Sport: Pomp and Sparky

The various elements evoke images of a British coronation, a Spanish bullfight and an ancient Roman circus, but the total tableau is strictly from The Bronx. It invariably happens late in the ball game. The starting pitcher is tired, the home team's lead is threatened, and help is needed. The gate in Yankee Stadium's right-centerfield fence swings open and a Datsun painted in pinstripes taxis a relief pitcher toward the diamond. Eyes strain to see who is inside the car, voices murmur, hopes rise. The car stops, the stadium organist sweeps into the regal strains of Pomp and Circumstance, and the...

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