The Yankees Game I will Never Forget

On a cool and crisp day in April 1967, a family friend treated us to our first Yankees
game at the original stadium that Ruth built. Still remembering that day as if it were
yesterday, we had amazing box seats on the 1 st base side. I don’t know how much
seats cost now as I have not returned to Yankee stadium since the mid-70s, but I
suspect they are a bit higher than the $4.00 paid for each of these prime seats.
I was particularly thrilled to see Whitey Ford take the mound, though no one knew at the
time that it would be the final pitching victory (#236) of his 16-year Hall-of-Fame career.
We were also super excited to see Mickey Mantle, who was approaching his 500 th
career home run. To date, 28 MLB players have amassed 500 or more HRs, but only 5
(Babe Ruth, Jimmy Foxx, Mel Ott, Ted Williams, Willie Mays) had achieved the
monumental milestone at the time. Needless to say, the atmosphere was electric and
the towering façade of the old stadium unforgettable. Even though Mickey did not
homer that day (my recollection was that he hit a single and struck out twice), Ford was
magnificent as the Yankees rolled past the White Sox 11-2.

The other memorable feature was Whitey’s opposing pitcher. In fact, I had collected his 1964 Rookie Card when he was with Cleveland prior to being traded to the White Sox.Tommy John was only 23 years old at the time and just in the beginning of what would become a remarkable 26-season career. He would later gain greater fame with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and ironically, New York Yankees, and most notably for the pioneering elbow surgery that now bears his name.

Yes, it was a glorious day to be at Yankee Stadium—watching established and future
legends on the field, soaking in the pageantry of baseball at its finest. That game wasn’t
just about the score. Upon reflection, it was about witnessing history and feeling part of
something timeless and very special.

Michael MIller, MD is Professor of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Chief of Medicine, Corporal Michael J Crescenz VAMC in Philadelphia. His most recent book “Heal Your Heart” is published by Penguin Random House