I brought my son to the Yankee game yesterday. It was cold, very cold, Kei Igawa was terrible in his America debut. My son was fidgety and bored as the Yanks were losing 7-3 through 7.
Then it started. Giambi hit a 3 run homer in the Eighth, but alas Matsui was down with a hamstring injury and Cairo was next up. The Stadium erupted when Johnny Damon pinch hit for Cairo. The chants of Johnny reverberated the night. Ball, Ball, Strike looking, Strike looking, Foul, Foul, and finally the payoff … Damon struck out swinging. Posada made the 3rd out.
Mariano comes out for the ninth with the Yanks down 7-6. I mentioned it was freezing cold, it was about 39 degrees. Despite the cold and the score most of the game, most fans stayed. What I will never understand is the fans who left after Posada made out. Who needs to beat the traffic on a Saturday afternoon when the Yanks are only down by one. The Greatest closer ever is about to come on the field as he has not worked since Monday night. These people cannot be Yankee Fans.
So Mo works an easy ninth and the Yanks have Mientkiewicz, Cabrera and Cano due up. Pretty much no one left on the bench except Phelps and Nieves a 4A catcher. Doug hits a screamer that Chris Gomez snares. Cabrera strikes out. The Stadium is glum, two outs but Chants for Robby get loud and a little desperate sounding. Count is 1-2, Cano hits a little knobber that falls into to shallow center.
Here comes the Captain, Jeter goes 2-1 and then gets hit, but he gets called back as a foul tip. Jeter takes a ball, and then walks anyway. Yanks are still alive, a single by Bobby Abreu will tie it. I turn to my friend that is also with us, and say, of course Bobby will walk and put the pressure on A-Rod. Bobby gets hit by a pitch.
Here we are, Kevin, (my son) is standing on his seat. All fans are on their feet. A-Rod comes to the plate. The fans are nervous, he never seems to come through in these situations.
Ball, big cheer, a walk will tie it and Chris Ray has been wild.
Strike Looking and then Strike Swinging: “Oh no, here we go again.”
Then it happens, that sweet, sweet sound, that perfect snap. The Ball flies into the sky. It goes deep, no one has any doubt, the Stadium erupts, at long last A-rod has come up big, really big. Into the black the ball lands.
The fans celebrate like it was the post season or at least a Yankee-Redsox game. Everyone is clapping, cheering and hugging. The Stadium is as loud as I have ever heard it in the regular season. Oh the glory, oh the redemption. Someone pushes A-Rod back out to take his curtain call.
Wow,
Jim
