Yankee Stadium [I] Demolition

[YankeeStadium1923]

I may not be as current with the Yankees the last 5 minutes of my life but can anyone tell me how many games Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle, etc played at the palace across the street. I did a google search and just can't find the answer.....Please HELP!!!

[David Atkatz]

You're making a huge deal that he's never been to the pre-renovated stadium, when you're bragging about how the white house got renovated like 3 times, and you've probably never been in any of them.

First of all, I have. But my point was that since I cannot compare the pre-Truman White House to the post-Truman version (as I never saw, or entered (obviously) it pre-Truman) I would be a fool if I declared that the "White House was destroyed in 1947."

And those who say that the original Stadium is gone who know nothing of the original Stadium because they were never there, are just as foolish.

Now, jjj. What was your point?

[Gehrig27]

They moved home up 10ft and lowered the field 5ft, but even in it's post-renovated state you could tell yourself that at one point the Babe, and all Yankee legends occupied that space even if that space is several feet above the current configuration. At least to myself, I found comfort in knowing that and also knowing that under the 70's facelift was the same structural steel (you could even see the remains of the coulumns in the front of the mezzanine) that was there for 85 years, and the overall configuration of the stadium such as the ramps, were the same. Like anybody that ages; when your 78 years old, you'll be out of shape, you might have glasses now, and maybe you lost your hair too...you obviously don't look as good as you did when you were in your 20's but you are the same person inside.

[bronxbombers2]

I cant take it anymore, NYC needs to get its 2 million faithfull fans and riot outside of the stadium. If their going to continue to take down OUR ballpark, i want it to be as hard as possible for them.

[Mike Wagner]

Dear GordonGecko,
I agree with you that Yankee Stadium was greatly altered during the 1970s renovation. But, it is still the Yankee Stadium that Babe played in, Lou gave his farewell speech in, Don pitched a perfect game in 1956, and Roger hit 61 home runs in 1961. Yes there are different characteristics, but the plot of land these great heroes played in is the same location it's always been.

Just as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln occupied the White House, no, it was not quite the same as the renovated White House during the Harry Truman years. But, it is still the White House, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
There are differences in the building, but the site it sits on is the same, just as Yankee Stadium sits on its 1923 site.

When you visited a relative or friend after they remodeled a home, there were differences, but you knew it was their home. And, their address remained the same. The same with Yankee Stadium.

-Mike Wagner

[toefer]

No.

And that's one of the reasons I'm not preaching that the White House was

(a) totally destroyed, or
(b) lost all its charm, or
(c) lost all its historical significance, or
(d) all of the above

when it was renovated.

To a very large degree, it's people who never set eyes on "OYS" (like you) who preach then loudest that the original Stadium was "lost" in 1973.

I'll sit back and wait for you to find where I said that OYS was

(a) totally destroyed, or
(b) lost all its charm, or
(c) lost all its historical significance, or
(d) all of the above

Good luck, but I think you have me confused with someone else.

[toefer]

I may not be as current with the Yankees the last 5 minutes of my life but can anyone tell me how many games Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle, etc played at the palace across the street. I did a google search and just can't find the answer.....Please HELP!!!

I don't know who else you meant by etc., or if you were just hoping for a link with an entire list, but of the guys you mentioned

Ruth -- ?????
Gehrig -- 1,080
Mantle -- 1,213

Only 5 players have played 1,000 or more games at YS. They are: Gehrig, Berra, Mantle, Jeter and Bernie.

Ruth played in 1680 games as a Yankee between '23-'35. Obviously cutting it directly in half won't give you the right number, but would serve as a rough estimate I'd assume.

[stadiumbuilder]

[QUOTE=Mike Wagner;1525486]People are constantly updating and modernizing their homes and businesses.
It's the same with Yankee Stadium. It's stood at 161st Street and River Avenue since 1923. Some things are the same and some things are different about it, just as homes and businesses that undergo a refurbishing.

If John Smith has lived at 1203 North Street for 50 years, and has modernized his house in 1980 and 2004, it's still John Smith's home. His friends, neighbors, and relatives know it. Some things were changed and some things are different. It's still at the same location.

The same with Yankee Stadium. No, it's not exactly the same as it was in 1923,as we all know, but IT IS STILL YANKEE STADIUM, where Babe Ruth and our other heroes have played. To deny that it is Yankee Stadium is wrong and just plain STUPID!!!!!!!

Just as the White House, Statue of Liberty, Old Ironsides, Fenway Park, and other national monuments have received extensive modernizations, so has Yankee Stadium. Even so, we all love and respect, and know what these icons are. The same for Yankee Stadium.

I am damn sick and tired of this stupid nitpicking. Even a moron knows that Yankee Stadium is Yankee Stadium, changes and all.

-Mike Wagner[/QUOTEWOW! A couple of you actually caused Mike to loose his temper, that isn't an easy thing to accomplish! Of course Yankee Stadium is still Yankee Stadium through multiple changes, improvements and renovations. The argument that it's not is a loosing one. The decisions involving the Stadium were all strictly financial in nature. There are more landmaked sites that have been drastically altered or in some cases completely rebuilt than not. This is a classic situation where logic counts for nothing. The lower outer walls and over 70% of the concrete decking is original, the location and name haven't changed either. It's an 85+ year old structure in the same location for all that time, but it wasn't enough. Oh well.

[GordonGecko]

Dear GordonGecko,
I agree with you that Yankee Stadium was greatly altered during the 1970s renovation. But, it is still the Yankee Stadium that Babe played in, Lou gave his farewell speech in, Don pitched a perfect game in 1956, and Roger hit 61 home runs in 1961. Yes there are different characteristics, but the plot of land these great heroes played in is the same location it's always been.

Just as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln occupied the White House, no, it was not quite the same as the renovated White House during the Harry Truman years. But, it is still the White House, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
There are differences in the building, but the site it sits on is the same, just as Yankee Stadium sits on its 1923 site.

When you visited a relative or friend after they remodeled a home, there were differences, but you knew it was their home. And, their address remained the same. The same with Yankee Stadium.

-Mike Wagner

Commodore Hotel before Donald Trump:


Commodore Hotel Today:



Before could have been landmarked, today no one would ever consider it

[BMF]

so which proposal are they going with once the stadium is down?

[stadiumbuilder]

A hotel is a place to stay. Yankee Stadium hosted historic events. We have a landmark here in NJ that is literally A ROCK. Washington Rock. A lookout point used by General Washington to track British troop movements from Staten Island through north central Jersey. What occurred on this "a rocky outcrop" as they describe it, was historic in nature and made this very ordinary looking piece of landscape worthy of preservation. YS is more than walls and dirt, it is an historic location because of what transpired there over more than 8 decades. It is worthy of landmark status, but the $ got in the way and its done.

[bandit12]

Commodore Hotel before Donald Trump:


Commodore Hotel Today:



Before could have been landmarked, today no one would ever consider it

I doubt I could find much information as to whom spent time in that hotel. If I could I am sure only a few names would be listed.

I can find 1000 of names, box scores and stories of people that made history in Yankee Stadium. That is why that ground is important. I am not a Yankees fan but I understand the significance of that address.

[NYFan1stYankFan2nd]

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

Roger Clemens! I have this dyslexia thing where I always forget which Texas MLB team he played/is playing on.

Either way he's a suitcase just like Alex Rodriguez.

[Curly SB]

New Photos

Where are photos of the demolition? Doesn't anyone go to that neighborhood anymore?

[NYFan1stYankFan2nd]

Disagree 100%. They stripped all the character from the old 1923 stadium and gutted it. No more ornamental copper, no more fine detail. Ripped the roof off, added junk 70ies design. The Stadium Babe Ruth played in disappeared in the 70ies, you can argue until you're blue in the face that won't bring back what they destroyed. Babe Ruth did NOT play in the stadium that currently stands.

Gordo, you are correct ONLY in reference to the actual playing field. By saying "Stadium" you need to be more specific. 70% of the original exterior walls still remain(30% was removed for those hideous escalator towers and some along the top when the new Tier level concourse was added as a counter weight for the column-less upper deck).

Don't fall to the dark side, Gecko - the "YS was completely razed in the 70s and rebuilt" crowd!