I came up in the late 50's and early 60's. Having spent many an enjoyable Saturday and Sunday afternoon in the big ballpark on 161st St, I am going to very disappointed to see it close in the fall after 85 years.

Mike,

I too grew up in that magical era of the Yankee Golden Years (1954-69): Skowron, Richardson, Kubek, Boyer, Berra, Tresh, Mantle, Howard, and that other guy in right (lol), who sorta joined the Yankees and broke some type of record (lol). Being a Mantle fanatic causes amnesia when I have to think about him. I grew up in the south bronx, and had a ride on the 6 to 125th and up to 161st on the 4. I too looked foward to Saturdays and the great doubleheaders on Sunday, paying for a grandstand seat, and, like half of the stadium, sneaking down to the lower level for game 2. How can we explain that time to some kid who grew up in Kansas City, Washington, or for that matter anywhere in the US? We ASSUMED that the Yanks would be in the series. Now, if I could only get over Mazerowskis homer in the ninth in the Pittsburg World Series. It still haunts me that the Yankees outscored the Pirates by, what, 70 to 8?

On the other hand, even being a Yankee fanatic has NEVER stopped me short of utter amazement at Sandy Koufax's dominance of the Yankees in 1963 (??) as he preceeded to strike out how many in that game, 17? I remember Mantle swinging at air as Koufax was unhittable. Well, at least he was from New York!!

Steve Heller

Mike,

What would it take for me to get a piece of the stadium when it is wrecked, like maybe, a seat from the grandstands. Are there plans to sell parts of the Stadium as nostalgia?

I understand details concerning stadium memorabilia will be available on the Yankee website later in the season.

During my HS days (65-69)I was and still am a die hard fan. I was amazed to hear the other evening during a game broadcast that the teams the organization fielded during the late 60's finished 20+ games off the lead every year!

Yeah, I was blessed in that I remember the days from about 55-64, when they were in it almost each year with the Dodgers, Milwaukee, St. Louis, the Giants, Pittsburg (if I have that all right!). Then suddenly the bottom dropped out as the team seemed to age suddenly in the later 60's, and it took a few years to get Jackson and others aboard and the 70's had a few more glory years. What a time to be a kid in the Bronx. Thinking abour Don Larson, and Yogi Berra defying gravity as he jumped into Larsons arms still gives me goosebumps.

I lived 3 blocks from the stadium it was great my relatives could not believe I was so lucky. The Yankees were not a friendly bunch. If you stood at the door to the ofice as the team left they just walked right past you. If you saw them at a resturant you were chased away. When we went to games out of town there teams were much better.

Yeah, we could NEVER explain to another kid how blessed we were growing up in those years. It wasnt that the Yankees were unfriendly, it was the alcohol fumes coming out of Mick, Billy Martin, Yogi and Whitey that pushed you to the other side of the room!!

By the way, dbob and Mike, do you remember that famous grounder that Kubek stopped with his Adams Apple? Ouch!!!

Not as momorable as Mantles homer job off the right field facade, still traveling up!! When I think of the Mick's lefty stance, holding his bat perfectly erect, and his wider-than-life-swing, I STILL get goose bumps. And the way he loped around the bases, head down as he rounded first............oh man........the Mick.

I lived a few train stops from Yankee stadium. I only went twice,,with friends, both times being bat day, I think I got a Thurman Munson bat, don't know the other time. I gave the bats away, I never used them.

Oh yea, I remember the Mantle HR..it hit the light stanchion on the roof..right??

Sure did Mike....when people argue about the longest shot ever hit in the stadium, and whether anyone will ever hit one out, they point to that shot Mick hit, Mike. It was travelling un an upward trajectory when it hit the facade/stanchion, and based on calculations, would have travelled, if unimpeded, 650 feet or so had it not hit the facade.

Yankee connection to D Day- Yogi was the driver of one of the landing craft 64 years ago.
Thanks to all the allied forces who fought that day.