It is the last game at Yankee Stadium. The House that Ruth Built, hate it or love it, it is a part of baseball history and will always be remembered in some way big or small.
So I just figured I would give a little article on this magnificent architecture that we like to call Yankee Stadium.
Quote:
George Herman ("Babe") Ruth (1895-1948) played for the New York Yankees from 1920-1934. Some consider him the greatest baseball player ever.
Yankee Stadium opened in 1923. "The House That Jack Built" is a traditional rhyme. It is not known what sportswriter changed the words to "The House That Ruth Built," but it is said that this occurred even before the official 1923 stadium opening. The stadium's nickname is still known today, long after Ruth's time.
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/YankeeStadium.htm
Immediately the Yankees' owners began looking for land to build a new ballpark on. A 10 acre site, less than a mile from Polo Grounds in the Bronx was bought to build the stadium on. Designed by Osborn Engineering, originally the plan was for a triple-decked stadium, with grandstands circling the entire field. But because the stadium seemed to foreboding, the original plans were scaled back. Instead, the ballpark became the first to have three tiers of seating consisting of 58,000 seats. It was also the first ballpark to be called a stadium because of its enormous size. Construction of the stadium began on May 5, 1922. The stadium was built of mainly steel and concrete. The triple decked grandstand extended behind homeplate and up the base lines. The lower deck continued until it met the wooden bleachers behind the outfield fence. A 15-foot copper facade was erected to adorn the stadium's third deck, which became one of the stadium's most recognized and grandest features. The scoreboard was located beyond the bleachers in right field. Completed in only 284 days, opening day came on April 18, 1923. The ballpark was given the name Yankee Stadium. Original dimensions at Yankee Stadium were 295 ft. (right), 490 ft. (center), and 281 ft. (left). Centerfield became known as "Death Valley" because of its distance from homeplate.
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Here's also a small write up I did on it:
At the corner of East 161st Street and River Avenue lies a piece of history, Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees and home to where legends past and present have been made. I am happy to say I was alive before the stadium was demolished and had many opportunities to see my favorite baseball team play at this ballpark. One of the most notorious features of this stadium is Monument Park, a place where all the retired numbers of past Yankees have been placed. Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and the list goes on and on.
From 1923 to 2007 Yankee Stadium hosted 37 out of the 85 played during those years. Yankees have won 26 out of that 37, more than any other baseball team in history. Jeter, remembered as Mr. November after the September 11th attacks brought the MLB into November Baseball, they ended up losing the World Series to the Diamondbacks, so many historic events here. So if you've had a chance to visit Yankee Stadium, you'll remember looking past Death Valley into the beautiful view of New York, I know my favorite seats are the ones right by the foul line behind first base. You'll see the skyscrapers, and maybe you'll have a blue sky, maybe it will be raining or maybe it will be night and the stars are out. But to me it always seems as if when I look outside the stadium I'm looking at a painting of New York, that's the only real way I can describe it. Then take a look at the retired numbers in Monument Park, Berra, Ruth, Gehrig, Martin, DiMaggio, Mantle, d.ckey, Rizzuto, Ford, Jackson, Maris, Howard, Munson, Stengal, Guidry, Mattingly, and finally Robinson. They are what made this stadium, it is after all called The House that Ruth Built. So just think about that if you watched the game tonight, and never forget the old Yankee Stadium, I know I won't. Memories from this piece of history will never fade from my mind.
"I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee"- Joe Dimaggio
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Today is a sad day in baseball history.
09-21-2008
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