Bronx, N.Y., May 16, 2004 — I felt like a school kid hoping for snow when my eyes opened Sunday morning, except that Junior would be pleading for precipitation, while I was hoping for exactly the opposite. And on this day in the Bronx, I hit the motherlode! After a sweltering week of 80-degree highs, long wet spells, and booming thunderstorms, the Saturday evening weatherman had hedged his bets, calling for “partly cloudy with periods of showers.” The Yankee Stadium sky proved him oh so wrong. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 14, 2004 — Sometimes you go to a ballgame, and get to see a dominating pitching performance overcome a similar effort by the opposing hurler, or perhaps just a struggling offense. Sometimes your pitchers can’t get anyone out, but the lineup puts together dynamic and fruitful rallies, and you go home a winner because your guys simply outscored the visiting nine. Certainly most games feature a combination of small things performed well, where you pitch a little bit, the offense succeeds often enough, and your team survives because of a concentrated group effort. Continue reading →

Bronx, N.Y., May 2, 2004 — Emerging from the Stadium tunnel to make my way down the steps to my seat on Sunday, I felt like Dorothy leaving her house after the twister: I walked out from the ballpark’s dark depths on a day that threatened all-day rain, and looked out to behold a beautiful Bronx afternoon dominated with blues and greens one finds on the sunniest of days in the Baseball Cathedral, under a vast expanse of blue sky dotted by but a few dark clouds. Continue reading →