On the Reading Table

I just ordered two additions to my nightstand reading, as if the eight other books sitting there might eventually run low or something. I'm almost to page 100 of Team of Rivals (which is very good, by the way.)

The first is Inside Gitmo: The True Story Behind the Myths of Guantanamo Bay by Gordon Cucullu. The author is a retired Army Lt. Col. who went to the camp and interviewed everyone from nurses and cooks to guards and interrogators. Cucullu seems to have concluded that things were in fact bad in the beginning but have long since been corrected and that Gitmo is now one of the most human prisons anywhere.

And longtime Yankee fan that I am, I've ordered Joe Torre's book, The Yankee Years. I've always liked Joe and I think it'll be an interesting read. Did you know that his doctors told Steinbrenner about Joe's cancer before they told HIM? Crazy. The power of the pinstripes.

I also ordered John Grisham's The Associate because I need something light every now and then! I usually save him for the summer, and at the rate I'm going, it will be summer before I get to it!

Goodbye to Yankee Stadium

I sort of wanted to watch the Emmys last night but could not tear myself away from the final game at Yankee Stadium. The opening festivites (pictured) were just fabulous. Many of the old players were back (Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, etc.) and family members represented those that were no longer with us. The old players wore the same version of the uniform they wore when they were playing. The United States Army Field Band played the Star Spangled Banner which was fabulous. As the old players were announced they ran out and took their old positions on the field. Willie Randolph ran out and slid into second base, grinning and reveling in the dirt on his uniform.

I love the spirit of baseball; I always thought it just looked fun -- looked like a bunch of big kids out there having a good time. The dugout was so crowded with old-timers last night that some of the younger ones were sitting on top of the dugout swinging their legs.

It was a fun night but bittersweet, too. When the game was over and the Yankees had avoided post-season elimination one more time by winning 7-3, the Yankees gathered on the field for last photos. Some scooped up some dirt from the pitcher's mound and put into bags or cups for saving. Many fans had tears in their eyes and were reluctant to leave. Derek Jeter made an eloquent statement and the Yankees then took their caps off to the fans and made a lap around the stadium to salute them while Sinatra's "New York, New York" played in an endless loop.

The thing that really struck me, though, was the absence of Joe Torre; he didn't even merit a mention which was just shocking to me. After four World Series titles and twelve playoff appearances, I thought Torre should at least get a nod.

All in all it was very moving and I'm hoping that the new Yankee stadium brings lots of new and wonderful memories!

(Photo credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times)

Still Mourning the Stadium...

For my continuing dirge on Yankee Stadium, a song of the day...

The Boys of Summer Are Losing Their House

The House That Ruth Built is about to fall. This is the saddest weekend in sports, to me. This Sunday night will be the last game in Yankee Stadium. Forever. They are going to tear it down.

The legendary stadium opened in April, 1923.

It is where Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run in 1927.
Roger Maris hit his 61st home run in 1961.
A-Rod hit his 500th in 2007.
Mickey Mantle hit the right-field facade in 1963, one hundred and ten feet above the field.
Reggie Jackson hit three home runs there in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.
Don Larson pitched a perfect Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.
And it is where Lou Gehrig gave his "luckiest man" speech in 1939.
It is where Babe Ruth gave his farewell address.
Derek Jeter, on Tuesday, passed Gehrig for the most hits in Yankee stadium.
There have been 100 World Series games played there. Not this year.

It is so sad to me that it will be gone; it's such a piece of American legend! They are tearing it down and replacing it with a park with three baseball fields (will bricks show up on ebay?). Trees will outline the old ballpark. The new digs will be across the street.

I can't imagine the emotions that will flood the fans and players on Sunday. There will be a formal fan goodbye ceremony in November, but oh to be there the last night...