Eight summers ago, on a very warm mid-summer’s night in July, in a comfy and homey CitiField ballpark, home of the New York Mets - the outside facade of which was meant to look like and evoke memories of the old Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the inside rotunda of which is a memorial to Jackie Robinson - number 42 came trotting in from the bullpen to pitch the top of the eighth inning. The American Leaguers were playing the National Leaguers in the 2013 All-Star Game.
His familiar gait, with black glove in right hand was as stirring as ever.