“It’s Getting Late Early!” said baseball’s living legend Yogi Berra. And so it did for the 2008 New York Yankees.
Sunday evening, September 21, 2008, Yankee Stadium closed for baseball business, and America watched the spectacle and pageantry on ESPN’s national broadcast.
But, during his turn as a guest on the telecast, Yankees TV broadcaster Michael Kay said something interesting. I don’t have the exact quote, but it was to this effect…
At the beginning of the season, no one looked at September 21 as being the ACTUAL “LAST” baseball game to be played at Yankee Stadium. It was assumed, as it has been for the previous THIRTEEEN SEASONS, that the Yankees would play a certain number of post-season games at their familiar home at 161st Street and River Avenue, The Bronx.
But, the amazing Tampa Bay Rays and the grudgingly superior Boston Red Sox combined to shut the Yankees out of the American League Eastern Division title and out of the American League Wild Card berth. The Yankees consecutive post-season run came to an official end last night, September 23, with a Red Sox win to eliminate the Yanks from Wild Card contention.
So, the unthinkable happened and September 21, 2008 DID mark the final Yankees baseball game to be played at what has been called “The Cathedral of Baseball”… and once again we learned just how brilliant a man is Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, as it did indeed “Get Late Early”!
Sunday evening, September 21, 2008, Yankee Stadium closed for baseball business, and America watched the spectacle and pageantry on ESPN’s national broadcast.
But, during his turn as a guest on the telecast, Yankees TV broadcaster Michael Kay said something interesting. I don’t have the exact quote, but it was to this effect…
At the beginning of the season, no one looked at September 21 as being the ACTUAL “LAST” baseball game to be played at Yankee Stadium. It was assumed, as it has been for the previous THIRTEEEN SEASONS, that the Yankees would play a certain number of post-season games at their familiar home at 161st Street and River Avenue, The Bronx.
But, the amazing Tampa Bay Rays and the grudgingly superior Boston Red Sox combined to shut the Yankees out of the American League Eastern Division title and out of the American League Wild Card berth. The Yankees consecutive post-season run came to an official end last night, September 23, with a Red Sox win to eliminate the Yanks from Wild Card contention.
So, the unthinkable happened and September 21, 2008 DID mark the final Yankees baseball game to be played at what has been called “The Cathedral of Baseball”… and once again we learned just how brilliant a man is Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, as it did indeed “Get Late Early”!
2 comments:
Hey! Amy here. Not sure if my first comment took, so bear with me if I'm repeating.
I just discovered your blog. This is really cool, and I salute you! Did PASSIONS zine cease? How is Ken these days?
I'm doing well. My husband, Pete, and I are still happily living in Queens.
I hope you are happy and enjoying life.
My comment: Did only a few care that Joe Torre wasn't mentioned, much less given any credit, for the success of the Yankees on the night of the 21st? That was the only thing that marred the show for me. What do you think?
Amy:
I think Joe Torre should have been mentioned – but, of course, there are all sorts of political problems in crediting recent successes to a fired manager, let alone one who is going to the playoffs when the Yankees are not.
I was glad to seem them do right by Willie Randolph, though!
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