Yankee Stadium [I] Demolition

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Paul W
    Registered User
    • May 2008
    • 4691

    Originally posted by threeyoda View Post
    Ok, imagine it is 1976, the "New" Yankee Stadium just opened, and many people dislike it. They miss the "real" frieze and hate the cheap knockoff on the outfield wall. The outfield wall is way to big and they miss the view of the subway. They like that the posts are gone but miss how big the stadium used to look. Gate 4 and 6 are gone and replaced with escalator wells.

    30 years later, and people love the stadium and don't want to let it go. They don't car about it's many flaws because many of them saw history happen there. But it took 30 years for the stadium to make it's own history.

    Now, it's 2009, and the "New" Yankee Stadium has just opened, and many people dislike it. The miss the older frieze and hate the cheap knockoff surrounding the stadium. The outfield restaurant is to big and blocks the view of some bleacher seats. They like that the pods on the outside are gone but the upper deck is to small and to far. Gate 4 and Gate 6 are replaced with Gates looking like the original stadium.

    30 years later-???
    i was there in '76, and (like most new parks) the renovated stadium was hailed by fans, the franchise and the local media as a vast improvement over the old one.

    if folks in the 70's missed the old place so much why were there only 32K at the last game? i was there and my dad walked up and bought 4 general admission tix and we sat in his favorite spot, upper deck far left field (in the sun) and had a few whole sections to ourselves. where were all the hand-wringers about the demise of the place?
    some people were sad to see it go but they kept it in perspective.
    my mom was quoted in the westchester papers about removing the pillars (poles) and commented that the effort was misplaced, see below (the last name was a joke by guido). she also said that it wasn't too hard to sell seats behind poles for series games.
    the general mind set in the 60's-70's was that old is bad and new has to be better and the renovated stadium was no different.
    btw - for the uninitiated, the dye was cast for the stadium renovation before cbs sold the club to steinbrenner and his very limited partners.

    i am glad that i got to go at least 25-30 times before the place closed, experiencing the access to press box people (sheppard etc.) players at the unguarded press gate after the games and the clubhouses (shehee) because of my parents connection to the franchise. it's a shame that kids these days don't have that kind of relaxed atmosphere at this kind of place, the $$$'s ruling the day now.

    both of my parents who worked at the stadium and were remembered after their passings at old-timers days, they would look at the histrionics about all this and shake their heads.
    they always wanted us to remember that the nyy are a business and the ballpark a place of business. it was nice to be able to go to the place where the met, but it's time to move on...
    Attached Files
    Last edited by Paul W; 02-26-2010, 02:42 PM.
    the turd in the punchbowl
    reality really sucks.
    enjoy the game more...

    Comment

    • Astros
      Registered User
      • Mar 2007
      • 750

      Is this column (in the red oval) a remnant of the columns that were removed? It looks like it is in the right place and appears to be the exact type of column in place before the renovation.
      Attached Files

      Comment

      • RichardLillard1
        762*
        • Jun 2006
        • 976

        A couple of quick things to think about...

        1. In all the renovation photos I've ever seen, the catwalks were still in place. They had two steel rails on them, just like the ones you see in Gary's pictures.

        2. During the renovation, they cut corners wherever they could and they left anything they could get away with leaving still intact to the Stadium.

        3. The old upper concourse was renamed after the renovation to the "mechanical level."

        4. That catwalk looks to be in the same spot as the ramp above it and we know the newer portals were directly above the old ones.

        I would bet that the stairs were added to all of the old catwalks for accessing anything down in that area of the upper deck. Things like drainage pipes definitely would have been around in this area, so I would assume that it was for access and maintenance to these areas. You wouldn't want them stomping around on the bottom that was put on the upper deck in the renovation because (while it might have been safe to walk on, we have seen pictures from after that beam fell) it might not have been designed to.

        Just my two cents. I would bet that those are the original catwalks.


        Richard

        Comment

        • RichardLillard1
          762*
          • Jun 2006
          • 976

          Originally posted by Astros View Post
          Is this column (in the red oval) a remnant of the columns that were removed? It looks like it is in the right place and appears to be the exact type of column in place before the renovation.
          Yes.


          Richard

          Comment

          • CHiller
            Iron Hands
            • Jul 2008
            • 383

            Originally posted by Yankee4life View Post
            I hate to burst your bubble, but those stairs are not from the old catwalk. There was a ramp at the end of the old catwalk that went UP to the portal, not down. Those stairs would actually end up in the first row, which were the box seats. After seeing a few of these pictures, it looks more and more like the old catwalks were removed during the renovation. I think that the catwalks we see were added during the renovation for access to the mechanicals that were added within the UD trusses. There was definitely alot of new steel added (it's all red, as compared to the old black trusses). There's a good view of the old catwalk in this picture:
            http://lh6.ggpht.com/_D8cb2WsFTeQ/S3...4.18.23%29.jpg
            Yup, I stand corrected, thanks. Here's a photo I found in the pre-renovation thread that shows a good view of a few of the catwalks. If you're right, and the original catwalks were removed during the renovation, it's a shame we won't get to see that bit of "archeology" as the old girl is pealed back.
            Attached Files
            First Game- Twinight DH, Mets vs. Cards at Shea, August 22, 1965

            Comment

            • Aviator_Frank
              Engineer / Private Pilot
              • Mar 2008
              • 900

              Man alive, those were catwalks indeed! After a few beers I wonder how many patrons came thisclose to tettering over the edge. Can you imagine something like that being constructed today?

              Nowadays you'd have fully-enclosed cages with railings, yellow paint at the edges, grip surfaces and warning signs posted every 50 feet.

              Meow!

              Comment

              • cgcoyne2
                Jonathan E's number 1 fan
                • Mar 2008
                • 743

                I have to agree with Richard. I think they are the old catwalks but a staircase down replaced the up ramp for access at the bottom of the upper deck. This would give access to work on different things down in that location. But what the hell do I know.
                Jimmy Dugan: Because there's no crying in baseball. THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL! No crying! (Tom Hanks, "A League of Their Own" (1992)

                Comment

                • JCCC
                  Registered User
                  • Aug 2009
                  • 37

                  I was thinking the same thing. Just think of the people with high anxiety issues. Anyone have any eye level view of the original catwalks.

                  Comment

                  • cgcoyne2
                    Jonathan E's number 1 fan
                    • Mar 2008
                    • 743

                    Originally posted by Aviator_Frank View Post
                    Man alive, those were catwalks indeed! After a few beers I wonder how many patrons came thisclose to tettering over the edge. Can you imagine something like that being constructed today?

                    Nowadays you'd have fully-enclosed cages with railings, yellow paint at the edges, grip surfaces and warning signs posted every 50 feet.

                    Meow!
                    And a nasty Yankee security guard to smack you if you even look like you might think about falling. LOL
                    Jimmy Dugan: Because there's no crying in baseball. THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL! No crying! (Tom Hanks, "A League of Their Own" (1992)

                    Comment

                    • cgcoyne2
                      Jonathan E's number 1 fan
                      • Mar 2008
                      • 743

                      Originally posted by JCCC View Post
                      I was thinking the same thing. Just think of the people with high anxiety issues. Anyone have any eye level view of the original catwalks.
                      Look at the mock up of the 3D Autocad !960's Yankee Stadium. It looks very cool. It's Rick Kaplansky's thread.
                      Attached Files
                      Last edited by cgcoyne2; 02-26-2010, 03:29 PM.
                      Jimmy Dugan: Because there's no crying in baseball. THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL! No crying! (Tom Hanks, "A League of Their Own" (1992)

                      Comment

                      • RfkFedEx
                        Registered User
                        • Jul 2009
                        • 1318

                        Originally posted by Aviator_Frank View Post
                        Man alive, those were catwalks indeed! After a few beers I wonder how many patrons came thisclose to tettering over the edge. Can you imagine something like that being constructed today?
                        Not to mention all of the general crap that would be unintentially kicked down to the lower level. Junk like food litter, peanut shells, spilled drinks. Stuff that might not hurt anyone, but still unpleasant to have rained upon you. I surprised to learn that they used to sell SRO tix for the catwalks in Ebbetts.

                        Comment

                        • JCCC
                          Registered User
                          • Aug 2009
                          • 37

                          Thanks cgcoyne2, great stuff and cool as hell!

                          Comment

                          • cgcoyne2
                            Jonathan E's number 1 fan
                            • Mar 2008
                            • 743

                            Originally posted by JCCC View Post
                            Thanks cgcoyne2, great stuff and cool as hell!
                            No thank Rick Kaplansky. I just posted there. (3D Model of Yankee Stadium (Late 1960's) )

                            The thread is listed as number one or two right now. Check it out. YOU WILL BE AMAZED!!!!
                            Jimmy Dugan: Because there's no crying in baseball. THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL! No crying! (Tom Hanks, "A League of Their Own" (1992)

                            Comment

                            • CHiller
                              Iron Hands
                              • Jul 2008
                              • 383

                              Originally posted by RfkFedEx View Post
                              Not to mention all of the general crap that would be unintentially kicked down to the lower level. Junk like food litter, peanut shells, spilled drinks. Stuff that might not hurt anyone, but still unpleasant to have rained upon you. I surprised to learn that they used to sell SRO tix for the catwalks in Ebbetts.
                              Did the original stadium have concession stands back in the concourses? I have a feeling that there was a lot less getting up and down and going to get stuff to eat and drink back in the day. You came to the ballgame, sat in your seat and watched the game. If a vendor came by, you bought a dog and a brew. A lot less opportunity for junk to fall on the folks below.
                              First Game- Twinight DH, Mets vs. Cards at Shea, August 22, 1965

                              Comment

                              • YankeeStadium1923
                                Registered User
                                • Feb 2008
                                • 1469

                                Yankee Stadium Railing

                                Hey All,

                                I was lucky enough to be on a Gerard Avenue roof when the below photo was taken last Thursday. This photo was posted a few pages ago and is credited to History of the Yankees.com. It was great being on the rooftop and seeing the old catwalks for the first time. I plan on going to the Bronx early next week for another view once the weather clears up.

                                Anyway, I outlined in RED an interesting observation that can be seen in both photos. You can see the original railings that lined the Pre-Renovated Upper Deck concourse still intact and never touched during the Yankee Stadium Modernization. I'm not sure if these railings can be seen from the Subway Platform. I never noticed them from the rooftop.

                                Anyway, It looks like the original catwalks are still in place, however the concrete bed that laid across the steel trusses were removed during the renovation. Probably because of safety reasons. In fact, I have seen renovation photos that show the trusses without the concrete bed. I also have photos of the Tiger Stadium catwalks from my visit to Tiger Stadium in 1999.
                                Both ballparks were built and designed by Osborn and had many similarities. If I have a chance I will post what the catwalks look liked from Tiger Stadium as a comparison. Not at all scary to walk along.
                                Attached Files
                                Last edited by YankeeStadium1923; 02-26-2010, 05:47 PM.
                                Yankee Stadium 1923-2008

                                Avid fan of the greatest Stadium ever built! Both in beauty and aesthetics throughout its long Glorious history.

                                Comment

                                Ad Widget

                                Collapse
                                Working...
                                X