Stadium Firsts
Before the official Opening Day against the Cleveland Indians April 16, 2009, the Yankees hosted a two-game exhibition series at the stadium in early April against the Chicago Cubs. Grady Sizemore of the Indians was the first player to hit a grand slam off of Yankee pitcher Dámaso Marté. The Indians and 2008 Cy Young Award winner, Cliff Lee, spoiled the opening of the new stadium by winning 10–2. Before the Yankees went to bat for the first time, the bat that Babe Ruth used to hit his first home run at the old Yankee Stadium in 1923 was placed momentarily on home plate. Jorge Posada hit the first Yankee home run in the new ballpark hitting his off Lee in the same game. Russell Branyan, while playing for the Seattle Mariners, was the first player to hit a home run off of the Mohegan Sun Restaurant in center field. Like its predecessor, the new Yankee Stadium hosted the World Series in its very first season; in the 2009 World Series, the Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2. It also became the latest stadium to host a World Series-clinching victory by its home team in the venue's first season (after the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series at Busch Stadium in 2006), when, on November 4, 2009, the Yankees won their 27th World Series championship against the Phillies. The Yankees are the only team to inaugurate two stadiums with World Series wins and also appeared in the 1976 World Series following the refurbishment of the original Yankee Stadium. On October 6, 2011 Detroit Tigers in game five of the ALDS were the first team to eliminate the Yankees at the new Yankee Stadium in the postseason.
| Statistic | Exhibition | Regular season | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|
| First game | April 3, 2009 Yankees 7, Cubs 4 |
April 16, 2009 Indians 10, Yankees 2 |
October 7, 2009 Yankees 7, Twins 2 |
| Ceremonial First Pitch | Reggie Jackson | Yogi Berra | Eric T. Olson |
| First pitch | Chien-Ming Wang | CC Sabathia | CC Sabathia |
| First batter | Aaron Miles (Cubs) | Grady Sizemore (Indians) | Denard Span (Twins) |
| First hit | Aaron Miles (Cubs) | Johnny Damon | Denard Span (Twins) |
| First Yankees hit | Derek Jeter | Johnny Damon | Derek Jeter |
| First home run | Robinson Canó | Jorge Posada | Derek Jeter |
| First win | Chien-Ming Wang | Cliff Lee (Indians) | CC Sabathia |
| First save | Jonathan Albaladejo | Mariano Rivera (April 17) | Mariano Rivera |
Many historic milestones and records have been achieved at Yankee Stadium. In 2009, Derek Jeter became the Yankees all-time hits leader with his 2,722nd hit, surpassing Lou Gehrig's 72-year record. The following season, Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th home run at the Stadium, becoming the youngest player to accomplish the feat. In 2011, three significant milestones were achieved at the stadium. In July, Jeter became the first Yankee to join the 3000 hit club and collect all 3,000 hits with the franchise. The following month, the Yankees became the first team in history to hit three grand slams in a single game. As the regular season drew to a close, Mariano Rivera became the all-time leader in regular season saves, when he earned his 602nd save. That game drew the smallest crowd in the three-year existence of Yankee Stadium, according STATS LLC.
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Famous quotes containing the word stadium:
“It’s no accident that of all the monuments left of the Greco- Roman culture the biggest is the ballpark, the Colosseum, the Yankee Stadium of ancient times.”
—Walter Wellesley (Red)