"Last Night at the Stadium" Part II

Special to River Avenue News
By Chris Lima

We leave the parking lot and walk down River Avenue. I try to get a bunch of photos of the River Avenue street signs, after all, that’s the street my blog is named after.

We get to the corner of 161st and River Ave. My co-worker leaves us to go find her husband. We head towards Gate 2, to get our tickets scanned one last time.

Everyone seems nicer today. I’m inside the Stadium for no more than five minutes and I’ve been bumped, pushed, and knocked into by some of the most courteous New Yorkers I’ve ever met.

We poke our heads out the Main section, just to watch batting practice for a while. Oddly, there’s not line to get in Monument Park. There’s no line, because it was closed. Oh well.

We find out seats in left field, Loge Box. Great view. I can’t see the Yankee bullpen that well, but its not that big of a deal now. Farnesworth was traded and Pavano is sitting in the dugout, so I don’t have a target to chuck my batteries at anymore.

This is my last chance to get a famous Yankee Stadium Hot Dog, so I order two. And a pretzel. And a beer. And then eventually two sodas. And a bag of popcorn that could drown a midget.

The stadium announcer comes on over the PA system, asking everyone to remove his or her hats for the National Anthem. Our section is in tears. Not because we’re patriotic, but because there’s a squirrel who made his way onto the field and can’t seem to find a way out.

There’s a rumor floating around that Bob Shepherd won’t make the final game on Sunday.

The Yankees bring out Emillio Navarro to throw out the first pitch. Navarro was selected by the Yanks, in the ceremonial Negro League Draft. Navarro is 102, but you couldn’t tell; he looked and acted like a little kid the moment he stepped onto the field.

The White Sox lead off the first inning, and score a run. Mike Mussina labors through the first, throwing way too many pitches. I swear, if the Yankees lose this game….

Bobby Abreu hits a home run to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead. I missed it because the squirrel is now trying to climb the netting behind home plate.

Mini Don Quixote, with a furry tail.

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