NEW YORK – As the subway doors open, hundreds of fans decorated with their favorite team’s colors spill out onto the deck.
Your eyes are lost among the navy blue pin stripes and bright orange “NY” logos that decorate the hot, humid subway.
You are caught in a stampede up the stairs and as you reach the top, your head slowly looks up as though you are a young child looking up at your father.
Knowing he had nothing to do with the actual construction of the park, you laugh as you find yourself silently thanking Babe Ruth for “building” such a monument.
The smell of Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, an assortment of beers and slow-cooked sausages fill the air and give the stadium a feeling like no other.
And as you make your way inside the gates, the words “Welcome to Yankee Stadium” never sounded so good.
I decided to take a break from summer school this past weekend and took a trip to New York. After finding out the 2008 All Star Game would be in the Big Apple, I purchased two tickets to Monday’s Home Run Derby.
As we were ushered onto the ground level of the stadium, I watched as future Hall of Famers Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols, Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez took batting practice.
Chills ran down my spine as I thought I would get to see Jones, one of my childhood heros, hit in the Derby.
What a tease, and an even bigger disappointment.
Now I’m not the most up-to-date baseball fan, but when half the people sitting around you utter the words, “Who is that?” something’s wrong.
I haven’t had much time this year to watch baseball. The only team I followed in 2007 was the Braves, so my knowledge of young, up-and-coming players is limited to the Atlanta area.
But as a long-time baseball fan, I was disappointed at this year’s lineup.
Dan Uggla? Grady Sizemore? Evan Longoria? Josh Hamilton?
Wait, who?
The Babe would roll over in his grave if he saw this year’s lineup.
This isn’t a knock against any of the participants. Hamilton, you did a great job of entertaining the crowd. Congrats on the record. I will never forget seeing the blast you hit out the stadium, but it’s just that … well … none of the eight players that participated are ‘great’ home run hitters.
Isn’t that the point of the Derby? I thought so until Monday night.
What ever happened to the times when the game’s best sluggers laced up their cleats and dug in? What ever happened to this being one of the greatest, most fun sporting events during the summer?
The active player with the most career home runs (Ken Griffey Jr.) wasn’t there. But to his credit, he was probably trying to come up with a reason why hitting in the Derby would cause him another injury.
This year’s Major League leader for home runs (Ryan Howard) decided the Derby would “mess up” his swing and sat it out. Howard personally sends his apologies for being so superstitious – and for being a Phillie.
The most prolific switch hitter in the game today (Jones) wasn’t even asked to participate. Thanks Major League Baseball for that one.
Fan favorites like David Ortiz, Ramirez and this past year’s winner Vladimir Guerrero even decided to pass.
And to top it off, the most likely player to snatch the all-time home run crown from Barry Bonds (Rodriguez), decided his hometown fans weren’t important enough to suit up for. Goes to show how important Yankee Stadium is to A-Rod. Last time I checked, it was an honor to hit in front of your hometown fans.
None of the participants in this year’s Home Run Derby rank in the top 25 for home runs among active players. The Houston Astros’ first baseman Lance Berkman led the pack but is ranked 28th among active players. He has 281 career home runs.
I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come. I hope MLB hasn’t gotten to the point where it only asks young guns that are only known by their hometown fans to participate in the Derby.
I’ll hang my baseball cap up forever if that is the case.
I’d rather be a fan of hockey or NASCAR than be a fan of a sport that has athletes who insist the Home Run Derby will mess up their swing.
Big Papi, you get a pass this year because you’re hurt, but to everyone who sat this one out, take some advice from a fan: When it comes down to it, we’re the ones who pay you your enormous salaries.
So next year – when July rolls around – try not to think about your swing or how you might look if you don’t win. Instead, try to imagine what the fans will think as they watch their favorite players duke it out in a slugfest.
To Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson and all the other Yankee greats that offered memorable home runs “in the house that Ruth built,” I would like to apologize on behalf of the MLB for such a poor sign off to such a great place.
Tradition runs deep in Yankee Stadium, but it was missing and tucked away in the bullpen Monday night.
—-Contact Jay St. Pierre at jstpierre@lsureveille.com