My Dad and Baseball (Not What You Think) and More Old Timer Photos

Later in this post I will include more pictures of the Cooperstown Baseball Old Timers Game.

It's funny....I go to a Fathers Day game for Fathers Day and....neither of my parents were baseball fans. As a result, I grew up in the Bronx, and never once visited Yankee Stadium. I don't know exactly how I became interested in baseball, but (this was before it was OK for girls to enjoy spectator sports) I used to get a lot of "you sure know a lot about baseball for a girl" comments.

Actually my technical knowledge wasn't and still isn't all that good. I can't tell you, given a certain scenario, if the batter should bunt, try for the sacrifice fly, if the man on first should try to steal, or what. I just always loved to watch good baseball. I was always the last one picked for softball, so I never even dreamed about playing, back in those pre-Title IX days.

But...my Dad used to take me on Sunday afternoon walks during the summer. It got both of us out of our hot apartment, as we walked and walked. He used to love to go to houses under construction to watch them go up. It fascinated him. I would tag along, with my transistor radio, and listen to the Yankees ballgame. These walks are a very fond memory for me.

That was many years ago, and my Dad passed away in 1986.

Too bad no old Yankees from that 1960's lineup were there in Cooperstown (although I did get to see Whitey Ford once in Binghamton) but here are some pictures of players at the game. And, THANK YOU, BALLPLAYERS, FOR COMING. It was so refreshing to see ballplayers who wanted to be there. And, I know you had a good time too. So much so that Bob Feller has already announced that he plans to return next year.

By the way, I still don't know who the people were who rode in the "Yankees" car, including the gentleman with the Mickey Mantle uniform who looked so much like him. I have a picture, but there are spectator faces in there so I don't want to post the photo.

And, now for the photos:

Here is Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson
and pitcher Jim Hannan: (both from my era)

This picture was taken seconds before a mob of children and adults followed Brooks Robinson. blocking my view, to get his autograph.



Here, from the back, is George Foster: I sure would not have been rooting for him when he was playing for the 1970's Big Red Machine.















This picture was taken after the game: the players in "camouflage" uniforms were Military all stars who played alongside the old timers.

I wish I had a good seat to capture all the clowning around. And, Doubleday Field folks, just a hint-the PA system where we were (all the way in the hinterlands) rivaled the 1970's PA systems in the New York subway for incoherence. Could you at least publish the uniform numbers of the players on the scorecard next year? It was very hard to follow the action with the garbled, echoey narration out there in Section 210.

I also know that there are plans for better crowd control at the autograph tent too, where I understand some adults were pushing youngsters out of the way. I know you will take care of that, and thank you all for giving free autographs out to the youngsters.

Little beefs aside, again a heartfelt thank you for the opportunity. I never got to see the Hall of Fame game but I suspect this was so much better.