With Joba Chamberlain now a reported resident of the disabled list and the Rays/Red Sox maintaining their distance in the AL East standings, the likelihood of Sept. 21 being the final game date in Yankee Stadium grows stronger and stronger. 

If that indeed proves to be the curtain call, it would mean that Jon Miller and Joe Morgan would be the last announcers to ever call a game in the House That Ruth Built because the game was recently moved to Sunday night to accommodate ESPN.

This has raised the ire of some Yankees fans who feel the final game should end during the day and others who believe Miller and Morgan should have to buy a ticket if they want to see the final game before Yankee Stadium is knocked down.

Both make for a great debate, but my interest in the argument over who should be announcing this game on television was sparked by this concerned email from Stew reader James Smith:

I heard that they moved the last Yankee home game to ESPN on Sunday night, but where is the outcry? Why should all Yankee fans be forced to listen to Joe Morgan, Mr. Anti-Yankee, for this historic game and historic piece of Yankee history? How many times over the years has Morgan complained about the short porch in right field? Frankly, I think he's the last guy on earth who should be doing this game.

It's time the rest of the media got on this story and time more Yankee fans voice their displeasure about this. The guys who work for YES should have the mike to send off this great stadium. I would even suggest they bring back some of the old timers to sit up in the booth. Yankee fans want to hear from their own. Let's not let the last voice calling a game at The House That Ruth Built be Jon Miller or Joe Morgan. Let's make it one of our own!

Even though the Yankees are a "national" team and the game will attract a lot of interest, even from Yankee-haters, I tend to side with Mr. Smith here. I doubt anyone else would want their stadium closed while listening to Morgan babble about whatever he likes to babble about, so why should Yankees fans be subjected to that?

What's more is that, as a non-Yankees fan, I think I'd prefer to experience the real emotions you'll get from Michael Kay or John Sterling or Paul O'Neill while watching that game. I'm certainly not going to get that while listening to a Miller dramatically pronounce the name of each and every Hispanic player that comes to the plate. (Is it just me or is he one of those guys who wants to give you the impression he grew up in San Juan?)

ESPN has yet to announce its special plans for the game, but I'm sure they'll have something up their sleeve. (God forbid it be Chris Berman getting the play-by-play.) Here's hoping they include the New York announcers in at least *some* capacity.

What do you think?