I'm on my way to New York today to meet up with the Major League team. As the years have passed, I've traveled less and less with the Major League team, and now most of my travel is for the draft or to our minor league affiliates. This trip, however, is a must.
Since this is the final year of Yankee Stadium, our owner, John Moores, decided to take the entire Padres staff to New York to experience the city and the stadium. Though I've been to Yankee Stadium many times with both the Indians and the A's, including a bunch of raucous playoff games, I haven't been there in a number of years, so I'm glad to get the chance to go again.
What makes this trip even more special, though, is that I'm taking my oldest son, who is 4.
I debated whether or not I should take him, as I'm sure the City will be overwhelming. However, the clincher for me was that I know when he's fifty it'll mean something to him to be able to say that his dad took him to the OLD Yankee Stadium, the House that Ruth Built, where he saw ARod and Jeter and Trevor Hoffman (his favorite player). Cue Ray Kinsella.
I don't know how much he'll remember of the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Broadway Show, Grand Central Station (I haven't told him we're doing all of these things yet), or the Stadium, but I'll remember every minute of it.
13 comments:
As someone who lives outside the city and is prone to taking it for granted, I wish you the best of luck on your trip to all parts outside of Yankee Stadium. Hopefully everything outside the Bronx makes up for not seeing Hoffman at all in the series (or so we Yankee fans hope).
That's an absolute must. Regardless of what people think of the Yankees, that is the mecca of baseball in terms of on the field history. He will definitely be thankful for your choice to take him one day down the line.
As for the other aspects of NY, I'd recommend taking him to FAO Schwarz on 5th Ave. Toy stores are a dying breed in this generation of kids, but FAO never ceases to amaze people. It's probably one of the only toy stores in America where a kid can leave it without getting anything and still be the happiest kids in the world.
Take lots of pictures. I'm jealous. I was hoping to get out of Chicago this summer to see that place before they tear it down.
Been sitting at the gate for four hours enduring multiple delays. Activities running low...
FAO Schwartz is definitely on the schedule, as I went there as a little boy, but I heard that it's no longer there. The rec I got was to go to Toys R Us in Times Square.
I'm leaving for New York tomorrow to catch a couple of the games. I've never been and I doubt I'll get much sleep tonight.
Paul, as a NY'er with family in SD, welcome! Since you will likely have better access than the rest of us, see if you can get a tour of the New Yankee Stadium. Even just standing outside, it looks incredible. If you get inside, let us know what you think.
As far as things to do in midtown, take him to the Central Park Zoo (if he's seen the movie Madagascar, he might remember the "zoo"!). It's going to be SD-like weather this week (mid-70's) so enjoy the walk-around.
This article from the Eugene newspaper today ...
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=113826&sid=7&fid=2
... does not mention Allan Dykstra as being on the way to the Eugene roster.
When do you hope/expect he'll be in uniform, and where?
In case you're looking for one more idea for what to do in NYC, I was there for the first time last July (on the way to Cooperstown for TG's HoF induction) and enjoy'd taking a quick subway ride to Brooklyn and then walking the Brooklyn Bridge back into Manhattan.
FAO is still there, northeast corner of 5th and 58th.
I'm leaving San Diego myself tomorrow to take in Thursday's day game. Life long baseball fan but I've always lived on the West Coast. Can't wait to see NYC and Yankee Stadium. Here's hoping for some Hoffman appearances and a nice series for Headley.
We hit FAO Schwartz today after going to the Children's Museum of Manhattan on the Upper West Side. I got some classic video of him walking into the store as his eyes widened.
I hope that you are enjoying the city, Paul, but please keep in mind: this incarnation of Yankee Stadium (born in time for the '76 season) is no shrine.
NY Sun writer Andrew Marchman said it best during a recent www.bizofbaseball.com interview:
"[T]here's really little that’s more hilarious in baseball than the pretense that this giant concrete bowl is some magnificent cathedral and monument to the glories of the game. It just drips with pompousness and fake old-timiness, and I won’t miss it at all…."
If Yankee Stadium is a classic, then Shea is Stonehenge. ;-)
By the way, give the family's arteries a treat and visit the best deli in town, the venerable Second Avenue Deli (now located on 33rd between Third and Lex, go figure.)
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