18. Yankee Stadium a.k.a. "The House That Jeter Built"
Six years after my visit to the original Yankee Stadium, I returned the Bronx to see the new one as the fifth and final stop on the 2012 baseball road trip. My friend Mike, who had been my companion for the first four stops of the tour, took a train back to Philadelphia that morning, but my Cleveland compadre EJ and fraternity brother / radio host Dr. Bovi and I met at Sarge's Deli (my favorite deli ever) for breakfast, followed by stops at The Guggenheim and Central Park. Then to cap the day off we met my ultimate friends Miah and Sara (then resident in Brooklyn) and my host jackthebodyless to watch the Monday night game against the Indians.
Alas, aside from a Kate Upton appearance on the Jumbotron, Yankees haters had a little to cheer as Kuroda shut down the Tribe for seven and handed over the lead to the bullpen, who finished it off. The baseball highlight of the day was probably the oddity that three of four active hits leaders that day were in the park, with Jeter at short and A-Rod on the bench for the Yankees and Johnny Damon in left for the Tribe. If we'd had Omar in the house we'd have had the complete set. I also liked that I got to see Eric Chavez at third, even if it was for the Yankees.
So what about the park? Well, unlike three of the prior stops on the road trip, the new Yankee Stadium is not a generic new park desperately trying to be original. Indeed, there is absolutely nothing like it in baseball. This iteration of Yankee Stadium is like the Las Vegas version of a baseball park: it's huge, over the top, and ridiculously gaudy. At the same time, it manages to feel like a giant suburban shopping mall. Honestly, parts of it feel like they added a ballpark to the Mall of America.
You may have heard that in New York City you demonstrate how rich you are by how much space you waste. If that is true, the Yankees are as rich as anyone. In particular, there is a "Great Hall" along one side with seven story high ceilings. The main scoreboard is gigantic. Really, everything is gigantic. Tasteless, somewhat, but gigantic.
There are tradeoffs, of course. The expensive new stadium has expensive seats, so some of the loyal fans were forced out. The Bleacher Creatures are still there, thankfully, but many of the new seats routinely go unfilled, either because people didn't pay for them or because they are hanging out in one of the many lounges and restaurants. Several Yankees players are on record as saying that the crowd noise isn't nearly as loud at the new park as it was in the old park, which didn't stop them from winning a ring the year the new park opened.
In short, it's hard to rate this park highly. They took the history and ambiance of the old park and killed it, or at least hurt it. I'd go back because I want to get into the new Monument Park at some time, but beyond that I don't feel a burning need to return.
Park Rankings
RankParkTeamFirst Visit# Visits
1 Wrigley FieldChicago CubsApril 23, 20042
2 PNC ParkPittsburgh PiratesSeptember 25, 20042
3 Jacobs FieldCleveland IndiansApril 17, 199963
4 Miller ParkMilwaukee BrewersApril 24, 20041
5 Camden YardsBaltimore OriolesJune 22, 20121
6 Yankee Stadium (original)New York YankeesJuly 28, 20061
7 Comerica ParkDetroit TigersJuly 31, 20041
8 Turner FieldAtlanta BravesMay 5, 20071
9 Nationals ParkWashington NationalsJune 21, 20121
10 Citizens Bank ParkPhiladelphia PhilliesJune 23, 20121
11 Citi FieldNew York MetsJune 24, 20121
12 Rogers CentreToronto Blue JaysMay 21, 20051
13 Cinergy FieldCincinnati RedsAugust 8, 19984
14Yankee Stadium (sequel)New York YankeesJune 25, 20121
15 The MetrodomeMinnesota TwinsJune 22, 19923
16 Shea StadiumNew York MetsJuly 24, 20061
17 Great American Ball ParkCincinnati RedsMay 9, 20041
18 U.S. Cellular FieldChicago White SoxApril 25, 20041
Background: Prologue Memory Interlude
Alas, aside from a Kate Upton appearance on the Jumbotron, Yankees haters had a little to cheer as Kuroda shut down the Tribe for seven and handed over the lead to the bullpen, who finished it off. The baseball highlight of the day was probably the oddity that three of four active hits leaders that day were in the park, with Jeter at short and A-Rod on the bench for the Yankees and Johnny Damon in left for the Tribe. If we'd had Omar in the house we'd have had the complete set. I also liked that I got to see Eric Chavez at third, even if it was for the Yankees.
So what about the park? Well, unlike three of the prior stops on the road trip, the new Yankee Stadium is not a generic new park desperately trying to be original. Indeed, there is absolutely nothing like it in baseball. This iteration of Yankee Stadium is like the Las Vegas version of a baseball park: it's huge, over the top, and ridiculously gaudy. At the same time, it manages to feel like a giant suburban shopping mall. Honestly, parts of it feel like they added a ballpark to the Mall of America.
You may have heard that in New York City you demonstrate how rich you are by how much space you waste. If that is true, the Yankees are as rich as anyone. In particular, there is a "Great Hall" along one side with seven story high ceilings. The main scoreboard is gigantic. Really, everything is gigantic. Tasteless, somewhat, but gigantic.
There are tradeoffs, of course. The expensive new stadium has expensive seats, so some of the loyal fans were forced out. The Bleacher Creatures are still there, thankfully, but many of the new seats routinely go unfilled, either because people didn't pay for them or because they are hanging out in one of the many lounges and restaurants. Several Yankees players are on record as saying that the crowd noise isn't nearly as loud at the new park as it was in the old park, which didn't stop them from winning a ring the year the new park opened.
In short, it's hard to rate this park highly. They took the history and ambiance of the old park and killed it, or at least hurt it. I'd go back because I want to get into the new Monument Park at some time, but beyond that I don't feel a burning need to return.
Park Rankings
RankParkTeamFirst Visit# Visits
1 Wrigley FieldChicago CubsApril 23, 20042
2 PNC ParkPittsburgh PiratesSeptember 25, 20042
3 Jacobs FieldCleveland IndiansApril 17, 199963
4 Miller ParkMilwaukee BrewersApril 24, 20041
5 Camden YardsBaltimore OriolesJune 22, 20121
6 Yankee Stadium (original)New York YankeesJuly 28, 20061
7 Comerica ParkDetroit TigersJuly 31, 20041
8 Turner FieldAtlanta BravesMay 5, 20071
9 Nationals ParkWashington NationalsJune 21, 20121
10 Citizens Bank ParkPhiladelphia PhilliesJune 23, 20121
11 Citi FieldNew York MetsJune 24, 20121
12 Rogers CentreToronto Blue JaysMay 21, 20051
13 Cinergy FieldCincinnati RedsAugust 8, 19984
14Yankee Stadium (sequel)New York YankeesJune 25, 20121
15 The MetrodomeMinnesota TwinsJune 22, 19923
16 Shea StadiumNew York MetsJuly 24, 20061
17 Great American Ball ParkCincinnati RedsMay 9, 20041
18 U.S. Cellular FieldChicago White SoxApril 25, 20041
Background: Prologue Memory Interlude