Tonight will be a very emotional night for me tonight, as I will attend my last ever game at Yankee Stadium.  As everyone knows, I am a huge Yankee fan and living in New York has allowed me to attend many, many games at Yankee Stadium over my life.  In my 23 years, I’ve gone to over 100 games at the Cathedral and I’ve had some of the best times of my life there.  They’ve won many games I’ve been to, they’ve lost many games I’ve seen.  Some games have been thrilling, others have been snoozers.  Some have had meaningful postseason implications, others have not.  Some have been crucial playoff games in October, some have been early April games.  I’ve been to Opening Day as well as the final home game of the year.  I’ve watched the old legends like Don Mattingly and I’ve seen the next generation led by Joba Chamberlain.  The games and players have changed over the years, but one thing has stayed constant: I always have the time of my life at Yankee Stadium.  It’s my favorite place in the world and it will be very tough to say goodbye.

Of all the games I’ve seen at Yankee Stadium, one stands out in my mind as being the best: October 30, 2001.  Game 3 of the World Series, New York Yankees vs. Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Yankees won 2-1, but what happened on the field was irrelevant that night.  What made that night special was that it was the first World Series game played at Yankee Stadium following the horrific attack on September 11, 2001.  Any American, particularly New Yorkers, remember what a dark and scary time that was.  I will always remember the fall of 2001 as being one of the most unsettling times of my life.  One of the few things that provided relief from the fear and uncertainty of the 9/11 aftermath was Yankee baseball.  Having the Fall Classic return to New York was about more than baseball, it was an escape for all of us from the tough times.

I was lucky enough to be in attendance at Yankee Stadium on October 30, 2001.  At the time, security for any large gathering in New York was very tight and restrictive, as it should have been.  There was always the fear in the back of everyone’s head that the terrorists could strike again.  But on this particular night, security was even tighter than usual because throwing out the first pitch at the game was President George W. Bush.  Regardless of your opinion of President Bush, it was a meaningful and symbolic moment to have him stand out on the mound in front of Yankee Stadium, New York, America and the rest of the world.  Everyone in the stadium cheered him on that night, whether they were Republicans, Democrats, Independents, liberals, conservatives, anyone.  But we weren’t cheering just for our President, but for America as well.  It was a powerful moment that transcended the partisan bickering that plagues our country today.  At that moment in time, we were just Americans, living up to the popular phrase of the time, “United We Stand.”  When President Bush stood out on the mound and gave the famous thumbs-up to the crowd, I knew that we would overcome the tragedy that struck us only a few weeks earlier.

I will always remember October 31, 2001 as my greatest night at Yankee Stadium, but there are so many others.  It’s been a good run for me on the corner of 161st Street and River Avenue and it will be sad to see it all come to an end.

Happy Birthday to Henry Hudson, Jesse Owens, Mickey Lolich, Barry White, Joe Pantoliano, Senator Sam Brownback, Ricky Rudd, Amy Yasbeck, Vernon Maxwell, Ben Folds, Pat Listach, Angel Cabrera, Jason Statham, Ki-Jana Carter, Paul Walker, Sean Burroughs, Yao Ming and Jennifer Hudson

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