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Interviewing Karl Bailey
July 17, 2004 - Dad
Wheeling, W. VA
Interviewing Karl Bailey
Karl Bailey is a great friend and tremendous piano player who helped support us by getting the crowd to donate at the sing-along bar he plays at, "Sing Sing". Between sets, I pulled him outside and asked him to share a favorite baseball story.
KB:
I haven’t been to a MLB park in 20-25 years, and I got a gig at Anaheim Stadium. And I forgot, they’re such religious places. I got there and it wasn’t a baseball night. It was just a (private) party. So I got there early and it was me and the grounds people. So I walk in and came out the tunnel where the seats are and every hair on my arm stood up on end. It was like a holy place. And I remembered an interview with Paul Simon where he was talking about a song he wrote where the words were “Crosses in the ball field, crosses in the ball field” and he was talking about how he used to go to New York and he used to see their church revivals and the whole thing just hit me. It just -- I’m getting it again right now an eerie feeling -- then the groundskeeper said, “Do you want to go stand on home plate?” And I said, you’re kidding me. And he said, “Nobody’s here, man. We can do whatever we want.” I said, yes please. So he took me down and I walked out onto the Major League field and walked up and put my foot on home plate and just looked out at the field. That’s my baseball story -- and it’s really not even baseball, it’s music.
I haven’t been to a MLB park in 20-25 years, and I got a gig at Anaheim Stadium. And I forgot, they’re such religious places. I got there and it wasn’t a baseball night. It was just a (private) party. So I got there early and it was me and the grounds people. So I walk in and came out the tunnel where the seats are and every hair on my arm stood up on end. It was like a holy place. And I remembered an interview with Paul Simon where he was talking about a song he wrote where the words were “Crosses in the ball field, crosses in the ball field” and he was talking about how he used to go to New York and he used to see their church revivals and the whole thing just hit me. It just -- I’m getting it again right now an eerie feeling -- then the groundskeeper said, “Do you want to go stand on home plate?” And I said, you’re kidding me. And he said, “Nobody’s here, man. We can do whatever we want.” I said, yes please. So he took me down and I walked out onto the Major League field and walked up and put my foot on home plate and just looked out at the field. That’s my baseball story -- and it’s really not even baseball, it’s music.
July 17, 2004 - Dad
Wheeling, W. VA
I wake up to a steady rainfall. Bob has gone to take Annamaria to catch her train. He stops at his office away from home, Kinko’s, then arrives back at the camp in the early afternoon. We decide to pack up and figure out later where we will sleep. Karl and his fiancée, Darah, have invited us to lunch at the Rock Bottom Brewery. The food is delicious and the conversation is lively and interesting.
After lunch we make our way to PNC Ballpark. It is a beautiful facility, my favorite of the new/old ballparks and a solid second to Fenway overall. Our seats are excellent, behind 3rd base in the first level under the second level. It turns out to be a beautiful night interrupted by some light showers that the players don’t seem to notice.
The game is an exciting one that the Pirates end up winning, their 9th home win in a row. After the game we take our time to film some of the many visual opportunities around the ballpark. Since we are packed, we decide to drive a ways to find a motel. We end up in Wheeling, West Virginia.
After lunch we make our way to PNC Ballpark. It is a beautiful facility, my favorite of the new/old ballparks and a solid second to Fenway overall. Our seats are excellent, behind 3rd base in the first level under the second level. It turns out to be a beautiful night interrupted by some light showers that the players don’t seem to notice.
The game is an exciting one that the Pirates end up winning, their 9th home win in a row. After the game we take our time to film some of the many visual opportunities around the ballpark. Since we are packed, we decide to drive a ways to find a motel. We end up in Wheeling, West Virginia.
