Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson Say Goodbye to Yankee Stadium
The last game played at the traditional New York Yankees Stadium. Fond memories, people like Yogi Berra, White Ford and Thurman Munson have gathered to say good bye to the old and welcome to the new Yankees stadium.
The gates were opened seven hours before game time at “The House That Ruth Built” — so named for home run legend Babe Ruth — to accommodate fans who reminisced about great moments from the stadium’s history.
The team will play next season in a new Yankee Stadium nearing completion across the street from the current one, which was gutted and rebuilt after the 1973 season.
The Yankees won 25 of their 26 World Series championships while playing at the stadium, which has also hosted three Popes, great boxing matches, a classic American football championship and a rally for Nelson Mandela shortly after his release from prison.
“This place has been part of our history. Not just baseball but our country,” Yankee manager Joe Girardi said before the game.
“There’s something about this building that is special to all of us,” Girardi said, adding that he took an early walk on the field today and was “just kind of soaking it in.”
Whitey Ford remembers the stadium in an article:
I wasn’t even considered old enough to play baseball for teams in my Astoria, Queens, neighborhood when my uncles took me to my first game at Yankee Stadium. I was 11 and watched Joe DiMaggio go 1 for 8.
Weeks later, I watched a game at Ebbets Field and noticed how much shorter the distances were to the fences. “DiMaggio will never go 1 for 8 here,” I thought.
How I loved watching those games!
Technorati Tags: Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson, yankee stadium, new yankees stadium pics
