July 15, 2008

SID BLOG by Kyle Serba

My love for the game of baseball began as a kid growing up in upstate New York. Even before I was eligible to play little league baseball, I tossed the ball around the backyard with my dad and dreamed of one day playing shortstop for my favorite team, the New York Yankees.

Every summer my father took our family on about a two-hour drive south to New York City to see the Yankees play inside "The House That Ruth Built." I have fond and lasting memories of Yankee Stadium; not for the games that were played, but for the atmosphere inside the stadium.

I'll never forget my first glance inside Yankee Stadium. I walked up the first tunnel we came to (not even the section where our seats were, but I couldn't resist) and I saw the greenest grass I had ever seen. The outfield walls were the purest blue. All of the colors of the stadium were so vibrant. I also remember the sounds of the stadium - the crack of the bat echoing through the half-full bleachers during batting practice and the constant chatter from fans and vendors during the sold-out game.

So I was a little sentimental and emotional on Monday night as I sat with my 8-year-old son to watch the All-Star Game's Home Run Derby for the first and last time inside Yankee Stadium, since the wrecking balls will destroy a legendary monument at the end of the 2008 baseball campaign.

As the two of us witnessed history, I shared stories with him about when I played baseball at his age, turning an unassisted triple play and blasting home runs with a 34-inch bat that was way too big for me (I used a 33 ½-inch bat in college).

I also reminisced with him about my memories of Yankee Stadium. I admit there were times I got a little choked up as I peered at my son with his wide, admiring eyes watching home run balls soar through the air and he turned to me with an excited smile and said, "Did you see that one daddy?"

During home run breaks, the telecast told stories of Yankee Stadium and why the building was so legendary. Besides the obvious Hall of Fame Yankee players and the World Series championships, the announcers spoke of the 1958 NFL championship game when Johnny Unitas charged the Colts to an overtime win over the New York Giants, boxing matches pinning Joe Lewis against Max Schmeling (1938) and Mohammad Ali versus Ken Norton (1976), and even visits to the stadium by several Popes.

Then, for a moment, I slid off my emotional father hat and placed my SID lid on my head and thought, "Hey, the NCCU Eagles are a part of Yankee Stadium history too."

In fact, the NCCU Eagles played two games inside Yankee Stadium during the annual Whitney Young Urban League Classic against Grambling State University in the mid-1980s.

In the Eagles' first visit to Yankee Stadium on Sept. 21, 1985, Grambling amassed 476 total yards and cruised to a 45-14 victory.

In the Eagles' final trip to Yankee Stadium on Sept. 20, 1986, NCCU sophomore quarterback Earl "Air" Harvey passed for 254 yards and two touchdowns with another score on the ground during a narrow 32-24 loss to the Tigers.

This, however, was far more than just another sporting event. Fans were treated to halftime activities that included celebrities such as Full Force and "Dr. J" Julius Erving and of course the explosive and entertaining marching bands.

So as you watch the final All-Star Game played inside Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night, remember that NCCU football student-athletes once dug their cleats into the finely manicured stadium turf. Remember that the cheers of Eagles fans once rang through the stadium bleachers. Take pride in knowing that the NCCU Eagles are a part of Yankee Stadium history.

I know I will.