Ode, Part Deux

The walk to my seats.
(Kris and Rob - 9/19/08)

(Section 5, Row G, Seats 4 and 5 - My seats since 1998)

The Section Fivers said a fond farewell to out beloved House on Friday night. Before the game, we gathered in one of the parking lots to toast friendship, good times, laughs, and stories that can't be repeated. We also polled one another about our favorite Friday memories. They kind of all blend together for me (of course, Eddie falling was a classic moment, but it's funnier now than it was then).

On the field, the first thing that jumps to my mind is a game against the Orioles on May 5th, 2000. Bernie and Paulie had already homered earlier in the game, but it's now the ninth and the Bombers need a little magic. Jorge Posada was at the plate. Cal Ripken was playing in on the grass at third in the ninth, expecting a bunt. Posada hit a pitch so hard that I thought it would take Ripken's head off. It was a laser beam that landed in the left field seats for a walk off winner.

By the way, I've been asked a lot for my favorite overall moments. It's so hard to narrow them down, but I think I have to say how fortunate I was to be at Game One of the 1998 World Series, when Tino Martinez hit a grand slam. I was also thrilled to see Jim Abbott's no-hitter in 1993, and the Scott Brosius home run against the Diamondbacks in 2001. And Game One against the Mets in the 2000 World Series (run, Timo!!). And on...and on...

But on this night, Mick, Steve, Eddie, Kris, Jeremiah, and I rocked the House. "Fan favorite" Marlboro Man acted like he was running for mayor of Asshat, Nort Dakota, with his campaign manager - that little bitch, Gilligan. We tried to crash his party in the ninth, but Gilligan said "he created him" (or some such stupid shite) and acted like a bodyguard. I thought we might bum-rush them, but we didn't. OK, we wussed out. Yet, despite how close Gilligan came to getting his ass kicked (and no, it wasn't by me), I'm glad we didn't. If these two schmucks think that's their claim to fame, so be it. It's not an existence I want.

UPDATE - I was going to put a video of Marlboro Man and his band of idiots, but figured you can just Google them yourself if you really want. Why give it any more promotion than that? He seems like an OK guy. It's "Gilligan" who is now Public Enemy number one. Oh, and there's a guy with them that often wears a jersey with "Murcer" and a number one on the back. That is a crime. T-shirts with player names are OK. Batting practice jerseys? OK. Replica game jerseys with names on the back? Call the Yankees fashion police.

But for us, it was all good. We laughed probably harder than ever. We took so many pictures. Mine are here. We had these three funny kids sitting front of us. Instead of my usual goofiness, my final sermon as the High Priest of the Sack of Nuts was an emotional affair, only interrupted by the Two Stooges - Jarod and Dom. These are my friends, my family, with Kelly and her Dad as part of our group.


And never mess with the Ceremonial Opening of Mick's Nuts.

I waxed plenty poetic about our Friday night shenanigans a few nights ago, so I'll spare you any further. Just know that it boils down to this - the Yankees won, and we had a great time. Isn't that why we go to the games in the first place?