Yankee Stadium [I] Demolition

[applenut]

The one place where many baseball fans depart from reality is when it comes to the inevitability of replacing stadiums. All the whining and always blaming the owners aside, these stadiums all eventually HAVE to be replaced. They were neither conceived nor designed to last F-O-R-E-V-E-R, no matter how structurally sound they are at present, nor how many memories we experienced in them.

A renovation to a building as massive as the one YS experienced in the 70s is akin to a nose job. It isn't as simple as just doing it again every time the last one gets old.

Even if YS could endure another major renovation like back then, it still wouldn't be on par with building a structure conceived in and for the 21st Century. That would be like adding a CD player, leather seats, AC and moon roof to a Model T, then saying that it's a brand new Lincoln!

The arrogance of many Yankees fans is confusing...if you have the best team, the best uniforms and the best players in the world, how do memories alone make a stadium built by folks who watched the sun set on the 19th Century the best in the world in the 21st Century? Hell, we ALL had memories in our old stadiums.

As an architect, and one who specialized in preservation and restoration, I can honestly and without hesitation say that what you just said is complete ******** and has no basis in truth.

[SparkyL]

Even if YS could endure another major renovation like back then, it still wouldn't be on par with building a structure conceived in and for the 21st Century. That would be like adding a CD player, leather seats, AC and moon roof to a Model T, then saying that it's a brand new Lincoln!

The arrogance of many Yankees fans is confusing...if you have the best team, the best uniforms and the best players in the world, how do memories alone make a stadium built by folks who watched the sun set on the 19th Century the best in the world in the 21st Century? Hell, we ALL had memories in our old stadiums.

Because the place was a LIVING museum. The memories of the past blured with the current events. You could actually feel the history. Each new moment was added to an ever lengthing tapestry. That makes it irreplacable.

[stadiumbuilder]

Hey Applenut, as an architect, can you imagine the concrete and steel Flatiron Building being torn down? What a magnificent piece of work that place is. Unlike much of what they build today, that structure was built to last and its about twice as tall as the old YS, which was also built to last. There are a decent number of 18th century wooden structures here in NJ that are still up, so to say that Yankee Stadium needed to be replaced is wrong. The Yankees chose to replace it to increase revenue. If there had been responsible, well-meaning people working for the state of NY the stadium would have been landmarked, but rules and logic are used selectively and sparingly in northeastern states. YS had everything required to be considered a landmark, but the $ won out. And the renovation argument doesn't work if you take an objective look at all the restoration work done on many old landmarked structures. Some of them are less than 20% original and a few have been completely rebuilt.

[toefer]

Jeter will be the last true Yankee IMO. Being a Yankee is different from being a good ball player for the Yankees. Even if some kid comes up and is a superstar doesnt make him a Yankee. Jeter carries himself well, almost like a Dimaggio. A-rod will never be a Yankee as long as he tries to be. One day Jeter will have a monument along with Yogi I would think. With free agency its all about buying talent. Texiera is an example, he will never be a Yankee, he can be a good ballplayer for the Yankees but will never be a Yankee. Im so happy I was able to watch Jeter from when he came up to present, no one carries them selves and is respected like Jeter. You cant buy respect you earn it. He also played most of his career in the real Yankee Stadium, no other Yankee will be able to say they played in the same stadium as the greats.

Yankees just buy players, they should start following bostons lead. Start getting some good talent from their farm teams not picking up players after every offseason because they had a great previous yr and then cant perform on the same level when in NY.

Well are you saying Posada and Rivera won't be, or that Jeter will simply play longer than them, and that's why he's the last?

But yes, I agree. Being a sort of Yankee "legend" is more than just being a good player who wore the pinstripes for part of their career. All these big name free agents never really feel like Yankees, they just feel like rented talent. Teixeira, AJ, CC are the latest examples, but going back over the last few years A-Rod, Giambi, Randy Johnson, Clemens, etc., all never really seemed like Yankees. There are a few exceptions though... Tino and Paulie both seem like Yankees to me, and Pettitte would seem like more of one if they didn't botch his re-signing however many years ago (which, what do you know, was due to them being more concerned with going after more rented talent, this time in the form of Gary Sheffield), causing him to leave for Houston.

My favorite player is Posada, and I think he's been a largely underrated part of the team, at least what he brings to it behind-the-scenes. If he's not the unofficial captain of the team, he's certainly the unofficial co-captain. I hope he sticks around as a bench coach after he stops playing.

[GrafZeppelin127]

It's Penn Station all over again. I can't believe we're letting this happen.

[Yankees12]

Neither will that fat weasel from the Texas Rangers.

Uhh... who on Earth are you referring to?

[scooterfan]

To lump Yankee Stadium with the 1970s National League multi-purpose stadiums is a ridiculous assertion. It's ironic that the biggest new Yankee Stadium apologists are the people who scream the loudest about the renovation, and none of these people actually stepped foot in the original.

[WillMissShea]

Uhh... who on Earth are you referring to?

Um, I'm a Mets fan and I know who he is talking about.

[jimmyjimjimz]

It's Penn Station all over again. I can't believe we're letting this happen.

what do u mean? penn station is still there. I go there all the time to take the train to my aunt's.

[metsforever7515]

what do u mean? penn station is still there. I go there all the time to take the train to my aunt's.

Anybody want to explain...

[GordonGecko]

Anybody want to explain...

Penn station was one of the greatest and grandest train stations in the world, even grander than grand central until one day they bulldozed it and turned everyone into sewer rats. It was such a tragedy that they invented landmark preservation designations for historical locations so that it would never happen again. IMO it already did happen again around 1975

[metsforever7515]

Penn station was one of the greatest and grandest train stations in the world, even grander than grand central until one day they bulldozed it and turned everyone into sewer rats. It was such a tragedy that they invented landmark preservation designations for historical locations so that it would never happen again. IMO it already did happen again around 1975

Yeah, I got it, I just didn't feel like explaining.

[The House That Ruth Built]

It's Penn Station all over again. I can't believe we're letting this happen.

Speaking of which, i'm taking the train to the game Thursday, (something I rarely do). I'm taking the LIRR into Penn. Whats the best way to get to the Stadium? I was planning to walk over to Herald Sq and take the B or D up. Any better suggestions? Thanks.

[jimmyjimjimz]

Penn station was one of the greatest and grandest train stations in the world, even grander than grand central until one day they bulldozed it and turned everyone into sewer rats. It was such a tragedy that they invented landmark preservation designations for historical locations so that it would never happen again. IMO it already did happen again around 1975

but Penn Station is still there. That's where I get the train to go to my aunt's house in New Jersey.

[SteveJRogers]

Penn station was one of the greatest and grandest train stations in the world, even grander than grand central until one day they bulldozed it and turned everyone into sewer rats. It was such a tragedy that they invented landmark preservation designations for historical locations so that it would never happen again. IMO it already did happen again around 1975

Word. My God, walking through it now, its like some airport terminal underneath MSG. Nothing like the grandeur and design of Grand Central.

:dismay:

At least some of the eagles survived.