| 29 September 2010
Die-hard Sox fan braves Yankee stadium, almost killed but came away with a win
Its late in September and for the first time in years, its the Rays, not the Redsox, battling it out with the Yankees for the top spot in the AL East.
This baseball season hasn't been as entertaining as years past but that didn't stop me from wanting to see the greatest rivalry in all of sports: Red Sox vs. Yankees.
Visiting New York City with a girlfriend, we planned the trip completely around the Sox and the fact that they were playing in NYC in late September--a match up we thought would have playoff implications.
A week before we left for our trip, the game already seemed to match up perfectly as the Redsox ace Beckett would face off against the Yankees ace Pettitte. Both pitchers have had less than stellar years (to say the least) but anyone who knows this rivalry, knows these guys step up for match ups like this.
Hit the title/read more to continue reading on attending my first Red Sox/Yankee game...
The NYC trip was incredible and even included a stop at a Red Sox bar, Professor Thoms, in the city that we could hopefully make some alliances at. The bar tender advised of the previous trips she has had at Yankee stadium as being fun and that it helps that you're cute girls. We were a little relieved.
But not relieved enough to wear out Red Sox gear on the Subway and into Yankee Stadium. We planned in advance to bring our clothes in, change in the bathrooms and quickly take our seats. Little did we know that this point that this decision probably saved our lives that night.
When we entered the stadium, which is beautiful (if fancy ballparks are your sort of thing) but being a baseball history fan, the memorabilia of guys like Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig and Reggie Jackson is something I could appreciate. I took one picture and that was all I could stomach. This is a Red Sox/Yankee game after all and I have to show my fan-hood.
After seeing the masses of Yankee jerseys and walking up ramp after ramp to get our seats (which were only in 237) I can't tell you how excited I was to put on my Sox tshirt or how I called it that night "my battle armor". I was ready to show those fools who I was here to cheer for.
In choosing our seats, we made the decision to go with the section right by the Sox bullpen; thinking there would be more Red Sox fans in this area than any other area in the stadium.
We were wrong.
Going down to our seats to chants of "You Suck" and booing made it all real that "I'm here, at a Red Sox/ Yankee game" but that sort of nostalgia ended as soon as we sat down in a sea of pinstripes getting an evil eye from anyone near.
Initially we we were greeted by Yankee fans sitting behind us. Small talk ensued, asking where we were from, how we became Sox fans etc and then the offer of "can I buy you beer" came up.
Absolutely, Mr. Yankee fan you can pay for my beers as I watch my team crush yours. Abso-freakin-lutely.
The Red Sox jumped out to an early and rather large lead much to my delight. By the 3rd inning, I had to be told by my friend to "Shut Up! You're gona get us killed" because I was cheering and clapping so much.
The guy next to me became so disgusted at my cheers, he left and never returned to his seat. (Good!)
But with Beckett on the mound, a 9 run lead is never safe. The Yankees slowly but surely started to chip away at the lead. Deeper into the game and more beers for the "gentlemen" around us started to take an ugly turn.
We decided it was probably a good time to go to the bathroom but this decision was probably our biggest mistake of the night. We came back to the same booing in our section, which to be honest, was more "flirty-booing" rather than mean spirited. One guy even said "I loved you until I saw your shirt....ahhhh who am I kidding, I love you anyway".
The booing was all in fun until we sat down in our seats and it was clear the guys around us were both drunk and complete morons, looking to show boat.
Knowing we were from Florida, almost after every pitch from the 6th inning on included a "F@# Florida, Florida Girls Suck, Red Sox Suck etc...". This was all pretty ignorable as we knew we would get some of this treatment.
Little did we know what insults were still to come.
When a 9 run lead turns into a 2 run lead, the treatment only got worse. The constant and repeated "F@#$ You", racial obscenities and vulgar "movements" towards the back of our heads was enough to make me cuss out the guy next to me and elbow the "vulgar movement guy" in the damn leg as hard as I could. I still wasn't satisfied, as this is now war and I'm ready to paint my eye black on and go out guns ablaze.
Thank God for the sanity of my friend, Kat. I don't think I have ever come so close to hitting a man (repeatedly) in my life. Kat, who is never mean spirited, was clearly growing just as angry as I was but helped calm me down in telling me to "sit on my hands". I did just that and she probably saved my life with that statement.
Because of the treatment, we were debating on leaving the game early but with only an inning and a half to go, I wanted to brave it out. The obnoxious guys actually got "a talkin to" by other fans over their treatment of us which seemed to help.
A nervous bottom of the 9th, Papelbon on the mound, with a man on 1st and A-Rod up to bat was enough to remove my hands from under my seat and into a prayer position.
This win felt so significant that after the final out and the Red Sox clinched victory, I wanted to drop to my knees and thank the heavens. The wave of emotions was almost enough to bring you to tears. Almost.
Instead of crying, I opted to take smiling pictures of our win. After some quick pictures, we smartly changed in the bathroom back into our regular clothes so that we could make it back to the hotel in one piece.
In closing...
Many games over the course of the year, both Beckett and Papelbon have been the reason I have so much change in my curse jar but for one night in September, I was able to go back to a time where a baseball game gave me the emotions of a true Sox fan: Gloating while you can, cursing the starter to be pulled from the game, worrying about a possible comeback, praying for that comeback not to happen, happiness when the win was clinched and fearful of my safety at the hands of an insane Yankee fan.
The season is over and its time to look forward to 2011 being "Our Year" but my sincere thanks to the Baseball Gods for giving this fan everything I could have hoped for at my first Red Sox/Yankee game.
Next game however, will be in Fenway Park.
