Fans at New Yankee Stadium "Too Nice," Says Foe
Kevin "Cowboy Up" Millar, longtime target of boos, isn't hearing them any more
By JOSH ALPER
Updated 5:44 AM PST, Wed, Jul 8, 2009
Every player who has worn a Red Sox uniform has heard catcalls during visits to the Bronx, but few earned quite so many of them as Kevin Millar. He was a key Boston player in the tumultuous 2003 and 2004 seasons, and, with his facial hair and "Cowboy Up" slogan, his outsized personality and mouth gained a lot of attention from Yankee fans.
So, even after he left the Sox for the Orioles, Millar was always greeted with a lusty round of boos at the old Stadium. He made his first visit to the new digs with the Blue Jays over the weekend, but found himself saying "This is not my hateful house."
"I’m going to be honest with you. You know I’m going to shoot from the hip. I’m not a big fan of it. Nothing pops there, nothing pops. The old stadium, you walked in, you knew this was where Mantle played and DiMaggio. It was just that old school. I got booed a lot louder. They didn’t boo me as loud here. I like to get booed. They were too nice to me here. They’re too nice to me.I don’t know if it’s all corporate, but they’re too nice."
Of all the criticisms leveled at the new Yankee Stadium, being too welcoming to Kevin Millar should skyrocket to the top of the list. Do they need to hand out guides for being at a Yankee game along with the free food in the seats closest to the Stadium? "Section II - Any player who was once a member of the Boston Red Sox (see appendix 4, excepting Johnny Damon) is to be treated with utter disrespect."
What's next? Pedro Martinez honored on Father's Day? Curt Schilling and Thorlos Bloody Sock Day?
It would be interesting if there were some organized effort not to boo Millar because people knew that it would bother him to not get booed, but it is safe to say that it is more a product of people who could care less and the empty seats closest to the field.
You have to believe that the fans in the bleachers and the upper reaches of the upper deck still hold reserves of rage for Millar, but the new, expansive design may make it hard for those boos to filter down to where Millar can hear it. That's gotta be it, right?
It's one thing if going to the new Stadium feels like going to a corporate retreat, but it should at least feel like a Yankees corporate retreat.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jul 8, 2009 5:02 AM PST
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
