We're Not Gonna Take It

Sunday, July 2, 2006
Home Game 43
Yankees 16 Mets 7
Subway Race Winner: 4 train
Cap Game: #1



The crowd on Sunday night was easily the most electric of the 3 games. Partly due to the rain delay (people seem to get amped up while waiting for the game to start) and the fact that it was a rubber game. I met my friend around 7:30 in front of the entrance. The concession area was packed at this point so we decided to just sit in the rain. It really wasn't that bad, plus they were showing the David Cone Yankeeography which I hadn't seen yet. There was a rather ominous orange glow to the sky. It seemed to start behind 3rd base and eventually made it's way behind home plate. It was dramatic enough that several people around me pointed it out to whomever they were with.



My high hopes for Jaret Wright didn't pan out. At one point I really didn't think they would ever get out of the 2nd inning. If it wasn't for Nick Green's throw to home things could've been a lot worse. The Mets fans that were there didn't need any provocation to make their presence known. But that 2nd inning womping of Wright fired them up even more. They were quieted down a bit when Posada homered in the bottom of the inning. I think they realized that a 4 run lead wasn't going to cut it. And, well, it didn't.

I'd love to say that I called A-Rod's first shot, but I didn't. Instead I called one for Jeter and one for Giambi. Neither went deep, but both made it on base. Oddly enough, I didn't get the vibe that a majority of the fans around me expected A-Rod to fail in his at bat. For once it seemed everyone was cheering him on instead of making sarcastic comments. And man, did he come through. I didn't think it was going out at first. He hit a long fly ball in the first inning and I though this one would die short too. But it just kept on coming. It landed probably 15 rows in front of me and to my right. The bleachers went nuts. Fist pumps, high fives, hugs, screaming, the works. There was so much commotion I couldn't even see Alex rounding the bases. I completely missed the Lo Duca incident and didn't even hear about it until I listened to the post game in the car.

I can understand where Lo Duca was coming from. No catcher likes to see showboating a la the Manny's of the world. No one wants to see their pitcher shown up. But I really don't think that was A-Rod's intent. You can't expect him not to get pumped up after hitting a grand slam to put the Yanks up 6-4, in front of packed house, after all the shit Yankee "fans" have heaped on him. If he did that stuff at Shea, it would be a different story. But at the Stadium, I'm glad he showed that emotion.

Later in the inning, Melky doubled home Bernie and Nick Green(!) hit a freaking blast into the back section of the Yankee's bull pen. In all they scored 8 runs that inning. The cheering had become decidedly pro-Yankee from that point forward, save for a few attempts of "Let's go Mets".

The Yanks scored 4 more in the 4th and 3 more in the 5th, thanks to another A-Rod dinger. This one bounced off of the facing of the black seats. Alex grounded out in his final at bat in the 7th. There were a smattering of boos, but I think it was just some people being wise asses and/or Mets fans. It's weird, no one I know has booed him. Every fan that I'm either friends with or know in passing thinks the booing is ridiculous. Some people have had it and are starting to yell at the booers, which is nice to hear. Luckily, there wasn't anything to boo on Sunday night. Well, except for Jaret Wright's performance. But the Yankees won, and that's what really matters.

The bullpen had a pretty good weekend. If I counted correctly, their line was 14.1 innings, 9 hits, 3 runs. Not bad, right?

Random Notes
– I'm rather disappointed that the Yankees didn't have anyone perform the national anthem live at any of the games this weekend. Usually for the high profile weekend games they get somebody in.

– A-Rod's first HR was an opposite way shot. I believe it's his first at the Stadium this year. When Alex starts hitting to right field, good things happen.

– I was giving the little girl in front of me a hard time. She was clearly a Mets fan but she was wearing a Jeter shirt. I questioned her fashion choice and her mother thanked me because she was wondering the same thing (mom is a Yankee fan). We both started busting on her a bit, all good natured (she said she was cold and there weren't any Met shirts around the buy. I think she got a little embarrassed but she took the ribbing well. In fact there were really cool people sitting all around us. There was a group from Australia behind us. Anyway I think they were from Australia. Either that or New Zealand. It was cute hearing the one guy trying to explain the rules to his girlfriend. When A-Rod hit the grand slam I turned around and gave both a high five. They seemed to get really into the game after that. With the energy in that crowd I don't see how you couldn't.

– Speaking of the crowd, at around 10:00 it seemed like anyone who had kids under 4 left. If I'm not mistaken, the Yanks were still trailing at this point, so I guess they figured they better leave before it got really ugly.

– A guy sitting a few rows behind us and to our right puked around the 6th or 7th inning. I didn't hear it but I could smell it. At that point there were a fair amount of empty seats near us so the unfortunate people sitting around him could move away from the unpleasantness. Once some guys started taking pictures of the dude a cop finally intervened and escorted him away. Let's just say that there were times where I didn't appreciated the wind on a muggy night.

– Beltran's first home run landed about 8 rows in front of me and to my left.

– Are female Jeter fans (you know the kind) as annoying as their David Wright counterparts?

In attendance record: 15-13