Quoteth Adlai Stevenson, the
Presidential contender, on losing the nomination to J F K, in the 9th inning of
stormy Democratic conventions.
II
Yet in the City that never
sleeps, the spectators are for the most part immigrants listening with their
third ear, visionaries into the Statute of Liberty’s legacy.
Even the players themselves from their sandlot
roots..... the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Costa Rico,
Venezuela, Argentina, Australia, playing out their little leaguer multi lingual
aggressions and match ups....right handed hitters versus left handed hurelers
and vice versa.
The fans identified with their
moments of glory and despair,( not hitting in the clutch, leaving men on base
(except for Ibanez’s homers) their highs
and lows.
Granted the names of Sultan of
Swat, **the Iron Horse, the Yankee Clipper, Yogi’s “itis not over till its
over”, Red Ruffing, Johnny Mize, Red Rolfe Joe Gordon, Crosetti, M and M boys,
the Scooter”, Bill Dickey, Spud Chandler“Old Reliable,”Casey Stengel in his
winning constancy as manager.
”Mr October” Billy Martin
Don Zimmer, Joe Page Don Mattingly, Don Larsen’s World Series no hitter,,
Lefty Gomez, Mike Messina, Joe Torres,
Bernie, O’Neil, Tito Martinez
“John Sterling & his
“companero” “Susan Waldman” in the radio booth.,Sterling “erudition” for 26
years in that role.
**“”I’m the luckiest man alive”(Lou Gehrig) metamorphoses as ”We’re the luckiest humans alive”
III
And of course, the surrogate father
owner, George Steinbrenner, the
aristocrat who was never at a loss for words in assembling his own field of
erstwhile Little League dreamers.
Burnt out “mojo”..
IV
The Yankee manager’s father and
role model dying,(alzheimers) the team’s strategist tending to the last rites
near the end.. The Captain and shortstop, Derek Jeter, fracturing his ankle in
the post season.
The clutch hit never showing up,
players left on base.
The greatest relief pitcher Mo Rivera ( on the
mound, at his New Rochelle diner) gone for
the season, Andy Pettit coming
out of retirement for his last hurrah in his field of dreams, playing out in
the new House that Ruth built.
V
The empathy and joy of
identifying with these heroic optimistic pin strippers, regardless of their
demons plaguing their souls, we’re witnesses to their agonies and stress.
VI
Where else on our minor planet,
can we discover ourselves among these larger than life pin strippers as
ourselves and our palpitating hearts, trying to discover our moments of being
alive in our own field of dreams that
transcend Picasso and Braque’s surrealism.
*******
The “say hey” kid at 81 years
(Willie Mays), inspirational Jackie Robinson on a squeeze bunt, stealing home
in a swirl of dust, breaking the color line across the River, at Ebbets Field..
The Robert Merrill Gladys
Gooding song of songs, Hilda with her clashing pots and pans band, Sinatra ‘s
“New York, New York”, the fans sounding “Cookie” into their own 9th
inning allegory playing out .
For the ages....
The City that never sleeps,
October 20, 2012
