Getting rid of Yankee Stadium?

DeutscherGeist · November 9, 2004 7:40PM

I hear this rumor alot. The Yankees will get a new ball park. Steinbrenner has been wanting that citing that the stadium is located in an undesirable part of town and prevents more people from coming to watch the games.

Has attendance really been a problem?

Yankee Stadium should be like a protected building by now. There is just too much history there. I know it might cost more to restore the Stadium and revamp the surrounding neighborhood than just build a new stadium in a better area.

The thing is, we have the technology to restore the stadium and even revamp the neighborhood and maybe even create some new railways to the area from the more affluent areas. One can create a Yankeeland in the Bronx and have Yankee Stadium as the center piece.

I want to be able to share a moment when I have kids to take them to the ball park and tell them that Babe Ruth played here and Mattingly stood here at first for 14 years and so on. It creates a sense of connecting the old generations with the new. The problem we have in human society is that we do not learn enough about the past generations and we continue to make the same mistakes. Human social evolution is not a linear progression, we tend to be in cyclical progression where each new generation decides for itself how they are going to view the world. In science, we learn what the previous scientist has done and use his research and carry it a step further. I wish social evolution were more progress oriented as well.

Anyway, Yankee stadium presents that link in the past and its important to have that in the conscience of the new generations. It makes the game more special, creates a sense of history and majesty.

interchanges · November 11, 2004 1:08AM

I wouldn't bet on Yankee Stadium being around much longer. Maybe a decade or so. Money calls.

Same situation here in Detroit. Sweet old ballpark in the ghetto, people complained about it, blammo, generic new ballpark that is the equivilent of being at Wall Mart. The novelty wore off after a few seasons (which probably wouldn't happen in NY) and next thing you know, the same 12,000 fans are showing up for mid season games against the Indians.

They try and re-create the "old time" parks, but it just isn't the same. It's like buying a PT Cruiser and thinking you're driving an old roadster.

lclugza · November 11, 2004 12:45PM

I say keep Yankee Stadium and get rid if SWINEbrenner.

DirtyHarry · November 11, 2004 12:56PM

This has come up for years and years.....Yanks at The Meadowlands, Yanks in Manhattan.......Steinbrenner blows his hole and gets as many concessions as he can from the city by doing this. Untasty, but not dumb. Where else will they go, literally? Nowhere for now.

Jersey · November 12, 2004 6:48AM

If they do tear down Yankee Stadium, how much do you think that the seats and other pieces could sell for? Bet it's a whole lot.

DeutscherGeist · August 15, 2005 7:25PM

I sit here, not quite 4:00AM, wondering what will happen to Yankee Stadium. How can a landmark be torn down. That place has so much history.

They tore down the old Campbell's soup factory. Germany did not tear down the Olympic Stadium built by the Nazis in Berlin and will be using it for the World Cup. Tearing down Yankee Stadium is like the Taliban destroying the Buddhists statues in Afghanistan.

The house that Ruth built no more? Can't believe it.

They will sell Yankee Stadium pieces like the Germans sold pieces of the Berlin Wall. I will be one of the idiots trying to get myself a seat for my living room.

I have to one day go to Yankee Stadium to watch Jeter and the other play. As big a Yankee fan I am, I have yet to do this.

Sad Sad Sad. Yankeeland may never be the same. Is it possible for us fanatics to raise enough money to buy Yankee Stadium so we can preserve it. The British car fans tried to do that with Rolls Royce, but were outbid and outpowered by BMW.

denwd1 · August 15, 2005 8:15PM

old ballparks were better

Axtell · August 16, 2005 1:32AM

How many great old ballparks have been torn down?

At some point, it will be demolished. A new park will cost about a billion dollars, and Steinbrenner will get the city and state to pay for it.

Yankee stadium does indeed have it's history; but that doesn't mean it's immune from the demolition that's going to soon call it's name.

As far as that article, it seems like he hates everything modern. New, modern parks are light years better than the old ones with more conveniences, better atmosphere, better seats. He tries to say that being able to go to church or school across the street from a stadium was a good thing? He says all games were played on grass (aren't they all played on grass now?)

He sounds like an old crumudgeon who hates everything modern.

1420sports · August 16, 2005 2:21AM

The first time I walked into Fenway Park, I saw the Green Monster. I was awestruck.

The first time I walked into Old Comiskey Park, I saw the outfield. I was awestruck.

The first time I walked into Yankee Stadium, I saw the cascading. I was awestruck.

Same thing for Wrigley and Memorial Stadium ....

After the first inning, I realized that the stadium seating was poor at best, and there was an 80 year old stench in the air. But I did see the fabled Green Monster, Monument Park, and the Wrigley Ivy ...

The first time I walked into the new Citizens Bank Park ... I was simply awestruck. History hasn't happened there for me yet, but the great views, architecture, facilities, concourse .... that makes up for it.

I will create my own memories soon.

Axtell · August 16, 2005 2:41AM

Well put 1420.

I think that the old stadiums have a place in history. But to say they are superior in any way to the modern parks is laughable at best. The views are better, seats more comfortable, everything is brighter and better. Who's to say the new ballparks won't hold the same history and stories that the old ones do?

I think that people reminiscing to the 'good ole' days' when they really weren't that good to begin with.

SoFLPhillyFan · August 16, 2005 3:51AM

Didn't the city and the Yankees release the new stadium plans in June?

The new place will be next to the existing one. There was no info on what will happen to the old field.

Keith

DeutscherGeist · August 16, 2005 4:46AM

The New Yankee Stadium will be next to the old one (if they don't tear the old one down right away).

I am not some old geezer who says the old days were better like the grouch in the article. I am just saying that the imperfections of the old Yankee stadium are quite charming. Newer Stadiums can be made better, I guess, but just because something is new does not mean it is automatically better. I thought new cars would be better, but their quality is no where near the cars of 20 years ago (I am speaking of Mercedes in this case).

SoFLPhillyFan · August 16, 2005 4:50AM

IMO they should leave the old field standing as an historic landmark.

Axtell · August 16, 2005 6:22AM

<< <i> I thought new cars would be better, but their quality is no where near the cars of 20 years ago (I am speaking of Mercedes in this case). >>

Not to nitpick, but are you sure about that?

Cars today get infinitely better gas mileage, are far safer, and have a host of technology improvements (mercedes specificially using things such as self-leveling headlights and auto-distance control for cruise control).

Cars today no longer are discarded at 100,000 miles like the used to be...cars today are light years ahead of those made even 10 years ago.

zef204 · August 16, 2005 6:53AM

<< <i>But to say they are superior in any way to the modern parks is laughable at best. The views are better, seats more comfortable, everything is brighter and better. Who's to say the new ballparks won't hold the same history and stories that the old ones do?
>>

I do not think that the Cubs sell out Wrigley everyday because of the product on the field. 15 miles south there is a new ballpark with all the amenities you guys like in your new parks, and a winning ball club to boot. They can't get people to consistently show up.

If they replace Wrigley with a Shopping Mall you can play baseball in(like these other new parks) I think they will kill the attendance.

That being said, I think history holds a lot more than some of you are saying.

Onlypsahockey · August 16, 2005 9:55AM

If Steinbrenner cut payroll a bit he could do alot with Yankee Stadium. Next time his Yanks are getting their hats handed to them at Fenway he should take a look around at what the Sox new owners have done.

Gemmy10 · August 16, 2005 10:00AM

<<IMO they should leave the old field standing as an historic landmark.>>

I believe that is the plan. I thought I heard that they would use the old stadium for college games. It doesn't make sense to me because the new one is supposed to be modeled after the old one with more spacious seating but fewer seats. Steinbrenner would probably jack up the tickets accordingly. I will try to find the details and post a link.

Axtell · August 16, 2005 10:03AM

People don't go to wrigley for the baseball...they go for the beer.

You put a shopping mall there with lots of beer, and you'll fill it up just like they do wrigley. It's common knowledge the number of people who go there simply to get intoxicated...and it has nothing to do with wrigley's 'history'.

1420sports · August 16, 2005 10:43AM

Well put 1420.

thank you Axtell.

I will say that of all the "old" parks I have visited, Wrigley Field was the best - that is one stadium I cannot see being torn down. It is in a great location, and all three times I was there it was like a party.

Yankee Stadium (not bashing the Yanks) was the worst ... absolutely horrible location, narrow walkways, and nothing in the area surrounding the stadium - except smelly Bronxmen and crime.

Getting rid of Yankee Stadium?

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