R.I.P. Yankee Stadium

I'm taking a quick break from the pop culture world to personally reflect on the passing of Yankee Stadium.

This Sunday is the last game ever to be held at the current Yankee Stadium. Though I'm a huge Mets fan, one of my favorite sports memories of all time took place at the old venue...Game's 6 and 7 of the 2004 ALCS.

My old roommate Chuck and I made a pact to try and get tickets for the 2004 ALCS between the Red Sox and Yankees and we could only get two tickets each for the entire series. By the time we got through, all they had left were games 6 and 7. Of course, the Yankees blew out the Sox the first three games and looked dominant but then the Sox took the next two to force Game 6 at Yankee Stadium. Chuck drove down to Boston and off we went....those two games I'll always remember not only for the game for the most random things I've ever seen happen.

Game 6: As I leaving my Queens apartment, I caught my back bumper on the fire hydrant next to my apartment and ripped it right off. After driving into the city with two feet of rubber dragging on the ground, we took a subway to the game where upon getting off we decided to smoke a quick cigarette (yes, I would partake in a cigarette every now and then in those days) and we ended up getting a $50 ticket by the police for smoking on a subway platform (If you've been to Yankee Stadium, the subway platform there does NOT look like a platform). The game itself was awesome with Schilling's bloody sock and A-Rod trying to slap the ball out of first baseman's hands. Even better, Chuck and I got to do it all over again the next night.

Game 7: No problems getting to the game this time and unlike Game 6 where we sat in the bleachers, we had upper tier seats for Game 7. We got there just as Johnny Damon hit a two run homer as the Sox took the lead. The game was pretty anti-climatic as the Sox pretty much dominated from start to finish, though Pedro Martinez giving up some runs made it interesting. Four things I'll always remember from that game:

1.) Seeing an all out brawl take place a section over from us featuring two-three beers being dumped on a Sox fan. About 6 people were throwing punches.

2.) In the bottom of the 9th as the Yankees tried to mount one last futile attempt, I looked behind me and saw a 6 year old kid with a Yankee hat absolutely sobbing. That was odd considering they had still had won 4 of the last 8 World Series. Anyway, I quitely smile to myself.

3.) Seeing the Red Sox taking pictures with the Boston fans behind the dugout.

4.) My friend Chuck deciding to buy a momento from the street vendors. His purchase? A five dollar Pedro Martinez "Who's Your Daddy" T-shirt.

So to the "Gray Lady" of sports stadiums, I bid you adieu and may you be demolished along with that 6 year old's tears stained on the concourse.