Ron Fairly shares stories of old ballparks

When I got on the plane to Baltimore a couple of weeks ago I was excited to see Ron Fairly was on the trip with us. After Baltimore we were going to Cleveland, where I would have the opportunity to erase one of my biggest regrets from this job.

Ron Fairly is an incredible story teller. I am sure you have heard it on the air but it is even better in person. I have had the opportunity to hear these stories on buses, planes, at dinner and before and after games. I heard about the likes of Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, Don Drysdale and many others who are legends in this sport. It was a unique opportunity to connect with such an important and exciting time in the game.

In Cleveland behind the press box at Progressive Field there is a hallway that has these beautifully detailed lithogrpahs of the old ballparks by Bill Purdom. One day years ago during a rain delay Ron walked me down the hall and told me about each of the stadiums. He seemed to know every inch of every field and had a story for each one. The Polo Grounds, Crosley Field, and Ebbets Field. It was an incredible experience. I told myself that one day I needed to record an audio tour with Ron but never remembered to do it. Three weeks ago I had the opportunity to do so and did.

Ron talks about the berm at Crosley Field and the crazy dimensions of the Polo Grounds and tells a touching story about a day late in Duke Snider’s career. I hope you enjoy this. I certainly did.