About Last Night….
That’s me off to the left looking impatiently at my husband Michael. I was dying to get inside to watch the Yankees take batting practice, but he was stopping to shoot pictures. The nerve! Actually, I was the one who was stopping in the parking lot to meet Yankee fans. I kept whipping out the She-Fan Cam, hoping to get some words of optimism from my fellow followers of the pinstripes. Here’s one fan who didn’t seem to be nearly as nervous about the game as I was.
It was my fault that we missed batting practice. I was too busy being Jeanne Zelasko. By the time we got inside the stadium, it was too late for food/beverages too. The game was about to start and we needed to find our seats. We were in the section just above the press box – way up there but with a great view of the action.
I was heartened that, despite the sea of red surrounding us, there were Yankee fans sitting directly behind us. It was just like being in the Bronx. Well, except for these.
One diehard Angels she-fan even clutched her rally monkey while she settled in with her radio and scorecard.
I figured there must be something to the whole thunderstix thing, so I blew one up.
I know. It looks….wrong.
With no score in the third inning, I turned around and asked the Yankee fans for their game predictions.
6-2? I could live with that. But I needed another opinion. Two more opinions, as it turned out.
Fourth inning. Time to focus. A-Rod singled to lead off. Posada doubled. Matsui K-ed. (Hideki, come back to us. You looked half dead last night.) A-Rod sprinted home on Cano’s fielder’s choice and made a great slide past Napoli. If I ever have to have hip surgery, I want A-Rod’s doctor doing it.
Melky’s two-run single was enough to make me relax a little, but a 3-0 lead wasn’t nearly enough. And then came that bizarre out call on Swisher for allegedly leaving the bag too early. Just a bad, bad call. A-Rod’s homer in the fifth was a thing of beauty and a nice greeting for Bulger after Kazmir departed. But what was up with Posada in that inning? He didn’t score on Cano’s double and then got caught in that rundown? (More terrible officiating.) On top of that, Jorge forgot how many outs there were and A-Rod had to run in and cover home. I know JoPo has gotten hit in the mask a lot over the course of his career, but hello?
After Morales put the Angels on the board in the fifth to make it 5-1, I said to the Angels fan next to me, “Do you think your team will come back?” He smiled and played more drums with his thunderstix.
Damon’s homer for 7-1 took the crowd out of the game. And when Abreu airmailed that throw in from right field, allowing A-Rod to score in the ninth, many fans started filing out. Melky’s double to put the Yanks up 10-1 made the place feel like a funeral home. Even the fan next to me conceded defeat by doing this.
But I’ve left out the best part of the night: CC. I kept thinking he would run out of gas. Instead, he seemed to get stronger as the game went on. It was such a pleasure to watch a pitcher in his prime, performing well on the big stage.
Feeling exhilarated by the win, I headed out and ran into similarly ecstatic Yankee fans. First came Brian, who was waiting outside the men’s room. Perhaps he forgot to take his Avodart.
Next, I met a woman named Cathy, who said her father had been an usher at Yankee Stadium so he could make extra money for her piano lessons. She and I got into it over a certain Yankee.
As we made our way down the ramp, I heard a she-fan yelling “Let’s go Yankees.” Naturally, I went over to say hi. It was dark out there, but her enthusiasm came through loud and clear.
And finally, back in the parking lot where it all began, I spoke to Mark, the father of the adorable four-year-old girl from the previous post.
It was a very good night for Yankee fans of all ages.
Confessions of a She-Fan 
She-Fan,
Be careful filing reports like that from behind enemy lines. You might think you are safe. So did Jill Carrol.
El duque
Hi!
Looks like you had a great time. I wouldn’t mess with Cathy though, she seemed serious! It’s always great win your team wins on enemy turf. I was watching from home messaging my friend, if anybody steals my Blackberry there going to think I can’t type full sentences, it was all WTH..I don’t understand, what is going on, etc. the whole night! Great game, but could someone tell Cano how to touch a base!!!
Cant wait till tomorrow!
thanks for sharing all that– i really love the woman with the radio and the score card—hard core – it doesn’t get better than having those kind at a game-no matter who they root for.
there was a similar lady next to me at game 2 of the DS at the stadium ( no radio though) — we chatted throughout the game–at the end she confided to me– “tonight, we’ve seen everything”
there is really something crazily special about die hard baseball fans…
And Mikeeff, you have to love the SHE FANS!!!!!! MLB just ignores us, but we are dedicated!
Great post Jane – I loved seeing all the Yankee fans.
Mitch sort of summed it up – it’s hard to pick a favorite because each of the players adds something to the team.
The silly play at third reminded me of this famous baseball tale:
I think it was Babe Herman (but I also think it’s been told as others) was coaching third when a similar play happened.
The runner from second slid into third. The runner who had been going home slid back into third.
Babe Herman looked down at the two of them said “what the hell” and slid into third as well.
And this is from the NY Times:
McClelland provided an explanation to reporters afterward, but did not take questions.
“The first one, with Swisher leaving too soon, in my heart I thought he left too soon,” he said. “On the play with Cano and Posada, I was waiting for two players to be on the base. When he tagged Cano, I thought Cano was on the base.” When Posada touched the base and continued and Napoli tagged him out, McClelland said, “I thought Posada was out.”
He added: “After looking at replays, I’m not sure I believe the replay of the first one. The second one it showed that Cano was off the bag when he was tagged. So, obviously there were two missed calls.”
Several Yankees, including Swisher and Mark Teixeira, could be heard laughing about McClelland’s account from the bathroom area of the clubhouse. One player said that McClelland should have been looking at Swisher’s heel.
“In my heart,” Teixeira said to a Yankees official as he returned to his locker. “That’s funny. That’s a good one.”
Yeah, it’s funny now because we won.
Thanks for representing us so well Jane!
Melissa
I’m rooting for the Angels and the game was just too miserable to watch. The little four-year-old is just absolutely adorable, even though she’s a Yankee girl 🙂
http://hyunyoung.mlblogs.com
Congrads on your Yanks win, but now the Angles must sweep the last three game so we can have a Phillys Angles W/S
so i’m thinking the off days aren’t just to make sure that the bullpen could be rested it was for those of us on the east coast who have to catch up on sleep in order to stay up for the next game. today was a great tired day. nothing at work could bother me after a 10-1 victory that led to a 3-1 series lead. i hope tomorrow brings more joy that we can float on through the weekend in the happiness yankee bubble.
barbara
Jane,
I am surprised you did not use it as a floatation device to send to the lower levels, or used it to beat on the Angels fan next to you.
Now both leagues have their series at 3-1, and the real work begins with Game5. Whoever gets done first will get a day of rest, but if the Phillies win tonight, the Yankees will just have a flight straight into the City of Brotherly Love.
Then the real debate starts…………Geno’s or Pat’s for cheesteaks.
Rays Renegade
http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com
Duque, I don’t think the Angels were interested in kidnapping me, so I didn’t have any trouble making it out of there. It’s a good thing too, because I’d probably be susceptible to Stockholm Syndrome.
Cathy did look serious about Mantle, didn’t she, Robin? LOL. I hear you on the BlackBerry problem. I was trying to Tweet and email from my iPhone during the game, and there was so much interference at the stadium that nothing would upload or go through. So frustrating. But maybe it was for the best. Just sitting and watching a game without all the distractions is the way I prefer it. Looking forward to tomorrow too.
I loved that woman too, Mike. After the game she looked so distraught. I went up to her and said, “I know how much it hurts to lose” – just the way the woman did to me in my book. Remember that? After the Yanks lost to the Indians in Game 4 in 2007?
Great story about the “gathering” at third base, Melissa. It made me laugh. I read the McClelland thing and have been joking about it all day. I told my husband, “In my heart I know you emptied the dishwasher.” But I do think MLB needs some oversight about umpiring. There will always been human errors and bad judgment calls – that’s part of baseball’s charm – but it just seems as if the situation needs an examination.
I’m glad you were able to see the little girl’s appeal even though she roots for the Yankees, hyunyoung. She’d be adorable in any jersey!
There’s always a chance the Angels will come back, wetfeet. I know you’ll be cheering for them. But Phillies-Angels is way too much red!
Isn’t it amazing how we can be completely exhausted and happy when the Yankees win, Barbara? When I got home from Anaheim I was so tired, and yet I went online so I could read all the articles about the game I had just seen! Craziness. Let’s hope for more joy tomorrow, even though it’ll be late for you east coasters.
I loved that thunderstick, Renegade. For some reason I got very attached to it as the game went on, and I kept it next to me the whole time! Game 5 will be huge. The Phillies are up in their game so far tonight. But even if they do beat the Dodgers and the Yankees make it through, the World Series would open in New York, not Philly. As for the cheesesteaks, I bet that would be a great debate. I went to grad school in Philly and lived right downtown, but it was so many years ago that every place I went to is probably out of business!
Oh my, Carissa is so adorable!
I have to agree with Dana, it’s difficult to pick a favorite player. Love the Old Guard, Alex has been phenomenal this year, Tex is an amazing defender, Swish is fun…on and on – how do you pick one!?
This has been a fun season, let’s hope it continues into November!
And let’s hope the umpires have had recent eye exams. 😉
While I love each and every Yankee, rbunoco, my favorite player is Mo. I love the way he pitches. I love the way he mentors the younger players. And I love the way he’s the essence of calm and dignity no matter what the situation. It’s been such a great season for the Yanks. I hope it keeps going into November too! (And I’m with you on the eye exams for the umps.)
Jane , That little girl makes it ALL worth it!
My Dad took me to Yankee Games in the Bronx when i was a little boy. Loved my Dad, Love the Yankees! Lets Beat those angels and Bring on the Phillies!!
Very nice video diary, so nice to see all the happy Yankee fans AFTER a game in L.A., Sorry to disapoint wetfeet but I already have a headline for the series, “The most Winningest Franchise in American sports history(26 W.S championships) vs The Most losingest (fastest to 10,000 losses)franchise in American sports history. That is the past and a Yankee/Philliy series will be great if/when the Yankees win one more. A.J. looked pretty good with keeping the ball down, first pitch strikes and great control and the bullpen is rested. The team has to be flying high and relaxed with confidence and they will be focused I’m sure. A little sad that they wont face Torre’s dodgers but looks like he is back to his cardinals/mets managing ways without the Yankee universe behind him.
I remember you writing about your dad taking you to games, Brendan. It must have been when you sent in your fan pic for that contest a while back. So many of us inherited our love of baseball and/or the Yankees from our fathers (or, in my case, grandfathers). Such a gift they gave us, right? I would love nothing more than to beat the Angels and advance to the World Series. I’m getting nervous thinking about tomorrow’s game.
-Jane, you would think with all the talent agents in hollywood someone would have signed that little girl already for a multiple movie deal. I’d buy whatever she was selling. Except asparagus. I won’t eat that under any circumstances.
-Great video. Great game. I wish we played the dodgers, but alas, it will be the phillies. A good matchup still.
Wasn’t it nice to see a smile on the faces of Yankee fans after that game, arizonacacti? The atmosphere was really festive. May it only continue tomorrow night. AJ needs to avoid that one bad inning where he starts walking people and throwing wild pitches. He has the ability to be lights out with his great stuff, so he needs to use it!
yes I certainly do remember that anecdote from your book– and i’m very glad you went up to try to console her. A kind word can go a long way.
and Melissa– I absolutely appreciate the She-Fans. you’re right–you don’t get the respect you deserve…but you do from me. i always think of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book Wait Till Next Year about her childhood love of the Dodgers
Jane,
Congratulations on being up 3 games! Are you going to the next game or watching it on TV?
.
Funny on the person that said “let’s hope the umps have their eyes examine.” Love the little girl’s video.
.
I am ready for the hot stove season and to start planning Spring Training road games and regular games.
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/
You’re right Jane, that picture with you and the thunderstix does look wrong. On a variety of levels. This is the redemption playoffs so far for Arod and CC for sure! I’m actually pretty confident of the Yanks chances now as I do not think that the Angels can win three in a row with two being at the Stadium. The last win is the hardest to get though. The last win with the most nerve-wracking pitcher on the mound to try to get it!
After seeing your Brian interview I am a little concerned. You said you wern’t to sure Yanks would win that night. For you pennance say “confidence is high” 25 times in front of your camera and post it asap! You say you wanted to marry the Mick. The women with the Yankee sox you took a picture of back in March in Tampa shares your past dream. She has a collection of Mantle stuff you wouldn’t believe. She has hand written letters from him and autographs galore. She made me a Yankee fan when I was about 6 years old. I lived upstairs from her (she is my 2nd cousin) but was raised by Red Sox fan immediate family. She was a weekend season ticket holder and took me to the Stadium for Sunday double headers often and I was hooked. We sat in the Box seats next to the Yankee bullpen in the second row. We talked to Whitey Ford, Bobby Schantz, Luis Arroyo, Ryne Duran, Jim Coates and many more when they hung in the bullpen. If you leave now you can make it to the game in plenty of time. Confidence IS HIGH!
Jane, I am glad you got to see such a ggood game. A blow-out, your favorite! Let’s hope for a good performance by AJ tonight. Go Yanks!!!
Well Miss Jane …you did it !!! I knew you would be a good luck charm for the Yankees … :o). I was at Mickey’s with a bunch of my friends whooping up the win. CC was totally AMAZING and Alex …what can you say? Co-MVP’s for me if (when) they win the ALCS. They showed a bunch of Yankee fans on the YES post-game show and I was looking for you …I thought you might be in the group but I guess you were busy recording those fun interviews. Clarissa was the BEST !!! How adorable !! My daughter went to her first came just before she turned two and for some reason she loved Rickey Henderson, she had a Henderson shirt which the name ran around the whole of her little back and all she did all game was shout “WICKEY, WICKEY” (had trouble with the r sound ..lol). Fans loved it and she became the mascot of that game which we won. I miss those sweet little girl days but fortunately she is still a nutty Yankee fan like her Mom even tho’ she’s a big girl now… :o).
I’m looking forward to tonight’s game …going to another meetup in the city to watch with my friends. We won the first two games when we had meetups so let’s hope it continues tonight and we head into the WS to MEET UP with the Phillies.
Thanks for this fun blog Jane …I do enjoy it very much. Yours and Lohud are MUST reads for me every single day. Oh ..btw….I was the one who was REALLY going to marry my man ….Mickey. I also thought I was going to marry Paul McCartney …haha. Those dreams didn’t come true but I’m sure hoping the Yankee Championship #27 does !!!!
Go AJ !!!! Take us to the promised land …
Go Yankees 2009 !!!
Wow. Looks like you were surrounded by good folks. And you got the result you wanted. Thy foot is on the proverbial throat… I’m learning that not everything in the world plays out according to my plan. Haha.
–Jeff
http://redstatebluestate.mlblogs.com/
http://mtrredstatebluestate.com
You’d be a million miles of an improvement over Jeanne Zelasko.
How are your bacon-fat soaked arteries?
http://www.paullebowitz.com/
http://princeofny.blogspot.com/
Ibrenne, I absolutely agree that the little girl should have a CAA agent by now and be the next Dakota Fanning. If you go back and listen to the vid with her dad, you’ll hear how great his voice is. Turns out he used to be on the radio here in Santa Barbara and now does voice overs in LA. So maybe he’ll want her in show business and maybe not. All I know is her Mom commented on the previous post (her name is Dianne) and she sounded so proud of her family. Very sweet. So it’s on to tonight and AJ. I refuse to think about the Phillies. We haven’t won the ALCS yet!
We all know how it feels to lose, Mike, so it was a natural response for me. And I appreciated that woman in the book so much. She made me stop crying, which was huge!
Emma, I’m not going back down to Anaheim for tonight’s game. Just too long a drive, plus I have to be in LA on Friday for a meeting. So I’ll be watching on TV and doing my usual nervous wreck routine. Glad you’re looking ahead to spring training. I know you enjoy going to Arizona and seeing your Dodgers there.
AJ is nerve wracking, Len. But wouldn’t you rather see him on the mound than some of the losers we’ve had in the past? Kevin Brown? Sidney Ponson? Etc? As nervous as I am about this game, I think we’re in good hands with him. Yes, he can get wild and probably will. But that’s what Molina is for!
I’ll do penance and say “confidence is high” all day long, John. But you know me. I’m bi-polar when it comes to the Yanks. I think they’ll win and am sure they’ll lose, depending on the time of day! I didn’t have any of that Mantle memorabilia. I kept a picture of him in my wallet and had a poster of him on my wall. And I told everyone in high school that I was marrying him someday. So funny.
It was definitely my favorite kind of game, cheshirecat. But now we’ve got another one on our hands for tonight. Lackey can be tough. AJ needs to be tougher. Oh, my palms are sweaty already.
Sorry I missed being on the post-game show with the other Yankee fans, Peggy, but you’re right. I was running around with the Cam interviewing people. Glad you had fun at your Meetup. I can’t believe you wanted to marry Mickey Mantle AND Paul McCartney. Me too! I had posters of both of them on my bedroom wall. I kept telling my mother about my love for Paul, but she didn’t understand the appeal of the Beatles and she said I should forget about him. Then lo and behold he married a girl from my high school: Linda Eastman! She was older and I didn’t know her, but I knew her sister Louise, who was a year ahead of me in school. So Paul ended up with a Scarsdale girl – just not me. LOL! Let’s hope our immediate dream comes true: #27. Have fun tonight.
Jeff, ever since I found out there was no Santa and no tooth fairy, I realized that things don’t always turn out the way we want – not even in baseball. Such a sad realization, isn’t it?
Why thanks, Paul. My arteries are clearing out, hopefully. I heard red wine is good for them, so I felt no compunction about imbibing last night.
What a great, great posting. Can’t add anything to it as far as comments, so I’ll give you some personal reflection…
This blog is so great for so many of us in so many ways. In my situation, it’s tough to simply root for the team, because my wife really HATES the Yankees, esp. this 2009 version — believes every word of every steroid accusation, thinks A-Rod bathes in it, dumps on Cano/Pettitte/Clemens/whoever, then says they’ve ruined baseball by buying a title, who can possibly compete?
So imagine what fun it was watching Game 4. I tried to shut up — not easy — with each Yankee HR, it must be another steroid user, blah blah…until the Angels hit one. Nevermind. To be fair, this is all payback for my nasty sarcastic rants against Boston, so I must truly deserve this. We argued over which team sucks more, until the 11th inning, when I won by losing. Ain’t that a country song somewhere?
Then home again watching Game 5 was like being bipolar — MORE innings of runners LOB? I was like that parrot in the TV ad — “can’t take this, not another day” — YOU would have told me to Please Shut Up. When Melky FINALLY broke the dry spell and the floodgates opened, it got deathly quiet. At least I learned years ago NOT to cheer. Ever have a night when you had a big fight, you still had fun by yourself once apart, but you knew what was coming in the morning? Yesterday, at last, it was Truce (or Consequences) Day. Like any husband with half a brain, I confessed that it was All My Fault. Another country tune?
Finally, tonight. Playing softball, won’t see much/most of the game, likely a good thing, too nervous/worried anyway. Counting on all y’all (except Paul, of course) to guide ’em through. So now you know how much I mean it when I say Thanks for all that Sunshine…!!
Oh, Dave. I feel your pain, and I honestly don’t know how you manage to walk that line. Marriages are tough enough! I’ve never had a fight with Michael over baseball, but I’ve certainly had the kind of night you describe where you anticipate/dread what’s coming in the morning. But you did what any smart husband is supposed to do, which is to say, “Yes, dear. I was wrong.” That does the trick every time. LOL. We’ll hold down the fort for the game tonight. Enjoy your softball.
Jane, thank you so much for including us in your blog. It was a perfect end to a magical evening. My daughter (Karissa) was so excited at the game. Now, she’s so excited that she is a star! lol
It’s always great to meet a fellow Yankee fan out here in the diaspora. Hope to see you again at another Yankee game. GO YANKS!
Ooops … hit “submit” too soon! lol
Just wanted to say that you have a great blog going here, Jane. Wish I would have stumbled upon it earlier in the season. At the very least I’ll be able to tune in for another 5 games!
Thanks, again!
Mark
UHearMe
Unemployed Fishing Club
My pleasure, Mark. I hope you’ve read all the comments about Karissa. She’s the hit of the blogosphere!
And for anybody else reading this, Mark (Karissa’s dad from the last video in this post) is one of the most accomplished voice over artists in Hollywood. Check out his web site at http://www.uhearme.com. You’ll recognize his voice from movie trailers, commercials, you name it.
That is so cool! Sounds like you had a ton of fun 🙂
http://kaybee.mlblogs.com
I did have a ton of fun, kaybee – especially because I got to see the Yankees win.
Hi, Jane!
Just popping by to say “hello.” I’m sure you are on Cloud-9 right about now. If your guys win tonight, I am officially on the Phillies bandwagon. Sorry!
Have fun!
Jen
http://faithful.mlblogs.com
Hey, Jen. Hope all’s been good with you. I was on Cloud-8 after the game on Tuesday night. I won’t be on Cloud-9 until the Yankees make it past the Angels. And yes, I figured you’d throw your support to whichever team wears red!
Jane you know the Yankees could not win tonight, if they had, we would not have had another baseball game until next wednesday. Thats for to long!!!
So true, wetfeet. Now the series gets extended and we get to enjoy more baseball.
You called it Jane, I guess thats why your blog is one of the best, That one bad inning from A.J., who knew it would be the first. He was lights out after that and Joe managed a good game but Phil huges needs to throw all breaking balls when he has 2 strikes on a batter, that pitch was painful to watch, proud of the Yankees for the strong comeback but dave ireland needs to put his foot in some peoples %#@(*&’s about pitch selection. I cant wait to see Andy pitch a game 6 in the post season at the stadium, wow, memories.
Jane, the videos were hilarious! Not because you found Yankee fans in Orangantan County, but the Angels-Yanks couple exemplifies the ex-New Yorker in The OC archetype: “Love the weather, but we’re still New Yorkers!”
And, Angels fans are too mellow. They don’t care where you came from or what you wear. They’re more concerned about beating the traffic on the Santa Ana or Garden Grove Freeways! You can film “behind enemy lines,” wear your Yankee best and they don’t care! Just pass the tanning butter…
BTW, my brother (who also lives in The OC) found your book at a public library near his home. He read it – and loved it. My nephew is a Yankee fan in a Dodger household (his LL team was the Yanks this past season). Had I known this, I could’ve gotten a Joba Rules t-shirt when I was at the Stadium in June…
Well…Game 6 in the Bronx. Good luck!
http://heirloom.mlblogs.com
I loved the comeback, arizonacacti, but I thought Hughes should have been pulled for Dave Robertson when it became clear he didn’t have it tonight. No guarantees it would have worked out better, but I think it was a mistake to leave Hughes out there. If it’s the regular season, you let him try to get himself out of the jam, but this was a potentially clinching game. But on to Saturday and Game 6. I feel very good about having Andy on the mound for us. Lots of great memories, I hope.
So true about the ex-New Yorkers, Randy. And the O.C. fans. “Pass the tanning butter.” LOL!!!! I’m so glad you brother found my book at the library and enjoyed it. I appreciate your letting me know too. So you were at the Stadium in June? So was I! I went to see a Yankees-Nationals game and we lost, but it was so much fun being at the new cathedral. I can’t wait to go back.
Jane, here’s evidence of the visit to the New Cathedral: http://heirloom.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/06/game_review_new_york_al_4_tamp.html
http://heirloom.mlblogs.com
Love it, Randy. Looks like you had a terrific view from your seat and a beautiful day weather wise. Thanks for sharing your report!