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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

~Yankee Stadium ~1923-2008: A Farewell to the Cathedral

Discussion in 'Archive: The Arena' started by JediANGELA, Apr 1, 2008.

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  1. JediANGELA

    JediANGELA Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 28, 2002
    On this date, April 15, 1976, the newly renovated Yankee Stadium opened up to a sell out crowd.
     
  2. SLR

    SLR Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 20, 2002
    Actually, the Dodgers just fixed up the concession areas and it looks clean and nice now. It is really great now too because they have flat screen tvs hanging up throughout the concession area.
     
  3. JediANGELA

    JediANGELA Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 28, 2002
    Today, exactly 85 years ago today, Yankee Stadium opened its doors to a sell out crowd to see the Yankees beat the Red Sox 4-1. The Yankee starter got a complete game, and Babe Ruth's world famous home run occured.



    I saw the new stadium yesterday. Looks almost complete from the outside, save for the orange netting around the spiral to the seats, and the massive cranes sticking out from the inside.

    Going into Yankee Stadium yesterday was strange. You come off the subway from the 4, and the first thing you see is the current stadium, as the train approaches the station, the new one comes into view. It gives off almost a feeling of sadness and emptiness. That soon, the old will be just a memory in the dust.

    The Yankees even have a new sign next to the scoreboard. The Metlife.com countdown to the final game at the Stadium. Every home game in the fifth inning, a former Yankee, or some higher up in the franchise, pulls a lever in the control booth (that they show on the diamond screen), and the number goes down one less. So far its been that I know of, Hank Steinbrenner, Bucky Dent, and Paul O'Neill. Yesterday it was Tino Martinez, believe me I really did freak out when I saw him. I havent heard who else its been so far.

    But now were down to 72 home games left + 1 All Star Game till the end. @};-
     
  4. JediANGELA

    JediANGELA Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 28, 2002
    I havent upped this thread in a while, but I decided to share two videos that I found on Youtube. One, I think was aired on YES at some point that I missed.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=3u8FxnHW8QE

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=0TZjgqQFmYI&feature=related
     
  5. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2000



    Only on the field level, SLR, though McCourt plans on renovating the concession areas in the other levels of the stadium in the upcoming years.

    2008: The 50th season of L.A. Dodger baseball! :cool:

    2007-2008 L.A. Lakers: 57-25, #1 seed in the West



     
  6. yankee8255

    yankee8255 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    May 31, 2005
    Great article by Bert Blyleven on the msnbc website:

    Blyleven: An unforgettable visit to Yankee Stadium
    Not even 20 at the time, my second major league start came in the Bronx
    By Bert Blyleven
    NBC Sports

    For over 35 years I have been to Yankee Stadium ? both the original ballpark and the current one which is the result of renovations made in the mid 1970s and which is in its final season -- and it?s still my first visit to the baseball shrine at East 161st Street and River Avenue in the Bronx that remains the most special to me.

    After being drafted by Minnesota in 1969 I made my major-league debut on June 5, 1970 in Washington, D.C., pitching seven innings and getting the win in the Twins' 2-1 win over the Senators. That was certainly a thrill but an even bigger thrill would come five days later when I would make my second start in the big leagues in ? of all places ? Yankee Stadium.

    I was 19 and having grown up in Southern California my first visit to New York brought me a bit of culture shock. All the tall buildings, so many people on the streets and the subways. Just driving up to Yankee Stadium on the bus I was in awe. Fans were lined up all around the entrance to the stadium when we got off the bus. They were screaming the names of some of my teammates like Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew but they didn?t know who the heck I was -- they probably thought I was a batboy.

    My second encounter with Yankees fans came on the field. They wanted me to throw them a baseball but in those days that was prohibited. When I tried explaining to them why I couldn?t flip them a ball they called me a bum and much worse. I got away from the fans real fast and went out to center field to absorb as much as I could the scene and the atmosphere.

    It wasn?t only special out on the field. When I walked into that old clubhouse and thought of all the great players who had put their uniforms on in the same room that I was now getting dressed in I couldn?t help but think about them and also about the greats who had called the stadium?s other clubhouse home ? legendary players such as Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. It struck me as to what an honor it was to be where I was as I had always wanted to pitch at Yankee Stadium and now I was just one day away from doing so.

    I remember I got dressed really quickly and I went upstairs to the visitors? dugout and the Yankees were taking batting practice. To just to sit on the bench and watch that was really incredible. After the Yankees had finished batting practice I and a couple of my teammates walked out to the monuments of great Yankees players that were in center field (there was no monument park in the original stadium). It was amazing to see the monuments up close and even more amazing that they were in the field of play.

    If I recall correctly in the first game of our series with the Yankees our catcher that day, Paul Ratliff, hit a triple which Yankees center fielder Bobby Murcer had to chase down by running around a monument.

    The next day it was nerve-wracking going out there to pitch but I knew I had a job to do and I wanted to impress not only my teammates but the Yankee fans as well. I was pitted against Mel Stottlemyre, one of the Yankees best pitchers who would win 15 games that year, so I wasn?t figuring on a lot of run support. As I walked out I stared at the mound realizing I was going to pitch on the same hill as so many great pitchers had over the years.

    I started off with four shutout innings and had a 1-0 lead but in the fifth inning I hung a breaking ball and Yankees second baseman Horace Clarke hit about a 298-foot fly ball down the right-field line and it went for a home run since the short porch there was 296 feet. I pitched seven innings and took the loss as that was the final score, 2-1.

    After the game some of the reporters wanted to know what I thought about pitching at Yankee Stadium and out of frustration the first words that came out of mouth were, ?no wonder Babe Ruth hit so many home runs here.? By the way Clarke?s home run was his fourt
     
  7. DT421

    DT421 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 6, 2003
    Yankee Stadium proposal:

    [image=http://www.ballparktour.com/Yank-111.jpg]

    Under construction - Sept 1922

    [image=http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/4725/151922sept19ltrainovrflkj0.jpg]
     
  8. DarthIntegral

    DarthIntegral JCC Baseball Draft/SWC Draft Commish star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2005
    This week's Life or Reilly is all about Yankee Stadium, and the magic therein. As always, with Rick Reilly, it's a very good read.
     
  9. Juliet316

    Juliet316 Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2005
    So.... Who stayed up to watch the 15 inning All - Star Game?

    *takes a bat to OPPM*
     
  10. Rogue...Jedi

    Rogue...Jedi Administrator Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 12, 2000
    I stayed up for the whole thing... I was hoping we'd get to see a position player pitch, or at least the NL win [face_frustrated]
     
  11. Onoto

    Onoto Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 7, 2004
    Bah! I quit reading Reilly a couple years ago.

    Good final All-Star Game for Yankee Stadium. It's funny that a Boston player won the MVP.
     
  12. SueAsideRide

    SueAsideRide Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 5, 2000
    I got out to Yankee Stadium last year, and I wish it could have been a better experience. We paid $55 each for 2nd level outfield seats (!), it was freezing cold (a night game in the second week of April) and the hot chocolate machines were broken. So much for staying warm. I wasn't too impressed with the place, and what was worse, I couldn't even take the tour because they don't do them that early in the season! I wanted to see Monument Park up close, but I guess that won't happen now. It was also ConEd cap giveaway day, but the "one-size-fits-all" cap was pretty cheap looking and didn't really fit anyone too well. At least the Yanks lost that night, so it wasn't a total loss.

    Anyway, it was a thumbs down from me, but I'm sure that if I saw a day game in July there it would have been a lot different. However, it is a bit of a dump, and I'm sure the new place will be a big improvement.
     
  13. JediANGELA

    JediANGELA Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 28, 2002
    I just realized that we only have 19 games left to play at the Stadium. I've gotten to two games this year, going to try for a third, and then thats it.:(
     
  14. JediANGELA

    JediANGELA Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 28, 2002
    I passed by the Stadium yesterday when I went to see the NYC Waterfalls aboard Circle Line, ended up being a three hour cruise. Here are the photos that I took of the past and future of Yankee Stadium. These very well might be my last photos and time ever seeing the current Stadium.


    [image=http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789450_4724.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789451_5064.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-e.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789452_5423.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-f.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789453_5764.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-g.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789454_6126.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-h.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789455_6484.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789456_6847.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-f.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789461_8634.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789459_7921.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789458_7566.jpg]

    [image=http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v320/98/59/7800657/s7800657_37789457_7205.jpg]
     
  15. JediANGELA

    JediANGELA Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 28, 2002
    Sorry for triple posting, but it just dawned on me that tonight begins the next to last homestand at the Stadium. :_|

    And tonight is also the last time Boston will ever grace their presences there.
     
  16. yankee8255

    yankee8255 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    May 31, 2005
    This week's SI cover:

    [image=http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/si_online/covers/images/2008/0922_large.jpg]

    And article by Tom Verducci
     
  17. George_Roper

    George_Roper Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    May 1, 2005
    How long until it's Yanked Stadium?
     
  18. Eeth-my-Koth

    Eeth-my-Koth Jedi Grand Master star 9

    Registered:
    May 25, 2001
    Sunday is the finale.

    Unless the Yanks win out and the Red Sox lose out.
    I think the Tragic Number is down to 2. :(
     
  19. George_Roper

    George_Roper Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    May 1, 2005
    Crap, I'd like to watch that but I don't think I'll be able to. [face_frustrated]

    'Tragic' number. lol
     
  20. JediANGELA

    JediANGELA Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 28, 2002
    When the White Sox leave the Stadium tonight, Baltimore comes in, and theyre going to be the very last team ever to enter the visitor clubhouse. [face_plain]:_|[face_plain]:_|
     
  21. JediANGELA

    JediANGELA Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 28, 2002
  22. DT421

    DT421 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 6, 2003
    The Yankee Stadium that had character, died after the 1973-1975 renovation:

    [image=http://www.ballparkornaments.com/historicballparks/yankeestadium.jpg]

    And was then turned into this sterile place:

    [image=http://www.nycvp.com/NYCVP/YankeeStadium.jpg]

    I loved the pre-renovated park better. That was the 'House that Ruth Built'.


     
  23. JediANGELA

    JediANGELA Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 28, 2002
    2 hours till the first pitch of the final game.

    This is so emotional...:_|
     
  24. Eeth-my-Koth

    Eeth-my-Koth Jedi Grand Master star 9

    Registered:
    May 25, 2001
    So long Yankee Stadium @};-
     
  25. yankee8255

    yankee8255 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    May 31, 2005
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