Yanks' home opener to be one for the ages

Yogi, Whitey to present rings; Bernie to toss first pitch

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

04/13/10 1:00 AM ET

NEW YORK -- No baseball team does a more complete job of linking the past to the present than the Yankees, and after waiting almost an entire decade to celebrate another championship, Opening Day 2010 at Yankee Stadium promises to be one for the ages.

The Yankees are set to receive their World Series rings before today's 1:05 p.m. ET home opener against the Angels, taking a ceremonial handoff from two men who have been to the top of the mountain many times themselves: Hall of Famers and franchise icons Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra.

MLB.TV subscribers can watch the ring ceremony live as part of today's broadcast.

"They know all about rings, that's for sure," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I think it's great. Any time we get to see the guys who have meant so much to the history of this club, it's awesome. I pinch myself every time Yogi is sitting in my office."

Gates will open to fans with valid tickets beginning at 11:00 a.m., with the ring ceremony for players and coaches to commence at 12:15 p.m. The Yankees are requesting that fans budget ample time when planning their trip to Yankee Stadium and to consider using public transportation.

With George M. Steinbrenner expected to be applauding from his private suite, the ceremonial first pitch will be thrown out by four-time World Series winner Bernie Williams. Williams will become the ninth former Yankees player to be bestowed the Opening Day honor.

In addition, the Yankees' 2009 championship flag -- as well as flags commemorating each of the Yankees' other 26 championships, replicas of the originals -- will be on display for the ring ceremony and game, encompassing the roof of the entire Stadium.

Emmy and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth is set to perform the national anthem. Colors will be presented by the West Point color guard while a giant American flag is unfurled in the outfield by the West Point cadets, followed by a flyover by the Fighter Squadron Composite Twelve (VFC-12), a U.S. Navy Reserve fighter squadron.

"I'm so juiced, man. I'm so excited," Nick Swisher said. "That's going to be an awesome day, no doubt, and it's going to be a great way to kick everything off for the fans. It's going to almost christen the new stadium, you know? You know they're going to do it right. It's New York. It'll be amazing and it'll be pretty loud."

Girardi remarked that Berra, a 10-time World Series winner, has no room for a new ring on his hands; Ford won six of his own along the way. It doesn't seem like so long ago that Berra was ribbing Jeter, then a four-time champ, and reminding him that he had a long way to go to catch up.

Jeter may be closer now, as are fellow "Core Four" members Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. But on the date of the Yankees' 108th home opener, as they file out of the first-base dugout and into a grand ceremony on the infield where the title was secured, they will still be only halfway to Yogi.

"That's a special story for us to come up together and win the championships we did, and then win another a little later in our careers," Pettitte said. "That will always be something that is special for all of us. But it's just as special to see the guys who had not won one."

Pettitte said that he isn't sure how he'll make it out to claim his ring, not wanting to disrupt his usual timetable before throwing the first pitch of the game. But he's working on it.

"That's the unfortunate part of pitching on Opening Day," Pettitte said. "You would love to be able to sit out there and relax and have your ring and yuk it up with everybody. Unfortunately, I can't do that and get ready to start a game. I'm going to try to figure out a way at least to get out there and get my ring."

Pettitte also mentioned that he can't wait to see how first-time World Series winners like CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez will react when they bound up the dugout stairs and claim the game's ultimate prize.

"I'm not sure Al will actually feel like he's walking on ground when he goes out there," Girardi said. "He'll have that feeling like he's walking on air. It's what he's worked very hard for a long time for, and I'm going to really enjoy seeing that smile on his face."

One interesting twist to the ceremony: Last season's World Series MVP, Hideki Matsui, will be present and acknowledged by the Yankees, but he'll be claiming his ring while wearing Angels red.

"I hope everybody stands up and gives him a standing ovation, because he's done a lot for this organization, and he deserves it," Posada said.

While Girardi has seen pictures of the 2009 ring, he said that he refrained from having much input with Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost so as not to spoil it. Swisher said he has heard rumors, but said that he has also been able to resist digging too much further for information.

"I want it to be a surprise," Swisher said. "I want to open it up and say, 'Wow.'"

Joba Chamberlain has the same idea.

"I'm excited that the first time I see it is when they hand it to me, however it happens," Chamberlain said. "Some guys say that they may have seen it, but I'm not going to believe it until I see it."

Once the presentation is over, Swisher said that he'd try the ring on for a little bit, but said that he'll then place it in a safe. Sabathia has a place set aside for it as well.

"I'll never wear it," Sabathia said. "It'll be on display in my house. It's kind of corny [to wear it]."

Chamberlain said that he would wear the ring for a couple of days, but the prized possession will then be handed off to his father, Harlan.

"Without my dad, I don't have that chance to get that ring, so it's going to be pretty special," Chamberlain said.

Brett Gardner said that he'd try the ring on and expected a "special feeling" would come from that moment, but plans to then make sure it is tucked securely in a safe deposit box.

"It's something that won't be going on eBay, you know what I mean?" Gardner said. "It's something that you've got to take good care of. Hopefully I can give it to my kids one day and they can pass it down."

Girardi doesn't plan to wear his either -- he gave his '96 ring to his father, Jerry, and the '98 one went to his father-in-law. Someday, Girardi's children may take possession of the '99 and '09 rings, Dad's last as a player and first as a manager. But for now it will represent a final symbol of a mission accomplished.

"We've talked about all the things we've needed to talk about -- the importance of 2010 and how 2009 is behind us," Girardi said. "To me, it will be the last time in a sense we can think about it a little bit."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Tim Britton, an associate reporter for MLB.com, contributed to this story. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

News Archive

Yanks' home opener to be one for the ages

Yogi, Whitey to present rings; Bernie to toss first pitch