Staying in the Bronx

Yankee Stadium
Artists impression of the new New York Yankees stadium

are the Yanks.

As Todd commented the Yanks have announced the plans for a new Yankee stadium to replace “The House That Ruth Built” which opened in 1923 and is the 3rd oldest ballpark in the major leagues, trailing only Boston’s Fenway Park (1912) and Chicago’s Wrigley Field (1914). It will be just the third privately financed stadium in the major leagues since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962, joining the San Francisco Giants’ new ballpark (2000) and the park the St. Louis Cardinals are to move into next year.

Since George Steinbrenner bought the team in 1973, the Yankees had examined several ballpark alternatives, including a move to New Jersey or to Manhattan’s West Side – the site where the NFL’s Jets hoped to have a stadium before the plan collapsed this month.

But we decided to stay in the Bronx and do the job for the BronxGeorge Steinbrenner

The Yankees unveiled a model of the $800 million ballpark that they hope to move into in 2009, which on the outside will be treated with limestone and resemble Yankee Stadium prior to its 1974-75 renovation. It will seat from 50,800 to 54,000, with about 30,000 seats in the lower deck, an increase of approximately 10,000. The field dimensions will remain as they are currently, and the bullpens will be moved back to right field. Monument Park will move to the new ballpark, and a stadium club will be added above it.

Levine said the new ballpark also will be called “Yankee Stadium,” but that the team may sell naming rights and have the ballpark called “Yankee Stadium at ‘X’ Plaza.” Steinbrenner said the team rejected having a retractable roof. “There was a discussion, but the cost was very extraordinary,” he said.

Yankees captain Derek Jeter didn’t think the team would lose any of the advantage it holds at Yankee Stadium.

It’s the team, it’s the stadium, it’s the atmosphere

It’s going to be a new stadium, but it’s going to be the same atmosphere. Derek Jeter

Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella, a former Yankees manager and player, said a new ballpark was in order.

It’s been a wonderful place – and it still is – to play. But for fans’ convenience and the luxury suites and all those things, yeah, I think it’s time. Lou Piniella

Will be sad to see the old park go yeah it’s not exactly the place where Ruth, Gehrig etc played but it still has that history, surprised that the capacity numbers quoted are below the present level, as long as it doesn’t become one those soulless modern identikit stadiums I suppose it should be fine.

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