Time for a Curtain Call from the Ghosts of Yankee Stadium

The epic that is the New York Yankees’ final charge into October within the confines of the original Yankee Stadium will be crafted only by the legends that reside there. It won’t be written down or spoken aloud. It’ll be a state of mind—a feeling in the air influenced by so much more than the memorials behind the left field wall. It’s been years since the ghosts of Yankee Stadium have been summoned. Tonight begins the final chapter of Yankee Stadium’s existence as the Boston Red Sox come to town for a three game series.

For the last 14 years, The Yanks have not missed the postseason. It would be unthinkable, like Tiger Woods forgetting to bring his clubs to The Masters. We do have to face reality, however. 9 ½ games out of first place is a pretty steep deficit, and the fact that New York has dropped games to teams in last place over the last couple of months doesn’t make the tea any sweeter. So how will they come through and snap into postseason mode just in time to save their season? I’ll tell you.

Remember that crisp October night in 2003 when Aaron Boone put the Yanks into the World Series by smashing a walk-off home run in the 11th inning at the stadium to beat the Red Sox? It was the final year of the Bambino Curse. The following season, the Sox went on to win the World Series, putting to rest 86 years of suicidal frustration and embarrassment in Bean Town. So that home run by Boone was more important to New York than sliced bread was to society. It was a story-book ending to Game 7 of the ALCS, and it can all be attributed to the ghosts of Yankees past. It’s been 5 years since that pandemonium in the Bronx. 5 long years.

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I’d say we’re due for one last memory of the paranormal from Yankee Stadium. Something as simple as making David Ortiz square around to bunt with a 2-0 count would suffice; or maybe inject A-Rod with the “Get a freakin clue” hormone within the next week or so. But the real influence will reside in the players that have been here before. Derek Jeter will turn his game up a notch as he has always done in the past. The rest of the team has to buy into the team concept and not try to do too much individually. The pitching staff needs to be consistent and smart with their pitches. And lastly, they need to stop dropping games to teams like the Royals who are 19 games back in the AL Central.

If the Yankees can accomplish these things, then that final game at the stadium is going to be a finale unlike any other. I think a walk-off is not out of the question; and when it happens, you’ll feel the ghosts bringing the crowd to their feet one last time at Yankee Stadium as they finish their epic masterpiece.

By Tim Gaffney
MLBcenter.com New York Yankees Correspondent

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