Aging Out of Pinstripes

As I mentioned in March’s Goodbye Old Friend, I was a completely obsessed to the point of driving my family and friends rather avid Yankees fan. Even though I no longer wear my large collection of Yankees Memorabilia or watch every inning of every single game of the pre-season , regular season, and playoffs as many games as I used to, Old Timers Day remains something I never miss and this season was no different and as always it was great watching the players of yesteryear going out and being the boys of summer once again.They still bleed Yankee Blue and if you cut deep enough, so do I.

The roster was as follows:

(*Denotes First-Time Old-Timer)
Luis Arroyo
Mike Easler
Reggie Jackson
Joe Pepitone
Jesse Barfield
Dave Eiland
Don Johnson*
Duane Pillette*
Yogi Berra
Cecil Fielder*
Pat Kelly
Mickey Rivers
Ron Blomberg
Whitey Ford
Don Larsen
Charlie Silvera
Homer Bush
Oscar Gamble
Hector Lopez
Bill “Moose” Skowron
Rick Cerone
Joe Girardi
Lee Mazzilli
Aaron Small
Chris Chambliss
Rich “Goose” Gossage
Gene Michael
Mel Stottlemyre
Horace Clarke
Ron Guidry
Diana Munson
Ralph Terry
Jerry Coleman
Charlie Hayes
Kay Murcer
Mike Torrez
David Cone
Rickey Henderson
Jerry Narron
Bob Turley
Bucky Dent
Arlene Howard
Jeff Nelson
Roy White
Al Downing
Helen Hunter
Graig Nettles
Hank Workman*
Brian Doyle
Don Mattingly

Do you see the six names in Blue? They, along with Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Tino Martinez, Paul O’Neil, and Mike Mussina (among other) who appear in last year’s game, are the ones that are the game changers. I used to watch Old Timers’ Day and see players my dad grew up watching, but these guys are the ones who made my memories. But it gets worse, phenomenal boy wonders like Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, and Alex Rodriguez are now the ones that the new players seek out for advices. The “Next Generation of Yankees” are now the grizzled veterans and the veterans are now managers, coaches, and Old Timers, not to mention the new new Yankees are now my age and younger.

And get this; it’s not just the Yankees! Last week, while watching the Celebrity vs. Legends All Star Softball Game, I repeatedly crapped all over Mike Piazza HE KNOWS WHAT HE DID sat in aww as the “legends” were the really great players from the teams that the Yankees were playing (you know the players I’d love to hate.)

So what does all this mean? Well, I guess it means that I am getting older (even if my wisdom teeth have decided I’m still young enough to teeth.) But I am okay with my age (see Twenty Four) I think my problem is that they age. I know that is illogical, and maybe I need mental help Probably Mike Piazza fault as he is the root of all problems but having the men I adored graying and wrinkled really hurts my inner child, but hey there’s nothing I can do about it.

Time passes, life goes on, people get older. One day I will be older than any player on the field (shuddering) but it could be worse, Coney and crew (or worse me) could have ended up like Thurman Munson who died before he ever aged out of Pinstripes.