Last one out, turn off the lights!

The House that Ruth Built

1923 - 2008

In honor of this special evening, I wanted to relate a story my mother shared with me about her years growing up in the shadows of Yankee Stadium.

She would often roller skate with her friends in the stadium parking lots. One day, she fell and scraped herself up really badly. As she sat on the ground, bleeding and crying, a limosine pulled up next to her. The window opened, and a gentleman asked her if she was OK and if he could drive her home. Having the street smarts one would expect a girl who grew up in the Bronx would have, she declined the offer from the man to get in his vehicle. The window rolled up and the car drove away.

The guys with whom she had been rollerskating asked her, in shock, why she did not take the ride home. She said there was no way she was getting in a car with a stranger.

"Do you know who that was?" one of them asked.

"No, who was he?"

"That was Joe Dimaggio!" they shouted in unison. I am sure at that moment each and every guy in that group wished they were the one who had taken the spill.

My mother's reply:

"Who's Joe Dimaggio?"

UPDATE

Mike Hayes has a poignant reflection over at Busted Halo. I guess we can forgive him for being a Mets fan...

Rocco also has some thoughts about the "Last Call at the Cathedral" over at Whispers.

And, for your enjoyment...