Plum Crazy

Someone wants to know what it was like to be at the Yankees division clincher on Thursday night. So finally, the long version.

You couldn't have asked for a better night for a game. Although it had been raining during the day, by 5 pm it had started to clear, and by 5:30, there was actual blue sky. So it was clear. The temperature was ideal. Not too hot. Not too cold. Not too humid.

The game itself was very exciting. Homerun Javy lived up to his name, giving up two homeruns among the seven hits he allowed. The Yankees were down. They tied it up! The Twins scored another run. Olerud hits a homer! The Twins scored another run. Matsui gets a homerun! It was 4-4 going into the ninth inning. Will this game go into extra innings? Tom "Flash" Gordon comes to the mound. Gets the first two batters out. Then he lets two guys get on base. The fifth batter comes up with a man on first and second. Runner in scoring position. The count goes to 3-2. The stadium is on its feet, hoping for the third strike. Flash does not disappoint.

It's now 4-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. Real possibility of extra innings. Doesn't matter, though, I'm sticking it out until the bitter end. Everyone is on their feet. Sheffield is up first. He's out. Matsui is up to bat. He draws a walk. Bernie Williams comes up. He's had a fantastic night, 2 for 3 before this at bat. Can he work some of that old Bernie magic? He hits it hard. There's a tense couple of seconds there, when the crowd is unsure if it's going to go long. It sails into the stands! It's a walk-off homer! The crowd goes wild! The team pours onto the field. Much jumping around and hugging ensues. My colleagues and I leave quite happy, except for the one Twins fan who was in our little crew. Even the guy I was sitting next to, who is from India and had never been to a baseball game before, was happy. I spent most of the night explaining the game to him, and by the end, he was yelling at the Yankees batters to score runs.

So there you have it. Great weather. An exciting game. The division clincher at home. All in all, a fantastic night.