Bill Hongach, the bat boy for the Yankees in 1972 & 1973, has sent a letter to everyone that played for the Yankees and the New York Giants football team, with the intent of putting their stories, memories and recollections in a book prior to the demise of Yankee Stadium. (The 2007 season will be the last for the Yankkes in the current stadium, In 2008 they will move into the newly-built new stadium, next door to the current stadium.)

Accompaning the letter was an autographed photo of Hongach and catcher (captain-of-the-team) Thurman Munson. Munson’s comments on the photo…”To Hondo, The worst bat boy in New York Yankee history. Hope to see you next year. Thurman Munson.”

Here’s a portion of Hongach’s letter to former players…

“To be a batboy in 1972 one had to be 18 years old, so in essence I was a batman. I remember it as if it were yesterday…the first time I walked into the Yankee clubhouse…put on the Yankee pinstrips…walked down the narrow tunnel to the dugout.

“Climbing the steps onto the field the first impression that still sticks in my mind was the white facade against the brilliant blue sky, the freshly-cut grass, with the stadium empty–not yet having been opened for the fans.

“Then walking out to the monuments in centerfield, shagging fly balls and playing pepper almost every day with Thurman Munson. I also pitched some batting practice under the right field stands.

“I helped Pete Sheehy, who didn’t drive, or two weeks move to Shea Stadium in October 1973, when Yankee Stadium was undergoing the refurbishing.

“I remember the last game played at the stadium, prior to the renovation. Detroit’s Al Kaline got a base hit and came out og the game to keep his season’s batting average at .300. He gave me that bat which I still have, inscribed on it by Kaline, “Hope you will accept this bat as a token of our friendship. Your friend, Al Kaline”

“In that game, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, outfielder Ike Brown who was playing 3rd base, picked up the bag on the final out and ran off the field…the fans stormed onto the field.

“I made many friends in baseball. Mickey Mantle brought the cake out for my son’s surprise birthday party in 1989. The head security guard told me if I wanted to come to a Giants football game to go to the press gate and he would let me in. I didn’t get a seat and had to stand on the field near the dugout. Life can be rough!

“I saw the last football game ever played at Yankee Stadium. Do you know which team the Giants played in that last game? It was Miami, the year the Dolphins went undefeated.

A Request Of Former Players

“Mr. Meyer, the reason I am writing to you is to ask you if you could take a moment and tell me what your fondest and most memorable moment that occurred in Yankee Stadium was.”


Bob Meyer’s Fondest And Most Memorable Moment In Yankee Stadium

It’s not the best game I ever pitched there…going 9 shutout innngs and then going out for the 10th inning, on a 98 degree Saturday afternoon game, when pitching for the Seattle Pilots in 1969 (we won the game in the 12th inning).

I’d have to say my most memorable moment was, and still is, the feeling of accomplishment that came over me when I walked into the Yankee Stadium clubhouse (after breaking spring training camp in Ft. Lauderdale) to start the 1964 season.

The realization that I was a Yankee, a team I dreamed of playing for as an amateur, while at the University of Toledo. There was never any doubt back before the baseball draft (which was instituted in 1965) of who I wanted to sign with, which I did in 1960. (I had the opportunity back then to sign with 8 different organizations.)

I also knew how fortunate I was to play major league baseball, the dreams of millions of kids. To rise from such odds, as a skinny kid from Toledo, and be one of the two rookies to make the perennial league champions was breathtaking.

And it hit me when I saw my name on the locker headboard, positioned between Hall-of-Fame pitcher Whitey Ford and another star pitcher Jim Bouton.

Reinforcing that feeling was the moment that occurred prior to the opening say ceremonies, and all the excitement of opening day, when home-run slugger Roger Maris came over to me in the dugout, stuck out his hand and said, “Bob, I hope you have a great year!”

This entry was posted on Monday, January 14th, 2008 at 8:08 pm and is filed under Professional Athletics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.