A Memorable Memorial Day
Fifty seven years ago today, I walked out of Shea Stadium around midnight with a smile on my face. My beloved Giants had just beaten the Mets in a doubleheader. The second game went 23 innings and took 7.23 hours to play.
Please don’t be mad. In 1964, I was a freshman at NYU and a die-hard Willie Mays fan. I did switch my allegiance 16 years later when Flushing became my home. What a Memorial Day it was for me.
I saw Gaylord Perry pitch 10 innings to get the win the nightcap and watched the Say Hey Kid play a few innings at shortstop. My soon to be close friend Ed Kranepool saw action in all 32 innings at first base and went 4–14 on the day.
My buddy Charlie and I devoured the refreshment stands. We ate hot dogs, fries, soda, ice cream and cracker jacks. We took trains and buses to get back to our homes in Clifton, NJ. I walked into my home at about 3 AM on June 1. It as an experience never will forget.
