Liberty at Night

A very happy Independence Day to all!

For this Fourth of July, I thought I would give a brief report from an outpost of America's favorite pastime.

Tuesday evening, I went a game of the Staten Island Yankees minor league baseball team.

It was my first exposure to this Single-A franchise of the New York Yankees -- thanks to an invite from Mike and his friend Donna. We went to the game as part of a group from Regis High School.

The S.I. Yanks play in a great little stadium at the northeastern tip of Staten Island, conveniently located next to the ferry terminal. The stadium boasts beautiful views of the New York harbor and the Manhattan skyline.

It was great to be in a ballpark where you could see the action up close. And, I was very glad to see so many families with children there.

Watching the S.I. Yanks reminded me of the Washington Wild Things, the Frontier League team in Washington, PA, as well as some of the campaign events we held there. A lot of things on Staten Island actually remind me of Pennsylvania. Parts of the island have quite a small town or suburban feel.

We took the Staten Island Ferry back to Manhattan after the game. It may have been my first time in the harbor at night. The clear nighttime view of the Statue of Liberty from the ferry was beautiful:

Flashbacks: Independence Day posts for 2008 and 2006.