Durkin, who is known as the "Hey" Man, has retired after
more than 40 years as the best-known vendor at Big Mac and
P&C. Whether he attached "Hey" to his sales pitches ("Hey,
you're next!") or encouraged fans to repeat his chants of
"Hey," Durkin's booming voice and the crack of the bat were
the most familiar sounds at the ballpark.
"He'd roam the stands and get people going and get them
involved in the game," said Bob Drosi of Baldwinsville, a
SkyChiefs' season-ticket holder who has been attending
Syracuse baseball games since the 1940s. "No matter how small
the crowd was, he could make it sound three times bigger."
Durkin did not tell anyone about his plans until the
SkyChiefs’ final game of the season Sept. 1, and he threw out
the ceremonial first pitch before that game. Durkin said he
will also stop vending at Syracuse Crunch hockey games and
Syracuse University football and basketball games.
Durkin, who turns 68 in December, said he retired because
he wanted to spend more time with his wife, Rose,
and his seven grandchildren.
"There’s a Rose in my garden, and I have to take care of
it," said Durkin,
a retired machinist at Crouse-Hinds who recently moved from
Liverpool to Pennellville. "I want to give my family the love
and time they need."
When he first started vending at Big Mac, Durkin sold
popcorn ("Hot buttered popcorn — it’s all buttered and it may
be hot!"). Then he switched to beer ("Hey, get your cold beer
here!"). And in recent years at P&C, Durkin hawked game
programs at the top of the steps leading from the main
entrance ("You can win $5,000 — tooonight!" he said, referring
to a nightly contest in the program).
"He’s from a dying breed. In the minor leagues, it’s tough
to get (vendors) to do it and stay for as long as he did,"
SkyChiefs general manager John Simone said. "He was a great PR
(public relations) guy for us."
Kids especially loved Durkin. Whether he was at the
ballpark or out with his wife, kids would often ask him for
his autograph. Parents would take pictures of their children
with Durkin.
On most nights, Durkin would grab a few baseballs — either
provided by the SkyChiefs or ones he bought himself — and hand
them to kids who were too small to catch their own foul balls.
"I used to go to ballgames with my father in the 1940s and
(Chiefs player) Hank Sauer and those guys always threw balls
out to the kids," Durkin said. "I know what that’s like to get
a ball at the game."
At least once a season, Durkin and his wife organized a bus
trip to watch the SkyChiefs in another city such as Rochester
or Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Durkin said he’ll continue to run
the trips, and he’s already planning a trip to Pawtucket for
the 2004 Triple-A All-Star Game.
The trips will enable Durkin to stay close to the fans who
have become his friends.
"I’d like to thank the fans for all of the wonderful times
and wonderful years they gave," Durkin said. "It’s so hard to
describe how it feels when you’re a vendor, who most people
look at as a hustler, and you make so many nice
friend
