Field of Dreams - Yankee Stadium

I was watching the end of Major League Baseball's Home Run derby i realized Yankee Stadium has a half of season left. Then they are going to tear it down. Maybe they should have listened to James Earl Jones' in the movie field of dreams before they made that decision. Somethings need to be cherished above thinking about trying to make a buck.


How can organizations with a rich history forsake something that has been a part of that history. Tiger stadium was just torn down this last weekend. What is going on!
These two stadiums have been the homes of icons like, Babe Ruth, Lou Gerhig, Ty Cobb, Al Kaline, Micky Mantle, Yogi Bera, the list is endless. There were legendary world series played in both of these stadiums. It is a part of our history, a history that will soon be forgotten. This is why I do not watch a lot of baseball anymore. It is all about the money.

I will never forget the two times I visited Yankee stadium. The first time I took a trip with a group of guys and watched the Seattle Mariners play the Yankees. We watched a group of Japanese business men come in during the 3rd inning carrying a boxed meal. There was about thirty of them. In unison they opened up their meals which consisted of sushi. One of them, it must have been their leader, stood up and said something in their native language. They all raised their hands as he motioned for the beer guy. They drank their beer, ate their sushi and fell asleep. All of them, slumped over in their seats. The sixth inning came and their fearless leader stood up and said something again, they all got up and left.

They took for granted where they were. They missed Randy Johnson pitching for the Mariners. They missed a grand slam (one of the five in a row Louie and I saw at five different stadiums that summer. The second of which occurred at Tiger stadium. And then there was the one the next night in Fenway by a guy who had three career home runs two of which were grand slams). They missed Ken Griffey Jr. playing on this hallowed ground in center field. The same center field that Mickey Mantle played in.

The second time in Yankee Stadium was with a group that had worked all week at a small church in Greenpoint (Brooklyn). We road the subway to the stadium and sat in the bleachers. It was against the Indians. I had my Indians hat on which was an invitation to get pelted with peanuts. An old lady in front of me dressed in Yankee gear from head to toe rubbed it in when the Yankees hit a home run to go ahead. She turned to me kissed her hand, touched the Indian on the front of my hat and said, "We love ya, but we are going to kick your ***!" She was wrong, the Indian won that day when Albert Bell hit a home run to give the Indians the lead. I will give her this, she was a fan and understood the hallowed ground she was sitting in, "The House that Ruth Built."

I would not have as much trouble with this if they would not tear these great stadiums down. I mean people travel from around the world to see the great Colosseum in Rome. It is an icon and a part of their history. So is Yankee Stadium and Tiger Stadium. Thanks Major League baseball for tearing down two places where we will never hear a dad say again, "My dad used to bring me here when I was your age."

I write this blog as a tribute to Yankee Stadium and all the memories that go with it. If you have been to Yankee Stadium, take the time to share your memories of this icon in the world of sports as it makes it's last stand.