Yankees 7, Indians 4

Last night we all went out to Yankee stadium to watch a baseball game. By “we,” I mean me, the wife, the two little ones, my father-in-law, and his lady friend.

What an awesome time we had!

Now, I’m not a big baseball fan. Never could hit a ball, going way back forty years, and still can’t. But lately I’ve been watching some games and reading some online stuff, and I find it enjoyable. Relaxing. The slow pace of the game, which used to frustrate me, now appeals to me. The statistical end of the game fascinates my left-brain hemisphere.

My dad took me and my brother to a bunch of Mets games in the 70s. Then a ten-year hiatus until I went to a half-dozen or so Yankee games with my pals in the late 80s. I must’ve written about it somewhere here on the blog – those were some fun days. Guzzling beer, smoking, swimming in my friend’s outdoor pool after the game on hot August nights. You know, stuff you enjoyed when you were an immortal kid.

After I met my wife it became our tradition – instigated by my father-in-law – to take in a Yankee game, usually late in the summer. We did this every year in the early 2000s, and stopped for some reason or other when Little One was an infant. Those, too, were enjoyable games, so my wife took it upon herself to re-institute the tradition. And we’re all glad she did.

She scored some discounted tickets on Groupon a few weeks ago and made all the arrangements. Yesterday I left work an hour early while she got the kids from school and day care (Mondays are “office days” for her where she works out of our home). We left our house at 5:40 and, surprisingly, made it to the stadium in an hour. Surprising since we were driving in one of the most typically dense traffic centers in the country (Routes 17 and 4 in New Jersey leading into the George Washington Bridge and the Major Deegan Expressway). With a half-hour to spare before the game, we were parked, paid, and walking into the new Yankee Stadium

This was our first trip to the Yanks new home. I have to admit, I was impressed. Me, I’m a traditionalist. Normally, I’d be upset, had I been a big baseball fan. I’d been to the old stadium maybe two dozen times in my life, so I kinda sorta knew it. But the new one … clean, expansive, user-friendly. Didn’t hurt that the rainy day turned into a gorgeous twilight. Crowd flowed smoothly about, not traffic stop gaps. Lots of stadium employees holding fan-sized signs encouraging us to ask them to be of assistance. Everything clearly marked, easy to find. Even the bathrooms weren’t that bad.

Anyway, my family met my wife’s dad and his lady friend right before the game started. We chatted overlooking home plate from three tiers up. The Yankees’ GM’s daughter – age 15 or so – sung the National Anthem which greatly awed Little One. The wife grabbed a beer, I grabbed a soda, we managed to hold off ice cream for the girls for a couple of innings, and took our seats.

Legendary Yankee Andy Pettitte was on the mound, returning after being injured for a few weeks, and going for his career 250th win. The Yankees were – I think – 2.5 games behind Boston in the AL East, and Cleveland was game or so behind Detroit. The first two innings were scoreless, and we primarily explained the game to Little One and tried to keep Patch amused (i.e., not falling onto any spectators below us). Then, at the top of the third, the Indians scored a run.

I was really hoping the Yankees would win, and this would be a memorable game. I was rewarded on both counts. When the Yanks got up to bat next, they loaded the bases. Mark Teixeira, himself also recently returned to the lineup from injury, socked a line drive home run that barely cleared the right field fence (in fact, I think it hit the top and bounced into the stands). A grand slam! The girls went wild.

In the fifth Cleveland came back with three runs to tie it up. We waited expectantly for the Yanks to do something during their turn at bat, but, alas, it remained 4-4. We also could no longer hold off their girls’ appetite for ice cream. After a trip to the bathrooms, we bought them chocolate with rainbow sprinkles in a Yankees helmet-cup. I had a waffle cone. The wife, ever the contrarian, opted for a hot dog at another stand.

Back in the seats, the girls were getting antsy. It was approaching nine o’clock. They were overtired and overstimulated. They were also fascinated – perhaps more so than with the game – with the fan shots on the jumbotron, the chanting and cheering, the wave, the ground crew doing the “YMCA” at the 7th inning stretch. They were definitely enjoying the party atmosphere.

But there was still a game. Travis Hafner’s solo home run plus some quick base running or well-hit singles gave the Yanks three more runs. And then – top of the 9th, Mariano Rivera was brought in to close. Metallica “Enter Sandman” blasted over the PA system. When we first entered the stadium we were handed “autographed” Mariano pics, which both girls stared at wide-eyed. Now they were seeing him pitch in person, though we had to explain the circumstances and why it was so momentous.

Now, I saw Rivera close out the last game we were at, sometime around 2007 or 2008 I’d guess. He completely dominated the opposing batters, three up three out on something like fourteen pitches. Last night’s performance was not as masterful (there was one, maybe two hits), but, yes, he did retire the Indians for the night without any worry. Nick Swisher, ex-Yankee, was the final at-bat. He popped out to short left field. Ichiro Suzuki caught it, and the game was history.

Everybody cleared out rather quickly, but we lingered. Got some pics of the girls with the baseball diamond behind them. We said our goodbye’s to my father-in-law. Took our time getting out, which paid off. Got to the parking garage, got our car, got on line, got out on the road, over the bridge, into New Jersey, and him in a little over thirty minutes. Not bad at all, not bad at all.

Patch fell asleep in the back seat, utterly exhausted. I carried her in to the house, and she and Little One were able to get into jammies and brush teeth and get in bed by 11:30. They were out like lights by 11:32.

What an awesome day. Can’t wait to do it again … in 2014.