Reflections on an era from a legend in my life (Part Two)

Here are Big Daddy's reflections from yesterday; the day that the final game was played in the original Yankee Stadium. Of course, the Yankees left the stadium as they came in; with a win! I know that my pop would love to hear from you about what he has written so please jump right in and leave a comment. If you have never commented before, it would be a wonderful time to begin.

Thank you,

Lori (proud daughter to Big Daddy :)


As I am sitting in my living room on this Sunday afternoon, September 21 2008;, as a 74 year old Yankee fan, my mind races back to April 1939. My Mom and Dad were taking me to my first Yankee game for my birthday. I had read the newspaper every day about the Yankees and listened to the radio broadcasts since I was four years of age. The great voices of Mel Allen and Graham Macnmee describing every pitch, and hit and home runs with Allen’s "going, going....that ball is gone!". How my heart flew with those calls. I tried to imagine what the scene of the game looked like as I could hear the sound of the crowd and I had a picture in my head that day in April. The three of us got on the elevated train at 176 Street, going early to see batting and fielding practice. My heart was racing as we got off at 161 Street - Yankee Stadium. There it was, this enormous concrete structure. I remember feeling like I could not catch my breath. My dad approached the ticket booth with me in tow. He than pushed a $5.00 bill towards the ticket seller and said "this is for you, let me have three in section 14 as it’s my little boy’s first game and it’s his birthday." The ticket agent's hand and arm went up and came down with those three special tickets. As we entered the stadium there was this smell that I never will forget. The air was cool and damp and an odor of roasting peanuts and hot dogs was everywhere. We went up the ramp and stepped off at the second level. There it was; the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. The colors were breathtaking and there was this great expanse of emerald green grass with a perfect manicured infield diamond and three levels of seats. It was huge; nothing I had pictured could have prepared me for this. I felt in love, and that love has never left me. We found our seats right behind the Yankee dugout, between third base and home plate. There, in front of me was Number 5, Joe DiMaggio in the batting cage. I could not take my eyes off of him. My Dad pointed out Number 4, Lou Gehrig. No one at that time knew how sick he was. I shall never forget that day. I cannot say how many more times I have gone to a game in Yankee Stadium. It is in the hundreds but I have been quite lucky to have seen games that are now legendary.

My first World Series game was in 1941, against the Brooklyn Dodgers. My dad and I sat with Bill Coroum the sports editor of the New York Journal American, in their company box. The Stadium was decked out in American Flags and banners of previous Yankee world championships and every one was dressed to the nines. The Yankees won (of course) and Joe D had a homer and a double. My heroes had not let me down!

My second world series game was in 1942. The second world war was on and many great players were now in the service. President Roosevelt had implored baseball to keep playing as it was too important for Americans not to have it. The Yankees lost this series to the St Louis Cardinals. I was shocked that they could lose but more important was what I learned. There were Two brothers on the Cardinals, Mort and Walker Cooper. Their Dad had died the day before and they stayed with their team. Mort who was the Pitcher, pitched a wonderful game that was nearly perfect while consumed with his grief. I learned about dedication that day.

The next game I Remember was the first game of the 1947 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. I wanted to get on the bleacher line the night before the game. My dad said "I can get you into the Journal American box with Mr. Coroum." I said, "No." I wanted to sit with the real fans in the bleachers.(what a pain in the butt I was, not to mention stupid) So I packed a dozen bacon and tomato sandwiches on white bread with lots of mayo. Yes, they were cold and delicious. I got on line at 10pm with more than a hundred fans ahead of me. It was a blast talking baseball all night long. Incidentally, that was Jackie Robinson's first World Series and what a great player he was. Ho Hum, the Yankees won.

A game in 1948 was sad. My dad and I went to a Sunday game in the spring, for it was Babe Ruth day. The Babe stood in the middle of the infield with Mel Allen. His uniform has hanging on him and he was most likely half the size he had been when he played. The babe stood at the mic and in a hoarse and raspy voice; wracked with throat cancer, he uttered the words "the kids, don’t forget the kids." I looked at my dad and he was crying. I had never seen my dad even close to crying before. After all this was his hero.

In 1949, there was a heart stopping one. The Yankees were one game behind the hated Red Sox on Saturday Sept 29th. I was playing football that day for Milford Prep in Connecticut. After my game, I learned the Yankees had won on a ninth inning home run by Johnny Lindell and there would be a one game playoff on Sunday the 30th of September. I had eighteen dollars total. I caught the bus into New Haven and got on a New York, New haven and Hartford train to Grand Central Station. It was a $4.50 round trip ticket and I got to New York at about 7PM, then took the subway to 161st street(a nickle)and was on line for the bleachers, $7.50. We were let in at 9AM and found out that the great singer, Buddy Clarke, had died in a plane crash. Buddy made the song "Linda" famous. Actually,it was called "Once in love with Linda always in love with Linda." Eleven years later I married Linda. At that Game, Joe DiMaggio had just gotten out of the hospital with pneumonia. In the 4th inning, he hit a double which started the rally that led to the Yankees winning the game. They had to hold up the game while Joe D caught his breath. About 40 years later I met Joe D at Manero's restaurant in Hallandale Florida. I asked him about what happened. He asked me to sit down and he told me an incredible story. The Yankees won the game and again beat the Dodgers in the World series. My parents did not find out about my short escapade until I left for college in the summer of 1950.

In 1956 I got out of the service. My dad passed away in December of 1955. I became a Stockbroker in January of 1956 and went to many games during those years. However, I won’t forget the world series of 1956 Yankees against the Dodgers. Working on Wall Street, I was able to get two tickets to the fifth game, if there was a fifth game. I took my brother, Justin, we sat very high in the third tier over right field. This was the perfect game pitched by Don Larsen. It may never happen again and the game was a nail biter. I kept my ticket stub and in the early 1990's I met Don Larsen and he signed the stub. It is hanging in my den.

Of course, I have been to the stadium many times since but there was one more very special game. That was the end of October 2001, about a month and a half after 9/11. I took my oldest grandson, Justin to the World Series Yankees vs Arizona. We had a really special time. It was truly a great game with wonderful clutch home runs. The Yankees won in the Ninth. This was a very precious moment in time for me we walked out happy and as the voice of Frank Sinatra was singing "New York, New York" in our ears.

With memories like these for the past 69 years, from a little boy to a grandfather; the loss of the shrine of sports has really given me pause to reflect on those past Seven decades. I will miss it but all things must come to an end. One must go on and continue to grow.