Yankees ready to open their new home

This was my write up for Baseball Digest on today's home opener.

Yankees ready to christen their new cathedral

Posted By Drew Sarver On April 16, 2009 @ 10:01 am In Yankees | No Comments

The Yankees much anticipated home opener has arrived. Though they played two exhibition games with the Chicago Cubs on April 3 and 4, today’s game with the Cleveland Indians is the real deal. The team is bringing back as many former players as possible to help officially unveil the new stadium. As expected, Yogi Berra will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch.

Dignitaries expected to attend include NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NY Governor David Patterson, former NYC mayor Rudy Guiliani (who will not wear a Red Sox hat), local politicians (not Assemblyman Richard Brodsky), and many more.

The ceremonies will begin at 12:10 pm EDT with the West Point Marching Band performing John Phillip Sousa’s “Washington Post March” and “Stars and Stripes Forever“. Sousa himself performed at the original stadium’s opening in 1923.

Colors will be presented by New City Police and Fire Departments, and the West Point cadets will unfurl a 75′ x 150′ American flag. Then there’s the one part of the pre-game ceremonies I have an issue with. Kelly Clarkson, the American Idol winner and pop star, will sing the National Anthem. It’s great that they wanted to have a live performance, but a pre-recorded version by the late Robert Merrill should have been played instead. That truly would have brought the magic from the old stadium to the new. At the conclusion of the anthem, the Air Force’s 174th Fighter Wing will fly F-16 fighter jets overhead The unit recently returned home from Iraq.

The Yankees sent out a press release with the former players expected to be in attendance:

Luis Arroyo, Jesse Barfield, Berra, Ron Blomberg, Bobby Brown, Horace Clarke, Jerry Coleman, David Cone, Chili Davis, Bucky Dent, Al Downing, Dave Eiland, Ed Figueroa, John Flaherty, Ford, Joe Girardi, Gossage, Ken Griffey, Ron Guidry, Charlie Hayes, Rickey Henderson, Jackson, Tommy John, Jim Kaat, Don Larsen, Hector Lopez, Tino Martinez, Lee Mazzilli, Gene Michael, Jeff Nelson, Graig Nettles, Paul O’Neill, Joe Pepitone, Randolph, Bobby Richardson, Mickey Rivers, Buck Showalter, Bill “Moose” Skowron, Luis Sojo, Mel Stottlemyre, Ralph Terry, Bob Turley, David Wells, Roy White, Williams and Dave Winfield.

Opening Day History

This is the third time a version of Yankee Stadium has been opened/re-opened. The most famous opening, of course, was the very first one. An announced crowd of 74,000 (it was reportedly actually 60,000) packed Yankee Stadium on April 18, 1923 to see the Yankees play the Boston RedSox. Babe Ruth put his stamp on “The House that Ruth Built” with a 3-run home run in the third inning. The Yankees won the game 4-1.

After two years of exile at Shea Stadium, the Yankees re-opened the renovated Yankee Stadium on April 15, 1976. Bob Shawkey who won on opening day in 1923 threw out the first pitch. Minnesota Twins outfielder “Disco” Dan Ford hit the first home run (Mickey Rivers would hit the first Yankees home run two days later), but the Yankees prevailed 11-4 before 52,613 fans . Dick Tidrow was the winning pitcher.

Probable Pitchers for Series

Thursday - Cliff Lee (0-2, 9.90) vs. CC Sabathia (1-1, 4.50)
Friday - Anthony Reyes (1-0, 6.00) vs. Joba Chamberlain (0-0, 1.50)
Saturday - Fausto Carmona (0-2, 9.00) vs. Chien-Ming Wang (0-2, 28.93)
Sunday - Carl Pavano (0-2, 16.71) vs. A.J. Burnett (2-0, 2.70)