Shaka, When The Walls Fell
Posted by Steve Lombardi on March 11th, 2010 · Comments (7)
27-Time World Champions Ice Cream Bowl Day To Be Held On Big Stein’s Birthday This Year!
Posted by Steve Lombardi on March 11th, 2010 · Comments (7)
The Yankees have released their 2010 promotional calendar. H/T to Ross on this one.
Ice cream bowls on Big Stein’s B-Day? Hey, why not…?
Hey, At Least He Got In For Free
Posted by Steve Lombardi on March 8th, 2010 · Comments (2)
Ah, the visiting beat reporter’s life in Yankeeland during the spring…
…it’s a good one…as long as you don’t get stuck sitting in an obstructed view spot of the press box.
Extended Family Outing To Yankee Stadium Nothing To Sneeze At?
Posted by Steve Lombardi on March 3rd, 2010 · Comments (4)
Yesterday, I took my annual “pre-season” trip to the allergist and I brought along the copy of “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend” that I’m currently reading. When my doctor saw me with the book, he laughed and said “I should have known that you’d be reading that one” and then shared that he had heard the book being discussed on WFAN.
As it’s been a year since we’ve seen each other, and I knew that he was a Yankees fan going way back, having grown up close to the Stadium, I asked him if he made his way to the new Stadium last year.
He shared that he did make it to a game and then mentioned something interesting. He said, as a kid, they would often celebrate birthdays by going to Yankees games – taking twenty (or so) family members and friends to game, grabbing a hotdog, soda and ice cream for all in the process. After saying this, he followed with “Of course, you could never do that today.”
Think about this for a minute. Probably as recent as 1980, you could feasibly take 20 kids to Yankee Stadium for a game, get them a dog, pop, and some ice cream for close to $250, in total, thereabouts. But, how much would that cost you today – even if you were willing to sit in the upper deck out in the outfield? You’re probably looking at something around $800 for that outing, no? That’s quite a bump in the last 30 years.
Now, sure, I know, $800 to some is not a ton of money. And, yes, there’s such a thing as inflation. But, it just seems – at least to me – that the cost for such an outing, today, should be closer to $600 or less.
Funny, as I typed that, immediately I thought “Maybe I should strike that? Two hundred extra bucks doesn’t seem like a lot to bitch about.” But, thinking about it longer, it’s an interesting difference. Six hundred dollars is closer to $500 and eight hundred dollars is closer to $1,000. And, a grand, for most, is not a small amount of money. The other figure, $500, is doable and somewhat reasonable for a kids party these days. But, once you get closer to a thousand dollars, I doubt that many people could swing that one.
Shame. But, then again, that’s life today in Yankeeland. It’s just more and more difficult to take the entire family, or more, to a game. And, it’s practically impossible to do it several times a season.
When Yankee Stadium Was Different
Posted by Steve Lombardi on February 26th, 2010 · Comments (2)
Today, I stumbled across this picture – taken the day that Lou Gehrig made his famous speech at Yankee Stadium:
click to enlarge
Looking at it, I suppose that I never realized that Yankee Stadium once had “the pipe” between the pitcher’s mound and home plate. Thinking about that reminded me of an Andy Jurinko painting of the Stadium as it was in 1956. See below:
click to enlarge
From the first time that I saw that “circa 1956″ picture, I’ve always wondered about the “circles” around the infield. I know about the circles which serve as on-deck circles and are closer to the dugout. And, I know about the circles that were used by the starting pitchers before the game when they used to warm up there (and not in the bullpen). Those are the circles close to home plate. But, what’s with that other (one) circle that’s close to the first base coach’s box? What was that used for? My guess is that it was used by a coach before the game – a place for him to stand while hitting infield and fungoes.
It’s interesting how, with time, these little playing field doodads have faded away at Yankee Stadium – and how little they’re ever referred to today.
Yankee Stadium Final: Boxing Bucks 1, Bar Mitzvah 0
Posted by Steve Lombardi on February 19th, 2010 · Comments (0)
Via the AP –
Boxing could be finally returning to Yankee Stadium, more than three decades after Muhammad Ali fought Ken Norton at the old ballpark in the Bronx.
The Yankees said Friday they’ve agreed to accommodate a family that scheduled a bar mitzvah for June 5, the date that promoter Bob Arum wants to stage Yuri Foreman’s junior middleweight title defense against Miguel Cotto at the opulent ballpark. It wasn’t clear what accommodations were made, although the bar mitzvah for Scott Ballan is still scheduled for the same day.
Ballan is the son of Jon Ballan, the lead bond lawyer for the financing of the $1.2 billion stadium. As part of the bar mitzvah, the Yankees had promised the family use of the videoboard in center field, which would have prevented its use during the fight card.
“We want to thank Jon Ballan and his family for their graciousness, understanding and good will in helping to accommodate the Yankees,” the team said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We will now meet with Bob Arum and his organization to continue discussions to bring this fight to Yankee Stadium.”
While the contracts for the fight have yet to be signed, Foreman said he was thrilled about the possibility of fighting in one of the most hallowed venues in sports.
…It wasn’t clear what accommodations were made…
Rumor has it that little Scottie Ballan, as part of his Bar Mitzvah triggered ascent into manhood, now gets to keep Kei Igawa as his concubine in exchange for allow the fight to happen. Poor Iggy, being reduced to a shtik fleish mit tzvei eigen.
Yanks Try To Strong Arm Jim Beam Suite Licensees
Posted by Steve Lombardi on February 19th, 2010 · Comments (9)
The newly renovated NYY Stadium Insider has the story. Click here to check it out.
I wonder (?) what the Yankees reaction would be if a licensee said to them…
“You know, the market has changed. And, I’m working with a budget now. Further, we’re sticking to it. So, as much as I love Yankee Stadium and these seats, and all they have done for me, it’s time to move on. We’ve made an offer to the Long Island Ducks for tickets and they have accepted.”
I mean, after the whole Johnny Damon thing, the Yankees would have to accept that, right? (Yes, I’m kidding.)
Croix de Yankee Stadium
Posted by Steve Lombardi on February 18th, 2010 · Comments (4)
Over the past 6 years (and maybe longer?) it has been extremely rare for less than 30,000 fans to attend a Yankees home game.
But, I’ve found four games – one from 2006 and three from 2004 – where the crowds at Yankee Stadium were…well…let’s just say not up to recent Yankee Stadium standards. Here they are:
September 9, 2004 – 1st Game
September 20, 2004
September 29, 2004 – 1st Game
June 25, 2006 – 2nd Game
So, any of these ring a bell? Remember them? Did you actually attend any of these four games? If so, you friend…are a Yankes fan…indeed.
What Time Is The Game? Now You Know!
Posted by Steve Lombardi on January 26th, 2010 · Comments (11)
The Yankees have just released the game times for their schedule this season…for those who were looking for that info.
SBJ Readers: New Yankee Stadium Replaces Fenway Park As Best Ballpark
Posted by Steve Lombardi on December 5th, 2009 · Comments (5)
Via the Boston Herald –
Fenway Park has lost its grip on first place to Yankee Stadium, according to a new survey.
Readers of SportsBusiness Journal gave top honors to the Bronx Bombers’ $1.5 billion baseball stadium that opened in April. Friendly Fenway finished second, followed by the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field, Philadelphia Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park and the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park.
Fenway, a field of dreams (or nightmares) since 1912, had topped the trade publication’s list since its inception in 2005.
“The Yankees’ new home received plenty of attention and raised the bar for major league ballparks,” said David Bourne, a SportsBusiness Journal editor. “But as earlier surveys show, people really like the classics. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Fenway back in the top slot next year after some of the shine of the new Yankee Stadium wears off.”
Sam Kennedy, Red Sox chief operating officer, balked at the results of this year’s survey. “There are lots of great ballparks, but we’re proud of all the changes we’ve made. We continue to try to keep up with the Yankees on and off the field.”
Ah, the Curse of Janet Marie Smith strikes its first blow!
October 6, 1947: Last Time Yanks Won World Series Game 7 In Yankee Stadium
Posted by Steve Lombardi on November 3rd, 2009 · Comments (1)
Demand is up for Yankees World Series tickets. Via Neil Best -
The Yankees have won the World Series at home only three times in the past half century – and never, of course, at the new Yankee Stadium.
So it is no surprise that fans eager to witness history have been driving up the price of tickets to Game 6 since it became clear the Phillies would win Monday and force the teams to return to the Bronx.
Until Monday, the average sales price for Game 6 on StubHub.com was $814. The average for tickets sold yesterday was $1,044 as of late morning.
Other sites saw comparable price rises. The game was on its way to beating Game 2 as the highest-grossing event in StubHub history.
Might prices fall as game time approaches Wednesday night? Not necessarily. That did happen for Game 1, on a misty night. For Game 2, prices rose on game day.
Just imagine if there’s a Game Seven. The last time the Yankees played a Game Seven in the World Series at home? October 10, 1957. Needless to say, that was not a good day.
The last time the Yankees played a Game Seven in the World Series at home where New York won the game? October 6, 1947. Yeah, nineteen-forty-seven.
Whoooa, that was a looooong time agooooo….eh?
Yanks Open Up Stadium For Game 4 Tonight
Posted by Steve Lombardi on November 1st, 2009 · Comments (0)
Via the Yankees -
The New York Yankees announced today that they will open the Yankee Stadium Field Level and Great Hall to the public to watch the broadcast of the World Series Game 4 from Philadelphia on Sunday, November 1. (The opening will be dependent on weather conditions in Philadelphia permitting the game to be played.)
Turnstiles between Gates 4 and 6 will open at 7:00 p.m. for the 8:20 p.m. game. Fans can watch the Game in the Great Hall or in the opened sections of the Field Level.“When we opened the Stadium for Game 3 in the ALCS, the response was positive and the energy from our fans was truly infectious. They really enjoyed coming together to watch the game,” said Hal Steinbrenner, Yankees Managing General Partner. “Once we reached the World Series, we felt that it was the perfect time to open the Stadium again. We remain grateful for the support of the best fans in baseball.”
Food and concession stands will be open and available to fans. NYY Steak and Hard Rock Café will also be open.
Last time the Yanks did this, it was bad luck for them – although they had a decent turnout. Wonder how this one will be different than last time…considering the time of the game for today…
Hal Stein To Yankeeland: Huddled Masses Yearning To See ALCS Game 3 Welcome At Stadium & Its Concession Stands
Posted by Steve Lombardi on October 18th, 2009 · Comments (6)
Via mlb.com -
Yankee Stadium won’t be the site of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday. But that doesn’t mean it will be empty.
The Yankees announced on Sunday that they will open the Stadium Field Level and Great Hall to the public to watch the Yankees face the Angels in Anaheim as New York tries to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the ALCS.
“We wanted to provide a place for our fans to come together to cheer for our team, even if the game itself is taking place across the country,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a news release. “This is a way of saying ‘Thank you’ for their continued support.”
Turnstiles between Gates 4 and 6 will open at 3:30 p.m. ET for the 4:13 p.m. game — broadcast on FOX — and fans can watch it in the Great Hall or in the open sections of the Field Level. Food and concession stands, as well as NYY Steak and Hard Rock Café, will be open and available to fans.
The decision to open the stadium was made after consultation with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
“I thank the New York Yankees for opening their amazing new stadium to the community, and I hope that people from all over the city will come out to cheer for the Yankees and share in what’s sure to be a great night right here in the Bronx,” Diaz Jr. said in the release.
…hmmm…
Whatever happened to “Any rebroadcast, retransmission, or account of this game, without the express written consent of Major League Baseball, is prohibited…”?
I suppose that MLB and FOX is giving the Yankees the rights to broadcast the game at the Stadium…which is cool. Although, given the start time for this game, and the fact that it’s a Monday, and it’s short notice on the Stadium being open, expect the joint to be filled with Lee Elia’s favorite 15% of the population. Could make for an interesting Stadium experience…
Ronan Tynan Sings No More @ Stadium?
Posted by Steve Lombardi on October 16th, 2009 · Comments (18)
Sure sounds like it…via the Daily News -
Irish tenor Ronan Tynan sings a first-rate “God Bless America,” at Yankee Stadium, but his attempt at telling a joke offended a Jewish doctor who found it to be anti-Semitic.
Tynan apologized, telling WNBC, “I would never want to hurt anybody’s feelings. It was stupid of me to be so callous.”
But the Yankees still canceled his appearance at the stadium Friday night.
The trouble started when Tynan, 49, bumped into a real estate agent showing an apartment in his East Side apartment building to a doctor from NYU Medical Center.
The agent told Tynan, “Don’t worry, they are not Red Sox fans,” according to apartment-hunter Gabrielle Gold-von Simson.
“I don’t care about that, as long as they are not Jewish,” was Tynan’s reply.
Yanks Add Seats For Post-Season
Posted by Steve Lombardi on October 2nd, 2009 · Comments (0)
Via the AP –
The Yankees are adding seats to their new ballpark for the playoffs.
The team said Friday it will install 60 cafe seats on the field level and sell 200 standing room places on the field and main levels during the post-season.
The cafe seats will cost US$81 for the division series and $131 for the league championship series, and standing places will go for $30 and $25 in the first round and $64 and $48 in the second round.
New York will put a limited amount of regular seats plus the new areas on sale Monday on its website. Buyers are limited to two tickets for one game of one series, and they must print their own tickets for the first two division series games.
The Yankees generally did not sell these areas during the season, although they experimented during a game against Boston.
During the ALDS, for an extra $100, if you purchase one of the field level “cafe seats,” Joba Chamberlain will also fold your towels for you.
And, for an extra $200 bucks, you can get a lap dance from Jonathan Albaladejo, Hank Steinbrenner or Ronan Tynan – with the one caveat that Tynan is not available during the 7th inning.
Yanks Set 2010 Tkt Prices
Posted by Steve Lombardi on September 16th, 2009 · Comments (6)
Via the Yankees today -
The Yankees today announced 2010 full-season ticket license pricing for regular season games at Yankee Stadium. Prices for 97 percent of tickets will either remain the same or decrease.
Of the 50,086 seats in the Stadium, prices for 41,928 tickets (84 percent) will remain the same from 2009, while 6,454 tickets (13 percent) will see a decrease in price. There are 1,704 tickets (three percent) that will have an increase in price.
A total of 3,400 Field Level seats currently priced at $325 as part of full-season licenses will drop to $250 or $235 each next season, depending on their specific location. Additionally, all 1,208 Suite seats in the Delta Sky360° Suite will see a decrease in price, as will 1,846 of 1,894 Suite seats (97 percent) in the Legends Suite. The balance of the Legends Suite seats will have no price change.
All Field Level seats not in the aforementioned locations will remain at their current prices. Additionally, non-Suite tickets in the Bleachers, Grandstand and Terrace levels will see no change in price in the 2010 season.
In the Main Level, 10,111 seat locations will see no increase. The remaining 1,704 seats in Sections 216-217 and 223-224 currently priced at $100 will be $125 next season. These mark the only increases for 2010.
Did they really need to increase the prices on those 1,704 seats in Sections 216-217 and 223-224? That’s an extra $3.5 million for the Yankees. Do they really need $3.5 million that badly? Man, if I had one of those seats, I’d be seeing red on this news…
Wild Thought – Pedro
Posted by Steve Lombardi on September 14th, 2009 · Comments (6)
Seeing how well Pedro Martinez has thrown for the Phillies, this season, in his 7 starts with them since joining the team, and how badly Joba Chamberlain and A.J. Burnett have been pitching lately, should the Yankees have gone out and picked up Martinez, when they had the chance, as a free agent this summer?
Me? I was happy with the Yanks passed on ol’ Petey. And, to be candid, the thought of seeing him in a Yankees uniform somewhat turns my stomach. But, when your options after Joba and A.J. are Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin…well…pour me a Pepto for Pedro…and maybe I’ll learn to survive…
That’s today’s wild thought. What are your thoughts on this?
Com’on Lonn…
Posted by Steve Lombardi on September 8th, 2009 · Comments (4)
So, today, I get my invoice from the Yankees for 2009 Post-Season tickets. And, it comes with a letter from Lonn A. Trost, the Yankees C.O.O.
Trost’s letter opens with:
Dear Yankees Fan:
Over a span of just a few short months, Yankee Stadium has already been the site of several memorable and unforgettable moments.
Anyone who was in attendance on Opening Day will surely recall the pageantry and pride that went into unveiling the Yankees’ sparkling new home.
On May 15, Brett Gardner’s inside-the-park home run propelled the Yankees to a victory against the Twins and put a smile on the face of a young girl awaiting a heart transplant, a girl that Gardner had met in a children’s hospital earlier that day. And who can forget August 7, when A-Rod’s 15th-inning home run broke up a scoreless tie against the Red Sox, or the numerous come from behind victories and walk-off home runs?
It’s likely that you have your own particular moments that will stay with you forever. And that is what Yankee Stadium is all about, unforgettable games and unforgettable moments.
So far, 2009 has been a season for the ages; the come from behind victories, the pinch-hit home runs and the amazing plays in the field. The excitement in the Bronx has been palpable and it is sure to increase as the seasons draws to a conclusion. As we enter the home stretch for the 2009 American League East Division title, the Yankees have begun preparations for a return to the postseason in our Inaugural Season of our new home. It is also time for you to start making preparations for a return to Yankee Stadium to enjoy the postseason.
Since when did Yankees post-season tickets become such a hard sell that the team has to play the “smile on the face of a young girl awaiting a heart transplant” card? Really, is it necessary to use this poor girl’s misfortune in an attempt to pitch coming to see October baseball in the Bronx?
Michael Kay always quotes Buck Showalter with the line of “If you do something good for someone, and somebody other than you and them knows about it, you have to question what your intention was really all about.”
Gardner went to see that sick kid because that’s the way he is…and it was a nice thing for the kid. He didn’t do it for some P.R., etc. Shame on the Yankees for trying to use that now…to fluff up the new Yankee Stadium experience.
Hey, Lonn, you know what? At this moment, the Yankees are 48-20 at home this season, in first place, and going into the post-season, most likely, as the team with the best record in the league for the first time since 2006. That should be good enough for a sales pitch. Leave the sick kid out of it.
Yanks Set Post-Season Ticket Prices For 2009
Posted by Steve Lombardi on August 31st, 2009 · Comments (3)
Via Darren Rovell:
Those expecting to hear of a price gouge for Yankees postseason tickets might be surprised.
It’s not coming.
CNBC has seen the final face value prices that the Yankees submitted to Major League Baseball and increases will be much smaller than the jump season ticket holders saw for home games played at the old Yankee Stadium in the 2007 postseason, the last time the Yankees were in the playoffs. In fact, some 2009 postseason seats will cost LESS than this year’s regular season prices.
Ticket prices in the new Yankee Stadium are especially complex to decode since premium ticket holders — those in three suite areas — already paid for their suite licensing fees, which makes up the bulk of the per game ticket price.
That’s one of the reasons why ticket holders in most premium areas see a face value on their tickets of less than 20 percent of the price they eventually pay. The rest of the price is then made up of these fees that are paid ahead of time.
For example, those who sit in the first rows behind home plate, pay $2,500 a seat, but the face value of the tickets — and thus the price paid on a per game basis — is $325.
For the ALDS, the Yankees are expected to announce that the top per game price will be $275, $50 less than what those sitting in the best seats pay for each regular season game.
Those season ticket holders sitting in non-premium seats will pay the same per-game price as they are paying for the regular season for their ALDS seats, with the exception of one section of seats.
Compare that to the increases on the 2007 postseason face value of tickets, which roughly ranged from 30 percent to 130 percent above the regular season price for the ALDS, the only series the Yankees played that year after being bested by the Cleveland Indians.
Fans will see bigger jumps in price from the ALDS to the ALCS, should the Yankees advance, but the increases — which start at 27 percent over the ALDS prices — is nothing out of the ordinary.
Non-season ticket holders won’t have much of a chance at getting playoff tickets, since the Yankees have sold the majority of the new stadium on a season ticket basis and Major League Baseball is expected to ask for another 10 to 15 percent of the seats for executives, sponsors and media partners.
Well, if the Moonlite BunnyRanch doesn’t raise prices on Valentine’s Day, it only seems fair that the Yankees don’t look to jack up their prices in October, right?
August 7, 2009: Mystique & Aura’s First Dance At New Yankee Stadium?
Posted by Steve Lombardi on August 8th, 2009 · Comments (2)
Via Mike Vaccaro -
So much of Yankee Stadium II’s first four months had been devoted to all that was missing: the charm, the history, the intimacy of a loud crowd on a summer night.
And the Yankees won 2-0, won what obviously was the greatest game in the brief history of the new ballpark, won a second straight game over the Red Sox, extended their lead to 4½ games, and gave everyone a stern reminder that they are the alpha dogs of the AL East now.
All the talk of baseball’s best team has bounced around baseball the past few months, from Los Angeles to Philadelphia to Boston.
Look homeward now. Look to The Bronx. Look to the familiar old neighborhood. And cross the street. Yankee Stadium II made its bones last night, proved it can be a fair acoustic heir, and maybe approach the experience the old joint used to specialize in: feeling like you had a stake in things. Feeling like everyone on the field could hear you. Feeling like a 10th man.
And being one. The games that came before didn’t have any of that. This one did. This one lasted until close to 1 in the morning, but when it ended everyone was ready. Everyone was prepared. The best game in the new ballpark, and they screamed as the ball soared, and it sounded sweeter even than Sinatra.
It’s an interesting question: Was New York’s game against Boston on August 7th the cherry-popper for the new Yankee Stadium? What do you think?
Randy Levine On Yanks Tickets Sales
Posted by Steve Lombardi on July 29th, 2009 · Comments (2)
Via Darren Rovell, Randy Levine comments on Yankees tickets sales. Per Levine:
“We’ve sold over 90 percent of all tickets available this year in our new stadium, which as the mayor will tell you, is an absolutely beautiful stadium. It has lived up to all our expectations. We’re very sensitive to the economy. We’re reviewing everything and looking to see where we can be better and where we can improve. In a couple weeks, hopefully we’ll be prepared to come out with our new plans and programs for next year.”
Imagine if they actually try and raise prices for next season?
Lamster On New Yank Stadium & CitiField
Posted by Steve Lombardi on July 27th, 2009 · Comments (15)
I’m a week late to the party on this, but, in case you missed it, check out Mark Lamster’s feature on the two new ballparks in New York. It’s a very interesting read. Here’s a snip:
When I first started attending games on my own, some 20 years ago, a ticket to the Yankee bleachers cost $1.50, pocket change even for a kid on a tight allowance. That same ticket now costs $14: not an unreasonable sum, but more than a movie and enough to keep a student on a limited budget from making it too much of a habit. The new stadium, for that matter, doesn’t beg that kind of relationship. It’s a special-occasion place, somewhere to visit a couple of times a season. Why empty your wallet for an entertainment event that might not be entertaining? (Even the best teams lose roughly 40 percent of their games.) When you’re stuck in the nosebleed seats, and a beer, a dog, and a bag of peanuts cost upward of 20 bucks, thoughts of exploitation inevitably percolate through the mind. It is in those moments that the fan-team compact seems hopelessly broken, and one begins to wonder about the difference between being a fan and being a chump. Sometimes it seems like there’s no difference at all.
When Mark says that the new Yankee Stadium is “a special-occasion place, somewhere to visit a couple of times a season,” I believe that he’s dead-on with that one.
And, that’s sad. Me? In a perfect world, I would go to Yankee Stadium about nine times a season. And, I would want to bring my wife and kids with me at least half of those times. But, today, I cannot afford to do that.
It was possible in the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s. Heck, it was even possible in 2001. But, today? No – not at all. Shame. I hope the Yankees realize what they’re doing here…squeezing out the diehard fan with a family who wants to go to games more than just four or five times a season…
O’s Reporter Shutout By Yank Stadium Muscle
Posted by Steve Lombardi on July 26th, 2009 · Comments (3)
Via Bob Raissman -
Yankees security people, aka the Trost Toasties, continue to play bully-ball. On Tuesday, they prevented a scene, one that would encourage more parents to bring kids to the ballpark, from getting maximum exposure.
Happened Tuesday night (Orioles-Yankees). On the Baltimore TV broadcast, viewers got pictures of a kid, wearing an Orioles cap, having a great time. He was sitting in primo (front of the moat) seats. So happy was this young man, O’s voices Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer kept commenting on him.
They suggested their grandstand reporter, Amber Theoharis, interview the child. She tried. Well-embedded (concrete) moat moles report as Theoharis made her way toward the young fan, she was intercepted by the Toasties. When it was suggested she just pass the microphone down to the kid, the Toasties would not let the microphone travel in front of the moat.
Fortunately, Theoharis just split. Dissing a Toastie could be hazardous to your health.
Holy Elaine Benes Batman!
I wonder if the Toastie told Amber Theohans “Who would cross the Trost Moat of Yankee Stadium must answer me these questions three, ere the other side she see….”
Oh, My, Gawd, The Rocket Is In The New House…But You’ll Have To Wait 20 Minutes
Posted by Steve Lombardi on July 15th, 2009 · Comments (7)
Via Mark Herrmann -
A Yankees spokesman said Monday that the club is not commenting on the Stadium now, instead choosing to see how the rest of the season goes. Hal Steinbrenner, the managing general partner, recently did send out e-mails to some customers inviting them to meetings at the Stadium or Rockefeller Center, and “telling us how we are doing and how we can make the ‘Yankee Stadium Experience.’ ”
Bloggers have objected to relentless promotions on the public address system, the fact that Monument Park is basically hidden behind the centerfield fence and that the place just doesn’t have the electric feel that the building next door had. Visiting players have privately said the new Stadium is not as verbally intimidating as the old.
Well, the Yankees can choose to see how the rest of the season goes…but I can tell you that my personal count is (now) up to “five” different people telling me that they went to the Johnny Rockets stand at the new Stadium, during a game this season, and were told to come back in 20 minutes for their order. Considering that a baseball game is about 3 hours long, on average, for the Yankees, it seems a little silly to have a situation where fans have to order food and then come back, after a full inning, or so, has passed to actually get their order. Fans usually want their food when they order and pay for it. That’s not exactly “Rocket” science, is it?
Yanks Bring In Mrs. 32, 29, 1-2, & 15 To OTD ‘09
Posted by Steve Lombardi on July 10th, 2009 · Comments (1)
Poor Kay…if she’s “Mrs. 1″ she gets confused with Billy’s wife…and “Mrs. 2″ is, well, ask Jeter…
Via the Yankees -
The New York Yankees announced today that four Hall-of-Famers and at least six rookie Old-Timers will be on hand at the 63rd annual Old-Timers’ Day on Sunday, July 19 at Yankee Stadium. This season marks the inaugural Old-Timers’ Day at the current Stadium after 62 years at the original Stadium.
Joining the Hall-of-Famers and Old-Timers’ Day rookies on the baselines will be more than 30 additional former Yankees and the widows of four legendary Yankees-Arlene Howard, widow of Elston Howard; Helen Hunter, widow of Jim “Catfish” Hunter; Kay Murcer, widow of Bobby Murcer; and Diana Munson, widow of Thurman Munson.
It’s very nice of the Yankees to bring these widows out for the game – and wonderful of the ladies to attend. Reminds me of something great I once read on Marty Appel’s site:
I had the privilege of serving as Bob Fishel’s assistant in preparing the [Old Timer's Day] events from 1968-73, before taking over myself after he moved to the American League. An incredible amount of detail went into the planning, from doing a souvenir program, to writing the introductions, to arranging travel and hotel, to finding old time umpires, to enlisting a band and a color guard, to a national anthem singer, to inviting the Commissioner and League Presidents, to stocking the clubhouse with extra beer, to arranging for old New York Times’ writer John Drebinger to keep an official box score in the press box, to getting fill-in broadcasters to cover for Phil Rizzuto (who never made it back upstairs), or Jerry Coleman, to hiring limos for Mrs. Babe Ruth and Mrs. Lou Gehrig, to coordinating uniforms with Pete Sheehy, to preparing lineups for the game and assisting the “managers” (who barely paid attention), to arranging transportation and the post-game party at Toots Shors or the Friar’s Club, with a separate party for the wives. Claire Ruth and Eleanor Gehrig, always recipients of huge ovations from their box seats, would not only be the life of the party, but would usually be the first to crack the segregated code and lead all the women into the cigar-smoke filled “men’s party,” where the great baseball stories ran long into the night.
Somehow, I don’t see today’s ladies being the party starters…but, you never know…
Millar: New Yankee Stadium “A Lot Of Concrete And Nothing”
Posted by Steve Lombardi on July 7th, 2009 · Comments (5)
Today on the MLB Home Plate channel on SIRIUS XM Radio, hosts Seth Everett and Jim Duquette spoke with Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Kevin Millar, who offered his thoughts on the new Yankee Stadium. [Thanks to Andrew FitzPatrick for this information.]
Jim Duquette: “What’s your impression of the new Yankee Stadium?”
Kevin Millar: “I’m going to be honest with you. You know I’m going to shoot from the hip. I’m not a big fan of it. Nothing pops there, nothing pops. The old stadium, you walked in, you knew this was where [Mickey] Mantle played and [Joe] DiMaggio. It was just that old school. I got booed a lot louder. They didn’t boo me as loud here. I like to get booed. They were too nice to me here. They’re too nice to me. I don’t know if it’s all corporate, but they’re too nice. But it’s just like a big, huge – it’s a beautiful facility, don’t get me wrong – but the navy blue seats, a lot of concrete and nothing pops. I mean, nothing pops there, personally. Now, it was our first trip in and I don’t know if I was expecting more, but that’s the truth and it’s just I loved the old stadium.”
Seth Everett: “Is it impossible to ever live up to that old stadium?”
Millar: “It’s not impossible, but yes, all the comeback wins and all the memories there, of course, it’s going to take time. And this is year no. 1 and there’s some tinkers. Like for one, you know, it’s a beautiful scoreboard but they have the radar gun readings at the very top of the scoreboard with the pitch count. Fans want to know how hard the pitcher’s throwing, for instance. You come to the game, you want to see, ‘Yeah, Brandon League’s on the mound, he’s throwing 90-what?’ You don’t want to have to look around the stadium to find it, and this is at the very top, a very little scene up there with your miles per hour where most stadiums have them above the dugouts on the second tier of the second deck so you can kind of see it easier. You know, it was hard to read what the guy’s hitting for the batting average. It was tough to find certain things. And for a stadium that’s got $1.5 billion in it, you would think it had been just some easier scenes, and I’m just using those as examples and those might be nit-picking. But for the monuments: I wish they would’ve pulled the monuments up so you could see the monuments. I mean, they’re behind center field and it’s kind of blocked off with the hitter’s eye so you don’t even see them. At least in the old stadium, left center, you kind of saw them a little bit, glimpsed through over there from the bullpen area, and when you’d hit a home run to left center they’d bounce in the monuments. So there’s some things that, in my opinion, nothing’s really popping out. But it’s a gorgeous scene, I guess, for the fans inside – the food, the televisions, all the marble and stuff. But from what we see as a player, you walk in the lobby and it was straight concrete. We walk in the locker room, beautiful locker rooms, but it was just, it was OK, personally.”
If I had a dime for every time I saw/heard the word “concrete” used when someone was referencing the new Yankee Stadium, I’d have enough money to build another new Stadium – out of concrete, of course…
AccuWeather Echoes Us Seven Weeks Later
Posted by Steve Lombardi on June 10th, 2009 · Comments (0)
Rays: New Yankee Stadium Missing Aura & Mystique
Posted by Steve Lombardi on June 6th, 2009 · Comments (6)
Via the Daily News -
The aura and mystique of the old Stadium is gone forever, so say the Tampa Bay Rays.
“You’re in the new Yankee Stadium. It’s absolutely a different stadium,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said before last night’s series opener in the Bronx was rained out. “It’s kind of nice, actually, because I hated the smell of the old place…. I don’t know if that odor was the remnants of the ghosts walking around, but they always had a home-court advantage in that yard.
“I’m not saying they can’t develop it here, but they had an advantage just based on the smell of the place. They could have put that in a bottle, sprayed it on somebody and you’d say, ‘Oh, Yankee Stadium.’”
That antique smell – and a sense of history – could get opponents caught up in their surroundings. Evan Longoria, for one, couldn’t help but think of all the great players who had gone before him when he visited the old Stadium as a rookie last season.
“You went into the old Yankee Stadium and there was just that feeling – almost like the calm before the storm – you knew what was going to happen, you knew it was going to be a battle,” Longoria said. “When you walked down that hallway, you knew that Ruth and the forefathers of the game had walked down that same tunnel. That was the cool feeling about it.”
But it hasn’t necessarily carried over to the new Stadium.
“It feels a lot different,” added Longoria, who hurt his left hamstring on Tuesday and will be a game-time decision this afternoon. “You don’t really get to feel the ghosts of the past.”
“This place, don’t get me wrong, is an unbelievable ballpark,” Longoria said of the new Stadium. “They did a great job on it, but it’s not the same thing.”
I’m no fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd. I have too many bad memories of being in new-wave/punk clubs during the 1980’s and witnessing some out-of-place slack-jawed yokel wearing a flannel shirt, with the sleeves cut off, beer in one hand and the other hand forming a fist held in the air, screaming out to the peforming cover band “Freeeeeeeee Bird!” But, reading this news report, well, it’s given me an idea…
Maybe the Yankees should replace the playing of “YMCA” when the grounds crew drags the infield mid-game with this one – just to remind the opposing team that they’re still in the Bronx:
Yanks: Homer Happy New Stadium A “Phenomenon” TBD
Posted by Steve Lombardi on June 1st, 2009 · Comments (0)
Via an excellent Mel Antonen feature on the new Yankee Stadium -
The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers open a series tonight at the new Yankee Stadium as baseball’s top home-run hitting teams. In the past, that prodigious power would conjure memories of all-time sluggers or stir speculation about performance-enhancing drugs. But there might be a greater power at work in the Bronx.
“We’re dealing with some phenomenon that we don’t have our hands wrapped around,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says.
Indeed, two months into the season the most expensive stadium ever built is being tormented by unpredictable winds and beset by a chaotic debate over whether the home runs there are the cheapest aspect of the $1.5 billion ballpark.
“There’s no doubt that the new Yankee Stadium has taken over as the best hitters’ park in baseball,” Baltimore Orioles first baseman Aubrey Huff says. “Someone’s going to hit 90 home runs there.”
The Yankees observed the wind patterns before opening the stadium, working with RWDI, an engineering firm in Guelph, Ontario, that studies wind currents in sports stadiums. RWDI declined to comment, but Yankees CEO Lonn Trost says the team is doing more studies.
“Even the winds — based upon wind analysis and wind studies — we (are) having were the least likely to occur,” Trost told news reporters last month. “So who can tell? We’ll always look and analyze, and right now I don’t think I can do anything about the wind.”
Cashman says the wind might not be the only reason home runs are soaring. He says umpires may be calling a tighter strike zone and points out that home runs and walks are up this season, from 1.80 homers per game in 2008 to 2.05 this year and from 6.73 walks per game to 7.20 in 2009.
“All that leads to more hitters’ counts like 3-1 and 2-0, and that leads to more home runs,” Cashman says.
Dennis Torok, manager of the Montreal-based Newmerical Technologies, studies wind and its effect on buildings, and says there are several ways to reduce the wind patterns at Yankee Stadium without altering the playing field. The team could change the slope of the roof or put attachments on it to deflect wind that whips into the stadium.
Torok also says the open concourses, surrounding buildings and the slope of grandstand seating could be factors.
Winds in New York will “approach from the westerly directions a larger percentage of time,” Torok says, and that creates the jet stream that goes out to right field.
For example, Torok says the wind came from the west April 18, when the Yankees and Indians combined for eight home runs in a 22-4 Cleveland victory.
Me? I’m starting to think it’s the wind/jet-stream to right combined with the shorter distances to the power-alley in right field that’s causing all this mess.
So, the answer, for me, would be to install mesh windscreens somewhere in the stadium to mitigate the jet stream and make the fence higher out in right/right-center. Hey, it’s a start…and something to consider for next year.
Lonn Trost Tries To Pull A Yogi
Posted by Steve Lombardi on June 1st, 2009 · Comments (0)
You have to “love” this quote, via the AP -
Speaking during a court hearing in Albany Monday, Yankees CEO Lonn Trost says 90 percent of non-suite stadium tickets cost under $100.
Translation: 95% of the seats in the upper-deck and bleachers cost under $100 per ticket.
Wow. Big whoops.
