The End has Come, but the Memories will Last Forever: One Fan’s Take on the Final Game at Yankee Stadium

By James Greenspan: SPM NJ Writer
Posted Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The final score on the scoreboard. Yankees 7, Orioles 3.

Last night’s Red Sox victory officially eliminated the Yankees from playoff contention for the first time in 13 seasons. The win also sealed the fate of Yankee Stadium. It is now certain that Sunday night’s game will be the final baseball game ever played in the 85-year-old stadium’s history.

That game was, by far, the most exciting, unique, and memorable sporting event I have ever attended. I arrived at the stadium with my mother around 3:00 pm for the 8:00 pm game. We had hoped to arrive early enough to get on the field, but security had already shut down the line by the time we got to the stadium, so we missed that wonderful opportunity.

Since we didn’t want to enter the stadium and sit around watching batting practice for five hours, we went into the Yankee Lanes, a bowling alley across the street from the stadium. We watched the Giants beat the Browns in overtime, one heck of a game by the way, although the final score shouldn’t have been as close as it was.

Around 5:30, my mom and I entered the stadium and took our seats. Where were we sitting you ask? Well, we were sitting in section 39 of the bleachers, also known as, the “Bleacher Creature” section. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I’ve frequently talked about my love of the Bleacher Creatures, and their famous “roll call.” We quickly made friends with the people sitting around us, most of whom were section 39 regulars.

"We want you to take the memories from this stadium, add them to the new memories that come at the new Yankee Stadium and continue to pass them along from generation to generation" ~ Derek Jeter

The stadium was absolutely packed by 6:30, about two hours before the first pitch was scheduled to be tossed. There were literally dozens of flash bulbs going off every second, and a beautiful sunset lit up the sky as the sun went down over the first base side of the stadium.

Around 6:45, the Army Band marched behind home plate and played a few songs, including the Stars and Stripes Forever, one of my personal favorites. Soon after, the Yankees introduced some of the famous players from the history of the team. They announced the opening lineup of 1923, doing a Field of Dreams type presentation where actors played the players.

After the Field of Dreams original lineup was finished, the Yankees showed clips of great players at each position. They had the players, or, in some cases, surviving family members walk out to the player’s position. Yogi Berra, Tino Martinez, Scott Brosius, the family of the late Bobby Murcer, Mickey Mantle’s son, and Paul O’Neill all got incredibly loud ovations. The crowd chanted “Paul O’Neeee ill” for a few minutes, and I was reminded of the amazing moment from game five of the 2001 World Series when the crowd saluted him in the same manner. However, the best moment of the pre-game ceremonies was Bernie Williams’ triumphant return to the stadium. Bernie hasn’t been around since the end of the 2006 season, since the Yanks refused to bring him back for the 2007 season. The club and Bernie had a sort of falling out. Sunday night however, the fans welcomed him home with, by far, the loudest ovation of any of the former players.

The game itself was almost an afterthought. The Yankees won, which of course was the most important thing. Andy Pettitte got the win, Joba pitched well, Jeter made three nice defensive plays (no jump throw unfortunately), and Rivera threw the last pitch of a 1-2-3 inning to end the game. Joe Girardi (taking a page out of Terry Francona’s All -Star Game book), pulled Derek Jeter from the game with two outs in the 9th inning so that Jeter could get his own personal standing ovation and curtain call. Early in the night, it was apparent that the entire evening was going to be a tribute to the crowd’s love of Derek Jeter. Jeter is clearly the torch bearer for the late 90’s championship dynasty, and he is undeniably the current link to the history of Yankee greatness. He is also an all-time class act, and a first ballot hall-of-famer.

His speech after the game was short, to the point, and touched the heart of Yankee fans everywhere.

“Every member of this organization, past and present, has been calling this place home for 85 years. There’s a lot of tradition, a lot of history and a lot of memories. Now, the great thing about memories is you’re able to pass it along from generation to generation.

Although things are going to change next year. We’re going to move across the street. There are a few things that New York Yankees that never change. That’s pride, tradition and most of all we have the greatest fans in the world.

We want you to take the memories from this stadium, add them to the new memories that come at the new Yankee Stadium and continue to pass them along from generation to generation. So on behalf of the entire organization, we want to take this moment to salute you, the greatest fans in the world.”

After the speech, the Yankees took a lap around the Stadium, not a victory lap, but a “thank you” lap. Led by Jeter, the Yankees tipped their caps to the entire stadium, section by section. It was a truly touching moment that I will never forget.

Overall, it was an amazing night at the stadium, my last unfortunately, but I will most certainly follow Jeter’s advice and take my memories of the dozens of wins, two playoff victories, two walk-off home runs (A-Rod and Bernie), and the final game, with me to the new stadium.

On a personal note, I’d like to thank the amazing Yankee fan who gave me some of the stadium dirt from his pocket when I mentioned that I had arrived too late to get on the field. I put it in the Ziploc I brought along (in case I did make it on the field), and I will frame it along with my program and ticket stubs.

It was a fitting tribute to the final game ever played in "The House that Ruth Built", "The Cathedral of Baseball", and the greatest building in the history of sports.