I never went to a game with Todd Drew. But I can imagine what it would have been like–focused, alert, serious. Todd’s wife Marsha has filled me in on what the experience was like. They’ve been season ticket holders since 2003. In that time, Todd never missed a pitch. He went to the bathroom once before the game and once when it was over. And he kept score. Of course.
Last night I sat in Todd’s seat, a seat he will never see (for those who don’t know, Todd Drew was a contribuor at Bronx Banter who tragically died earlier this year; you can find a collection of his writing on the sidebar). It is located high above home plate, an ideal bird’s-eye view of the field. Fitting, I thought, for Todd to be presiding over the season like this. I could imagine Todd’s kind face, big in the sky like a Bill Gallo drawing.
Diane joined me and there was a good crowd around us. In the fourth inning, one of my dear friends, Johnny Red Sox, came up to me. He just happened to be sitting in the row ahead of us–what are the odds? In Todd’s seats, not so great.
Chien-Ming Wang and John Lannan were a contrast in styles. Wang was deliberate, soporific, while Lannan worked so quickly that he reminded me of the old Billy Crystal routine, where he mimicked ballplayers from the 1920s having a catch. Wang was up against it; if he could not handle the worst team in baseball surely he would not get another start. He wasn’t great but was certainly improved. Adam Dunn launched a solo home run against him in the third, and then Wang was done in by some misfortune in the fourth.
Ramiro Pena, playing for Derek Jeter, dropped a throw from Jorge Posada on a steal. Then, the first base umpire blew a call at first base. We could tell that he missed it from where we were sitting. The jumbotron did not show a replay, but moments later we heard waves of outrage from the areas in the park that did have access to a TV replay. As this was happening, a drunk kid caused a ruckus in the row behind us. Security was called and the dude left without an incident–just some disoriented, angry words. Before it was over, Nick Johnson hit a sinking line drive to left. Melky Cabrera raced in, dove, missed the ball and two runs scored.
Lannan threw strikes and got outs and the game zipped along. Robinson Cano hit a Yankee Stadium homer to break up Lannan’s no-hitter in the fifth, and in the ninth, Johnny Damon added a chippy of his own. With out one, Mark Teixeira singled to left. Brett Gardner replaced him as a pinch-runner and Alex Rodriguez, 0-3 to that point, came to the plate.
I hadn’t thought about Todd for most of the game but now he was present. Todd loved rooting for Rodriguez even more than I do, and I clapped more forcefully, hoping that Rodriguez would deliver. Mike MacDougal came in for Lannan and threw to first three times before Gardner stole second and then third. Rodriguez walked when he checked his swing on a full-count pitch.
First and third, Yanks down by a run, one out in the ninth. They were going to win. Robinson Cano fouled off the first two pitches he saw, took two balls, and then fouled off five or six more. He put good swings on the ball. The crowd was loud, only pausing to hold their breath as each pitch was delivered. I looked around our section at the friends we had made–clapping, rocking in their seats, clutching their hats, gasping at each foul ball–and realized that the meaning of Todd, and of the game, isn’t the outcome.
It is being there.
I felt humbled. Todd will never sit in his seats but he is there with us. The Yankees may not know it, but this is Todd’s season. (And there were plenty of moments to appreciate–two strong innings of relief from Phil Hughes and fine fielding plays by Rodriguez and Cano, and the customary brilliance of Teixeira.) I soaked in the last ten minutes of the game–that’s about how long the Rodriguez and Cano at bats took. My hands hurt from clapping and my heart raced. The excitement rattle through me and wished that I could bottle the sensation. I think it was Carlton Fisk who reflected that the 1978 playoff game between the Yankees and Red Sox should have been suspended when Yaz came to bat. It was a perfect moment, both teams were winners–baseball nirvana.
Last night was a June game pitting one of the best teams in baseball against the worst. Of course I was disappointed when Cano hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end it, but I felt, for those precious moments in the ninth, in touch with why we watch every night, why were are moved, and crazed and driven, and why in the end, baseball matters.
Final Score: ‘Nats 3, Yanks 2.
Wonderful post Alex, a good way to start the morning ... remembering that we (some of us) love the game more than the single moment, and that the banter has been (can be) a place of intelligent (if passionate) exchanges. The culture fights against that sometimes, and so does the passion sometimes, but your post reminded me of the better alternatives. Thanks.
Deeply disappointed when Robbie hit into the DP, but it was a fine at-bat, he fouled off a sequence of really good pitches, and ended it on an even better one. Wang, as you say, was really unlucky in the 4th.
AL Beast is really emerging as-advertised as Tampa Bay heats up. There will be nowhere to hide as summer begins. Have to pretty much assume wildcard will be the East, especially as Angels are really hurting on the mound this year. They can catch Texas, but would either beat Bos/NY/TB?
Beautiful post, Alex. It sounds like my wife and I were a few sections over from you. Behind the plate, slightly to the third base side, and as high up as you can go :)
It makes me feel a little better about a deeply frustrating game.
That's a moving post.
As has been mentioned, the smart play was to have Alex attempt to steal in order to draw a throw so that Gardner could score, or to at least prevent a DP.
I was sooo wrong about Girardi's aptitude as a manager.
This team should be much better than it is. Do we really have to sacrifice the season for the sake of stability?
Alex .... you hit it out of the park ... again.
great post Alex. In a weird twist, my power went out in the 4th inning. By the 7th I discovered that mlb was streaming the game to the iphone app and I watched the last three innings on my phone (in the dark). pretty surreal.
I should add that if the rain hitting the Bronx today is the same that hit us in Pittsburgh last night no way is there a game. That was a wild storm.
[6] Given my commute this morning (from the Bx), there's no way is there a game today. If they change the start time to 7pm, they have a chance, but given the monsoon going now...
Good stufff. Baseball matters. To us at least. Still just a game. My ranting and raving after after Cano's dp made my dog retreat to the spare bedroom and hide. That's the first time this year, I think. : )
[7] good to know. i won't get my hopes up. I was really looking forward to listening while I worked too.
Yeah, that DP annoyed me as well. Cano had some pretty good swings, and I was hoping that he'd lace something to LF, but it wasn't meant to be. I still think Rodriguez should've taken off for 2b, MacDougal wasn't looking @ him, and even if he had tried to keep Rodriguez close, I don't think Josh Bard throws him out (or even throws through with Gardner dancing off 3b).
[9] Same here. Rainouts suck.
even with all the annoying things from that game - for some reason i wasn't that bothered by the loss - maybe something to do with todd's spirit.
They've opened the gates, but unsure about the game being played ...
http://yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/weather_update.jsp
[13]
O_o
Maybe they know something I don't, but weather.com shows rain and showers through the entire day.
[14]
Yanks fly to Florida for night game tomorrow, while Nats host Toronto tomorrow night. So .... its CONCEIVABLE they'd wait till about 4 to call it.
I just bought Batter's Eye tickets for the July 1 Mariners game. They're normally $125, but they were selling them for $50.
I hope its a decent view .... anyone sit there so far?
[16] The Yankees should pay you to watch them from anywhere within The Stadium, Diane. They are one game over .500 so far this month (8-7). That's not good enough, for any period of time, especially these days, when they are practically at full strength and the schedule is relatively soft.
I found this on the team site today. I hope it helps. I don't think any Banterers have sat up there yet. At least none have reported they have to my knowledge. It looks like the Yankees' version of the Monster Seats at The Fens, only roughly 80-100 feet further from home plate and to straight away CF.
You are going to sit where you all will collectively look like keys on a gigantic laptop! I hope you don't get the dreaded "blue screen" during your game!
: )
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/bleachers_cafe.jsp
[17] I feel pretty comfortable stating that every team in baseball will be 8-7 during some 15-game stretch during the season.
i miss Todd Drew.
what an honor to sit in his seats!
i'm sorry we lost the game. but i am soooo deeply and truly sorry we lost Todd. there's just no justice in that...
[18] All baseball teams suck, seamus.
[19] well said.
[20] good point.
Honor. That's a good word and one I kept thinking about last night and just forgot to put in the post. But that's how I felt. Great call.
My heart aches a little after reading this post. Good job.
[17]
As we were leaving the game last night, I mentioned to Alex that I've now experienced the new Stadium from three different seating levels.
* RF Bleachers (thanks Jen!)
* Section 136 (behind LF aux. scoreboard)
* Section 420a (Grandstand just to right of home plate)
and that I'm gonna try and see a game from all the different venues (though I have a feeling the "Legends" seats are gonna have to be "gifted" to me at some point)
[22] Thanks, Alex. i wrote that in the game post last night, as well. i was late to catch the game, but when i saw you were sitting there, i immediately thought that.
Honor and Justice are two good words to tie to Todd. I hope Marsha is doing okay.
[0] Very nice Alex, thanks.
[3] Over at Peter's blog, apparently there were people ripping A-rod for not stealing. He shouldn't have gone on his own, it should have been Girardi calling for the double steal.
[24] Good for you, Diane! That's a wonderful and great goal to have for the new stadium! You get to try all of the spectacular food there as you do that as well!
I wish I could "gift you" some Legends Seats, but I'm sure you will get them eventually! Tell Cliff to "get on it" with respect to his SI connections! heh heh
In the meantime, I'll keep playing the lottery...
I only hope when you get to sit there, a better team shows up for you than the one last night.
It would take me quite a while to recover had I dropped $2500 for "two together" in that section yesterday! Hell, I would have been livid paying $400 for "two together" in the back of the Field Level after last night's result.
Wouldn't you?
The only good things I took from last night's game was that Wang was not shaky, even though Po was squarely up his ass from the first inning. He's becoming more of a liability on that team with each passing start behind the dish and it's becoming clear to me why the staff feels the way they do collectively with respect to that...
I'm also glad you guys had a great time. There is no substitute for the camaraderie of spirit after losing someone so near and dear!
: )
While I won't go as far as ripping Rodriguez for not stealing, I agree that there should've been a play of some sort to get Rodriguez to second, if not to steal outright, then to draw the throw. And with Gardner ready to take off for home, I don't see the Nats throwing through.
I suppose Cano then gets IBB'ed to set up a double play situation.