Last night, myself, my friend Pierre and 56,133 avid baseball fans watched one of the most electric, see-saw, nail-biting and textbook baseball games ever played. And although the Yankees did win by a score of 10-7 – the game itself was far more exciting than the outcome.

I can honestly say that if I never go to another baseball game in my life, I would be fine with it – because last night’s game was the greatest contest I have ever witnessed. And while I am a die-hard Yankees fan, the Boston Red Sox deserve as much accolades this morning as the Yankees do. Granted, we won, but the Red Sox didn’t make it easy. To rally back in the 5th inning the way they did to bring an 8-0 lead to an 8-7 nail-biter was quite impressive. Yes, the Red Sox are our biggest adversary in baseball – but they are also one hell of a team – and I am very glad that we are facing them in this important championship series.

From the moment Pierre and I sat down last night, the Stadium had enough electricity in it to power all of New York City. Couple that with the fact that until the 7th inning, the Yankees had quite a lead over the Red Sox – and it’s a wonder the Stadium didn’t collapse. But even when, for a moment, it looked like the Yankees were going to lose to the Red Sox – the fans stood behind their team and cheered them onto victory.

Of all the amazing moments in the game, the one that moved me the most was when Mariano Rivera stepped into the bullpen – and literally brought the game to a complete standstill. It was 9:53pm and the Yankees were batting in the bottom of the 5th inning. Then, when the Yankee fans spotted Mariano in the bullpen – the entire Stadium turned away from the action and started screaming, “Mar-i-ano!” so loud, that Red Sox pitcher Ramiro Mendoza had no choice but to stop pitching and wait until the fans were done welcoming back our star closer. Suffering a very tragic loss of two of his family members, Rivera attended a funeral in Panama in the morning – and then flew back to the Bronx on George Steinbrenner’s Lear jet to continue his October tradition of pitching the Yankees to victory.

When the last pitch was thrown in the top of the 9th inning and the Yankees took home the first victory in this crucial seven-game series, I was elated and exhausted. Witnessing that incredible game in person was a thrill I will carry with me always. Game two of the series is tonight at Yankee Stadium and I will of course be watching every moment of it. But it certainly won’t be the same as being there. And no matter the outcome of the American League Championship Series – the first game was a World Series in itself.

Thanks Pierre, thanks a lot.