In my family-you have to like the Yankees. It's not an option. If I brought a Red Sox fan home-I'm fairly certain my brothers would fight him. Some people are just crazy like that. So naturally, I watched the final game played in Yankee Stadium on Sunday night (and DVR'd it too :)) Sunday September 21, 2008 was the final game at Yankee Stadium, or as New Yorkers know it “The House That Ruth Built.”For 85 years the Yankees have worn the pinstripes with pride. Winning 26 World Series Championships and hosting 37 of them, the New York Yankees have employed some of the greatest players to ever play the game. Bernie Williams, Paul O’Neil, Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra were just a few of the legends who made an appearance at the farewell game to Yankee Stadium.
Yankee Stadium opened on April 18, 1923, and fittingly Babe Ruth hit the first home-run that game in the new stadium. He was quoted before the game saying, "I would give a year off my life to hit a homerun today." Later Ruth was quoted with saying "God only knows who will hit the last." Well-now we do too. It was Jose Molina-the catcher for the Yankees.
Several other events aside from just baseball games took place in Yankee Stadium. There was the famous Muhammad Ali fight, the Billy Joel "Piano Man" concert, and several visits from various Popes to the field. This stadium holds more breathtaking, unforgettable, miraculous moments than any other sports arena. Games have been won at the last opportunity, records have been set and shattered, curses and dreams broken, but more importantly dreams made. The new stadium is literally just across the street from the old (I know-why build a new stadium anyways??). Hopefully some of the traditions that make Yankees baseball what it is will continue on, just on the other side of the road.
And in case you were wondering they did win their final game in the stadium :)
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