Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

Being a proud and lifelong Bronx resident, how could I not be a huge Yankees fan? Of course, there are the record number of championships but you have to admit, it's also about the rich Yankee history, the extensive Yankee tradition and of course, the new beautiful ball park.

Certainly, the haters insist the Yankees buy themselves a great team every year.  My response to this argument is, if in fact this were true, then why haven't we won a championship every single year? After all, the Yankees have historically had one of the highest payrolls in baseball but the fact remains,  they haven't won every year. As most Yankee fans will readily admit, having a huge payroll doesn't necessarily guarantee a pennant but it certainly does better the odds. To be quite  honest with you, I see nothing wrong with spending huge sums of money on a winning team! My rationale is there isn't a single major league team in America that isn't charging a fortune for tickets or forcing their fans to sneak food into the park because they can"t afford to pay $8.00 for a hot dog! There is a pleasure in knowing that at the home of the Yankees, fans will pay $12.00 for bleacher seats and $8.50 for a hot dog but at least, there is a sense of serenity in knowing that our hard earned money could positively affect the outcome of another championship!

Thankfully, I didn't have to pay for our fantastic seats along the first base line. My good fortune was attributed to the fact that my son Alex had wanted to take me out to the stadium for my birthday. He knew that as much as I loved the Yankees, I still hadn't been out to the new place. Along with Alex,  his long time friend Laura came with us. At one point, they were each busy sipping away at their warm $10.00 beers and I was chugging on my water filled plastic bottle and noshing on the Nutella sandwiches I brought in from home. Every so often, I looked over and wondered how they could afford their lifestyles! I suppose in their own special way, they were helping out Alex Rodriguez. They're such good kids!  My son also knew how apprehensive I had been about this new stadium. After all, tearing down the old stadium was the equivalent of demolishing a cathedral. I have to say, they did a fantastic job with the new place and it definitely is a suitable home for the Yankees. Alex and I were already talking about taking a tour of the stadium, some time during the close of the season and making the pilgrimage out to Cooperstown.

Being at the stadium is a different experience than watching the game at home. The most obvious differences are I don't have to stand on a long line to go to the bathroom and I can't fall asleep on the couch. However, I've also noticed that when I'm home, I seem to be more in tune with the game. Whereas, there are a thousand distractions at the stadium and in many ways, they aren't necessarily bad. Of course, you're checking out the boards, the people walking by, the fans yelling and the routine movements of being at the stadium. Despite the busy stadium environment, there is also a pace to the game that seemingly contradicts the hustle and bustle. I'm talking about the time between at bats or pitches.  This lull allows you to turn over and talk about what's going on in and outside of the game. Of course, there aren't any time restraints in baseball and the game will end when the innings are over. In the back of my mind, there is a pleasure in knowing this is essentially the same game I went to with my dad and there's a good chance the game will be the same for my grandchildren.


Despite the threat of rain and being down to the Tampa Bay Rays 2 - 0, the Yankees managed to come from behind and won, 4 - 2. Best of all, we were able to see Mariano Rivera (a.k.a.: The Sandman!) pitch his 163rd save of his career! Even though all Yankee wins are special, this game was significant because the win gave them the chance to clinch a playoff berth (As if we had any doubt!). What baseball fan could ask for more?