As the skies opened and rain fell down on the New York City area, we did what every legal aged Yankee fan did and took in the bar scene across from the stadium. Have to give mad love for Billy's because they gutted that place during the off-season and it's looking really good. Come All-Star Game it's going to be the best place to be the only place to be on River Ave! Well, you know... other than Yankee Stadium but what fans actually get tickets to the game without spending their life savings? None. We entered the stadium much later on, hours past the original scheduled first pitch only to hear the game was officially post-poned. I think it really took a lot of the excitement away from Opening Day. All we really needed at that point was a good nap, Indio's place provided an excellent venue for that.
Tuesday had Opening Night on tap for Yankees fans and while it was more than exciting to be there and I wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world (just ask my boss), but it didn't hold the same electricity as the day before or even Opening Day of last season. There we were, four former Road Trippers out in Right Field Bleachers, witnessing a historic moment in Yankee Stadium history. The beginning to the final season. The game was filled with memorable moments... Melky was surely the star of the night - two amazing plays in center and a solo homer to tie the game, Joba's (some would say controversial) display of emotions as he struck out two, and Mariano's grand entrance in the ninth. The game was everything a Yankee fan could have possibly wanted out of Opening Day. We got the victory and I got to reunite with four of the people who mean so very much to me.
Three games down, 159 left to go. 78 games left at Yankee Stadium. 2-1. Let's go Yankees!!