As we all know, Major League Baseball’s Cathedral has closed. Three perfect games, three Papal visits, four All Star games, eight no hitters, 16 World Series clinching games, 30 boxing title bouts, 100 World Series games, and 6,581 games later Yankee Stadium has closed and played its last game ever.

No one can list all of the special moments that made Yankee Stadium great. No one can define the every magical moment at Yankee Stadium. Each person can only identify his or her personal experiences and favorite moments at Yankee Stadium. Being 14 years old, I can’t remember moments like Yankee Stadium’s first home run, hit by Babe Ruth. I can’t recall Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” speech. I didn’t witness Reggie Jackson’s three home run performance. But, I take great joy in and hold dearly the moments that I did observe.

Here are my top three favorite memories of Yankee Stadium:

3. Derek Jeter’s Farewell Speech: An exceptional farewell speech from an exceptional captain on the last game played at Yankee Stadium. What more could you ask for? Derek Jeter’s moving speech really put in perspective what it meant to play games at Yankee Stadium and to wear those historical pinstripes. His speech taught me that it isn’t necessarily the players and plays that make the historic memories at Yankee Stadium; it’s the fans that make them. What was even more moving was after Jeter’s speech, all current Yankees took a walk around the stadium and saluted the fans. Jeter once again, and for the final time at Yankee Stadium, came through clutch.

2. 2001 World Series Game four and five: This World Series has to be one of the most memorable ever. Going to Yankee Stadium after

America’s 9/11 tragedy really put sports in perspective. It showed me that there are so many more important things in the world other than sports. President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch for Game four.

But, the other reason why this World Series ranks number two is because the Yankees won both games on walk-off hits. One of them being Derek Jeter’s “Mr. November” home run. The ghosts of Yankee Stadium appeared for those two games. I know I certainly didn’t believe in ghosts, spirits or curses until those games were played. Those two games helped the city of New York and the United States of America take their minds off of the 9/11 tragedy. The emotion of the 2001 World Series is unmatched.

1. 2003 ALCS games seven: Who doesn’t remember this game? Both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees sent their aces to the hill. Game Seven: A chance at the World Series. What more could you ask for? I know I can say, while watching this game on TV, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire game. The pitching was rough, and there were definitely some managerial issues. Twenty-two hits, 10 pitchers, and 10 runs later, a winner and an American League Champion was determined. One wrong managerial decision, one swing of the bat, one unsung hero won the game for the New York Yankees. The wrong managerial decision was Grady Little leaving Pedro Martinez in the game too long. If Pedro was taken out at the right time, the Yankees might not have had the two game tying hits. The unsung hero was Aaron Boone who hit that historical walk off homerun off of Tim Wakefield. This is my all-time favorite Yankee

Stadium moment because it had the rivalry, the excitement, and the walk-off home run to cap the ALCS. This game for me truly showed that you can go from a nobody to a somebody with one swing of the bat, and you can be remembered forever.

Yankee Stadium is America’s baseball cathedral, a magical cathedral and the House That Ruth Built. While the building may be gone, the memories will last forever. Goodbye Old Friend.