Remembering Steinbrenner and Sheppard

The crowd was at the edge of their seats, watching, waiting, hoping. Could it be done? Could the Yankees pull it out in the bottom of the ninth? Could they pull it out during the first game following the deaths of their owner and longtime announcer?

The facts of Friday night's game against Tampa are pretty much set in stone. The Yankees did pull out a win, ending the tension that was permeating the stadium. After minutes of watching and waiting and sitting on the edge of your seat, the stadium was on their feet, singing along to "New York, New York" and enjoying the win. How do I know? I was there Friday night.

It was one of those coincidences of fate that brought me to Yankee Stadium on Friday. The plans were made months ago. The date was picked months ago, mainly figuring that a Yankee/Tampa game would be a good game to watch. Little did we know when the date was picked that we'd be attending an important game in Yankee history, one of which would have one of the best endings of the season.

The beginning of the game did not have the tension, with the tribute ceremony for Bob Sheppard and George Steinbrenner kicking off the game. The moment of silence led to a situation which you don't see in New York.....an almost eery silence. The entire stadium was silent, for what seemed like an eternity the only sound you could hear was the rumble of the Bronx from outside the stadium walls. But even then, the rumble seemed distant, quieter, as if the borough was observing a moment of silence as well.

The game itself was almost fit for Steinbrenner or New York. The tension built up by the tie and bringing the end to the final minutes made the game seem larger than life at times. An almost fitting end to one of the larger than life personalities to walk the New York stage for over three decades.

I remember leaving the game and thinking how fitting it was that not only had all of this occurred on that night but also playing Tampa. The Yankees training camp is in Tampa, Steinbrenner's home is in Tampa and Tampa and New York have been developing a deeper connection outside of baseball in the last decade. Tampa has become the home of many financial services companies seeking a location for alternate offices outside of New York, earning a "Wall Street South" moniker in some circles for the Tampa Bay area.

It was a game where emotions changed so much in a short period of time all of which gave a fitting tribute to both Steinbrenner and Sheppard. It was an "only in New York" moment and one that I will remember going forward.