Tonight the New York Yankees will play their final game in 85 year old Yankee Stadium before moving across the street to the "New" Yankee Stadium. 

I am sure that mainstream media will be reporting on the most famous moments at Yankee Stadium.  Gehrig’s "Luckest main alive" speech, Larsen’s perfect game, too many Reggie Jackson heroics to mention, and "The Greatest Game Ever Played", the 1958 NFL championship game between the New York Football Giants and the Baltimore Colts.

Yankee Stadium is one of my favorite sports venues.  Walking into the place one cannot help feeling a sense of reverence.   Truth be told I am a bit of a Yankees fan.  I spent quite a few days and nights there during my time in metro New York between 1990 and 1992.  Here are my top personal memories.

The beautiful summer afternoon when Bo Jackson broke his bat over his knee in 1990 after, I believe, striking out for the third time.  I was sitting in the box of Rick Balter, who later was sent to prison for having a contract taken out on an individual that owed him some money.

The evening in June in of 1991 when the Yankees were playing the A’s.  I was in the Mobil box.  Jose Canseco had been seen either earlier that day or the day before leaving Madonna’s apartment.  When he came on deck he had an exchange of words with a fan who was ejected.  Shortly thereafter when he took his position in right field someone from the bleachers tossed an inflatable doll onto the field.  Canseco ignored it and it was removed by security.  Only in NYC.

Seeing the Braves play the Yankees in the 1999 World Series.  I forget if it was game 3 or 4 (the Yankees won both).  What I do remember is that Danny and Stephen Baldwin were in the box next to us and played a very spirited game of mound ball with Nikki Nickerson and me.

And oh yeah, on more than one occasion Yankees fans throwing D batteries at Boston fans that were foolish enough to cheer the Sox.

Like many Cathedrals, Yankee Stadium can be a bit cold and dark.  But I have great memories there.  And I am going to miss her.  Not many more important places in all of sport.