Yankee Stadium [I] Demolition

[TinoM24]

I think thats understandable. nothing is ever a sure thing. you never know what could happen.

[cgcoyne2]

I think thats understandable. nothing is ever a sure thing. you never know what could happen.

I absolutely agree. Even if my previous posts don't make it sound that way.

With Shea Stadium virtually gone the city has to have a stadium in reserve at the beginning of next year just in case. What happens God Forbid if a bad winter storm damages either or both of the new stadiums. Maybe it knocks a crane down or something like that.

I understand all this, they just seem very militant and nasty when giving the tour. I absolutely disagree with the no videotaping rule.

See above post.

[Gary Dunaier]

I took two tours on Thursday... noon and again at 3.00pm. I took lots of pictures, 274 of which I uploaded to Flickr and can be found right here.

Here are ten of those photos...

The scoreboard as seen from the Press Box. Note that the scoreboard is lit, and the teams listed are "PARKS" and "DEPT." Apparently, the Parks Department held a special event earlier this day; the message board welcomed Parks Department employees, and the retired number section in left field had some kind of foodservice setup, and was not part of the noon tour. The scoreboard bit is apparently something they do for special groups... in this thread I posted a photo I found on Flickr showing the "teams" as "STADIUM" and "TOURS." (In that case the "Yankees Welcome" message on the message board welcomed a specific individual.)


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)


Leaving the Press Box, there's a blackboard with the lineup of the final game, and a plaque honoring an intern who was killed by a drunk driver. I like to get photos from unusual angles like this because everyone and their brother try to get "normal" shots, so you've probably seen the blackboard before... this view gives you some scale, some perspective as to its actual location.


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)


This view, between the visitors' bullpen and the left field bleachers, looks towards a gate that offers a view of 161st Street and the new stadium.


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)


As was the case with the tour cgcoyne2 described in his earlier post, our group went underneath the stands on the left field side. (I also took the 3.00pm tour, and on that one we were allowed to enter the warning track from left field.) Walking along this tunnel, on your left as you head closer to home, you'll find a number of "motivational" or "inspirational" signs along the wall. Curiously, these signs have Securitas logos. These are the first two...


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)


This was the shot I was most looking forward to getting - on the field, directly behind home plate. Unfortunately, the hostile "security" woman who was on our tour barked that we could only take one picture and then we had to move along... so much for being able to enjoy a special monent... under the circumstances I think I took a pretty good shot...


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)


From the 3.00pm tour: the All-Star logo atop the scoreboard, as seen from Monument Park. (Note that the scoreboard clock has been turned off, the Parks Department's event apparently having since concluded.)


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)


On-the-field view of left-center field. I tried to position myself so that I was aligned with River Avenue and the bleachers, but again, the fan-unfriendly "security" was not exactly conducive to photographers being able to position themselves as precisely as they might like.


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)


The seats directly behind home plate. On the 3.00pm tour I had a little more time behind the plate than I did during the noon tour... but we're just talking about a few extra seconds, that's all...


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)


The Legends Suite seats next to the Yankee dugout.


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)


Finally, a view looking up the tunnel leading from the Yankees' dugout to the Yankee clubhouse. That open door at the end of the corridor is, in fact, the clubhouse; they don't allow pictures inside, so I was excited to be able to get this view.


(Photo taken October 30, 2008. © Gary Dunaier. Link to upload on Flickr.com: here)

[IPO]

"Well, the Yankees want to keep everything on the field in perfect shape just in case NYS is not ready for opening day". WHAT???? I thought the last gane was 9/21. Imagine if it is not!

Not a chance unless they are out of money to finish the project entirely which would make for a major story and how unnecessary a new stadium was in the first place by I digress.

In 76 the club returned to YS with the left field bleachers closed the entire season. No law that say the outfield sections have to be ready opening day.

And there is Citfield for an emergency.

[mandrake]

Not a chance unless they are out of money to finish the project entirely which would make for a major story and how unnecessary a new stadium was in the first place by I digress.

In 76 the club returned to YS with the left field bleachers closed the entire season. No law that say the outfield sections have to be ready opening day.

And there is Citfield for an emergency.

I don't work for the Yankees. I do not know George or Hank, or anyone else in the know. All I am saying is that our tour guides did say, more than once, that nothing is being done to YS right now just in case. They said it, we heard it. People on the tour were talking about Shea and how it looks so sad. There was absolutely no Shea bashing by anyone; fans were just comparing the status of Shea and YS, and with tour guides saying "just in case" that just fuels thoughts that NYS could be behind schedule.

The NY Mets were supposed to move into Shea in April 1963; then August 1963. On opening day 1964, the fences were still being painted, and the plumbing on the field level backed up when the pumps failed.

This is not 1923, when YS was built in 284 days. Can someone explain how that was done with 1923? Over 80 years later, it takes years not months to build a Stadium?

[dabx]

Took the tour today. It was a good time. At start of tour, when security is saying don't do this, don't do that, etc, especially about touching the grass, somebody has the nerve to say " If the Stadium is coming down, why can't we go on the grass". And the reply was...."Well, the Yankees want to keep everything on the field in perfect shape just in case NYS is not ready for opening day". WHAT???? I thought the last gane was 9/21. Imagine if it is not!

Actually, from what I read, is that the Old Yankee Stadium was going to be maintained until BOTH new stadiums are completed. Once the games have been played both the new stadiums, the demolition will begin.

So this could be a real possibility: The Mets play the last game at YS

[JeremyEye]

This is not 1923, when YS was built in 284 days. Can someone explain how that was done with 1923? Over 80 years later, it takes years not months to build a Stadium?

I guarantee this is not due to the amount of labor that is put into it, but all of the paperwork, and loops that management must jump through to get the stadium built.

Everything has to be done precisely, and unions will see to it that it is done that way.

[mandrake]

Actually, from what I read, is that the Old Yankee Stadium was going to be maintained until BOTH new stadiums are completed. Once the games have been played both the new stadiums, the demolition will begin.

So this could be a real possibility: The Mets play the last game at YS

Hey, if that happened, you know the Yankees would play in OYS the day after the Mets did no matter what the status is on NYS or Citi.

[IPO]

I don't work for the Yankees. I do not know George or Hank, or anyone else in the know. All I am saying is that our tour guides did say, more than once, that nothing is being done to YS right now just in case. They said it, we heard it. People on the tour were talking about Shea and how it looks so sad. There was absolutely no Shea bashing by anyone; fans were just comparing the status of Shea and YS, and with tour guides saying "just in case" that just fuels thoughts that NYS could be behind schedule.

The NY Mets were supposed to move into Shea in April 1963; then August 1963. On opening day 1964, the fences were still being painted, and the plumbing on the field level backed up when the pumps failed.

This is not 1923, when YS was built in 284 days. Can someone explain how that was done with 1923? Over 80 years later, it takes years not months to build a Stadium?

I tend to think the tour guides would be the last to be know anything regarding any change in the new park opening on time. If it got down to them
at this point the media would be all over this too along with the city and the construction company.

Given how guarded the Yankees are with everything I suspect the tour guides throw that out to keep anyone from touching anything without making themselves look foolish.

I have never read one thing that Shea was supposed to open during the 1963season (I'm well aware of the 1964 opening day issues which included concession problems with hot food among the things you listed) unless it was at a point when the idea first came up to bring a franchise back.

Why was YS completed in less than a year back in 1922? Great question.

[Kentucky Bomber]

This is not 1923, when YS was built in 284 days. Can someone explain how that was done with 1923? Over 80 years later, it takes years not months to build a Stadium?

Take a look at the pictures of Yankee Stadium in the 1920's: at least 1/3 of it, outfield from foul line to foul line, was made of wood. The plan, obviously, was to put in as much steel and concrete as possible to get the building open for 1923, and fill it in as time went on, which is what they did. It took more than 20 years to create the classic Stadium we knew.

I don't think, with 5 months left to build, that the Stadium is behind schedule, but only a fool would leave no contingency plan for Opening Day. If the worst winter in NY history were to strike there's a chance it wouldn't be ready, but I'm writing this on 11/2 and the forecast for NYC for the rest of the week is temps in the 60's, so while I'm worried about the survivial of polar bears I think we can foresee a pretty mild winter benefitting construction in the northeast. Anyway, tear down OYS and if you don't have a NYS to move to you have the PR nightmare of Yankees Opening Day 2009 in...CitiField! Wouldn't that go over big time?

[nymdan]

I wonder why they didn't allow pictures in the clubhouse. When I took the tour last year, they said it was for the players' privacy, but I'd assume all of the players' stuff is out by now...

[IPO]

I don't think, with 5 months left to build, that the Stadium is behind schedule, but only a fool would leave no contingency plan for Opening Day. If the worst winter in NY history were to strike there's a chance it wouldn't be ready, but I'm writing this on 11/2 and the forecast for NYC for the rest of the week is temps in the 60's, so while I'm worried about the survivial of polar bears I think we can foresee a pretty mild winter benefitting construction in the northeast. Anyway, tear down OYS and if you don't have a NYS to move to you have the PR nightmare of Yankees Opening Day 2009 in...CitiField! Wouldn't that go over big time?

By that standard the Mets should keep Shea for the same reason or the Cards should have kept their park along with a lot of examples where one team vacated one place while moving to another.

Seems a majority of the outdoor work with the seats installed in both parks and the sod down is internal which should provide shelter from the elements which have produced virtually no snow over two years in NYC.

[Anubis2051]

By that standard the Mets should keep Shea for the same reason or the Cards should have kept their park along with a lot of examples where one team vacated one place while moving to another.

Seems a majority of the outdoor work with the seats installed in both parks and the sod down is internal which should provide shelter from the elements which have produced virtually no snow over two years in NYC.

I think it may just be an excuse to try and get the preservation efforts a little more time to do their thing. Think about it, if the stadium is gone, then there's really nothing you can do, but if you're keeping it just in case...

[NunuMet]

I have never read one thing that Shea was supposed to open during the 1963season (I'm well aware of the 1964 opening day issues which included concession problems with hot food among the things you listed) unless it was at a point when the idea first came up to bring a franchise back.

Shea was actually intended to be ready for 1962. It was delayed numerous times and they finally decided to open it in 1964 ready or not ... Which caused alot of problems because, as we have read, it was not nearly 100%.

[IPO]

I think it may just be an excuse to try and get the preservation efforts a little more time to do their thing. Think about it, if the stadium is gone, then there's really nothing you can do, but if you're keeping it just in case...

Huh? The only preservation Steinbrenner wants is the statue of himself which I'm sure he would love to be all that remains of YS.