Yankee carriers of the torch

[Maas_Pasqua_Pags]

Not a good title, but I was thinking how over the last 5 years the Yankee landscape has changed. There also is more to come. Some examples that I would like for you to add on to.

Gone:
Yankee Stadium
George Steinbrenner
Bob Sheppard
Freddy
Gene Michael (Geno)
"Cotton Eye Joe"

Soon to be gone:
Jorge Posada
"Yankees of Yesteryear". Whitey and Yogi are just about the last of the mohegans.

Future goners:
In about 3 years, Jeter and Mariano.

[theDurk]

How about: Goners I can't wait for:

Kate Smith/"God Bless America"
Michael Kay
Whoever runs the parking lots

[Sam18]

I like Michael Kay, did you know he has a wife now?

[JDPNYY]

1) Freddy? Really?

2) Last of the mohegans? Really?

[HerbieLee20]

theDurk

How about: Goners I can't wait for:...

The Moat

[TierReservedCreature]

What ever happened to Disco Stu?

[machphantom]

What ever happened to Disco Stu?

I miss him... I shoulda asked where he bought his shirts

[hellonewman]

2) Last of the mohegans? Really?

Yes. I understand James Fenimore Cooper wrote beautifully about gambling casinos.

[hellonewman]

Since when is Gene Michael "Geno"? That's Gene Monahan. Gene Michael is "Stick."

Recent goners include Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Bernie Williams ...

More distant goners include Babe Ruth, Hilltop Park, Col. Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston, Urban Shocker, the Gem Blades sign in right field, Carl Mays (killed a guy once!), Miller Huggins, $2.50 box seats, the Polo Grounds, Major Deegan, Harold Lloyd, beer in glass bottles, uniforms without numbers, and Wally Pipp.

[JL25and3]

Yes. I understand James Fenimore Cooper wrote beautifully about gambling casinos.

Fenimore Cooper did not write beautifully about anything, according to Mark Twain: "There are nineteen rules governing literary art in domain of romantic fiction -- some say twenty-two. In "Deerslayer," Cooper violated eighteen of them."
http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/pr...o/offense.html

[BRNXBMRS]

Future gonners: Sterling & Waldman

[BronxYanks45]

Gone: Bald Vinny

[yankees2010]

Bald Vinny? Freddy? Cotton Eye Joe? Why not just add Challenger, Mikes Italian Deli, The Big Apple candy stand, the Top Hat tease and the Peter Max art gallery too.

I just hope the franchise can soldier on.

[hellonewman]

Fenimore Cooper did not write beautifully about anything, according to Mark Twain: "There are nineteen rules governing literary art in domain of romantic fiction -- some say twenty-two. In "Deerslayer," Cooper violated eighteen of them."
http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/pr...o/offense.html

Yes, Twain's disdain for Cooper is pretty well known. Then again, there's little evidence he ever properly appreciated casino literature.

[Sparky]

I have to agree that these three, together (especially the first 2), have represented a major turning of the page:

Gone:
Yankee Stadium
Bob Sheppard
George Steinbrenner

Adding on Eddie Layton and the Yankee Stadium fan experience that was around for many, many years, and could be viewed as a "constant" as players and staff came and went, was totally changed in a matter of years.

[yankees2010]

I have to agree that these three, together (especially the first 2), have represented a major turning of the page:

Gone:
Yankee Stadium
Bob Sheppard
George Steinbrenner

Adding on Eddie Layton and the Yankee Stadium fan experience that was around for many, many years, and could be viewed as a "constant" as players and staff came and went, was totally changed in a matter of years.

That is a real list. I would add Robert Merrill too. I remember when George was still in full power, and he refused to have the Fox requested anthem singer for the World Series , so that we could "direct our attention to the microphone behind homeplate, to please join Robert Merill..as he sings..our National Antherm"

[fredgmuggs]

Fenimore Cooper did not write beautifully about anything, according to Mark Twain: "There are nineteen rules governing literary art in domain of romantic fiction -- some say twenty-two. In "Deerslayer," Cooper violated eighteen of them."
http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/pr...o/offense.html

I think he liked Jane Austen even less.

[Kentucky Bomber]

This franchise became nothing once Hal Chase left.

[PuffNettles9]

Cotton Eyed Joe made a return during the last regular season home stand. I noticed it and was like WTF is that back!!

[Big_E]

Cotton Eyed Joe made a return during the last regular season home stand. I noticed it and was like WTF is that back!!

I would keep Cotton Eyed Joe if we could get rid of Kate Smith.

[jetercanotexarod]

I would keep Cotton Eyed Joe if we could get rid of Kate Smith.

----+1

[gregzzy22]

Hold up this thread just reminded me of Disco Stu..where is he at? Was he at any home games this year?

[SIMichael]

Once Rivera & Jeter retires that's when things will completely be different. I dread that day.

[Yankee Steve]

Remember the old gray haired guy in the last row of the RF Bleachers, dressed in a suit and doing the robot dance? Haven't seen him in a few years now.

[YankeeFan1421]

Gotta admit, in recent years I feel totally and sadly detached from the whole Yankee Stadium experience and the team at large. I still root for them and still love the game of baseball...but something is missing. It could be my advanced age of 40, and it could be the new stadium, and it could be the run of near consective playoff appearances. or it could be all of those things combined with some of the other ones.

I remember, even in the 1980's with the stadium half empty most nights, something special about the whole experience. The clanging of the pan from Freddy, the above it all lordly proclamations from Bob Sheppard. The boldness and arrogance of the old place; it seemed not to care that the team was never making the playoffs nor drawing that many fans. it was still Yankee Stadium and it didn't need you unless you needed it.

Then the team in the late 90's stole my heart. Perhaps they were on an incredible lucky streak as much as anything, but those teams had identity, heart and character. I was not ashamed at all to be a Yankees fan;l I was truly proud of my fan based association. the vestiges from the 80's were still there, of course, as the Stadium remained the Stadium, the crowds were still mostly hardcore fans until it came postseason play, and the whole experience seemed more authentic.

Today? Sorry to say, but it's an amusement park. A nice beautiful stadium, but it's designed maximze revenue and move people up and away from the field. The front office makes decisions as a smart business and incorporates the 'moneyball' concepts with a big payroll. The Yanks of my youth made bold free agent signings on gut feel alone really. There wer not really sabametrical arguments to be made about he advisability of acquiring Paul O'Neil, or Tino Martinez, or Scott Brosius.

I don't want to sound like a cranky old man...I am happy a new generation of fans is filling the park now and hopefully getting as excited as we used to. Iv'e been to a few postseason games at the new place, though, and I hate to say, it isn't even close to the experiences I had there in 96, 98, 2000, and, most importantly in some sense, 2001. Just not. I was there also for Aaron Boone game...little did I know that would actually be my true 'goodbye' to that stadiu, even though I went to many more games after that. It was never the same after that night.

Hey, time moves on. The keepers of the flame die off and a new generation takes over in the context ofa new facility.

But that's not Yankee Stadium. And this franchise isn't the one I grew up with.