Yankee Stadium [I] Demolition

[Mike Wagner]

Dear RichieA13,

I like what you said about Miller. I wish I thought of it. You could be right. Also, thank you for the compliment about covering the topic. All one can do is try. And, I'm trying to do it right.

-Mike

[Mike Wagner]

Dear giantsean,

I will put in the info about people not being sure what the frieze was made of. Also, thank you for your compliment.

Sincerely,
Mike

[Commodore Crablegs]

Dear Friends,
This chapter is in my Yankee Stadium Renovation book. Please let me know if there are any corrections to be made.

Thank you.

Mike Wagner

Hiya.
Heres my nitpickish :twocents: :

The rival New York Giants had a frieze or decoration that ringed their grandstand. Since the two teams were not on the friendliest of terms, maybe the American League upstarts wanted to outclass their National League counterparts by displaying a more prominent one that was unlike any other.

Finding out who designed the frieze or how the design was arrived at has been evasive at best. Possibly the idea came from the airiness and dignity of an opera house, such as the Verona Arena in Italy, or Komische Opera House in Berlin, Germany. Or, perhaps, one of the numerous viaducts or railroad trestles that dot the east coast of the United States. Quite possibly, Jacob Ruppert or one of the engineers who designed Yankee Stadium felt such an expression of art would lend an air of dignity to baseball’s grandest arena.

Here's where you're getting speculative, which doesn't quite match the nice authoritative tone of the rest of the piece...but because no one knows how the frieze developed, you still had to address that someway. D'oh!

The rival New York Giants had a frieze or decoration that ringed their grandstand.

I dunno if you detail the PG elsewhere, but it might be good to emphasize how it was super-tripped out detail-wise, with the franchise crests (?), eagles scluptures and whatnot. Here, "frieze or decoration" seems speculative as if you're unsure what the deal was there, and that its not important enough to get into....but since you're speculating it could be an origin of the YS frieze, it kinda is.

Since the two teams were not on the friendliest of terms, maybe the American League upstarts wanted to outclass their National League counterparts by displaying a more prominent one that was unlike any other.

I would change "maybe" with 'it is likely' here. They say the same thing, but 'maybe' is a weaker word for persuasion purposes.

...and I'd go with 'iconic' instead of "prominent" , emphasizing that it clearly becomes the iconic feature of YS.

Possibly the idea came from the airiness and dignity of an opera house, such as the Verona Arena in Italy, or Komische Opera House in Berlin, Germany. Or, perhaps, one of the numerous viaducts or railroad trestles that dot the east coast of the United States.

I'm not sure what this does for the reader, even if there's a picture page given, featuring the frieze-like qualities they share. The examples seem pretty random across architectural eras.

The verona arena is included specifically as an opera house example, when its an ancient roman open air amphitheater...??

Quite possibly, Jacob Ruppert or one of the engineers who designed Yankee Stadium felt such an expression of art would lend an air of dignity to baseball’s grandest arena.

A neat angle here is that it wasn't typical of Osborne Engineering to design friezes for the (many) ballparks they built at this time. The only other ML park they did this for was the PG (!)...you could join this thought together with the NYG/PG one-upmanship angle.




Hopefully that wasn't too bitch-ass a critique. This will be quite the rockin' book when it comes out.

[giantsean]

Hiya.
Heres my nitpickish :twocents: :


Here's where you're getting speculative, which doesn't quite match the nice authoritative tone of the rest of the piece...but because no one knows how the frieze developed, you still had to address that someway. D'oh!


I dunno if you detail the PG elsewhere, but it might be good to emphasize how it was super-tripped out detail-wise, with the franchise crests (?), eagles scluptures and whatnot. Here, "frieze or decoration" seems speculative as if you're unsure what the deal was there, and that its not important enough to get into....but since you're speculating it could be an origin of the YS frieze, it kinda is.



I would change "maybe" with 'it is likely' here. They say the same thing, but 'maybe' is a weaker word for persuasion purposes.

...and I'd go with 'iconic' instead of "prominent" , emphasizing that it clearly becomes the iconic feature of YS.



I'm not sure what this does for the reader, even if there's a picture page given, featuring the frieze-like qualities they share. The examples seem pretty random across architectural eras.

The verona arena is included specifically as an opera house example, when its an ancient roman open air amphitheater...??



A neat angle here is that it wasn't typical of Osborne Engineering to design friezes for the (many) ballparks they built at this time. The only other ML park they did this for was the PG (!)...you could join this thought together with the NYG/PG one-upmanship angle.




Hopefully that wasn't too bitch-ass a critique. This will be quite the rockin' book when it comes out.

Mike it's worth noting too that all of our nitpickiness will be duplicated once you get it into the hands of some publisher's editor, so don't sweat it too much. BTW I do believe that you will get the book picked up at one of two points... either when the demolition is well and truly underway and there are pieces of green-painted metal being thrown into trucks ("Oh my God... it's REALLY happening!") or after the deed is done and the thing is well and truly gone ("Oh my God... what have we done???"). I think it's only a matter of time

[kornraging19]

old Stadium Seats are starting to ship..

Here's the commemorative single seat I ordered way back when the seats went on sale in May. It's not bad. The sides are nice with the New York Yankee and logo, very heavy, came with the wooden feet set.
:

[Mike Wagner]

Dear Friends,

I'll work on these revisions. Also, thank you for the kind words.

Just in case anyone wants to buy a book with loads of information on the building of Yankee Stadium, it's called "Ruthless Baseball," by Harry Swanson.
Harry's book has dates, names of contractors and what they installed, costs, and lots of detailed information that no other book covers. There are many facts and figures I've never seen anywhere else. And, Harry is a nice, honest gentleman.

Sincerely,
Mike

[threeyoda]

excellent photos as always Gary.

I see you also made it into the rooftop "park" as well. I finally made it in there as well and it's really and embarrassment to call the place a park. It feels really cramped inside, that fake grass isn't all that great and the whole look is a bit unfinished. It seems like more of the priority was on the garage and the park was an after thought. The whole block with NYS on it should just be fenced off with a little tunnel cut out leading to the Metro North station.

The park lacks everything that Macombs had, like trees, a real track and it was ground level too. This new park has all the new stuff in there but there no real shade (those umbrellas dont count) and it must be tough for those kids to play in there. You'd probably have way more fun walking over to Mullaly Park.

I agree with you for now, but the park is far from bring completed. That park is just the temporary one.

[The Monument]

I took a bunch of pix Monday morning, including a bunch from the el platforms. There was one section of the frieze left on the LF side of the scoreboard, and the eight sections on the RF side. I think they will all be gone by Friday. I will post my pix on Fri or Sat, sorry to make you guys wait.

[mlh1981]

Seeing the dugout without seats around it is quite strange.

[Mike Wagner]

Dear Friends,

The reason I’m writing is to try to prevent New York City and the New York Yankees from making a terrible decision that will forever affect both of them in a very negative way. Tearing down Gate 2 will forever haunt them. Who am I? Just an ordinary person with no money, power, or influence. I’ve been a Yankee fan for nearly all of my life. I’m now age 54.

I grew up on Long Island, and enjoyed going to Yankee Stadium, as have millions of people before and after me. I’ve lived in Texas since 1992, since being stationed here by the U.S. Air Force. Yankee Stadium has been a New York constant in my life, just as the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and Carnegie Deli have been. All are New York City icons.

From what I’ve read, the current Yankees management is looking at everything from the money angle. Just look at what they charge for seats to watch a baseball game, not to mention the cost of refreshments. They’ve been paying lip service to the great history of Yankee Stadium and the legends that have made the New York Yankees the greatest team in the history of all of sports. The team’s management is trying to forget the roots of this great organization by wanting to bury the soul of old Yankee Stadium. This will never happen!

Yes, the Great Hall of new Yankee Stadium boasts tributes to former Yankee greats. Yet, across the street is the original Yankee Stadium, which New York City and the New York Yankees are eager to destroy, without leaving a trace, except for perhaps a worthless bronze plaque.

Are New Yorkers up in arms about this? You should be! How many of you have gone to Yankee Stadium in your lifetime to cheer on the Bronx Bombers when they competed in yet another World Series? How about when Popes visited the famed baseball cathedral? Or the moving tribute to the innocent 9/11victims? How soon we forget.

Yes, there’s a new Yankee Stadium in town. And, that’s fine. Yet Mayor Bloomberg’s administration would go down in history as not having lifted a finger to save Gate 2, which would serve as a lasting tribute to the glorious Yankee Stadium that we New Yorkers have revered since it opened in 1923. I doubt the good Mayor or anyone in the current New York Yankees organization would want to forever be associated with the total desecration of such a beloved symbol of New York. Gate 2 is already built, so I fail to see how stabilizing and restoring the Gate would cost $10 million. I’m no engineer, but something smells very fishy in the Bronx. People with such experience agree on this point.

Imagine Gate 2 being destroyed along with the rest of The House That Ruth Built. Current and future generations of baseball fans the world over will go to the new Yankee Stadium to see baseball games. But, when they go to the site of Heritage Park, they will ask why not a shred of the old Yankee Stadium was left for people to pay their respects to. There is no good answer that will hold water. It appears to me that the wisdumb of the New York Yankees and the city is that if the gate is not there, the new Yankee Stadium will not have a competitor across the street.

Wrong! It will be worse than ever. Today, the ghost of Babe Ruth looms larger than ever, and will keep on growing in its mythic proportions. Why? Because you can’t fight a ghost, especially of such a beloved hero. If Gate 2 is taken down, the same thing will happen with regard to old Yankee Stadium. Many people have been to old Yankee Stadium many times. Even those who have never set foot in the historic structure have seen photos and newsreels. There are just so many of these, along with wonderful memories, that Babe’s Place will never die. The add in the likes of Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle…the list goes on and on. Again, you can’t fight a ghost.

It’s the same as when you go to a cemetery to visit the remains of a loved one. You have something to pay respects to, something to touch. The sadness is still there, but you have an object to embrace. The same would apply to Gate 2. People would be able to physically pay their respects to part of the edifice that has witnessed so many proud, joyous moments for New Yorkers and the world. To not be able to do so would leave a wide open gap in the souls of baseball fans forever. And, this situation was avoidable. Have our leaders not learned from the destruction of the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field? Or are politics &/or corruption so great that there’s no room for heart.

Having Gate 2 across the street from new Yankee Stadium would not be a threat to the new ballpark. It would complement it. Having the gate would transcend where the Yankees were, and where they are. It would be a great tourist spot for the Bronx and no doubt help businesses in the local area. Besides that, it would be a most unusual entry point to Heritage Park. If the gate were to be taken down, what heritage would you be talking about? Gate 2 would instantly let people know of our proud legacy.

I’ve done extensive research for an upcoming book about the 1970s renovation and history of Yankee Stadium. I may not be the biggest authority on the famed ballpark, but I am a New Yorker, and am proud of it. As I’ve said earlier, there should be no debate about saving Gate 2. Far less worthy buildings than Yankee Stadium have received historic designation. Tell me that doesn’t smack of politics! Should Gate 2 not be saved, much of my pride will be gone, as another New York City icon will have disappeared due to greed and politics. Some things in life are sacred.

Old Yankee Stadium has been an important part of America’s social and historical fabric since it opened. It deserves more than being totally cast aside because of the almighty buck and political wrangling. New Yorkers, and baseball fans everywhere, should contact Mayor Bloomberg, the New York City Parks Department, and the New York Yankees to demand they not destroy Gate 2. It’s a very important part of the heritage of the Bronx, New York City, and baseball. For New Yorkers to let it be torn down would be a most shameful act of apathy. We were always proud of Yankee Stadium and our heroes. Let’s make them proud of us. Respect and loyalty are a two-way street. Contact www.savetheyankeegate2.com to help.

[Paul W]

as phil rizzuto used to say "un-huh", when he was bored...

[yankies4life]

some i took as of 9/9/09





and to think over a year ago, i was standing down that right field wall during bp

[voodoochile]

A friend of mine was at the game Tuesday night and took some pictures of OYS, but there wasn't really anything that we haven't seen before. However, there were a few pictures of interest.
The first one shows a blue mobile structure of some kind that apparently will remove what appears to be crates from the upper sections of the stadium. There were sequential photos of this, but I only included the one. The device moves in, grabs the crate, pulls back and lowers it to the ground.
The second photo is good old Freddy.
The third is the epitome of a vacated stadium. It is the base of the bat that has now become the recipient of trash. It also appears that someone may have called Ralph.
Last is Nick Swisher following his walk off home run Tuesday night after A.J. Burnett "congratulated" him.

[voodoochile]

I just saw something that I doubt anyone else has. In one of the photos that yankies4life posted above you can see the ad for the Postal Service. I have photos of the last game and it was not there. The photos from the last game revealed that the Metlife.com ad with the days remaining display was in its place. I concluded that since the Metlife ad with the count down display was temporary, they merely installed it over the PO ad.
Actually, the real reason that I saw this is because I retired from the Postal Service a few years ago, and I despise anything and everything associated with it, so it caught my eye when I saw it here.

[mandrake]

I just saw something that I doubt anyone else has. In one of the photos that yankies4life posted above you can see the ad for the Postal Service. I have photos of the last game and it was not there. The photos from the last game revealed that the Metlife.com ad with the days remaining display was in its place. I concluded that since the Metlife ad with the count down display was temporary, they merely installed it over the PO ad.
Actually, the real reason that I saw this is because I retired from the Postal Service a few years ago, and I despise anything and everything associated with it, so it caught my eye when I saw it here.

So, is that what they mean when they say "They went postal ?"