Final Inning For The House That Ruth Built

The NY Yankees' Historic Stadium Prepares To Host Its Last First Home Game Of The Season

(AP)  Barry Bonds stepped out of a white stretch limousine, strolled into Yankee Stadium for the first time and basically pooh-poohed the place.

Pretty much just another ballpark, he told most anyone who would listen.

That is, until he walked onto the field and took a look around. That's when the history hit him. Dressed in his San Francisco Giants uniform, he made a beeline to deep left-center field and asked a guard to open the gate that led to Monument Park.

"I want to see this," Bonds said.

The grumpy future home run king became an eager little boy during that visit six years ago, standing in line with fans to study Mickey Mantle's bronze likeness and Thurman Munson's plaque.

Yankee Stadium tends to have that effect on people.

"I still get chill bumps every time I'm there," newly elected Hall of Famer Rich Gossage said.

Too bad for the Goose, there isn't much time left.

Christened by Babe Ruth with a home run on opening day in 1923, the big house in the Bronx is set for its final season.

Next year, the New York Yankees will move across the street into a slightly smaller, $1.3 billion ballpark that includes nearly 50 luxury boxes and a martini bar. The new Yankee Stadium is built for the future - there's even locker room space for female umpires, in case any ever get hired.

Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees will play with specially marked baseballs this year and to the pinstripers, the only fitting farewell would come in October. The park with the famous white facade - initial construction plans called it the "frieze" - has hosted exactly 100 World Series games.

Don Zimmer sat in the dugout for his share. Always next to Joe Torre, ol' Popeye was a fixture until leaving because of a feud with bombastic owner George Steinbrenner.

"How big a thrill is it to walk in a stadium and never see an empty seat? That's thrilling," Zimmer said.

"I'd say a lot of things made Yankee Stadium, and Steinbrenner would be one of the big reasons," he added. "There were so many memories. One after another. One after another."

Be it Don Larsen pitching a perfect game, Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs or Mariano Rivera closing out one of the Yankees' 26 World Series championships, the stadium at 161st Street and River Avenue was often the site where sports and legend intersected.

Lou Gehrig calling himself the "luckiest man on the face of the earth." Johnny Unitas winning "the greatest game ever played." Knute Rockne urging Notre Dame to "win one for the Gipper." Joe Louis knocking out Max Schmeling in the most politically charged fight of their era.

Muhammad Ali and Jack Dempsey boxed there, Pele got his kicks, the 1972 Miami Dolphins won on their way to a perfect season. Nebraska took the first and only Gotham Bowl.

Off the field, equally important events. Two popes celebrated Mass, the Rev. Billy Graham greeted worshippers and Nelson Mandela spoke to thousands.

The Yankees will mark the long goodbye with commemorative baseballs for every home game. They feature a logo of the stadium's original entrance, and the Yankees will wear a patch with the same emblem on their left sleeves.

Over in Queens, the New York Mets will do a similar thing at Shea Stadium, which opened in 1964 and will close after this season.

The ready-made souvenirs will get put into play at Yankee Stadium on Monday against Toronto and be used through the finale Sept. 21 versus Baltimore. Tickets for that last game are selling for $15,000 and up on StubHub.com.

New Yankees manager Joe Girardi is eager for the final opening day.

"I don't think you ever know how you're going to react," he said Friday. "I think I reacted a lot different when I walked out for the first time at Yankee Stadium than I thought I would. I think I was like, 'Wow, this really awesome.' As a Midwestern boy, not growing up in that area, you didn't really understand the greatness of it until you walk in there."