Bronx, N.Y., April 18, 2009 — I know what you’re thinking. Mixed? On a day when only three games into their new Stadium, the Yankees were victimized by an inning that featured the most hits they have ever surrendered in one frame resulting in the most runs they have ever allowed in one inning? The Indians pummeled them 22-4. Doesn’t sound too mixed. Sounds downright bad.
Sorry. Big numbers don’t scare me. I was in Yankee Stadium (you know, the one across 161st Street) on that 2004 day when this Indians team slapped the home team with the most lopsided shutout score by which the Bombers had ever been beaten, 22-0. That day, both Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez cleared the wall, each for three runs, while they both settled for singleton jacks this time around. Five years ago, Jody Gerut, who earlier this week put his name in baseball history as the first one ever to homer in Citifield, for the Padres, poached a three-run jack as well. There were no grand slams in 2004 like the Asdrubal Cabrera blast in today’s 14-run second inning, but we’re talking comparable days: Four 2004 homers accounted for 11 tallies back then; six Indians roundtrippers plated 13 this day.
So why so little angst? Well, several reasons. First, it was one of the most perfect April days for baseball that you could ever want. Not dazzling sun all day, but more sun than not under a consistent 70 degrees, a reading my body feels pretty comfortable in calling, though I had no instruments to record it. It was just awful, yes, but it was beautiful too. You know? I couldn’t have left if I wanted to, a trait that will get me into trouble one day, I’m sure.
Second, Mr. Wang. I swear he had them pounding the ball into the ground in the first inning, something I had not yet seen this year, even if it all crumbled so quickly in the second. DH Trafner started that inning by dribbling one up toward third that was rolling too softly to be fielded, then Jhonny Peralta fouled two balls weakly before singling past short. Wang, his confidence off two bad starts starting to crumble, missed with three pitches, then grooved the 3-1 pitch. Sin-Shoo Choo drilled a homerun, and our Taiwanese marvel had his confidence evaporate. Everything was hit hard then, very little of it on the ground. Of course, if I’m right and Chieng-Ming’s confidence is the biggest hurdle, there’s no guarantee we’re clear. But you’ll have to forgive me if I’m cool with that rather than with a broken foot, something that leaves you no hope.
I don’t have much else really, except that one has to give young Anthony Claggett a pass for his instantaneous eight-run contribution. He’s a baby, he blinked at the headlights, and he will probably be much better next time around. It was enjoyable that the Yanks already had a lead on Mark Teixeira’s home run before it all fell apart, and kudos to Melky Cabrera for continuing to try to convince us (and Joe Girardi) that we continue to have a pretty good four outfielder tandem minus Xavier Nady when he homered in the sixth. I will admit that if we were going to score only four though, it might have been nice to plate at least one with a single or a sac fly. But no, all four crossed on home runs, and now 10 of 12 Yankee tallies in the new Stadium have come via the long ball.
Three hours and some 40-plus minutes into this one, Cody Ransom came to bat with two outs in the ninth, and the loudspeaker intoned just a few notes of Gimme Shelter by the Stones, an odd choice I felt. Batting titular leadoff for Derek Jeter because Ramiro Pena had shifted to short in the fourth, as Cody came in to play third, he extended the game with a triple, giving him one hit in three tries. The leadoff hitter in the 2004 demolition was none other than Bernie Williams, playing center obviously, and 0-for-4 on the day. Our day was mixed because we knew where our “shelter” was coming from: When the game ended two batters after Ransom, we were off to a musical show featuring Bernie on guitar at the Nokia Theatre in midtown Manhattan, a second New York City event on a day when it was truly fine to be here.
The game ended at 7:32, but it was a sparse crowd through whom we made our way to the downtown D Train, so even though doors were open at 8:00, we were in our seats almost an hour before “first note” slightly after nine. And what can I tell you? It was wonderful. It was special. And most of all, it was a love fest. The place was packed with Yankee fans, Bombers enthusiasts with a taste for good music, and Bernie and his band totally delivered. The chants of “Bernie Williams,” interspersed with the staccato five-beat clap we all know and love, filled the theater all night. WFAN’s Sweeney Murti introduced the show, and Bald Vinnie from the bleachers screamed to call Bernie to the stage.
And what can I tell a Yankee fan, or anyone pretty much, about Bernie Williams? He’s a sweet man, a very talented one, and a blessed one too. Here he is excelling in a second career when most of the men in America would give anything to have had half the success he had in the first one, and as a NEW YORK YANKEE no less! Bernie introduced us to members of the band as the evening progressed, and the audience continued to proclaim their love. At one point, a fan called out “They coulda used you today,” and he replied, “I know.” And you know, he did know. Know that he could have played more, that he could have helped. But also that New York adores him, and that he is a very lucky man.
His band include three horns (trombone, trumpet and sax, with a little clarinet thrown in), two keyboarders, four percussion artists, a rhythm guitar, a bass guitar and, of course, Bernie on lead guitar. They jammed for 90 to 100 minutes, with a tremendous conga solo and singer John Secada singing his hit Just Another Hit backed by a choir being highlights. Every song was great. Every song found an appreciative audience. Bernie had his brother stand in on stand-up base on one tune, and he conversed with his daughter from the crowd before performing another that he wrote especially for her. He confessed as to why he needed to do so and, trust me, he did need to.
They finished their set, then came back for an encore of Glory Days oh so quickly. It’s sweet, Bernie, being new to the biz, seemed uncomfortable with the concept of us waiting for the encore, so it was almost an add-on to the show. And the crowd got to let loose and sing along to Bruce Sprinsteen’s baseball-rooted anthem. Then everyone else left the stage, and Bernie serenaded us acoustically with THE song, you know, the one he played in centerfield just two days ago:
- Take me out to the ballgame,
take me out to the crowd
We are all very lucky to have had Bernie Williams, and baseball, touch our lives.
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!