New York, New York

Baseball activities abound in my favorite American city.

In late summer, I made a highly anticipated trip to New York City for my cousin’s wedding celebration. After some talk of logistics, my family got down to business: on which day should all of us visit Yankee Stadium? We settled on a Wednesday matinee taking place on August 3 against the Seattle Mariners. With New York ace Gerrit Cole on the mound, what could go wrong?

As we made our way into the stadium, a dual nightmare took place. Even for an afternoon game, fans jammed the sidewalks and entry was very slow. Cole also had an abysmal first inning in surrendering home runs to Eugenio Suárez, Carlos Santana, and Jarred Kelenic. When the literal dust settled, Seattle had scored six runs on five hits and one walk. Cole would pitch five scoreless frames after that, but the damage proved to be irreparable.

My sister Lauren and I opted to visit the stadium’s museum because it closes around the conclusion of every game. One of the coolest exhibits is a massive display of autographed baseballs. Naturally, I found one signed by my childhood idol Bernie Williams. We admired the World Series trophies before posing for photos in front of a locker room display with the added bonus of having our name in lights. Because I grew up during the dynasty years of the late ‘90s, the tributes to Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter were especially interesting.

Unfortunately, Aaron Judge had the day off and a Kyle Higashioka home run was close to the only Yankee highlight in a 7-3 defeat. Not to be deterred, I planned a trip to New Jersey to visit the Yogi Berra Museum. In past years I had hoped to make it but the distance appeared to be prohibitive. This time, I dedicated a day for the trip to Montclair and came away pleasantly surprised.

From my brother’s apartment in Brooklyn, I rode the subway to Penn Station where I caught a New Jersey Transit train. After about an hour, I disembarked at the Montclair State University station and walked through a sports complex to reach the museum.

Before he won 10 championships as catcher for the Yankees, Berra grew up in an area called The Hill which is the Italian section of St. Louis, Missouri. His father actually helped build the St. Louis Arena where the Blues hockey team once played. I remember it being demolished when I lived there in 1999. Berra was actually asked to stop practicing hockey during his baseball career due to concerns about him getting injured. Berra would end up settling in New Jersey and setting up a foundation to facilitate the creation of the museum, among other endeavors.

The collection commemorates a life well lived as a player, soldier, manager, family man, and cultural icon. There was also a special exhibit about Billie Jean King, the tennis icon and part owner of the Dodgers. Berra popularized expressions like “it ain’t over ‘til it’s over” which gave him recognition even away from the ballpark. That ranks him among Yankee greats like Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. Speaking of the Mick, I spotted this painting by LeRoy Neiman at the Museum of the City of New York on a different day.

I had hoped to visit the brand new Jackie Robinson Museum in Manhattan (surprisingly, not Brooklyn where the baseball pioneer played professionally). However, despite an opening ceremony it wasn’t open to the public at the time. Instead, I contented myself with lunch at De Novo in Upper Montclair a short train ride back the way I had come.

When my brother-in-law and I decided to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I suggested the Jefferson Burdick collection of baseball cards. This display recalls a time when the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers still played on the East Coast.

Of course, I enjoy culture of all kinds. The National Museum of the American Indian is a fantastic free place to visit in the Bowling Green area of Manhattan. Located in a former customs house, it featured a special exhibition with the work of artist Oscar Howe. I especially enjoyed his work entitled Ceremonial Dancer.

I even attended my first New York Giants football training camp which was free aside from rideshare expenses. It was neat to see former Cal standout Davis Webb practicing at quarterback and I secured the autograph of Super Bowl champion Henry Hynoski. Television reporters dutifully covered the action while I sat under a canopy watching the scrimmage.

After the session ended, I walked across a bridge to the American Dream megamall. I had a quick snack and called another rideshare. I told the driver that the place seemed very geared toward activities for children and he remarked that he should bring his daughter one day. Even my sister-in-law told me that she wanted to visit but never had, so I felt like I had done my share of exploring for one trip. Even a quick visit to the NHL Store was enjoyable. The sense of adventure I derive from travel never subsides, and that only gets enhanced if sports are involved.