YANKEE OLD TIMERS DAY 2000

By Robert Palazzo


Old Timers Day 2000 was originally scheduled to be held earlier in the summer but was rescheduled to Saturday, September 2nd due to rain. I saw a tour bus ad in the paper and convinced my family (hereafter referred to as the Magnificent Seven) it would be fun to go. Now, Jennifer, my 16 year old daughter loves Derek Jeter (what 16 year old girl doesn't; for that matter, what female doesn't?). And Lindsay, my 12 year old daughter, idolizes Paul O'Neill, so they were all for it. I believe my wife went along for the ride! I also convinced my sister, who convinced her reluctant husband and her even more reluctant 17 year old daughter. Her 10 year old son, who claims Jorge Posada as his hero, needed no convincing.

As for myself, I was psyched as I hadn't been to Yankee Stadium in 6 years and had attended only one other Old Timers Game 31 years earlier on August 9, 1969! I have hazy memories, at best, about that day but I still have the two 45 rpm records given to my Dad and me that day. Two months earlier, on June 8th, Mickey Mantle's #7 was retired. The record given to fans provided highlights from that day. I was sure there would be a special game program given out today that I would add to my vast collection of Yankee items. That, along with a return visit to Monument Park (Mantle's monument wasn't there last visit; he was still alive!), were going to be my highlights of the day.

We arrived at 11:30 am as the bus made very good time. With the gates opening at 1:00 pm for an Old Timers Game start time of 2:30 pm, we had time to check out the memorabilia shops across the street. With the temperature hovering around 90 degrees (but feeling about 150 degrees with the humidity), it didn't take long for us to realize it was going to be a LONG day and we had already had enough of the shops. Finally the gates opened and I approached the first vendor I saw selling programs. "Where were the souvenir programs for Old Timers Game?" "Oh, they were given out earlier in the summer" "How could that be?" "The game was rained out!!" First major bummer!

I led the magnificent 7 to where I thought the line began for entry into Monument Park. WRONG!! There was a line all right, but we were directed down the aisle, AWAY from the direction of the Park, around and into the bowels of the Stadium where the concession stands are located. We continued up several flights of stairs and realized that the line of people along side us on the stairs, facing in the DOWN direction, were in the SAME as us and we were just walking to get to the END of the line! They were way ahead of us and THEY were miles away from entry. I finally conceded defeat, much to the satisfaction of the others. Second major bummer! Ten minutes into the Stadium and the two things I looked forward to had vanished.

Well, let's get to our seats and enjoy the festivities, I thought. As we made our way to our seats, scenes from earlier Yankee years could be seen on the large Diamond Vision screen next to the scoreboard. Don Mattingly, making his first appearance at the Stadium in uniform since he retired, drew thunderous applause when he took the field for some catch and batting practice. For those fortunate to be close to the playing field, there was a neat photo opportunity behind the batting cage as he and Dave Winfield embraced. Soon after we sat down, the skies darkened and became threatening. We were seated in the third tier along the first base side, about 15 rows from where the Stadium flood lights are. We were so high we could s--- on the pigeons flying about! So when those clouds moved in, it looked like they were going to smother us. Was that rain I just felt? The tarp went on at 2:15 and came off at 2:55. Finally, the ceremonies were beginning.

John Sterling and Michael Kay introduced the returning players (as I prefer to call them) Bahnsen (great rookie), Torrez ( former Red Sox), Bloomberg (1st DH), Kucks (good glove in the '50's), Downing (trivia answer), Clarke (solid performer during lean years), Doyle (he and brother run a baseball camp), Blair (speed in CF), Johnson (big man, big stick), Mazzilli ( years with Mets are forgiven), Linz (harmonica), Johnstone (flake #1), Pagliarulo (fan favorite), Bouton (welcome home), Cerone (kept coming back; now a minor league team owner), Terry (solid pitcher), Gamble (where's the hair?), Spenser (solid 1st baseman), Tresh (great rookie year), Davis (good middle relief), Pepitone (flake #2 but I love him), Rivers (still walks like an old lady), current coaches Chambliss (fighting fans to touch home plate against KC) and Stottlemyre (what a moving moment when Mel was introduced), Murcer (my hero after Mantle retired).

A pause for Yankee legends announcer Bob Shepard and organist Eddie Layton to pay tribute to members of the Yankee family who had passed on in the past 12 months - Lemon (former manager), Hunter (great HOFer), Di Maggio Jr.(son of Joe D), Sojo (Luis' dad), Ford (Whitey's son Tom) and O'Neill (Paul's dad, think back to Game four, '99 World Series).

Then continuing with Michael (Stick, invaluable), Boyer (great 3rd baseman), current coach Randolph (when will he manage?), Lopez (good stick in 50's), Blanchard (under-rated; Mantle pall bearer), Nettles (greater 3rd baseman), Skowron (Moose-MOOOO), Bauer (the Marine) and Winfield (HOF awaits). Although the applause was generous for these former favorites, you could sense something big was coming and the 48,000 in attendance become like one massive volcanic eruption as Mattingly (Captain; Donnie Baseball) was introduced. It just continued as Ford (Chairman of the Board), Berra (hit 'em where they ain't) and Rizzuto (Scooter; Holy Cow) came onto the field. OK, warm up the bus; let's go home!! That made up for my two major bummers!!

Some highlights and special moments from the Old Timers activities and the rest of the day:

  • Although overcast seconds earlier, the sun appeared just as Rizzuto was introduced and stayed around for the duration of Old Timers Game
  • The opposing teams were Clete's Clippers and Mel's Bambinos
  • Robert Merrill, long time tenor for the Yankees, came onto the field wearing uniform #1 _ and led us in a chorus of America
  • Old Timers Game started at 3:45 and Bob Wolfe called play by play
  • Top of the first inning Pags was doubled up on a fly ball (I think it was on purpose); in fact, the Clippers were only given two outs and the Bambinos took the field. They needed to end this quickly as the game against the Twins was scheduled to begin 4:35 and the sky turned threatening again.
  • Bottom of the first saw the conclusion come quickly: Mattingly base hit, Winfield base hit, Pepi base hit, Clarke base hit (Wolfe informed us that Horace Clarke broke up three no-hitters in the 9th inning in 1970); as Mel Allen used to say, "How about that?!" Throwing error, Doyle base hit (Hey, who are these guys??). Five runs scored, no outs, game over.
  • Yankee/Twins game started 1 minute late - not bad. Jeter first at bat hit a foul ball about 8 rows down and just to the right of us. I swore that ball was headed for Jennifer!
  • A very cool peanut vendor was flinging (yes, I said flinging) bags of peanuts 10-20 rows away and then would run up to collect his payment. I gave him some advice, like he was looking for some! ("Be sure to account for the wind"). Another very cool peanut vendor was walking around balancing his box of inventory on his head. I'd have given him the same advice, but he was too far away.
  • A group of about 50 young boys made their way up to their seats. Recognizing their accent, I asked what part of England they were from. "London. Been here two weeks for a Soccer tour. First baseball game and we go back tomorrow". Well, Cheerio to you all!
  • I couldn't figure out the relevance of the music that was played as each player came to bat. (Except for Sojo - Louie, Louie).
  • Conseco made an impression at bat - lost his bat swinging and almost hit 3rd baseman; and in leftfield - he got on his horse and hauled in a long fly ball. Received a standing O and many bows from the fans.
  • Someone named 'Freddie the Fan', dressed in Irish green and carrying a 'Go Yankees' sign, insisted on walking among us with a frying pan, letting everyone hit it with a spoon!
  • O'Neill hit a 3 run homer in the 4th to the delight of Lindsay.
  • Where did the Gulden's mustard go!!?? All I saw was French's.
  • The ground crew danced to the YMCA between innings.
  • It started to rain pretty hard; the magnificent 7 left their seats; Posada hit a homer; my nephew missed it!
  • The Twins pitcher lobbed the ball to his catcher; he hit him on the head!
  • Naegle was removed after 5 innings, 4 runs; and received sustained applause. Our pitching expectations sure have gone down the tubes. The Yanks won 13-4.
  • We left after the 7th inning, just before the lightning and monsoons hit. Noah, save me space on the Ark! Tremendous downpour and thunderstorm. We had to wait over 1 hour for 4 people and then another hour as the second bus was involved in minor sideswipe and paper work had to be completed. They actually had to have one of our passengers drive the other bus as the driver had a heart condition and didn't want to get behind the wheel again.
  • We got home 2:30 AM.

The next day Lindsay asked me about keeping score. I showed her the box score and asked her how Glenallen Hill could come to the plate 4 times but have no at bats, with 1 run scored and 1 RBI?; (three walks, 1 sac fly). She asked what a DH was and I pointed out that yesterday she had seen the first in history. Jennifer is attracted more to Jeter than the game; I was glad to see Lindsay show interest in her old man's favorite sport.




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