From the stands to my heart—how witnessing legends in 1988 created a lifelong connection to baseball
Guest Post from Nick Schaefer
February 7, 2025
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Some dates and games fade into the background of our memories, while others stand out vividly. For me, July 10, 1988, is etched in my mind as it strongly impacted my personal connection to the Yankees. It was a 5-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals, but to an 8-year-old fan in love with America’s pastime, it was and has become much more. I didn’t realize at the time, but this was no ordinary day or game and my very first game transformed both my personal life and Yankees fandom.
Leading Off
I knew at the time; this game would feature some good players. Well, as much as an 8-year-old could grasp it. But, as I have aged, I have realized how fortunate it was to see so many legends. It was not just how special it was to see the players, but who I saw the game with, my Grandpa and Dad.
The start of the game was not as great as the journey to the Stadium. The Royals quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead courtesy of one best leadoff hitters of the 1980s, Willie Wilson. An opening single, steal, and error helped Wilson cross homeplate.
The exhilaration of going to my first game was slightly dampened. Especially, since I was obsessing of this game for many weeks and traveling by car, train, subway and foot to get to the stadium.
It started with getting up at a time that no 8-year-old should have to. My Dad, Grandpa and me prepared to travel to my first game for a 1:35 start. Both my Grandpa (Mother’s father who lived in NYC) and Dad (born in the Bronx) have been to games in the past, so it was almost mythical hearing their stories about seeing games at Yankees Stadium. My heart rate increased as we traveled from Central New Jersey and got closer to the Bronx. I remember finally arriving and looking at the outside of the Stadium and being in awe. After finding our seats, I just couldn’t stop smiling - probably the only time I was quiet as a kid!
Now it was time for the Yankees to bat. The game’s best leadoff hitter and all-time stolen base leader, Rickey Henderson was the first Yankees batter I saw bat in-person. The Yankees didn’t score in the opening frame, but I got a chance to see Henderson, Willie Randolph, and one of my all-time favorite players, Don Mattingly bat.
Supplying the Power
The game may not have featured any home runs—a big downer for a kid—but the real highlight and my power supply came from the food. Before heading to Yankee Stadium, we stopped at White Castle. I had eaten there before, but something about getting those sliders in North Jersey on the way to a Yankees game made them taste even better. I enjoyed them that day, just as I still do now. White Castle has remained a family tradition, especially for Yankees games. My dad was even a White Castle Hall of Fame nominee.
At the stadium, another classic ballpark staple completed the experience—a Sabrett hot dog from one of the stands. That first bite sealed another lifelong tradition. It wasn’t just about the food; it was about the memories they created, binding family, baseball, and tradition into something unforgettable.
Although, there were no homers in front of the 55,318 at the House That Ruth Built that day, one ball did technically travel over the fence, but a 25-year old, 2nd year player, and 2-way professional athlete, Bo Jackson leapt and robbed Jack Clark a chance of rounding the bases.
Lots of Legends
This was no ordinary game for another reason. The players in this game had an astounding amount of success, including 3 Hall of Famers, 12 different players who were all-stars (for a combined 65 all-star appearances), 3 MVPs, and a former Heisman Trophy winner, and even a pitcher that has had a common pitching surgery named after him, Tommy John surgery.
Some of the greatness that stepped on the diamond that day include: Rickey Henderson, Willie Randolph, Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield, Tommy John, and Dave Righetti for the Yankees and Willie Wilson, George Brett, Danny Tartabull, Kevin Seitzer, Frank White, and Bo Jackson for the Royals.
K.C. came in with a 45-41 record, while N.Y. was 49-35. Both teams finished season with almost identical records, with the Yankees having 1 more win than the Royals to finish 85-76.
It wasn’t just the players on the field who made this game special—it was also the people sitting beside me in the stands. Baseball was in my blood. My Dad taught me how to throw and catch in the backyard, and my Mom would play catch with me by the side of the house. I spent countless hours watching Yankees games on WPIX, listening to "The Scooter" Phil Rizzuto and Bobby Murcer, often with my grandpa by my side, sharing in the love of the game.
A Family Affair
Several players and even announcers from that game have remained part of the Yankees family in one way or another. Some, (Randolph and Mattingly) became coaches, and some (Rizzuto, Randolph, and Mattingly) have been immortalized with plaques in Monument Park. Many have also returned for Old-Timers' Day, reconnecting with their baseball family.
In many ways, my own family has followed a similar path. Our shared love for the Yankees has only grown since that first game. A few years later, my Dad and Grandpa took me to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown for the first time—a trip that sparked a tradition. I've since visited 8 times, always making it a point to soak in as much Yankees history as possible, just as I did on that first visit.
After my Grandpa’s passing in 2016, we honored him in true Yankees fashion. On July 8, 2017, nearly 29 years to the day of our first game together, we gathered as a family to spread his ashes where the old Yankee Stadium once stood. Then we walked across the street to watch the Yankees take on the Brewers, and it felt as if he was watching over us—especially when the Yankees won on a walk-off three-run home run in the ninth inning to beat the Brew Crew 5-3, a reversal of the score of our first game together in 1988. His legacy lives on in our family, and even his gravestone bears the words: “Our Hall of Famer.”
The Yankees were vitally important to my Grandfather. As he really only “liked” a handful of things: the Yankees, Western movies, Wrestling, his family, and making me lots of cookies while I was in college. He was generally a person of few words, but I could get him talking about the Yankees and stories of players that seemed to me to be magical superheroes—Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio. He didn’t laugh much, but I can still hear him chuckling every time they would show a replay of Mattingly eating some popcorn from a fan in the stands. Even towards the end of his life, he would still read Yankees books and follow the team through the box scores in the newspaper. My Grandfather might have passed away in 2016, but I think him often while watching the Yankees.
We also took my Mom to her first Yankees game in 2016 (beating the Red Sox 8-2), surprising her with tickets and a Yankees sweatshirt on Christmas. The look on her face was priceless—pure joy, like an 8-year-old me going to my first baseball game. Baseball has a way of bringing that out in people. She still watches the Yankees, yelling at the TV when players strike out, just like her Dad, my Grandpa, used to do. She also played a huge role in shaping my Yankees fandom, letting me stay up late to watch games—even the 10:00 p.m. West Coast ones. I just had to take a quick nap beforehand so I could function at school the next day.
My wife has also been swept up in Yankees spirit, joining me for numerous games, including an Old-Timers' Day and game 2 of the ALDS, where Mark Teixeira crushed an 11th-inning walk-off home run against the Twins. The stadium erupted, and we were right there in the frenzy, caught up in the magic of the moment.
Baseball is more than just a game. The 162-game season brings fans closer to the sport—and to each other—because, like life, it’s a daily grind filled with ups and downs. Success comes from sticking together and pushing through.
The Pinstripes are Personal
I often think of Joe DiMaggio’s quote, “I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee.” I just add the word “fan” at the end. In one of my last conversations with my Grandpa, I told him “thank you for helping make me a Yankees fan.” Those words held so much power and meaning, a sort of acknowledgment of the bond we shared through baseball and the lasting legacy he passed down to me.
Although my dream of becoming the next Willie Randolph and playing second base for the Yankees didn’t come true, this game and baseball has still shaped my life. Watching games—both on TV and in person—has allowed me to share that special bond with others, just as I did in 1988. I also continue to explore the game’s history, which connects me to how my Grandpa and Dad must have felt watching their favorite teams and players. While it’s not exactly baseball, I’ve kept my love for the sport alive by playing and announcing in professional wiffle ball, carrying on its spirit. And ever since 1988, my favorite number has been 23 because of Donnie Baseball—coincidentally, it’s also my wife’s favorite number, though for different reasons.
Whenever I hear some of the names or items associated with my first game, like the recent passing of Rickey Henderson, or another pitcher getting Tommy John Surgery, my mind flashes back to that 92-degree day sitting with my Dad and Grandpa watching the Yankees.
Back in 1988, I might have been sad that the Yankees lost, but I was the real winner—getting to watch that game filled with some all-time great players with my Dad and Grandpa.
Lovely memories. Thanks for sharing.