it.  The Stadium will be gone, but the memories can NEVER be erased.