MY TAKE ON THE PARK

BACK IN '93, THE REASON TO TAKE A TRIP TO SEE THE A/C YANKEES WAS TO SEE THE CAN'T MISS FUTURE PHENOM, BRIEN TAYLOR. WELL, ONCE AT THE GAME YOU KNEW THAT THE ONLY REASON TO GO BACK WOULD BE FOR THE NEXT PHENOM. IT'S OBVIOUS THE YANKEES FELT THE SAME WAY BECAUSE THEY PULLED OUT OF ALBANY, NEW YORK TWO YEARS LATER.

AT THE GAME, YOU PARKED BEYOND THE OUT FIELD WALL AND WALKED TOWARDS THE STADIUM TO A MAKE SHIFT TURNSTILE ENTRANCE. WALKING IN, THE BRICK STRUCTURE YOU WERE WALKING PAST WAS THE YANKEE LOCKER ROOM. I KNEW THIS BECAUSE A FEW OBNOXIOUS FOOLS THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO CONTINUOUSLY BANG ON THE DOOR TRYING TO GET A PLAYER TO COME OUT FOR AN AUTOGRAPH. SMART FANS IN ALBANY, HUH??

INSIDE, THE FANS CAN ONLY SIT DOWN THE FIRST BASE SIDE OR IN A SMALL GRAND STAND BEHIND HOME PLATE. BUT IF YOU GO, YOU'LL SIT ALONG THE FIRST BASE SIDE. THE SEATS ARE SMALL ALUMINUM BLEACHERS AND ARE UNCOMFORTABLE. MAYBE THAT WAS THE REASON THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST GAME I HAVE EVER GONE TO THAT THE ATTENDENCE WAS NOT ANNOUNCED.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HAS RETURNED TO THE ALBANY. THE TEAM IS NOW IN TROY, NY, THE TRI - CITY VALLEY CATS  AND I HAVE TO SAY, MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH ALBANY WAS NOT THE NORM. THE PLACE IN TROY IS A GREAT PLACE TO SEE A GAME AND A PLACE I RETURN TO ANNUALLY.