Ode to Yankee stadium

It is Yankee Stadium,
The Cathedral of the Game.
Nowhere else in Baseball lies
A venue quite the same.
For more than eighty years it’s stood
As Baseball’s very best.
But soon they’ll swing the wrecker’s ball
And put the House to rest.

Its life began in ’23
When they opened the front door.
No one could have imagined
What greatness lay in store.
Football games and civic events,
Yankee dreams and Yankee hopes.
Twenty-six World Championships
And visits from three popes.

The first of the legends was “Babe” Ruth
Later joined by “The Iron Horse.”
DiMaggio reigned in center field
As did Mickey Mantle, of course.
Dickey, Berra, Munson and Howard
All sat behind the plate.
Pennants and World Series wins,
Piled up at a glorious rate.

Rizutto scooted around short
Now Jeter holds sway there.
Mattingly mastered at first base
A “Donny” miscue rare.
Whitey, Guidry and Gomez,
Raschi, Reynolds and Lopat.
Reggie’s Series home-run blasts;
His was the hot October bat.

Richardson played second base,
Willie Randolph did the same.
Wells and Cone threw perfect games;
Larsen’s came in a Series game.
Murphy, Page and Rivera,
Pitching from out of the pen;
Saving games for their Yankee teams
Again and again and again.

Rolfe and Dugan at the hot corner;
Clete Boyer played there great.
It once was owned by Greg Nettles,
Ask the Dodgers of ’78.
Johnson, Boggs and Brosius,
Through the years they got the nod,
And now its current occupant —
The man they call A-Rod.

From ’49 to ’53
The Yankees won it all.
Five straight pennants and
Five of the Classics in the Fall.
And in that final Series game
The loudest roar was heard
When Martin singled through the box
And Bauer rounded third.

McCarthy, Huggins and Stengel
Led the Yanks in all their glory.
In recent years the titles came
On the watch of Joe Torre.
We heard the voice of Bob Sheppard
As players came to bat.
And the golden voice of Mel Allen
Asked us all “Howa bout that?”

From time to time it was boxing
That took to center stage.
In ’38 Schmeling came to the Bronx
Representing Hitler’s rage.
But in just over two minutes
It was Max flat on his back.
It’s as if Joe Louis had said:
“Hey, Adolf, Howa bout that?
Right after nine-eleven, thousands
Came to cry and pray.
Remembering all the events
Of that infamous day.
And a hundred twenty-three thousand,
Despite the August heat,
Showed up in 1950
To see Jehovah’s Witnesses meet.

Knute Rockne was there and he brought
The boys from Notre Dame.
He once invoked “the Gipper”
Urging them to win the game.
And Billy Graham preached there and
Tried to reach into every soul.
And there were even concerts by
Pink Floyd and Billy Joel.

In 1956, the New York
Football Giants moved in.
Like the Yanks before, the Polo Grounds
Was where they had been.
They stayed for almost twenty years
’Til they moved to Yale, then Shea.
So for many years there was Football
On Any Given Sunday.

Johnny Mize was “The Big Cat”
Bill Skowron was “The Moose”
The fans loved “Old Reliable”
And Gossage was “The Goose.”
And none will soon forget, for sure,
The Stadium’s church-like peal;
When, throughout the whole Cathedral,
Fans chanted “Paul O’Neill.”

And once in a while
Some Yankee foes
Stopped by to see the place.
Ty Cobb was there with the Tigers when
The park had a brand new face.
Wynn, Lemon and Garcia
Pitched so very, very tough.
And Bobby Thompson came after
The thrill of Coogan’s Bluff.

Ted Williams often came there, too,
Along with other Red Sox.
Hank Greenberg hit long home runs there
And so did Jimmy Foxx.
Jackie Robinson once stole home
Yogi’s protest was in vain.
And when Brett’s home run was nullified,
George nearly went insane.

But soon will come a great death knell
Heard on this hallowed ground.
It soon will pass to history
All will be a muted sound.
But hopes and dreams may spring anew
As it moves across the street.
Let’s raise a glass and make a toast –
To the memories; they’re so sweet!