Thanks for the Yankee Stadium memories
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Reflections on Yankee Stadium, which stages its last game on Sunday, September 21, gathered by the New York Yankees and published in a news release.
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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
"It has got the most remarkable history in sports. No team has won as many pennants, world championships, had as many Hall of Fame players as the Yankees have had. There have been more moments at Yankee Stadium that define the history of baseball. Whether it's Babe Ruth, or Lou Gehrig's speech, or Joe DiMaggio's streak or Roger Maris's home runs or Mickey Mantle's unbelievable shots -- you can go on and on."
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Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, who played in the 1957 and 1958 World Series at Yankee Stadium for the Milwaukee Braves.
"There were some great ballplayers that played there, the likes of Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio. So when you walked into that stadium and you walked in the batter's box, you said, 'Ah.' It's kind of like when you're standing up on the podium at Cooperstown. 'I finally made it,' you think to yourself."
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Newly enshrined Hall of Famer Rich "Goose" Gossage, who pitched for the Yankees from 1978-1983
"The first time I ever saw Yankee Stadium, I was a member of the Chicago White Sox, a visiting team. My legs were shaking so much that I could barely carry myself to the mound. The best part about playing at the stadium was everything that went along with it: the tradition, the great players that played there before, the atmosphere, the excitement. The fans add a lot of the adrenaline that goes through you. Pitching with that kind of energy behind me was off the charts."
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Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who played for the Yankees from 1946-1963
"People always ask me what my greatest thrill was, and I've had a lot of them. Catching Don Larsen's perfect game was pretty darn good. It had never happened in World Series history and hasn't happened since and maybe never will. The celebration was pretty big, and the clubhouse was a madhouse. There must have been a hundred newspapermen and photographers around Don's locker. When a few came over to me, I looked up and said, 'What's new?'"
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Musician Paul McCartney
"I love the atmosphere. I haven't been there enough times to know that much about it, but you don't have to. It's just beautiful."
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Yankees southpaw Ron Guidry
Former Yankees left-hander Ron Guidry on his 18-strikeout performance in 1978 against California at Yankee Stadium
"There was a crescendo of applause every time I struck a batter out. Today, when the crowd is on their feet every time a pitcher has two strikes on a batter, people ask me, 'Who started that crap?' I say proudly, 'I did.'"
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Comedian Billy Crystal
"The stadium was built in such a way -- the aura, the size of it -- that it literally swallowed up the Bronx. Its design was more like a coliseum than a stadium. The filigree was so beautiful; a copper roof originally, with pillars and posts. The challenge of hitting it into center field, which was originally 490 feet away, made it an epic place to perform in. It was the ultimate stage."
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Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard
"The first time I saw Muhammad Ali fight in person was at Yankee Stadium on September 28, 1976, when he took on Ken Norton. I was there with some other gold medalists from the 1976 Olympics. Muhammad Ali was my idol, so having a chance to see him fight was unforgettable. "
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Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki
"Although they love to boo the opposing team and opposing players, I can tell that Yankees fans genuinely love baseball. As an opponent, rather than feeling that this is a tough environment to play in, the feeling I have is that this is a venue in which I enjoy showcasing my abilities."
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Hall of Famer Bob Feller, who pitched for Cleveland Indians 1936-1956
"The no-hitter (at Yankee Stadium) was the greatest of my three no-hitters. When Joe DiMaggio came to the plate in the ninth inning, Yankee fans were standing and cheering. They were cheering for me, not the Yankees that day. That is one of the reasons I respect Yankee fans so much. Yankee Stadium is the greatest ballpark there is."
(Compiled by Larry Fine; Editing by Ken Ferris)
