Yankee Stadium - In My Life

The Stadium had an 85-year run, 50 in the first edition and 33 more in the remodeled one. That's the one that I know best. My lifetime in it is over the last 20 years and fittingly enough today is the 20th anniversary of the first time I stepped foot in the building. Might have also been the first time I went somewhere in the Bronx other than the Bronx Zoo.

The game between the Red Sox and the Yankees was my first in a 20-year run that saw me see 326 regular-season games. The Yankees won 41 of the 67 I went to this year and finished 197-129. Since I look like looking up stats and old boxscores, that's what this will be about my list of firsts in every imaginable thing I could think of.

First Batter - Wade Boggs 9/23/1988 BOS @ NYY
Last Batter - Brian Roberts 9/21/2008 BAL @ NYY

First Yankee hitter - Rickey Henderson
Last Yankee hitter - Derek Jeter

First flyout - Wade Boggs
Last flyout - Alex Rodriguez

First double - Marty Barrett
Last double - Kevin Millar

First Yankee double - Rickey Henderson
Last Yankee double - Bobby Abreu

First strikeout - Dwight Evans (Charles Hudson)
Last Strikeout - Aubrey Huff (Joba Chamberlain)

First Yankee struck out - Jack Clark (Bruce Hurst)
Last Yankee struck out - Derek Jeter

First single - Mike Greenwell
Last single - Jason Giambi

First RBI - Mike Greenwell
Last RBI - Robinson Cano

First run - Marty Barrett
Last run - Brett Gardner

First groundout - Rickey Henderson
Last groundout - Brian Roberts

First Yankee hit - Don Mattingly single off Roger Clemens
Last Yankee hit - Jason Giambi single off Jamie Walker

First walk - Gary Ward
Last walk - Johnny Damon

First lineout - Ed Romero
Last lineout - Jose Molina

First error - Dwight Evans
Last error - Brendan Fahey

First homer - Don Mattingly
Last homer - Jose Molina

First solo home run - Dwight Evans led off fourth vs. Hudson
Last solo home run - Paul Konerko led off ninth vs. Britton on 9/18/2008

First Yankee solo home run - Gary Ward led off sixth vs. Bruce Hurst
Last Yankee solo home run - Jose Molina 9/21/2008

First Yankee two-run home run - Mike Pagliarulo - one out in the sixth off Bruce Hurst
Last Yankee two-run home run - Bobby Abreu - one out in the first 9/18/2008 off Javier Vazquez

First Yankee three-run home run - Kevin Maas - 5/30/1993 off Jack McDowell
Last Yankee three-run home run - Johnny Damon 9/21/2008

First Yankee grand slam - Mike Stanley 8/9/1995 off Charles Nagy
Last Yankee grand slam - Alex Rodriguez off Edwin Jackson

First Yankee multi-home run game - Mike Stanley three home runs 8/9/1995 vs. Indians
Last Yankee multi-home run game - Bobby Abreu - 9/18/2008 vs. White Sox

First walk-off win in the ninth - 6/7/1991 vs. Texas - Don Mattingly RBI single off John Barfield
Last walk-off win in the ninth - 9/20/1991 vs. Baltimore - Robinson Cano RBI single off Jamie Walker

First visiting home run - Dwight Evans
Last visiting home run - Paul Konerko

First visiting two-run home run - John Valentin off Frank Tanana 9/18/1993 fifth inning vs. Boston
Last visiting two-run home run - Dewayne Wise off Alfredo Aceves 9/15/2008 fourth inning vs. Chicago



First visiting three-run home run - Tim Salmon second inning off Melido Perez 7/25/1993
Last visiting three-run home run - Fernando Perez off Carl Pavano 9/14/2008

First visiting grand slam - Brian Downing off Mike Witt vs. Texas 6/7/1991


First pitching change - Hipolito Pena replaced Charles Hudson with one out in the fifth
Last pitching change - Mariano Rivera replaced Joba Chamberlain for the ninth

First mid-inning pitching change - Neil Allen replaces Pena with the bases loaded
Last mid-inning pitching change - Rocky Cherry replaces Jamie Walker in the seventh

First double play - Dave Winfield (63) in the fifth
Last double play - Jason Giambi (63) in the fifth

First pinch hitter - Claudell Washington for Gary Ward with two outs in the sixth
Last pinch hitter - Oscar Salazar for Juan Castro with two outs in the sixth

First starting pitchers - Bruce Hurst vs. Charles Hudson
Last starting pitchers - Chris Waters vs. Andy Pettitte

First decisions - Dennis Lamp (W), Dale Mohorcic (L)
Last decisions - Pettitte (W), Waters (L)

First save - Lee Smith
Last save - Mariano Rivera

First Yankee save - Steve Farr 5/30/1993 vs. White Sox
Last Yankee save - Rivera - 9/20/2008 vs. Orioles

First visiting save - Smith 9/23/1988 Red Sox
Last visiting save - B.J. Ryan 8/30/2008 Toronto

First complete game - Jack McDowell 5/30/1993
Last complete game - Jon Lester 7/3/2008

First three-hour game - 9/23/1988 vs. Red Sox - 3 hours, 53 minutes
Last three-hour game - 9/21/1988 vs. Orioles - 3 hours, 5 minutes

First umpire crew - Greg Kosc - HP, Derryl Cousins 1B, Rocky Roe 2B, Larry Barrett 3B
Last umpire crew - Angel Hernandez - HP, Marty Foster 1B, Derryl Cousins 2B, Eric Cooper 3B

First one-run win - vs. Texas 5-4, 6/7/1991
Last one-run win - vs. Baltimore 1-0, 9/21/1991

First one-run loss vs. Cleveland, 10-9 8/9/1995
Last one-run loss - vs. Toronto 7-6, 8/30/2008

First home opener - 4/4/1994 vs. Texas, W 5-3
Last home opener - 4/1/2008 vs. Toronto W 3-2

First triple - 5/22/1994 Chris Sabo Baltimore
Last triple

First extra-inning win
First extra-inning loss - 5/22/1994 vs. BAL 6-5 (10)

First time saw Bernie Williams - 5/30/1993
Last time saw Bernie Williams - 10/1/2006

First time saw Andy Pettitte - 6/7/1995 vs. Oakland (seven IP, four hits, one run, first win)
Last time saw Andy Pettitte - 9/21/2008 vs. Baltimore

First time saw Derek Jeter - 6/7/1995 batted ninth and went 1-for-3
Last time saw Derek Jeter - 9/21/2008 batted second and was 0-for-5

First time saw Mariano Rivera - 8/9/1995 started allowed five runs, seven hits in 5 2/3 innings vs. Cleveland
Last time saw Mariano Rivera - 9/21/2008 - 1-2-3 ninth vs. Baltimore

First weekday afternoon game - 6/28/1995 vs. Detroit L 8-4
Last weekday afternoon game - 8/28/2008 vs. Boston W 3-2