Today's my pops' birthday, and I'm going to celebrate it with an anecdote about our visit to the new Yankee Stadium this past June.
The last time we saw a game together was in 1998, in Denver, when the Rockies took on the Padres, in the year that the Padres eventually went on to be swept by the Yankees in the World Series. There was a funny moment at that game; while the Padres were taking batting practice a little boy was heckling a San Diego batter, number 33, "Hey number 33, I see you! Number 33!" and the like. My dad and I shared a laugh, because we knew that number 33 was in reality Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. About this time, journey-man slugger Greg Vaughn (originally from Sacramento) made a fake attempt to run up into the stands and "get" the little heckler, who ran away in terror. Also, in that game, the Rockies' third baseman, Vinnie Castillo, one of Mexico's biggest MLB heroes (nobody's bigger than Fernando, of course) hit two home-runs.
But, watching a game at Yankee Stadium with my dad always ranked pretty high on my lifetime list of things to do, and we got the chance earlier this year when he came out to visit the City on business.
Our seats were nice and close, and the opponent was the lowly Washington Nationals of the National League, during one of MLB's bouts with inter-league play. Big CC Sabathia was pitching, and held the Nats to basically nothing, until giving up a two-run lead by serving up a three-run homer. The Yanks came back to win, and CC pitched long-enough to earn the victory, and we got to see Mariano pick up another of his 500+ saves.
After the home-run by the Nats' player, we took off for other parts of the stadium, checking out the view from each of the levels and watching a smattering of half-innings. We were on the mid-level and mostly missed a spectacular catch in right-field by Nick Swisher. We made it all the way up to the upper-ist point in the upper-deck behind home-plate, nearby where the seats that Corrie and I were to watch the game the next month, and had a laugh as the crowd booed A-Rod for popping out and ending the inning with the tie run on third base.
In the upper-deck I glimpsed the kind of Yankee fan my dad is, and I was impressed. My dad and I are of the not-so-obnoxious Yankee fan specie out here, more cerebral and less the "We win da most, so we 'de greatest" fight-picking type. But, as I noticed, something I don't do that he does is start Yankee chants...foot-stomping, high-decibel hollering, loud clapping type chants. It was beautiful and obnoxious at the same time. I guess I don't have the balls for that.
Love you dad! Happy birthday, and enjoy one for the Yankees return to the Post-Season!
Thanks, dude. Since they didn't let me in to see the Monuments (and me traveling all the way from Colorado), I wanted to do as much of the YS thing as possible. The last time I participated in a "Let's Go Yank-ees" chant was at Coors Field, on one of the rare occasions when the Yanks came for a visit - I think it was '05. I recall you weren't the only one thinking I was obnoxious. A lot of the upper-deck fans looked at me as if to say, "Oh, grow up!"
ReplyDeleteAnd rest assured I hoisted one or two in the Pinstriped boys' honor.