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The Holy Land Frank DiPatri 6/28/07
The day is coming when the house that Ruth built will be torn down to make way for a much more visually pleasing parking lot. Although the Yankees are the most hated franchise in history, even Yankee haters can agree with me that the stadium should be preserved as a historical artifact. Along with being the most hated franchise ever, the Yankees are the most storied franchise. This is the team that brought legendary names like Ruth, Mantle, and DiMaggio; the team that brought The Pine Tar Game, Mr. October, and "The Luckiest Man On The Face Of The Earth." All of these immortal names and infamous events have one thing in common, Yankee stadium. The new stadium is being built literally across the street, and though it will go by the same name, it will never be the Yankee Stadium. In light of this, I recently took the pilgrimage to the stadium. I attended a Diamondbacks game which the Yanks took the victory, but of course, the game was secondary. The real treat was the tour we took. I stood in the same dugout as Lou Gehrig and Roger Maris. I, in true tourist form, pretended to scale the wall to rob a home run...the same wall Bernie Williams climbed so many times. I touched the same monument of Babe Ruth that Roger Clemens rubs before every game he pitches. I watched the grounds crew tend the same grounds they've been tending for almost 85 years. And come game time, I heard the voice of God, Bob Sheppard, who I'm convinced, got his start announcing Babe Ruth's high school games.
Growing up a Yankees fan, I've endured the losses though I was very young, and come 1995-present, I've endured constant scrutiny for my favorite team's uncanny ability to win year after year. I put up with the sighs of disgust because I knew that no matter what happened win or lose Yankee Stadium was going to be there in April with a new season start. I dealt with the bandwagon taunts, but going to the stadium, sitting in those seats, and watching the greatest game to ever grace the planet made everything worth while. |
