Why a Yankees Baseball Game is the Ultimate Experience?

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When you think about the iconic sporting teams around the world, I am sure many of you will consider Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Lakers and the Green Bay Packers. But there is one team that is perhaps even greater than all of these – the New York Yankees! A globally recognized brand and followed by millions around the world, the Yankees are not only an iconic image in Major League Baseball but also in the world of sport! So having the opportunity to attend a Yankees baseball game has to be on your radar, regardless of your interest in this sport.

yankee stadium

During our recent visit to New York City, we had the opportunity to attend the Yankees game with the Tampa Bay Rays. In the 2016 season, a Yankees vs Rays encounter may not seem the most lucrative given their positions in the American League East division, but there was something a little bit extra special about this game.

yankees baseball game

A Farewell to Alex Rodriguez

For Yankee fans around the world, August 12, 2016, will long live in their memories as it was the final game for Alex Rodriguez in a Yankee shirt. Although deemed as a controversial figure in some baseball circles, Rodriguez was a Yankee legend and certainly a figure that during his prime was a fan favorite and well worth the admission price alone.

alex rodriguez new york yankees

Rodriguez brought an end to his Yankee career finishing on 696 home runs while wearing the infamous pinstripe uniform.

yankees baseball game

Many would have loved to see him reach 700 but nothing will take away from his legendary status among Yankee greats.

alex rodriguez yankees

Where does he fall among the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle? Well, that’s for Yankee fans to decide but there are certainly no arguments against his statistics!

yankee home run

Yankee Stadium

Our visit to Yankee Stadium to attend the Rays game was the first time that we have experienced a live MLB game at what I consider the “home of baseball”.

yankee stadium

Earlier this year we took an amazing Yankee Stadium tour which really increased our desires to attend a game. Just walking through Babe Ruth Plaza outside the gates and looking up at the amazing sight of Yankee Stadium was enough to create excitement inside us.

yankee stadium

Flight cancellations, delays at La Guardia upon arrival and a 3-hour shuttle ride to our hotel in Lower Manhattan meant that we didn’t arrive at Yankee Stadium until the 3rd inning.

yankees rays

After picking up our tickets, we entered the stadium and found our seats in section 125 behind 3rd base. The view was amazing and we picked a pretty good time to sit down as “A-Rod” was preparing for his at-bat.

yankees rays last a-rod game

The atmosphere throughout Yankee Stadium was electric and it was unsurprisingly a sell-out crowd of 46,459 to watch A-Rod’s last game as a Yankee. The moment Rodriguez stepped out to the plate to face Rays’ pitcher Chris Archer, the crowd rose to their feet trying to capture a few final pictures and even videos (despite the rules against capturing video inside Yankee Stadium!) of their favorite Yankee.

yankees baseball game

Unfortunately, we missed A-Rod’s double to right-center during the first inning that scored a run but we appreciated every opportunity we got throughout the rest of the game to see him in action.

With all that I’ve been through, and for them to show up on a night like tonight and to show me that type of love, it’s something that I’ll never forget. (Alex Rodriguez)

Rodriguez showed his appreciation to the packed Yankee Stadium both before, during and after the victory over the Rays. Obviously, this was an overwhelming experience even for such a cool competitor on the ball field, but it’s a credit to the player that he is that he was still able to help the Yankees to a 6-3 victory.

alex rodriguez yankees baseball game

Yankees vs Rays

The outcome of the Yankees vs Rays game was what everyone hoped for given the prestige of A-Rod’s final game. A 6-3 victory took the Yankees season record to a respectable 59-56 though still several games outside of the playoffs.

cc sabathia new york yankees

A win for CC Sabathia on the mound to improve his personal record to 7-9 for the season was also well recognized by the hardcore Yankee faithful.

yankees rays

Starlin Castro was the star performer for the Yankees as he drove in four runs throughout the evening including a home-run to left center field. But this was all about a certain individual named Alex Rodriguez and it was apparent throughout the whole stadium.

yankees baseball game

Of course, they wanted their beloved Yankees to win, but the moment Rodriguez stepped to the plate there was a real sense of anticipation in hope that he could connect with one final home run hit.

attending a yankees baseball game

Enjoying the Yankees Experience

Attending a Yankees baseball game is more than just watching the game. It’s about allowing yourselves to be encapsulated in the whole Yankees experience. From the amazing selection of cuisine available in the Yankees food court to a quick visit to the official store to purchase a souvenir jersey or baseball cap, there is plenty to keep you occupied if you need a break from the action.

yankees food court

I didn’t envision attending A-Rod’s last game would allow any time to get away from this highly anticipated encounter but we were able to enjoy some of the fine food on offer along with a quick visit to the store on our way out of the stadium.

yankees merchandise store
Image courtesy of New York Yankees PR

Let’s take a look at some of the choices available if you wish to enjoy a quick bite to eat while watching your favorite stars in action.

Nathan’s Famous

We wanted something quick and easy so we opted to share a chicken strip basket with a souvenir drink from Nathan’s Famous. If you are looking for a hot dog or chicken tenders, this is certainly a great spot (perhaps we are a little biased given that we love this place but don’t just take our word for it!)

Location – Pepsi Food Court

Carl’s Steaks

Ready to experience an amazing cheesesteak? Don’t worry, you don’t have to go all the way to Philly for this because Carl’s Steak offers a variety of delicious, authentic cheesesteaks.

The “Tape Measure Cheesesteak” is a new item for 2016 and is undoubtedly one of the most popular. Why? Perhaps because it is a two-foot cheesesteak topped with your choice of American cheese or Cheez Whiz, served on a classic hoagie roll baked fresh daily.

yankees tape measure cheesesteak
Image courtesy of New York Yankees PR

Do you think you can dominate all of this on your own? Well, that’s a challenge in itself but maybe you just want to share this with a loved one as it is an ideal option for two hungry souls enjoying a night at the ball game.

Location – Section 107

Triple Play

If you are looking to sample an awesome burger, look no further than Triple Play. The GOAT burger is one of the most popular and of course, it’s no surprise to hear it is named like this because it is dubbed as the “Greatest of All Time (GOAT)”.

yankees goat burger
Image courtesy of New York Yankees PR

Featuring blended beef and topped with crispy bacon, pastrami, American cheese and a special ‘GOAT’ sauce, this is an attractive option for burger connoisseurs.

Location – Section 115

Summary

What did we learn from attending a Yankees baseball game? Well aside from the fact it was an amazing experience watching A-Rod’s last game, we realized just how passionate the Yankee fans are.

yankees baseball game

I can only imagine what it is like to put on the famous pinstripe jersey one final time and walk out on to Yankee field in front of over 46,000 fans who are chanting your name.

yankees baseball game

Attending this Yankees game will long live in our memories as I am sure it will with many thousands of fans around the world. There are certain dates in history that are iconic and I’m sure this will remain one of them. We can’t wait for our opportunity to return to Yankee Stadium and see them in action again. Hopefully the next time we will be attending for a World Series-clinching victory!

LETS GO YANKEES!

Have you been to Yankee Stadium and watched the Yankees in action? Do you consider the Yankees to be one of the world’s top sporting teams?

Disclaimer – We were provided with complimentary tickets in consideration of a blog post review. The views contained within this post are entirely our personal opinion/experience and we received no final compensation for this.

weekend wanderlust


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Chris Boothmanhttps://abritandasoutherner.com
Chris Boothman is the co-founder of A Brit and A Southerner. Born near Manchester, England, Chris moved to USA in 2006 where he soon after met his wife and travel partner in crime, Heather. They have since embarked on an amazing journey of travel as they challenge others to follow in their paths of working full-time but also being able to travel frequently! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Chris at [email protected]

23 COMMENTS

  1. In India, a cricket match evokes the same feelings. It is a must for every citizen to have watched a cricket match live in a stadium, lots of fun!

  2. I actually watched that game from Taiwan! They usually show only KC or Miami (Taiwanese players) but A Rod’s last game was a big deal. And it was a huge deal for me because I’m a former Rays fan! I’m sure it was amazing being there! Great story!

  3. Great post .. takes me back to 2008 when we managed to get Yankee tickets for the final season of the original Yankee Stadium. It was incredible. I’ve been to many sporting events, and many baseball games too … but Id have to agree that there’s just something special about watching a game at Yankee Stadium.

  4. Great recap! It’s on my sportsfan bucket list to attend a game at Yankee Stadium as well as Fenway in Boston. Being from Chicago, I’ve always enjoyed going to see the Cubs play at Wrigley Field (although, I also have never understood baseball fans’ passions since the Cubs are so famous for having a 100+ year championship drought.) Very cool that you got to see A-Rod live during such a momentous game. Much appreciate all the food tips at the stadium, too!

  5. Sounds like this game was well worth a visit! I don’t know much about sports at all but I have been to many rugby league games here in Australia. The biggest of them being “State of Origin ” where two states come back year after year to prove whos state has got better teams and players. The stadium was packed with 62 000 people but there was nowhere near as good eating options around like you had in NY and beers costed a fortune! Needless to say I always happen to support the losing team! Haha! Thanks for your post! I noticed you have some really good photos there too. Its proven quite hard for me to get decent photos at sporting events so good job! #WeekendWanderlust

  6. I used to be a big fan of A-Rod as a kid when he played for the Mariners. I don’t watch much baseball on television anymore but I still love going to games. There’s something energizing about the atmosphere that makes live games so exciting. #WeekendWanderlust

  7. Although I haven’t been to Yankee Stadium, I loved the experience at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Being a pretty small stadium (by today’s standards), there are seats almost literally on the field! Fans and players can chat across the wall, eye to eye. Young fans can come down and meet their icons, the way we always hope baseball would be. It’s really become one of my favorite parks. But that burger up in your post – that could persuade me to visit the Yankees! 😉

  8. Going to a live MLB game is on our US bucket list (I only managed to see an MLS LA Galaxy game this time round), so we are very jealous of you guys (even more so that the tickets were complimentary!) It looks like you had an awesome time despite arriving late and it sounds as though the atmosphere made it all the more special. Thanks for a great post, really want to go and see some baseball now!

  9. wow, I don’t think the New York Yankees great as Manchester United or Real Madrid until read your article and view your pictures. a great experience. wish i was there. Thanks for sharing Chris.

    • Those burgers really do have that effect don’t they 🙂 It’s only early in the morning but I’m hungry too now that you mentioned it!

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