"Well I'm New York City born and raised
But nowadays, I'm lost between two shores
L.A.'s fine, but it ain't home
New York's home, but it ain't mine no more."
I start this post off with the words of Neil Diamond, from his song "I Am I Said". Though after 29 years living in Los Angeles, I can't say that I am lost here, because it has truly become my home. But at times like this, that old feeling of being lost between two shores, comes back to me.
If you are a baseball fan, Saturday evening's anniversary game to celebrate The Los Angeles Dodgers 50th year in Los Angeles, has probably crossed your radar scope. They played a game in their first home in Los Angeles, The Coliseum. I happen to love the Coliseum, and was actually happy to see that something was being played there...but then that New Yorker feeling comes out of me. Please note that I was never a Brooklyn Dodger fan. I was born the year they won their only World Series. But my Mom...yes, my Mom was a Brooklyn Dodger Fan. More then a fan, she was a fanatic! I grew up listening to her cry about the loss of "Her Team" to that young upstart of a city, Los Angeles. I always wonder if she would have acted different, if she knew that her firstborn child would eventually make the hated Los Angeles, her home.
Folks, it may have been 50 years...but trust me on this, Brooklyn has NEVER forgiven Walter O'Malley for taking their heroes away from the only thing of note, that Brooklyn has ever had. When I return to the land of my birth, I have landed many times, at Newark Airport, which is just over the river from Staten Island and Brooklyn. As I drive to my home town on Long Island, I see more and more things dedicated to the memories that Brooklynites still have for their Dodgers. Parks, Bridges, Ball Fields and Streets, all dedicated to people like Gil Hodges.
I grew up a Met fan, so I know baseball quite well. I have attended many Dodger games over the years and I love to watch them play, but don't ask me to root for them, over my Mets. :-)
As a matter of fact, I watched last nights game, as they lost to Boston, 7 - 4 and I was rooting for them. I love Dodger Stadium and all that, it's a beautiful ballpark. As I said before, I was 3 when they left, so I hold no memories...but even I can see that no people have ever loved this team more, then the ones they left in Brooklyn. That's a fact that will never change.
Happy 50th Anniversary in Los Angeles...and many more.
==
Photos:
First picture is of
a commemorative book for
the 100th Birthday of
the Dodgers. We
attended a game that
year.
Second photo is
a mug commemorating
their only World Series
win as Brooklyn Dodgers.
It was my Mom's and now
it is mine. It sits on
my fireplace.
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In my travels around the web yesterday, I found a website dedicated to The Brooklyn Dodgers. They are mounting a campaign to have Gil Hodges inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. As a Met Fan, I totally support this move and I am positive any Brooklyn or Los Angeles Dodger fan, would agree. By the time I saw him, he was my team, the Mets, manager. He was the man who lead them to their first World Series, in 1969. If you are interested in this campaign, there are links below to who and how people get nominated to the Hall of Fame. You might be interested in checking it out.
Hall of Fame links.
Baseball Writers
Baseball Veterans
I read the song lyric and couldn't place it though it sounded familiar. The best I could come up with for an artist and song was Kim Croce's "New York's Not My Home," but I knew that wasn't right. Then when you mentioned Neil Diamond, I realized, "Of course!" It's been a while since I heard the song, though, as I don't have any Neil D. in my collection. I hope you realized that it's sort of a musical pun to use a snippet from Neil "Baseball" Diamond for this post.
ReplyDelete:-)
Friday night I read Ken Levine's mention of the game and his brief tongue-in-cheek characterization of the Coliseum.
I must confess I have not even a small measure of any affection for either the Dodgers or the Mets. You think being a Phillies fan has something to do with that? ;-)
When I think of the Dodgers, 1977 still rankles (Come on, ump, Bowa threw that guy out at first base!). And the Mets, well, at least my Phils ended up having the last laugh in that rivalry for the duration of the off season, but being the Phils they naturally had to then immediately go down in flames in the playoffs!
these days I don't follow sports with anything even approaching the fanaticism of my youth, but I still hope my local teams do well if just for all the general excitement and good will it generates. Of course, there hasn't been any such excitement since 1983 when the Sixers won the last Philly pro-team championship of any significant consequence. Which might have something to do with not being as much of a fan anymore.
I totally understand your loss of enthusiasm for baseball in general.
ReplyDeleteI don't check box scores anymore, I don't live and die for a team...but the funny thing was, last night, watching the game, it all comes back. Like a bicycle, you never forget the rules.
BTW: Last night during one of the half innings, they broadcast it totally in black and white...or as black and white and you can get in High Definition. It was cool. :-)
Teams I will never root for...
Cubs (1969 pennant race)
Atlanta (1969 Play offs)
Orioles (1969 Series)
Red Sox (1986)
Oakland A's (1973) We lost that one...sigh
Well, you get the drift.
Even though I grew up in NJ, I was a "dyed-in-the-wool" Dodger fan! We used to go to Ebbets Field all the time to see the games. I was one of those 'hurt' people when they moved to LA! Thanks for your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteMary
Thank you Mary. :-)
ReplyDelete