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OK so yesterday (Sunday) morning my boyfriend wakes me up with two tickets to yesterday's Yankee game, a total surprise! Don't know how he kept it from me. I'm really starting to like this guy!

To top it off it's Old-Timer's day, so we need to head off to the Stadium early. A gorgeous day, sunny and hot but low humidity...wow. Only a Wade Redden trade would have been better news yesterday morning!

Here are my impertinent thoughts...

1. I forget how much fun it is to take a subway to a baseball game. We parked at Port Authority, from there is was the A to the D train at 59th St., to 161st St. and River Avenue. Subway cars packed with Yankee fans! For those unaware, the new Stadium is directly across the street from the old one. Same subway stop.

2. First the bad news...when you walk into the stadium, you no longer have that 'Babe Ruth played here' effect. I know they re-did the old Stadium in the 70's, and the structure was modernized. But you always looked into right field and were in awe that Babe Ruth walked there. First base Lou Gehrig, center field Joe Dimaggio and Mickey Mantle, on an on. The batter's box, of course, all of them. Kind of like when I was in the Colosseum in Rome and got tingly because you were walking in the same place Caesar walked. Not the same at the new Stadium.

3. The new Stadium is beyond gorgeous. Just amazing. They truly took the best parts of the old stadium (the facade, the monuments, etc.) and added every modern convenience you can think of. It's stunning. Open concourses, you can see the field from anywhere you're walking in the stadium. The huge HD video board in CF has to be seen to be believed.

4. The entire Stadium is a celebration of Yankee history. I hear Met fans complaining Citi Field is more dedicated to the Brooklyn Dodgers than New York Mets, but that's not true in the Bronx. Murals, pictures, memorablilia, trophies, etc. are every where you turn.

5. Old Timer's Day. Does any team celebrate Old Timer's day anymore? I know teams will celebrate a 20 year reunion of a championship team or something, but do they celebrate their past every year like the Yankees do?

6. Classy job by Jim Leyland and some of the Tigers, on the top step of their dugout watching and applauding every old timer.

7. Amazing ovation for Don Zimmer. You could see on the video board he was in tears, and the ovation grew even louder. Wow.

8. Diana Munson and Kay Murcer throwing out the first balls. More tears.

9. In honor of me, Joba actually pitched very well! He worked quickly for a change, and after getting out of a couple of jams early (and a long home run to Clete Thomas), he settled in and was getting stronger every inning.

10. So glad Tampa traded Jackson to Detroit! Trading pitching for hitting...hmmmm. Well pitched game by that young man.

11. After hearing about how many popups were turning into home runs, I can tell you the three that were hit yesterday were all monster shots that would have left any ball park. Thomas hit his deep into the bleachers, Texeira hit his into the 'Texeira Terrace', the second level in right field, and A-Rod hit his to left center, still the deepest part of the park by far.

12. Joba starts the game at 91, but he's hitting 97 in the seventh inning...and Girardi takes him out with two outs in the seventh, after a strikeout! Girardi was booed the second he walked out of the dugout. Thunderous ovation for Joba. Great job. Phil Coke comes in and gets Granderson to hit a weak one to short on one pitch.

13. Phil Hughes with electric stuff in the eighth. His fastball just explodes through bats. If he can come anywhere close to that as a starter...oh my. One day people may say Cashman did the right thing not trading him (among others) to Minnesota for Santana. Let the Phil Hughes starter/eighth inning controversy begin!

14. There are not many things in sports equal to being at Yankee Stadium and hearing the beginning of Metallica's Enter Sandman. The Stadium begins to rock, everyone knows what is going to happen next. The outfield wall opens and number 42 appears, and the entire building explodes. Mariano begins his trademark slow jog toward the pitcher's mound, with his glove in his right hand to thunderous applause. The building literally shakes. It gives me goosebumps to even type this, let alone experience it. One day I'll be telling my grandkids about what it was like to watch the Great Mariano jog to the mound to preserve a one run lead.

15. Two broken bats later and Mariano has his third one run save in the last three days. Just amazing. I can't believe I'm still watching this. Someday (hopefully years and years!) we'll be at Old Timer's day applauding Mariano for everything he's done for the team, and the way he has made himself such an easy person to root for. And for his Hall of Fame induction.

16. After the game, dinner at Peter Luger's. One of those restaurants where the menu they give the lady doesn't have prices on it! Oh my, the steaks are unbelieveable. And the desserts...good thing I'm a triathlete!


Sandra