Ebbets Field. The Polo Grounds. Yankee Stadium. 2116 Morris Avenue. These things share at least one commonality. All were standing, alive and well when I came into this world. And all are now gone, moved onto the next, where I shall hope to see them again.
Ebbet's Field and the Polo Grounds were destroyed by the same wrecking ball, which was made up to look like a Giant baseball. Both parks were turned into apartment complexes. 2116 Morris Avenue is the opposite... an apartment complex that was turned into a park... though not necessarily for baseball. Actually, the apartments at 2116 Morris Avenue were not complex at all. But then again, everything was simpler back then, wasn't it? Three baseball teams and one World Series in New York. Always. Forever. Every year. Year after year. Easy, wasn't it?
But then... a whirlwind of spinning, changing, complex times...whoosh! WHOOSH! The Giants and Dodgers... whoosh! Off to foreign pastures quicker than you could say 'Willie-and-Duke'. And then 2116 Morris Avenue went, a victim of old age and new expectations.
And finally the House That Ruth Built. Someone suggested in 1923 that the place... the palace where the Yanks were soon to play... be called Ruth Field. Of course, that suggestion was laughed out of the room. And 87 years later, the Stadium bearing the nickname that will never die, itself is being laid to rest.
It had to happen of course. It's somewhat sad, of course.
Happily, the Yankees christened the NEW palace the same way they christened the old one, with a World Championship banner. Everybody complained at the beginning of the year that home runs were flying out to right field at a ridiculous rate. People couldn't explain it. The new stadium was a carbon copy of the old one.
I thought personally that it was the Bambino, blowing the baseballs hard towards the right-field stands, letting everyone know that Ruthville was still here... that the Babe approved of the Yanks new digs. But the baseballs were flying out for both sides! Surely the Bambino wouldn't be helping the enemy, would he?
I visited another blog the other day, called the River Avenue Blues. They were discussing (or perhaps disgusting) Yankee ticket prices. Apparently the price of a $4.00 boxed seat (in 1967), now goes for a cool $250.00. If that is the case, this is good news, because that means they've reduced it from $400 in 2008. At either rate, I did some shopping around. For that same $250 you can get four equivalent tickets to a Phillies game just 90 miles or so south. Of course, the tickets in Philly are probably going, going, gone, but so what? If Mr. Hardhat can take his wife and 2.2 kids (.2 kids get in for free) to a game for affordable prices... go man, go! Meanwhile, I will repeat what I said on that blog that day. I used to see Mantle for a dollar (General Admission... also a thing of bygone days). And at today's rates, Mantle will be back at Yankee Stadium before I will.
I still follow the Yanks though... root hard... die-hard... watching them on my laptop for nominal prices. I just read that Joe Gerardi is now wearing number 28, since the Yanks won Championship number 27 last year. Good on you, Joe! Show that spirit and spunk! If you get to number 37, they should take Stengel's jersey down and let you use his! Of course, if you get to number 37, Joe... you'll be out in Monument Park yourself... and in the HOF as well.
Go Joe!
Ebbet's Field and the Polo Grounds were destroyed by the same wrecking ball, which was made up to look like a Giant baseball. Both parks were turned into apartment complexes. 2116 Morris Avenue is the opposite... an apartment complex that was turned into a park... though not necessarily for baseball. Actually, the apartments at 2116 Morris Avenue were not complex at all. But then again, everything was simpler back then, wasn't it? Three baseball teams and one World Series in New York. Always. Forever. Every year. Year after year. Easy, wasn't it?
But then... a whirlwind of spinning, changing, complex times...whoosh! WHOOSH! The Giants and Dodgers... whoosh! Off to foreign pastures quicker than you could say 'Willie-and-Duke'. And then 2116 Morris Avenue went, a victim of old age and new expectations.
And finally the House That Ruth Built. Someone suggested in 1923 that the place... the palace where the Yanks were soon to play... be called Ruth Field. Of course, that suggestion was laughed out of the room. And 87 years later, the Stadium bearing the nickname that will never die, itself is being laid to rest.
It had to happen of course. It's somewhat sad, of course.
Happily, the Yankees christened the NEW palace the same way they christened the old one, with a World Championship banner. Everybody complained at the beginning of the year that home runs were flying out to right field at a ridiculous rate. People couldn't explain it. The new stadium was a carbon copy of the old one.
I thought personally that it was the Bambino, blowing the baseballs hard towards the right-field stands, letting everyone know that Ruthville was still here... that the Babe approved of the Yanks new digs. But the baseballs were flying out for both sides! Surely the Bambino wouldn't be helping the enemy, would he?
I visited another blog the other day, called the River Avenue Blues. They were discussing (or perhaps disgusting) Yankee ticket prices. Apparently the price of a $4.00 boxed seat (in 1967), now goes for a cool $250.00. If that is the case, this is good news, because that means they've reduced it from $400 in 2008. At either rate, I did some shopping around. For that same $250 you can get four equivalent tickets to a Phillies game just 90 miles or so south. Of course, the tickets in Philly are probably going, going, gone, but so what? If Mr. Hardhat can take his wife and 2.2 kids (.2 kids get in for free) to a game for affordable prices... go man, go! Meanwhile, I will repeat what I said on that blog that day. I used to see Mantle for a dollar (General Admission... also a thing of bygone days). And at today's rates, Mantle will be back at Yankee Stadium before I will.
I still follow the Yanks though... root hard... die-hard... watching them on my laptop for nominal prices. I just read that Joe Gerardi is now wearing number 28, since the Yanks won Championship number 27 last year. Good on you, Joe! Show that spirit and spunk! If you get to number 37, they should take Stengel's jersey down and let you use his! Of course, if you get to number 37, Joe... you'll be out in Monument Park yourself... and in the HOF as well.
Go Joe!
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