Our Top 10 Stadium Moments

We'll say from 1968 - forward since that's when we started to become cognizant of what was going on. This was not easy and some of these are interchangeable.

10. June 17, 1978 - Ron Guidry strikes out 18 California Angels. The beginning of fans clapping when an opponent had 2 strikes.

9. ALCS Game 3 - Yankees ruin another Red Sox post-season. Aaron Boone becomes aligned with Bucky Dent.

8. September 24, 2001 - Yankee Stadium is the site of an inter-faith memorial for the tragic occurrences of 9/11.

7. July 4, 1983 - Dave Righetti throws a 4th of July no-hitter against the Red Sox. It's also George Steinbrenner's birthday. Game ends when Rags strikes out Wade Boggs for the third time.

6. August 6, 1979 - Bobby Murcer drives in 5 runs for his fallen brother Thurman Munson on the day of the Captain's funeral.

5. May 25, 1998 and July 18, 1999 - Perfect games by David Wells and David Cone.

4. 2001 Games 4 and 5 of the World Series - Unbelievable 9th inning comebacks on home runs by Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius.

3. 1996 World Series Game 6 - We finally had attained a World Series championship after 18 years.

2. 1977 World Series Game 6 - Reggie Jackson takes 3 swings and hits 3 home runs. The Yankees win their first World Series in 15 years.

1. 1976 ALCS Game 5 - Chris Chambliss finally gets us to the promised land with a dramatic home run.

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Flashback - Subway Series 1997

Major League baseball went to interleague play back in 1997 for the first non-exhibition meeting between the Yankees and Mets. There were only 3 games between the two teams in the interleague inaugural season (we'd love it to go back to that). Lets take a look back at that first series.

Dave Mlicki was the unlikely hero of the first game at Yankee Stadium, June 16, 1997. Mlicki had a journeyman career and was in his 3rd full season in the majors. He would win just 66 games, but none would be bigger than this one against the defending world series champions.

Mlicki scattered 9 hits en route to a complete game shutout as the Mets took the opener 6-0. The Mets jumped right on Yankees starter Andy Pettitte for 3 runs in the 1st inning. It included an unlikely steal of home by Randy Hundley, and RBI hits by John Olerud and Butch Huskey. Olerud drove in 3 runs all told. Joe Girardi had 3 hits for the Yankees.

Starting Lineups:

 New York Mets                 New York Yankees       
1. Johnson             cf        Jeter               ss
2. Gilkey              lf        Kelly               2b
3. Olerud              1b        O'Neill             rf
4. Hundley             c         Fielder             dh
5. Huskey              dh        Martinez            1b
6. Everett             rf        Hayes               3b
7. Baerga              2b        Whiten              lf
8. M. Franco           3b        Curtis              cf
9. Lopez               ss        Girardi             c
 Mlicki              p         Pettitte            p

Game 2 matched unbeated Armando Reynoso against David Wells. The Yankees knocked the 5-0 Reynoso out of the game in the 2nd inning with 4 runs. Joe Girardi's bases loaded single brought home the first run and Derek Jeter followed with a 2-run double. Luis Sojo's double off of Reynoso brought in the final run of the inning and caused the Mets starter to be removed.

The Mets got 3 back quickly against Boomer in the 4th, but he settled down and went 8 innings before giving way to Mariano Rivera, who picked up his 22nd save of the season in a 6-3 Yankees win.

Starting Lineups:

 New York Mets                 New York Yankees       
1. Johnson             cf        Jeter               ss
2. Gilkey              lf        Sojo                2b
3. Olerud              1b        O'Neill             rf
4. Hundley             c         Fielder             dh
5. Huskey              dh        Martinez            1b
6. Everett             rf        Hayes               3b
7. Baerga              2b        Whiten              lf
8. M. Franco           3b        Curtis              cf
9. Lopez               ss        Girardi             c
 Reynoso             p         Wells               p

Rick Reed and David Cone matched up in the Sunday finale. Coney was on his game, allowing just 2 hits while striking out 11 over 8 innings, but his teammates couldn't generate offense. The Yankees had taken a 2-0 lead on solo home runs by Cecil Fielder and Chad Curtis, but the Mets cut the lead in half on an RBI ground out by Olerud in the 7th and tied the game on Cone's balk in the 8th.

The game went to the 10th where Paul O'Neill walked and moved to 3rd on Cecil Fielder's single. Tino Martinez brought home the game winner with a single of his own as Mike Stanton improved to 3-0.

Starting Lineups:

 New York Mets                 New York Yankees       
1. Johnson             cf        Jeter               ss
2. Gilkey              lf        Sojo                2b
3. Olerud              1b        O'Neill             rf
4. Hundley             c         Fielder             dh
5. Baerga              2b        Martinez            1b
6. Huskey              dh        Boggs               3b
7. M. Franco           3b        Whiten              lf
8. Everett             rf        Curtis              cf
9. Lopez               ss        Girardi             c
 Reed                p         Cone                p

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Baby Boomer

The NY Post is reporting this morning that David Wells would like to return to the Yankees...again. Wells turns 45 on May 20 (same day as our guy Bobby Murcer), and due to being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, has dropped 20 pounds (his reported weight is 245).

"I'm in shape, I'd just have to fine-tune a couple of things," Wells said. "I'd need a little bit of time, but not much. Physically I feel fine, real good."

"If you're not going that good, what the hell, it doesn't hurt to make a change and take a chance," Wells said. "I'm the type of guy, just give me the ball and let me do my thing. I'm not afraid to fail."

Boomer was a Yankees from 1997-1998 and 2002-2003. We've never forgotten the fact that he had to walk off the mound in the 2003 World Series because of injuries that could have been avoided had he stayed in shape.

"New York has always been the favorite of all my stops," Wells said. "When I got traded, I was bitter. When they didn't re-sign me, I was bitter, but I know that wasn't the Yankees, everything was Joe Torre. I wasn't one of his boys. I don't think he liked the way I lived my life or that I spoke my mind."

Or perhaps it was because you were always out of shape and couldn't be relied on any more. Hank Steinbrenner didn't say "yes" when the question was posed to him, but he didn't say "no" either.

"I've thought about it," Steinbrenner told The Post. "I saw him on TV (an appearance on the Best Damn Sports Show), and I did think about it when I was watching." "You never know," Steinbrenner said. "[Wells] hasn't come up in conversation (with Cashman), but I've had so much other [bleep] to deal with lately."

The 21-yr major league veteran has amassed 239 career wins for 9 different teams, with multiple stops in New York, Toronto, and San Diego. He struggled with the Padres last season before being released on August 16. A little over a week later he was picked up by the Dodgers, going 4-1, 4.57 as the Dodgers fell short of a playoff appearance.

One Yankee veteran told the Post's Mike Puma that he wouldn't be surprised to see Wells back in pinstripes. Such is life in Yankeeland.

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Boomer Lands on His Feet

Good thing or he'd bounce.

The Star-Ledger is reporting that the Dodgers are close to signing David Wells for the rest of the season.

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