This past Saturday, August 2, 2008, I was able to attend an event I had always wanted to see, Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium. I was not disappointed. The ceremonies were delayed a bit by downpours of rain but once they began the sun broke through and nothing could stop Yankee Stadium from honoring 72 of its former players and four widows of Yankee greats. Players from the last 16 Championship teams were represented and no other team in baseball can bring a collection of legends and champions like the Yankees did.
What really interested me was all the Yankees from the teams I grew up watching. Willie Randolph, Dave Winfield, Jesse Barfield, Rickey Henderson, Steve Balboni, Pat Kelly, Dave Eiland, Kevin Maas, Paul O'Neill, David Wells, David Cone, Wade Boggs, Mike Stanley, Jimmy Key, Graeme Lloyd, Ramiro Mendoza, Tony Fernandez, Jim Abbott, Jeff Nelson Tim Raines, Tino Martinez, Wayne Tolleson, Goose Gossage, Don Baylor, and a bunch of others were all there from the teams I watched as a kid. There were also legends galore, from Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, Reggie Jackson, Graig Nettles, Moose Skowron, Jerry Coleman, Bobby Richardson, Don Larsen, and others all got one more chance in the Yankee Stadium spotlight.
No other team can honor history the way the Yankees can and that was in full view on Saturday. Even the widows of Phil Rizzuto, Thurman Munson, Elston Howard, and Jim "Catfish" Hunter were honored. To see these men, some still looking like they did in their playing days, standing along the first and third base lines, donning Yankee pinstripes one more time in the most famous Stadium in sports was touching and absolutely amazing.
I have to thank Tracy and her mom for the tickets to this amazing event. Thank you!!
I will post pictures once I have figured out how to include pics on this site.
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