Reading “A Day in the Bleachers”

Better late than never, I am reading “A Day in the Bleachers,” by Arnold Hano. It recounts in extraordinary detail Mr. Hano’s day sitting in the bleachers at the Polo Grounds, a quaint old ballpark that no longer exists–I believe Mr. Sinatra’s “There Used to Be a Ballpark” was about it.

The book is written about the game Hano attended on September 29, 1954 which happened to be game one of the World Series. Nowadays the World Series starts late in October and likely will end in November next season.

The game in 1954 is best remembered for New York Giants Willie Mays’ extraordinary catch in the 8th inning and was won by the Giants on pinch hitter Dusty Rhodes’ home run.

The San Francisco Giants celebrated this year’s World Series victory, their third in five seasons, by bringing the championship trophy to New York last week, honoring the team’s roots. Willie Mays was there and it was a positive, contemporary event.

Back to the book: its details, which includes Bob Feller of the opposing Cleveland Indians warming up at an advanced pitching age, and the interaction of the fans, not all of whom were rooting for the hometown Giants, makes incredible reading.

I am looking forward to finishing this great work rather soon. It will be my weekend highlight, the Super Bowl notwithstanding.