Top Yankee Moments Of 2008 – Closing Of Yankee Stadium

Posted by admin on January 12, 2009 under Top Yankee Moments Of 2008 | Be the First to Comment

Really there’s no question what the top Yankee moment of 2008 was – it was the closing of Yankee Stadium.

There’s hundreds of records set there. Two home run records were set there by Babe Ruth and Roger Maris.

There were thousands of important moments in baseball. There was Lou Gherig’s unforgettable farewell speech. Three perfect games were thrown there and more than a few no-hitters. The Yankees clinched nine world series there. Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in one World Series game to help the Yankees win the World Series in 1977. And that’s just the beginning of a very long list.

It wasn’t just baseball either. The greatest game in NFL history was played there. Boxers Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali fought and won there. Four times Popes had visited there.

But it wasn’t just those things that made it so special. It was going with my family to watch the Yankees play. Whether we were in the upper upper deck or six rows back from homeplate it was always an amazing experience. I’ve seen MLB played in many different fields now, but none can really compare to Yankee Stadium (with maybe an exception for Wrigley Field). There was the familiar facade (or the frieze), hearing Bob Sheppard call the players names. There was seeing Monument Park, the huge NY symbol behind home plate and the short right porch that make Yankee stadium special. No other stadium would make me want to travel halfway across the country to visit in it’s final season.

It wasn’t just being at the game either. It was watching it on the television with family, friends and roommates. Watching them win world seriess, watching them lose regular season games. Listening to Phil Ruzzuto, Bobby Murcer and Michael Kay.

The final game at Yankee Stadium couldn’t have been any closer to perfect with the Yankees winning 7-3. Who better to have thrown the last pitch than Mariano Riveria. Derek Jeter’s speech said exactly the right words. And of course what would it have been without greatest fans in the world.

If the New Yankee Stadium is half as special as the Old one, it’ll make it one of the greatest stadiums ever, but it has some pretty big shoes to fill.