Home Run Derby
In the eighth round of baseball's future games, 24-year-old White Sox minor league second baseman was against Henry Rodriguez, 21 years pitcher in the Oakland system. Getz face nothing but prompt, including three in a row that hit 100 mph on the Yankee Stadium radar gun.
This is not the first time Sunday that Getz was taken with big eyes. Like Triple-A Charlotte teammate Richard Clayton, Getz is not only his first trip to the house that Ruth Built, but his first in New York for the All-Star Game collection of top prospects. They are not likely to forget any part of the experience - and not in this lifetime, anyway. "Going down the corridor to get to the clubhouse, you see all the pictures of players who have played here," said Getz. "It really hits you where you are and what you are doing. "Honestly I can not explain my feelings. I did not start the game, so I was sitting on the bench for five rounds say myself calm and just make you play baseball. This is not easy to do. " Richard was the starting pitcher for the USA '3-0 loss to the world team. He and his teammates were dressed in a hurry to get out on the ground. When he went to the bullpen to warm up its beginnings, Richard could not fail to see the monuments, including that of Babe Ruth that Roger Clemens struck (and sometimes embraced) on the way to the mound. "It was great," said Richard. "Growing up, the Yankees look on television, you have an idea in your mind what it will be like. But suddenly you're standing there, and it just for you! Coups. "This is a great place to play baseball. I feel privileged to have a chance to play here before moving. " When the phalanx of All-Stars arrive at Yankee Stadium on Monday for the Home Run Derby, they are sure to note the new stadium underway granite pale beside baseball's best-known installation. In addition to the American League domination, the theme of the event will be a farewell to the old place, which was home to the Yankees since 1923. The World Series was played here 37 times, most recently in 2003. It was hosted major football matches, concerts and historic address by the pope, among other events. But there will always be associated with Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Thurman Munson and Derek Jeter. It is a place every American sports should visit at least once. That is why I took my 14 years, son Dylan in New York this month, marking a long journey with my brother Dave and nephew Kyle. We got tickets for a Texas Rangers-Yankees game in the box seats beyond the first base dugout. We were lucky to pay only nominal value - a mere $ 190 - and enjoyed a pleasant night with the actor Tracy Morgan near sellout in a crowd of 53223. Mariano Rivera suffered the loss that night, which left fans in a sombre mood as they toward the subway station nearby. For our party, it seemed an opportunity to celebrate. We had attended one of these Norman Rockwellian American customs and that I would always have the memory, and perhaps the ticket stubs. I felt no sadness leaving, and that true love should at the end of the All-Star Game or even after the Yankees' last match here. Due to a massive remodeling in 1974-75, it never really seemed like one of baseball's grand old ball for me. It has always been much more modern than Fenway Park or Wrigley Field, even though it opened only a decade later. The end of Yankee Stadium should not be like the demise of Tiger Stadium in Detroit, production, men and women wept. It has lost its essential character decades ago, a fact sure to be overlooked by many New York sportswriters and poets. But as the wide-eyed Richard said, it is a great place to play baseball. What a wonderful experience to cherish. |
 Stumble It!
|
|
