Yeah, I know it was supposed to be a national day of mourning for shutting down "The House that Ruth Built", but its end is fitting. Joe Torre's Dodgers won their division. The Tampa Bay Rays win the division. The Boston Red Sox are in the playoffs.
And the Bronx Bumblers are cleaning out their lockers. Forever.
For many, Yankee Stadium represents strength and power. To me, it represents something less: Bad Royalty.
New Yorkers think that because they care about something, I should care about it, too. They think that championships are a birthright. They think that with money and power, you are guaranteed happiness.
But if that were true, the Yankees would have home-field advantage through out the playoffs this year, as they turn out the lights for good.
I like nothing more than the absence of pomp and circumstances and a national audience in playoffs to close out Yankee Stadium. Excuse me, I love that. L-O-V-E!
But I do have one fond memory of Yankee Stadium. During the playoffs, in New York, the typical New York Yankee "Hooligan Fans" were trying to pelt Jay Buhner with coins and batteries and were hurling insults like street punks. They did hit Buhner, but in the shoulder or chest.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Later in the playoff series, when the Yankees went to Seattle, a Seattle hooligan nailed Yankee outfielder, Bernie Williams, in the lip with something.
Other than that, I'm not sure that I have any fondness about Yankee Stadium. As a child, though, I did love the Yankees. I cried when Thurmon Munson crashed in Akron. I cheered Jackson's third home run in the World Series. But that was just me being a dumb kid.
I used to go to Seattle's Kingdome to watch the Mariners. The place was awful, but it was home and I loved it. I saw Nolan Ryan pitch. I saw Randy Johnson's first no-hitter. I saw Bill Swift take a line drive off his forehead, the ball bounce once and go into the stands. I chatted with Lou Piniella on his way to the stadium. I was a "Lefebvre Belebvre." I talked with Norm Charlton, Bobby Ayala, and Jeff Nelson while sitting right behind the bullpen.
I would buy a seat in the nosebleed section and be able to sit practically anywhere in the stadium that I wanted. Eighth row for R.J.'s no-hitter. Third-base line for Nolan Ryan. The one-game playoff between the Mariners and Angles to determine who made it to the postseason.
I never took a wrong turn leaving Yankee Stadium only to find myself surrounded by fans begging me for an autograph, simply because I exited the stadium through the same tunnel that the players left. I never saw Junior and his dad play their first game together on the same team in Yankee Stadium. I never saw the Mariners string together back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back doubles against Oakland in Yankee Stadium.
So why should I care about Yankee Stadium? Ichiro didn't eclipse George Sisler there. Junior didn't hit a home run in eight consecutive games there. The Mariners didn't win 116 games there.
Now open “the House that Money Built” and don’t tell me to be enamored with it. Don't tell me how much of a "place of historical significance" Old Yankee Stadium is. If that place was actually a place of National Historical Significance, they’d put up a sign to say so and let it crumble away like the Parthenon.
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about 1 month ago
You don't like the Yankees, do you? ;-)
from about 1 month ago
Don't get me wrong. I do respect the players as individuals and their abilities. I used to be a huge Yankee fan. Ron Guidry, Graig Nettles, Bucky Dent, Reggie Jackson, Thurmon Munson those are all guys from my era as a Yankee fan. But that didn't make me want to bow down and worship him in what some call the "the Cathedral of Baseball". What's that make George Steinbrenner, a Priest? A Cardinal? The Pope?
I mean c'mon. I have a ton of respect for the game itself and I understand that Yankee Stadium, for some, is an important building, just not for me.
about 1 month ago
The fact that you can say you USED to be a Yankee fan means you never have been capable of even being one in the first place. There are rivalries in sports and that is healthy. A lot of people dont like the Yanks or their practices, but to spend this much energy bashing a teams home you supposedly used to be a fan of is just silly. So when did you stop loving the Yanks? What was the final straw that pushed you away? The eighties probably, if I had my guess. I dont presume to know you, but your article says a lot. For what its worth you got my blood pumping with your comments so I guess mission accomplished and hats off for stirring my emotions. In the end haters can say what they want about the cathredral but this is a fact, many historical and great faces of baseball have walked those halls and that field. Some of the greatest the game has ever seen. Not all greats came from the Yanks, but many many were bombers. Whether you choose to recognize it or not it is hallowed ground. No dollar sign can change that in the eyes of not only Yankee fans but all baseball fans alike. Any true fan of the game is not too proud or hateful to disrespect such a historical landmark. One last thing, no self respeciting Yankee fan past or present would take pleasure from seeing their fellow fans attempting to hurt an opponant and damn sure wouldnt take pleasure from seeing Bernie attacked. Anyway, take it or leave it, I just wanted to share my opinion of your points.
from about 1 month ago
Hey Todd, It was a point of view that I'm sure the media would not cover. I was a "Fan" because I was told that they were important to me by the media. Fact is they were 3000 miles away and I'd never get to see them. There was no connection for me once I realized it. It's more about the media than the Yankees.
from about 1 month ago
Fair enough sir. I am in no position to question ones loyalties or opinions, I just didnt like some of the points you made and had to respond. Overall your entitled and I may have reacted strongly and hope I didnt offend you. At the end of the day, you write well and you did get a reaction which was teh point I assume. Take care.
about 1 month ago
Fond Memories…
Your article was interesting about the world famous Yankee Stadium....I was there in 1955...1958 for the world's largest religious convention that was held there and the nearby Polo Grounds for 8 days...from July 27-August 3. The peak attendance of 253,922 for both stadiums to hear the widely advertised public address that Nathan H. Knorr then president of Watch Tower Society gave was GOD’S KINGDOM RULES…IS THE WORLD’S END NEAR?...the New York papers said this was the "best behaved convention ever held in New York city"...Delegates came from 123 countries. Mass baptism at Orchard Beach was 7,136.
Not to be overlooked was the mass feeding at both stadiums over 800,000 meals cooked and serve by volunteers…the Army…Navy…and the Civil Defense came to get tips on how to mass feed people if a disaster was to come.
I was there again in 1961...1963…1968 and 1973...and then in the new stadium in 1986...1988...those were the days...I was disappointed when they renovated the stadium...it just wasn't the same anymore...
See www.divinewill1958.com for historic picture.
Yes, Jehovah's Witnesses made history at Yankee Stadium and I was proud to be there for the ball game of life everlasting...
Thanks again...Paul E. Beerwort formerly of Philly but now in Eastman, Georgia....
from about 1 month ago
Thanks!
from about 1 month ago
There's little doubt that this stadium has memories for many. I'm not sure that you'd have the same appreciation of the moment that I had in the Kingdome many years ago for a Promise Keepers meeting. They had Boeing union meetings there. Billy Graham I'm sure visited it. However, I'm sure that when they tore down the Kingdome a few years back not a tear was shed for it in New York...that's my main point.
about 1 month ago
Fond Memories…
Your article was interesting about the world famous Yankee Stadium....I was there in 1955...1958 for the world's largest religious convention that was held there and the nearby Polo Grounds for 8 days...from July 27-August 3. The peak attendance of 253,922 for both stadiums to hear the widely advertised public address that Nathan H. Knorr then president of Watch Tower Society gave was GOD’S KINGDOM RULES…IS THE WORLD’S END NEAR?...the New York papers said this was the "best behaved convention ever held in New York city"...Delegates came from 123 countries. Mass baptism at Orchard Beach was 7,136.
Not to be overlooked was the mass feeding at both stadiums over 800,000 meals cooked and serve by volunteers…the Army…Navy…and the Civil Defense came to get tips on how to mass feed people if a disaster was to come.
I was there again in 1961...1963…1968 and 1973...and then in the new stadium in 1986...1988...those were the days...I was disappointed when they renovated the stadium...it just wasn't the same anymore...
See www.divinewill1958.com for historic picture.
Yes, Jehovah's Witnesses made history at Yankee Stadium and I was proud to be there for the ball game of life everlasting...
Thanks again...Paul E. Beerwort formerly of Philly but now in Eastman, Georgia....
from about 1 month ago
Thanks again!
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