Yankee Stadium [I] Demolition

[JoeDOYS]

You know what, I cant argue with that. But I think we can make new ones at the new place. Its not like we were expecting the Yankees to play at the old stadium forever, right?

Not so easy, as most of most of us grew up with either oys or rys...being a grown man now the new memories wont be as good as the old ones. Youre still 17...heck, i didnt get to see the yankees win a world series until i was 18 years old away at college back in '96. Being born in 1978 didnt give you much as a yankee fan as a kid.

I grew up watching guys like donne baseball, steve by bye balboni and pat kelly, not like the bought teams of the last 6 years.

I understand. I guess thats why we have museums and such, it gives us something we can point to. I think its interesting that we're in a day of age where we have to show physical evidence of something. But I agree, its easier to see something and give us a visual, instead of just hearing it and making our own picture.

Its a matter of not being able to sit in the piece of living history to watch a game now. It was replaced by a cheap copy catering to the wealthy.

[yankies4life]

Not so easy, as most of most of us grew up with either oys or rys...being a grown man now the new memories wont be as good as the old ones. Youre still 17...heck, i didnt get to see the yankees win a world series until i was 18 years old away at college back in '96. Being born in 1978 didnt give you much as a yankee fan as a kid.

I grew up watching guys like donne baseball, steve by bye balboni and pat kelly, not like the bought teams of the last 6 years.



Its a matter of not being able to sit in the piece of living history to watch a game now. It was replaced by a cheap copy catering to the wealthy.

But its the same exact game across the street. Just because its not the same building, doesnt mean the game has changed.

[JoeDOYS]

But its the same exact game across the street. Just because its not the same building, doesnt mean the game has changed.

...the experience has changed, not for the better.

[mets16]

I am actually 17.

Ok, that explains alot. I won't go as hard on ya as I have. I'm not that much older than you but let's leave it at that.

Anyways.... Has there been a timeframe posted somewhere on the internet as to when the structure itself will completely be down? I wouldn't imagine it being around when March rolls around, because I'll tell you what, Opening Day 2010 with a half mangled Yankee Stadium will be an ugly, ugly sight.

[NYaDiO]

Ok, that explains alot. I won't go as hard on ya as I have. I'm not that much older than you but let's leave it at that.

Anyways.... Has there been a timeframe posted somewhere on the internet as to when the structure itself will completely be down? I wouldn't imagine it being around when March rolls around, because I'll tell you what, Opening Day 2010 with a half mangled Yankee Stadium will be an ugly, ugly sight.

According to the NYC Gov Park site, it'll be completely down by mid-season 2010.

[Maxlugar]

According to the NYC Gov Park site, it'll be completely down by mid-season 2010.

Honestly I think the new stadium will be more accepted once the real one comes down. Right now it's like you were just forced to buy a Yugo and right next to it on the driveway is your old Jaguar XKE. Every day you are forced to pass the Jag by as you get into the new peice of crap you drive every morning. Once the Jag is taken to the scrap heap, the Yugo becomes your one and only.

But every day you miss that Jaguar and all it's greatness as you drive in your Yugo with it's meat market and Build-A-Bear and Jelly Bean Hut....

[ncyankeefan]

I am 31...my first time to the stadium was in 1988...i went in 82, but do not remember as i was 4. i liked the history of the stadium but always thought rys looked mismatched, i never thought it was a beautiful stadium and looked nothing like the old one. but i LOVED the HISTORY...that is what i will miss. i have not been to nys so i cannot comment. i plan on going up there next season.
my dad, 68, was a big mickey fan....he always said that rys was nothing like the old one....he said it felt cold. i wish i could have seen the old one in person.

[SparkyL]

I am 31...my first time to the stadium was in 1988...i went in 82, but do not remember as i was 4. i liked the history of the stadium but always thought rys looked mismatched, i never thought it was a beautiful stadium and looked nothing like the old one. but i LOVED the HISTORY...that is what i will miss. i have not been to nys so i cannot comment. i plan on going up there next season.
my dad, 68, was a big mickey fan....he always said that rys was nothing like the old one....he said it felt cold. i wish i could have seen the old one in person.

If he thinks that RYS felt cold, wait till he sees NYS

[ncyankeefan]

haven't been yet so, we'll see.

[Yankeefan90]

I understand. I guess thats why we have museums and such, it gives us something we can point to. I think its interesting that we're in a day of age where we have to show physical evidence of something. But I agree, its easier to see something and give us a visual, instead of just hearing it and making our own picture.

I don't think it's just this day and age, I think humankind as a whole, past and present always need a physical reminder of the history that takes place somewhere. Mueseums have been around for centuries. We'll always have memories but physical reminders help those memories come to life sometimes. Yankee Stadium will be missed, but now I can't wait to see new memories at the NYS.

[Yankeefan90]

I am 31...my first time to the stadium was in 1988...i went in 82, but do not remember as i was 4. i liked the history of the stadium but always thought rys looked mismatched, i never thought it was a beautiful stadium and looked nothing like the old one. but i LOVED the HISTORY...that is what i will miss. i have not been to nys so i cannot comment. i plan on going up there next season.
my dad, 68, was a big mickey fan....he always said that rys was nothing like the old one....he said it felt cold. i wish i could have seen the old one in person.

My dad also grew up in the 60's and he was a Mantle fan too. He never liked the renovated Stadium. He liked the history and all but he said it didn't feel the same as the old one. He went this year to the new Stadium and he loved it. He misses the old Stadium but really enjoyed the new one, in the end its all a matter of opinion.

[GordonGecko]

[Perseus71]

I'll be honest here and say that I don't miss the days of Donnie baseball, Steve Balboni or Pat Kelly... Those teams were utter failures... Even though that was the baseball I grew up with and the stadium I fell in love with, I realize that those were not the Yankees we know today. I use to buy two tickets on the field level - left field side - from the ticket window - right before the game at a cost of around $20. I also loved BARField - one of the greediest home run hitters to play for those Yankees... But nothing beats winning it all and the fact the Yankees could do that in both places is amazing.

[RationalNYYfan]

It's interesting how perfectly Mattingly fits into Yankee chronological history. He arrived at the exact same time that the Reggie and the 77-81 dynasty left, and he retired at the exact time that the Jeter Dynasty of 96-01 was beginning. He was a great player that really was the face of a somewhat mediocre 1980's franchise.

[JoeDOYS]

I'll be honest here and say that I don't miss the days of Donnie baseball, Steve Balboni or Pat Kelly...

Don Mattingly was in the hearts of many of those guys on the '96 team. The leadership and class he brought to the table rubbed off on the very young jeters, riveras, bernies and pettites....

Even though he didnt play on the championship teams he played a very indirect role in them.

[scooterfan]

It's interesting how perfectly Mattingly fits into Yankee chronological history. He arrived at the exact same time that the Reggie and the 77-81 dynasty left, and he retired at the exact time that the Jeter Dynasty of 96-01 was beginning. He was a great player that really was the face of a somewhat mediocre 1980's franchise.

Mattingly had bad timing. Had he arrived 7 years earlier at the advent of free agency when the Yankees were dominating the free agent market with guys like catfish hunter and reggie he would have played on a team that had great pitching. When Mattingly arrived in 1983 the other teams had temporarily caught up to the Yankees in the free agent market.

And when Mattingly left the Yankees once again were on the verge of dominating the free agent market but throughout most of Mattingly's tenure the Yankees didn't spend huge sums of money. So Mattingly unfortunately was between these two eras, and from 1989-1992 the Yankees hardly spent any money.

[ncyankeefan]

don't forget about mel hall...he would always hr went i went to the stadium.

[voodoochile]

I think that a lot of you are confusing the Yankees moving to a new venue with the demolition of the old one. The point as I see it is that an argument is being made in association with the move AND the demolition, where in fact the move can be made without the demolition.

We aren't arguing the disposition of the team, but the decision to demolish their old stadium. The Yankees are no longer an issue, Yankee Stadium is, and it reminds me of something that my Father used to say, and it fits this situation very well. "Ever wonder why there are more horses asses that there are horses?"

[The Korean]

If they dont demolish it people are still gonna complain why they are playing in the new stadium and how it was completely unnecessary.

[Celerino Sanchez]

I wondered if they could have done a sectioned build. Say , over four years, After the season ended, tear down from the middle of the right field grandstand to the end of the right field grandstand. You than built that new section , and finish that in a year. Remember when the new Busch opened, the whole left field section was built in this manner. It could not be started until the old Busch was leveled and out of the way, and it was finished before mid season or there abouts. Heck it was pretty much finished by opening day, The next year, do another quarter of the stadium, and so on. Hell , they built Old Yankee Stadium in , what, eleven months with prehistoric machines, I think they could put a quarter of a stadium together in a year. Your thoughts people?:

[Strawman]

don't forget about mel hall...he would always hr went i went to the stadium.

Isn't Mel Hall just inside the gates on 161 St. in the new place?

[Perseus71]

Ah Mel Hall! He had his moments!

[voodoochile]

I wondered if they could have done a sectioned build. Say , over four years, After the season ended, tear down from the middle of the right field grandstand to the end of the right field grandstand. You than built that new section , and finish that in a year. Remember when the new Busch opened, the whole left field section was built in this manner. It could not be started until the old Busch was leveled and out of the way, and it was finished before mid season or there abouts. Heck it was pretty much finished by opening day, The next year, do another quarter of the stadium, and so on. Hell , they built Old Yankee Stadium in , what, eleven months with prehistoric machines, I think they could put a quarter of a stadium together in a year. Your thoughts people?:

Not a chance in hell. One of the reasons for building a new stadium was to enlarge the narrow concourses and provide more luxury boxes as well as other necessary amenities in order to "keep up" with the times. The wider concourses as well as the added luxury boxes meant an overall larger stadium. Larger seat also adds to this. The area that OYS sits on provides for no additional room for expansion. It already sits on the edges of its boundaries.

[Celerino Sanchez]

Not a chance in hell. One of the reasons for building a new stadium was to enlarge the narrow concourses and provide more luxury boxes as well as other necessary amenities in order to "keep up" with the times. The wider concourses as well as the added luxury boxes meant an overall larger stadium. Larger seat also adds to this. The area that OYS sits on provides for no additional room for expansion. It already sits on the edges of its boundaries.

I disagree, On one side you have a parking garage, and the other side was all torn up to build a parking garage, behind home plate was plenty of room. You could have expanded as much as you wanted, and put in wide concourses and luxury boxes and whatever. The footprint of the Stadium could have been expanded by 100 ft easy. In fact, I'd say there is more room on the old yankee stadium site than the new one.

[voodoochile]

The stadium is bordered by E 161st St. on one side, E 157th St. on another side, Doughty on another and River Ave. along with the train is just behind the wall. The property that the parking structure sits on I believe is city property. In either case, they cannot expand into the streets. The stadium is sitting on it's boundaries. The thick black lines are the property lines that I went over. This is a copy of a blueprint.