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Yankees take on Orioles in final game at Stadium

Sep 21, 2008 - 6:22 AM Baltimore (67-86) at NY Yankees (84-71), 8:05 pm EDT

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- Even though the New York Yankees almost assuredly will miss the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons, each individual in the expected sold-out crowd at Yankee Stadium on Sunday can dig through their memories for reasons to cheer.

On the day its postseason hopes could officially come to an end, New York will try to close the final chapter in Yankee Stadium's history by wrapping up a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees will move to a new $1.3 billion facility across the street next season, but have one last game to pay homage to "The House That Ruth Built," which has hosted 100 World Series games - including nine of New York's 26 championship clinchers - 11 no-hitters, three perfect games, Roger Maris' 61st home run, Lou Gehrig's famous speech, and countless other moments.

Baseball wasn't the only event held within the storied walls. Yankee Stadium has been the site of NFL championship games, heavyweight boxing matches and Knute Rockne's 1928 speech urging Notre Dame to "win one for the Gipper." There were soccer games with Pele and the New York Cosmos, papal masses, a Nelson Mandela rally and sold-out rock concerts.

A World Series in 2008, however, won't be one of them. New York is 6 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox (90-64) in the wild-card race.

If the Red Sox win in Toronto on Sunday, a Yankees loss would officially eliminate them from postseason contention.

Andy Pettitte (13-14, 4.57 ERA) was chosen by manager Joe Girardi to take the mound, a fitting decision considering how much the 36-year-old lefthander has meant to the organization.

A winner of 177 games with the Yankees, Pettitte has pitched more innings at Yankee Stadium than any active player. He, along with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada, has served as a face for the more recent Yankees teams, thus making it an easy decision.

"It would seem fitting that (it) would probably be Andy's turn," Girardi said on Major League Baseball's web site.

Pettitte has struggled mightily in the second half while nursing an evident arm injury he's hinted at several times. He enters the game 3-6 with a 5.43 ERA in 11 outings after the All-Star break - a far cry from his 10-7 and 4.03 marks in the first half.

He is 94-41 with a 3.68 ERA at Yankee Stadium for his career, pitching in some of the most critical games in recent team history.

"It's awesome," Pettitte said. "It's going to be extremely special for me, there's no doubt about it. It will be an emotional night for me, for sure."

In each of Pettitte's seasons with New York, the team advanced to the postseason - a streak that is likely to end. He holds the all-time record for most starts and innings pitched in the postseason (35 and 218 2/3, through 2007).

On Saturday, Derek Jeter was hit in the wrist in the ninth inning before the Yankees wrapped up a 1-0 victory, but X-rays came back negative and he is scheduled to be in the lineup.

"We're trying to win a game," Jeter said to the New York Post. "So I'm planning on being in there the whole game."

Baltimore will counter with Chris Waters (3-3, 4.75), who is coming off his first career shutout - a four-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.