“The House That Ruth Built is coming down,” a strange looking man said to me as I boarded the subway on Sunday wearing my Yankees cap. “That it is ,” I said, going to the series finale with the Rays. After this game, I 'd have only one Sunday game left.

My friends were all working so I posted my extra ticket on Craigslist. The first person to respond was a woman named Kate, whom I arranged to meet by the Yankee Eatery. She told me that she'd be wearing red Hawaiian shorts. When I got off of the train, I had a message from her that she couldn't find the Eatery and was at the Will Call window so I headed over there. Her red shorts were impossible to miss. Kate told me that she was in from Seattle and she was really wanted to see Yankee Stadium before it closed. “Cool,” I said.

It didn't take long for Kate to experience an exciting Yankee Stadium debut. After Carl Pavano retired the Rays in the first, the Yankees struck quickly against Edwin Jackson.
Johnny Damon led off with a single. Derek Jeter laid down a perfect bunt for another single. Jason Giambi worked out a walk which brought up Alex Rodriguez who was sitting on 96 RBIs adn the bases loaded. A Rod crushed a Grand Slam to reach to 100 RBI mark and give the Yankees a 4-0 lead.

The Rays struck back quickly in the top of the second. After Cliff Floyd led off with a single, Cody Ransom misplayed a certain double play grounder hit by Dionar Navarro.
Floyd was tagged out but Robinson Cano hurt his wrist and Navarro reached first. Pavano then walked Eric Hinske. After Greg Gross popped out, Pavano had an 0-2 count on Fernando Perez who hit the next pitch for a three run homer, his first in the majors to cut the lead to 4-3.

In the bottom of the second inning, Jeter doubled with two out. Giambi then hit a laser beam home run to right field to give the Yankees a 6-3 lead. “When is your flight?” I asked Kate,as it seemed we were in for a long afternoon.
She told me that she had taught English in the Dominican Republic after graduating from the University of Washington. I recommended that she should check out the Pulitzer Prize winning Dominican American author Junot Diaz who is a great writer and funny as can be. She had literally been exploring the country by plane, train and automobile since she'd been back and told me that she was getting a train ticket tomorrow to explore more points unknown. “That's great,” I said. “Now is the time to do it.”

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Ray phenom David Price made his major league debut.
He retired the Yankees in order in the fourth but in the fifth inning Jeter led off with a home run to right field. The hit was the 1,269 hit at Yankee Stadium for Derek which tied him with Lou Gehrig for most hits at Yankee Stadium. Jeter got a tremendous ovation from the Stadium faithful and eventually came out for a curtain call.

In the Rays sixth, after Floyd reached on an error by Ransom, Pavano was removed from the game with an apparent injury. Edwin Ramirez came in to relieve. He gave up a single to Hinske and one out later, walked Perez to load the bases. Joe Girardi brought in Damaso Marte who walked Akinori Iwamora to force in a run before retiring Josh Bartlett on a great catch by Brett Gardner.

Kate took after the seventh inning. “ I want to explore some more of the Stadium.” I told her as I said good bye “I'm proud to be part of “Kate's Explore Tour 2008.”

I was chatting with some of the other guys in my section about the “Relocation” plans for us in the new Yankee Stadium. I've been sitting with the same people for fifteen years and may never see them again after next week.

After Brian Bruney retired the Rays in the eighth, the Yankees added a run in the bottom of the eighth on a Wilson Betemit single to give the Yankees a four run lead. That meant Jose Veras would come in to pitch the ninth instead of Mariano Rivera as it was a non save situation. Iwamora walked to lead off the inning. After getting two outs, Evan Longoria singled to put runners on first and second. With Willie Aybar coming up and the tying run on deck, Girardi brought in Rivera to the beat of “Enter Sandman”. Rivera struck out Aybar to earn his 478th save. It tied him with Lee Smith for second place on the all time save list.

I lingered for a little while after exiting the Stadium. Partly to let crowd thin out and partly to let the fact set in that after twenty two years on the Sunday Plan, I had only more game before The “House That Ruth Built” does come down.