For Father's Day: A Rainy Night at the Old Ball Park

Plus "Dad" songs from David Bowie, John Lennon, Judy Collins, Gil Scott-Heron, Neil Young, Wilco, Talking Heads.

Greg Mitchell is the author of more than a dozen books (see link) and now writer/director of three award-winning films aired via PBS, including “Atomic Cover-up” and “Memorial Day Massacre” (recently nominated for an Emmy). You can still subscribe to this newsletter for free.

Going back for this special day, sixteen years ago, to revive a post at my personal web site re: the final trip with my son at olde Shea Stadium for a Mets game on Father’s Day Eve, with my photo evidence. If you want to read more about us and baseball consider my comic memoir of coaching him in Little League, “Joy in Mudville” (which was optioned by Tom Hanks for a movie that never quite happened). My daughter Jeni, also a Mets fan, was old enough to enjoy the last Mets title in 1986, even got to attend a playoff game. Poor Andy.

Down below a few songs for this day.

Wet and Wild at Shea

My son Andy was home from film school for another week, so for Father's Day we went to a Mets game at Shea Stadium. We are both (long suffering) Mets lovers and he wanted to say goodbye to Shea -- and get a look at the hulking new brick stadium going up just beyond the left field fence. Great idea.

What a night! Rained all the way to Flushing, then we sat in the downpour--with the sun out--in the parking lot for 25 minutes. When it let up a bit, we scampered inside and grabbed a dog. Andy ordered a coke but the vendor gave him a beer (he is 20.9 years-old), so we shared our first ever beers at a ball game.

Moved upstairs in the Mezz under the overhang to stay dry. And there we sat in the rain, with the tarp NOT coming off the field and thunder and lightning flashin', just like in "Chimes of Freedom." I had just got done telling Andy that on rare occasions players emerge from a dugout or clubhousem and do belly flops on the slick tarp and slide like seals, just for fun and relieve the boredom—probably more for themselves than for the fans. Ten minutes later, sure enough, Josh Hamilton and five other Rangers came out and did just that, to the delight of the fans, who started chanting "Let's go Rangers."

The game got called ten minutes later, so maybe the Rangers knew something.

Then, on the radio driving back home -- still raining! -- the WFAN callers complained that passionless Mets skipper Willie Randolph had blown it again, supposedly preventing his Mets from joining the fun on the tarp. Andy called in from the car and actually got on the air with a more sensible observation: the tired Mets desperately needed the night off, even if we missed our game. Always was a smart, compassionate kid!

Songs for Dads and Kids

This early Bowie tune, after birth of first kid, may surprise you, very much in Ray Davies mold, “Kooks”

And a now somewhat obscure late Neil Young tune about the hopes and fears on sending his first born off to college, “There For You.”

Judy Collins was not known as a songwriter but then started writing songs like “My Father.”

John Lennon, “Beautiful Boy” (was on our “baby tape” when my wife was pregnant)

Very early Gil Scott-Heron, “Your Daddy Loves You”

Another song prominent in early fatherhood…..Talking Heads, “Stay Up Late”

and inevitably, the Cat Stevens classic

Wilco’s “Darling”