As baseball begins again,
it’s time to fall in love, but
this time with a cherished memory.
Like with your first girlfriend,
you never forget your first ballpark.
For me that was Ebbets Field.
the home of my beloved
Brooklyn Dodgers.
It was a small stadium,
but in my eyes it loomed large.
The capacity was just 31,902.
Distances to the outfield were short:
right field, 297 feet,
left field, 348, center, 393
almost Little League standards today.
The right field wall was covered with
ads – Schaefer Beer and “Hit Sign,
Win Suit,” courtesy of Abe Stark.
It was a most cozy place to play ball
where I could see my childhood heroes
parading like princes of the realm –
like Hodges, Snider and Reese.
In my mind’s eye I can still see them
swinging and catching,
these Lords of Brooklyn.
But most of all, I remember the field,
the place I truly called home.