On a night with Muhammad Ali on hand, the Yankees sent a knockout blow to the Red Sox. NY's 13-6 win was highlighted by a 8 run 4th inning that might have sent John Smoltz into retirement.
Jorge Posada and Melky Cabrera each hit 3 run homers in the fatal fourth as the Yankees finally beat the Red Sox and are now 3 1/2 games up on the Sox.
The Yankees finished with 18 hits with every starter getting at least 1 hit. The Yankees got 10 RBI's from the bottom of the lineup.
How bad was Smoltz? He only lasted 3.1 innings, giving up 9 hits and 8 earned runs. For the year, Smoltz is 2-5 with a 8.32 ERA.
On the other side, Joba Chamberlain wasn't his post all star break superior self. Joba was wild in 5 innings walking 7 batters! All the walks hiked Joba's pitch count to a total of 108. He did get the win and is now 8-2.
Yankee killer David Ortiz was 0-5 and now batting .222! As a team, Boston left 15 runners on base and were 3-21 with runners in scoring position.
With the Yankees up 13-4 in the 8th inning, relief pitcher Mark Melancon got a little wild against Dustin Pedroia. Melancon threw one over Pedroia and the next pitch hit Pedroia. Posada had to walk Pedroia down to first base as Pedroia's lips never stopped moving as he stared at the pitcher's mound.
Now wouldn't that have been a sight, Dustin Pedroia charging the pitcher's mound!
I highly doubt the Yankees were looking to hit Pedroia. I mean they were up 13-4. Melancon has only 10 total innings pitching in the big leagues. Last night was probably the biggest game he's ever pitched in and the emotions probably ran a little high and he got wild. But in light of what just happened the other night between the Dodgers/Brewers, anything will be questionable. Melancon was not ejected.
The was the second sell out at the new Yankee Stadium, the first was opening day. Jorge Posada was a triple shy of the cycle. Joba is the first Yankees pitcher to win a game with 7 BB's since David Cone 4/9/99 against Detroit.
Game 2 Friday night is probably Boston's best chance to win a game in this series as Josh Beckett goes for Boston. Beckett is notorious for nailing down the Yankees.
How bad are things for David Ortiz? He went 1-5 last night and actually raised his batting average! Ortiz, we need to find a new nickname for this guy because "Big Papi" doesn't work anymore, came into last night's game batting .185. By going 1-5 with 3 K's, his average actually sparked up to .186! I wish I could say I feel sorry for the guy and the Red Sox, but Nah!!!! I fucking love it! I'm not going to bring up PED's, steroids, no Manny hitting behind him, being an average player when he was with the Twins, etc. Whoops! Just did. Sorry. No, not really.
This guy is a mess. And I love it! Maybe it was a good thing that guy tried to bury an Ortiz jersey in the new Yankee Stadium. And maybe it was a good thing the Yankees spent X amount of dollars to dig up that jersey. The Yankees are in first place and everyone's hitting homeruns at the new Yankee Stadium, except Lil' Papi.
Maybe the "Mendoza Line" should now be referred to as the "Big Papi Line"?
It has already been noted, after A-Rod's 5-5 day, his batting averaged mushroomed from .189 to .259.
In 17 games back, the Yankees are 13-4 with A-Rod. A-Rod has 17 RBI's and only 15 hits. 7 of his hits have left the field. And he's nearly drew as many walks as hits with 13 BB's.
And as for the Yankees's 19 hit parade yesterday, not one of them went the yard! Does that say something about the new Yankee stadium?
Ameriquest Field is averaging 2.90 homeruns a game, 61 total in 21 games...Hmmm....
Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon are all batting over .300. You know it's just a matter of time before A-Rod and Mark Teixeira are there. And even the washed up Derek Jeter is currently batting .284 with a 9 game hit streak.
And the Yankees have also set a franchise record with 12 consecutive games without an error. I guess everyone's right when they say Jeter's defense is poor and he's losing his range at SS.
It's the team everyone loves to hate. If the NY Yankees are to stay in the Playoff race, this 4 game sweep of the Minnesota Twins could be the turning point. Yes, it's way too early in the season, but remember just a week ago, everyone considered the Yankees dead and a complete mess.
So now you really have to give Joe Girardi a lot of credit. With all the turmoil and injuries surrounding the team, Girardi has weathered the storm thus far with the Yankees. The Yankees have won 6 in a row and are 8-2 since A-Rod's return.
We all know the Yankees started the season without A-Rod, and since then, Jorge Posasda, Jose Molina, Xavier Nady, Hideki Matsui, Brian Bruney and Chien-Ming Wang have spent a considerable amount of time on the DL. Boy, did I forget anyone?
And yet, Girardi has managed the Yankees to a 21-17 record, 4.5 games out of first and just 1 game behind the second place (and struggling) Red Sox. Girardi has moved mountains with this team, the injuries, the A-Rod circus, the horrible pitching (starting and bullpen) and even the problems with the new Yankee Stadium.
And this last weekend series vs. the Twins turned into a pie eating contest. The Yankees won the first three games in dramatic walk off fashion before finishing the sweep last night with the help of Mark Teixeira's two homeruns.
Minnesota has now just won 3 of their last 26 games in the Bronx.And how about Teixeira? Since A-Rod's return, he's batting .342 with 5 homeruns and 13 RBI's. The Teixeira/A-Rod 1-2 punch could be lethal.
Nick Swisher has really cooled off since his hot start. Swisher batted .312 in April, literally keeping the team afloat. So far in May, Swisher is batting .109, 5-46.
And with both catchers on the DL, Francisco Cervelli has filled in great. Through 9 games Cervelli 9-24 at the plate, batting .375. As the Yankees' are finally getting their money's worth and expectations from their starting rotation, give Cervelli credit for calling these games.
One other note, after 17 games at the new stadium, there have been 63 homeruns-32 by the Yankees and 31 by opponents, almost 4 homeruns a game.
What happens when you put the most expensive stadium in MLB in one of the poorest neighborhoods in America?
Well, you're not going to sell out the place. I said before that the new Yankee Stadium would keep out the true fans and neighborhood employees who were able to find work and entertainment in their backyards. Watching the opening series versus Cleveland, you couldn't help but notice the empty seats behind homeplate. What you did see was those empty seats look nice and comfortable and the vendors all look upper class, something you never saw in the old stadium.
That's not the way to enjoy a day at the old ballpark. Give me the Hot Dog/Beer vendor echoing throughout the stadium. Give me the smell of fresh cut grass and dried up beer as you walk through the tunnel.
So unless your name is Daddy Warbucks, myself, like true Yankees' fans, will rarely get the opportunity to enjoy the new Yankee Stadium unlike the old one where so many called their second home.
Now, the new Yankee Stadium is nothing but a tourist attraction, an amusement park. Yes, it may be a Gothic cathedral, but for now it is known as "the House That Greed Built."
Sunday night was probably the most emotional night for me when it comes to sports. Watching the final game at Yankee Stadium brought chills and tears.
I still can't believe they played a final game at the Cathedral of all sports.
It was bittersweet with the final game being played in the regular season. No October baseball for the finale.
After 13 consecutive postseason trips, Yankees have failed to make the playoffs. Many storied franchises, like the Cincinnati Reds, haven't made the playoffs 13 times in their entire history. The last time the Yankees were not in the postseason, Sammy Sosa had 69 career homeruns.
Living in NYC, I was so fortunate to have been able to spend a good portion of my time at Yankee Stadium. It was my second home in New York. It will always have a huge place in my heart. I don't even know if I'll be able to watch the Yankees' home opener next year.
For 85 years sports history was made inside Yankee Stadium-some of the biggest moments in all of sports. The greatest athletes have played in Yankee Stadium. And most of all, the best fans in all of sports have embraced the Yankee tradition.
The Yankees sold out! There was no structural damage to Yankee Stadium. The organization sold out to greed. They wanted more money, as if they already didn't have enough. Next year, the Yankees will move across the street into the house that greed built. It will be a place for the wealthy, the type of people who don't even care to sit down and watch a nine inning game. The new stadium will be somewhat of an amusement park.
That's a huge slap in the face to the greatest sports franchise ever.
Derek Jeter's post game speech was a class act. Did you expect anything less from Mister Class Act himself? He thanked the fans most of all, calling them the greatest in all of sports. He was dead on. He told them to bring the memories from the old stadium across the street to the new one.
The only problem, I bet most of these loyal fans will not be able to afford to attend the amount of games they're accustomed to.
As for Jeter? He is one of the best all around baseball players in this era. The last couple of years many consider him over rated. For anyone to call Jeter over rated is pure jealousy. The guy has batted over .400 this September. He will probably bat at least .300 for the tenth time in his career.
Not many have shined brighter on the biggest stage than Jeter. Don't hate on him. People love to hate Jeter because he's everything any man wished he could be. He's a winner. He's good looking. He's dated countless celebrity babes. He's never cast a negative shadow.
It was great to see all the old time Yankees in attendance during the pregame ceremony. To hear Bob Sheppard's voice over the PA, the abundance of camera flashes that came with every pitch, seeing the entire stadium filled to capacity nearly an hour after the final out.
Yankee Stadium was more than something special. It was a landmark, it was a home, it was and is now history. Tearing down Yankee Stadium is absurd. It's like tearing down the Brooklyn Bridge or Statue of Liberty.
And it was epic to see Mariano Rivera walk out of the bullpen one last time. That may be the single lasting memory I will always keep close to my heart. That walk is impossible to be duplicated. Rivera walking in from the bullpen just will not seem right in the new stadium.
No one can take the memories and history away. However, history does not move across the street. History will remain in the same spot that will someday become an everyday city park.
So after 85 years, the greatest show on Broadway closed the curtain for good.
Final Homerun: Jose Molina
Final RBI: Robinson Cano
Final Hit: Jason Giambi
Final Winning Pitcher: Andy Pettitte
Final Out: Brian Roberts
Last Pitcher on the mound: Mariano Rivera
My only summer vacation was spent in NYC. MY girlfriend wanted to go for her birthday and I needed one last trip to Yankee Stadium.
Man, when you're in NYC for just a few days, you have to go at it nonstop because you'll never do everything you planned.
And when you spent over 5 years living in NYC working in the restaurant industry, your basic welcome back tour consists of nothing but restaurant and bar hopping. I know hundreds of people from working in 2 different corporate restaurants (one in Times Square, the other SoHo). Nearly everywhere we ventured, we knew the manager or bartender. So our bills, if we had one, were always at a reduced price.
After 5 days of doing nothing more than eating and drinking heavily from 10AM to 4AM, your body tends to catch up with you. Throw in the constant walking and your body will shut down for 5 days.
I will forever long to move back to NYC. I will always say it is the greatest city on Earth. I owe the best 5 years of my life to the Big Apple (And it probably took more than 5 years from my life).
I really missed NYC when we journeyed over to Brooklyn for an afternoon. My girlfriend needed to go see her old "stylist" and get her $100 haircut, no kidding. And don't forget the $20 tip. And by stylist, I mean gayer than Smithers.
Spent part of the afternoon at a local pub with a fireman, writer, lawyer and a catholic priest. I know, that's a joke itself. Talking baseball, throwing down shots of Jack, watching the Cubs kill the Brewers to complete a four game sweep and pad a nice division lead cushion, all before 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Oh, can't forget OTB and the horse races on the back monitor. If I were ever to move back to NYC, I would most likely want to live in Brooklyn. Manhattan would be great if you're making six figures. But normally in Brooklyn, you pay half the price for twice the room than what you'd get in Manhattan.
But dam! Nowadays rent in Brooklyn is becoming comparable to Manhattan prices.
Brooklyn is so much calmer. You don't have the hordes of people, tourists, or traffic congestion. The streets are lined with bars, restaurants, shops, etc. You can find a nice peaceful neighborhood in Brooklyn and be a 15 minute train ride away from Lower Manhattan.
OK. I'm done rambling.
The first time I went to NYC was the Summer of 2001. I immediately fell in love. Throw in the NY Yankees and all the professional sports franchises, I was hooked. I love the fact that on any given day from April to October I could jump on the Subway and have the train drop me off at Yankee or Shea Stadium. This was the first year since 2001 I didn't spend my birthday at one of these two stadiums.
From 2002-2006 I attended nearly 200 games at Yankee Stadium. For two years I lived a Spanish Harlem (Yeah, a white boy from Nebraska. That's another story in itself), a short 10-15 minute subway ride to The Stadium.
A group of us at work would always sign up for tickets. I'm not talking season tickets. I'm talking the 20 games for $100 deal. Yes, Upper Tier. It didn't really matter, especially since we never made the kind of money sit close.
One of the best things about Yankee Stadium is the strip outside on River Avenue. You want a baseball atmosphere, it doesn't get any better than this. The street is lined with bars and souvenir shops and is always packed before and after every home game.
The funny thing about Yankee Stadium that many people don't realize, the stadium is located in a horrible neighborhood. If the Yankees aren't in town, you don't want to be anywhere near Yankee Stadium, especially if your white.
The strip is an awesome experience but it will get pricey. Expect to spend around $7 dollars for a beer at Stan's or Billy's, basically stadium prices.
If you really want the true Bronx/Yankees experience, I have some budget friendly locations for you. You can walk up a couple of blocks on 161st Street and visit the Crown Diner. If you're looking to save money, this is the best place to grab a bite to eat before the game. They have a real killer Philly Cheez Steak with fries for under $7. You'll spend 5 times that amount on food and snacks in the stadium.
After you eat, walk over to Walton Avenue. You'll walk next to the famous Bronx Courthouse, the most recognizable landmark outside of Yankee Stadium. You'll also come across a few bodega's which are the cheapest way to wet your whistle. You can spend a couple of ducketts on a quart of beer and chill outside and kill it. There's also Franz Sigel Park right across the street up the hill. This is a good place for a bathroom break or any other extracurricular activities.
If you're really brave and feel like you want to experience the Bronx, get off the 4 Train at 149th St./Grand Concourse. There are two Old School bars here, Glackens and El Roy's. These are the type of places where if they had a jukebox, it would skip and everyone in the bar would turn and stare at you as you stood in the doorway.
Don't fret. Just a bunch of old people playing chess and drinking whiskey. Both of these fine establishments serve up a stiff drink at a low price. I would probably recommend El Roy's out of the two. El Roy's allows smoking inside, at least they did a couple of years ago. Also, if you're in a hurry and don't want to miss the first pitch, they'll give a "togo cup" to pour the rest of your drink into for your 8 block walk up the street to Yankee Stadium.
You'll know you're at El Roy's if the bartender's the only white person in the bar and there's a beautiful portrait of the very same bartender hanging up behind the bar. El Roy is a nice a guy and when he pours your drink he starts with the bottle inside the glass and lifts it up all the way to the top his head while pouring the poison of your choice. He's an old fashioned guy who's seen it all and doesn't shit from anyone. Be sure to give him hell.
For now, my last game at Yankee Stadium was Friday, August 1, 2008 against the Anaheim Angels. I spent around $100 ($25 face value) for an Upper Tier ticket. Overall, the game was horrible unless you're a huge fan of no scoring and no hitting. Sidney Ponson and Ervin Santana pitched lights out. I am still wondering how Ponson pitched 7 innings of shutout ball against the Angels' potent lineup.
I did get to experience what may be the most exciting entrances in all of sports, Mariano Rivera walking in from the bullpen to "Enter Sandman." That is the single most sweetest appearance in all of sports. It is something to be witnessed by every sports fan. It is pretty much the equivalent to Ricky Vaughn walking out to "Wild Thing" on "Major League."
When Rivera came on in the 9th, on every pitch the entire stadium lit up with camera flashes. Rivera got more flashes than Jeter or A-Rod. It may not be the equivalent to a Super Bowl kickoff, but dam, I don't think I've ever seen so many cameras flashing simultaneously. Mariano Rivera just may be the best player in the last 10 years.
Rivera is my all time favorite baseball player. He gets the slight nod over Don Mattingly, Reggie Jackson and Rickey Henderson. I love how Rivera is so cool, calm and collective as walks from the dugout to the mound. I sometimes wonder if MO even knows the words to "Enter Sandman" or who even sings it?
Of course Rivera came into the 9th inning of a scoreless tie and gave up the only run of the game.
And of course Yankee Stadium is the sight of the sacred Monument Park. Monument Park is basically a wing of the Hall of Fame. All my years in NYC and all the games I attended at Yankee Stadium, I never once made it to Monument Park. It's one of those typical New York sights where you say, "I live in NYC, I can visit that place anytime I want, I'll do it tomorrow or next week." Just like what every New Yorker says about the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Times Square, etc.
Monument Park retired Yankees' numbers:
4-Lou Gehrig 3-Babe Ruth 5-Joe Dimaggio 7-Mickey Mantle 37-Casey Stengel 8-Yogi Berra 8-Bill Dickey 16-Whitey Ford 15-Thurman Munson 32-Elston Howard 9-Roger Maris 10-Phil Rizzuto 1-Billy Martin 44-Reggie Jackson 23-Don Mattingly 49-Ron Guidry
Other than Monument Park, the most recognizable characteristic of Yankee Stadium is the voice of PA Announcer Bob Sheppard.
Maybe the most hallowed corner of Yankee Stadium is the legend of the Captain's Room. Only the few chosen have said to lay eyes on the room. Legend has it, the Captain's Room is down the right field line and is somewhat of an initiation experience for "true" Yankees. The room is nothing fancy, consisting of a mural of the three Yankees' captains-Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson and Derek Jeter. Only the chosen are allowed entrance.
Yankee Stadium is home to some of the most loyal fans in all of baseball, the Bleacher Creatures in right field. These seats are pretty cheap, but it's a tough seat to land, pretty much the entire section is sold out to season ticket holders. The Bleacher Creatures also started the patented "Roll Call" at the start of every game. During the top of the first, the entire section calls out the starting lineup. They keep chanting the players' name until the player turns around and acknowledges the Bleachers. This is so freakin cool because it's unique and something I've only seen at Yankee Stadium. It also gives the fans a relationship with their beloved Yankees. I will admit the right field bleachers isn't the best view of the field. Plays at the right field wall are out of sight, blocked by the wall.
You also can't forget about the Subway Race between the 4, B, and D trains; and "Cotton Eye Joe" after the 7th inning stretch.
At the conclusion of every game, "New York, New York." You couldn't find a song more fit for Yankee Stadium. Every Yankees's win brings the Sinatra version. For a loss, we give you Kate Smith. Yikes!
I got to watch Jeter, A-Rod, Giambi, Bernie Williams, Gary Sheffield, Randy Johnson, Moose, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, the Great Rivera, Alfonso Soriano, etc. Maybe the most unforgettable occurred outside the Stadium. Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. I went up to the Stadium trying to get tickets. No way that was gonna happen. So I watched the entire game across the street at Billy's. The atmosphere was intense, electric. I couldn't imagine it getting even crazier after the Yankees had come back to tie the game. When Aaron Boone hit the winning homerun, total euphoria kicked in. Definitely one of the most exciting moments in my life. I jumped into the arms of the nearest female Rican who happened to be twice my size, and the whole bar mobbed each other. It was New Year's Eve on acid.
Lou Gehrig's farewell speech defines the true Yankee Experience. It's impossible to not shed a tear watching this.
So many memories. I'm sure I forgetting a lot. My only question is with the new stadium, will the Bronx faithful still be able to afford season tickets. What will become of the bars on River Avenue? Will they be demolished? Will they get prime real estate across the new stadium or will they be shut out by corporate restaurants? Will the concession workers who have spent 30 plus years grinding away at Yankee Stadium still have jobs once the new one opens up? Will corporations keep out the true, loyal fans who can only afford to attend a few games?
What will happen when I bring my daughter to the new stadium in 20 years and tell her about all the memories and legends of the old Yankee Stadium? Will I have to point to a parking garage and inform her that is where one of the most historic baseball fields once stood? Where the greatest legends ever to play the game once called home.
I know what she'll say. "If it was so great and historic, why did they tear it down?"
