40 Years Ago This Summer
Thanks to my CCNY classmate Bryan Nazario, we've climbed into the Time Machine and dialed up Wednesday August 7th, 1968. The place is Yankee Stadium -- before the 1974 renovation. After a rainout the night before, the Yankees and Oakland A's are playing a doubleheader. In a year when the Yanks weren't contenders and barely drew a million people, it wasn't too hard to come up with really good seats.
Look carefully at the Yankee 1st baseman. Wearing number-7, it's Mickey Mantle. In his final season, his speed and range sapped by numerous leg injuries, his days in center field are a memory.
By shooting in black and white, Bryan captured a different mood -- almost Hitchcockian as another thunderstorm turned the sky steel gray. The lights went on and the crowd expected an interruption in the action.
The sky opened, the game was halted and the ground crew took over.
Below, Mother Nature throws her own form of a curve ball. Have you ever seen a tarp rise like that? Bryan captured an amazing moment.
As things began to dry out, Yankee broadcaster Jerry Coleman chats with reliever Lindy McDaniel.
The storm moved on, the players returned... and on the scoreboard... the Yankees and A's split.
New York won the opener 3-0 with Mel Stottlemyre tossing a shuout. Oakland took the nightcap 4-3, in 10 innings. Thanks again to Bryan for bringing his camera, holding onto these amazing images and sharing it with us.
Look carefully at the Yankee 1st baseman. Wearing number-7, it's Mickey Mantle. In his final season, his speed and range sapped by numerous leg injuries, his days in center field are a memory.
By shooting in black and white, Bryan captured a different mood -- almost Hitchcockian as another thunderstorm turned the sky steel gray. The lights went on and the crowd expected an interruption in the action.
The sky opened, the game was halted and the ground crew took over.
Below, Mother Nature throws her own form of a curve ball. Have you ever seen a tarp rise like that? Bryan captured an amazing moment.
As things began to dry out, Yankee broadcaster Jerry Coleman chats with reliever Lindy McDaniel.
The storm moved on, the players returned... and on the scoreboard... the Yankees and A's split.
New York won the opener 3-0 with Mel Stottlemyre tossing a shuout. Oakland took the nightcap 4-3, in 10 innings. Thanks again to Bryan for bringing his camera, holding onto these amazing images and sharing it with us.
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