My First Yankees Game

There were a few things that came to mind when I thought about what I’d like to see in New York. Firstly, the statue of liberty. Secondly, the Empire State Building. Thirdly, Ground Zero. And last but not least, I’d like to go see a Yankees game. Ironically, that was the first thing I’ve done.

I left the UN early because I was bored with all these speeches. I went back to my hotel and decided to go to the Yankees Stadium to watch the Yankees play the Orioles. I took the subway and stopped at the Yankees Stadium and was awed by the sight of it. As I stood in front of Gate 6, I knew I wasn’t wrong to give this a go.

I walk to the ticket counters and when I get there I tell him, “I need a ticket.” As I watch his eyes roll, I figured that was a dumb statement to tell him. I correct myself and say, “It’s my first time here, can you recommend me a section to sit?” He tells me a section number and says, “Great view, great fans, good seats.” He tells me, “$26.” And I go, sure!

I wished I sat here

I got here instead

When I bought the ticket, I didn’t know I’d have to climb 5 flights of stairs to the top level. I didn’t really mind. I’m quite used to sitting at top-tiers eventhough that’s always been at football games where the ball doesn’t look like the size of a peanut. Yankee fans are different from what I’m accustomed to. I don’t know if it’s just Yankee fans or baseball fans or even if it’s just Americans in general. I found them to be fanatical, short-tempered and so well versed about the game.

When it comes to statistics, I think Americans take the cake. I can tell you winning scorelines from various World Cup games or winners for different competitions for different regions but I wouldn’t be able to tell you the shots on targets or how many misses did one particular player had in a game. These baseball fans can tell you those kind of stats with ease. It’s scary.

Coming back to the game, every seat is numbered and you are expected to sit at your respective seat or face a barrage of abuse not only from the person that would eventually come along to find you sitting in that person’s seat but also those sitting around you. I had wandered into the wrong section and rather than sit and find out if someone else is seated there, I decided to find my designated seat. I sit down. Moments later, someone spots a few people coming into the stands wearing the away team jerseys. I got pratically booed into their seats with profanity as dressings.

I wouldn’t say it was an exciting game. Yankees did have a fantastic 7th inning where they scored 7 runs. This prompted people to start leaving once the inning ended. With the winds blowing and the temperature below 10 degrees, I refused the temptation to take the logical choice of leaving early. I wanted to sit the full 9 innings. I didn’t take a toilet break eventhough I needed it. I didn’t run when the temparature dropped 20 degrees below my comfort levels. No. I was determined to see this through. Not because I love the Yankees. Not because I was so engrossed into the game. No. It was because I didn’t want to piss off the 10 people that I’d have to ask to get up to let me through. I’m a pacifist. But if I did piss them off and we got into a brawl, somebody would definitely be going home in a wheelchair. 10 times out of 10, it would most probably be me. So I decided to sit and wait.

I did sit. But I didn’t have to wait. I was half asleep already by the time the Yankees struck them out in the top of the 9th. I went home a happy man. So happy and impressed with the Yankees, I decided to get myself a Yankees jersey. I wanted to get a Jeter shirt but I thought that that would be too easy so I got instead a Rodriguez and now regret for not getting a Jeter one.

It’s clearer than my TV