Great stadium, great rivalry
Monday, September 1, 2008 | 09:28 PM ET
I remember the first time I walked into the dugout at Yankee Stadium and looked out over the field. It was 1977 and I was a 21-year-old rookie with the Angels.
Taking batting practice that day was none other than Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson and Graig Nettles.
All I could think about was the list of great players who had played on the very field where I was now standing. I remember thinking how far away the third deck in right field appeared. Yet later that day, Reggie Jackson would hit a home run to that same location. He made it look easy and effortless.
I wish I could say my at-bats produced the same result. I may not have hit a home run in my first at-bat, but I did hit a double down the right-field line, which I will gladly take. That particular day, Nolan Ryan was our starting pitcher. In true Nolan Ryan fashion, he struck out Reggie and Thurman, making them look like little leaguers.
Years later I would hit a pinch-hit home run in the 10th inning that helped the Jays defeat the Yankees by a score of 3-2. There’s something about contributing to a win against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, especially in extra innings. It’s a special memory for me.
I met Mickey Mantle in the Yankee dugout and got a baseball signed by him. I met Bobby Thompson during an Old Timers’ game. He’s the very man who hit “the shot heard around the world” to win the pennant for the Giants in 1951.
I often think about the Sunday afternoon game in September of 1992, when during a rain delay I took the time to walk out to the monument in left-centre field. It was my last game at Yankee Stadium in uniform.
I could go on forever about baseball history at Yankee Stadium and the personal memories I have there, but my favorite memory of that hallowed park came in 1985.
The Jays were battling with the Yankees for the American East pennant. The electricity in that ball park for four days was unbelievable. We lost the first game late in the game on a three-run home run hit by Ron Hassey. The next day, when we arrived at the ball park, Yankee fans and stadium employees were telling us how we were going to “choke.”
The Jays ball club that year had no fear of anyone or any situation. We were confident that we could bounce back and play well the rest of the series. And that’s just what we did.
After the first loss, we came back and won three in row in a very hostile environment and during that four-game series at Yankee Stadium, we set an attendance record drawing over 208,000 fans. But the best part? We went on to become AL East Division champions.
To have been blessed enough to be a part of that little piece of history is without a doubt my favourite memory of Yankee Stadium. I can’t stop thinking about The House That Ruth Built and all the Yankee history that resides there.
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About the Author
Rance Mulliniks returns to the booth with the Rogers Blue Jays Baseball on CBC broadcast team for the 2008 season as an analyst, after making his debut with the program in 2007.
Mulliniks' extensive history with Major League Baseball dates back to 1977, where he made his major league debut with the California Angels. He played three seasons with the Angels before joining Kansas City, and then the Blue Jays in 1982. He hit above .300 three times during his 15-year career, with a career-best .324 in 1984.
He brings eight years of baseball broadcast experience to his role as analyst with CBC.
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Comments
Michael James
London
I recall the first time that I went to Yankee Stadium with a friend in the early 1960's and we bought tickets behind home plate in the lower bowl. Getting tickets in that location on a walk up today would be impossible of course. Don't remember much about the game except that Mickey Mantle didn't play that day and Whitey Ford was pitching. We enjoyed the day and the subway to and from the stadium. It was and is a great place to see a ball game.
Posted September 4, 2008 02:31 PM
Louise Magee
Toronto
All my life I have been a baseball fan. When Toronto got a team of our own it was a dream come true. Like many others I developed a less than kindly regard for the Yankees. They seemed to have our number especially at home. But I had to visit Yankee Stadium at least once before it closed and my son and I did last Saturday. I could feel all the history there and remembered so many plays and players that walked out on that field. The game couldn't have been scripted better too - we came from behind to beat them. A most memorable day.
Posted September 7, 2008 05:39 PM
Ken Bosveld
I have only made one journey to New York and Yankee Stadium, but the memory will last a life-time. It was 1977, and my friend Blair and I, both right out of high school, each put down a grand total of $119 for a 2-day junket to New York with a busload of other Blue Jays fans. It was Year One for the Jays, and our $119 bought one night's accommodation, a Saturday afternoon game, and a Sunday double-header.
The highlight was the Saturday afternoon Jim Clancy vs. Catfish Hunter -- Sept. 10 -- and a 19-3 Jays' victory. As the game turned into a blow-out of their hometown heroes, hundreds of Yankees fans relocated down the third baseline to join the boisterous crowd that made the trip from Toronto. For a couple hundred people who made the trek from T.O., it was an unforgettable weekend.
Posted September 20, 2008 03:11 AM
Sue
Toronto
Really enjoyed reading your comments about Yankee Stadium and I wondered if you are watching the last game being played there on TV right now (Sunday evening 21st Sept.) They really do a good job of special events such as this. I've been there three times, each was an experience I'll never forget. Hopefully I'll make it to the new stadium one day to see the Jays of course.
Posted September 22, 2008 02:12 AM