As I type, the Yankees are getting pounded by the Cleveland Indians on the inaugural Opening Day of the new Yankee Stadium (Final Score: Tribe 10 Yankees 2). Adhering to tradition, the Yankees are hosting their Opening Day/Open House for the new Yankee Stadium in god's natural light. Unlike the nouveau Mets in Queens, the Yankees did not break with tradition and schedule Opening Day for a 7:05 pm start. It doesn't matter what city you live in, or the type of stadium you play in, the Opening Day game should always be played in the afternoon.
Parents can take their children out of school early and head to the big ball orchard in the Bronx, or whatever city you call home and its slice of hardball heaven. If the parents really want to treat the kids, there is a phone call to school saying little Derek and cute Mariana will not be at school today because of a pressing family matter. If you have to work, Opening Day is always a good reason to work a half-day or use some of that precious PTO. (PTO is one of the greatest scams to be perpetrated on the American worker by Human Resources professionals. I could go off on PTO for hours, but this is neither the time nor the place.)
My parents took my brother and myself to quite a few Opening Days at Yankee Stadium. My brother and I would head to school and then my mom would show up to sign us out early. In the office at Shongum School, we might run into Jeff Jamer, who was there being signed out of school by his mother. Both moms would make a joke about it being a holiday. (Wink. Wink.)
Opening Day is always special, but when you're a baseball fanatic in elementary school there is nothing bigger or better. My dad and myself would have scored tickets to Opening Day by heading to the Bronx on the first day tickets went on sale. I would read in the local newspaper, The Daily Record, the date when tickets were going on sale in late February/early March and casually mention this nugget of pertinent information to him.
My dad would ask, "Do you want to go with me and get a few games?"
"Uh huh. You bet. Yes!"
In the the late 1970s - early 1980s, the first day for ticket sales was always a Saturday. We would make the hour drive from New Jersey to the Bronx and then wait in line at the Yankee Stadium Box Office to score our tickets for the upcoming season. It was sort of our thing.
Some years the line was long, other years the line was relatively short, one year we stood next to piles of snow, but it was the price you had to pay to get the good games. We would talk about what teams we wanted to see, inevitably my father was humoring me because he would ultimately select the teams he wanted to see, but dad always had the good smarts to pick weekend giveaway games. At the end of the season, we might have landed a bat from Bat Day, scored a shirt on Shirt Day and nabbed a hat on Hat Day.
Marching into Yankee Stadium on Opening Day, the two Sheridan boys would be decked out from head-to-toe in Yankees giveaway garb. On our head might be the giveaway hat or plastic batting helmet, the shirt would be a pinstriped polyester Yankees giveaway from some milk company and on a hand you just might find a giveaway Yankees batting glove. I distinctly remember walking to the stadium from the parking garage, where some guy pointed to the two of us in our full regalia of Bronx Bombers paraphernalia and remarked to his friends, "Looks like these guys are ready to play."
If he only knew, we were definitely ready to play.
Back in the late 70s - early 80s, Opening Day was much different than it is today. One year, seated down the right field line in the upper deck a few rows from the bottom, my dad was offered cocaine by a guy seated in the row ahead of our suburban family of four. The Yankees were playing the Milwaukee Brewers, my dad had participated in a some back-and-forth banter with the man and then the guy had the common courtesy to offer my dad a mysterious white powder contained in a glass jar. My dad declined the offer, but can you imagine in 2009 going to a baseball game and having a person offer a father with his family around him - a toot of blow?
How about a present day mom who arranges play dates for her kids, buys only organic meat from Whole Foods and provides her children with an ample supply of soy milk; watch as her husband is offered cocaine in front of her two sons? She would want to exact Taliban-like punishment on the bearer of controlled substances.
What made the scene even more bewildering, my dad did not look like a recreational drug user or Jack Nicholson in "The Departed." In the winter, my dad still wore a dress hat to work (picture Dallas Cowboys coaching legend Tom Landry) and this was circa 1980 - not the "My Father Knows Best" 1950s. If you saw my dad, you didn't immediately think Studio 54 or "Bright Lights, Big City." Apparently, this guy's judgment was a little off - you know how everyone can get a little excited on Opening Day after doing a major amount of blow.
Tom Landry
The first time I saw cocaine was at Yankee Stadium and the first time I smelled weed was at Yankee Stadium. As a teenager, I know I experienced my first contact high at the Stadium when two mutants seated around my dad and myself passed a joint back-and-forth. You really do have to respect the sheer audacity of the act or the lack of respect shown to a father and his teenage son, but the times were radically different. Today someone would immediately call security with their cell phone, but back in the day the smell of marijuana was nothing unusual - the sights, sounds and smell of the old ballpark.
At today's Opening Day at new Yankee Stadium, I have a feeling cocaine was not offered to a father seated with his family, but I will not make such a bold proclamation about the absence of marijuana at the new Yankee Stadium.
In remembrance of old Yankee Stadium, I'd like to give you Sheridan's All-Time Favorite New York Yankees. (Disclaimer: These are only players that I saw play in my lifetime at Yankee Stadium. Unfortunately, Billy Martin will not be named the second baseman.)
All-Time Favorite New York Yankees
1B Don Mattingly - Donnie Ballgame was the best player in the game until a balky back diminished his physical skills. Not only was Mattingly a great hitter, but he was an exceptional fielder. Between my brother and myself, we would debate the merits of Don Mattingly in comparison to the Mets' Keith Hernandez for countless hours. I knew in my heart that Mattingly was better than Hernandez, but I could never give my brother that sliver of satisfaction.
Honorable Mention: Steve "Bye-Bye" Balboni,
2B Willie Randolph - It seemed that Willie caught more balls off his chest than he did with his glove - Randolph never olay'ed a ball. Randolph was solid in every aspect of the game. He could hit, he could run and he was a solid defensive second baseman. When I think of Willie Randolph, I think of second base at the old Yankee Stadium.
Honorable Mention: Damaso Garcia
SS The Captain Derek Jeter - I love The Captain. When Jeter recklessly dove into the left field stands at Yankee Stadium, smashing his teeth and face to make a spectacular catch versus the Boston Red Sox, I couldn't believe the man's dedication. Nomar Garciaparra was sitting on the visitor's bench with some mysterious affliction and The Captain was nearly killing himself. I was watching the game at a now defunct club in Harvard Square, waiting to see Rich Robinson from the Black Crowes take the stage, when this complete dickhead started calling Jeter a pussy. Being the mild-tempered man that I am, I told the guy in the most agreeable way that he was a "fucking idiot." Game on - no one messes with The Captain. How could you be a baseball fan or a human being and not appreciate that play? I believe I then told the guy I would eat his dick for lunch, which made him reconsider our potential donnybrook. Once again, my devotion to peace, serenity and Derek Jeter saved the day.
Honorable Mention: Jim Mason
The Captain & Jessica Biel
3B Graig Nettles - Keeping up with the pugilistic theme, Nettles gets the nod at third for not only his defensive prowess and his pop at the plate, but the beat down he gave to Boston's southpaw pitcher Bill Lee. Sadly, the damage Nettles did to The Spaceman's shoulder negatively affected him for the rest of his career. Nettles turned around the 1978 World Series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers with his defensive wizardry in Game Three at Yankee Stadium. This quote alone makes him a favorite, "The best thing about being a Yankee is getting to watch Reggie Jackson play every day. The worst thing about being a Yankee? Getting to watch Reggie Jackson play every day."
Honorable Mention: Dale Berra
LF Dave Winfield - Has a ballplayer ever faced more adversity in New York than Dave Winfield? George Steinbrenner hired a scumbag named Howie Spira to dig up garbage about Winfield and his charitable foundation. A Rod thinks he has it rough, but no one had it rougher than Dave Winfield. Winfield could do it all on the ballfield. In the 1981 ALCS against Billy Martin's Oakland Athletics, I was at The House That Ruth Built with my family when Winfield made a spectacular catch in left field ripping the outfield padding with his spike. Watching Dave Winfield dig for a double was a joy to watch and he had a lethal arm, which possessed enough deadly force to kill a seagull in Toronto, creating an international incident with our neighbors to the North.
Honorable Mention: Steve Kemp
CF Bernie Williams - Bernie is the quiet guy in the clubhouse, who put up some monster numbers, and can play the national anthem before the game. Bernie earned $103 million dollars in his career, was named to the American League All-Star team five times, won the batting title in 1998 with a .339 average, won four Gold Gloves, was named MVP of the 1996 ALCS and was one of only seven Yankees to play sixteen years in the Bronx, but I still believe he is not given his proper respect. If you eliminate the last four years of his career, he is a career .300 hitter. Still, Bernie had a career batting average of .297. Folks can dispute if he truly deserved four Gold Gloves, but Gold Glove awards are usually based on offensive numbers. Bernie isn't in the DiMaggio or Mantle category, but he was no slouch.
Honorable Mention: Deion Sanders
RF THE WARRIOR Paul O'Neill - Some people thought O'Neill was a hothead, Red Sox fans saw him as a whiner or a baby, but he competed every at-bat. Teammate Tino Martinez and Paul O'Neill were two of the most competitive players in a game fueled by competitive egos. Martinez and O'Neill's fire led the Yankees to four World Series titles under manager Joe Torre's guidance. O'Neill led the league in batting in 1994 with a .359 average - this from a man who supposedly could not hit left-handed pitching. O'Neill had a will to win that was beyond comprehension. He made clutch catches with bad hamstrings, he refused to lose in the 1997 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians which ended in a New York defeat, and his absence is still felt. The current day Yankees could use a few guys like Tino and O'Neill.
Honorable Mention: Pat Sheridan
C Thurman Munson - Munson disliked Boston's Carlton Fisk and he disliked Mr. October Reggie Jackson, which immediately earns him a spot on the squad. Jorge Posada will end his career with better numbers than #15 (But this is not about the numbers.), because Munson was the heart and soul of the Bronx Bombers in the 1970s. If you were a diehard fan, Reggie was a douche and Thurman was your boy. Munson had the body of a beer league softball player, played hurt which affected his throwing behind the dish and owned the area around home plate. Munson's brawl with Carlton Fisk at home plate is an enduring moment in the rivalry between the two teams. Thurman exited too early for a twelve-year-old boy in 1979, but his death provided my brother and myself with our first experience of loss. We didn't know Munson, but both of us knew we had lost something special.
Honorable Mention: Ron Hassey
DH Lou Piniella - There was no way I wasn't finding a spot for Lou Piniella on this team. Lou Piniella was Paul O'Neill before there was a Paul O'Neill. Ironically, as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Piniella was the guy who promoted the theory that O'Neill could not hit lefties. Now skippering the Chicago Cubs, Piniella recently received a letter from the disgraced former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, regarding some alterations in the Cubbies lineup. (If there is an opportunity to mention Blago, I'll take the shot. Blago is a true American original and his press conferences are must see viewing.) Piniella played eleven years with the Yankees, ended his career with a .291 average and his ninth inning decoy move in the 1978 AL East playoff game versus the dreaded Boston Red Sox was immense. Playing right field at Fenway Park, Piniella lost Sox second baseman Jerry Remy's line drive in the late afternoon New England sun, but possessed the baseball savvy to pretend he had a bead on the ball. When the ball hit the ground, Piniella made a stabbing move to spear the ball. This superb play kept Red Sox shortstop Rick Burleson from advancing beyond second base and preserved New York's one run advantage.
Honorable Mention: Ron Bloomberg (The Original DH)
Blago
Starting Pitcher David Cone - It was tough to choose between Ron Guidry and David Cone, but Cone gets the slight nod. Ron Guidry was a phenom, who was beaten into the ground by overuse. Very few pitchers can lay claim to being the leader of their team, but in many ways David Cone led Joe Torre's New York Yankees in the late 1990s. Cone was a warrior on a team with a collection of warriors. If Cone did not have his best stuff, he would find a way to win. Cone was born to pitch in New York.
Honorable Mentions: Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich
Relief Pitcher Rich "Goose" Gossage - Goose makes the team because of his complete disdain for inherited base runners or base runners in general. Sheridan All-Team'er Graig Nettles would come in from third base and casually mention to Goose that he might want to take a passing interest in the guy on first base with the fifteen foot lead. Goose would lose his mind and tell Nettles to fuck off. Nettles would shake his head and jog back to third, Goose would glare at the catcher, take the sign, uncork some heat to the plate and the base runner would take off and steal second. This scenario played itself out countless times and Nettles was always the much appreciated messenger. Where are the relief pitchers in today's game who use intimidation as a tool? Gossage, Al Hraboski and The Eck wanted to get into a batter's head. Current Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon has some Goose in him. Speaking of intimidation, a buddy of mine, Mr. Sid, was on his high school's chess team. Mr. Sid was a big kid and to intimidate the little Bobby Fischer across the board from him - Mr. Sid would start digging into his nostrils with a ferocity that immediately unsettled his competitor. In the 1980s, Mr. Sid was the Goose Gossage/Sean Avery of high school chess in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Honorable Mention: Steve Howe
Manager Billy Martin - If you had one game to win, Billy Martin was the man. If you desired a manager to establish a winning tradition, Joe Torre was your man. Looking back at Billy Martin, I now see him as the paranoid/ psycho/ alcoholic that he was, but that doesn't completely alter this former ten-year-old's infatuation with the man. Martin played the besieged underdog with exquisite talent and that resonated with this under-sized kid. Martin took on everyone, in a Don Quixote distorted sense of justice, which made him a compelling if tragic character. As an adult, I can clearly see that Joe Torre handled the demands of the New York press and George Steinbrenner's dysfunctional management team with great aplomb. If Cone was meant to pitch in the Big Apple, Joe Torre was the perfect choice to guide the Yankees to four World Series titles. Billy Martin's life story has all the elements of an ancient Greek tragedy. In stark contrast, Joe Torre's managerial career with the Yankees is the story of a successful American business leader.
Honorable Mention: Stump Merrill
Billy Martin & Thurman Munson
