My first game was summer of 1989, I think about a month before my 13th birthday.  Our Little League coach was a Mets fan, so the previous year and that year both we went to Shea to see a Mets game.  After the game the coaches started talking; turned out this was one of the few times that the Mets and Yankees were both in town the same day, and the Yankees game was at NIGHT!  So they decided to take us to Yankees-White Sox as well.

Back then you could still walk up to the box-office right before the game and get good seats, so we got tickets behind home-plate in the lower-level, though back near the wall.  When we got to the Stadium we found out that Rickey Henderson had been traded earlier that day for 3 players we had never heard of.  First game, and I get that downer!

Yankees lost, but it was still a great game.  Andy Hawkins started, and I wasn’t smart enough back then to realize he wasn’t that good; he pitched a lot of innings and always gave his team a chance to win after all (well, except that day)!

However, two huge things happened that day.  Carlton Fisk broke Berra’s record for HR by a catcher in the AL.  Much more important to me on that day was my idol, Don Mattingly, hit a 2-run HR.  Roberto Kelly also hit one but that’s lower down the list.  Being in the Stadium to hear those air-raid sirens was fantastic though.

I haven’t been to nearly as many games as 100.  If I add them all up I have I think…five at the stadium.  I was there once this year; big deal to me because I wanted my son to get to at least one game at the old Stadium, and he had a blast.

I was blessed enough to grow up in upper Manhattan with baseball fans for parents, so I went to a lot of games as a kid, including the 7th game of the 1981 WS, which featured Bob Lemon freaking out and removing Tommy John for a pinch hitter in the 4th inning and subsequently losing the game.  It was in 1985, though, that I and my other 12 year-old friends made a discovery that was to change our lives:  the bleachers. 

I’m not sure whether it was the first game I went to just with my buddies, paying $1.50 and laughing our asses off at the ribald, stoned, and drunk humor of the bleacher creatures (including lots of homophobic cheers, chants, etc.), but [url=“http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA198509150.shtml”]
September 15, 1985[/url] was one of the first.  The Yanks were trying desperately to catch Toronto, but Ed Whitson, a vilified free agent bust that season, got knocked out in the third and the bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding.  Meanwhile Doyle Alexander, whom the Yankees had traded away a few years earlier, held the Yankees in check.

But my 3 favorite Stadium memories, are, in order.

1.  Game 6, 1996
2. Game 5, 2001
3.  In 1985 or 1986, a Yankees-Orioles doubleheader, in which the Yankees swept and Earl Weaver got thrown out of the first game, then came out to give the lineup card for game two and promptly got thrown out again!

Also, of all the Stadium moments that have happened during my lifetime, the one I most wish I had been there for was the game in 1982 when Reggie returned and the entire crowd chanted “Steinbrenner sucks” throughout the game.

The Sunday NY Times had a wonderful series of remembrances.  I especially enjoyed and was moved by those of Paul Simon, Billy Crystal and Keith Olbermann.  Olbermann had a great anecdote about his father taking him to Yankee Stadium for the first time to see the great Mickey Mantle even though his father had never forgiven the Yankees for trading his favorite baseball player Steve Souchock.

April 30th 1972. A sunday doubleheader against the Twins. The only other ballpark I had ever been to was Connie Mack stadium in Philly so I was amazed at the size of YS and how deep center field was.
First game was Steve Kline vs Jim Perry. Munson hit a two run shot deeeep to left in the second. This then 12 yo’s lifelong man-crush was born that day. My boy Sparky got the win in a 5-4 game.
Yanks lost the second game by the same score. I was pissed because Munson didn’t play.
I remember being so excited to see Killebrew and Carew and sad that Tony Oliva was out. When I was a kid I loved some enemy players almost as much as our own.
I went to nearly every Royals and Red Sox series from 76 thru 78.
I was in the bleachers for Gators 18 K night against the Angels. That evening was the birth of the standing and screaming with 2 strikes, that seems so routine now.
Is anyone going to watch the game tonight?

One aside in Olbermann’s anecdote was the fondness of both himself and his dad for certain not so great but hustling players such as Souchock, Tom Shopay, Celerino Sanchez and pitchers like Steve Kline and Freddy Beene.  Compare that with the general emnity we on this site mostly feel for less then accomplished Yankees.

I have probably been to about 30 games at the Stadium, all but one in the regular season.  The most memorable, without a doubt, was this one against the Twins in 2004.  The Yankees won their 100th game and clinched AL East that day.  Bernie hit a walkoff 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th, which also broke the franchise home run record, I believe.  We knew that ball was out the moment he hit it.  The stadium was shaking as the crowd, on its feet, chanted “Bernie! Bernie!” while he circled the bases.

My only venture into playoff baseball was the first game of the ‘04 ALDS.  Moose started and pitched 7 great innings, but the Yankees couldn’t get anything going against Santana as they hit into 5(!!) DPs.  That was probably the most frustrating game I’d ever had the “privilege” of watching at the Stadium.  Also my first foray into the bleachers.

One aside in Olbermann’s anecdote was the fondness of both himself and his dad for certain not so great but hustling players such as Souchock, Tom Shopay, Celerino Sanchez and pitchers like Steve Kline and Freddy Beene.  Compare that with the general emnity we on this site mostly feel for less then accomplished Yankees.

I think most of us on this site root like hell for less than accomplished Yankees.  Just the last two seasons there has been a lot of cheering about guys like Melky, Garner, Christian, Duncan, even Morgan Ensberg, and Betemit, and that big righty DH/1B that came over from Toronto, Whathisname. 

The “enmity” sets in when managers put scrubinis in situations where their failings will make them a liability, (see Cairo, Miguel), or when the team continually trots out someone when there are better options available (see Pontoon, Sir Snacks). 

Even then, I don’t think posters hate the players.  When someone writes, “I don’t ever want to see Antonio Osuna throw another pitch in pinstripes”, he/she is saying,“This isn’t working.  Management can do better than this, and should.”

Bernie hit a walkoff 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th, which also broke the franchise home run record, I believe.

There’s something wrong with that sentence.

There’s something wrong with that sentence.

?

Oh wait, the team home run record?

Yes. Team home run record in a single season.

Man, I hope Pettitte can hold the O’s down tonight.  How much would it suck to be eliminated on the Last Night at the Stadium?  Then again, maybe it would be apropos.

Thought George Herman held the team home run record

How did Ruth only have one MVP season?  Does that make any sense?  The dude has over a 200 OPS+ for his career.

How did Ruth only have one MVP season?

Before the current version of the award, a player was only allowed to win once.  This changed around 1932, I believe.

I barely remember anything from my first trip to the Stadium. It was in the mid-‘80s and they were playing the Royals. I’d guess it was around ‘85, ‘86. A good KC squad, a crappy Yanks team. We were sitting first-base side, mezzanine, about 20 rows back. My dad made my mother come with us even though she was bored as could be. It was a low-scoring affair, and the crowd was restless. Midway through the game, someone from the Royals laces a foul ball that’s coming right to our section. Guy about 10 seats over and one row up snags it and starts going nuts. The crowd kicks up the “Throw it back!” chant, but the dude who caught the ball isn’t having it. After a minute or so of that, the crowd gets hostile and changes the chant to “ASS-hole! ASS-hole!” So he stands up and very deliberately, very meticulously shoots the bird all the way around.

Welcome to the Stadium, kid!

The 2004 Yankees hit the most home runs, as a team, in franchise history.  Jeez.

Before the current version of the award, a player was only allowed to win once.  This changed around 1932, I believe.

Ah, thanks.  I think I knew that, but it was buried.  Probably actually 1931, as Ruth started getting votes again that year.

How many should he have won?

That was a silly rule.  Was Steve Phillips the one who thought it up?

How many should he have won?

Without looking, I’m willing to guess he was the best player in the league, offense and defense included, almost every year from 1919 through 1932.  So, I’ll say . . .  10.

Helluva contractor too. He built this really cool house…....

I must say, watching the Mets self-destruct once again after their announcers were gleefully gabbing about the Yankees’ impending demise warms my cockles.

Due to living across the country and not near NY since I was in elementary school I have seen the Yanks play a number of times but in Yankee Stadium only once.  It was 2002 and it was the first time the Yanks played the Giants in something like 50 years.  I only had tickets to the second game and was sitting in a bar a couple blocks away for the first.  Even a few blocks away you could easily hear the chant “Barry Sucks” echoing from the stadium.  He struck out that night but promptly planted one deep in the upper deck the next day.
Barry, the Yankees, and only a year after 9-11, it was a great trip.

My first and, sadly only game was last summer, July 5th. It featured Slowey and Igawa as starting pitchers. I’ve been a huge Yankees fan since the end of middle school and really go tino it right after high school, but it took me until after my sophomore year of college to make it to a game. I’m not really sure why. I went with my father and two friends. On the drive to NY I was trying to educate the rest of the car about the defensive liabilities of Jeter to no avail. But Jeter delivered in game letting 2 balls go up the middle that looked pretty good and getting to a third that he mishandled (it was ruled a hit). After that they didn’t think I was totally insane.

It was a crappy game for a while, then in the 8th Matsui smacked the shit out Pat Neshek for a 2 run bomb and I got to see Mo close it out. Also Melky and Cano homered. I had pretty good seats, behind home plate somewhere between rows 15 and 20. So I could see the “movement” on Igawa’s pitches. I kind of gave up on him after that game.

Hopefully, I’ll be in NY for grad school and will be able to go to more games.

First game was in 1984, Guidry started. One of the most vivid memories from childhood was the time Mel Hall threw a ball into the stands during batting practice and I caught it in a minor scrum. I’ll miss the Stadium. The smell of beer in the humid NYC air and how strange it is to watch a game without any replays or running commentary. See you all in the new Stadium!

I’m not even sure when my first game was because I was so young and having grown up on Long Island, I’m sure we went a good amount (but I was so young, they all sort of blend together)—but I do remember that I was at Pinella’s last game.  I remember being confused at why everyone was booing him.  Then my dad explained they were saying “LOU”, not BOO.

I am so bummed they are tearing it down and that they’re moving to a new stadium.  It makes me sad to know that won’t be a tradition I’ll be able to share with my kids.

I’m also not happy about how impossible it is to get affordable tickets anymore.  If it meant tickets became affordable again I might be willing to have a few crappy seasons!!!

I’m loving the YES pregame special, but why on earth is ‘great non-game happenings’ tribute set to Swan Lake music??

I’m loving the YES pregame special, but why on earth is ‘great non-game happenings’ tribute set to Swan Lake music??

Hey, it beats Broad Sword Discord.

I’m more excited for Bernie’s appearance than anything.

Tell me about it. That will be unbelievable.

Instant poll: who gets to pull the lever on the MetLife board?  My money is on The Boss, via a video linkup ala Bob Sheppard yesterday.

Instant poll: who gets to pull the lever on the MetLife board?

Gabe White and Felix Heredia in tandem.

O’Neill looks like he could still play, and I’d bet his D is better than Abreu’s.

Boomer looks like he could still pitch (at least as well as Snacks Pontoon).

Bob Sheppard with the welcome speech.  God I’ve missed hearing his voice at the games this year…

my first game got me hooked; a doubleheader against texas in 1988. somehow, my friends dad got tickets on the field behind first base. I yelled for mattingly to come over the whole game, and he did, signing a couple autographs for me and a friend. The yanks won the first game, but we didn’t stick around for the second because we were probably falling asleep or something stupid kids do. Steve Balboni hit the most monstrous foul ball i’ve ever seen. the stadium was loud and impressive, and i read every biography on every retired pinstriped number i could get my hands on after that.

I would love to toss a few back with Whitey and Don Larsen.

Gotta say, nobody does grand proceedings like the Yankees.  Well done.

I just realized Joe Torre wasn’t mentioned anywhere during the pregame ceremonies.  Lame.

Clemens was also noticeably absent.

It also sucks that I have to experience this through the eyes of Joe Morgan and John Miller.

If the Orioles have any decency they’ll let the Yanks win tonight.

I just realized Joe Torre wasn’t mentioned anywhere during the pregame ceremonies.  Lame.

Yeah, that is lame.

Also interesting that Hankenstein was nowhere to be found.  Unlike the case of Torre, I’m quite grateful.

I agree that they should have mentioned Torre, but to play devil’s advocate, did they mention any other player or coach who is currently wearing another team’s uniform (or even any living player who wasn’t in attendance)?

but to play devil’s advocate, did they mention any other player or coach who is currently wearing another team’s uniform

They mentioned a bunch of people who didn’t make it.  Also, Mel Stottlemyre was definitely in the montage and he’s on the M’s staff.

Shit, the O’s pitcher is a rooker lefthander.  Ya’ll know what *that* means.

*rookie

“My first and, sadly only game was last summer, July 5th. It featured Slowey and Igawa as starting pitchers”

That’s some seriously shitty luck.

I’ve seen Clemens start at the Stadium during his first stint.

I’m getting pretty sad watching all this. Especially since Pettitte starting + Lefty Oriole pitcher probably = loss.

Angel Hernandez the last ump of Yankee Stadium?

Seriously?

Are the fans the only who notice that this guy sucks at his job?

did they mention any other player or coach who is currently wearing another team’s uniform (or even any living player who wasn’t in attendance)?

Yes - Don Mattingly.

Congratulations Andy!

Adam Jones is going to be PITA for a long time.

Yes - Don Mattingly.

Oh yeah, I forgot he’s on the Dodger staff *sheepish*

I was at the Stadium yesterday. This is depressing.

The Murcer family stuff made me a wee bit dewy eyed.
My wife bet me 20 bucks I would cry before the night was over.
I cant believe I’m out 20 before the game even started.
ESPN is so bad. So effin lame.

You know, I’m not too bummed that they could very well be eliminated in the last game. I feel like that will get lost in the pages of history.

Joe Morgan was a great baseball player, one of the best ever.
That said, I would love to see a giant pelican eat his mouth.

How lame was Michael Munson?  Comes out to stand next to f’ing YOGI BERRA and didn’t even shake his hand!  Lame-o.

That’s some seriously shitty luck.

yeah, no kidding.

Does anyone remember Joe Buck treating Yogi like an idiot when he was up in the booth? Lets see how the ESPN guys handle Yogi.

did they mention any other player or coach who is currently wearing another team’s uniform (or even any living player who wasn’t in attendance)?

Also Lou Piniella.

Good grief, they’re going to get blown out, aren’t they?

Also Lou Piniella.

Good point.

Cripes, Ford had to give his favorite moment umprompted because the ESPN guys are so incompetent.

Wow, looks like Atlanta is going through something similar with Jeff Francouer that we’re going through with Cano.  Wonder how cheap he’d come.

Wow, Francouer is a weird player. How do you hit 29 HR and have an OPS+ under 90?

These guys are real Yankees. Mora gets a hit and Whitey says “Oh shit” on national TV.

Did Whitey almost say “Oh shit!”

And I think I just heard him say “Damn!”

Awesome.

j- You’re looking at the wrong stats.

Good grief, they’re going to get blown out, aren’t they?

Does that really matter at this point?

The only thing that would bother me tonight would be Jeff Millar hitting the last home run.  They Yankees should just walk him every time.

Let’s see the FCC go after them.

Does that really matter at this point?

Yes.  Losing a game happens.  Getting embarrassed in your last game at the current ballpark is…embarrassing.

Also, is Jeff Millar Kevin’s even more irritating twin brother?

j- You’re looking at the wrong stats.

Um? .. 87 OPS+ for him in 06 thanks to his Cano-ish OBP.

j- Oops, thought you were talking about this season.

Also, is Jeff Millar Kevin’s even more irritating twin brother?

I have no idea where that one came from.  Jeff Millar was the cartoonist who drew “Tank MacNamara” back in the 70s.  I guess all that nostalgia really scrambled my brain.

That was a really great quote by Yogi:

“I won’t miss this place because it’s a part of me.”

Well said, Mr. Berra.  Well said.

Johnny Damon!

DAMON!!!

Now that’s nice of Baltimore.

Screw you, Markakis.

RE-55: YM perhaps he was a bit nervous about the evening.
58 thousand people screaming love about your late Dad could break your concentration.

I wonder what the odds are on the final home run at Yankee Stadium.

I’m sure there are odds.

Baseclogger does his thing… for the last time at the Stadium?!?!?!

Maris still has the record in my mind.
180 lbs and smoking. Screw Mark and Barroid.

Maris still has the record in my mind.
180 lbs and smoking. Screw Mark and Barroid.

I assume you feel the same way about Sammy.

Exactly how much would you all pay to have Berra/Ford as the regular broadcast team? If you could bring Scooter back to life and add him, how much more would that be worth to you?

SicSemper- could they also fight crime?

Of COURSE they would fight crime.

They’re talking about George Steinbrenner now.

He’s even more conspicuous with his absence than Bob Sheppard.  His health must really be bad.

SAmmy was clearly cork and ped free right?

At least Sheppard recorded a few messages.

I still think Stein will pull the lever the last time.

Pettitte blows. Thanks for the memories, please retire.

I still think Stein will pull the lever the last time.

They have been hinting that there’s still another special guest.  Unless they revivify Babe or Mickey, it can’t see who else it would be.

On the other hand, if George is in the park, its hard to believe that the cameras wouldn’t have found him.

Pettitte’s pitching better than his line, infield single and jam shot single last inning.  Of course, he’s been consistently unlucky and/or bad the last month or so.

“Unless they revivify Babe or Mickey, it can’t see who else it would be.”

Igawa.

I must have fallen asleep, because I just dreamt Cano took a walk.

Oh my god…Jose Molina may have hit the last home run at Yankee Stadium.

If you had Jose Molina in the “last HR in Yankee Stadium” pool, you’ll really be sweating the rest of the game.  That could be a big payoff.

Molina the last one?

I LOVE IT!!!!!

That would be crazy.  And awesome.  And crazy.

Yeah, if not Jeet, I kinda hope it’s Molina.

god knows who’ll hit the last indeed

Dear Joe Morgan
Please STFU and die.
Tonight is not about you and your stupid Big Red Machine.
BTW Chuck Knoblauch has 4 rings to your 2,asshole.
The one with the Twins counts too.
Respectfully as always
OTF
Did I mention STFU?

I skipped the commericals so I missed just what happen- why was the fans being led off?