Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Last Day Game by Barbara Quinn


(My brother Tony, me, brother-in-law Chris, son Bret)


Being at Yankee Stadium for the last day game of the season was memorable and gratifying. I’ve been going to that Stadium for my whole life. I was born in the Bronx and it was natural to become a Yankees fan under the tutelage of my fan parents. My husband, who was born in Brooklyn, and raised on Staten Island, is even more of a fan, and a repository of Yankee history. We both passed the love of the Yanks on to our son.

For the last game the faithful in my family gathered at the Stadium: my brother, Tony, my husband Tom, his brother Chris, my son Bret, his brother-in-law, Christopher. All those brothers and me. It was a glorious day in many ways. The sun shone brightly, the sky was crystal blue, the infield sparkling green. Overhead the NYPD helicopters kept watch letting us know we would be all right.

The game was tied at 0-0 till the ninth inning. Thanks to a thrilling bottom of the ninth inning hit by Robinson Cano, the Yanks won the game. They may be out of the running for the post-season, but this game had a post-season feel to it. Everyone was on their feet, shouting and hollering so loudly that you couldn’t hear anything above the noise. It’s always been an awesome place when the crowd thunders that way. I’m going to miss the Stadium rocking. I’m even going to miss seeing Cousin Brewski hawk overpriced beers.

But off in the distance through a gap in the Stadium the new Stadium loomed, pristine and watchful, ready to welcome us next year to a new season in a new place.


It’s like being transplanted from one plot of land to another. We’ll take root there and thrive. It won’t be the same. But it’ll be good and I’ll be lucky to be there, roots down, and rooting with the fans again for our home team waiting for the victory song of Frank Sinatra's New York, New York to fill the stadium.


(My brother Tony, brother-in-law Chris, me, and my husband Tom, at the last day game at Yankee Stadium)


(the last day game at Yankee Stadium)



4 comments:

Kathryn Magendie said...

What a good looking family!

I was thinking the other day, how we hate change, but we usually do embrace it when it comes, because we have to or because we want to ...nostalgia is with us because of change and from nostalgia comes stories....on and on and kat goes blah blah! *laughing*

love the post and the photos!

Angie Ledbetter said...

Kat stole my line about the family looks. And that son...well, he looks like a movie star.

Pics are fab and the day of fun radiates off them. Hope you get many more such in the new digs. It's sad when the end of an era comes. We're feeling the same for our beloved LSU baseball field, Alex Box.

patresa hartman said...

coool! and what tradition! so glad you got to have one last go at the old stadium. and cheers to the next generation of traditions in the new stadium. :)

Anonymous said...

Very cool pictures. I have been there one time and will never be forgotten. Sometimes things really do not need to be redone. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Oren

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