I SAW YANKEE MYSTIQUE AT CHASE FIELD

(In Photo: Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, Chad Huffman)

There is nothing like watching a Yankee game in the Bronx, but I’m not lucky enough to always have that privilege. I live in enemy territory. Maybe enemy territory is a little bit harsh but, if you were a Yankee fan who lived in the backyard of Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, you would understand why I use these words. The great World Series upset of 2001 is still alive here, time has stood still; the winning bloop single by Luis Gonzalez is still replayed over and over again on the jumbo screen at Chase Field. 

Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling are still idolized as the great pitching powerhouse even though they are not playing anymore. I may not have been in the Bronx, but one of my favorite Yankee memories happened here in Arizona.

I am a maniac; ask my mom and she will confirm. Once the 2010 schedule was released I did a victory dance when I saw that the Yankees were coming in to town. I make more trips to Yankee stadium to see them, and they come out here every four years or so. If I go broke, I guess I will know why. At any rate, I wasn’t satisfied with the idea of going to ONE game, no….I had to go to all three and I didn’t care if I had to go all by myself and I saved all of my pennies.

Lucky for me, I convinced friends and family to come with me. My mom came with me for Game 3 and she still talks about it to this day because it was the first Yankee game we have ever watched together, live or on TV. I bought seats on the first baseline, right by the dugout and in the middle of Diamondback territory; I knew that but didn’t care. I sat there decked out in Yankee gear from head to toe…and I do mean head to toe because I painted my nails blue and put an NY logo on them too.

I took a lot of heat from Diamondback fans, and of course all that they would talk about is the 2001 World Series. The game itself was a nail bitter and the Diamondbacks had control in most of the game, I remember getting very frustrated with Javier Vazquez because he wasn’t fooling the Diamondbacks.

Going into the top of the ninth, the Yankees were down by one run and suddenly the crowd got rowdy after ARod hit a sac fly and Derek Jeter scored. The game was tied….and in came Mariano Rivera. This was the first time I had seen Mo right in front of me, not on TV…and I will never forget what I saw. The 9^th inning was a breeze for Mo, after a lead-off single he retired the next three batters and the game was headed for extra innings. Everyone was on their feet, and I stuck out like a sore thumb, I don’t think I have ever cheered so loudly before in my life. Extra innings can be frustrating when you are at home watching, but not in this case.

That night, I watched Curtis Granderson stand just a few feet in front of me and absolutely crush a ball to right field and give the Yankees a lead. Curtis didn’t just crush a ball, he crushed the hopes of the fans sitting right behind me because they left as soon as the ball went out.

I don’t like the National League style of play, I just don't like watching a pitcher try to bunt  and it gives me nightmares of Chien-Ming Wang all over again, but on this day I got an added bonus because I got to watch Mo pick up a bat and swing. It definitely didn’t look natural, in fact he looked awkward at the plate. I remember watching him rip a ball straight up into the air and out of play before grounding out to first base but the point is…..I got to watch Mariano Rivera AT the plate. How many people get to see that live?

The celebration was still happening, but the game wasn’t over yet. The Diamondbacks still had their turn at bat and they made Mo work. I remember resisting the urge to pace up and down the empty aisle at this point. Mo pulled off a Houdini act, and I think he may have taken a few years off of my life as I watched the first three batters reach base with no outs. Diamondback fans were celebrating, with no outs they were counting on an upset…they clearly didn’t know Mo. With the bases loaded, Mo got Chris Young to foul out, Adam LaRoche to pop out to third and then ended with a glorious strike out to Mark Reynolds. I blinked, I screamed, and I danced my way out of the stadium that night to the tune of a 6-5 Yankee victory.

The Yankees won the series, and I swear Babe Ruth must’ve had a hand in this series because if that wasn’t the great Yankee Mystique, I don’t know what is. I probably gave my mom a headache that night, but I think she will say it was all worth it. It’s rare that the Yankees come to me, and so when they do I make the most of it. Yes, I am a maniac….and I am proud of it.

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ


ORDER A BYB SHIRT NOW, DROB WEARS ONE! Also, Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.