PLAYING IN YANKEE STADIUM

There is nothing more defining in the baseball world than Yankee Stadium. It is the house that Ruth built. It is where everyone thinks of when thinking of baseball. Joe Dimaggio, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig. The list goes on. It's grounds are cherished and magical. I know I certainly dreamed of playing their while growing up and this is my story.

I can remember as a youngster listening and watching Yankee broadcasts. I can remember watching as Bucky Dent went about his business or Chris Chambliss slugged another home run. I can remember the turmoil with Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner. And being a catcher, I idolized Thurman Munson.

I can remember exactly where I was standing when I heard the news of Thurman Munson and how he crashed to his peril. I stood in the driveway of my house, just a teenager, and cried. I looked up to him and hoped to someday play like him. I will never forget that moment.

I can also remember Louisiana Lightning, Ron Guidry, as he fired strikes and was one of the most dominent pitchers. I visualized myself hitting against him in Yankee Stadium and hitting the game winning hit. Such dreams.

But most of all, I can remember the famous address announcer, Bob Sheppard. He has one of the most distinctive voices I know of and it is immediately recognizable with Yankee Stadium. A true legend. And still going strong.

Coming up in the Oakland organization, I was hoping someday I would get my wish and have an opportunity to play in Yankee Stadium. In 1986 I was to get my wish and realize a dream of making the club and having that chance.

This is another one of my fairy tale dreams that would transpire for me over my career. In 1986 after making the team out of spring training, we soon were on a road trip to New York and Yankee Stadium. My first order of business was to get to the ball park early and to tour around the monuments in the outfield. I will never forget the overwhelming feeling that I had. Pure magic! I could have floated around the field. It was so neat to think about all the greats that had played here.

As the afternoon started to unwind and after doing all our pregame stuff, the lineup was posted and I was in the lineup. It was a dream come true! I was in the starting lineup at Yankee Stadium. I would get to hear Bob Sheppard call my name. I would get to experience Yankee Stadium as a major league ballplayer trying to bring down the Yankees.

And as fate would have it just like everything else that has come my way in baseball, Ron Guidry was on the mound for the Yankees. I was going to hit against the Louisiana Lightning. All the memories of watching him as a teenager were flashing back. I had to pinch myself, I was living a dream.

And as fate would have it again, what do you think happened? My first at bat in Yankee Stadium against Ron Guidry, I hit a towering home run against him to dead left field. A no doubter. I don't think you could have slowed time up enough for me. The home run helped us to victory. I enjoyed the moment the best I could and it is a memory that I will take with me forever.

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