Talking Baseball

The house that Ruth built will no longer host any baseball games.

Yankee Stadium forever closed its doors to adoring fans and players alike early Monday morning, hours after the Yankees won the final game ever at this historic park, 7-3 over the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

When it opened in 1923 not many people knew what the memories would bring.

Yankee Stadium has seen such performances as the Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle chase of Ruth’s single season homerun record, the Lou Gehrig “Luckiest man on the face of the earth” speech, Joltin’ Joe’s hitting streak and its final All-Star Game in 2008 to name a few.

The stadium has also seen plenty of World Series victories, pennants, perfect games, no hitters, Ruthian homeruns and increbible plays by the greatest shortstop in franchise history.

The last World Series title to be clinched at the stadium by the Yankees was in 1999 and the final one to be clinched there overall was in 2003 by the Florida Marlins.

A new Yankee Stadium will open in 2009 across the street from the most historical ballpark in American sports history where new memories will be made for generations to come.

Two popular, well known songs to Yankee fans were played for one final time on Sunday night. They were Mariano Rivera’s “Enter Sandman” and Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” The latter was on loop during the postgame festivities which included a speech from team captain Derek Jeter and one final victory lap around the field for the entire team.

Although it wasn’t a save situation, Manager Joe Girardi brought in the team’s greatest closer to nail things down for one final time on one of the most historic mounds in baseball history, Mariano Rivera.

Yankee Stadium hosted 6,581 regular season home games for the Bronx Bombers since opening in 1923 and closing in 2008.

Yankee Stadium, whether you are a Yankees fan or not, will always have a place in the heart of millions of baseball fans not only across this great country but also across the globe. Fathers and sons ate hotdogs there where baseball was taught and life lessons were learned.

The stories that will be passed down from generation to generation will never die. Yankee Stadium isn’t just a building that will be knocked down; it is an institute of baseball history that will never be forgotten.

You didn’t have to be a Yankee fan to get the tiniest bit teary eyed late Sunday night.

There were people in the stands crying because of the memories they have of such a storied, accomplished stadium, and of the memories they will be making across the street come 2009.

As the camera crew panned the stands following the game there were people in attendance wearing all different team logos on their shirts. There were Phillies fans, Mets fans, Giants fans and Dodger fans at the park last night.

They came together for one reason: to honor the final game in baseball’s most historical ballpark and to snap that final photo of the scoreboard.

Baltimore Orioles 3

New York Yankees 7

Now the Yankees are focused on 2009 and giving their fans, ‘the best in the world’ per Jeter, another playoff run after missing this year’s for the first time since strike shortened 1994 season when Buck Showalter was still manager.

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