Reactions to the Yankee Stadium Farewell

In a word, the ceremony preceding the last game ever played at Yankee Stadium was beautiful. Yankee fan or not, seeing everyone from Reggie Jackson to Tino Martinez to Don Larsen and Yogi Berra was an incredible sight. Seeing the family members of Babe Ruth, Phil Rizzuto, Roger Maris, and Bobby Murcer was a sight that should have moved not only Yankee fans but all people to the brink of tears. It was a magical night that sent off the greatest arena in the history of sports the right way, and something of this caliber will likely never happen again.

Some observations…

As a life long Yankee fan, watching the events unfold last night was truly special. It was great to see Willie Randolph smile again ,and, after his ugly divorce from the Mets, it was relieving to see him come back to what will always be his baseball home.

Seeing Tino Martinez, Paul O’Neill, David Cone, David Wells, and Scott Brosius back on the field together was surely something every Yankee fan was happy to see. The reaction to Bobby Murcer after his untimely death this summer was extremely moving, and it was a fitting way to send off a great man.

Andy Pettitte starting the last game was a great idea, and Mariano Rivera throwing the last pitch ever at Yankee Stadium was the way it should have been done. I thought that pulling Derek Jeter with two outs in the ninth was the perfect exit, and Jeter deserves the overwhelming ovation he received for all he has done for the franchise.

My favorite part was easily the homecoming of Bernie Williams. Williams spent all 16 years of his career with the Yankees, and for the years when they won championship after championship he was hands down the best player in pinstripes.

Saving him for the last introduction was an extremely nice touch and a valiant effort to try and bridge the gap between Williams and the team after they decided not to bring him back two years ago. The roar from the fans lasted well over two minutes, and nobody deserved the reaction more than Bernie did.

Amid all the glory, however, there were some problems.

Not a single mention of Roger Clemens was a mistake. There’s no denying what is going on with Clemens right now, and I am in no means defending him, but he should have had a spot in the video montage for pitchers.

Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch, and Jason Giambi were all mentioned in the Mitchell Report with Clemens and they were included in the ceremonies, Roger was not. Bringing him to the stadium and marching him out to the mound would have been too much, but he was idolized by Yankee fans and and the organization alike, and his contributions to the team during his era can’t be denied.

The most blatant man missing from the action was Joe Torre. I understand the Steinbrenner’s are despised by people across the country for a lot of reasons, but reason number one should be their treatment of Torre. The only way the Steinbrenner’s were able to turn the New York Yankees into a global enterprise is because of what Torre did for the franchise.

He took the team to the post-season in every season that he managed, making the World Series six times and winning it four times. Let’s think about that for a second. Torre was the manager for 12 seasons, making the post-season 100% of the time, getting to the World Series half of the time, and winning the World Series a quarter of the time. No other manager can boast that success, not even another franchise can boast that success.

Torre was not only a successful manager, but he was also an incredible guy. Players felt comfortable with him, he always spoke to the media (which in New York is not always easy), he was active in charity work, and, probably most admirably, dealt with the absurdity that is George Steinbrenner for 12 years without complaint.

Not only should Torre have been mentioned, he should have had his own video montage, and they should have retired number his #6 and unveiled his place in Monument Park right then and there for everyone to see. Shame on the Steinbrenner’s.

All in all, the day was a success. It captivated audiences all over the country, and helped distract people that there will be no playoffs in the Bronx this fall. The accomplishments and memories created in that building will never be forgotten, nor should they. There will never be another stadium that houses as many legends as Yankee Stadium has, and it will be missed by the true sports fan.