The Last good Day of the Year

Yankee Stadium. September 21, 2008.

So the generation who grew up with the Yankees and the stadium now must say goodbye.

You have lived through the Depression, old girl, and too many wars including the big one in which America rallied for the right reasons and did the right thing, and made friends around the world. And everyone shared in it, from the grandson of Teddy Roosevelt, to the kid who could hit the spaldeen " three sewers " in the Bronx.

The great games on radio, then TV and, for those lucky ones, an occasional trip to the ballpark. It was awesome.

The names of the greatest players ever; the days when relief pitchers were the guys with bad arms and starters went nine; when Joe D got paid $85,000 a year and everyone was horrified with envy and a sense of excess.

It was great even when the "losers" came in , like the old Philadelphia Athletics, because they had future hall- of- famers and all stars playing for them, too.

So now they tear it down.

And our days, in a sense, have ended as well.

I don't know how to say thanks. I just hope I'll never give up trying.