Greatest Moments at Yankee Stadium
Greatest moments in the history of old Yankee Stadium which will be torn down at the end of the 2008 baseball season.The Yankees-Dodgers World Series rivalry was legendary and featured Don Larsen's perfect game, which is on the charts. Another occurrence was on October 18, 1977, when Mr. October earned his nickname by hitting three home runs on three pitches on the game's biggest stage.
This feat perfectly earned him the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, and the Yankees capped the road back to once again become World Champions.
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The game that launched Johnny Unitas into a pro football legend.
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In his early days, he was a wild man as a pitcher, on and off the diamond. Even when he joined the Yankees, Don Larsen was still wild, and in Game 2 of the 1956 World Series, he was taken out early. But then something happened on October 8, 1956, in Game 5.
Larsen was in the zone, and it's noteworthy that he faced a team of Brooklyn Dodgers legends: Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, to name a few. Then it happened, as one newspaper wrote, "The imperfect man threw a Perfect Game."
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Yes, it was the last time. It turned out to be a bummer for the Bronx Bombers. The Marlins were a lot like the 1997 team, who came out of nowhere to become World Champions.
It would be the final time that Roger Clemens played in the World Series with the Yankees, and to add insult to injury, the Marlins' championship clincher took place at, of all places, Yankee Stadium. Josh Beckett became the Marlins' star of the year, while future Hall of Fame legend Ivan Rodriguez became the last piece of the Marlins' amazing ride to the top.
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Unlike today's record-breaking moments in front of sell-out crowds, this moment occurred in front of only 23,154 people at that big stadium. On October 1, 1961, Maris cracked home run number 61 on the final day of the regular season in the Yankees-Red Sox game - a true Yankee Stadium moment.
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The Newcomers
June 13, 1948, was the day Yankee Stadium began a tradition called Old Timers' Day. But the reason for it was Babe Ruth. Many of the old-time Yankees came back to celebrate the 25th anniversary, and despite his failing health, Babe came back, thanks to many people who helped him become an American icon.
His Number 3 jersey was retired by the Yankees. Ruth's legacy with the Yankees and baseball will never be forgotten.
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August 4 was a busy day at Yankee Stadium. First, it was Phil Rizzuto Day, as the Scooter's Number 10 jersey was retired by the Yankees and then got trampled by a HOLY COW - no fantasy stuff there.
At game time, it was Tom Seaver - who once was a New York icon playing at another New York stadium - now pitching for the Chicago White Sox. Then, on his first try, he became a 300-game winner and got cheered at Yankee Stadium big time. Truly a memorable moment.
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