May 25th, 1994 - "I cheer her illness"

May 25th, 1994 - Yankees host Toronto
"Rain Rain Go Away!"

Not much going on on this one, as it was a rainy night and I had to hide the pen regularly to keep it from sopping out. From what I did write, I could see that I was somewhat drunk. How out of character! Yankees were 11-3 on the season at this point, and I was looking at a 55-33 all-time record coming in with me in attendance, so I was truly a lucky fan. Never did see much losing at the Stadium, and we're not even up to the Championship Runs yet.

This game featured a benches clearing scrum at the very end, but I forget why...anyone? Anyone? 16 years later I never went back to research. I remember that happening once before when Jim Leyritz, playing first, got crossed up with Scott Fletcher of the Brewers who was huffing down the line, and they threw elbows on the game-concluding play at first. Both teams ended up coming together on the field as "We're Not Going To Take It" by Twisted Sister blared throughout the Stadium as it always did after a Yankee win back then. The scuffling teams with that song as a backdrop gets 6 beers on the 6-pack scale from me!

But this particular game-ending ruckus is lost to memory...I dont think there were any beanball incidents, with Jim Abbott and Pat Hentgen on the mound, and no one was hit on the night. But there it is, right at the end of the 9th, connected from the margin with an arrow in big excited loops and no less than six exclamation points....."Fight! Benches empty!!!!!!"

As we move on in time (if you stick with me against your better judgement, that is) it will be good to have help on hand to fill in the blanks like Dennis has been doing for some of these old-school cards. Cause 93-95 is still pre-most of the zany characters we all grew to know and love and love now and I have drank lots of these memories away.

Its funny, part of the scorecard is folded over itself in the sleeve, and when I went to pull it out to document the first time, it was cracking and crumbling like an ancient museum relic. It was soaked that night, and has not aged well. I could smell the rain - and the beer on it too! At least I hope thats beer!

I noted that elder George, who at that time was not paying to get in (and soon I was not either), could not get a free ticket for one reason for another and he was griping about it in front of everyone like an entitled doof. For those of us who paid to get in every game, we could have gave a shit about his travails. I also mentioned Ali came in late with his cowbell, regretfully missing the National Anthem cause he was lollygagging in the lobby cause he "thought it was the Canadian one."

Devil Fan Billy was at the center of the storm on this evening. He always said and did the dumbest things. Queen Bee Tina, never in the mood, snarled "how can you wear a Yankee shirt one day, and a Devil shirt the next....you're an embarrassment." Justin, you should demand answers on that one.

Billy wasn't through....he actually got into a fight with someone named "Eric", and yes, it was a physical fight...I dont really remember much of this outside of the scorecard mention, but I am sure it was funny, and it started cause "Billy got hit on the leg." With what, by who, or how, who knows. Apparently I did not jump into this one.

In other Creature capers on the evening, Fat Daddy Chico actually took his shirt off at 7:13 and was strolling around topless. And this was before the rain came.

In Tina's defense of her lambasement of Billy, she was "representing NY" as on that night I scrawled the Rangers beat the Devils to force a Game 7 in NHL Playoff Action. Outside of that, it was a bad night for Tina. "Her appendicitis" was acting up (at least that was the diagnosis then) and she was in pain all night. And letting us know about it, constantly and consistently. Little did she know that Syphillis Joe was laughing about it from his perch a few rows up, and actually said "I cheer her illness."

Someone came over and mentioned they were a doctor but no one believed him so he went away. By the 7th inning Tina was doubled over and taking away the fun of a 5-1 Yankee lead. At 10:59 (the game featured a 90 minute rain delay) Tina got up and said she was going to the hospital. Concern shrouded the Creatures, and even Syphillis Joe stopped smirking. At 11:12.....Tina came back...and stayed the rest of the game. On the way out Syphillis Joe once again mentioned - and questioned - her medical woes and said, "I'm just glad I was here to witness it." Wow...things were not so hunky-dory between the old-schoolers back in 1994, were they?

There is literally nothing else on here outside of a few invectives yelled at people who popped some umbrellas during the rain delay, like "put that tent down, asshole!" There were 5 documented "mo's" (that seemed to be my average) and a missing inning (most of the bottom of the 7th, which I attribute to the rain, most likely, as the markings around then are faded and rainish. If "rainish" is indeed a word)

Even with the long rain delay Jim Abbott pitched a complete game for the Yankees, upping his mark to 6-2, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. That said, Jesus Christ, did I ever see anyone pitch for the Yankees but him?? He was backed up by 3 Yankee home runs, 2 rung up against Hentgen off the bat of Wade Boggs and another by Danny Tartabull, off your friend and mine, Greg Caderet.

Its a joke, the Yankees managed to score just 5 runs on SIXTEEN hits. The first 5 guys in the order were a collective 14-22.....for Christs sake, Hentgen himself gave up 12 hits in 6 innings, but only 4 runs. Sketchy.

The Jays mustered 6 hits, 2 each coming off the bats of Joe Carter and our arch-nemesis Devon White, who was carrying on a running feud with the Bleacher Creatures. The Jays proffered a lineup of White, Alomar, Molitor, Carter, Olerud, Ed Sprague, Mike Huff (lol), Randy Knorr, and Schofield. The Yankees countered with Polonia, Boggs, Mattingly, Tartabull, O'Neill, Leyritz, BW, Gallego, and Patrick Kelly.

Time for the educational portion of my offering - the guys you probably forgot (or never cared) that you got to see ply their trade in front of us. Todays profile is Toronto catcher Randy Knorr.

Mr Knorr saw action in 11 different major league campaigns (1991 - 2001) but only played in 253 games. He batted 676 times, which is a season and a couple of weeks worth for your average regular, and it took him a decade to do so. He finished up with a career batting average of .226 and a whopping .278 on-base percentage. Its funny, he did have a modicum of power, slugging 26 home runs in those 600 plus at-bats, while driving in 88. But he also struck out a whopping 161 times. He was a catcher by trade, but managed to play 12 innings at first during his major league career. His last major league game was on 9/9/2001 in a Montreal Expo uniform - we all know what happened 2 days later. All said, I'm glad to have seen him play!

For this Yankee victory there were 23,250 announced (but I am sure the bulk either no-showed or left early) and the game, sans delays, ran on for 2:37. Your umpires on hand were the late Durwood Merrill, Mike Reilly, Tim Welke, and Joe Brinkman.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment or complain!