1962 Gene Woodling becomes the first major leaguer to play for both the Yankees and the Mets. In his National League debut, the 38-year old outfielder goes 2-for-4, scoring two runs for the new expansion team in an 8-7 loss to the Cubs at the Polo Grounds. (http://www.nationalpastime.com/)
I will follow up this, as Gene Woodling has a special meaning to me…..
When I was a kid it was popular with owners of station wagons to post on the rear side window small yellow stickers of places that they had visited. Whenever I would pass one I would stop look at the stickers, and think to myself, someday I am going to see them This also inspired me to reading about our National Parks and states. That youthful inquisitiveness has never left me and in 2010, my wife I headed out on our first 50 day cross country road trip since we have made three cross country trip plus 10 other road trips.
On the first trip heading back from California all I could think of was, I am going to see Mount Rushmore, except for Yellowstone National Park it the most popular sticker.
Also, aware of the Crazy Horse Monument, and before, and while on the trip would talk about it, to my friends, but to my surprise most of had never heard about it.
We stayed three days in Rapid City South Dakota, and visited Mount Rushmore three-times and it was never a disappointment. The second day we started out early first seeing Custer State Park, it is a large park with an abundance of prairie wildlife
Every September they bring in cowboys to do a buffalo roundup and about twenty thousand spectators watch from the hills. I highly recommend visiting it.
From there, we headed over to see the Crazy Horse Monument with no expectation. As you arrive off in the distance you get you first impression (the last image was taken from a mile away) of its size. Seeing it in person you realize the magnitude of the concept of this monument that started in 1947 by Korczak Ziolkowski, at the request of Sioux chiefs who said they wanted ”the white man to know the red man had great heroes too.” (The New York Time Oct 21 1982) Today with the passing of his wife two of their ten children carry on, and hope to finish this project by 2047. I think it will be difficult without public involvement, something that Korczak and the Sioux wanted to avoid….
These images all were taken in 2010 the fourth image is what the completed image will look like. To convey its scale all four heads on Mount Rushmore would fit into the opening under Crazy Horse arm…
If interested in purchasing any of these images contact me through
http://nyti.ms/1oeHMsE The New York Times Link
1922 The Yankees, who have been sharing the Polo Grounds with the Giants since 1913, begin construction on their own ballpark in the Bronx. The stadium will become known as the ‘House that Ruth Built,’ acknowledging the Babe’s popularity and influence. Visit http://www.ballparkprints.com see over 25 additional images from 1921 to 1937 the building of Yankee Stadium
1957 Reaffirming their decision to bar females from the Fenway Park’s male-only press box, Boston baseball writers deny a seat to Doris O’Donnell, a feature writer following the Indians.
1972 attending a New York Rangers game at MSG with my wife, and a friend who just landed a press job required us to pass through the press lounge and press box to get to our seats, we were stopped at the door and told we can enter but my wife could not. After a brief discussion and being told, no women are allowed to enter my wife said stay and went home, we lived in Manhattan, I also was going to leave but, my insisted I stay… Shortly after this the rules changed, but the behavior from the male press core was still rough on those early female reporters …
Busch Memorial Stadium 1973
On May 12, 1966, four days after the final baseball game played at Sportsman’s Park, Busch Memorial Stadium opened with the St. Louis Cardinals winning 4 -3 in 12 innings over the Atlanta Braves. In 1970 the grass field was replaced with Astro Turf to make the conversion from baseball to football easier.
On May 12, 1966, four days after the final baseball game played at Sportsman’s Park, Busch Memorial Stadium opened with the St. Louis Cardinals winning 4 -3 on a Lou Brock single in 12th inning over the Atlanta Braves. In 1970 the grass field was replaced with Astro Turf to make the conversion from baseball to football easier.
Hilltop Park
Following the 1902 season, under the new ownership of Frank Farrell and Bill Devery, the American League Baltimore franchise was moved to Manhattan. The team then became known as the New York Highlanders. Their first home ballpark, which was built in six weeks, received its name, Hilltop Park, because it was situated on top of a hill overlooking the Hudson River. It opened on April 30, 1903, with the Highlanders winning 6-2 over Washington. The final game at Hilltop Park is played on October 5, 1912. In 1913 the team began playing in the Polo Grounds and were now known as the New York Yankees. Hilltop Park’s original location was at West 168th Street, Fort Washington Avenue, 165th Street, and Broadway in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. It was demolished in 1914 and is now the site of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.
Of the first three photographers, I highlighted two I meet and worked with, Ernst Hass and Dan Budnik at Frenchy’s Color Lab in NYC. Frenchy’s and there was a Frenchy who was one of those bigger than life characters he came to New York from France around 1947-48 and started working in the New York as a motorcycle messenger. In 1969 Frenchy opened Frenchy’s Color Lab and it quickly became one of the top two Dye Transfer printing houses in the world.
I graduated from the Germain School of Photography in the spring of 1971 and started working as a studio freelance assistant photographer doing lighting set-ups, loading film, developing film sometimes, printing and whatever else needed to be done in the course of a day that started before 8AM and usually ending late at night for about $20.00 a day. I loved it, and never thought of it has work.
One of the photographers I encountered (1971) was Art Kane someone whose work I admired. That same year 1971 late summer I got a job at Frenchy’s, because the guy in front of me wanted $105 and I accepted $100 per week. It was a life changing and over time will expand. Around 1977 Art Kane walked in, he knew Frenchy and was now looking to get back in the business and get his career on track again. Over the next five years, I would see Art Kane, and we have lunch, and dinners while working together.
Art Kane was originally going to be the first photographer for these weekend blogs but as I read up on him I realized how personal it was to me knowing him as I did. When rereading his New York Times obituary stopped me cold again the same way it did in 1995.
http://www.whatgoesaroundnyc.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/the-who-life-1968-by-art-kane.jpg/
50 Best Baseball Nicknames Ever | AthlonSports.com.
When I was a kid we all wanted nicknames like the ballplayers…..
Charles A. Weeghman owner of the Federal League team, Chicago Chi-Feds, played their home opener on April 23, 1914, in Weeghman Field In 1915 the Federal League folded. Weeghman then formed a syndicate including the chewing gum manufacturer William Wrigley Jr. to buy the Chicago Cubs from Charles P. Taft. The start of the 1916 season the Cubs moved from the West Side Grounds to Weeghman Field. In 1926, the ballpark was renamed “Wrigley Field.”
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1914.shtml
BALLPARK PRINTS 
