I woke up yesterday morning and was ready to begin my day when a friend called me and asked me if I wanted to go to the Yankee Game at 1:00pm. Considering that I work for myself now, my time is my own. So I put on my Yankee jersey and made an Executive Decision to attend the game – and I had one of the greatest afternoons I have ever had.

I have only seen a handful of live baseball games in my lifetime, and after seeing yesterday’s game, I will be sure to correct that. A live baseball game is exciting in its own right – but nothing compares to a live Yankee Game. Joe Torre, the manager of the Yankees, was once quoted as saying that, “There is baseball – and then there is Yankees baseball.” – and he couldn’t be more correct. There is just something about the Yankees and their fans that makes the experience truly unique.

As soon as I boarded the #4 train, which stops at 161st Street/Yankee Stadium, I quickly noticed that I was not the only one dressed in Yankee regalia. And when I went to the famous Yankee Tavern for a cold one before heading into the stadium, I struck up a conversation with three old and wise men about the Yankees, as well as a woman who was sitting on the other side of me. Whenever Yankee fans discuss their favorite team, words like “us” and “we” are used to refer to the team. In other words, I remember telling the men I was speaking to that the Yankees are currently in first place by 3½ games, saying how happy I was that “we” were in first place. His response was, “Don’t worry, ‘we’ll’ stay there.”

When I got inside the stadium, I realized that the seats we had were only 15 rows behind home plate – which were not only the best seats I have ever sat in – but probably the best seats in the house. And again, the fans around us were as friendly and chatty as those I met both on the train and in the Yankee Tavern. The game itself was a typical Yankee masterpiece. Beating the Colorado Rockies by a score of 10-4, they scored three of those runs in the first inning alone. Bernie Williams got his 2000th hit – and rookie John Flaherty hit his first ever Grand Slam in the 6th inning. While these three accomplishments are something that many baseball teams hope to reach in a season – the Yankees did it in one game – something that is typical of the greatest team in the history of the sport.

Besides the excitement of the game, I myself had a really good time. I made friends with the fans around me, I got to sing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the 7th-inning stretch – and I got on the Stadium’s Diamondvision and was able to proclaim my love for the Yankees to not only everyone in the Stadium with me – but all watching at home. You can bet that it will not be long before I am sitting in Yankee Stadium again for another game – because going to see the Yankees play the great sport of baseball is one of the greatest way to spend a leisurely afternoon.

No wonder why Doug loved the Yankees so much.