2008 Memories: Last Game at Yankee Stadium
Last year, was a great year from a baseball point of view. I went to my first Spring Training, first All-Star game, covered the World Series, but one of the best — and worst moments — was being at the final game at Yankee Stadium.
Marie snagged me a seat in the bleachers at the start of the season. I used to own season tickets, but then moved two hours away for a job. It wasn’t practical to keep my season tickets, and gave them up.
I sat in the bleachers since 1998, when my parents finally allowed me to go to games by myself. I made so many friends there, it was the only place I wanted to be for the last game, with the people I loved and hated at the same time.
Here are some photos I took from that day, which started around 4 p.m.
The new Yankee Stadium:
Marie (left) and I before the game hanging out with the bleacher creatures in the “secret spot.”
The last walk into the tunnel leading to Section 39. It took me about 10 minutes to actually walk into the Stadium because I was crying like a little kid on River Ave.
Ali Ramirez’s seat. He was the original bleacher creature. My season ticket was next to that seat for years.
People were ripping off the wall to keep a piece of Yankee Stadium
Joba Chamberlain warming up, a view from the left-field bleachers.
Jeter’s last at-bat.
It’s a final.
Me with the Utz girl. She knows all my secrets.
The final walk leaving the Stadium.
My second home.
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It is said that a true baseball fan should have done 5 things:
Go to the Hall of Fame, a World Series game, Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Yankee Stadium. I guess I’ll have to settle for 4 out of 5. I never got to Yankee Stadium.
I’ve done all five.
I’m sure I have pics somewhere of road trips to Wrigly and Fenway. From 2001-2004 I went on a lot of road trips to see the Yankees play around the country.
Got to Chicago too.
I think they are keeping Yankee Stadium up for a while so you can still go on a tour.
Thanks for sharing those great pictures from Yankee Stadium’s last game. I kept telling myself that I needed to go to Yankee Stadium one last time (I went to a few games there in the 90s), but I didn’t make it back in 2008. I had to settle for watching the Rays play the Red Sox at Fenway on my birthday…
I’ll definitely miss Yankee Stadium, and now my goal is to see a game at the new stadium in 2009. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Let us know when you are coming and we’ll be there. I have season tickets, and Sooz gets one of mine whenever she wants.
That’s awesome. I wish I could have gone, but I’m not even on the right coast. The Yankees were my dad’s favorite team, but he passed away years ago.
Thanks for sharing your experience. My biggest regret as a baseball fan is never getting to attend a game at Yankee Stadium.
Right now I have no plans to call the new stadium by its predeccesors name. Maybe I’ll call it Steinbrenner Field.
Simply awesome…I wish I was there to lead in the “Paul O’Neill” chanting.
Good stuff. I managed to get to Yankee Stadium for my first (and only) time this year when they played my Reds (and I saw the only game of the series in which the Yankees won, that’s my luck). Anyhow, I’m glad to have made it once at least. I still haven’t made it to Fenway, tickets are too difficult to get!
I’ve never been to a game at Fenway in which I had tickets in advance.
If you don’t mind sleeping on the sidewalk, you can get into any game at Fenway Park.
Up until a few years ago, Fenway used to sell standing-room only tickets at 8 a.m. the morning of that game. So my friends and I would sleep outside on the sidewalk, sometimes play wiffle ball, get tickets and then go shower and sleep until game time.
Now, the SRO go on sale about two hours before game time, but as soon as you get the tixx, you have to right into the game.
I’ve done this too.
I had so many more pictures from this night. I took about 200 shots. Most were just friends whom I’ve gotten to know through the years and just wanted one last shot of them in the old Stadium.
Very good photos…we were born and raised in NYC but never went to Yankee Stadium. Shea, yes. 🙂