Yankees Turn Familiar Confines, Address of Yankee Stadium into “Home”

What a difference a week makes.

Last Monday, the Yankees and Red Sox took in a rare day off in August—separated by a mere half game in the AL East standings.

Since that day, New York has caught fire while Boston’s offense has shriveled up like a slug dropped into a salt shaker.

A six game losing streak by manager Terry Francona’s crew leaves them 6.5 games back in the standings on August 10, and the sand in the hourglass is beginning to get shallow.

What took place in the rivalry’s most recent confrontation cannot be deemed a “Boston Massacre” like those occurring during the 1978 and 2006 seasons.

The Red Sox pitched beautifully over the series’ final three games, and would have earned a split if they could have borrowed some of the “luck of the Irish” from a proud population of shamrocked hearts in the city of Boston.

The Yankees simply caught the Red Sox at the ideal time, and were able to benefit from the absence (whether mentally or physically) of their rival’s best offensive weapons.

It is important to understand that the Red Sox are not the team that was just mercilessly swept out of the stadium—just as the Yankees were clearly not the team that lost eight straight games to the Red Sox to begin 2009.

The most important aside of the extended weekend was not necessarily the results of the games themselves, but the atmosphere in which they were played.

Water cooler discussions and talk radio segments have spent time and energy highlighting the stark differences in intensity and electricity at the new ballpark—as opposed to its immortal ancestor across the street.

Many of these findings were warranted, though most were also vastly exaggerated.

April and May matchups with teams like Baltimore and Cleveland seemed to doom the stadium’s perception from the get-go, with writers and analysts looking for a way to bring seat pricing issues to the forefront.

What was seemingly forgotten is what originally built the reputation of “The House that Ruth Built.”

The prestige was founded on a history of 26 World Series victories. It evolved from a Petri dish of countless October memories that leaped over the miraculous and into an entirely new category of adjective.

The new stadium could not rightfully be judged on games that had nothing riding on them but momentum or frustration. It had to be given a chance to create a true “experience” at the right time.

That moment manifested itself as a key four game series this past Thursday through Sunday.

Evoking a true playoff atmosphere for the duration of the extended weekend, Yankee Stadium transformed from a simple feeling of familiarity into a warm and cozy “home sweet home.”

The bolts of the still youthful stadium seats were tested by the vibrations that emanated from the loud cheers of a crowd left in pure ecstasy.

The imposing walls of the majestic structure shook like Jose Mesa at the sight of a save situation, and the stadium itself was packed tightly with spectators like a Jonas Brothers farewell concert.

Witnessing the standing ovation extended to CC Sabathia after his masterful Saturday afternoon performance sent chills up and down my spine, and admittedly covered his skin in an army of goose bumps.

It may have taken five months of walk-offs, pie attacks, and record-setting home run totals, but Yankee Stadium gave more than a taste of what playoff baseball will feel like inside of its newest Bronx location.

An old saying correctly states that “home is where the heart is,” and the Yankees left theirs out on the field over the last four games.

Yankees Universe can begin to unpack its belongings and remove its coat, because the stadium’s confines no longer feel like a temporary address.

Brett Gardner’s Otherworldly Homer Proves More Powerful than Coincidence

The only running Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner was anticipating on Friday would occur during pregame warm-up activities.

Perhaps he would get the opportunity to pinch run for Alex Rodriguez or Hideki Matsui; the pair of damaged goods in New York’s struggling lineup.

Gardner had recently visited with Nico Viglitti (pictured above) and 15-20 other children before the game; brave patients at a nearby children’s hospital.

According to multiple reports, one little girl gave Gardner a lucky bracelet, which she said would give him the power to hit a home run.

Gardner specified that it would allow him “to hit a home run in every at bat,” which he admitted was slightly unrealistic.

The bracelet had the courage and strength of a sick little girl flowing throughout its threads, but unless divine intervention allowed him the chance to use it, this story would not have a Hollywood ending.

Shortly after the game’s first pitch, the stars all began to align; ensuring that something magical would manifest itself in the team’s new home.

After a first inning strikeout boiled his blood, Johnny Damon took protesting to a whole new level after a second consecutive backwards ‘K.’

Damon initiated a legendary tirade, one that would have made Billy Martin and Lou Piniella swell with pride. He was banished to the showers so quickly that manager Joe Girardi had not yet emerged from the top step of the dugout.

As a result, Gardner “coincidentally” received his chance to make a young girl smile back in her hospital bed at New York Presbyterian Children’s Hospital in Manhattan.

The supernatural aura surrounding the stadium knew to conserve its magic until the time was right, though the bracelet did produce a quick fifth inning single for Gardner in his first at bat of the night.

Once again, however, it appeared that the mystic spirits of “The House that Ruth Built” had taken the night off.

New York trailed 4-1 in the seventh inning, and were eagerly awaited a spark.

They welcomed a spark from anything in the stadium, anyone on the bench, any…entity watching from above?

Gardner stepped to the plate with just one home run in his Major League career, much more apt to “run home” than to launch a “home run.”

There was more than simple grit and determination involved here, and nothing else mattered aside from destiny and God-given speed.

Gardner could not hit a conventional home run in order to turn tears and fears into a night to remember for one 9 year old girl.

Not on this night…not in this moment. Not while wearing a bracelet constructed with admiration, love, and hope.

A pitch from Twins reliever Jesse Crain was looped down the left field line, conceivably nothing more than a single at best.

Once the ball touched the stadium’s “un-hallowed ground,” all rationality and baseball physics were replaced with a scene from Angels in the Outfield.

It kicked violently to the left, as if something had given it a little extra push. A bloop single had suddenly become a double…a triple…a home run?

As third base coach Robbie Thompson vigorously waved Gardner toward home plate, chills inevitably began to flow down the backs of each fan watching with baited breath from their seats.

Fans watching from home leaned forward in their chairs, their eyes growing wider and more awestruck as each fraction of a second ticked past.

The lightning quick outfielder dove into home safely to cut the score to 4-2, energizing an apprehensive fan base and tentative roster of teammates.

Gardner left his feet a Yankee utility outfielder, but crossed home plate an undeniable hero.

For the first time all season, the score did not matter. Gardner had done much more than put a run on the scoreboard or potential ‘w’ in the win column—he had renewed the faith of a child that needed it most.

The magical aura of the night began to spread throughout the Yankees dugout, as even the anemically insufficient Mark Teixeira contributed a clutch base hit.

Melky Cabrera delivered the walk-off miracle minutes later off world-class closer Joe Nathan, and the credits rolled on a tale almost too inspiring to be true.

You may not believe in divine intervention, karma, fate, higher beings, or the afterlife. You may not even personally invest in the phrase, “everything happens for a reason.”

Regardless of what is perceived as true, real, or rational…there are at least two people on Saturday morning that are giving a wink and a smile to something up above.

It was an inspirational moment for a fearless little girl, and I hope she was watching.

Let’s hope Gardner hangs onto that bracelet.

More importantly, let’s pray this brave girl hangs onto her rediscovered hope and faith.

UPDATE: Yankees Amend Ticket Situation to Help Fill Empty Seats

According to Mike Francesa of WFAN, the New York Yankees have made a bevy of adjustments to the 2009 ticket situation.

Many fans and media personnel had voiced concerns over the almost embarrassing levels of empty seats in the new Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees avoided more reasonable solutions, such as lowering all of the prices and issuing refunds to fans who have already purchased expensive seating.

Instead, it appears that fans who purchased season ticket packages will receive additional complimentary tickets for games. The number of tickets and games are dependent on a variety of parameters.

Some ticket prices have been reduced, including the sky suites (from $750 to $550) and the stadium's most expensive seats (from $2500 to $1250).

It may appear as though these changes will not affect the average to slightly above average fan, but you must dig deeper to see the possible benefit.

Season ticket holders receiving extra seating in the $325 areas, for example, will be given the opportunity to sell the tickets online. This will allow fans to purchase expensive seats for reduced prices, as they will not fetch prices close to their "face values."

If there was enough demand for $325 seating, the Yankees would have already sold them with ease in the stadium's inaugural season.

As a result, fans looking to recoup money for the extra tickets will be forced to sell them at more reasonable levels (say $125-175). This will again place expensive seating back into the general levels of the "House that Ruth Built."

The worst case scenario involves friends and family of the season ticket holders being given the extra seats as a gift. Though not benefiting the average fan whatsoever in this scenario, it will ensure many fewer empty seats in close proximity to the field.

The Yankees had multiple options that would have given a leg up in public relations, and I tend to disagree with the route that team executives have taken. However, if empty seats will become filled with the butts of Yankees fans in the months to come, it is already a step in the right direction.

We will see how this truly affects Yankee Stadium and its fans, but at least something is being done in a positive manner.

Yankee Stadium Magic: How an Unfamiliar Place Can Begin to Feel Like Home

Still wearing a Yankees away jersey to symbolize the foreign feeling of entering the new ballpark, I ambled through Gate 6 and into “The Great Hall.”

(Interestingly enough, fans are now their own ticket scanners. It completely eliminates the need for dozens of people to stand around pretending to help you, but they do it anyway.)

I had seen it all before, and knew for the first time how to get to any seat in the stadium. It resembled a college student’s second week in a freshman dorm, as I began to figure things out while still feeling very uncomfortable.

After reaching what would be my final resting place for the next five hours, it was apparent that the stands would not be roaring like its predecessor across the street.

The rain had scared away thousands upon thousands of season ticket holders, and many others chose to retreat to “waterproof” areas of the stadium. Only the bleacher creatures and select trust fund babies remained in their tickets’ assigned seating location.

Shortly before the first pitch, Yankee Stadium finally began to take on a recognizable aura; “…and at designated hitter, batting third, Jason Giambi.”

I looked around to make sure a bar still stood in center field where the famed black seats once rested. Indeed it did, and Giambi was again donning an “A” on his cap.

The game could be described by no word other than damp, and got off to a very inauspicious beginning. C.C. Sabathia’s prized and high-priced pitching shoulder evaded him once again, and the Yankees quickly trailed 3-0.

Sabathia was missing spot after spot, and it appeared as though a postponement would be a blessing in disguise. As the game wore on, however, the stadium began to produce more and more occurrences of déjà vu.

Derek Jeter willed the Yankees into the lead not once but twice. The captain made sure that his late-game heroics would not rest in peace along with the original Yankee Stadium.

Shortly thereafter, a very familiar sound began to crescendo over the stadium’s myriad of speakers:

“Say your prayers little one

Don't forget my son

To include everyone

I tuck you in, warm within

Keep you free from sin'

Til the sandman he comes...”

It was of course the uplifting lyrics of Enter Sandman by Metallica, a song Yankees fans have sung along to many times before. It helps to resurrect “The House that Ruth Built,” and forces you to think back to lists of everlasting memories.

There was now just one missing element to a prototypical “Yankees Classic.” The game had to end as a result of an unexpected moment involving a surprising underdog as hero. After nearly five hours of rain-soaked baseball, the Bronx got its wish.

Up to the plate stepped a little used outfielder who was left for dead within the Yankees organization. He lost his starting job, and only remained on the Major League roster as a result of Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon’s recent injury histories.

Wearing a new number in 2008 to attempt a new beginning in New York, Melky Cabrera was forced to face former teammate Dan Giese. He was in danger of becoming a member of the very undesirable “golden sombrero” club.

A “golden sombrero” represents a player striking out four times in just one game, and Cabrera was poised to do so in consecutive at-bats. One magical swing later, however, he was instead met with a mob of teammates jumping around like home plate had suddenly become a trampoline.

Cabrera had hit the first walk-off home run at the new stadium, and began to recapture the mystique that flowed through the walls of the old ballpark.

Heroics from the Yankee captain? Check. Dominance from Mariano Rivera after a karaoke-like sing along? Check. Storybook ending? Check. Unsung hero? Check.

Yankee Stadium felt familiar for the first time, and more importantly, it felt like home.

“The House that the Rockies Built”: Yankee Stadium Mimics Coors Field

As the national anthem rang throughout the new Yankee Stadium during the home opener on April 16, an entire city became energized for baseball.

Little did they know that “the bombs bursting in air” would refer to an on-field power surge instead of the fight for out nation’s freedom.

Fans and players alike watched as twenty home runs were launched into the stadium’s newly completed seats in just four games.

In a violent mixture of horrendous pitching and a relentless jet stream toward right-center field, Yankee Stadium housed the season’s first home run derby exhibition.

Solo shots were as easily attainable as singles, and grand slams became a simple right of passage.

Yankees and Indians supporters were frantically scanning the ballpark for Dante Bichette, Ellis Burks, Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla, and Andres Galarraga.

They had to have been somehow transported back in time to 1997 Colorado, where the five Rockies sluggers combined to hit 188 home runs in just one season.

Yankee stadium had not been a pitcher’s park since before the monuments were moved beyond the stadium’s outfield wall, but it had never produced such effortless power.

The only locations for cheap round-trippers were straight down either line, including the famed “short porch” in right field. The new stadium has instead helped to carry even the most undeserved fly balls into the hands of mystified fans.

New York may require their own version of Coors Field’s “humidor,” an effort to prevent batted balls from entering the Earth’s orbit.

Whether or not contact is made at the end of the bat or the handle, or is the product of an off-balance lunge…players should still prepare to practice their casual trots around the bases.

Jorge Posada’s eventual game-winning home run on Sunday was struck high enough to affect airline flight patterns. Regardless of that fact, it still carried the exact distance required to save a series split with the Indians.

Perhaps the most alarming evidence of Yankee Stadium’s hitter-friendly tendencies occurred in Sunday’s eighth inning.

Cody Ransom stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, and proceeded to shatter his bat upon contact. Completely unaware of the ball’s location, he awkwardly jogged toward first base.

A few seconds later, Ransom was credited with a bases-clearing double, as his lazy fly ball landed just feet from the warning track. If a shattered bat can produce a 300 foot fly ball in mid-April, imagine where balls will land during the dog days of summer.

The original Yankee Stadium had a well-documented increase in home runs as the weather warmed, and many worry that the same phenomenon could make a mockery of the new park.

Another issue results from the altered seating arrangement at the new stadium. Seats were placed directly behind the outfield wall, which eliminates any possibility of a quick fix in terms of fencing distance.

There will likely be many discussions on how to best attack this unexpected dilemma, but they will not take place until after the stadium’s inaugural season has been completed.

It is anyone’s guess whether the surge will continue throughout the entire 81-game home schedule, but I will officially be bringing a glove to the right-center field bleacher seats in 2009.

Once merely a fantasy, it appears that virtually any seat is souvenir territory at the Bronx’s new launching pad.

Chien-Ming Wang’s formally dominant sinker would be very advantageous right about now. Perhaps it is time to place a call to Rick Ankiel’s former therapist.

Yankee Stadium Premiere Becomes a Nightmare: Bullpen Duo Self-Destructs

Yankee Stadium's long-awaited debut was supposed to be filled with action, drama, and awe.

Thanks to two members of the Yankees struggling bullpen, it quickly turned into a tear-jerker before ending with nothing but nervous laughter.

After Phil Coke escaped a daunting jam in the top of the sixth inning, it appeared that the new stadium may open with a bit of the magic displayed for 86 years across the street.

Once Jose Veras took the mound, however, the team’s hopes for a victory sank deeper than the Titanic.

It all started with a leadoff walk; the death sentence of so many games of the past.

Before fans were able to finish squirming in their couches, the Yankees already faced a rapidly escalating deficit.

Damaso Marte was supposed to stop the bleeding. He instead decided to perform an amputation without the use of a tourniquet; a medical mistake New York was never able to recover from.

By the time Marte had finally left the mound, the Yankees had flat-lined with no hope of revival.

The Cleveland Indians had enjoyed an in-game version of batting practice, and were now embarrassing New York by a score of 10-1.

The only true bright spot of a dreadful afternoon was the guile displayed by ace C.C. Sabathia.

Clearly left unarmed in terms of dominating stuff and pinpoint location, Sabathia battled for most of the game.

In a performance inspired by Andy Pettitte, he was able to limit the damage and maintain striking distance.

Sabathia threw 122 pitches in just his third start of a very young season, which may earn manager Joe Girardi many negative reviews in the mainstream media.

Regardless of that fact, it was encouraging to watch the Yankees ace pitch well enough to win without any true weapon to go to.

This is an invaluable talent that fellow starter Chien-Ming Wang has thus far been unable to master.

Thursday’s game will go a long way in reigniting the seemingly endless debate regarding Joba Chamberlain’s status.

Whispers and water cooler chatter have quickly developed into a haunting crescendo.

Chamberlain will now be viewed as the only hope for a besieged bullpen, and New York’s already limited patience will become nonexistent.

The pressure will continue to mount if Chamberlain is unable to perform at the highest of levels in his next start tomorrow.

The Yankees had finally begun to breathe a sigh of relief with the recent dominance of relief pitcher Brian Bruney. The team had seemingly found its eighth inning mainstay, ending concerns of an immediate bridge to Mariano Rivera.

The recent performances of the Yankees middle relief have created an entirely new list of worries, and represent issues that may not be solved quickly.

Though I suggest leaving the panic button inside of its protective casing, it is unlikely that many fans will be able to remain lucid amidst so much failure.

Who would have ever imagined that fans could begin wishing Kyle Farnsworth was still around?

Stadium Deconstruction: The Harsh Reality of the End of "The House that Ruth Built"

Even after the completion and opening of the new stadium across the street, "The House that Ruth Built" still stood in tact.

Though it represented every timeless memory of the Yankees' storied past, its insides looked nothing like we had all hoped to remember it.

The exterior walls appeared unaffected, and with a quick glance looked ready for more October baseball.

The harsh realities of the end of an era are floating to the surface day by day.

A few weeks ago, I brought an overhead image of the deteriorating Yankee infield.

Today, I unfortunately bring some of the first photos of the dismantling of our former baseball sanctuary.

They are truly difficult to look at, and still symbolize a truth I am not ready to face.

Much like a friend or family member that has passed on, you still feel as though it will always be there for you to see whenever you need it.

The new stadium is truly magnificent. I simply hope the electricity and atmosphere in the stands can live up to its legendary ancestor.

A Day of Firsts: A Look into Attending the Yankees True “Opening Day”

The early morning fog and clouds cleared to reveal nothing but blue sky and sunshine.

The baseball gods would not allow anything to ruin the unveiling of the most remarkable structure its sport has to offer.

Crossing over the Macombs Dam Bridge as I have done hundreds of times before, my eyes grabbed hold of the place I once called my second home.

I could not help reflecting on all of the timeless moments that I had witnessed within the stadium’s high walls, and was forced to realize that there would be no further stories to tell.

Having to almost wrestle with the steering wheel in order to leave “The House that Ruth Built” in the rearview mirror, I quickly approached the new stadium.

At first it appeared much like a stepfather, forced into your life as a replacement for what you once loved.

Your mother would comfort you by saying, “Everything will be ok. It will just take time to adjust.”

You didn’t want to learn to like this new part of your life. You wanted back what you always had.

After parking the car in a newly built garage next to the stadium, I looked for a way to get back to ground level.

An elevator stood just twenty feet from my parking spot. Wow, the Steinbrenners had really ensured comfort to the finest of details.

Upon approaching the stadium’s Gates, I realized that I was standing within Babe Ruth Plaza.

What better way to attempt to appease the ghosts of Yankee past than to pay tribute to the man that began the franchise’s legacy?

Still somewhat uneasy about taking my first steps inside, I felt as though I was cheating on a long-term girlfriend.

As soon as I entered the stadium, however, I was welcomed by “The Great Hall.”

A miraculous passageway lined with huge banners of Yankee greats, it made me forget my trepidation and begin to drop my jaw closer and closer to the floor.

Everything around us was an impressive sight, from the record-breaking center field video board to the pinstriped hot dog boxes.

Even the team’s memorabilia stores are lines with countless HD televisions so that no game action is missed while you max out your credit card.

After working my way around the stadium, I began to catch my first glimpses of the players and field surface.

Equally as magnificent as its amenities and awe-inspiring façade, the field is as well-groomed as the front lawn of the White House.

The backdrop of the stadium is far superior to its older version, with the exception of no longer displaying the beloved black seats in center field.

As the stretching was completed and the workout began, I was able to witness a bevy of stadium “firsts.”

Ranging from C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett’s first stadium tosses to Mariano Rivera’s first bullpen appearance, everything I saw was being done for the first time.

Most notably, Rivera chose to jog out of the bullpen after his tour was completed.

Metallica’s Enter Sandman began to play louder and louder in my head. I could imagine the stadium beginning to shake as he makes his first real appearance on the mound.

Batting practice commenced shortly thereafter.

Derek Jeter continued the trend of firsts, as he fittingly took the stadium’s first swings. As if the Yankees would have had it any other way.

Johnny Damon then christened the new right field porch, making sure fans did not have to wait long to witness the cathedral’s first home run.

Just when I thought that this day could not possibly get any better, Robinson Cano casually fielded a deep drive into center field.

He turned and smiled into the bleachers, and tossed a ball high into the air. As soon as it was released, I knew that my 20 years of playing baseball was about to come in handy.

I jumped into the air with the aid of an obnoxiously long wingspan, and came down with a baseball in my hands. I did receive a right cross to the temple which knocked my hat to the ground, but it was well worth it.

Thrown balls into the stands quickly led to another Yankee Stadium first. This is of course referring to the breakout of the first fight.

A wrestling match over another Cano souvenir resulted in violent pushing, countless threats, and the utilization of five security guards to escort the men from the building.

That certainly did not take long…and between two Yankees fans no less?

Every day has its end, regardless of your wishes for its continuance. As it was time to leave, I was again forced to pass by the eerie view of the original stadium.

Its grass appearing as grotesque in color as Nick Swisher’s spit tobacco residue, Yankee Stadium looked nothing like I had always hoped to remember it.

Though somewhat against my will, I decided one last photo was needed to complete the stadium’s timeline.

As I lifted the camera to my eye, however, the screen turned black. At that exact moment, the camera had run out of power.

The timing was almost impeccable, as the spirits of “The House that Ruth Built” sent a clear message to one of its most passionate fans.

They wanted me to remember the greatness of their home the way I always had. They wanted the final photographs in my Yankees album to consist of the farewell ceremonies of September 21.

It is ok to feel saddened at the removal of the Bronx’s most famous sanctuary, but it is also ok to appreciate what lies in front of us.

Ruth, Mantle, DiMaggio, and Gehrig sent their message loud and clear. It is time for us all to attempt to follow their advice.

"The House that Steinbrenner Built": The Yankees First Workout Digitally Captured

As one of the lucky 15,000-20,000 fans that walked through the turnstiles and into baseball Heaven yesterday, I was not sure what to expect.

My mind was overcome with a violent mixture of sadness, bitterness, excitement, awe, admiration, and amazement.

The adjectives stop there, because shortly thereafter I was rendered speechless.

There exists countless areas of the first base side of the stadium which provide an eerie glimpse inside "The House that Ruth Built".

Joy quickly turns to depression as if I am struggling with bipolar disorder, but it was virtually impossible to remain in that condition.

Sadness brought a knife to a gun fight, and everyone in attendance was left scooping their jaws up off of the newly finished stadium floors.

Here is a glimpse into the team's first steps, swings, and throws in their new home:

"The Great Hall"

The New Facade


Team Stretch

CC Sabathia Warms Up

Melky Showing Off His Cannon

Stadium View: Right-CF Bleachers

"The Captain" Turning a Double Play

Mariano Enters the Bullpen

Cue Metallica's Enter Sandman

Damon Hits Stadium's First Home Run

Teixeira's First Cut

Swisher Acknowledging "The Bleacher Creatures"

Bleacher's "Obstruct-O Vision"

Stadium View: Looking Out (CF Video Board Turned On)

Matsui Long-Tossing

Melky & Garnder Playing Nice in Center

Me Amidst the Fans

...and we end the sneak preview with....

Babe Ruth Plaza: The Man We Can Thank for it ALL

I tried to use as many field/player shots as possible, as I know you are not interested in me posing all over the stadium.

Unfortunately, the bleacher seats do not have a great view of the monumentally large video board in center field, and the Yankee Museum was closed for construction.

I hope I provided a glimpse into what to expect upon your first entrance into the "Eighth Wonder of the World."

The players were having a blast out there, and I had one of the best days of my Yankees fanhood.

Stadium Pictures Will Be Posted Tomorrow

Unfortunately, the added stress put on my digital camera today has caused its battery to die.

I am charging it right now, but will be unable to load any photos from the first Yankees workout until nearly midnight.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's uploads, as well as a sneak peak into the team's preparation for opening day.

As a small preview...I did witness the first fight in the new stadium.

It was incredibly entertaining, and surfaced over a debate involving a ball thrown into the stands.

The situation escalated VERY quickly, and I was too shocked to capture the madness on film.

I will catch you all in the morning.

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It's Off to the Bronx I Go

The keys are in hand, the tickets are in my pocket, and it is time to head to the new Yankee Stadium.

Wielding a digital camera in attempts to capture some intriguing photos for you, I hope to witness Mark Teixeira's first home run smash into the facade in right field.

I am currently wearing my Yankees away jersey, because it simply will not feel like "home" anyway.

In not bringing my glove with me today, I run the risk of not catching Nick Swisher's chewing tobacco as he hurls it into the stands.

The baseball gods have blessed me today by clearing the skies from yesterday's rain and making the sun shine through.

This experience should be a blast. Talk to you all later.

Today's the Day: Yankees Hold First Workout in the NEW Yankee Stadium

As day turned to night on Wednesday, the Yankees left camp with the best overall record in Florida's Grapefruit League.

The team was progressing nicely in all facets of the game, and appeared well prepared for the start of the inaugural season in their new home across the street.

At a little after 1 PM on Thursday, the Yankees will be holding their first team workout at their new address.

The team has elected to open the event to season ticket holders.

I was lucky enough to obtain two tickets to the event, and am very excited to be one of the few to witness Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada take their first cleated steps onto the diamond.

Expect to see photos and an editorial either later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Though a large piece of me will still feel bitter and saddened as I walk past the stadium I grew up in, I am still ecstatic to see all of the wonders of "The House that Steinbrenner Built" first hand.

Scheduled Stadium Visits

Thus far, I have been lucky enough to guarantee a minimum of eight trips to the new Yankee Stadium.

There will be many more to come on the horizon, but it is a good start as a non-season ticket holder.

Tomorrow will be my first stadium visit, as I will be attending the first Yankees workout in their new home (barring a severe weather hindrance).

If the heavens open up and rain on our inauguration, it is official that the spirits of "The House that Ruth Built" are furious.

Along with tomorrow's honor, there are currently seven games that I will be attending.

They are:

April 22 - Oakland Athletics

May 18 - Minnesota Twins

May 22 - World Champion Philadelphia Phillies

June 3 - Texas Rangers

June 17 - Washington Nationals

July 20 - Baltimore Orioles, and

Aug. 8 - Boston Red Sox (a must as always)

I am hoping that I will begin to feel comfortable by the Red Sox game.

It will occur after the All-Star break, and the electricity and emotion of the rivalry should make it feel like home again.

Hope to see some of you out there. Should be an exciting season.

First Personal Look at the NEW Yankee Stadium: April 2nd

After purchasing tickets to the Yankees April 22 game against the Oakland Athletics, I was excited to guarantee an April visit to the new stadium.

Today, I was given the opportunity to enter through the stadium's gold-labeled gates three weeks earlier.

Prior to their scheduled exhibition games with the Chicago Cubs on April 3 and 4, the Yankees will hold a private workout on April 2.

A season ticket holder graciously gave me two tickets to the workout, ensuring that I witness the first ever team workout across the street from "The House that Ruth Built."

If I am able to get my hands on a quality digital camera sometime this week, I hope to bring back some great shots to share with all of you.

Stay tuned, as I will at the very least be writing about my experiences.