I want to start by talking about baseball players past. That story begins with my grandmother. She grew up in Brooklyn, and was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan until the day she past in 1996. That also means she hated my beloved Yankees, and rooted for the Mets by default ( although I don't think the Mets ever really replaced her love for the Dodgers). Some of her stories stick in my head as if she told me them yesterday, and the envy I felt as she told me them still exists to this day. The thing about my Grandmothers stories is that most of them were not about a times she spent in Ebetts Field, but where about how the Dodgers players live and interacted in the community. As some may know not only did the Dodgers play in Brooklyn , but most including Gil Hodges lived and worked in Brooklyn after the season ended. You could walk down Flatbush Ave and see the players walk down the street almost everyday. They would take the time to talk to kids, play stick ball with the kids, and just give there time to their neighborhood. During the season players would give free, and I do mean FREE, tickets to the kids on the streets. She would say the Dodgers were the life line of Brooklyn because they gave back year round to the fans that cheered them. They Cared about Brooklyn! They interacted with the fans, and not for the money but because they cared about the Fans... They Cared about Brooklyn.
I know that is only one persons prospective but there are book and documentaries that suggest the same thing. Although I do remember my father saying he was once shooed off by a very intoxicated Mickey Mantle.
As I grow older I often wonder what stories I will tell my grand kids about the team I love " The New York Yankees". I know I will have some great stories about one of the greatest teams ever, but that will only be about a team. You see I love the Yankees, but I don't really have any attachment to the players. I could give you a story about Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez, Paul O'neill and how they played on the field, but the only stories I have about meeting them are the money I had to spend on their autographs. When I think about things I have lost some love of "The Game", and don't feel the necessity to watch games or root for my team as I once did. Although I do love the moments that happen in professional baseball ( Like watching the Red Sox that last few years, and marveling about how good they are).I also love watching my sons little team , and enjoy watching the enjoyment the kids have when the do something good.
I guess ,all and all ,I wish I lived in an era where Major League baseball cared more about its fans. I wish the teams and players cared more about the fans. I wish I had some attachment to my team and the players like my Grandmother once did. The business of baseball had taken away from my love of baseball. Although there are record numbers of fans attending games now I feel that the business of baseball will eventually lead to the end of baseball.
