Wake Me Up When September Ends
As annoying as the sound clip after the home team scores at Yankee Stadium is, it agitated me more that I didn’t know the origin of the song. I finally gloogled (Google + slog) enough permutations of the words yankee, score, run, and song without putting in the expletives I so dearly wanted to include.
It turns out the tune is the Westminster Quarters, so named after the time-telling chimes of Houses of Parliament at Westminster. The sound booth at Stades Fascistes old and new didn’t use an actual recording of the bells but rather sampled 2 Unlimited’s song “Workaholic.”
That maddening melody played in the second, third, and sixth innings. Any hopes of southpaw ace Jon Lester staunching the September exsanguination ended in the third inning when Derek Jeter poked a three-run homer to right to render the score 6-0.
Jeter’s sixth home run of the season of course prompted Tim McCarver to mock the shortstop’s detractors. Never mind that Jeter is in the midst of his third-worst season in terms of OPS+ with a paltry 96, including his 1995 debut that featured only 48 at bats.
Past Yankees may on occasion have those flashes of production upon which their reputation is built, but it is the 21-year old Venezuelan Jesus Montero who is a threat now and for years to come. The catcher launched his fourth home run this season in the sixth inning (just two less than Jeter but in 484 fewer at bats). Brian Cashman does have huge budgetary advantages over every other team in the league, but I give him credit for never sending Montero away in a trade.
| Game 157: September 24, 2011 | ||
| Boston Red Sox 88-69 |
1 |
L: Jon Lester (15-9) |
| 2B: Carl Crawford (28) | ||
 New York Yankees96-61 |
9 |
W: Freddy Garcia (12-8) |
| 2B: Jesus Montero (3) HR: Derek Jeter (6), Montero (4) | ||
