Visits to Green Cathedrals

Besides the visits to current Major League ballparks, I have been fortunate to have visited many of the lost ballparks over my lifetime.

My first ballgame was between the Pirates and Redlegs (as they were known in the 1950s) at old Crosley Field in Cincinnati in 1953, the Redlegs winning 9-2. The following year my family moved to the Washington, DC area and I saw my first of many games at Griffith Stadium. Two games really stand out in my memory. The first one was in 1956 between the Senators and the Yankees. My favorite Senator, Jim Lemon, hit three homers off Whitey Ford and my favorite player, period, Mickey Mantle, hit his 48th homer of his Triple Crown season. In addition, President Eisenhower was at the game. How cool is that? The other game was the initial franchise game of the expansion Washington Senators (now the Texas Rangers)on April 10, 1961 and seeing Marty Keough getting the first hit in franchise history followed shortly thereafter by a Gene Woodling triple off the rightfield wall. The following year, 1962, saw the opening of D.C. Stadium, later renamed Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, at which I saw many a game, including the longest homer ever hit there--by Frank Howard, landing about halfway up in the upper centerfield stands.

In August 1964 I attended the New York World Fair. I was staying at a hotel near Shea Stadium and was able to take in a game between the Mets and the Braves. My folks had moved to Chicago so, in summers while going to college in North Carolina, I was able to attend several games at old Comiskey Park. I spent my career in Wisconsin, including 26 years in Madison. Consequently, I was able to take in numerous games at Milwaukee County Stadium. During a vacation trip to Seattle, I was able to take in a game at the old King Dome.

In addition to these old ballparks, I have been fortunate to be able to attend games at the current ballparks of Wrigley Field; Fenway Park; Miller Park in Milwaukee; Safeco Field in Seattle; Tropicana Field in St. Pete; and my latest one, Marlins Park in Miami. In addition to these, I was able to take a shortcut through Oriole Park at Camden Yard during the filming of "Major League II" in 1993.  Now being retired, I have had season tickets for the past four years to the Bradenton Marauders and their home, historic 90-year old McKechnie Field in Bradenton, FL.