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A Moment In Time At Steinbrenner Field

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By JOE O'NEILL Tribune Correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 11, 2009

Call it Floruary: Florida in February.

Temps well into the 70s. A hint of a breeze. Cold beer. Hot dogs in their quintessential element. Lots of dads and sons. Plenty of guy sports talk. An absence of cell phoneys and blue teeth. Eclectically fun, up-tempo music - from "Hava Nagila" to "Runaround Sue."

An afternoon baseball game at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

It isn't, of course, the "House That Ruth Built" but the 10,000-seat, mini-Yankee Stadium replica that the Tampa Sports Authority built. And it's totally cool - down to dimensions (318' to left, 408' to center, 314' to right) identical with the original Bronx version. For one who hadn't been to the erstwhile "Legends Field" before, it was a treat.

And a nostalgic bender.

Ogling the outside plaques that commemorate Yankees who have had their numbers retired. Trying to identify players from a large photo of the 1956 team - and succeeding with Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Moose Skowron and Elston Howard.

And, without warning, an odd mix of baseball memories comes cascading back.

Encountering the mystique that was going to a big league game at Philadelphia's Connie Mack Stadium. And recalling that for the longest time, I had no idea that "booing" wasn't anything but proper baseball deportment. ... Meeting my father's friends from the Army, Ken Heintzelman and Eddie Waitkus. They would later play on the 1950 Phillies' "Whiz Kids" team that won the National League pennant, but lost to the Yankees in the World Series. ... Having Phillies' shortstop Granny Hamner live two blocks away on Magee Street. Introducing Hall of Fame Phillie Richie Ashburn to my mother in Clearwater and having her say, upon introduction, "Oh, I think I've died and gone to heaven." And then, upon reflection, hearing her say: "I don't believe I said that!" ... Remembering when my father and I umpired American Legion and college games as a tandem around Philly. He'd be on the bases; I'd take home plate.

What a rush. "Play ball."

Minnesota Twins up first. A quick look around the Yankee infield.

Alex Rodriguez at third.

End of reverie.

'Crawl' Overkill

The "crawl" at the bottom of our television screens is now a staple of the industry. No viewer should be update-challenged. On balance, it works. It's what an instant-communication medium should be doing.

But ever notice how often it's more distracting than informative? Whether we're watching sports or generic news. Too much stuff goes crawling by that's relatively unimportant, absolutely unimportant or important but redundantly so. Or sometimes just depressing and mood-altering.

Just because you can, you don't have to.

Case in point: when the president is giving a press conference or making a speech. Can't the networks at least accord him enough respect to let him speak in a crawl-less context? It's hardly a news blackout. Moreover, how about some consideration for viewers who - quaint concept that it is - may want to focus on what they've actually tuned in to?

Teens Put Onus On Adults

Too bad Attorney General Eric Holder, the first African-American to hold that position, didn't contact either Faith Woodard or Tariq Sharrieff before giving his infamous "cowards" speech as his contribution to Black History Month. He could have used their perspective.

Both Hillsborough County teenagers showed refreshing maturity and insight in their recent presentations on the contemporary American black experience. They weren't dealt grievance cards, so they weren't playing any. They addressed reality as they saw it and lived it, whether it was politically correct - or racially safe - or not.

Woodard, a 14-year-old eight-grader at Rodgers Middle School in Riverview, spoke at the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs' annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast. She spoke of King and Rosa Parks and quoted Robert F. Kennedy, Aristotle and Maya Angelou. She faulted her contemporaries' rebellious attitudes and challenged parents to do a better job of combating a popular culture that was a large part of the problem.

"With the advancement of technology, hip-hop, rap music and TV have paved the way for the African-American youth to pick up thuggery as a way of life," said Woodard. "Rebellion is idolized, crime is glorified and education is criticized."

Sharrieff, a 14-year-old ninth-grader from Tampa's Jesuit High, gave the keynote address at the Black History Month celebration at Middleton High. He also called out adults to act like, well, adults.

"Believe it or not, I have some friends who tell their parents what they will do and what they won't do, and basically run the home," noted Sharrieff. "If you adults don't see this as your responsibility ... then society as we know it will cease to exist."

These certainly weren't the voices of cowardice. They were the voices of a generation who see irresponsibility and dysfunction where others see ravages of slavery and historic grievance.

They are the real, audacious voices of hope.

Joe O'Neill is a South Tampa writer who can be contacted at moesez@aol.com or www.opinionstogoonline.com.

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