What a game! Last night was my third visit to the new ballpark, and I couldn't have picked a better night. I got to see a Yankee inside-the-park home run for my first time ever in person. I also got to see my first walkoff win since the Jeter-flying-into-the-stands game. And Squawker Jon was even semi-decent company. Hooray!
Friday's game had a feel of an event night, thanks to Alex Rodriguez's return. Lots of celebs in the house. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was at the game, and got cheers when he was shown on the big screen. Donald Trump got some boos. Bill O'Reilly got a ton of boos.
While A-Rod didn't do anything exciting at the plate (my home run prediction was way off), the crowd was about as pumped up for this game as I've seen them all year. Michael Kay and Paul O'Neill were just saying on this afternoon's broadcast that they thought last night's crowd was the loudest and most excited they had been all year.
But I have to criticize the fans who left the game in the seventh and eighth inning, and there were a bunch who did. I realize some of them in the upper deck were doing what I've done in the past - manuever my way down in late innings to get closer to the action. But those who left from the main and field levels have no excuse. The worst the Yankees were losing in the game was 4-1 in the middle of the seventh. Obviously, that wasn't an insurmountable lead. Too bad for those "fans"- they missed a heck of an ending.
It's funny how things worked out - Brett Gardner wouldn't even have been in the game if it weren't for Johnny Damon being ejected. Our seats, which were in the upper deck just to the right of home plate, were very good, and gave us a terrific view of Gardner's inside-the-park homer. What a thrilling moment!
Oh, and the Stadium scoreboard used this "The Melk-Man Delivers" graphic for Melky Cabrera's walkoff single. Talk about cheesy! But I was so happy for Melky, though. Liked how he threw his helmet in the air, as A-Rod famously did after hitting a walkoff homer.
We didn't know what the whole Mark Teixeira thing was about, but we assumed it somehow involved A-Rod because he was talking to the ump. But for once, A-Rod had nothing to do with it!
Speaking of A-Rod, the video screen had a graphic about him being signed by the Yanks on 1/10/07. That's embarrassing.
And speaking of Mark Teixeira, is it just me, or does he look a lot like Cotton Eye Joey?
I have to agree with Squawker Jon with the lameness of Cup Night. The concession stand's commemorative cups for beer and soda are much nicer.
As Squawker Jon noted, I did correctly predict that the Yanks would get to Joe Nathan, and that the Twins made a mistake in walking Robinson Cano. For once, I made a few correct prediction. Thank goodness for small favors!
One final note - the food report. While I still think Citi Field's food is much better, we did have the best dishes we've had at the Stadium so far. Squawker Jon and I each split a rainbow roll, chicken sliders and fries, and the Lobel's steak sandwich. All items were very good. The Lobel's sandwich, which we liked the first time we had it, was even better the second time around.
What do you think? Leave us a comment!
6 comments:
I was there too, Lisa. And of course I did not leave. Great win, and the crowd was pretty good the entire game. Well, besides one guy who asked me to stop using my empty beer bottle to make noise because it was bothering his girlfriend.
I do leave Games early, But only because I live 155 miles away from the Trop (St Pete) and sometimes I have to work the next day. I am old and need my Beauty sleep. But if I am off the next ady or I am visting Yankee Stadium I never leave early. unless it is cold and rainy
I was shopping at Woodbridge Center last night, and caught a few clips of the game before getting home in time to listen to Sterling yammer about Melky.
Strange things happen with the Yankees when I go to that mall: I was also there for the beginning of that 13-inning dance of death with the Red Sox in 2004, the one where Jeter flew, yet the blood proved he WASN'T Superman -- maybe he's Batman -- and John Flaherty turned "one shining moment" into a career as a broadcaster so boring it makes me prefer Sterling AND Kay.
I was in New York today, and considered going to the game. But the weather made me decide against it.
Phil Coke-and-no-smile blew a nice start by Joba, but they tied it up in the bottom of the 8th, and went to the 11th.
I'm happy about the win, but did it have to be Alex Roid-riguez who hit it?
I wonder if Michael Kay got that tingling feeling up his leg.
Once again, attendance was about 45,000. Seems just about every seat in the new Yankee Stadium (yeah, I typed it, but it still made my skin crawl) has been sold for every game so far -- except for the $2,500 seats! Excuse me, the $1,250 seats. They're still empty!
Even more than Dodger Stadium nearly half a century ago, it's the House That Greed Built. It's truly impressive, but it's not a park for the fans, and it still doesn't feel like Yankee Stadium. It's like a holodeck simulation of the old, pre-1976 renovation Yankee Stadium on "Star Trek."
I've never liked Alex Rodriguez -- despite having been in the ballpark for his 500th* career home run, and I don't think I ever will. I've never trusted A-Rod in a clutch situation -- despite having been in the ballpark for his walkoff grand slam against Baltimore in 2007 -- and I don't think I ever will.
Yeah, thanks for the walkoff win today, Alex. Now do it again in October, you useless...
I don't usually leave early. There was a game in 1999 when I did, and the Yanks trailed the Orioles by about 5-3, and it was hopeless, and the D train was down to around 96th Street when somebody with a Walkman said that Scott Brosius had hit a walkoff homer. Serves me right.
I can imagine getting away from Tropicana Field to get "Beauty sleep." Ain't no beauty connected with that hideous thing.
How about that Preakness? When can we expect "Confessions of a She-Horse"? Yeah, she confesses that the jockey who rode the Kentucky Derby winner preferred to ride her!
Confessions of a She-Horse - my next book. Anyhow, Lisa, what's a rainbow roll? Inquiring minds want to know. So glad you got to see such an exciting game. Today's was pretty amazing too.
Ask Jon, Did Howie Rose really say
"J.J. Putz it in the books"?
Oh No!! That is worst than anything Sterling ever said!
Confessions of a She-Horse is very funny, Michael. And Jane, I think you have a sequel - it could be about the filly banned from talking to the other horses by an overzealous press guy.
Oh, and a rainbow roll is a sushi roll where some pieces are shrimp, some tuna, and some salmon. At least it was that way at the ballpark!
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