Take me Out to the Ballgame

The Yankees have a certain reputation across the country. They’re spoiled, over-paid, pretty boys who complain about their diamond shoes being too tight and their wallets not having enough room for their hundreds. Basically, they’re the privileged youth - the Blaine, not the Ducky - of Major League Baseball.
This reputation is polarizing. Across the country and across New York, people either love or hate the Yankees. 2010 marked the inaugural year of the new Yankees Stadium and last week I was fortunate enough to take in a game there for the first time.
My friend Ian and his girl have eight season tickets and are avid fans. Last Tuesday they had an extra ticket and invited me to tag alone. They were the perfect hosts to the new stadium – they weren’t your garden variety special-occasion-walk-off-the-street kind of fans. No, they had a whole system going on and were more than happy to show me the ropes.
We started at the Yankee bar, a small hole in the wall with friendly service and stiff drinks. I had a bit of a throat issue going on, so I sipped whiskey, but their group’s drink of choice was universally Bud Light. This Bud Light affection continued through the night. There was a group of six – which was a great size to take in a game. We watched the first inning on television as the real game happened less than 200 yards away. The Yankees took a strong lead (5-0), so we were rather casual about getting to the stadium.
After the drinks, we meandered over to the field. I don’t exactly know where our seats were, because we immediately went to a small area right behind home plate. Ian seemed to know everyone in the area and introduced me around. It felt a bit like going to a cocktail party (or a barbecue – wink) as it was 80% socializing and drinking and 20% actually watching the baseball activity happening literally in front of our eyes.
We talked of puppies and parking, women and warts- anything and everything but baseball. We stayed posted at this spot until the seventh inning stretch and then hiked up three flights to another viewing spot they scouted.
This one was outside a restaurant, so there were actual tables on which to place your drinks. The view was amazing a more expansive than the first. We stayed there through the end of the eighth inning. At that point, while it wasn’t the end of the game, it was time for us to go.
The group continued to party and went from the game to another bar in the area. I opted out and said my farewells. It was past 11:00 and I was teaching in the morning. I had a great time, though. It was so different than the experience I would have if I just went there alone. I would undoubtedly get to the stadium and go directly to my seat . I would likely be there on time and stay through the end of the game. I would probably avoid purchasing any beer at the stadium (at $10 a pop….for Bud Light!), and would have had a perfectly lovely time at the game. As it happened though, it felt like the baseball was secondary and it was all about hanging out with friends. It was a more intimate, social experience that made me feel like a true New Yorker....and I loved every minute of it.