Into the Lion's Den....

Tuesday night I went where no Red Sox fan wants to go, well unless the Sox happen to be in town. I ventured to Yankee Stadium. I ventured into the Lion's Den.
I hopped in a cab on Broadway and made my way to 125th and Lexington. I was directed by my buddy Pat to do that. Little did I know, the cabbie was going to take me straight through Harlem, and even littler did I know, I was going to be dropped off on the edge of Harlem so I could hop on the subway.
I survived the subway ride with thoughts of the green line dancing in my head, pretending all those terrible hats were just those lame "Yankee Hater hats." Alas it was not true. I made it to 161st street and the rats, I mean, Yankee fans poured out of the subway car. I followed suit. I was surrounded by pinstripes. It was a rather overwhelming experience. I tried to blend in, I wore no Red Sox apparel, the only option I had was a hat. I packed for my trip to New York without knowledge of Yankee tickets. Truthfully I was scared to wear anything with a "B" on it, or to even give away a hint of my "Massholeness."
I met my buddy Pat outside of the stadium. The first thing that hit me was the massive amount of people. 47,000 people outside a stadium dwarfs the Fenway crowds in Boston. Pat asked if I wanted to make our way to a bar, a famous Yankee bar. I shrugged and said, "when in Rome..."
The thing that strikes you first about the Bronx is how dirty it is. It felt like the old stadium fit into that mold. The new stadium stands above all of the filth. It shined in the sun, glistening in its glory. Truthfully, it is a beautiful stadium from the outside.
As we walked to "Stan's" I noticed New York's sad attempt at matching the Yawkey Way festival that energizes every crowd before they even step inside Fenway. Here that stretch of rode is placed beneath the subway tracks (think old Boston Garden Green Line). The shadows made you feel like Batman might be lurking somewhere, waiting to save someone. The only thing missing was fire filled barrels.
Fold out tables were filled with T-shirts. Some of the ones I remember... "The Tiexecutor" "Evil Empire: Bronx, NY" Bahstan Sahks Cahk." Classy all-around. We find ourselves outside Stan's. A small bar reminisent of something you might find in Worcester, MA. The bar is filled with everything Yankees, pictures, jerseys on the walls, even the dirt on the floor reminded me of the Yankees.




Still working to blend in I took my beer from Pat and didnt look anyone in the eyes. We stayed for a beer and walked back through Faux-Yawkey Way to the stadium.
We walk up to the security line to see a woman unzipping a protective-suit cover, her boyfriend standing to the side embarrassed. Clearly someone did some shopping before the game.
Pat and I the tickets ourselves, (there is an opportunity jobs there Mr. Obama) and walk into the solarium. There is only one solarium though. It is almost like the stadium has a shell, you walk through the shell, and you still have to get into the middle. We walk, and walk, and walk, and finally come to the fourth level.
I think my favorite part of the stadium was the fact that you could see the game as you walked around the stadium. You weren't blocked or underneath the stands. It was all open, which was great.
The stadium was somewhat empty. Pat and I were sitting in the second to last row. I had never sat so high above a baseball game before. It was the first time I was in a stadium not named Fenway Park since 1994 when I was in Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
The game went by like this...
Yankee fans happy, Yankees up 3-0.
Yankee fans hating Joba. Blue Jays up 4-3.
Yankee fans hoping. Blue Jays up 4-3 in seventh (Yankee fans care, dont let them tell you they dont. They do...)
Yankee Fans screaming Bonsai! as Matsui turns on a weak pitch by some Blue Jays schmuck.
Yankee fans elated and annoying when Jorge Posada hits a homer right after Matsui's curtain call...
Enter Sandman (cool to see Mariano Rivera's entrance)
Enter Frank Sinatra...

During the game I spent a lot of time watching the Sox score and wishing the Sox were actually playing Yankees. The atmosphere would be awesome. Next time I go back, the Sox will be in town, and it will be awesome...