4/22/09

This was undoubtedly, one of the best games I have ever attended. The combination of being at/enjoying the beautiful new Yankee Stadium and the fantastic game that took place on the field just made the whole day one to remember.

THE GAME- CC Sabathia didn't pitch very well yesterday. To be honest, I was underwhelmed. He went 6.2 and gave up 7 runs (6 ER). His BB:K rate was off again yesterday as well. He only had 2 Ks and walked 4. Sabathia is, traditionally, a slow starter, so I fully expect that he will find the command of his fastball and pick it up again. In my opinion, the bullpen won the game for us. They went 7.1 innings without giving up a run. Although Melky (2 HR- Walk Off) attracts the most attention because of his game winner, Jose Veras was the MVP for the game, as he went 3.1 innings, striking out 4 and only allowing 1 baserunner (walk). He really pitched beautifully and kept them at 7 runs long enough for our offense to win it. The offense as a whole played very well. Everybody in the starting line up had at least 1 hit, which is always a good thing for an offense. 

Melky played a great game yesterday. He went 2 for 6, with 2 HR. His game winner made the small crowd go nuts. I ran into the Delta Suite to look around quickly and heard John Sterling scream "MELKY CABRERA" and I bolted outside, just in time to see him rounding 3rd and jumping into the mob. The place was so enthusiastic. I was giving random high fives all over the place. Melky did play very well, but this obviously does not give him the CF job. As PeteAbe said, "baseball is a movie, not a series of snapshots". If he wants the job, he has to play consistently at this level, and he has not shown he can do that. That is not to take away from his great start. He is hitting .304/.385/.826 so far, but he needs to keep up his hot hitting. But regardless of whether he is starting or not, Melky is one of my favorite players and seeing him have this huge game made me very very happy.

THE STADIUM- First, I'm an idiot and forgot my camera. So I don't have any pictures, except the ones of my brothers with Joba which I took with my cell phone. Pictures or not, the stadium is absolutely gorgeous. Walking in, you are just overwhelmed by the grandeur of the place. It is HUGE. The Great Hall, is probably 5 times bigger than any of the concourses at the old Yankee Stadium, and it is spectacular. The pictures that hang on the wall are pretty cool, and they really let you know that you are in YANKEE stadium. Everything in the ballpark looks so crisp and new, which is maybe because it is all brand new, but that just added to the amazement that I felt. 

 My favorite part of the stadium was the open concourses. Everything is much wider and all outside, which allows you to watch the game from anywhere in the ballpark, which is cool. You won't miss anything if you run to get food. This reminded me a lot of Coors Field in Denver. 

Security is tight at the New Yankee Stadium. The ushers aren't supposed to let you go into any section, even the bleachers, if you aren't ticketed for that area. My family and I were lucky as we got to go to every part of the ballpark. We checked out the bleachers, the field level, the mezzanine, the luxury suites, and both levels of the upper deck. Let's just say politeness goes a long way with the ushers. I really liked watching the game from the mezzanine section. you were still very close to the field, but the fact that you were raised a little bit gave you a better view of the game.

I have been sitting primarily in the Upper Deck for the last 4 seasons. I actually enjoy sitting the upper deck, because you get a full view of the field. At the old Yankee Stadium, every seat in the upper deck was a good seat, and to be honest, I was nervous that the pulled back upper deck would diminish the great views that I got at the old Yankee Stadium. Although it is further away from the field, the upper deck actually gives you a better view of the whole field, because the corners weren't cut off. At the old Yankee Stadium, if you sat on the first or third base lines, you would not be able to see the left or right field corner. In short, the views from the upper deck are still great, and the fact that the seats only cost 17 bucks make sitting there all the more attractive.

I did not get a chance to go to Monument Park or the new Yankee Museum, which I was bummed about. Next time I go, I would love to see both of these things, because they are supposedly really interesting. 

The Jumbo-Tron is really Jumbo. I was so impressed with it.

People have been saying the new ballpark is very quiet. I didn't really get that feeling. At least where I was sitting, the people were really getting into the game. There were very few people left in the 14th, but those who remained made some serious noise for Melky.

Yes the legends seats were relatively empty. I think the Yankee really need to find a way to fill these seats, but as long as they are winning games, it doesn't really matter. I had a friend sit down in the legends seats and supposedly there is a great lounge for all ticketed people. It sounds pretty cool.

I don't really know what more to say about the new stadium. It was absolutely beautiful, amazing, and spectacular and I can not wait to go back again. If you get the chance, don't walk, run to the new stadium in the Bronx.