As I headed over the George Washington bridge, I could feel the excitement flow through my body. It's that time again, time for Yankees baseball. Game 3 of the home opening series, my first return to the stadium since that late, magical night in November. Upon arriving, you could tell that this was the home of the champions by more than just the $4 increase in parking, but by the atmosphere of the crowd, the clear feeling of accomplishment. The new championship gear in all the stores on River Avenue, the added 27th signage above the concession stands in the stadium, and the new 2009 pennant flying high on far left edge of the facade.. finally, the 27th championship us Yankee fans spent the past decade longing for. However, this feeling of accomplishment comes hand in hand with the even deeper desire to bring the feeling back in 2010.
I kicked back in our new upgraded seats, took a whiff of the hot dog and beer scented air, looked out onto the field and thought HOLY COW. But this night was not about the late Phil Rizzuto; all eyes were on 24 year old Phil Hughes. Phil is still young but has had 3 years in the majors to prove himself. We've seen glimpses of greatness from him, but he has yet to prove his consistency. After beating out Joba, Mitre, Aceves and Gaudin for the spot, Phil's time to shine is now. His first outing was not perfect, but it was encouraging. 5 walks isn't swell but aside from that his stuff looked pretty good. Phil made one other mistake; surprisingly, it made me happy.
Never would I have imagined myself rising to my feet to applaud a homer from a member of the opposing team at Yankee Stadium. But when Hideki Matsui sent the second pitch he saw from Hughes into the right centerfield bullpen, I couldn't help but cheer, along with the rest of the stadium.. it was a very bittersweet moment. I miss seeing Godzilla in pinstripes and will always be a fan.
4 more quick points about last night's game:
1) Everyone was Mariano Rivera. Ok, so the 42 on every player's jersey was really for the original 42, Jackie Robinson, but number 42 on pinstripes sure looks like Mo to me :)
2) Robinson Cano, named after Jackie, hit 2 homers and made a great play. I think Robbie is one of the more underrated players on the Yankees. He's been on fire to start off the year and I'm predicting big things from him this season. *knock on wood*
3) The captain and love of my life knocked in 2 RBI with a homer and a double and played some quintessential Derek Jeter baseball. Never ceases to amaze.
4) In his 9th game as a Yankee, Curtis Granderson came up with two triples. I'm very impressed with the way he plays the game as well as his demeanor and intellect. If you ever hear or see an interview with him, you'll notice that he is incredibly well spoken and has a selfless Jeter-like attitude.. and he's got me loving him already.
So the Bombers take the first 3 series of the 2010 season and are lookin' pretty good.. but there are plenty of improvements to be made and still much more baseball to be played!
