Over the past year or so and especially over the last few days (amidst the excitement surrounding the Yankee demo) I have heard one simple question asked over and over again... what was your greatest Yankee Stadium moment? I never really thought about it before...personally the building doesn't really hold a special place in my heart... so truthfully I rarely gave it much attention. Then all of a sudden last night I had somewhat of an epiphany...I have plenty of stadium memories. Most of the work that I have done over the majority of the last decade was predicated on events that took place there. My earliest Yankee Stadium retrospection is of a scorching "Astronomy Domine" at a Floyd concert. It was the opener of a monster night of music at the rarest of venues played by one of the greatest bands of all time (I would have been tempted to say THE greatest had Roger Waters been with the group). After that early summer night in '94 my Yankee experiences remained dormant until I began working at Steiner (the 2000 World Series won't be discussed on my watch).
Then there was 2003. In my last post I veraciously stated that I had only been to the old stadium a handful of times. While this remains true I actually did think of a few more times (so maybe it's 9 times now?). If anything proves my non-allegiance to the Yankees it is the fact that I did not even remember, at first, that I was actually in attendance for the 2003 ALCS Game 7...the Aaron Boone game. I still have pretty vivid memories of anxiously watching (didn't really have rooting interest) and wondering where I would be the next day. As all you faithful readers know my whereabouts are often rooted in who wins. Our business is based on two things..hot market and memories. Sitting in the stands that evening I was absolutely convinced that if the Red Sox were to win I would clearly be up in Boston within twenty four hours. Eventually the game was won by the unlikeliest of heroes and within a day we were at Aaron's apartment expediting the first of several marathon signings.
Then there was 2004...I am sure you are all expecting me to jump right to the ALCS but before that there was actually a huge stadium moment..the Jeter dive. I am fairly certain that any Yankee collector reading this is already the proud owner of a Jeter dive photo. It has and will most likely always be one of our top sellers as it personifies everything good about not only Derek but the game in general. Anyway, I didn't even watch the game. It was not until the following morning that I even saw the highlights. What makes it a potent memory for me is that DJ who is as gracious as anyone I ever met (athlete or not) gave us the opportunity to do a signing less than forty-eight hours removed from the in-stand collision. I did not know Derek very well then as it was maybe, at most, my fifth signing with him. His face was a battered from the incident but we banged out the signing in no time..as always. Since then we have gone on to sell thousands of that iconic photo in several forms and I have done countless signings with Derek.
Then, of course, was the 2004 ALCS... the reverse of the curse. I mention that because that really changed the course of this whole industry as well as history obviously. Once the Red Sox came back from 0-3 and won game 7 at Yankee Stadium it was a foregone conclusion that they would win the title. Once they did..within twenty four hours..I was loaded up with World Series baseballs on my way up to Boston. Truth be told though the World Series that year was not played between Boston and St. Louis...it was between the Yankees and Red Sox. That was reflected in our product line...David Ortiz game winning photos, Johnny Damon game 7 photos and even our best selling team photo was a celebration shot- not from the World Series- but from Game 7 ALCS at Yankee Stadium.
My next vivid Yankee memory is from the beginning of the 2006 playoffs. It was the day of game one of both the ALDS and the NLDS. The Mets and Yankees were both in the playoffs and I was chomping at the bit for retribution..for a rematch from 2000. I was on my way to Yankee Stadium in the early afternoon as I was slated to meet up with Bernie Williams to get about twenty pieces signed that we desperately needed. Bernie, being the true gentleman that he is, obliged and agreed to give me five minutes to convert my backorders. I was about five minutes from 161st and River when I heard the fatal news that El Duque was going to be out for the entire postseason...I was crushed. Anyway, as deflated as I was I got my day credentials and schlepped my product into a small meeting room and got the signing knocked out in no time. Unfortunately though as easy as it was getting into the stadium that was not the case leaving. Have any of you ever tried to leave a parking garage when an entire stadium of people were trying to get in?? It was scary. A sold out Yankee Stadium crowd was headed towards me as I was the sole person trying to escape..I did narrowly avert the danger and made my way out...and am a better driver and stronger person for it.
Then there were a handful of times when I did small signings in Joe Torre's office. I always thought that was pretty awesome. Locker rooms don't do anything for me...just a bunch of guys getting dressed..manager's office though- that's where lineups are decided, players are cut or sent down, decisions are made. I always liked Joe a lot...great guy and we share a mutual friend in Henry Aaron. I won't get into it too much but I definitely recommend his book to any baseball fan as (despite what the perception is) it is not so acutely about the Yankees but moreso about how much the league changed from 2002-2007.
I have one last remembrance (I rarely misremember) of Yankee Stadium. At a friend's request I went to one game over the entire final season. It was on the second to last homestand...do not recall who they were playing. It was, however, the first time I got to view the Yankee-Steiner relationship up close. It was pretty cool to see all the signage at the park and even cooler to see our somewhat meager (it has now grown into a full-fledged store front as I said on my last post) stand. I spent most of the game there talking to fans and it truly was awesome to hear the non-collector's thoughts on all the pieces I had gotten signed. My good feelings ended shortly after that when it took well over an hour to get out of the parking garage (was cursing the stadium under my breathe as the sweet sound of unmitigated honking filled my ears for about sixty minutes).

With all that in my mind I would love to hear some of your Yankee Stadium memories and also, hypothetically if money was no object, what would you personally want from the old park?...I think over the next few weeks you will all be pleasantly surpised by the plethora of affordable collectors items that we will be offering. Email or tweet me your thoughts as it would be cool to compile them and post them in the upcoming days.

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