Saturday, August 12, 2017

Meanwhile, in Another Universe...


I belong to a Facebook group devoted to NYC trains and subways.  Every once in a while, my interests in the Yankees and trains intersect like the shaded areas on one of those cool Venn diagrams from grade school.

The original post-er labeled the photo below "The IRT 4 train passing by the old Yankee Stadium Aug. 8, 1964."


Lest you think that train nerds are any less passionate and knowledgeable about their area of expertise than baseball nerds, consider the following comments that appeared under the photo of the subway:

  • When I was kid, I used to stand in the front car and waiting for the train to come out of the tunnel and Yankee Stadium awaited you. Awesome sight when you were 6/7 years old.

  • Looks like new R 29cars. They have the NYCTA emblem from the St. Louis car factory.
    • If the picture was taken in 1964 these are most likely 33/36's
    • 33/36 were on the 7 for the worlds fair. they were aquamarine blue and white. the 29's were delivered red with the NYCTA emblem.
    • R-33/36 were built red. R-26/28 were dark green.
    • There were two models of R33/36....R33 and R36, then R33 WF and R36 WF. The difference was the WF cars had the aquamarine color and new type pull in windows same as the R32. The R33 WF were single cars and 36WF married pairs. That allowed 11 car trains on the 7 Super Exp to the World's Fair.

    • <...the remainder of this "what model is it?" sub-thread is mercifully snipped...>

  • With the Yankees championship banners hanging from the facade it must be old timers day.
    • Very observant!

  • That's a great photo and a great year too. :-)

  • WOW!!! Sometimes you forget that it once looked like this.

  • Last of the good Mantle years.
And on and on and on.  Although train guys' vocabulary travels along a different highway, the argument concerning the exact model number of the subway cars reminded me of similar arguments among a group of baseball guys.  Anyone who thinks sabermetricians need to get a life only needs to hang out on a railfan board for a while. And, by "a while", I mean about 4 seconds.  To be fair, I did love the observation that the photo must have been taken on Old Timers Day due to the banners hanging on the facade.

Only two hours until game time.  I'm going to listen to some loud music, make a pitcher of sangria, and wait for Severino to shut the bastards down.

Go Yanks.

16 comments:

KD said...

Sweet!😄

HoraceClarke66 said...

Yanks lost, 6-5, in 10 that afternoon, to the Orioles, after coming back from a 5-2 deficit. Over 52,000 in the big park.

Joe Formerlyof Brooklyn said...


I hate to bring the subject back to our current sitch, but late news (just b4 game time SAT) is that Tanaka is now on the DL. They brought up Gallegos.

This is what some here foresaw, isn't it? CC Sabathia injured, Tanaka hiding an injury. Pinheada went bust, too, of course.

Sounds like the rotation against the Mets (and Boston after that) is going to be Sevvy, Monty, Sonny, Jaime, and maybe Gallegos or Mitchell penciled in at #5.

[that avoids the obvious -- 4 or 5 of the 5/6 starters listed are #5 starters, maybe...]

If we thought the bullpen had been beaten like.a rented mule up to this point, well -- it is likely to be "beaten like a dead mule" (or something).

Leinstery said...

Severino is a fucking asshole. And how about that patented Yankees offense int he 4th inning. Bases loaded no outs. Manage 1 run on a weak dribbler to the 1st baseman. Bunch of cunts this team

Pocono Steve said...

Jesus Christ on a Crutch, I'm sure glad I didn't watch a minute of this game. If you don't watch, your ass is pineapple-proof.

Local Bargain Jerk said...


I got excited -- light headed, even -- when Severino retired the side on six pitches in the first.

I shoulda known.

Anonymous said...

WE SHIT THE BED.

SALE TOMORROW.

I'M GONNA BE SICK AGAIN.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Hoping against all hope that this miserable, lifeless loss combined with Tanaka to the DL will FINALLY convince Cashman we are still rebuilding.

We have the horses, potentially, to still build something special, but it's at least two-three years away. If we're lucky, we really are where we were in 1993.

Something drastic has to be done about Judge, who is deteriorating before our eyes. Moving him down in the order should be a no-brainer. Sending him down to Dunder-Mifflin land until he gets his game together could help, but might be too psychologically shattering.

There is seriously nobody who can work with this guy, and get him back to being at least a .250 hitter again? Unbelievable.

Anonymous said...

I AGREE HOSS...... MOVE JUDGE DOWN IN THE ORDER.....

SOMETHING MUST BE DONE... NOW.

.....BUT EXPECTING THINGS TO CHANGE WITH GIRARDI (AND CASHMAN), ALWAYS TAKES WAY TOO LONG..... THE 2 OF THEM ARE NOT GOOD, SWIFT DECISION MAKERS..... THEN, WHEN THEY DO FINALLY MAKE A DECISION, IT'S PRETTY MUCH A WRONG ONE.

LIKE BRINGING UP GIOVANNY GALLEGOS TODAY .

ANOTHER STARTER WENT DOWN (TANAKA)..... WE NEED ANOTHER STARTER.

CHANCE ADAMS?

NOPE.

MORE CODDLING NEEDED.

HOW CAN WE SUBJECT HIM TO THE EVIL, DASTARDLY RED SOX???

THE ONLY WAY GALLEGOS MAKES SENSE IS IF WE MAKE WARREN START. WHICH I WOULD TOTALLY SUPPORT..... BUT GIRARDI LOVES TO HAVE WARREN IN THE PEN FOR THOSE ALL IMPORTANT 2 INNINGS HE PITCHES EVERY 2 OR 3 GAMES, WHEN WE ARE BEHIND.

WARREN IS GOOD IN THE PEN, BUT I FEEL LIKE HE IS WASTED THERE.... AND GIRARDI REFUSES TO START HIM, HE FLAT OUT REFUSES.

FUCKING CHRIS SALE TOMORROW.

TOMORROW WE WILL FACE THE RAZOR SHARP FUTURISTIC DECISION MADE BY THE SOX GM.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE WILL KEEP FACING SALE OVER AND OVER AGAIN NOT JUST FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR, BUT FOR MANY MORE YEARS TO COME.

WE ARE 4 GAMES OUT......EVER THINK WHAT THE REAL REASON IS?

CHRIS SALE.

P.S.) ...AND I DON'T WANNA HEAR WE BEAT HIM IN 2 OF THE GAMES HE STARTED AGAINST US.


HoraceClarke66 said...

"The razor sharp futuristic decision"—I love it, ALL-CAPS!

And you're right. The Sox decided they'd sacrifice Moncada to win now—and be a contender for at least 3-4 seasons. It may not prove to be the right move, but it was one they made quickly and decisively.

Cashman mooned for weeks over getting Sonny Gray, for a team that was not yet ready, if it will ever be, to make full use of him.

Would I be able to look at their talent, and our talent, and say which was the right decision beforehand? No. But that's what you're supposed to be able to do if you're a baseball GM. Cashman can't do it.

Anonymous said...

People often assume that the frieze at the old stadium was always white. But it started out copper-colored, and then, as the copper weathered over the years, it turned the mint blue-green seen in the photo above. It wasn't until 1966 or so that the frieze was painted white and the mint green seats repainted a garish blue. And it wasn't until the Fat Barbarian took over the team that the frieze was reduced to a symbolic remnant in center field.

Anonymous said...

LBJ.... WERE YOU A FAN OF THE SOPRANOS?

ONE OF THE CHARACTERS, IN IT'S FINAL SEASON 6, BOBBY BACALA, WAS A TRAIN FANATIC, AND OWNED AND PLAYED WITH TOY TRAINS AS HIS HOBBY.

TONY SOPRANO WAS ACTUALLY SHOT BECAUSE BACALA WAS PLAYING WITH HIS TRAIN COLLECTION.

ULTIMATELY, BOBBY BACALA WAS SHOT AND MURDERED IN A TRAIN SUPERSTORE, AS HE IS HOLDING A SUBWAY CAR CHATTING WITH THE STORE SALESMAN, "A BETTER CLASS OF PEOPLE WOULD BE IN THIS KIND OF A CAR..... IMAGINE BEING IN THIS CAR, SIPPING ON A NEGRONI?"

THIS POST MADE ME THINK OF THIS.

BE CAREFUL WITH TRAINS, LBJ...lol

Alphonso said...

I think I was in the upper deck, row 14 seat 16 on that day. See me in the dark shirt, just below the fluttering banner?

ranger_lp said...

I was at the 08/12/1964 game vs. the White Sox. Mantle hit HRs from both sides of the plate. Last time he ever did that...

Local Bargain Jerk said...


ULTIMATELY, BOBBY BACALA WAS SHOT AND MURDERED IN A TRAIN SUPERSTORE,

That Train Superstore is in Mountain Lakes, NJ. Steve Schirripa, the actor who played Bobby Bacala, has done autograph signings there.

There isn't a train guy alive who wasn't into The Sopranos...

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