When I was with the Sunrisers, we did several pre-game exhibitions at NY Yankees games.
The best one by far, IMO, was in September 1977, right after we had won our first DCA title. We came through the centerfield gates to hear legendary Yankees PA announcer Bob Shepard.... with that voice from God.......introducing us as the "1977 DCA World Champion Sunrisers from Long Island, New York." Very cool.
And then there was Bat Day at Yankee Stadium. Usually, when we did a Yankees game, we would play our show, then head to seats in the bleachers, where we would stay and watch the game. Well.....one game.... I think it was a Sunday afternoon..... it was Bat Day at the stadium. This was when the Yankees were still handing out full-sized baseball bats to "anyone 16 years of age or younger."
16 and under.
Yeah.... right.
Here we were, on a hot summer day in the South Bronx, with thousands of people..... a whole bunch of 'em older than 16..... carrying full-sized baseball bats and drinking a lot of beer. This was an accident waiting to happen. I don't think any of us stayed around for that entire game.......LOL
We also did halftime exhibitions at a number of NY Jets games.... when I marched, it was when the Jets still played at Shea Stadium. We did a game in December of 1981 when it was brutally cold and windy.......the valves on our horns were freezing and sticking in place.
I was getting set to step out of line for my part in the mellophone-French horn duet in "Late in the Evening"..... went to check my valves, and they had frozen. So I borrowed another French horn from the guy next to me. THOSE valves also froze. I was out of luck. So I went up front, stood next to the mellophone player in the duet, and sang my part, including as many lyrics to the song as I could remember!!!!!!! I mean, WTF difference did it make... the football fans were so plastered by that point they probably weren't even aware that we were out on the field...
Fran Haring
