Yankee Stadium
From Ballpark Roadtrip
Yankee Stadium
Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
July 10, 2005
Contents |
The Road Trip
Around this time we got into a groove whereby if we are ever near a casino, we are drawn to it like a magnet. So after the Philly game, we made a bee line for Atlantic City. It's on the way to Yankee Stadium, right? Since it is pretty expensive for a room at the casino hotels and we figured we wouldn't be spending a lot of time in the room, we opted for a psycho killer motel out on the Black Horse Pike.
After showering up we headed over to the Tropicana for some blackjack and poker, and Cooter got his ass handed to him. Cooter, Joker, and Ed ended up actually making use of the hotel room while Bill, Vin, Lumpy and Mike played until the break of dawn. We had to get up to the Yankee game (day games suck!) so the guys at the motel packed stuff up and brought the cars down to the boardwalk.
Mike: check Bill: check Lumpy: check Vin: Vin:?
No Vin!
While this might seem like cause for alarm it was no surprise. We loaded everyone up and took a trip around the block and found Vin walking through the parking garage. On to the Bronx!
The Park
It's Yankee Stadium, the house that Ruth built.. full of history, yada yada yada..
The Game
As this was the last game of the trip, and real close to Bill's home and Mike's home, we had quite a few extra cast joining us for this game..
But taking a step back, in between the Philly game Sat and this game on Sunday, there was a slight detour into Atlantic City (more on this somewhere else!).. Needless to say, we had hotel rooms, somewhere, but most of us never even saw them.. and for a 1:00 pm start time, we were on the road at 8:00 am back up 95 to New York..
We parked in Westchester (White Plains) met up with the wives and friends, and hopped a train into 125th with a quick subway trip to Yankee Stadium.. Arriving at the section, we come to find out that we have 'no alcohol' seats.. what?? no beer?? at a baseball game?? at a hot daytime game too??
So, we take our seats, the game begins - the Big Unit is on the mound for the Yanks, and he promptly gives up a couple of doubles scoring Sizemore and giving the Tribe a 1-0 lead.. The Yanks answer with.. nothing.. Second inning more of the same for Johnson, giving up a single and a double, scoring Hernandez.. Tribe 2-0.. The Yankees get one back in the bottom of the inning with Matsui scoring off a sac fly to center. This is all followed by a scoreless third.
And then the game gets real interesting, at least that what they told us.. between the all-nighter in A/C, the long drive up 95, and the hot, humid day, more than one of us was peacefully napping in our seats, head bobs and all (I'm sure some pics will be linked here, here and here) of the guilty parties..
The Yanks take the lead in the bottom of the 4th off a 2 run shot by Giambi. Cleveland ties it up again in the top of the 5th, only to give 3 more runs in the bottom of the frame. (Yanks 6 - Tribe 3). Johnson tosses a scoreless sixth, and that would be it for him.
Cleveland tries to pull closer with Sizemore crossing the plate in the 7th, but that would be all for them.. Rivera comes into the game in the top of the 8th and shuts down the Tribe from there.. and to pour some salt into the wound, Sheffield pounds a 3-run shot in the bottom of the 8th, just because he can.. Rivera throws a 1-2-3 ninth, and that's all folks..
