Tagged: memories

A Wild Finish

There’s almost too much excitement around the big leagues to blog about these days with only two weeks until October, but things are getting Wild in the Wild Card races, and everyone knows all you have to do is get in it to win it.

The Red Sox look good at the top of the American League Wild Card standings for the AL’s fourth berth in the Postseason, but the Twins are still kicking after their dramatic win Thursday over Tampa Bay.

bam.showFlvPlayerFrame({url:”http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2008/09/19/mlbtv_mintba_1334552_800K.flv”,width:512,height:332,poster:”http://mlblogsoctobergonzo.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/512-casilla.jpg”});

In the National League, it’s a different story. The Mets have fallen out of the lead in the NL East, but they’re still holding a tight lead on the Milwaukee Brewers for the Wild Card, and a big effort by their big horse, Johan Santana, kept them in charge Thursday.

bam.showFlvPlayerFrame({url:”http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2008/09/18/mlbtv_nynwas_1334784_800K.flv”,width:512,height:332,poster:”http://mlblogsoctobergonzo.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/512-santana.jpg”});

Things aren’t looking so good for the Yankees, and the last time Major League Baseball had a postseason without them was 1993. I can’t believe it, and I’m sure a lot of you can’t either, but that’s baseball, right?

Added to that stunning fact is the reality that baseball’s Cathedral is closing down at the end of the season to make way for the shiny, new ballpark across the street.

So I would like to give an official O.G. shout-out to all the majestic moments we’ve witnessed at that big ballyard in the Bronx, with a big nod to my personal favorite, Aaron Boone’s 11th-inning walk-off piece off Tim Wakefield in that epic Game 7 of the 2003 AL Championship Series to beat the Red Sox.

bam.showFlvPlayerFrame({url:”http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2008/05/12/mlbtv_bosnya_359419_800K.flv”,width:512,height:332,poster:”http://mlblogsoctobergonzo.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/512-boone.jpg”});

Then again, there are about 100 others that come to mind, too. I’d be blogging all night if I was going to list them all. I don’t have that much time, but you all can help me out by voting in the poll and commenting.

So bring it: What are your favorite Yankee Stadium moments?

I want to hear all about them.

O.G.

What’s in your memory bank?

With some major pennant races starting to heat up, I’m starting to think ahead to what might happen in October, and when I do that, I can’t help but think back.

It’s true that my mind pretty much goes blank to anything but baseball when October moments are playing in my personal memory bank. And the drama of the first seven years of this millennium have clogged my baseball brain so much that right now I don’t know where my car keys are and I think I might have put my drivers license in the freezer.

http://mlb.mlb.com/chc/fan_forum/y2008/october_gonzo_vote.jsp?poll_q=1In other words, let’s get on with the memories…

Did you stay up late to watch Game 7 in the emotionally charged 2001 World Series, when the Diamondbacks finally got Mariano Rivera and Arizona won a thrilling seven-game Fall Classic over the Yankees?

http://freevideocoding.com/flvplayer.swf?file=http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2008/07/22/mlbtv_895576_800K.flv&autoStart=false

Who can forget Moises Alou running over to the brick wall along the left-field line at Wrigley Field in 2003 and having a sure out botched by fan Steve Bartman?

http://freevideocoding.com/flvplayer.swf?file=http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2008/07/24/mlbtv_flochn_914035_800K.flv&autoStart=false

Were you among the millions of people who say they were sitting in 55,000-seat Yankee Stadium when Aaron Boone hit that Tim Wakefield pitch out in the 11th inning to win the 2003 American League Championship Series?

http://freevideocoding.com/flvplayer.swf?file=http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2008/05/12/mlbtv_bosnya_359419_800K.flv&autoStart=false

Did you consider yourself close enough to the action last year in Colorado to really figure out if Matt Holliday was safe or out?

http://freevideocoding.com/flvplayer.swf?file=http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2008/07/24/mlbtv_sdncol_914040_800K.flv&autoStart=false

So bring it. What’s in your October memory bank?

O.G.