The last game has been played in the House that Ruth Built. When
the wrecking ball swings later this year, all that will be left are
memories. Future Perfect Tommy and I were able to attend a number
of games at the Stadium but FPT and his generation never had the
pleasure of listening to Phil Rizzuto call a Yankee baseball game.
This cache is dedicated to the memory of the Scooter. Although Phil
was a superb shortstop, most will remember his broadcast career,
calling games for the Yankees on radio and television for over
forty years. Thanks for the memories.
As for the cache:
Scene: Yankee Stadium, sometime late in the summer in
1977…
"Nobody out and the Orioles are threatening here
in the top of the ninth with Ken Singleton at the plate and the
Yankees holding onto a one run lead. Uh-oh, Singleton got a hold of
that one! It’s deep to center. Nobody’s gonna get to that one! Holy
cow! Rivers got it! Unbelievable! White, did you see that?!
Whooaaaah. Unbelievable. Mickey Rivers reached over the wall and
robbed Singleton of a homer! This Yankee ballclub is something! One
out and now the dangerous Eddie Murray comes up with Bumbry now at
second. Lyle delivers. Strike one. Hey White, you know where your
loyalties are? Right here. The old pinstripes. No. You never wore
them. So you have a right to sing the blues. Ball one to Murray.
It’s very chilly. As a matter – I’m telling you, I’ve been
freezing. My hands are cold. I have low blood pressure anyway. And
arthritis. Ball two. I really should be going home. I gotta get
over that bridge. Oh, Murray lines one to right and Bumbry’s going
to try to come around to score. Jackson’s up with the ball and
throws home. This is going to be close… They got ‘em! Munson held
onto the ball and Bumbry is out! Did you see that?! Perfect throw
by Jackson. My heart, I can’t take it.
“Now DeCinces is up with two out and Murray on first. Hey White,
did I ever tell you about a restaurant up in Westchester called the
Roman Gardens? Joe DiMaggio loves that place. Italian food.
DeCinces fouls it off. Anyway, Nat Racine, one of the owners, had
invited me up there for lunch. Right? What is that, White? What are
you pointing at? I was trying to tell a story here and you
interrupted me. Ball one. One ball, one strike. Yankees up by a
run. Michelle wants to say “Happy birthday to T-Bone”. That’s his
name: T-Bone. Murray leads off first. Two balls and a strike. You
know what they had on TV today White? Bridge on the River Kwai.
Everybody should have gotten an Academy Award for that movie. I
don’t know how many times I’ve seen it. About forty times. Alec
Guiness! William Holden! Fouled off, count’s even. I just heard
somebody whistle. You know that song? That’s what they whistle.
DeCinces lines one deep to the gap. It’s in for extra bases. That’s
trouble. Rivers cuts it off in the gap! They're going to have to
hurry. Murray’s gonna try to score! No, they’re trying to hold
Murray up at third. Lyle cuts off the throw and throws to Nettles!
They got ‘em! Holy cow! Murray overran third and Nettles tagged him
out! Unbelieveable. What a finish! How do you like that. That’s the
game - another great Yankee win.
"I’ll be home soon, Cora!"
Portions of the foregoing narrative "borrowed" from O Holy
Cow!: The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto. For those who dash
and grab, be warned that you will encounter no less than 13 speed
bumps in Gedney Park before you reach the parking lot near the
header coordinates. If you are more inclined to take a nice stroll
through the woods then park at the entrance and head up the steep
slope by the playground (perfect for winter sledding) and look for
the trail markers at the top on the right.
If you are bushwacking for more than 100 feet, you're doing it
the hard way. On the way in (or out) of Gedney Park, feel free to
pay a visit to the new 9/11 memorial near the park’s entrance.
After some embarrassing
delays, it was finally completed recently.
Error check: Sum of the North decimals is 19 (e.g, header decimal
coords sum is 21) and the sum of the West decimals is 14 (e.g,
header decimal coords sum is 16)
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