Paul Simon remembers Yankee Stadium

“Just lay it in there,” I told Artie. “I want to see how far I can hit it.” It was 1968, the year Mickey Mantle retired and “Mrs. Robinson” was nominated for a Grammy. Simon and Garfunkel had gotten permission to make a video at Yankee Stadium. As an ex-high school baseball player (all-Queens second team), I was eager to test my left-handed swing against the fabled “short porch” in right field. After fouling off a couple of pitches I finally hit one on the screws, as they say. The ball arced gracefully and landed in what could be charitably called medium right field, about 250 feet from home. Porch not short enough. Stickball was really my game anyway. (NYT)

As for me, I'm dealing well with the fact that I never got to see a game at "The Stadium." Truth is, I can deal with it. I always suspected I'd find the place a little too... obnoxious, I guess. Give me Camden Yards any day.

Of course, I'll be rootin' for the O's tomorrow night, though I'm not totally immune to the emotion of the last game at The House that Ruth Built. Not at all. To recall the immortal wisdom of Crash Davies:

"One more dying quail a week, and you're in Yankee stadium."