Last Visit To The Stadium

My dad is my favorite person to go to baseball games with. He'll stay all nine innings. He likes hot dogs as much as I do. He doesn't hog all the peanuts. But my absolute favorite thing that always cracks me up is when he yells in his Bronx accent, "Awww...come on! You bum!" when someone strikes out on a lousy pitch, flubs a grounder, drops a toss, etc. Saturday's game provided ample opportunity to hear him yell that again. Yanks blew a 6-2 lead. As Toronto was scoring catch up runs, my dad states, "You know, we could easily lose this game." Do NOT even say that. I did NOT come down to the Bronx for a last visit to the stadium to see them lose.

Bottom of the 9th, down by 1. Two on (first and second). No outs. A-Rod gets up. All we need is a long fly ball to the outfield to tie the game. The bum hits a shot to third, cleanly fielded by the 3rd baseman who steps on the bag then guns it over to first. Double play. Again. I think my Dad is so beaten down by A-Rod's lack of clutch hitting since he's been a Yankee that he didn't even have the energy to heckle him. I really wish the Yanks would trade the dude.

Despite the loss, I did enjoy the game. The weather was perfect, the seats were great and it was exceptionally nice watching the Yankees on their home field. I've probably attended more Yankee games at Fenway than Yankee stadium. Sad, but true. Years ago, while wearing my NY cap in Fenway, I could expect some pleasant heckling of my own. But over the past few years, ever since the chant "Yankees suck!" became popular, it's been downright unpleasant and perhaps a bit dangerous to be an obvious Yankee fan in Fenway. So I refuse to set foot in Boston's home park these days. Which is a shame. This last game made me realize how much I've missed spending a summer afternoon or warm evening at the ball park. Or how much I love watching a game with my Dad. And I can even buy the beers now!