A Baseball Odyssey (The Boston Globe - May 1, 1989 by Jack Thomas)
If war turns boys into men, baseball makes them boys again. Take Dave Manzo, 35, a teacher who lives in the South End. One day, I got into his car, and he was listening to a baseball game, which was startling, because it was January and snowing. "It's a tape," he said. "Fifth game of the '62 Series. Yankees beat the Giants 5 to 2, on Tommy Tresh's home run." With Manzo, it's not just baseball, but ball parks. He's been to 12, visits three this week, and hopes to get to all 26. Along with banker John Marston and social worker Mike Malone, he flies to Cleveland for the Indians-Twins game at Municipal Stadium, then drives to Detoit for the Tigers-A's game at Briggs, and to Cincinnati for the Reds-Phillies game at Riverfront, and home Monday in time to pick up his son at nursery school.
"I like the sound and smell and feel of ballparks. I like the ivy at Wrigley in Chicago and the history of Yankee Stadium." Every park inspires a story. "At Wrigley, team flags arrayed in order of the pennant standings, so El riders can tell where the Cubs are. Dodger Stadium is beautiful, but the fans are ridiculous. Many arrived late, and although the game was close, a third of them left in the seventh. At Yankee Stadium, they tip ushers, and the best food is at County Stadium in Milwaukee. German influence, I gress. People tailgate,and vendors sell knockwurst and bratwurst. You could have a great dinner there, whereas at Fenway, you'd risk your life."
This tour resolves a dispute. Malone maintains he's been to Tiger Stadium, having attended a game there while in the womb. Colleagues say the game has to be seen. Malone counters that he was at the game, it's not his fault he had an obstructed view. Manzo, incidentally, proposed to his wife Noreen at Yankee Stadium. "I can't remember what she wore," he said, "but the Yankees were playing the Orioles.
