ESPN has stolen the final game ever to be played in Yankee Stadium from the YES Network and will air it on Sunday Night. While YES will have about 10 hours of pre and post-game coverage, I thought it would be great to have a viewing guide to go along with ESPN's over-the-top coverage. Use the following lists as a checklist, drinking game, however you please:
Nostalgic Film Clips- Joe Morgan's home run in the 1977 All Star game at Yankee Stadium.
- Phil Rizzuto's call of Roger Maris' 61st home run in 1961.
- Aaron Boone's walk-off against the Sox in 2003.
- Johnny Damon's grand slam off Javier Vazquez in 2004 (this is ESPN we're talking about, after all).
- Jeter diving into the stands against the Sox, emerging bloodied.
- Charlie Hayes catching the final out of the 1996 World Series.
- Don Mattingly's home run in the 1995 playoffs.
- Lou Gehrig's "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth" speech.
- Reggie's three home run game in the series.
- A montage of all the no-hitters thrown at the stadium, culminating in Yogi jumping into Don Larsen's arm after his perfect game in the World Series.
- Clemens throwing the broken bat at Piazza (a personal favorite).
- DiMaggio kicking the dirt/DiMaggio running through the "56" paper sign.
- Mantle limping around the bases after a pinch-hit home run.
- The Babe winking at a camera.
- George Brett's pine tar home run.
- 2001 W.S games 4 and 5 montage featuring Tino's bomb, Jeter's bomb, Brosius's bomb and Soriano's walk-off single.
- Billy Martin fighting with Reggie Jackson in the dugout.
- Girardi's triple from the 1996 series.
- Leyritz's home run in the 1995 ALDS (From the comments).
- The crowd rushing the field after game 6 in the 1977 series.
- Wade Boggs riding a horse after the 1996 series.
- Joe Torre soaked in champagne.
- Derek Jeter as a rookie.
- Big Stein with 70's sideburns from the owner's box.
- Older, calmer Big Stein.
- Brian Cashman, looking pensive.
- Whitey Ford, full windup.
- Josh Beckett's shutout to end the 2003 series at the stadium.
- Mariano Rivera jogging to the mound as Enter Sandman plays. That will hopefully be the final image broadcast from the stadium.
- Chris Chambliss' game-winning homer in the 1976 ALCS (from the comments)
The "Stars" Will Be Out (celebs sure to be in the stands, sure to be on camera)- Billy Crystal
- Rudy Giuliani
- Jack Nicholson
- Spike Lee
- Donald Trump
- Bud Selig
- Kevin Bacon/Kira Sedgwick
- Tim Robbins/Susan Sarandon
- Madonna?
- Mayor Bloomberg
- Alec Baldwin
- Woody Allen
- ABC TV star pumping the upcoming season (at least one of these, followed by Joe Morgan praising Ugly Betty)
From the ESPN Research Department (on-screen graphics sure to be displayed during the game)
- Price comparison list, 1923 to 2008. Items on the list:
- Tickets
- Peanuts
- Hot dog
- Soda
- Gallon of gas
- Gallon of milk
- Postage stamp
- Total Yankee Stadium attendance
- Yankee won-loss record at the Stadium
- Postseason won-loss record at the Stadium
- Events at the Stadium including:
- Concerts
- Papal Visits
- Boxing matches
- Football games
- Graphic of the Yankee lineup for the first game with a funky fade to the lineup for the final game.
ESPN is sure to make a freak show out of this event which they really have no right to broadcast. Did I leave anything out? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Great list, Bri. How about Chris Chambliss' game-winning homer in the 1976 ALCS? Or Leyritz's bomb in the 1995 ALDS? Actually, I think they'll use that one in place of The King's homer against the Braves (since it was in Atlanta).
Good call on Leyritz, I adjusted it. Added Chambliss as well.
I can understand your sentiments about ESPN stealing this from YES, but as a baseball fan, I wouldn't be able to see the game otherwise. If Yankee Stadium were just another stadium (Astrodome) where things happened, that would be one thing, but as you stated above, so many historical things have happened there that it has had an effect on every baseball fan, not just those in the YES broadcasting area.
Missing from your lists...A list of 'non-baseball activities' that happened at the Stadium.
I put the non-baseball stuff at the bottom, but you're right, they'll probably show footage.
I see your point about the rest of the country seeing it, and to be honest with you I don't think YES would do a much better job covering it. I just think it blows for those announcers to have no part in the final game. Also, I kind of want the familiarity of the Yankee announcers to say goodbye to the Stadium instead of Miller and Morgan.
If ESPN didn't cover it this way, I'm 10000% certain you would complain about that. Remember those "The first 15 minutes of SportsCenter was all about the Celtics!" rants?
And if Joe Morgan praises Ugly Betty on air, I concede all arguments to you from here to eternity. That would take the cake.
I'm not even sure I'm making fun of ESPN with this post. If YES was broadcasting it, I probably would've written the exact same post. I just think the fact that it's the last game at the stadium will completely overshadow the game itself, which bugs me. I'll have more on my feelings about the stadium's end on Sunday.
I'm holding you to the Joe Morgan part of your comment.
THANK GOD that Gary, Ron and Keith will call the final game at Shea on SNY and not Morgan/Miller on ESPN.
Yeah, good for the Mets. Kingman is going to that final game and we were wondering a couple of weeks ago if ESPN would steal that game for their Sunday night broadcast, but it didn't happen.
They will be airing the yankees game on 1050 ESPN Radio, and Michael Kay stated (today on his show) that he was invited to (and will) call a few innings as well. Perhaps a better listen than ESPN TV...at least I hope... Not sure who is scheduled to call the game on radio, I'm hoping they just don't use the audio feed from the TV airing...
I'm pretty sure they have separate audio for the radio.
Here's the real question, though. Sterling and Waldman or Morgan and Miller? I'm tempted to go with John and Suzyn, their asinine banter is at least comically bad, rather than infuriatingly bad.
May 1998, David Wells perfect game against the Twins.
"In the seventh inning, I started getting really nervous. I knew what was going on, I was hoping the fans would kind of shush a little bit. They were making me nervous." - David Wells
Phil Rizzutto did not call the TV clip of Maris's 61st homer. He was on radio, but RED BARBER did!
The story from the NY POST years ago was that the original tv clip was "stolen" or misplaced from the vault. HOW ABOUT THAT!
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