Showalter On New Yankee Stadium
Via the New York Post -
Q: You will be there for the opening of the new Yankee Stadium. Do you think it was the right decision for the Yankees to move into a new ballpark?
A: We all mistake change with a lack respect for tradition, but I loved the old place and thought of it as the cathedral of baseball. I always looked at stadiums from the clubhouse, the dugout, the coaches’ room, and the old Yankee Stadium was such a functional place. Now Shea Stadium, it was time to blow that place up. I understand that there’s not enough luxury suites [at the old Stadium] and the economics of it. It was probably time . . . but I have such great memories of that stadium and New York.I’ve come to grips with it and I trust the people that made the decision.
Q: You sound hesitant to let the old Stadium go?
A: Well, I always thought in New York that it was the fans and the players who made the game. They come out to see you win, not to see the venue. That’s what separates New York. They’ll see the stadium and everything, but they are there to watch the Yankees win and you better be able to deliver on that.
I have to confess that I wanted the new Stadium. I wanted the bigger concourses and restrooms. I wanted seats that all faced home plate. And, for the players, I wanted a bigger clubhouse and better training facilitates.
But, now that it’s here, based on the one game that I went to (on April 4th) and all the feedback that I’m seeing from others who have been to the new Stadium so far, I’m not loving the new Yankee Stadium. At this point, I’m willing to suggest that the Yankees screwed this one up.
Yes, the concourses are bigger. But, when there are 5,000+ people walking in them, it’s chaos. The old ones were cramped – but at least there was a defined flow of traffic as a result of those close quarters. The seats may all face home plate, but they’re narrower, more expensive, and some of them have blocked views. The players have a bigger clubhouse – but it’s too big. Instead of 25 players and 25 cabs being a problem, the Yankees now have lockers so far apart that their problem could be 25 players with what seems like 25 different clubhouses.
And, then, there’s all that other stuff – like the PA being too loud, the video screens being too distracting, the food being too expensive, the serfs and the lords seating arrangements, the hiding of Monument Park and the flagpole, etc. I dunno…I just expected it to be better.
Maybe some of this will improve in time? Or, maybe I’ll just get used to it? Perhaps it will be some combination of the two? In the meantime, I now find myself wondering if Buck Showalter is right…and, in New York, it was the fans and the players who made the game, and not the ballpark – and perhaps new is not improved?
I’ll reserve final judgment till I’ve seen the place in person but from the pictures and video I’ve seen there is nothing special about the new stadium. Waaaay too much visible gray concrete and obstructed seats are an insult to the fans. So what if you can get sushi, Thai, and every other kind of food. Baseball should be about hot dogs, beer and popcorn. I already miss the old stadium.
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It just seems like the new Stadium is the ultimate “F___ You” to the average fan. Fewer seats, higher ticket prices, the upper deck is higher and further from the field, 1,000+ obstructed view bleacher seats thanks to a restaurant, the list goes on.
The old stadium was perfect, in my view. I go to a ballgame to watch a ballgame. I want a couple of cold beers, a hot dog, and a clear view of the whole field. Period. If I want a fancy meal, I’ll go elsewhere.
I love the Yankees and probably always will. But I hate the focus on money that the Steinbrenners have. Yes, I know baseball is a business, but how much money is enough? Where is the balance?
I love the Yankees and probably always will. But I hate the focus on money that the Steinbrenners have.
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It isn’t just the Steinbrenners who want bells and whistles with their new ballparks, they’re just the latest.
It isn’t just the Steinbrenners who want bells and whistles with their new ballparks, they’re just the latest.
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I’m not saying new parks are necessarily bad. Some are major improvements – Safeco, AT&T, Petco, Citizens Bank, etc.
But on further reflection, I think it’s the $2,000+ seats that push me over the edge. I long ago resigned myself to the realities of modern sports being a business, but that’s going too far.