I've always been a nostalgic person; remembering and reflecting on the past is one of my favorite hobbies. I find that clinging to memories of simpler times can often be a comforting tool in embracing the challenges that adulthood presents.
Don't get me wrong now: I'm always excited about the future. I'm not one of those folks that lives in the past—or thinks that everything is going downhill from here. At some point or another I'm sure I'll adopt that outlook, but at 25 my general feeling is that there's plenty of living left to do. But, to pretend that I don't think about—and sometimes, yearn for—the past would be a flat out lie.
There's an innocence about childhood that has always been very attractive to me; in hindsight I had so little legitimate responsibility and true understanding of the world. My lack of sophistication allowed me to really appreciate the simple pleasures of life.
I remember how alive I felt climbing trees, perched on a branch, gazing over the neighborhood; or playing catch with my Dad and brother and the bond it fostered between us.
Those kind of carefree moments are hard to recreate as an adult, so we settle for remembering them in our hearts and reliving them in our minds.
Watching the final game ever played at Yankee Stadium last night brought a lot of the past back for me. It was a very emotional experience, as some of my fondest early childhood memories took place there.
I may be a Californian now, but for the first seven years of my life I lived in New York suburbia, in a town called Scarsdale to be exact. I was born and raised a Bombers fan, though I later switched allegiances to the Oakland Athletes upon my westward migration.
But before I tell you my memories of Yankee Stadium, it's important to share with all of you the story of one of the most special people I've ever known: my grandmother, Charmian Freund.
Grandma Charm was born Charmian Litt Kaplan in Trenton, New Jersey. In her late teens, she married my Granddad Seelig, who was serving aboard the Queen Mary as a surgeon in World War II. When Seelig was eventually discharged, the couple moved to New York City, where they would remain for the rest of their married lives.
In addition to being a mother and homemaker, Charm was a 24/7 social butterfly; she had hundreds of friends scattered throughout Manhattan and beyond. Charm developed connections all over the city that ensured she could get the best ticket in the house to a new Broadway show, or walk into a hot restaurant on a Friday night without a reservation and sit at whatever table she pleased.
That's not to say that Charm was a stuffy elitist—this couldn't be further from the truth. Charm's most special quality in fact was her ability to relate to people from all backgrounds and cultures, and to make them feel respected and appreciated.
She may have lived in America's biggest city, but she had the charm (no pun intended) of a small-town gal.
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3 months ago
Z, this is such a wonderful tribute and we are honored to meet Grandma Charm. I remember climbing trees and falling off...
3 months ago
So sad I never got to meet Grandma Charm - she sounds like one amazing lady Zan. I know she would be proud of her eldest grandson - the intelligent and passionate man he's grown up to be.
3 months ago
Great read, Zander. I can't wait to write one like this in 70 years when U.S. Cellular Field closes its doors.
3 months ago
Nicely done Zander. Having all of the former Yankee players there made for an incredibly special moment...what a great going away present for MLB, the Yankees and more importantly Yankee fans everywhere.
3 months ago
Zander man, that was a beautiful piece. The conversations I could've had with grandma Charm! Your story is what baseball is all about: dedication and capturing the spirit of our youth. This is an excellent story, great work my friend!
BTW, my cousin lives in Scarsdale. It's pretty cool that you used to live there and grew up rooting for the Yanks ;)
3 months ago
Z,
I'm no Yankees fan, but this is one of the best tribute pieces I've seen anywhere. B/R, ESPN, SI, anywhere. I've got a lot of respect for the history and tradition that Yankee Stadium represents, and your gran was a living, breathing part of that. Sounds like you had some great experiences at Yankee Stadium with her. Thanks for sharing.
from 3 months ago
Appreciate the compliments Joe—keep up the stellar work.
3 months ago
Nice job Zander. Very nice job. POTD by far. A truly touching tribute.
I don't know if I'll even try to write about the Metrodome. :)
from 3 months ago
Let's be fair, there have been some incredible moments in the metrodome as well. Were you too young to see that Kirby Puckett home run in the WS back in 91'/his series saving catch the same game?
3 months ago
Zander, it's an awesome piece! Somewhere up there your grandmother is smiling...as is her best friend Char, not only at the article, and your special memories, but that you have the heart to remember them and share them so beautifully with others.
3 months ago
OK, OK, stop the presses. Let's all agree that Sept. 23rd be reserved for Zander's article as the Pick of the Day.
Brilliant, touching, mind-bending imagery. Nostalgia with richness of true memories. This is a classic short story.
Who knew he could write? I just figured out the other day he read the articles!
from 3 months ago
That means a lot coming from you BT, thanks.
3 months ago
Your Grandmother would be so very proud of you, as I am in reading your beautiful memories of her. This article brought tears to my eyes because of your sincerety. You have done your Grandmother and Grandfather a great honor with this remembrance.
from 3 months ago
Thanks Dorothy, glad you liked it =)
3 months ago
Top drawer Zander, well deserving of 5 & a POTD.
You've done your grandmother and yourself proud with this article.
3 months ago
Well done - I love the way you brought "small-town" humanity to a place normally thought of as a giant bowl of blue-collar anger. My only Yankee Stadium experience involved sitting in a section with two guys who cursed out Paul O'Neil from the the upper deck between home and third. It was really nice reading about a different side, and a unique person worth sharing with the world. POTD.
from 3 months ago
Paul O'Neill was my Grandma's favorite Yankee of the 90's...I think an argument can be made that he was more essential to those teams than Jeter.
from 3 months ago
It was towards the end - I want to say 2000. It was nice hearing his name chanted on TV the other night as he walked around the stadium.
3 months ago
Z,
This is the best article I've read on B/R in my five months. Utterly outstanding.
POTD 10 times over.
Ben
from 3 months ago
Well I don't know about that Ben...one of your 250+ surely exceeds my efforts here!
Glad you dug it so much tho, thanks.
3 months ago
Nice job Z! Great read - thanks for sharing!
3 months ago
Great read here Z - nice to see you parading around on the home page. Hope all is well... KP
3 months ago
Great work Zander and my POTD.
One thing of note though. I think it was despicable of how the Yankees made absolutely no mention of Joe Torre, let alone invite him to attend. I'm a Yankees fan but this was such a typical Steinbrenner-esque thing to do and very disappointing.
from 3 months ago
BTW, that was in reference to the end of Yankee Stadium. Your tribute to your grandmother was exceptional.
from 3 months ago
Joe Torre never played for the Yankees so I don't have a problem with them not mentioning him Sunday, especially since he was busy managing another team at the time. I didn't see the entire pre-game festivities, so correct me if I'm wrong, but did they make mention to other Yankee managers like Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel and Ralph Houk?
By the way, great article Zander. Just one thing, do you mean you were at Game 5, not Game 6 of the Yanks/D-Backs Series? Because Game 6 was in Arizona.
from 3 months ago
You're right Jordan, it must have been game 5—I'll change it now. Good catch!
As for Joe Torre: I think given that he was the skipper for some of the greatest baseball teams of all time that he deserved to be honored. A shame IMO.
from 3 months ago
Zander --
I really enjoyed reading this. Great story.
They could have at least mentioned Torre. I think they left him out because they did not want to show up Girardi with the ovation that the crowd would give for Torre.
3 months ago
There's nothing in the world like Grandparents, definitely a gift from heaven. Mattingly is also one of my favorite Yankees and overall players.
from 3 months ago
Donnie Baseball really was a special player—I worry that HOF voters will overlook him.
The true spirit of the Yanks during one of the worst peroids in their franchises history...stellar defensively and hit .307 during a career where the league average was .261.
If you have a chance, check out my article on Mattingly (in my "Players to Tell My Kids About" series).
from 3 months ago
Z, loved the article, even if it is about the dreaded Yankees (yes am Bosox lifer), great story.
One thing, Donnie M, does not deserve to be in the hall!
3 months ago
Wow....this was just outstanding. I wish I could have met her. She sounded like a great dame! She left you a legacy of memories (Holy cow, owner's box?) and Yankee Stadium's closing will never take away your cherished moments of Charm.
The best part of the story, of course, is that now you are an A's fan. (Hahaha...just kidding)
POTD. Nicely done. I feel like I know her now.
3 months ago
Awesome stuff Zander. I'm picturing the image of a nice older lady having a casual conversation with Frank Robinson and I can't help but chuckle. Excellent read man, sounds like you had a great influential figure growing up in Grandma.
3 months ago
A very touching tribute to the house that Ruth built. Its great to see such memories associated with something as simple as a baseball stadium.
3 months ago
Great article, Zander. Excellent tribute to your Grandma Charm and to Yankee Stadium.
3 months ago
Zander...this is flat out remarkable! Your grandmother was nothing short of amazing! Thank you for sharing this, years are streaming down my face as I type. You have reminded me of my own sports memories that involce family. Whether it be a NASCAR race with my sister or a Cowboys game with my father, even old dirt track racing with my Grandfather. They all hold there place in time of fond days gone by and leave me smiling!
from 3 months ago
Thanks Kara! You should share your memories of your sis at the Cowboys game/a day at the races with Gramps, with the Community. It's these types of stories that help us all connect, both as sports fans and people.
3 months ago
...to Grandma Charm.
Cheers Zander. Thanks for sharing this.
3 months ago
amazing piece,
great tribute
3 months ago
Zander, Great article. Your grandma really sounds like one hell of a person. It almost brought tears to my eyes reading this.
Also, are your parents/ you still in touch with any people involved in baseball like your grandmother was?
from 3 months ago
Not really Tommy, which is unfortunate—the connection to the Yankees has pretty much faded since her death, Char's death, and George's condition...
3 months ago
I WAS YOUR 300 READER!!!!!!!WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YEAH, but seriously good article
3 months ago
Z, what an absolutely incredible article. This is a B/R classic! For a few minutes here in Idaho, I slipped out of my office and headed for the Big Apple. I got to watch from the sidelines of life as you allowed us into your past. I sat on that tree limb with you, stood in awe as we met Frank Robinson, and I smiled as she talked with the parking lot guy. Amazing story.
You crushed this one! It was my privilege to get to know her just a bit. *****POTD
3 months ago
Fantastic read, Zander. Unfortunately I'm not old enough to have seen O'Neill or Mattingly [or at least to see them and know exactly who they were] but I sure wish I had a grandma like Charm. Sounds like a great lady. The best players I remember from my younger days are Tino and Bernie from the 2001 season. How I wish I was born earlier.
Great work.
3 months ago
Fantastic job, as usual.
As hard as that is for a Red Sox fan to admit.... :)
3 months ago
Hey Zan -- it's funny -- when reading that, I'm struck by how similar your experiences with Charm at yankee stadium were similar to mine. She took me to one game where I sat behind Dimaggio for the entire game but could never get up the nerve to say anything to him. I had gone to get something to drink and on my way back to the box we passed Dimaggio leaving and he gave me a pat on the shoulder. When we got back to our seats I mentioned to Charm that I was disappointed I hadn't gotten to say hi to him. Charm promptly got up, ran after him and brought him back to the box to say hello to me. Only Charm would have the guts to do that. She was always very accommodating to me even though I was a lifelong Red Sox fan. I distinctly remember going to the 77 World Series with her and Seelig and I made Seelig go buy me some Red Sox gear from the souvenir stand. He wasn't happy as fans started making fun of us, but he was a good sport. Great memories. Nice article.
3 months ago
WOW!
Awesome Story about your grandma!
3 months ago
Great article Zan- probably the best article I've read on this site!
3 months ago
Your grandmoter must have been a very special lady. I knew a couple people who remind me of the way you describe Grandma Charm. But she was like them on steroids.
That is a classic article.
2 months ago
Zander ~ better late than never! I intended to read your article all along, I had no idea it was going to take me so long. It's really cool to read your article. I have only passed through New York on my way in and out of the country, and I always liked the Red Sox more than the Yankees. One thing you cannot escape is the legacy and the history of baseball. Living in Colorado it really stunk growing up without a local MLB team. Since then I've experienced MLB at Coors Field and Wrigley and it just doesn't get better in terms of venues unless you consider the history and nostalgia of New York and Boston. For me as a fan I always wanted to see a game at Yankee Stadium and Fenway, but it looks like one of those dreams has passed me by. I love the history of baseball and no doubt the Yankee legacy is ensconced in much the same way your memories are. Just a great story. Your grandmother was dedicated, it's great to hear. My PoD (better late than never).
2 months ago
This was great!
from 2 months ago
Thanks Bryan!
2 months ago
Excellent article, a great job at setting the scene and a fitting tribute to your grandmother.
2 months ago
Zander,
My teacher for English was going over elegies, and I read this article and submitted it to her for points, to use as an example.
She loved it, and wanted to comment on the article herself, but couldn't figure how to sign up. She thought it was a great example of an elegy, and well written.
Thanks for the points, and a great article!
-Anthony Elias
about 1 month ago
Grandma would be proud of you! Thanks for writing this for the grandkids among us!
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