The New York herald., 1922-05-06
Yankees Sign Contract
for Biggest Ball Park
Colonels Rupert and Huston
Declare They Believe in Fu-
ture of Baseball.
by w. o. McGEEHAN.

Actual work was started on the
Yankees new baseball park yesterday
and contracts were let calling for the
completion of the plant within eight
months. BY the end of that period the
Yankees will have triple deck grand
stand which will seat 1900 persons and
other seating space to accommodate a
crowd of between $1,000 and 10000.
While eight months Is the outside limit
set for the work the owners and the
contractors believe that the work will
be far enough along to permit the
Yankees to play the worlds series in
the new park II they win the American
League championship.
The contract which was let to the
White Construction Company OF New
York calls for an Immediate expenditure
Of $1,250,o0o When the grandstand Is
extended to the limit the total invest
ment made by Col Jacob Rupert and
| Col T. l.. Huston for their ball park
will be in the neighborhood of 5000 900
| which includes the amount spent for
the site.
The site lies just south OF the 161st
street station OF the Jerome avenue sub
way line. It Is just within the borough
OF The Bronx. The property was ac-
quired some time ago after the own
ers OF the Yankees failed to reach a
definite agreement with the owners
OF long term lease for the Polo
Grounds.
Biggest of Them All.
The new Yankee park will be the
biggest baseball plant IN the world.
Some idea as to It's capacity may be
gained from the fact that the grand
! stand alone has a seating capacity
within 1000 OF the total capacity Of
the Polo Grounds as that park stands
to-day
The announcement OF the letting of
the contract was made at an i'm
promptu afternoon tea in the Yankee
offices yesterday. Among those pour
ing were the two Yankee owners. James
W. fischer, @. Edward Escher OF the
White Construction Company. Bernard
Gredsi. the architect; Major Thomas
Birmingham. assisting with the en-
gineering work Victor Gilpin and a host
of Yankee fans. II was decided TO
dispense with the usual ground break
Ing ceremonies. as the life OF the YAM
KEGS of late has consisted OF one cere-
mony after another.
! Bernard Green, the architect who
designed the new Yankee stands, also
designed the stands at the Polo
Grounds and at Braves Field. A unique
feature of the Yankee stands Is a
mezzanine deck which will accommo-
date something like 10000 persons.
In making tho announcement Col
Jacob Rupert. speaking for himself
and his partner. said: I'VE have per-
feet confidence In the future OF base
ball. / think that this investment
which we are making shows that.
When we first bought the Yankees
crowds OF 1900 were events to be
talked about. but with the growth Of
baseball and the betterment OF the
Yankee team we sometimes have turned
away more people than we could get
into the Polo Grounds.
Expect 60 Fiji Park.
Last season was a record breaker
and the one before that was great
season for US too. OF course the cur
rent season has not started off 80
brightly, but there are plenty OF rea-
sons for that. We fully expect TO fill
the new park many times during i923."
The Yankees have been an orphan
baseball team since they quit the old
Hilltop Grounds. When they were
purchased from Frank Farrell by Rup-
pert and Huston Irwin S. Cobb declared
that the new owners had bought moth
ing but a franchise and a massive coll
lection OF liabilities. The two Colonels
had a verbal agreement running from
year 20 year 20 play at the Polo
Grounds.
For some time II looked as though
Cobb's quip was no Joke. The new own
ers Of the Yankees found themselves
involved In the war between Organized
Baseball and the Federal League. Even
when this was settled tho Yankees fell
into some lean years. The team made
no money.
The new owners OF tho Yankees
spent money generously for players but
II was not until they bought Babe Ruth
| from the Red Sox for what was up 10
that time the highest price ever paid
| for a baseball player that they really
began TO be serious rivals of the New
! Yorks Giants In the matter OF patron
| age. Not only did the Yankees reap
benefits from the acquisition Of Ruth
but all baseball benefited.
It is expected that the glamour OF
the Ruth exploits with the bat stim-
ulated baseball for the last two years
and added several millions TO the gross
taken In for baselspu In both leagues.