Part 1 - Monday, March 31, 2008
10:22 AM: I make my way towards Yankees Stadium in the cold wet rain, rolling at a snails pace on the Cross Bronx Expressway.
11:30 AM : A normal ten minute drive turns into a traffic fueled nightmare as I throw a Lenny Dykstra sized dip in to ease the pain of Opening Day traffic.
11:45 AM : Due to construction, half of the parking lots are closed, Parking prices have gone up to 17 Dollars a pop.
11: 55 AM : I arrive to my cold tailgate and am greeted with Bacon, hot dogs and peroggis!
12:00 PM and no one has commented on my Randy Velarde shirt, oh wait, it's freezing and raining and I have on 7w49843790348712 layers to keep me warm.
From Noon until about 1:30 when Suzyn Waldman says on the radio: " There will be a game today." This 90 minute span is pretty hazy, but I think Suzyn Waldman owes the entire Yankee fan base 17 Bucks each because she says on the radio , " Don't turn around, there will be a game today.
2:30 - The rain stops! Hooray!
2:31 - The game is cancelled! BOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Part 2 - Tuesday April 1, 2008
3: 00 PM- I arrive at the stadium with no hassles at all, and receive my usual parking spot, but still have to pay for it... Thanks Suzyn.
4 Hours later... game time!
7:05 PM Reggie Jackson strolls out to the mound with Yogi Berra, probably to shield him from all of the Boos
7:07 National Anthem is botched by West Point Cadet who has his voice crack when the rockets red glare....
7:10 First pitch! Wang throws strike one! Surprised he remembered how to do that.
Roll call echoes throughout the stadium even up to row W!
First inning, Yanks get on the board with an A Rod double to right center, good at bat especially with two strikes. I had money saying the fans would have booed him if he got out.
Jays strike back in the second to tie it at 1 a piece.
Inning 3 the beers are flowing and the crowd is getting rowdy. Moments later a douche in a Mets shirt waltzes up to the upper deck, where he is greeted by an "Asshole" chorus. Little did he know Pedro was hurt and Jorge Sosa was now in! SUCKER!
4th Inning Melky Cabrera showed the fans why the Yankees didn't trade him in the off season with two spectacular catches, one against the wall and another was a super man type leap for a low liner in left center. The crowd went nuts for Melky prompted the ethnically challenged Yankee brass to post the "Tienes Leche?" all over the stadium.
By the fifth inning the game was barely over an hour in length! Are these the Yankees playing this game? Halladay and Wang Deuled all night and halladay left after allowing the go ahead run to score on a ground out.
8th inning begins and Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil comes blasting. Here comes Joba to a standing ovation and he did not disappoint. He capped off his inning of dominance by making Frank Thomas look like a little leaguer and gave his Fiery fist pump as he hopped off the mound.
ENTER SANDMAN - Rivera entered the packed stadium to an ovation as loud if not louder than Joba's! Rivera mowed them down and got the save.
VelardeWasInnocent's Final Thoughts & Observations
By far the most popular jerseys at the stadium were Chamberlain shirts.
A few scattered empty seats were seen, probably due to the rain out from the day before.
Suzyn Waldman owes me and the rest of the fans 17 dollars each for saying the game would be played and not to turn around.
I think I reminded everyone around me about 897243902473 times that this is the ten year anniversary of the 1998 Yankees, the greatest team I've ever seen.
They actually let Latroy Hawkins wear number 21?!
The new stadium looks amazing
Men over the age of 35 love my Randy Velarde shirt
Beers are 9.50 and parking it 17 bucks, I don't see myself affording that many more games.
A Rod and Abreu had big days at the plate and Wang was dominant on the hill. The game flew by as both pitchers owned the strike zone.
Even though the day before was handled so poorly,The final Opening day at Yankee Stadium was a memorable day that ended with a Yankees win.
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