| New Yankee Stadium Bronx, New York |
Tenant: New York Yankees (2009-present)
Groundbreaking: August 16, 2006
1st American League Game: April 16, 2009
Surface: Natural Grass
Architect: HOK Sport
Cost: $1.5 billion (est.)
Seating capacity: 52,325
Owner: New York Yankees
Public financing: $220 million from New York City for parking facilities ($75 million), parkland
along the waterfront ($135 million) and other work related to the stadium.
Private financing: $1.1 billion from the Yankees
Playing Field Dimensions:
LF foul line: 318 ft
Left Field true alley: 392 ft*
Very deep LF: 399 ft
Center Field: 408 ft
Very deep RF: 385 ft
Right Field true alley: 371 ft*
RF foul line: 314 ft
Outfield Fences: 8 ft high
*True alley is the geometric mid-point from home plate to the outfield wall.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Groundbreaking: August 16, 2006
1st American League Game: April 16, 2009
Surface: Natural Grass
Architect: HOK Sport
Cost: $1.5 billion (est.)
Seating capacity: 52,325
Owner: New York Yankees
Public financing: $220 million from New York City for parking facilities ($75 million), parkland
along the waterfront ($135 million) and other work related to the stadium.
Private financing: $1.1 billion from the Yankees
Playing Field Dimensions:
LF foul line: 318 ft
Left Field true alley: 392 ft*
Very deep LF: 399 ft
Center Field: 408 ft
Very deep RF: 385 ft
Right Field true alley: 371 ft*
RF foul line: 314 ft
Outfield Fences: 8 ft high
*True alley is the geometric mid-point from home plate to the outfield wall.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Planning
New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner began a visible campaign for the building
of a new stadium in the 1980s, going to the extreme of making statements alleging
unsafe conditions around the original Yankee Stadium, disregarding the possibility that
such statements could discourage attendance at his own team's games. Among the
options allegedly considered by the Yankee ownership was moving the team across the
Hudson River to New Jersey.
Shortly before leaving office in December 2001, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
announced "tentative agreements" for both the New York Yankees and New York Mets
to build new stadiums. Of $1.6 billion sought for the stadiums, city and state taxpayers
would pick up half the tab for construction, $800 million, along with $390 million on
extra transportation. The plan also said that the teams would be allowed to keep all
parking revenues, which state officials had already said they wanted to keep to
compensate the state for building new garages for the teams. The teams would keep
96% of ticket revenues and 100% of all other revenues, not pay sales tax or property tax
on the stadium, and would get low-cost electricity from the state of New York.
Business officials criticized the plan as giving too much money to successful teams with
little reason to move to a different city.
Michael Bloomberg, who succeeded Giuliani as mayor in 2002, exercised the escape
clause in the agreements to back out of both deals, saying that the city could not
afford to build new stadiums for the Yankees and Mets. Bloomberg said that
unbeknownst to him, Giuliani had inserted a clause in this deal which loosened the
teams' leases with the city and would allow the Yankees and Mets to leave the city on
60 days' notice to find a new home elsewhere if the city backed out of the agreement.
At the time, Bloomberg said that publicly funded stadiums were a poor investment.
Under Bloomberg, the New York City government would only offer public financing for
infrastructure improvements; the teams would have to pay for the stadium themselves.
Bloomberg called the former mayor's agreements "corporate welfare." Giuliani had
already been instrumental in the construction of taxpayer-funded minor league baseball
facilities KeySpan Park for the Mets' minor league Brooklyn Cyclones and Richmond
County Bank Ballpark for the Staten Island Yankees.
New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner began a visible campaign for the building
of a new stadium in the 1980s, going to the extreme of making statements alleging
unsafe conditions around the original Yankee Stadium, disregarding the possibility that
such statements could discourage attendance at his own team's games. Among the
options allegedly considered by the Yankee ownership was moving the team across the
Hudson River to New Jersey.
Shortly before leaving office in December 2001, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
announced "tentative agreements" for both the New York Yankees and New York Mets
to build new stadiums. Of $1.6 billion sought for the stadiums, city and state taxpayers
would pick up half the tab for construction, $800 million, along with $390 million on
extra transportation. The plan also said that the teams would be allowed to keep all
parking revenues, which state officials had already said they wanted to keep to
compensate the state for building new garages for the teams. The teams would keep
96% of ticket revenues and 100% of all other revenues, not pay sales tax or property tax
on the stadium, and would get low-cost electricity from the state of New York.
Business officials criticized the plan as giving too much money to successful teams with
little reason to move to a different city.
Michael Bloomberg, who succeeded Giuliani as mayor in 2002, exercised the escape
clause in the agreements to back out of both deals, saying that the city could not
afford to build new stadiums for the Yankees and Mets. Bloomberg said that
unbeknownst to him, Giuliani had inserted a clause in this deal which loosened the
teams' leases with the city and would allow the Yankees and Mets to leave the city on
60 days' notice to find a new home elsewhere if the city backed out of the agreement.
At the time, Bloomberg said that publicly funded stadiums were a poor investment.
Under Bloomberg, the New York City government would only offer public financing for
infrastructure improvements; the teams would have to pay for the stadium themselves.
Bloomberg called the former mayor's agreements "corporate welfare." Giuliani had
already been instrumental in the construction of taxpayer-funded minor league baseball
facilities KeySpan Park for the Mets' minor league Brooklyn Cyclones and Richmond
County Bank Ballpark for the Staten Island Yankees.
Construction
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the stadium took place on August
16, 2006, the 58th anniversary of Babe Ruth's death, with
Steinbrenner, Bloomberg and then-Governor of New York George
Pataki among the notables donning Yankees hard hats and wielding
ceremonial shovels to mark the occasion. The Yankees continued to
play in the previous Yankee Stadium during the 2007 and 2008
seasons while their new home stadium was built across the street.
During construction of the stadium, a construction worker and avid
Boston Red Sox fan, buried a replica jersey of Red Sox player David
Ortiz underneath the visitors' dugout with the objective of placing
a "hex" on the Yankees, much like the "Curse of the Bambino" that
had plagued the Red Sox long after trading Ruth to the Yankees.
After the worker was exposed by co-workers, he was forced to
help exhume the jersey. The Yankees organization then donated
the retrieved jersey to the Jimmy Fund, a charity started in 1948
by the Red Sox' National League rivals, the Boston Braves, but long
championed by the Red Sox and particularly associated with Ted
Williams. The worker has since claimed to have buried a 2004
American League Championship Series program/scorecard, but has
not said where he placed it.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the stadium took place on August
16, 2006, the 58th anniversary of Babe Ruth's death, with
Steinbrenner, Bloomberg and then-Governor of New York George
Pataki among the notables donning Yankees hard hats and wielding
ceremonial shovels to mark the occasion. The Yankees continued to
play in the previous Yankee Stadium during the 2007 and 2008
seasons while their new home stadium was built across the street.
During construction of the stadium, a construction worker and avid
Boston Red Sox fan, buried a replica jersey of Red Sox player David
Ortiz underneath the visitors' dugout with the objective of placing
a "hex" on the Yankees, much like the "Curse of the Bambino" that
had plagued the Red Sox long after trading Ruth to the Yankees.
After the worker was exposed by co-workers, he was forced to
help exhume the jersey. The Yankees organization then donated
the retrieved jersey to the Jimmy Fund, a charity started in 1948
by the Red Sox' National League rivals, the Boston Braves, but long
championed by the Red Sox and particularly associated with Ted
Williams. The worker has since claimed to have buried a 2004
American League Championship Series program/scorecard, but has
not said where he placed it.
Financing
$70 million of New York state tax revenue will be used to build
parking garages (as authorized by the State Legislature). The parking
garage project would cost $320 million. City and state taxpayers will
forgo up to $7.5 million annually in lost taxes resulting from the sale
of $225 million in tax-exempt bonds authorized on October 9, 2007,
by the New York City Industrial Development Agency (administered
by the New York City Economic Development Corporation) to
finance construction and renovation of the parking
garages.However, if the parking revenues are not enough to pay a
reported $3.2 million land lease to the city, the entity that will
operate the parking garages and collect revenue will be able to defer
that payment.
$70 million of New York state tax revenue will be used to build
parking garages (as authorized by the State Legislature). The parking
garage project would cost $320 million. City and state taxpayers will
forgo up to $7.5 million annually in lost taxes resulting from the sale
of $225 million in tax-exempt bonds authorized on October 9, 2007,
by the New York City Industrial Development Agency (administered
by the New York City Economic Development Corporation) to
finance construction and renovation of the parking
garages.However, if the parking revenues are not enough to pay a
reported $3.2 million land lease to the city, the entity that will
operate the parking garages and collect revenue will be able to defer
that payment.
Features
The new stadium is meant to be very similar in design to the original Yankee Stadium, both in its original 1923 state and its post-renovation state in
2008. The exterior resembles the original look of the 1923 Yankee Stadium. The interior, a modern ballpark with greater space and increased
amenities, features a playing field that closely resembles the previous ballpark before its closing.
The stadium was designed by the architect firm Populous (formerly HOK Sport). The exterior was made from 11,000 pieces of Indiana limestone,
along with granite and pre-cast concrete. The design closely mirrors the exterior of the original Yankee Stadium when it first opened in 1923. The
exterior features the building's name V-cut and gold-leaf lettered above each gate. The interior of the stadium is adorned with hundreds of
photographs capturing the history of the Yankees. The New York Daily News newspaper partnered with the Yankees for the exhibition "The Glory of
the Yankees Photo Collection", which was selected from the Daily News' collection of over 2,000 photographs. Sports & The Arts as hired by the
Yankees to curate the nearly 1,300 photographs that adorn the building from sources including the Daily News, Getty Images, the Baseball Hall of
Fame and Major League Baseball.
The seats are laid out similar to the original stadium's stands, with grandstand seating that stretches beyond the foul poles, as well as bleacher
seats beyond the outfield fences. The Field Level and Main Level comprise the lower bowl, with suites on the H&R Block Level, and the Upper Level
and Grandstand Level comprising the upper bowl. Approximately two-thirds of the stadium's seating is in the lower bowl, the inverse from the
original Yankee Stadium. Approximately 51,000 fans can be seated, with a standing room capacity of 52,325. The new stadium's seating is spaced
outward in a bowl, unlike the stacked-tiers design at the old stadium. This design places most fans farther back but lower to the field, by about an
average of 30 feet. Over 56 suites are located within the ballpark, triple the amount from the previous stadium. Seats are 19–24 inches wide, up
from the previous stadium's 18–22-inch wide seats, while there is 33–39 inches of leg room, up from 29.5 inches of leg room in the previous stadium.
Many lower level seats are cushioned, while all seats are equipped with cupholders. To allow for the extra seating space, the stadium's capacity is
reduced by more than 4,000 seats in comparison to the previous stadium.
Many design elements of the ballpark's interior are inspired by the original Yankee Stadium. The roof of the new facility features a replica of the
frieze that was a trademark of the previous ballpark. In the original Yankee Stadium, a copper frieze originally lined the roof of the upper deck
stands, but it was torn down during the 1974–75 renovations and replicated atop the wall beyond the bleachers. The new stadium replicates the
frieze in its original location along the upper deck stands. Made of steel coated with zinc for rust protection, it is part of the support system for
the cantilevers holding up the top deck and the lighting on the roof. The wall beyond the bleacher seats is "cut out" to reveal the subway trains as
they pass by, like they were in the original facility. A manually-operated auxiliary scoreboard is built into the left and right field fences, in the same
locations it existed in the pre-renovation iteration of the original Yankee Stadium.
Between the exterior perimeter wall and interior of the stadium is the "Great Hall", a large concourse that runs between Gates 4 and 6. With seven-
story ceilings, the Great Hall features more than 1,000,000 square feet of retail space and is lined with 20 banners of past and present Yankees
superstars. The Great Hall features a 5 x 383 foot LED ribbon.
Monument Park, which features the Yankees' retired numbers, as well as monuments and plaques dedicated to distinguished Yankees, has been
moved from its location beyond the left field fences in the original Yankee Stadium to its new location beyond the center field fences at the new
facility. The newly relocated Monument Park is now situated under the sports bar. The new location of the monuments is meant to mirror their
original placement in center field at the original pre-renovation Yankee Stadium, albeit when they were on the playing field. The transfer of
Monument Park from the old stadium to the new stadium began on November 10, 2008. The first monuments were put in place on February 23,
2009. Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera requested that the Yankees reposition the team's bullpen, as well as add a door to connect the Yankees'
bullpen to Monument Park, in order to allow Yankees relievers access to it. The organization complied with his request.
The new stadium is meant to be very similar in design to the original Yankee Stadium, both in its original 1923 state and its post-renovation state in
2008. The exterior resembles the original look of the 1923 Yankee Stadium. The interior, a modern ballpark with greater space and increased
amenities, features a playing field that closely resembles the previous ballpark before its closing.
The stadium was designed by the architect firm Populous (formerly HOK Sport). The exterior was made from 11,000 pieces of Indiana limestone,
along with granite and pre-cast concrete. The design closely mirrors the exterior of the original Yankee Stadium when it first opened in 1923. The
exterior features the building's name V-cut and gold-leaf lettered above each gate. The interior of the stadium is adorned with hundreds of
photographs capturing the history of the Yankees. The New York Daily News newspaper partnered with the Yankees for the exhibition "The Glory of
the Yankees Photo Collection", which was selected from the Daily News' collection of over 2,000 photographs. Sports & The Arts as hired by the
Yankees to curate the nearly 1,300 photographs that adorn the building from sources including the Daily News, Getty Images, the Baseball Hall of
Fame and Major League Baseball.
The seats are laid out similar to the original stadium's stands, with grandstand seating that stretches beyond the foul poles, as well as bleacher
seats beyond the outfield fences. The Field Level and Main Level comprise the lower bowl, with suites on the H&R Block Level, and the Upper Level
and Grandstand Level comprising the upper bowl. Approximately two-thirds of the stadium's seating is in the lower bowl, the inverse from the
original Yankee Stadium. Approximately 51,000 fans can be seated, with a standing room capacity of 52,325. The new stadium's seating is spaced
outward in a bowl, unlike the stacked-tiers design at the old stadium. This design places most fans farther back but lower to the field, by about an
average of 30 feet. Over 56 suites are located within the ballpark, triple the amount from the previous stadium. Seats are 19–24 inches wide, up
from the previous stadium's 18–22-inch wide seats, while there is 33–39 inches of leg room, up from 29.5 inches of leg room in the previous stadium.
Many lower level seats are cushioned, while all seats are equipped with cupholders. To allow for the extra seating space, the stadium's capacity is
reduced by more than 4,000 seats in comparison to the previous stadium.
Many design elements of the ballpark's interior are inspired by the original Yankee Stadium. The roof of the new facility features a replica of the
frieze that was a trademark of the previous ballpark. In the original Yankee Stadium, a copper frieze originally lined the roof of the upper deck
stands, but it was torn down during the 1974–75 renovations and replicated atop the wall beyond the bleachers. The new stadium replicates the
frieze in its original location along the upper deck stands. Made of steel coated with zinc for rust protection, it is part of the support system for
the cantilevers holding up the top deck and the lighting on the roof. The wall beyond the bleacher seats is "cut out" to reveal the subway trains as
they pass by, like they were in the original facility. A manually-operated auxiliary scoreboard is built into the left and right field fences, in the same
locations it existed in the pre-renovation iteration of the original Yankee Stadium.
Between the exterior perimeter wall and interior of the stadium is the "Great Hall", a large concourse that runs between Gates 4 and 6. With seven-
story ceilings, the Great Hall features more than 1,000,000 square feet of retail space and is lined with 20 banners of past and present Yankees
superstars. The Great Hall features a 5 x 383 foot LED ribbon.
Monument Park, which features the Yankees' retired numbers, as well as monuments and plaques dedicated to distinguished Yankees, has been
moved from its location beyond the left field fences in the original Yankee Stadium to its new location beyond the center field fences at the new
facility. The newly relocated Monument Park is now situated under the sports bar. The new location of the monuments is meant to mirror their
original placement in center field at the original pre-renovation Yankee Stadium, albeit when they were on the playing field. The transfer of
Monument Park from the old stadium to the new stadium began on November 10, 2008. The first monuments were put in place on February 23,
2009. Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera requested that the Yankees reposition the team's bullpen, as well as add a door to connect the Yankees'
bullpen to Monument Park, in order to allow Yankees relievers access to it. The organization complied with his request.
Field dimensions and playing surface
The field dimensions for the outfield fences have the same
distance markers as the original facility prior to closing, yet the
dimensions are not the same. Due to the design of the right-field
stands and the inclusion of an embedded manual scoreboard, the
right-field wall is an average of 7 feet closer to home plate. Overall,
the fences measure 318 feet to left field, 392 feet to true
left-center field, 408 feet to center field, 371 feet to true
right-center field, and 314 to right field. At the old Yankee
Stadium, the right field wall curved from the right-field corner to
straightaway center, while at the new ballpark the fence takes a
sharp, almost entirely straight angle. This results in a difference at
certain points between the right field markers of as much as 12
feet. The dimensions in left field are substantially the same
(however, not identical) despite the presence of an embedded
auxiliary scoreboard there as well.
The field dimensions for the outfield fences have the same
distance markers as the original facility prior to closing, yet the
dimensions are not the same. Due to the design of the right-field
stands and the inclusion of an embedded manual scoreboard, the
right-field wall is an average of 7 feet closer to home plate. Overall,
the fences measure 318 feet to left field, 392 feet to true
left-center field, 408 feet to center field, 371 feet to true
right-center field, and 314 to right field. At the old Yankee
Stadium, the right field wall curved from the right-field corner to
straightaway center, while at the new ballpark the fence takes a
sharp, almost entirely straight angle. This results in a difference at
certain points between the right field markers of as much as 12
feet. The dimensions in left field are substantially the same
(however, not identical) despite the presence of an embedded
auxiliary scoreboard there as well.
The outfield fences measure 8 feet 5 inches high from the left-field foul pole until the Yankees' bullpen, when the fences begin to gradually
descend in height until the right field foul pole, where they are only 8 feet tall. This also marks a decrease from the previous Yankee Stadium,
where the outfield walls stood at a height of approximately 10 feet. The distance from home plate to the backstop is 52 feet 4 inches, a reduction
of 20 feet from the previous facility. The field is made up of Kentucky bluegrass, the same surface as the previous stadium, which is grown on a
1,300 acres farm in Bridgeton, New Jersey. The grass is equipped with a drainage system (featuring over 14,000 feet of pipe) that makes the field
playable an hour after taking 2 inches of rain.
descend in height until the right field foul pole, where they are only 8 feet tall. This also marks a decrease from the previous Yankee Stadium,
where the outfield walls stood at a height of approximately 10 feet. The distance from home plate to the backstop is 52 feet 4 inches, a reduction
of 20 feet from the previous facility. The field is made up of Kentucky bluegrass, the same surface as the previous stadium, which is grown on a
1,300 acres farm in Bridgeton, New Jersey. The grass is equipped with a drainage system (featuring over 14,000 feet of pipe) that makes the field
playable an hour after taking 2 inches of rain.
Amenities and facilities
Yankee Stadium features a wide array of amenities. It contains 63
percent more space, 500,000 square feet more in total, than the
previous stadium, with wider concourses and open sight lines on
concourses. Along with 227 miles of wired Ethernet cable, the
building has sufficient fiber-optic cable wiring that Cisco Vice
President and Treasurer David Holland calls the building "future
proof". Over 1,100 high-definition video monitors are placed within
the stadium and approximately $10 million worth of baseball
merchandise is housed within the ballpark.
The center field scoreboard, which measures 59 x 101 feet was the
third largest high definition scoreboard in the world when it
opened (behind the 8,736 square foot board at newly renovated
Kauffman Stadium and the new 8,066 square foot board at the
renovated Tokyo Racecourse). Displaying 5,925 ft² of video, the
scoreboard can display four 1080p high definition images
simultaneously.
The Yankees clubhouse features 30,000 ft² of space, over 2.5 times
the space of the clubhouse from the previous facility. The dressing
area alone features 3,344 ft² of space, with each locker equipped
with a safety deposit box and touch-screen computer.
Yankee Stadium features a wide array of amenities. It contains 63
percent more space, 500,000 square feet more in total, than the
previous stadium, with wider concourses and open sight lines on
concourses. Along with 227 miles of wired Ethernet cable, the
building has sufficient fiber-optic cable wiring that Cisco Vice
President and Treasurer David Holland calls the building "future
proof". Over 1,100 high-definition video monitors are placed within
the stadium and approximately $10 million worth of baseball
merchandise is housed within the ballpark.
The center field scoreboard, which measures 59 x 101 feet was the
third largest high definition scoreboard in the world when it
opened (behind the 8,736 square foot board at newly renovated
Kauffman Stadium and the new 8,066 square foot board at the
renovated Tokyo Racecourse). Displaying 5,925 ft² of video, the
scoreboard can display four 1080p high definition images
simultaneously.
The Yankees clubhouse features 30,000 ft² of space, over 2.5 times
the space of the clubhouse from the previous facility. The dressing
area alone features 3,344 ft² of space, with each locker equipped
with a safety deposit box and touch-screen computer.
The Yankees clubhouse features a weight room, training room, video room, and lounge area, while both teams' clubhouses have their own indoor
batting cages. The Yankees' therapy room features a hydrotherapy pool with an underwater treadmill. The Yankees are believed to be the first
team to chemically treat their uniforms, as well as the showering surfaces with an anti-bacterial agent that reduces the risk of infection.
The Yankees Museum, located on the lower level at Gate 6, displays a wide range of Yankees' memorabilia. A "Ball Wall" features hundreds of balls
autographed by past and present Yankees, and there are plans to eventually add autographs for every living player who has played for the Yankees.
The centerpiece of the museum is a tribute to Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, with a commemorative home plate in the floor
and statues of Larsen pitching to Yogi Berra. Along with a facsimile of a current locker from the Yankees' clubhouse, fans can view the locker of the
late Thurman Munson, which sat unoccupied in the previous stadium's Yankee clubhouse in honor of Munson.
The ballpark offers a wide choice of restaurants. There are 25 fixed concessions stands, along with 112 moveable ones. A Hard Rock Cafe is located
within the ballpark, but it is open to anyone at the 161 St. and River Ave. entrance year round. The Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium officially
opened on March 30, 2009, and an opening ceremony took place on April 2, 2009. A steakhouse called NYY Steak is located beyond right field.
Celebrity chefs will occasionally make appearances at the ballpark's restaurants and help prepare food for fans in premium seating over the course of
the season. Above Monument Park in center field is the Mohegan Sun sports bar, whose tinted black glass acts as the ballpark's batter's eye. The
sports bar obstructs the view of approximately 600 bleacher seats in the right and left field bleachers, preventing fans from seeing the action
occuring deep in the opposite side of the outfield. In response, the Yankees installed TV monitors on the sides of the sports bar and have reduced
the price of these obstructed-view seats from $12 to $5
batting cages. The Yankees' therapy room features a hydrotherapy pool with an underwater treadmill. The Yankees are believed to be the first
team to chemically treat their uniforms, as well as the showering surfaces with an anti-bacterial agent that reduces the risk of infection.
The Yankees Museum, located on the lower level at Gate 6, displays a wide range of Yankees' memorabilia. A "Ball Wall" features hundreds of balls
autographed by past and present Yankees, and there are plans to eventually add autographs for every living player who has played for the Yankees.
The centerpiece of the museum is a tribute to Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, with a commemorative home plate in the floor
and statues of Larsen pitching to Yogi Berra. Along with a facsimile of a current locker from the Yankees' clubhouse, fans can view the locker of the
late Thurman Munson, which sat unoccupied in the previous stadium's Yankee clubhouse in honor of Munson.
The ballpark offers a wide choice of restaurants. There are 25 fixed concessions stands, along with 112 moveable ones. A Hard Rock Cafe is located
within the ballpark, but it is open to anyone at the 161 St. and River Ave. entrance year round. The Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium officially
opened on March 30, 2009, and an opening ceremony took place on April 2, 2009. A steakhouse called NYY Steak is located beyond right field.
Celebrity chefs will occasionally make appearances at the ballpark's restaurants and help prepare food for fans in premium seating over the course of
the season. Above Monument Park in center field is the Mohegan Sun sports bar, whose tinted black glass acts as the ballpark's batter's eye. The
sports bar obstructs the view of approximately 600 bleacher seats in the right and left field bleachers, preventing fans from seeing the action
occuring deep in the opposite side of the outfield. In response, the Yankees installed TV monitors on the sides of the sports bar and have reduced
the price of these obstructed-view seats from $12 to $5
Public opinion
Although New Yankee Stadium has been praised for its amenities
and its usage of "classic" design elements from the original facility,
the stadium has been widely criticized for fan-unfriendly
practices. Seats within the first eight rows in the lower bowl,
called the "Legends Suite", rank among the highest priced tickets
in professional sports, with the average ticket in the section
selling for $510 and the most expensive single game-day ticket
costing $2,600. Legends Suite Seats have been regularly empty,
with many ticket holders in this section having given up their
tickets, and others remaining unsold, despite most other seats in
the ballpark selling out. This has created an "embarrassing" image
on television of the seats behind home plate being almost
completely vacant. Consequently, a surplus of tickets for Legends
Seats have emerged in the secondary market, and with supply
exceeding demand, resale prices have dropped.
Although New Yankee Stadium has been praised for its amenities
and its usage of "classic" design elements from the original facility,
the stadium has been widely criticized for fan-unfriendly
practices. Seats within the first eight rows in the lower bowl,
called the "Legends Suite", rank among the highest priced tickets
in professional sports, with the average ticket in the section
selling for $510 and the most expensive single game-day ticket
costing $2,600. Legends Suite Seats have been regularly empty,
with many ticket holders in this section having given up their
tickets, and others remaining unsold, despite most other seats in
the ballpark selling out. This has created an "embarrassing" image
on television of the seats behind home plate being almost
completely vacant. Consequently, a surplus of tickets for Legends
Seats have emerged in the secondary market, and with supply
exceeding demand, resale prices have dropped.
Legends Suite seats are also walled off from the other lower bowl seating and are patrolled by stadium security, with the divider being described as
a "concrete moat" that creates a "caste system" within the ballpark. Fans that do not have tickets within this premium section in the front rows are
not allowed to access it or stand behind the dugouts during batting practice to watch players hit and request autographs.
The Yankee Stadium staff was also criticized for an incident during a May 4, 2009 game, which was interrupted by a rain delay. Fans were told by
some staff members holding "How may I help you?" signs that the game was unlikely to resume and consequently, many fans exited the stadium,
only for the game to eventually resume play. The fans that left the ballpark were not permitted to re-enter, per the stadium's re-entry policy, and
many subsequently got into arguments with stadium personnel. In response to the backlash the Yankees received for the incident, the staff
members were required to sign a gag order preventing them from speaking to media, but they did indicate that communication for rain delays
would be improved.
Home run haven
Yankee Stadium has quickly acquired a reputation as a "bandbox" and a "launching pad" due to the high number of home runs hit at the new
ballpark. Through its first 90 games, 156 home runs have been hit at the venue, easily besting Enron Field's (now called Minute Maid Park) previous
record set in 2000. Yankee Stadium is also on pace to break Coors Field's 1999 single-season record of 303 home runs allowed, and the hometown
New York Daily News newspaper has taken to publishing a daily graphic comparing each stadium's home run totals through a similar number of games.
ESPN commentator Peter Gammons has denounced the new facility as "one of the biggest jokes in baseball" and concludes that "[it] was not a very
well-planned ballpark." Likewise, Gammons' ESPN colleague Buster Olney has described the stadium as being "on steroids" and likened it to his
childhood Wiffle-ball park. Newsday columnist Wallace Matthews joined in the criticism, labeling the stadium "ridiculous" and decrying its
cheapening of the home run. Former Yankee Reggie Jackson termed the park "too small" to contain current player Alex Rodriguez and suggested it
might enable the third baseman to hit 75 home runs in a season.
A variety of theories have been posited to account for the dramatic increase in home runs at the new Yankee Stadium over the original stadium,
foremost among these are the sharply reduced dimensions in right field and the speculated presence of a wind tunnel. During construction of the
new ballpark, engineers commissioned a wind study, the results of which indicated there would be no noticeable difference between the two
stadiums. The franchise is planning to conduct a second study, but Major League rules prohibit it from making any changes to the playing field until
the off-season.
An independent study by the weather service provider AccuWeather in June 2009 concluded that the shape and height of the right field wall,
rather than the wind, is responsible for the proliferation of home runs at the stadium. AccuWeather's analysis found that roughly 20% of the home
runs hit at the new ballpark would not have been home runs at the old ballpark due to the gentle curve of its right field corner, and its 10-foot wall
height. Nothing was observed in wind speeds and patterns that would account for the increase.
a "concrete moat" that creates a "caste system" within the ballpark. Fans that do not have tickets within this premium section in the front rows are
not allowed to access it or stand behind the dugouts during batting practice to watch players hit and request autographs.
The Yankee Stadium staff was also criticized for an incident during a May 4, 2009 game, which was interrupted by a rain delay. Fans were told by
some staff members holding "How may I help you?" signs that the game was unlikely to resume and consequently, many fans exited the stadium,
only for the game to eventually resume play. The fans that left the ballpark were not permitted to re-enter, per the stadium's re-entry policy, and
many subsequently got into arguments with stadium personnel. In response to the backlash the Yankees received for the incident, the staff
members were required to sign a gag order preventing them from speaking to media, but they did indicate that communication for rain delays
would be improved.
Home run haven
Yankee Stadium has quickly acquired a reputation as a "bandbox" and a "launching pad" due to the high number of home runs hit at the new
ballpark. Through its first 90 games, 156 home runs have been hit at the venue, easily besting Enron Field's (now called Minute Maid Park) previous
record set in 2000. Yankee Stadium is also on pace to break Coors Field's 1999 single-season record of 303 home runs allowed, and the hometown
New York Daily News newspaper has taken to publishing a daily graphic comparing each stadium's home run totals through a similar number of games.
ESPN commentator Peter Gammons has denounced the new facility as "one of the biggest jokes in baseball" and concludes that "[it] was not a very
well-planned ballpark." Likewise, Gammons' ESPN colleague Buster Olney has described the stadium as being "on steroids" and likened it to his
childhood Wiffle-ball park. Newsday columnist Wallace Matthews joined in the criticism, labeling the stadium "ridiculous" and decrying its
cheapening of the home run. Former Yankee Reggie Jackson termed the park "too small" to contain current player Alex Rodriguez and suggested it
might enable the third baseman to hit 75 home runs in a season.
A variety of theories have been posited to account for the dramatic increase in home runs at the new Yankee Stadium over the original stadium,
foremost among these are the sharply reduced dimensions in right field and the speculated presence of a wind tunnel. During construction of the
new ballpark, engineers commissioned a wind study, the results of which indicated there would be no noticeable difference between the two
stadiums. The franchise is planning to conduct a second study, but Major League rules prohibit it from making any changes to the playing field until
the off-season.
An independent study by the weather service provider AccuWeather in June 2009 concluded that the shape and height of the right field wall,
rather than the wind, is responsible for the proliferation of home runs at the stadium. AccuWeather's analysis found that roughly 20% of the home
runs hit at the new ballpark would not have been home runs at the old ballpark due to the gentle curve of its right field corner, and its 10-foot wall
height. Nothing was observed in wind speeds and patterns that would account for the increase.
