BASEBALL!

[Wolfsong]

Originally Posted by Ciaran

Sad state of affairs that both the Dodgers and Giants moved to the west coast in the late 1950s.

Well, I believe that the local team is also closely associated with the city/town/neighborhood/fan's identity. If it were not so thousands of joyus fans would not be jumping up and down screaming We Won We Won after clinching a championship. I believe that it takes something away, you lose a little, when a team leaves for another location.

The Mets moved in but it just isn't the same. Just like when a favorite neighbor moves out and another moves into his house. You might like the new guy, but you'll never forget the time that.......with the original neighbor. The new guy will never be the old guy even if you grow to love him.

We could have lost the White Sox to Florida in 1989. Thankfully we did not. The neighborhood that the team is located in, Bridgeport (and the south side of Chicago) would have suffered greatly for it. It's as much a part of us as the churches, the schools, and the locally owned businesses. Even if you weren't AT the game, the sound of fireworks booming in the night meant that someone knocked it out of the park or that our White Sox won.

Pittsburgh is a prime example of a city identifying with their teams. Every one of their sporting teams have the same colors, Black and Yellow. From the Pirates to the Penguins to the Steelers alike........Black and Yellow......the color of the city......the Iron City.

Now I've never been to LA, but I can say I've never met anyone who said they were a die hard Dodgers fan. The city currently is the largest market without a professional football team. They do follow the Lakers but I can't tell if that is fandom or fashion. They just don't seem to have the heart.

[AtLast]

My folks loved it that the "Bums" and the NY Giants moved to CA. They courted & sparked back in the 30's with these teams but moved to CA in 1948.

[Ciaran]

Originally Posted by Wolfsong

Now I've never been to LA, but I can say I've never met anyone who said they were a die hard Dodgers fan. The city currently is the largest market without a professional football team. They do follow the Lakers but I can't tell if that is fandom or fashion. They just don't seem to have the heart.

I've been to Southern California often, although until now I've never been to the Dodgers. Ironically, however, I'm actually going to one of their games later this month.

I'll always remember when the Raiders played in Los Angeles. I was a Washington Redskins fan as a young child and cried tremendously when the Raiders won the 1984 Super Bowl.

[Wolfsong]

Originally Posted by Ciaran

I've been to Southern California often, although until now I've never been to the Dodgers. Ironically, however, I'm actually going to one of their games later this month.

I'll always remember when the Raiders played in Los Angeles. I was a Washington Redskins fan as a young child and cried tremendously when the Raiders won the 1984 Super Bowl.

Oh great. Let us know what kind of experiance it is. I'd love to take a summer and do the one game at every ball park thing. I know that won't heppen so I'm going to tailor it to a select few musts like Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.

[Ciaran]

Originally Posted by Wolfsong

Oh great. Let us know what kind of experiance it is. I'd love to take a summer and do the one game at every ball park thing. I know that won't heppen so I'm going to tailor it to a select few musts like Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.

I definitely will post here what the experience was like.

I love the Yankees history and love going to Yankee games. I used to travel to New York often but, for some reason, I haven't been back since 2007 so I haven't been to the new Yankee Stadium yet.

I loved going to the old Yankee Stadium - the history and the ghosts were immense - so will be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like in the new stadium. I hope to get there in the summer.

[Wolfsong]

Originally Posted by Ciaran

I loved going to the old Yankee Stadium - the history and the ghosts were immense - so will be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like in the new stadium. I hope to get there in the summer.

I confess to complete and total jealousy right now. I would have loved to see a game in the old stadium. In an earlier post I mentioned that Roger Maris is my all time favorite player, but there are many others that also happen to have been Yankees.





This weekend is going to kind of suck. I had tickets to the White Sox-Cubs game @ Wrigley Field and decided to sell them because all of the out-of-town goons protesting the NATO summit are all over the place. One of them pushed an 80 yr old man down the day before yesterday. I'm not taking my wife down there.

[Ciaran]

Originally Posted by Wolfsong

I confess to complete and total jealousy right now. I would have loved to see a game in the old stadium. In an earlier post I mentioned that Roger Maris is my all time favorite player, but there are many others that also happen to have been Yankees. [/FONT]

I actually have an original architect drawing of part of the original Yankee Stadium. It was produced in 1921 by the Osborn Engineering Company of Cleveland who designed the stadium. It ultimately opened in 1923.

My favourite player of all-time is Tony Lazzeri although I also love the story of Lou Gehrig.

[Wolfsong]

Originally Posted by Ciaran

I actually have an original architect drawing of part of the original Yankee Stadium. It was produced in 1921 by the Osborn Engineering Company of Cleveland who designed the stadium. It ultimately opened in 1923.

My favourite player of all-time is Tony Lazzeri although I also love the story of Lou Gehrig.

Lazzeri was a Cub around 38-39ish. (Poor guy, they were 30 years into their slump by then). He did actually play with the Cubs in the World Series....against the Yankees in '38. They lost. An old, classic Yankee, played with both Ruth and Gehrig. Tony once said them;

"They didn't get along. Gehrig thought Ruth was a big-mouth and Ruth thought Gehrig was cheap. They were both right." - Tony Lazzeri

He was a good ballplayer. What made him your favorite all time?