"The Pook's" first ballgame (1 Viewer)

[Louis Badolato]

I took my son Alec, aka "the Pook" to his first ball game tonight, the Yankees vs. the Whitesox, the 6th game left to be played at Yankee Stadium. I felt I had to, as my late Grandfather, who had worked security at Yankee Stadium for many years back when Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle were playing, had taken me to a game at "old" Yankee Stadium, before the renovation in the early '70's, when I was not much older than Alec.

As my thread about Halomeep's visit demonstrated, there is still some magic in that wonderful Stadium, but tonight was even better. First of all, we arrive at the Stadium, dressed in matching #2 Derek Jeter jerseys, and are waiting outside to meet my friend Maureen (the redhead from the Halomeeps photos), and my little man wants a hotdog. I am feeding him the dog, I look up, and we are being filmed by the "Yes Network" cameras for the pre-game show.

Then we go inside, and we have great box seats, right behind first base. We are early enough for batting practice. Now, I have been to north of 100 Yankee games, and I have never got a ball. During batting practice, a pop foul gets caught by a security guy about 3 or 4 boxes over. A few minutes later the security guy comes over to us and asks Alec his name. Alec turns on the charm, I tell him its Alec's first game, and the security guy presents him with the ball! I didn't even tell him about my Grandfather!

The game starts, its the bottom of the first, and Derek Jeter, my favorite present day player, gets his 1,270th hit at Yankee Stadium, passing the record of Henry Louis Gehrig, my favorite alltime player, for hits at Yankee Stadium. The little guy got tired and cranky, so I had to leave after 3 innings, but he loved the game, and now he wants me to take him to a Giants game. I am one proud and lucky dad!

Photos will be forwarded to Brad for posting shortly.

 

[Njja]

Wow a brand spanking new Yankee and Giants fan.......and a proud Dad!

What could be better?

Looking forward to the photos!

I only hope your light in the market, and don't hold any MBS'S

 

[Deitz]

Yeah another White Sox fan.

Great memories, he will remember it forever.

 

[gk5717]

My grandfather took me to my first ballgame at old Sportsman Park in the early fifties. Will always remember when I first eyed the field, it was in color!
Also Stan Musial, my favorite player hit 2 home runs, I was so excited I cried.
Now I cry watching the Rams.
Gary

 

[theBaron]

My grandfather took me to my first ballgame at old Sportsman Park in the early fifties. Will always remember when I first eyed the field, it was in color!
Also Stan Musial, my favorite player hit 2 home runs, I was so excited I cried.
Now I cry watching the Rams.
Gary

I hear ya! My dad took me to see a Phils-Cardinals game in 1970 at Connie Mack Stadium, and I still remember what the grandstand looked like in that little bandbox, and the field, and the old seats and the girders, even the Phils' old uniforms (they hadn't adopted the stupid New Era logo yet). And how we parked only 2 blocks away from our seats, when the game was over, going down the stands, out the tunnel and right onto the street. Back then, you gave a neighborhood kid a couple of bucks to watch your car for you.

That's what baseball is all about, and it's the remnant of those memories and traditions that set it apart from every other sport.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Louis Badolato]

I sent Brad 5 photos which I politely asked he post for me of the Pook's first ballgame.

 

[jazzeum]

Here they are.

 

[Warrior]

Have to give Yankee fans credit; their season has officially gone down the toilet, yet the place looks sold out.

Shame the old girl had to go out with no playoff run this year, not with a bang but with a whimper..............

 

[Njja]

Louis:

Looks like you had a special day with your son!

I bet one day he will tell you how special it was to him!

Thats whats really important in life........along with watching the

YANKEES play!

 

[gk5717]

George I know it had to pain you to say anything nice at all about the Yankees.
I still laugh when I think of what Bucky Dents middle name is!
Gary

 

[Warrior]

"George I know it had to pain you to say anything nice at all about the Yankees.
I still laugh when I think of what Bucky Dents middle name is!
Gary"

I respect this current group of Yankees going back to 1995 or so, they play the game the right way, I have a great deal of respect for Mr Torre, if the Red Sox do not win the World Series this year, I hope the Dodgers and Mr Torre do. He is a class act all the way. Kind of ironic after he got canned, the Yankees failed to make the playoffs this year for the first time in thirteen years.

Oh yeah, Bucky BLEEPING Dent; he hit that home run with a corked bat, that what really burns my behind, no doubt about it.

He was a nothing before that home run, a ham and egger at best, now he's a God to Yankee fans and perhaps THE most hated Yankee of all for Red Sox fans...............

 

[Njja]

I respect sports fans, their is nothing like having a team you follow and

standing behind them.

Growing up in NJ I have always been a Yankee's fan. In 1961 each night I

enjoyed Bill Gallo's sports cartoons as Mantle & Maris attempted to climb

Mt Ruth and top his 60 home runs.

Some fans can wait 40, 50, 70 years for a championship.

Some fans are happy to make the playoffs every year and never win the

Series......here in Atlanta Bobby Cox could be mayor if he wanted to take the

demotion.

Yankee fans expect to win, the Yankee's hertitage is to win.....we don't

want 2nd place, and we certainly aren't happy making the playoffs even

if it is year after year.

I lost my faith in Joe Torre when he seemed to be satisfied with getting

to the playoffs and no further year after year.

A lot of people hate "The Boss" I used to live in Ft Lauderdale and attended

the spring training games. After the games the fans would wait to catch a

glimpse of Yogi, or Windfield, or Henderson, or Don Mattingly. Every now and

then George would come through the gate and sign an autograph or two....as

soon as he was spotted some of the growd would chase him back inside

hurling insults and language that would offend those of us with children.

All this for spending what ever it took to try and bring the best team to the

fans of New York.

What makes me a Yankee fan is the players.....not the flashy full of

themselves prima donnas but the guys that work hard and generate the most

from the physical abilities god gave them.

Guys like Yogi Berra....what a nice man. When he was manager I introduced

my daughter to him one day and she asked him to sign a baseball for her.

He said "Ah you don't want an old guy like me to sign your ball....go get one

of them young kids their the stars" She said "No my Dad used to watch you

play.....your in the Hall of Fame" She got a nice pat on the head and an

autograph she still has.

People like Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Maris, Yogi & Billy Martin made the Yankee's

what they are, and new players like Jeter have the spirit.....others are just

over paid prima donnas.

I met Derek Jeter at a shopping mall here in Buckhead it was quite an

experience not at all like one would think. He was with one other fellow who

walked away and left him alone standing by a fountain. He stood quietly by

himself with no one paying any attention. Shoppers walked by him and didn't

know who he was, after a few moments I walked over not wanting to bother

him. I introduced myself and told him how much I enjoyed watching him play.

He is not a large man like Dave Winfield, not powerfully built like Mantle

was. But you can tell he is a natural athlete, I played football with people

like him able to do things the rest of us could never hope to accomplish.

He was very humble, I asked him what it was like to not be recognized, he

said kind of strange, and smiled.

A nice guy, no entourage, dressed nicely not flashy......a nice young man

proud to be a Yankee.

 

[modwalls]

Louis, great looking family, to bad for your Yanks, I will miss the Sox beating them in the wild card this year. As for Bucky, that all got erased after the Sox came back from 3 to nothing, to bury the Yankee Curse. Now the Yanks have the AROD curse, they will not win the World Series again until he is gone.

 

[jazzeum]

Let's not forget Paul O'Neill. Players like him are what made the late 90s Yankees champions.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Louis, great looking family, to bad for your Yanks, I will miss the Sox beating them in the wild card this year. As for Bucky, that all got erased after the Sox came back from 3 to nothing, to bury the Yankee Curse. Now the Yanks have the AROD curse, they will not win the World Series again until he is gone.

I am no lover of A-Rod the choke artist, but I strongly suspect that in the offseason, the Yankees, who are opening a new ball park, will spend a lot of money on free agents. I suspect that they will be signing a certain ace starter who becomes a free agent at the end of this season, and bagging a big hitting first baseman as well as a closer from the Angels (both also free agents) to be the 8th inning man and the heir apparant to Mariano when he retires after two more seasons. Next year will be #27 for the Yanks.

As far as the Red Sox beating anybody in the wildcard, I think the Angels might have a little something to say about that. I think the Angels versus the Cubs will be facing off in the World Series this year, with the Angels taking the crown.

 

[jazzeum]

I don't see Texeira coming to the Yanks; he's likely to remain an Angel. Also CC wants to head west not east and I think Jobba is likely to be the heir apparent.

This team is getting old and I think they need more than just a couple of more expensive free agents to get back to where they were. They need a serious upgrade in left field. Perhaps a bit more inspired play would help. Sometimes, you have a bad year. Who knows?

I also don't think Girardi is the guy for this team.

Another question is Cashman? Is he staying? Without him, who is running the team. The Steinbrenner Juniors know absolutely nothing about running this operation. I would trust Hal more than Hank. They should try to get Gene Michael reinvolved. After all, he's responsible for helping to build the team that is now getting old.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I don't see Texeira coming to the Yanks; he's likely to remain an Angel. Also CC wants to head west not east and I think Jobba is likely to be the heir apparent.

This team is getting old and I think they need more than just a couple of more expensive free agents to get back to where they were. They need a serious upgrade in left field. Perhaps a bit more inspired play would help. Sometimes, you have a bad year. Who knows?

I also don't think Girardi is the guy for this team.

Another question is Cashman? Is he staying? Without him, who is running the team. The Steinbrenner Juniors know absolutely nothing about running this operation. I would trust Hal more than Hank. They should try to get Gene Michael reinvolved. After all, he's responsible for helping to build the team that is now getting old.

I stand by my prediction Brad. Nobody can afford to bid against the Yankees in the free agent market, and whatever a player says, these pros are all about the money. As far as an aging team, a lot of the aging dead weight will be gone. Giambi's contract is up. Neither Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, Damon nor Nady are old. As far as the pitching staff, Mariano may be old, but I bet the Mets would love to have him. Other than Mo, only Mussina and Pettitte are old. The starting rotation next year will be CC Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain, Chein Ming Wang, Pettite and Mussina. K-Rod and Mo will be in the bullpen.

And considering how well the Yankees did to still not be eliminated as of tonight, despite (1) more big injuries than I ever remember any team suffering in a single season and 2) that idiot Cashman saddling him with the 0-13 tandem of Hughes and Kennedy instead of Santana, Girardi did a great job managing. I completely agree that Cashman needs to go, and would love to see Gene Michael back as GM.

The Yanks will be back contending for the title next year. The Mets on the other hand . . .

 

[jazzeum]

Before I get to the Yankees, I'll get to the Mets. First, they need to blow up that bullpen. They need to ship everyone out, except for a couple of guys. Other than that, start again. Omar should take the blame for this. Jerry has done the best job he can with that garbage. They'll probably be in the bidding for K Rod.

Second, starting pitching. Another hole. You have Santana (who should have been on the Yanks if who ever is running that team had had the guts to make that trade), Pelfrey and Maine. However, Pelfrey has pitched a lot of innings and based upon what happens when you pitch that many more innings than your prior year, he could have an arm injury. That's it. Perez is a free agent. Pedro is shot. They have a couple of good rookies, one who has pitched a couple of nice games, so he may be a candidate for a fifth starter.

Secondly, the infield. I wouldn't keep Delgado but they probably will. Better to part with somebody a year too soon than a year too late. Second base is a little bit of a question mark but you can get by with Castillo-Argenis Reyes. Left side is set for the next 10 years.

Outfield, left side is a question mark, perhaps a platoon. Center and right are set. Bench could be a little better.

Regarding the Yanks, Damon is not the player he was and you hope Cano just had a bad year but he's a question mark. Nady is good but let's not get carried away. He had a good year and let's leave it at that.

Mariano is still the man but they need to groom someone to replace him. That should be Jobba. There is talk that Mussina may retire (why he would I don't know) but it may be over for Pettite. A strong core would be CC, Wang and Mussina, if he stays. I think Kennedy is a goner (a flash in the pan) and Hughes has to put up or shut up. A major disappointment this year.

As far as injuries, everybody has 'em. It's not an excuse. You just deal with it. Mets were without Church for most of this year and he was projected as the starting right fielder and Alou was gone on injuries (terrible signing anyway). Plus, Wagner is out for the last month. I wouldn't be cursing so much if we had a healthy Wagner. You can't complain about it; just gotta deal with it and move on.

Both teams are moving into new stadiums next year and let's hope they have decent product on the field because you know it's going to cost the price of a warbird to get decent tickets

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

Not to highjack the thread about the little guys first game. But is anyone else disturbed by the rumors that the tax payers are actually footing the bill for a lot of the new stadium ? If true what a shame. The people paying for a stadium for the wealthy, that the majority can't afford to visit.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Well, the Yankees closed the Stadium last night in style. I have never seen a bigger ceremony in sports in my life. When Babe Ruth's 92 year old daughter threw out the first pitch, I was just blown away. I loved the reception the sell out crowd gave to Yogi, Whitey, Moose Scowran, Billy Martin, Jr. (who looks exactly like his dad - it brought back great memories), Roger Maris' son, Micket Mantle's son, Reggie Jackson, Bobby Mercer's family, but most of all, the cheers for Paul O'Neill and Bernie Williams.

The speech Derek Jeter gave after the game was wonderful, but for me, no speech by a ballplayer will ever compare to the one Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig gave scant months before he passed . . .

As a lifelong Yankee fan, I will miss the real Yankee Stadium, and the memories I have of great times there, but like the Captain said, we will pass those memories along to the next generation, and make new memories across the street.