Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Bouton: My Favorite Yankee Stadium Memory

With House That Ruth Built in final days, pitcher/author looks back

By M. Morris,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 19, 2008 8:10 PM CDT

(Newser) – The fans stampeding Yankee Stadium ahead of Sunday's final game aren't the only ones overcome by nostalgia and emotion. Recycling an anecdote from the now-classic Ball Four, pitcher-turned-author Jim Bouton, writing for CNN, recalls his Stadium debut, a near-disaster that ended as a complete-game shutout, with a delightful cameo by Mickey Mantle.

"This is my favorite memory of Yankee Stadium," writes the flamethrower-turned-knuckleballer. "Unless it was Mantle's 9th inning walk-off home run in '64 World Series that beat the Cardinals 2-1, which also happened to be my first World Series win."

Everett Mathis, of Wharton, Texas, poses for a photograph beside Mickey Mantle's monument in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium in New York on June 3, 2008. Baseball's All-Star Game will be held at the stadium Tuesday, July 15.
Everett Mathis, of Wharton, Texas, poses for a photograph beside Mickey Mantle's monument in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium in New York on June 3, 2008. Baseball's All-Star Game will be held at the stadium...   (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The shadow of a giant letter Y being raised atop the New Yankee Stadium  is cast across the gold lettering marking the main entrance to the stadium  Friday, Sept. 19, 2008 in the Bronx, NY.
The shadow of a giant letter Y being raised atop the New Yankee Stadium is cast across the gold lettering marking the main entrance to the stadium Friday, Sept. 19, 2008 in the Bronx, NY.   (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
A giant letter S is lowered into place to complete the word Stadium on top of the new Yankee Stadium Friday, Sept. 19, 2008 in New York. The new stadium is expected to open at the start of the 2009 baseball season.
A giant letter S is lowered into place to complete the word "Stadium" on top of the new Yankee Stadium Friday, Sept. 19, 2008 in New York. The new stadium is expected to open at the start of the 2009...   (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
New York Yankees' Derek Jeter acknowledges the crowd after his first-inning single in a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008. The hit was Jeter's 1,270th at the stadium, moving him into first place, ahead of Lou Gehrig.
New York Yankees' Derek Jeter acknowledges the crowd after his first-inning single in a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008. The hit was...   (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
In this Sept. 8, 2008, file photo, the New York Yankees' new ballpark, bottom, is under construction next to venerable Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY.
In this Sept. 8, 2008, file photo, the New York Yankees' new ballpark, bottom, is under construction next to venerable Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

A-Rod Smashes 500th Homer

Cameron Diaz-Obsessed Fan Busts Into Yankees Game

Iconic Yankees Announcer Bob Sheppard Dead at 99

NY Yankees to Fans: Ditch the Vuvuzelas

Yankee Stadium Outlaws iPads


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne