Yankee Stadium Not Yanked Yet

No baseball farewell, perhaps no farewell in any walk of life, will ever be remembered as fondly as the one given by Lou Gehrig, July 4, 1939. Diagnosed with a fatal disease, Lou was saying "goodbye" to all of us, that day. Now, the Yankees are giving their loyal fans an extended opportunity through the end of the year to say “goodbye” to their old friend, “Yankee Stadium.” Mets fans have no such opportunity to do the same with Shea. As everyone knows, the Mets never ever did things to match the Yankees’ "class and tradition." In a hallowed place that’s given us so many wonderful memories, here’s a chance for Yankee fans, baseball fans and all New Yorker’s to have one last, intimate moment with the ballpark itself. Tickets will be $20 for adults and $15 for kids. Children 14 and under may enter free. For ticket information, call 718.293-4300.

Lou Gehrig’s Farewell Address, 7/4/39
Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.
I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?
Sure I’m lucky.
Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy?
Sure I’m lucky.
When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies -- that’s something.
When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter -- that’s something.
When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body -- it’s a blessing.
When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed -- that’s the finest I know.
So, I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for.

Shea For Sale

2,500 items are listed for sale from the former home of the New York Mets. Amazingly, Mets ownership is selling the 1969 and 1986 championship banners. In their defense however, these are not the original banners. They’re actually replacements used because of weather damage to several previous sets. Total sales on the Shea goodies is estimated to be $2.6 million (seats not included). Both the Shea homerun apple and city skyline will be sent to their new Queens home across the street, Citi Field. To all of the Mets fans who saved money on Playoff tickets this year, go buy a souvenir to remember the few good memories you can have about the place; the place that often brought more disappointment than a New York politician after being elected.

NYC Baseball Is The World Serious

NYU adjunct professor, John Tepper Marlin, prepared a report to show how much money New York City businesses will lose if New York’s two baseball teams fail to make the post-season this year. The following figures represent the amounts for each team at each level of play. For the Yankees elimination, $26 million for the AL Division Series, $54 million for the AL Championship Series and $61 million for the World Series. Should the Mets not play “October baseball,” $21 million for the NL Division Series, $45 million for the NL Championship Series and $81 million for the World Series. Marlin was chief economist for three former city comptrollers so he knows something about money. But, how can he be talking cash at a time like this? Neither team is a lock to get in! He may know money but he obviously knows nothing about the heart of Big Apple baseball fans. Should either team fail to make it, money lost will mean nothing to their faithful. We’re talking the end of the world, here.

Welcome Housewarmings Eight Months Away

Our neighbors are moving down their respective blocks. Both the Yankees and Mets move into new homes in 2009. The Yankees will welcome fans to their baseball home opener in the Bronx at the new Yankee Stadium on April 16th. The Mets start their season at Citi Field in Queens on April 14th. Let’s hope their new digs are as great a place to visit and cheer as the old!

Neighbors And Fences

It’s believed that Johan Santana (New York Mets) recently purchased a co-op apartment in an Upper East Side luxury building in which Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) is already a tenant. The great American patriot and philosopher, Ben Franklin is quoted as saying, “Good fences make good neighbors.” I’d bet Rodriguez and Santana are on different sides of an outfield fence about where batted baseballs should land! Can’t wait to see if they travel together to their Manhattan pads following each game of the Subway Series!

Yankees & Mets Want To Buy Their Old Homes

In 2009, both local ball clubs will play in new stadiums. New York City is the current owner of Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium, both slated for demolition after the 2008 season. The Houses that Ruth and Kranepool built will be no more. Gone, but not forgotten … and maybe not totally gone either. Negotiations are taking place to let the Yankees and Mets buy their old ballparks. Their similar plan is to dismantle and peddle stadium memorabilia to fans and baseball collectors worldwide. Revenue from the sales of seats, lockers, bricks and even dirt are expected to bring in tens of millions of dollars for each team. Now, if these stadium deals go through (and they will), wouldn’t it be nice if the teams donated their collectible revenues to building and improving baseball fields around New York City? It’s fans, past and present, that contributed to the success of these teams. It’s the teams that should give more to our city's baseball youth and develop their fans of tomorrow. Each team is now looking to go out with cash in their pockets. Donating this cash to our kids let’s them go out as winners.

Mets To Ignore Their Roots On New Turf

In 1962, the New York Metropolitans (Mets) came into being as a baseball franchise. They were a consolation gift to National League fans still broken-hearted over the departure of their beloved, California dreaming Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants 5 years before. From their original logo and team colors (Blue-Dodgers, Orange-Giants) to their opening day ceremonies, the Mets were to be an amalgam of two teams with long histories in New York. However, it seems as though half of the team’s origin has been lost in the construction and celebration of their new Citi Field. Ebbet’s Field and the Dodgers are openly lauded while the Polo Grounds and Giants are nearly ignored. Though the Giants were always the third most popular team in town behind the Yankees and the Dodgers, they, their fans and those who cherish the history of baseball deserve much better representation at Citi Field.

In 2009, the Mets replace their Shea Stadium digs with the new Citi Field ballpark. The Yankees move as well from Yankee Stadium across the street to Yankee Stadium. No name change for them. No need. There’s something to be said for knowing one’s history and honoring tradition. Unfortunately for Mets’ fans, their team’s ownership isn't the best one to discuss history and honor.

P.S. Giants fans everywhere should demand that their team not be forgotten in Met's history like perhaps ... the Brooklyn Superbas.

Local Baseball History For Sale … In The Future

The end of the 2008 major league baseball season brings a close to our two cherished baseball parks; Yankee Stadium and Shea … unless of course the teams make it to the Playoffs! Whether the dreams of Yankee or Mets fans end in September or October, new baseball dreams will begin soon after.

The Department of Parks and Recreation owns both facilities. Soon after the last out is made, you can own something from each MLB ball field too. The city plans to sell everything it possibly can to interested fans, collectors and investors who want to own a piece of nostalgia. Best of luck to all fans that plan to buy something. “Everything” is being sold so your chances of getting “something” are good. What’s not for sale are all of the great memories. No matter anyway. Real fans know they’re truly priceless and guaranteed to increase in value in the years to come.

Feng Shui Gives Yankees Win Over Mets

Feng shui (pronounced FENG SHUWAY) is the ancient Chinese practice of placing and arranging things in space to achieve the most agreeable harmony with the surrounding environment. Chi (pronounced CHEE) is the life force or spiritual energy within all things. What’s all that have to do with baseball, you ask?

Judith Wendell, a noted feng shui and chi expert declared the new Yankee Stadium superior to that of the Mets’ Citi Field. A variety of tests and “energy vibrations” she felt at each construction site convinced her of that. In other words, better feng shui in the Bronx will give the Yankees better chi than their cross-town rivals. Or, put yet another way … more chi, more wins. Great news for Bombers’ fans!

Both fields are scheduled to open for the start of the 2009 baseball season. Perhaps a new chant will rise up from the crowd to the facade in the Bronx on opening day … “We got chi! We got chi!”