Comments on: The Fat Lady Sings at Yankee Stadium http://themoderatevoice.com/22830/the-fat-lady-sings-at-yankee-stadium/ An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right Mon, 28 May 2012 20:15:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Ricorun http://themoderatevoice.com/22830/the-fat-lady-sings-at-yankee-stadium/comment-page-1/#comment-153422 Ricorun Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:42:34 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/an-appreciation/22830/the-fat-lady-sings-at-yankee-stadium/#comment-153422 I was a rabid Yankees fan as a kid. I followed the team religiously. So my first trip to Yankee Stadium was like a pilgrimage to mecca. I was nine. And I lived in a small, bucolic little town that at the time had a total of two restaurants, one general store (no supermarkets), and a total of zero stop lights. It wasn't just my first visit to Yankee Stadium, it was my first time to ride on a train and my first time visiting New York City. The whole trip was "something completely different", and totally magical. We didn't see a whole lot of NYC -- the train stop was about a block away from the stadium. But just that was like being thrust into a Hardy Boys reel or something. The hustle and bustle of city life was completely foreign. I remember all the buildings, all the people, the crampness, the hawkers. And then, walking out from under the tracks, there it was... Yankee Stadium! It looked gigantic. It was the biggest building I had ever seen.<br><br>But it got even cooler. As soon as we got inside they gave me a baseball bat! Not a little memento bat, a <i>real bat!</i> A brand new one, too. It wasn't like it had been split and my dad had to screw it back together. It was a brand new bat! A Louisville Slugger! I almost felt guilty. I felt like I should be giving <i>them</i> something, rather than the other way around. I was in <i>Yankee Stadium</i> for cryin' out loud.<br><br>Then we came out of the tunnel and saw the playing field for the first time. It was so green. And there were all these guys running around smoothing the dirt out. And Jeez the place was big! Unfortunately, so big that the players looked like ants. But there they were -- Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Tom Tresh, Elston Howard, Joe Pepitone, Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek, Clete Boyer, and (if my memory doesn't fail me) Jim Bouton on the mound. I don't remember who they played. I don't remember what the score was. I just remember the Yankees won that day. And it was one of the most memorable days of my life. I was a rabid Yankees fan as a kid. I followed the team religiously. So my first trip to Yankee Stadium was like a pilgrimage to mecca. I was nine. And I lived in a small, bucolic little town that at the time had a total of two restaurants, one general store (no supermarkets), and a total of zero stop lights. It wasn't just my first visit to Yankee Stadium, it was my first time to ride on a train and my first time visiting New York City. The whole trip was “something completely different”, and totally magical. We didn't see a whole lot of NYC — the train stop was about a block away from the stadium. But just that was like being thrust into a Hardy Boys reel or something. The hustle and bustle of city life was completely foreign. I remember all the buildings, all the people, the crampness, the hawkers. And then, walking out from under the tracks, there it was… Yankee Stadium! It looked gigantic. It was the biggest building I had ever seen.

But it got even cooler. As soon as we got inside they gave me a baseball bat! Not a little memento bat, a real bat! A brand new one, too. It wasn't like it had been split and my dad had to screw it back together. It was a brand new bat! A Louisville Slugger! I almost felt guilty. I felt like I should be giving them something, rather than the other way around. I was in Yankee Stadium for cryin' out loud.

Then we came out of the tunnel and saw the playing field for the first time. It was so green. And there were all these guys running around smoothing the dirt out. And Jeez the place was big! Unfortunately, so big that the players looked like ants. But there they were — Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Tom Tresh, Elston Howard, Joe Pepitone, Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek, Clete Boyer, and (if my memory doesn't fail me) Jim Bouton on the mound. I don't remember who they played. I don't remember what the score was. I just remember the Yankees won that day. And it was one of the most memorable days of my life.

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