Fans Line Up With Anticipation For Yankees' Do-Or-Die Wild-Card Playoff Game
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Fans were lined up with anxiety and anticipation ahead of the do-or-die game at Yankee Stadium Tuesday night.
The Yankees and the Minnesota Twins were set to battle in the in the AL wild-card game. The winner moves on, while the loser goes home.
It will be a crisp fall night at Yankee Stadium – a scenario that Yankees fans have become very familiar with over the years. What is different this year is the excitement surrounding the youth movement that arrived early.
The electricity around this Yankee team is a direct result of their youth. Rookie and MVP candidate Aaron Judge set the rookie HR record with 52.
On the mound will be another youngster -- 23–year-old Luis Severino blossomed with 230 strikeouts. That is the sixth most in the majors this year.
The Yankees' connection with young fans happened organically. Didi Gregorius uses an emoji story after every game, and the symbol of this season was born with an internet meme showing a fan with his thumb down.
"The team uses that to their abilities – especially with the thumbs down and Aaron Judge," one boy said. "I love it – thumbs down for sure."
Another fan said he was thrilled with the youth enthusiasm for this year's Yankees.
"This team – you can't count them out. You never know what to expect," he said.
Dino LaBarbara told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell he traveled a long way for the game.
"I just traveled almost 300 miles to get here today, so I'm excited. Ecstatic," he said. "I came from upstate New York outside of the Syracuse area."
He made the trip with Dan Woods.
"I'm just super excited to be here and it is almost a game seven type of feel and atmosphere, you know?" Woods said.
A good interest of fan interest is jersey sales, and just Tuesday, the MLB released its season stats. Judge ranks No. 1 in jersey sales.
