My Final Game at Yankee Stadium

It’s funny, since I graduated college three years ago; I’ve found myself spending more and more time in the bleachers of Yankee Stadium. Attending games with friends, catching up, laughing, and enjoying the atmosphere and the game in front of me. These years have seemingly flown by. The memories, the moments, all caught on film. But as I put the deposit on my season ticket package for 2008, this date, September 18, 2008 seemed so far away. And who could blame me, I put a deposit down in November 2007 so 10 months was a far ways away. But as the days tore off my calendar, I got to this very point, my final game at Yankee Stadium.

Never being a huge Yankees fan, I mean their 1996 run totally ruined Ally Reiter’s bat mitzvah for me, I never had that connection with the ballpark as I had when I went down to Atlanta to watch my beloved Braves take on the Mets. A feeling like finally, I belong. But yesterday, I came to realize that maybe Turner Field wasn’t the only place I belonged. Yes, I remain a non-Yankees fan usually cheering (internally) for the team they are playing against. But yet still I felt like a member of this incredibly large fraternity (53,000+ last night) that came from all over the tri-state area and parts of the country to enjoy three hours of baseball. I laughed when the guy next to me during BP dropped a sure fire homer. I clapped, I slapped five when Bobby Abreu hit a towering homer in the first, I made friends with the kid in front of me so my friend could try to use him to get the free poster for kids 13 and under.

I took pictures of everything trying to remember every minute detail of the Stadium. The billboards on the scoreboard, the Yankees bullpen to my right, the tiers of seating, even the bleachers entrance which I had walked through so many times before. The funny thing is, for all the times I had said, “Oh I’m not a Yankees fan, I’ll never miss that Stadium.” Or “I’ve been to other Stadiums around the country and this one is gross. I can’t wait till they build a new Yankee Stadium.” For every time I laughed off the thought of the majesty this one place could possess, I was fooling myself. I will be sorry to see this place torn down. Even if I had never attended a game at the Stadium prior to the 1970s renovation to see it as it was when Babe Ruth pounded homeruns into the bleachers and Lou Gehrig stood to make his famous speach, I have so many special memories wrapped around that Stadium. Not just the ones on the field, sitting until the bitter end of the All-Star Game (1:37 AM thank you very much) or watching Andy Pettitte pick up his 200th win. The countless times I walked out of the Stadium to the sounds of “New York, NY” (Frank Sinatra) blaring from the loudspeakers, the excitement of the crowd when the grounds crew came out to the YMCA in the seventh inning. But of the people I have shared these moments with as well. The bleacher creatures who lead roll call every game to the loud guy who always talks about [insert opposing centerfielder’s name here] mother’s meatloaf to the countless crazy fans and to all of my friends who have attended games with me at the Stadium, I’m going to miss those special moments. But at the same time, I can’t wait to make more special moments at the new Stadium, literally across the street!

For my pictures from last nights 9-2 win click here.