Yankee Stadium™ | The Thomas Kinkade Company Yankee Stadium™ Art Notes In 2008, Yankee Stadium™, the greatest cathedral to the game of baseball, has closed its doors forever. I could not let such a historic moment pass without honoring it in my way. This is the original Yankee Stadium™ – the house that Ruth built. Because this is a distant view, you can people the field with Yankee heroes of your choosing. Could that be Lou Gehrig on first base? Babe Ruth in right field? Joe DiMaggio patrolling center? For eighty-five years, some of the greatest players in the game have called Yankee Stadium™ home. Title: Yankee Stadium™ Yankee Stadium History | New York Yankees San Francisco Yankee Stadium History Only a year after they changed Baseball forever with the purchase of Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees made another buy that would forever change the way the game was watched. On February 6, 1921, the Yankees issued a press release to announce the purchase of 10 acres of property in the west Bronx.

The land, purchased from the estate of William Waldorf Astor for $675,000, sat directly across the Harlem River from the Yankees' current Manhattan home, the Polo Grounds, which they shared unhappily with the landlord Giants of the National League since 1913. The relationship between the Giants and their tenant crumbled after the 1920 season when Yankee attendance boosted by their new slugging sensation doubled to 1,289,422. That was over 100,000 more than the Giants, who, in 1921, notified the Yankees to vacate the Polo Grounds as soon as possible. With their departure from the Polo Grounds now inevitable, Yankee co-owners Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast l'Hommedieu Huston set out to build a spectacular ballpark of their own, Baseball's first triple-decked structure. With an advertised capacity of 70,000, it would also be the first to be labeled a "stadium." Original plans of the architect the Osborne Engineering Company of Cleveland, Ohio had the Stadium triple-decked and roofed all the way around.

An early press release, in fact, described the Yankees' new home as a field enclosed with towering embattlements, rendering the events inside "impenetrable to all human eyes, save those of aviators." But the initial, grand design was quickly scaled back with the triple-decked grandstand not reaching either foul pole. Contrary to the owners' wishes, the action would be more than visible from the elevated trains that passed by the outfield as well as from the buildings that would spring up across River Avenue. Fortunately, a purely decorative element also survived the project's early downsizing and would become the park's most recognizable feature. A 15-foot deep copper facade would adorn the front of the roof which covered much of the Stadium's third deck. It would give Yankee Stadium an air of dignity that no park has possessed -- either before or since. The new stadium would favor lefthanded power with the right-field foul pole only 295 feet from home plate (though it would shoot out to 429 by right center).

Though the left-field pole measured only 281 feet from the plate, righthanded hitters were neutralized by a 395-foot left field and a whopping 460 to left center. It would also be friendly to patrons, boasting an unheard of "eight toilet rooms for men and as many for women scattered throughout the stands and bleachers." (When the Stadium was remodeled 50 years later, it included more than 50 restrooms.) The club's executive offices would be moved from midtown Manhattan and located between the main and mezzanine decks with an electric elevator connecting them with the main entrance. The construction contract was awarded to New York's White Construction Co. on May 5, 1922 with the edict that the job must be completed "at a definite price" ($2.5-million) and by Opening Day 1923. Incredibly, it was. In only 284 working days, Yankee Stadium was ready for its inaugural game on April 18, 1923 vs. the Boston Red Sox.

Officially, 74,200 fans packed Yankee Stadium for their first glimpse of Baseball's grandest facility while thousands more milled around outside after the fire department finally ordered the gates closed. Before the game began, John Phillip Sousa and the Seventh Regiment Band led both clubs to the flagpole in deep center field where the American flag and the Yankees' 1922 pennant were raised. Appropriately, Babe Ruth christened his new home with a three-run homer to cap a four-run third inning as the Yankees coasted to a 4-1 win. Because it was widely recognized that Ruth's tremendous drawing power made the new stadium possible, it would immediately become known as "The House That Ruth Built." Later that season, the Stadium hosted the first of 33 World Series and the Yankees won their first World Championship over their former landlord, the Giants. Of course, as the Stadium became the stage for a staggering number of World titles - now totaling 26 - it also would become known as "The Home of Champions." In its early years, when wooden bleachers surrounded the outfield, a grass slope approached the outfield walls from foul pole to foul pole.

Outfielders, especially Ruth in right, routinely backed up the small hill to pull down fly balls. Atop the bleachers were advertising signs except for a lone, manually operated, wooden scoreboard in right-center field which was "big enough to record 12 innings for games played by every club in the two major leagues." Over the years, the board would be replaced by more modern models. The Yankees, in fact, would unveil the first electronic message board in 1959. By 1928, the Stadium was ready for its first major facelift as the triple-deck grandstand in left field was extended beyond the foul pole to its current termination point. The right-field grandstand was extended in 1937, allowing "upper-deck" home runs in both directions. With the '37 expansion of the grandstand, the remaining wooden bleachers were replaced by a concrete structure and the distance to center field dropped from 490 feet to a still-astronomical 461 feet. Except for the addition of lights in 1946, the look of Yankee Stadium would now remain relatively the same until the winter of 1966-67.

Then, under the direction of its new owner, CBS, the 44-year-old facility received a $1.5-million modernization, most of which was spent on paint (90 tons of it). The brown concrete exterior was painted white as was the by-now greenish copper facade. And all of the grandstand seats went from green to blue, a color scheme that would be retained when the Stadium was completely remodeled after the 1973 season. On August 8, 1972, after years of debate about the future of the aging ballpark, the Yankees signed a 30-year lease with the City of New York which called for Yankee Stadium to be completely modernized in time for the 1976 season. After completing the Stadium's 50th-Anniversary season in 1973, the Yankees moved to Shea Stadium for two seasons while their home was almost completely demolished and then rebuilt. The most striking change of the modernization would be the removal of the numerous, obstructive steel columns which supported the second and third decks as well as the roof.

By "cantilevering" the upper decks and by lowering the playing field while increasing the slope of the lower stands, sight lines for fans would be dramatically improved. Of course, with the removal of the original roof, the Stadium almost lost its most-recognizable feature: the facade. But an innovative design concept included an exact replica of the facade atop the new 560-foot-long scoreboard which stretched across the rear of the bleachers. The board would also include baseball's first "telescreen," which could provide instant replays of the action by emplying a then-incredible "nine shades of gray." Yankee Stadium's exterior changed dramatically, too, as three escalator towers were added, one at each of the Stadium's three entrances. And, with 10 additional rows of seats added to the upper deck, the already-grand Stadium would have an even more majestic look. The remodeled Yankee Stadium opened on April 15, 1976 with the Yankees topping Minnesota 11-4 and, like its predecessor, would host the World Series in its inaugural season.

The Stadium, in fact, hosted the Fall Classic in its first three seasons with the Yankees winning back-to-back World titles in 1977 and 1978. With a new $1.3 billion facility rising directly across 161st Street, the 2008 season was to be the final one within Yankee Stadium's storied dimensions. Selected to also host the All-Star Game in July, the building hosted the longest Midsummer Classic in terms of time, a 15-inning affair clocking at four hours and 50 minutes, won by the American League on Michael Young's sacrifice fly. A season-long countdown from 81 to zero was displayed on a board in right-center field; with the Yankees not qualifying for postseason play, the last game was played on Sept. 21, 2008, with the Yankees defeating the Baltimore Orioles, 7-3. A sellout crowd of 54,610 packed the building, many arriving hours early, as the Yankees set an all-time season attendance record of 4,298,543.

The all-time Yankee Stadium attendance mark thus inched to freeze at 151,959,005. Following a grand sendoff ceremony, honoring many of the greats to wear the Yankees uniform, Andy Pettitte was the winning pitcher, Mariano Rivera recorded the last out and Jose Molina hit the last home run in New York's emotional victory over Baltimore, bookending Babe Ruth's shot to open the building in 1923. The blast, a two-run shot in the fourth inning, proved historic when viewed with a quote attributed to Ruth after he homered on the Stadium's first day: "I was glad to have hit the first home run in this park. God only knows who will hit the last." The final word in Yankee Stadium belonged to Derek Jeter, who was also the final Yankees batter at the ballpark. The captain took a microphone behind the mound during the on-field ceremony and addressed the standing crowd, many of them wiping away tears. The speech, Jeter later said, had been off-the-cuff and as nerve-wracking as any experience in his professional career.

"For all of us up here, it's a huge honor to put this uniform on every day and come out here and play," Jeter said. "And every member of this organization, past and present, has been calling this place home for 85 years. There's a lot of tradition, a lot of history, and a lot of memories. Now the great thing about memories is you're able to pass it along from generation to generation. "And although things are going to change next year, we're going to move across the street, there are a few things with the New York Yankees that never change -- it's pride, it's tradition, and most of all, we have the greatest fans in the world. "We're relying on you to take the memories from this stadium and add them to the new memories that come to the new Yankee Stadium, and continue to pass them on from generation to generation. On behalf of this entire organization, we want to take this moment to salute you, the greatest fans in the world." Also held at Yankee Stadium... As one of the world's most-prestigious addresses, Yankee Stadium has also been the home of scores of other sports, entertainment and cultural events.

While the Yankees were on the road or out of season, the Stadium opened its gates to college and pro football, soccer, political assemblies, religious conventions, concerts and even the circus. Boxing immediately found a home at Yankee Stadium with Benny Leonard winning a 15-round decision over Lou Tendler for the lightweight title three months after the gates opened on July 24, 1923. Until Muhammad Ali stopped Ken Norton on September 28, 1976, thirty championship fights have been fought at the Stadium, perhaps none more memorable than the one for the heavyweight title between Joe Louis and Germany's Max Schmeling on June 22, 1938. After suffering a knockout loss in the initial non-title encounter at the Stadium two years earlier, Louis now the heavyweight champ avenged his defeat with a stunning first-round KO in the rematch. Football also became an immediate fixture at Yankee Stadium with the 1923 Army-Navy game inaugurating a rich history of collegiate and later professional football matchups.

On November 12, 1928, with Notre Dame and Army locked in a scoreless game at halftime, the legendary Knute Rockne made his famous "win one for the Gipper" pep talk and the Fighting Irish went out and beat the Cadets, 12-6. The New York football Giants also called Yankee Stadium home from 1956 through 1973 and, on December 28, 1958, played in what is widely recognized as "the greatest game ever played." With the NFL championship at stake, a crowd of 64,185 watched the Baltimore Colts tie the game 17-17 on a Steve Myrha field goal with seven seconds left. Eight minutes into professional football's first-ever "sudden-death" overtime period, the Colts' Alan Ameche crashed through from the one yard line, ending a contest that would help establish pro football as a major sport. The Stadium was also an important stop for religious conventions with the conventions of the Jehovah's Witnesses the major outside activity each year.

Beginning in 1950, the convention attracted as many as 123,707 people in a single day far more than any other Stadium event. On October 4, 1965 with the Yankees out of the World Series for only the third time in 17 years the Stadium hosted an event of worldwide significance. During the first visit to North America by a Pope, Paul VI celebrated mass before a crowd in excess of 80,000. Fourteen years later, John Paul II also made Yankee Stadium a stop on his tour of the United States. Bidding Adieu to The House That Ruth Built | SportsLifer's Weblog Dawgs Barking for Respect → Bidding Adieu to The House That Ruth Built Yankee Stadium, at left, with the new Stadium across 161st Street in the Bronx. It’s been compared to the Colosseum, been called The House That Ruth Built. Mel Allen, the late Yankee broadcaster, once said, “St.

Patrick’s is the Yankee Stadium of cathedrals.” It has hosted Popes and Cardinals, Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali, Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, Knute Rockne and Vince Lombardi, John Philip Sousa and U2. I have so many memories of Yankee Stadium, all of them precious. When I think of The House that Ruth Built, I really remember two Yankee Stadiums, each unique in its own right and each evoking a different set of memories. My earliest recollections go back to the original Stadium, green facade, monuments on the field, Death Valley in left-center. My Dad took me to my first game there 50 years ago, and the color of the field and the Stadium contrasted with the black and white televised images I had seen. And for years afterward I thought Ruth, Gehrig and Miller Huggins were actually buried underneath the monuments in center field. I recall Hall of Famers Mantle and Berra and Ford, and seeing Ted Williams, Mantle and Roger Maris hit home runs in the same game.

As a fifth grader, I remember getting sick and missing a September game where Maris hit home run #56 on his way to 61 in 1961. Sunday Doubleheaders I recall going to many Sunday doubleheaders with my father and brother and friends and cousins, sitting in the upper deck and seeing some terrible Yankee teams in the late 60s and early 70s. I saw a Friday twi-night doubleheader against the Tigers in 1968, when the second game wound up in a 19-inning tie. We stayed ’till the end. And of course there were some New York football Giants games in the 60s, featuring Y.A. Tittle, Frank Gifford, Sam Huff and others. The original Yankee Stadium closed its doors in 1973, and the Yankees moved to Flushing where they called Shea Stadium home for two years. Those were not good memories. In 1976, a remodeled Stadium opened, sans facade and center-field monuments and with a smaller Death Valley, but with a great big scoreboard above the bleachers and a new Yankee team under Billy Martin.

My first game there in 1976, my father, my younger sister, my cousin and I saw Chris Chambliss hit a home run to right-center, a precursor to his dramatic shot that beat the Kansas City Royals and gave the Yankees the American League pennant that October. Derek Jeter and the 1996 Yankees After back-to-back World Championships in 1977 and 1978, the Yankees slipped into another dry period in the 1980s and early 1990s, with Don Mattingly one of the few bright spots. That is until 1996, when a kid named Derek Jeter arrived on the scene and helped the Bombers won their first World Series in 18 years. And that paternal baseball bond spread into the next generation, as my son and I saw some classic Yankee games during those dynasty years, perhaps none more memorable than David Wells’ perfect game in 1998, when I came oh-so-close to catching a Bernie Williams home run. My nephew and brother-in-law were there with us that day, my nephew’s second major league game.

I told him afterwards he could go to a thousand games, 10,000 games, but he’d never see another perfect game. Overjoyed, I saw the Yankees win a World Series game against the Padres in 1998, and with my brother saw the Yanks eliminate the Braves in four straight in 1999 (“Ball game over, World Series over, Millennium over!.”). I recall how the Yankees gave the people of New York a lift when the needed it most, with a dramatic post-season run in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I sat with my son and two duaghters in the upper deck on a drizzly Friday night in 2003 when Roger Clemens won his 300th game, and was there four months later when Aaron Boone drilled the home run that beat the Red Sox for the American League pennant. So many loved ones, so many great players, so many memories, but time moves on. And next year, Yankee Stadium moves across the street to a new home. I’m looking forward to my first game in the new Yankee Stadium, yet with the sad realization that things will never be quite the same.

Somehow, they never are. Like this: Yankee Stadium Framed Photos Size: 16½" x 14½" x 1" Only $95 Edition piece #2 is sold out Yankee Stadium Classic Moments #3 Gehrig's Farewell Speech (1939) Perhaps the most memorable, and certainly the most moving event to take place at Yankee Stadium occurred on the Fourth of July in 1939 when the Yankees held Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day. Just two weeks after he was diagnosed with ALS, the disease that was to commonly bear his name, Gehrig was surrounded by his former teammates when he addressed a crowd of 61,808 in a 254-word speech that forever made him the pride of the Yankees. The caption on the plate beneath the photo says: "Gehrig's Farewell Speech" On July 4, 1939, an emotional Lou Gehrig gave his farewell speech to the fans at Yankee Stadium.

The Iron Horse spoke the famous words that will be remembered by Yankees fans everywhere: "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth." Third in a series of 10 Yankee Stadium Classic Moments Limited Edition of 2008 Size: 16½" x 14½" x 1" Only $95 Edition piece #3 is sold out Yankee Stadium Classic Moments #4 Mantle's Triple Crown (1956) With his manager, Casey Stengel, aside him, Mickey Mantle celebrated winning the 1956 Triple Crown by donning a crown and hoisting three bats with his league leading numbers written upon them. "With his combination of speed and power he should win the triple batting crown every year," Stengel said of The Mick, who accomplished the feat only once but is one of only 11 men in the modern era to ever win the Triple Crown. The caption on the plate beneath the photo says: "Mantle's Triple Crown" One of the true legends to ever don pinstripes, Mickey Mantle gave Yankees fans memories to last a lifetime.

Mantle captured the 1956 Triple Crown with 52 Home Runs, 130 RBI's and a .353 batting average. Fourth in a series of 10 Yankee Stadium Classic Moments Limited Edition of 2008 Size: 16½" x 14½" x 1" Only $95 Edition piece #4 is sold out Yankee Stadium Classic Moments #5 The Perfect Game (1956) The greatest individual achievement in the Stadium's storied history came courtesy of a journeyman pitcher's right arm. Don Larsen, who lost 21 games in 1954 for the Orioles, was perfect for the Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. He remains the only pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter in the post-season. For his heroics, Larsen was named the Series MVP and earned everlasting fame. The caption on the plate beneath the photo says: "The Perfect Game" On October 8, 1956, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history. He threw 97 pitches on his perfect day, only once going to a 3 ball count.

The Yankees won 2-0 on a Mickey Mantle home run. Fifth in a series of 10 Yankee Stadium Classic Moments Limited Edition of 2008 Size: 16½" x 14½" x 1" Only $95 Edition piece #5 is sold out Yankee Stadium Classic Moments #6 The M&M Boys (1961) Forever linked by their pursuit of Babe Ruth's home run record, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit a combined 115 homers in 1961, which is still the single-season record for a pair of teammates. Dubbed the M&M Boys by the media who covered them, Maris and Mantle finished 1-2 in AL MVP voting in a year that culminated with the Yankees winning their 19th world championship. The caption on the plate beneath the photo says: "The M&M Boys" The 1961 season witnessed one of the most amazing performances in all of baseball, as teammates Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle went head-to-head for the single season home run record of 60.

Mantle ended up with 54 home runs while Maris broke the Babe's record with 61 round trippers. Sixth in a series of 10 Yankee Stadium Classic Moments Limited Edition of 2008 Size: 16½" x 14½" x 1" Only $95 Edition piece #6 is sold out Yankee Stadium Classic Moments #7 61 in '61 (1961) The final day of the 1961 season was one for the record books as Roger Maris' home run in the 4th inning against Boston's Tracy Stallard was his 61st. "I damn well want to break the record," Maris said shortly before breaking Babe Ruth's single-season home run mark of 60. The benchmark that Maris set would stand for 37 years. The caption on the plate beneath the photo says: "61 in '61" On October 2, 1961, Roger Maris rounded the bases after hitting his 61st Home Run of the season.

The towering shot to right field made Maris the single season Home Run King, passing the legendary Babe Ruth and his record of 60 Home Runs in 1927. Seventh in a series of 10 Yankee Stadium Classic Moments Limited Edition of 2008 Size: 16½" x 14½" x 1" Only $95 Buy with major credit cards at CCNow Shipping: UPS Ground Yankee Stadium Classic Moments #8 Mr. October (1977) Thanks to Reggie Jackson the Yankees ended their 15-year championship drought in 1977. Forever dubbed Mr. October after his trifecta of home runs in the World Series clincher on October 18, Jackson's homers came in consecutive at-bats against three different pitchers. The caption on the plate beneath the photo says: "Mr. October" One of the all-time Yankee greats, Reggie Jackson captivated fans throughout his career. In Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, the Hall of Famer hit an incredible 3 Home Runs and captured the Series MVP award as he led the Yankees to yet another World Series victory.

Eighth in a series of 10 Yankee Stadium Classic Moments Limited Edition of 2008 Size: 16½" x 14½" x 1" Only $95 Buy with major credit cards at CCNow Shipping: UPS Ground Yankee Stadium Classic Moments #9 Mr. November (2001) The first game-ending homer of Derek Jeter's career was also the first home run ever hit by a player in the month of November. His walk-off to right field came at four minutes past midnight on November 1 and evened the 2001 World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at two games apiece. The caption on the plate beneath the photo says: "Mr. November" In the wake of the horrific events of 9/11, Yankees' Captain Derek Jeter hit a walk-off home run in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series. The ball flew out of the park just as the clock crept past midnight, instantly earning Jeter the nickname, "Mr.

November." Ninth in a series of 10 Yankee Stadium Classic Moments Limited Edition of 2008 Size: 16½" x 14½" x 1" Only $95 Edition piece #9 is sold out Yankee Stadium Classic Moments #10 Lights Out (2008) The Yankees played 6,580 regular season games during Yankee Stadium's 85-year history. They won 4,133 of them (62.8%), including the finale on September 21, 2008, before a crowd of 54,610 that brought the Stadium's all-time attendance total to 151,959,005. "People talk a lot about the magic and the aura, but what really made the stadium was the fans," said Bernie Williams of Yankee Stadium, which hosted an even 100 World Series games and a total of 161 post-season games, both records that are unlikely to be broken.

The caption on the plate beneath the photo says: The House That Ruth Built "Lights Out" On September 21, 2008, the New York Yankees said goodbye to the Stadium with a 7-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. For 85 years, the Stadium was home to many of the greatest players and moments in baseball history. With all the greats in attendance, an emotional crowd saluted their beloved Yankees one last time in the House that Ruth Built. Tenth in a series of 10 Yankee Stadium Classic Moments Limited Edition of 2008 Size: 16½" x 14½" x 1" Only $95 Yankee Stadium | New York Yankees Learn about Yankee Stadium's design and features, check out video and pictures from virtually every angle, and find out what to look for in the ballpark experience and more.

View Panoramic views of Yankee Stadium » House that Ruth Built | SportsLifer's Weblog Posted: December 14, 2009 | Author: SportsLifer | Filed under: Baseball , Uncategorized | Tags: Hall of Fame , House that Ruth Built , Jacob Ruppert , New York Yankees , Yankee Stadium | 4 Comments Jacob Ruppert’s plaque hangs in Monument Park in Yankee Stadium, but not in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. There are 31 pioneer/executives in the Baseball Hall of Fame — and Jacob Ruppert Jr. is not one of them. Walter O’Malley, Tom Yawkey, Barney Dreyfuss, Charlie Comiskey and Larry and Lee McPhail are in. So is Clark Griffith and Bill Veeck (as in Wreck). But no Ruppert, by George, even though he was “The Boss” long before Mr. Steinbrenner. The man who put the Yankees on the map and helped them grow into America’s most famous franchise and sports brand, the guy who signed three of the greatest players ever and won seven World Series is on the outside looking in when it comes to Cooperstown.

Two of the managers who worked under Ruppert — Miller Huggins and Joe McCarthy — are in the Hall, So is his long-time general manager with the Yankees, Ed Barrow. Yet the owner who built “The House that Ruth Built” is not in the Hall of Fame. Congressman, Colonel and Brewmaster Jacob Ruppert had already make fame as a United States congressman from New York, a colonel in the National Guard, and a brewery owner when he and Tillinghast L’Hommedieu Huston acquired the Yankees in 1915. The Yankees, who were born as the Highlanders in 1903 and played their games in upper Manhattan, had been pretty much the laughingstock of the American League under the team’s first owners, Frank Farrell and William S. Devery. The Yankees had zero American League pennants, just two second place finishes, and only five seasons over .500 from their founding until Ruppert and Huston took over. The Yankees hit rock bottom in 1912 with a last place finish and a .329 winning percentage, worst in team history. They finished seventh in 1913 and sixth in 1914.

Under the stewardship of Ruppert and Huston, the Yankees made steady progress starting in the 1915 season. Then in 1920 they made the move that is still talked about today, nearly 90 years later, when they purchased the contract of Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $100,000. Ruth captivated fans with his batting exploits, and soon New York became the center of the baseball universe. The Yankees won their first AL pennant in 1921 and another in 1922. That year, Ruppert bought out Huston, and became the sole owner of the Yankees. New Stadium, World Championship The team was just warming up. In 1923, they moved out of the Polo Grounds (where they were tenants to the New York Giants) and christened a brand new ballpark across the Harlem River in the Bronx. It didn’t take long for Yankee Stadium to become the equivalent of the Roman Coliseum. And later that year they won their first World Series, defeating the in six games.

Under Ruppert’s watch, the Yankees would win another pennant in 1926 and six more World Series — 1927, 28, 32, 36, 37 and 38 — before Ruppert passed away in the winter of 1939. The Yankees dominated baseball throughout a good portion of the 1920s and 1930s, including the Murderers’ Row team of 1927 that many consider the greatest team ever. In addition to Ruth, Ruppert signed immortal first baseman Lou Gehrig to a Yankee contact in 1923, and the legendary Joe DiMaggio 11 years later. A total of 13 Hall of Famers spent considerable time in the pinstripes during the Ruppert regime: Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggo, Home Run Baker, Earl Combs, Bill Dickey, Leo Durocher, Lefty Gomez, Waite Hoyt, Tony Lazzeri, Herb Pennock, Red Ruffing and Joe Sewell. Yankee Stadium, at left, with the new Stadium across 161st Street in the Bronx.

It’s been compared to the Colosseum, been called The House That Ruth Built. Mel Allen, the late Yankee broadcaster, once said, “St. Patrick’s is the Yankee Stadium of cathedrals.” It has hosted Popes and Cardinals, Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali, Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, Knute Rockne and Vince Lombardi, John Philip Sousa and U2. I have so many memories of Yankee Stadium, all of them precious. When I think of The House that Ruth Built, I really remember two Yankee Stadiums, each unique in its own right and each evoking a different set of memories. My earliest recollections go back to the original Stadium, green facade, monuments on the field, Death Valley in left-center. My Dad took me to my first game there 50 years ago, and the color of the field and the Stadium contrasted with the black and white televised images I had seen. And for years afterward I thought Ruth, Gehrig and Miller Huggins were actually buried underneath the monuments in center field. I recall Hall of Famers Mantle and Berra and Ford, and seeing Ted Williams, Mantle and Roger Maris hit home runs in the same game.

As a fifth grader, I remember getting sick and missing a September game where Maris hit home run #56 on his way to 61 in 1961. Sunday Doubleheaders I recall going to many Sunday doubleheaders with my father and brother and friends and cousins, sitting in the upper deck and seeing some terrible Yankee teams in the late 60s and early 70s. I saw a Friday twi-night doubleheader against the Tigers in 1968, when the second game wound up in a 19-inning tie. We stayed ’till the end. And of course there were some New York football Giants games in the 60s, featuring Y.A. Tittle, Frank Gifford, Sam Huff and others. The original Yankee Stadium closed its doors in 1973, and the Yankees moved to Flushing where they called Shea Stadium home for two years. Those were not good memories. In 1976, a remodeled Stadium opened, sans facade and center-field monuments and with a smaller Death Valley, but with a great big scoreboard above the bleachers and a new Yankee team under Billy Martin.

My first game there in 1976, my father, my younger sister, my cousin and I saw Chris Chambliss hit a home run to right-center, a precursor to his dramatic shot that beat the Kansas City Royals and gave the Yankees the American League pennant that October. Derek Jeter and the 1996 Yankees After back-to-back World Championships in 1977 and 1978, the Yankees slipped into another dry period in the 1980s and early 1990s, with Don Mattingly one of the few bright spots. That is until 1996, when a kid named Derek Jeter arrived on the scene and helped the Bombers won their first World Series in 18 years. And that paternal baseball bond spread into the next generation, as my son and I saw some classic Yankee games during those dynasty years, perhaps none more memorable than David Wells’ perfect game in 1998, when I came oh-so-close to catching a Bernie Williams home run. My nephew and brother-in-law were there with us that day, my nephew’s second major league game.

I told him afterwards he could go to a thousand games, 10,000 games, but he’d never see another perfect game. Overjoyed, I saw the Yankees win a World Series game against the Padres in 1998, and with my brother saw the Yanks eliminate the Braves in four straight in 1999 (“Ball game over, World Series over, Millennium over!.”). I recall how the Yankees gave the people of New York a lift when the needed it most, with a dramatic post-season run in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I sat with my son and two duaghters in the upper deck on a drizzly Friday night in 2003 when Roger Clemens won his 300th game, and was there four months later when Aaron Boone drilled the home run that beat the Red Sox for the American League pennant. So many loved ones, so many great players, so many memories, but time moves on. And next year, Yankee Stadium moves across the street to a new home. I’m looking forward to my first game in the new Yankee Stadium, yet with the sad realization that things will never be quite the same.

Somehow, they never are. Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium Tenant: New York Yankees (AL) Opened: April 18, 1923 First night game: May 28, 1946 Last game: September 21, 2008 Demolition: 2009 Architect: Osborn Engineering (1923); Praeger-Kavanaugh-Waterbury (1976) Construction: White Construction Company (1923). Owner: New York Yankees (1923-1971); City of New York (since 1971) Cost: $2.5 million (1923); renovation: $48 million, but some estimate the actual cost with debt service at over $160 million (1976). New York Yankees tickets: Viewpoint Tickets - Best prices on Yankees tickets , Baseball tickets and MLB All Star tickets .

Capacity: 58,000 (1923); 62,000 (1926); 82,000 (1927); 67,113 (1928); 62,000 (1929); 71,699 (1937); 70,000 (1942);67,000 (1948); 67,205 (1958); 67,337 (1961); 67,000 (1965); 65,010 (1971); 54,028 (1976); 57,145 (1977); 57,545 (1980).

Location: Left field (NE), East 161st Street; third base (NW), Doughly Street, later Ruppert Place; home plate (W), Major Degan Expressway/Interstate 87 and Harlem River; first base (SW), East 157th Street; right field (SE), River Avenue and IRT elevated tracks; in the southwest Bronx.

Dimensions: Left field: 280.58 (1923), 301 (1928), 312 (1976), 318 (1988); left side of bullpen gate in short left-center: 395 (1923), 402 (1928), 387 (1976), 379 (1985); right side of bullpen gate: 415 (1937); deepest left-center: 500 (1923), 490 (1924), 457 (1937), 430 (1976), 411 (1985), 399 (1988); left side of cente-field screen: 466 (1937); center field: 487 (1923), 461 (1937), 463 (1967), 417 (1976), 410 (1985), 408 (19

88); deepest right-center: 429 (1923), 407 (1937), 385 (1976); left side of bullpen gate in short right-center: 350 (1923), 367 (1937), 353 (1976); right side of bullpen gate: 344 (1937); right field 294.75 (1923), 295 (1930), 296 (1939), 310 (1976), 314 (1988); backstop: 82 (1942), 80 (1953), 84 (1976); foul territory: large for the catcher behind home plate, but small for fielders down the foul lines.

Fences: Left-field foul line: 3.92 (3 wire above .92 concrete, 1923), 8 (canvas, 1976); left-center, left of visitors� bullpen: 3.58 (3 wire above .58 concrete); right of visitors� bullpen: 7.83 (3 wire above 4.83 concrete), 7 (canvas, 1976); center field, left screen when up for hitters� background: 20 (1953), 22.25 (1959), 22.42 (1954); screen when down: 13.83, (canvas, 1976); right-center, right of screen: 14.5 (3 wire above 11.5 concrete, 1923); left of home bullpen: 7.83 (3 wire above 4.83 concrete, 1923); right of home bullpen: 3.58 (3 wire above .58 concrete, 1923), 8 (canvas, 1976), 9 (canvas

, 1979); right field foul line: 3.75 (3 wire above .75 concrete, 1923), 10 (canvas, 1976).

On February 6, 1921, the Yankees announced the purchase of 10 acres of property in the west Bronx. The land, purchased from the estate of William Waldorf Astor for $675,000, sat directly across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds, where the Yankees' had played since 1913. On their newly acquired property, the Yankees would build the most famous ballpark in history. As originally designed, Yankee Stadium was to feature three decks and a roof which completely encircled the playing field. However, ownership scaled back the plan such that the grandstand didn't quite extend to the foul poles. The left field grandstand was extended in 1928. In 1937, the right field grandstand was extended and concrete bleachers replaced the original wooden ones, bringing the stadium to its current configuration. For forty years, Yankee Stadium was home to a steady stream of championship teams. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig passed on their legacy to Joe DiMaggio and Phil Rizzuto, who then passed it on to Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.

So mighty were the Yankees, and such a draw was the team and its stadium, that by 1958 the the Giants and Dodgers, New York's other Major League Baseball teams, had moved to California. For four years, from 1958 through 1961, there was only one place to go to watch Major League Baseball in New York City. However, in the late sixties, an uncharacteristic drought of Yankee championships befell the team. Meanwhile, the expansion Mets where playing and winning championships in the new Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadow. By the early seventies, Yankee Stadium had become an old and obsolete stadium in a decaying neighborhood hosting a mediocre team. Renovations were made in 1966 and 1967, but more than that was needed. In 1972, the team sold their stadium to the city and signed a thirty year lease. During the 1974 and 1975 seasons, the Yankees played at Shea Stadium while the city made major renovations to Yankee Stadium. The many steel columns which supported the roof and upper decks were removed, and the upper decks were cantilevered over the lower deck.

The original roof and its famous copper facade were removed and replaced with a smaller, more modern roof. The facade was replicated above the new scoreboard which ran the entire length of the bleachers. The renovated Yankee Stadium opened with much fanfare in 1976, and the Yankees wasted no time living up to their "new" stadium. The team appeared in the World Series in each of the next three years, winning the fall classic twice. Players like Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and Ron Guidry picked up where Mantle and Berra left off a decade earlier. Except for brief period in the early 1990s, the Yankees have always fielded winning teams since their ballpark was renovated. In the late 1990s and 2000s, the Yankees have been the team to beat, appearing in six World Series while winning four of them. A cavalcade of stars, including Derek Jeter and Roger Clemens, have graced Yankee Stadium during these years. On Sunday, September 21, 2008, Yankee Stadium closed its gates for good. Before the game, fans were allowed to walk on the field, and several former Yankees stars attended a formal ceremony.

After a rain delay, the Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-3. The following season, the team began playing at the new Yankee Stadium, built across the street. Yankee Stadium Trivia: Left-center field monuments and plaques: Yankee Stadium (I): monuments in fair territory: Lou Gehrig on the left, Miller Huggins in the middle, Babe Ruth on the right. Yankee Stadium (II): monuments beyond the fence same as Yankee Stadium I, plus the addition of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. Plaques beyond the fence of Ed Barrow, Jacob Ruppert, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy, Pope Paul VI, Thurman Munson, Pope John Paul II, Billy Martin, Whitey Ford, Lefty Gomez, Roger Maris, Allie Reynolds, Elston Howard, Phil Rizzuto, Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson and Don Mattingly. A ball hitting the foul pole in the 1930s was in play, not a homer. "Death Valley" in left-center.

Green curtain in center is sometimes raised and lowered like a window shade to force visiting batters to face a background of white-shirted bleacher fans while allowing Yankees hitters to face a dark green background. Sometimes removed in World Series play to sell more seats. Hosted the 1977, 1960 (II) and 1939 All-Star games. Bleachers in right-center often called Ruthville and Gehrigville. Warning track made of red cinders, later of red brick dust. Underneath second base in Yankee Stadium (I) there was a 15-foot-deep brick-lined vault containing electrical, telephone, and telegraph connections for boxing events. As originally constructed, from May 5, 1922, to April 18, 1923, three concrete decks extended from behind home plate to each corner, with a single deck in left-center and wooden bleachers around the rest of the outfield. In the winter of 1927-1928 second and third decks were added to left-center and several rows of box seats were removed in left, extending the foul pole from 281 to 301 feet.

During the 1936 season, the winter of 1936-1937, and continuing through the 1937 season, the wooden bleachers were replaced with concrete ones. During the 1937 season second and third decks were added in right-center. The bleacher changes shortened straightaway center from 490 to 461 feet and reduced seating capacity from the 80,000s to the 70,000s. As the outfield bench seats were gradually replaced with chair seats in the 1930s and 1940s, the seating capacity gradually dropped from over 70,000 to about 67,000. "Bloody Angle" between bleachers and right-field foul line in 1923 season was very asymmetrical and caused crazy bounces. Eliminating this in 1924 caused the plate to be moved 13 feet and the deepest left-center corner to change from 500 to 490 feet.

Auxiliary scoreboards were built in the late 1940s, which covered up the 367 right-center sign and the 415 left-center sign. On September 25, 1966, only 413 people, the smallest crowd in Yankee Stadium history, watched the White Sox beat the Yankees 4-1. Minor modifications were made in the winter of 1966-1967. During this work, a new 463 sign and a 433 sign appeared in the power alleys, and the exterior was painted blue and white. A 500 pound steel joint fell from the upper deck in April 1998 prompting the Yankees to play a home game at Shea Stadium and trade three home games with the Detroit Tigers. Original street address was 800 Ruppert Place. Recommended Reading ( bibliography ): The Diamond in the Bronx: Yankee Stadium and the Politics of New York by Neil J. Sullivan. Yankee Stadium: 75 Years of Drama, Glamor, and Glory by Ray Robinson, Christopher Jennison. Yankee Stadium in Your Pocket: The Fan's Guide to Yankee Stadium by Kevin T.

Dame, Ryoji Yoshida and Christine Dame Yoshida. Babe Ruth Slept Here: The Baseball Landmarks of New York City by Jim Reisler. Fodor's Baseball Vacations, 3rd Edition: Great Family Trips to Minor League and Classic Major League Ballparks Across America by Bruce Adams and Margaret Engel. The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip: A Fan's Guide to Major League Stadiums by Joshua Pahigian and Kevin O'Connell. Joe Mock's Ballpark Guide by Joe Mock. Take Me Out to the Ballpark: An Illustrated Tour of Baseball Parks Past and Present by Josh Leventhal and Jessica Macmurray. The Ballpark Book: A Journey Through the Fields of Baseball Magic (Revised Edition) by Ron Smith and Kevin Belford. Ballparks: A Panoramic History by Marc Sandalow and Jim Sutton. Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into Private Profit (2nd Edition) by Joanna Cagan and Neil deMause. Public Dollars, Private Stadiums: The Battle over Building Sports Stadiums by Kevin J. Delaney and Rick Eckstein.

Sports, Jobs, and Taxes: The Economic Impact of Sports Teams and Stadiums by Roger G. Noll and Andrew Zimbalist. City Baseball Magic: Plain Talk and Uncommon Sense about Cities and Baseball Parks by Philip Bess. Diamonds: The Evolution of the Ballpark by Michael Gershman. Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebration of All 273 Major League and Negro League Ballparks by Philip J. Lowry. Lost Ballparks: A Celebration of Baseball's Legendary Fields by Lawrence S. Ritter. Roadside Baseball: A Guide to Baseball Shrines Across America by Chris Epting. The Story of America's Classic Ballparks (VHS). Ballpark Survival Guy'd: Yankee Stadium - CraveOnline Our next installment within the Stadium Guy’d tour takes us to Yankee Stadium, and if anyone knows anything about baseball, they know that there is no sports franchise with a history as rich as the Yankees.

The current Yankee Stadium has only been open since 2009 and therefore pales in comparison to the lore within the ‘House that Ruth built.’ But Yankee Stadium II is even more beautiful and covets the history that has made the franchise so great while bringing in the new elements fans demand in 2014. Fun Facts New York Yankees Originally founded in 1901 as the Baltimore Orioles before moving to New York as the Highlanders in 1903. Babe Ruth was born in Baltimore. The Yankees have 40 pennants (AL championships) and 27 World Series titles, by far the most in baseball history (Cardinals are second with 11). Yankee Stadium I opened in 1923 and was the first three-tiered stadium in the United States. It was demolished following the 2008 season. The Yankees are one of four MLB teams without a mascot. However, they did have ‘Dandy,’ the pinstriped bird from 1982-1985.

Ballpark Perks & Info World Series trophy (available years include ’77, ’78, ’96, ’98, ’99, ’00, ’09) For the Kosher – Alcohol-free Seating Alcohol-free seating is available in the Grandstand Level in Sections 407A and 433. No alcohol is allowed in this area, to be consumed or sold. Food is Allowed! Food is allowed into Yankee Stadium if it’s inside a clear plastic bag. Local recommendations include picking up a meal from the Banana Deli on 161st St or Feeding Tree. No bottles or cans are allowed. Snapshots Where to take your picture Popular meeting spots include Gate 6 or The Great Hall. The Great Hall extends from Gate 4 to Gate 6 between the exterior wall and interior of the stadium. Yankee Stadium Attractions newyork.yankees.mlb.com “Monument Park, a museum in and of itself, recognizes former Yankees greats. On game days, it opens with the gates and remains accessible for Guests’ enjoyment until 45 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the game (subject to capacity limitations).

Please note that the line to Monument Park may close earlier than the Park itself. Signage directs Guests to Monument Park. Yankee Stadium Team Members (please see “Yankee Stadium Team Members”) are also available to assist Guests.” New York Yankees Museum “A museum within the museum that is Yankee Stadium – is located adjacent to Gate 6 on the Main Level and tells baseball’s and the Yankees’ storied history through exhibits of historic artifacts. Guests can enjoy the museum free of charge on game days from the time the gates open until the end of the eighth inning. On non-game days, Guests can experience the museum as part of Yankee Stadium tours.” Shopping Great Hall Store – located at Gate 6 and is open year-round New Era Yankee Stadium Flagship Store – located on the Main Level behind home plate. Home Plate Store – located in the Great Hall behind home plate, houses the largest selection of Yankees merchandise and memorabilia at the Stadium. Where to sit The bleacher seats are considered the best value but not for those with kids as the crowd can get rowdy and full of foul language.

The seats in sections 226-227B (third base side) and 213-214B (first base) offer great views for great value. The next group of main-level seats further into the outfield, 228-230 and 210-212 aren’t considered bad either. Section 203 – The Bleacher Creatures! — considered the most famous section of seats in MLB, the Bleacher Creatures are a wild bunch of fans and friends who have called the seating area home for years. They consider themselves the “real” fans of the Yankees. Don’t be caught dead wearing merchandise of or cheering for the opposing team here. There are some seats with obstructed views throughout the park. Here is one blog dedicated to advice on how to avoid them. The Yankees virtual venue can be viewed here. What to eat Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium (E 161st St and River Ave) Open year-round – burgers, salads, BBQ. – (646) 977-8888 NYY Steak Yankee Stadium Located above Hard Rock Cafe Yankee Stadium inside Gate 6 — Dry-aged USDA prime beef, fresh seafood and premium wines.

– (646) 97-STEAK. Lobel’s Steak Sandwich Located behind the left field foul pole on the field level concourse, Lobel’s is widely considered one of the best eateries Yankee Stadium has to offer. Parm Section 104 – A popular Manhattan spot that can be had in Yankees Stadium that offers a great $14 rendition of the restaurant’s famous meatball parm sandwich. Melissa’s Farmers Market A healthy option in section 121B. Fan Advice On Yankee Stadium “I have sat in section 129 and there was a waitress that came and took our food and drink orders. Seat was in line with the left fielder. I definitely recommend having a waitress because they ran and got all your food and drinks for you. I have also sat in the bleachers in left field which was real fun. Drawback was you had to go get beer during the game. No beer vendors are allowed in the bleachers at Yankee stadium (too rowdy I was told).” “The area is pretty sketchy around the stadium. I went to one day game at 12:15 and the bars outside the stadium closed at 5 pm.

(Was told they wanted everything shut down by dark). Best advice is go early and drink at the dugout before the game and sit it seats with a server. Wear a Yankees shirt and act like a Yankees fan regardless of who you like. It makes it a real fun experience. People are really nice and like to have a good time!” “Best food in the stadium – ground level garlic fries and the chx sliders are rocking.” Best local bars and restaurants Where to party with the locals Billy’s Sports Bar & Restaurant – A three-floor club fan favorite. The Dugout – “Best bar around Yankee Stadium” A complete list of eateries recommended by the Yankees can be found here . ​Hotels Highest rated on Yelp closest to Yankee Stadium There aren’t many places you would to stay in Bronx, however when you do a search for New York City there are obviously endless options for all price-ranges that are still a close commute to the stadium. Where to visit nearby It’s New York City. Tour Manhattan. Not Bronx. Yankees all-time moment you need to know Mariano Rivera’s last game at Yankee Stadium. Locals don’t want to hear… Anything in regards to the Red Sox.

Anything negative surrounding Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera. Anything in regards to the “YMCA” or ‘the wave.’ You talking on your cell phone. Don’t wear… Red, as in the Red Sox. Numbers To Know Fans can confidentially text Yankee Stadium at 69900 for questions and/or concerns. Transportation Tips Car From the local CBS affiliate: “In short, avoid driving to the game at all costs. If you are driving, leave early, very early. If you arrive in the area 45 minutes before game time, you’ll probably miss the first inning. Allow at least 90 minutes to park and get to your seats without having to worry. Try to avoid the Major Deegan Expressway if possible, but if you find yourself northbound on it, instead of exiting at Exit 4 (East 149th Street, Stadium), drive a little bit further and get off at Exit 5 (West 155th Street, Stadium).

As long as you arrive at least 90 minutes early, this exit will save you time” From the Major Deegan Expressway (Interstate 87) at the following exits: Northbound I-87: Exit 3 (Grand Concourse and East 138th Street), Exit 4 (East 149th Street) and Exit 5 (East 161st Street) Southbound I-87: Exit 6 (East 153rd Street and River Avenue) and Exit 5 (East 161st Street) Parking ranges from $35-$55. Public Transportation By Subway: The No. 4 train (East Side) and the D train (Sixth Avenue) make stops at the 161st Street/Yankee Stadium subway stations, located on East 161st Street and River Avenue. B train (Sixth Avenue) service is also available, but only on weekdays. For more information, please visit or call the MTA at 511. By Train: Metro-North offers train service to the Stadium from anywhere in its service territory. For more information, please visit or call the MTA at 511.

By Bus: Several New York City transit bus lines provide service to the Stadium. The Bx6 and Bx13 buses stop at East 161st Street and River Avenue; the Bx1 and Bx2 buses stop at East 161st Street and the Grand Concourse, a short walk from the Stadium; and the BxM4 stops at the Grand Concourse and East 161st Street (northbound) and East 158th Street (southbound). For more information – or call the MTA at 511. Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports. Photo Credit: Getty

Question: What stadium nicknamed 'The House That Ruth Built' closed in November 2008?
Answer: Yankee Stadium