September 29, 2003
Closing Down The House(s)
Yesterday wasn't just the end of the 2003 regular season, it was also the last day for baseball at Veteran's Stdium in Philadelphia, as well as Qualcomm (nee Jack Murphy) Stadium in San Diego. Though Qualcomm will host San Diego Chargers football for the next few years, it was closing time for the Vet yesterday, and the Phillies organization made sure the day would be a memorable one by bringing back a number of their all-time greats to help re-live some of the franchise's greatest moments since they moved into the Vet in 1971. Follow this link to the coverage at Philly.com.
For me, the Vet will always evoke memories of the team that dominated the old National League East in the 1970s. Carlton, Boone, Schmidt, Luzinski, Cash, Bowa, Maddox and McGraw. That was Phillies baseball for me back then, and the team I'll remember for the rest of my life.
With the Vet gone, we've completely lost the connection to three teams that dominated the National League in the 1970s. In the past few season we've lost Riverfront (The Big Red Machine), Three Rivers (Stargell and Clemente's Pirates), and now the Vet. In the future, whenever I see home games from those three cities, they just won't look right ever again.
The feeling in San Diego was much the same. There was an important moment late in the game, as Rod Beck intentionally walked Todd Helton, robbing the Colorado first baseman of a shot at the batting title, and giving it to Albert Pujols of St. Louis by mere percentage points. Though Padres manager Bruce Bochy apologized to Helton during the game, Beck and catcher Gary Bennett didn't think twice when the orders to walk Helton came from bench coach Tony Muser.
I caught two Padres games at Qualcomm back in 2001, and thought the bleacher seats were one of the best bargains in baseball. A bargain like that will probably be hard to find at the team's new downtown home at Petco Field, but the downtown location ought to be a winner. I found the fans in San Diego to be knowledgable and friendly, and I hope they enjoy their new home. They deserve to.
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03:51 PM