Traffic is Light at All-Star Game

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July 16, 5:45 AM

by Bernie Thomas, Baltimore News and Traffic Examiner

 

 

“It ain’t over till it’s over.”

Yogi Berra

He—the cop—told me this would be the last All-Star game played at Yankee Stadium, the very same stadium where Baltimore native Babe Ruth played along with baseball greats such as Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra; all hated Yankees; except, of course, for Yogi. Everybody loves Yogi.                                                                                   

Welllll ... that’s too far to drive, considering the price of gas today, and Hypermiling wouldn’t get me there until dawn, assuming a New York driver didn’t shoot me beforehand. Besides, the game would be over, even if I did dodge the bullets. So I decided to go home and watch it there.

Did you know, that in spite of the good first half the Orioles had, there wasn’t a single Oriole starter? Nope! Not one. In fact, there wasn’t an Oriole on the roster, except for George Sherrill, and he didn’t play until the 12th inning. But he represented the Os in fine fashion. Honestly, did they really need six guys from Boston? Terry Francona makes seven. I didn’t think we were that bad. It wasn’t until the opening ceremonies that I finally saw an Oriole starter. They were all Hall-of-Famers, but if they had started, Orioles would have occupied five of the nine positions.

Jim “say what you want, he was a hellofa pitcher” Palmer, Eddie “take the new Ripken kid under my wing” Murry, Brooks “third base is my home” Robinson, “Cal “Iron Man” Ripken, and “Frank “longest home run ever hit in Memorial Stadium” Robinson. Add Earl “the dream” Weaver as manager, and buddy, you’re reliving Baltimore’s hay-days.

But they weren’t alone. Mike Schmitt, the second best third baseman to ever play the game, Ryan Sandberg, baseball’s first “million dollar man,” Al Kaline, Goose Gossage, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford. God, I remember seeing them play when I was a kid. Reggie Jackson. Who remembers that he played for The Orioles in ’76 ... the year before he joined The Yankees? I seem to remember being happy, he left. There was Lou Brock, George Brett, Rod Carew, and Tony Gwynn, who entered the Hall of Fame with Ripken. But of the players who were there, I’ve always been most impressed with Willie “basket catch” Mays, Ozzie “I can do a standing flip at short-stop” Smith, “Hammerin’” Hank Aaron, and, of course, the irrepressible Yogi Berra.

I must admit I was a little jealous watching Tim McCarver and Joe Buck interview Yogi. I’m sure they lost track of the game while hanging on his every word. I can’t blame them. I know I would have.

So, this is it for Yankee Stadium, but it’s not good riddance. Remember, we Baltimorons have memories there too. The one that comes to mind immediately is the Colt’s 1958 win over the Giants in sudden death; the greatest football game ever played.

We still have half the baseball season ahead of us, and we all know the O’s are a second-half club. That’s a good thing. I guess there’s just one thing left to wonder about. When Yankee Stadium comes down, will they find Jimmy Hoffa?

***

By the way, I knew the game was in New York. I just wanted to write about it, so I had to somehow tie it to traffic. Otherwise, my Editor—the lovely Anne—might assign me to Community Service, or Time Out, or Dish Washing Examiner for a week.
 

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