Jos Molina hit the ballpark's last home run in its final game on September 21, 2008.[69]. God only knows who will hit the last. Bobby Murcer drove in all five runs for the Yankees, including a game winning two-run single that defeated the Baltimore Orioles 54. For Game 3, President George W. Bush hurled the ceremonial first pitch, throwing a strike. Yankee Stadium. After paying NYC $11.5 million for the right to auction off items, the Yankees are selling off remnants of its old stadium. This problem, dubbed the "bloody angle" by the players, was solved prior to the 1924 season by moving the infield some ten feet toward center and rotating it slightly. The old Yankee Stadium no longer exists in the Bronx, but there is a park where it stood now. Harvey Frommer even once described its seat parts in great detail, "There were 10,712 upper-grandstand seats and . Benny Leonard retained the lightweight championship in a 15-round decision over Lew Tendler on July 24, 1923, in front of more than 58,000 fans. The Yankees now have 27 World Series championships as of 2019. He officially announced his retirement after the 2009 season. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. The team attended the funeral in Canton, Ohio earlier in the day and flew to New York for an emotional game. From 1923 to 2008, Yankee Stadium had many different dimensions for the playing field. (Six years earlier, the Mets' new home, Shea Stadium, had opened in Queens at a similar public cost.) Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau won the competition defeating Hamilton in the final round. It was also the site of two dates of U2's Zoo TV Tour in 1992. Huston and Ruppert purchased the lumberyard from William Waldorf Astor for $600,000, equal to $9.71million today. Perhaps the most memorable moment in the venue's history came on July 4, 1939, designated as "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day". [1], Celtic F.C. [citation needed]. This was one of eight championship fights the "Brown Bomber" fought at Yankee Stadium. Eight college football games were played at Yankee Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, the first seven by New York University. After a mid-1960s remodeling, the 461 marker[57] was replaced by a 463 marker slightly farther to the left of the pair of double doors[58] and a 433 marker was added between the 463 and 407 markers[59] ostensibly to represent true straightaway center field (being roughly at the midpoint of the batter's-eye screen). The Yankees would remain tenants at the Polo Grounds for ten years, the same length of time they had spent at Hilltop Park. After Layton's retirement, he got to pick his replacement, Paul Cartier. The deepest part of the outfield was in left center at 430 feet (130m). On July 11, 1939, Major League Baseball held its seventh All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, in concert with the World's Fair being held at Flushing-Meadows in Queens. Not long after the 1919 fixed World Series scandal rocked the game, Ruppert saw baseball growing from its smallness and would be the first to be ready to handle its new popularity, Appel wrote. The Yankees accomplished this feat yet again in the New Yankee Stadium in the 2009 World Series. The exact location of the old Yankee Stadium was 161st Street which ran next to River Avenue in the Bronx. Discover the Yankees' heroes, milestones and winning tradition inside the New York Yankees Museum, presented by Bank of America. During the next 85 years, the Old Yankee Stadium will become of the most famous arenas in the world. New York University played more games there than any other school, 96, using it as a secondary home field from 1923 to 1948, with a record of 52404. My goal is to visit every MLB ballpark and I'm halfway there! Cerro of Uruguay played in the United Soccer Association during the summer months under the title "New York Skyliners". Army played 38, compiling a 17174 record (including the best-attended game, on December 1, 1928, when Army lost to Stanford 260 before 86,000 fans). Reggie Jackson (outfield) and Willie Randolph (second base) started for the American League; Sparky Lyle (pitcher), Thurman Munson (catcher) and Graig Nettles (third base) also made the team. At 3pm, the composer-conductor John Philip Sousa led the Seventh ("Silk-Stocking") Regiment Band in playing The Star-Spangled Banner. By the middle of 1920, the Giants had issued an eviction notice to the Yankees, which was soon rescinded. A second New York Yankees football team, not related to the first, split its home games between Yankee Stadium and Downing Stadium as it competed in the second AFL in 1936 and 1937. Afterwards, the team circled the stadium on the warning track waving to fans and wishing the stadium goodbye. During its 87-year existence, Yankee Stadium's dimensions were changed several times. The Classic has been held at Giants Stadium and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey's Meadowlands Sports Complex ever since, though the Yankees remain a supporter of the event. The game was one of three NFL championships games that were played at Yankee Stadium; the 1956 and 1962 championship games were also played there. Located only a half-mile (0.8km) north of the upper Manhattan location of the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium opened for the 1923 season and was hailed at the time as a one-of-a-kind facility in the country. In 1968, in addition to league competition, the Generals took on Santos, winning 53 and Real Madrid, losing 41. The Diamond in the Bronx: Yankee Stadium and the Politics of New York (Oxford; 2001), Notre Dame football media guide (PDF copy available at, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "8/3/1958 JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES CONVENTION - LARGEST CROWD Old Yankee Stadium Historical Plaque, Ruppert Plaza, Bronx, New York City", "Yankee Stadium History New York Yankees", "Call it Yankee Stadium - but just isn't same", "ESPN Classic Great Subway Series moments", "Retrosheet Boxscore: New York Giants 5, New York Yankees 4", "Enlarged Stadium to Seat 100,000 Planned by Yanks", "Yankee Stadium Sold To Chicago Businessman", "What Might Happen If New York City Defaulted -- New York Magazine", "Giants take Eagles lightly and settle for tie at end", "BASEBALL; Yankee Stadium Closed as Beam Falls Onto Seats", "Yankees Stadium Closing Ceremony Scrapped", "Old Yankee Stadium Will Come Down Slowly", "Photo Gallery: Taking Off the Turf at Old Yankee Stadium", "Photo Gallery: Yankee Stadium Seat Removal Begins", "Photo Gallery: Standing Room Only at Old Yankee Stadium", "Photo Gallery: Yankee Stadium Facade Removal", "Field of Schemes: Yankee Stadium demolition begins", "Photo Gallery: Yankee Stadium Destruction Update", "Photos: Yankee Stadium Destruction Update", "Photos: All Structures Gone at Site of Old Yankee Stadium", "See Yankee Stadium Vanish in 30 Seconds", "The Yankee Stadium Redevelopment Project", "Groundbreaking Held For Field At Original Yankee Stadium", "A Public Park to Rival the Yankees' Playground", "Yankee Stadium Opening Day 2012 Photo Galleries", "A Distinctive Faade Is Recreated at New Yankee Stadium", "Can He Swat 'Em in New Park as He Swatted in Old? Initially the fence was 295 feet (90m) from home plate down the right-field line, referred to as the "short porch" and 350 feet (110m) to near right field, compared with 490 feet (150m) to the deepest part of center field, nicknamed "Death Valley". On June 25, 1952, middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson sought his third title against light-heavyweight champ Joey Maxim at Yankee Stadium. [19][20] After he purchased the Philadelphia Athletics and transferred the franchise to Kansas City on November 8, 1954, Johnson sold Yankee Stadium to John W. Cox on March 22, 1955. Tony Morante, who was in charge of tours at the Stadium, found most of these pennants in a box in 2004 and brought them to team executives to have them restored for display at the new Stadium.[51]. In 1967, Mickey Mantle slugged his 500th career home run. Before a player's first at-bat of the game, Sheppard announced his position, his uniform number, his name, and his uniform number again. On July 13, 1960, Yankee Stadium hosted baseball's second All-Star Game in three days. New York's first professional team, the Nationals, was formed in 1883, but they were known as the Giants by 1885. Using the name the New York Yanks they played two seasons at Yankee Stadium, 1950 and 1951. Yankee Stadium was a gigantic horseshoe shaped triple-decked ballpark that was the first to be called a stadium. And every member of this organization, past and present, has been calling this place home for eighty-five years. The "Bat" continues to stand outside the Metro North Station, built in 2009. With Andy Pettitte as the starting pitcher, the Yankees played their final game at Yankee Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles, recording the final out at 11:43pm EDT in a 73 Yankee victory. The 1973-era left-center field wall locations could still be seen in 1976, as this is where the outfield bleacher seats began. Among many lasts to be recorded, a long-time standing question was answered. Many subway lines run parallel to Yankee Stadium, so the location was ideal for fans visiting from New Jersey, Upstate New York, Manhattan and the rest of New York City. The name of the park became known as the house that Ruth built after all the home runs he hit to right field. [8] In 1921, the Yankees won their first American League pennant (but lost the then-best-of-nine 1921 World Series to the Giants in eight games, all played at the Polo Grounds). The exterior is grand, and the field evokes the old park, with the shorter right-field distance and the wider but not nearly as wide as in the old days left-center field. For each following at-bat, Sheppard announced just the position and name: "The shortstop, Derek Jeter." The most noticeable result of the reconstruction of Yankee Stadium was the loss of its most-recognizable feature: the original roof and its famous 15-foot deep copper facade. Don Larsen threw a perfect game on October 8, 1956, in the fifth game of the World Series, while David Wells and David Cone threw theirs on May 17, 1998, and July 18, 1999, respectively. The word stadium deliberately evoked ancient Greece, where a stade was a unit of measurethe length of a footrace; the buildings that housed these footraces were called stadia. In its 86 years of existence, Yankee Stadium hosted 6,581 regular season home games for the Yankees. [5] The local papers had periodic announcements about the Yankees acquiring and developing land in the Kingsbridge neighborhood for a new ballpark northeast of 225th and Broadway, and wrote about the park as if its construction was already in progress. Finally, the last Bleacher Creature Roll call took place at the old venue on September, 21, 2008. CBS also asked for 10,000 additional parking spaces and road improvements to alleviate traffic. In the latter game, Whitey Ford was the starting pitcher. In 1983, the Pine Tar Incident involving George Brett occurred; Brett's go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of the game was overturned for his bat having too much pine tar, resulting in him furiously charging out of the dugout. By 1928 some of the box seats had been chiseled away in the left field corner, allowing a somewhat longer foul line distance of 301 feet (92m). The New York Yankees are a Major League Baseball (MLB) team in the American League East Division. There is an urban legend that the stadium's field level was several feet below sea level, but that is easily disproven by observing how much higher the stadium site was (and is) than the level of the nearby Harlem River. For the stadium's first game, the announced attendance was 74,217 (with another 25,000 turned away); however, Yankees business manager Ed Barrow later admitted that the actual attendance was closer to 60,000. Other names called out during roll call from time to time have included Yankee broadcasters John Sterling and Michael Kay or Aaron Boone, Bucky Dent and Babe Ruth when the Yankees hosted the rival Boston Red Sox. The 38,000 fans who attended the game also saw the Red Sox' Ted Williams in his final All-Star appearance. [32] Demolition began in March 2009 with the removal of the playing field. The Baltimore Colts tied the Giants, 1717, on a field goal with seven seconds left. Sign in . The following is a partial list of the stadium's dimensions throughout the years:[54][55][56]. Some of the names at Monument Park were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mikey Mantle, Miller Huggins, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, Derek Jeter, and many more. Many people now refer to the new stadium as the house that George Steinbrenner built. On June 26, 1959, 5-1 Swedish underdog Ingemar Johansson defeated Floyd Patterson at the stadium by stoppage in the third round to become world heavyweight champion. [66], Many memorable and historic games have been played at Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium is located at One East 161st Street in the Bronx and is accessible from the Major Deegan Expressway (Interstate 87) at the following exits: Northbound I-87: Exit 4 (East 149th Street/145th Street Bridge) and Exit 5 (East 161st Street/Macombs Dam Bridge) Southbound I-87: Exit 5 (East 161st Street/Macombs Dam Bridge) 2008 was the final season of the Old Yankee Stadium. In July 1927, the aging former heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey came from behind to defeat heavily favored Jack Sharkey by delivering several questionable punches that were deemed illegal. Example: "Now batting for the Yankees, the shortstop, number 2, Derek Jeter, Number 2." Gov. This left some with what they perceived as a moral predicament: root for the black fighter, or for the Nazi. The Old Yankee Stadium location was in the Bronx, New York in the United States. [68] Ruth also set the then-league record for most home runs in a single season by hitting his 60th home run in 1927. Outside of owning this sports website, I also run my own SEO consulting agency, TM Blast LLC. [21] Cox, a 1927 graduate of Rice University, donated the ballpark to his alma mater on July 19, 1962.[22]. Adolf Hitler followed the rematch carefully, imploring Schmeling to defeat Louis, whom Hitler publicly berated. The Yankees had played at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan since 1913, sharing the venue with the New York Giants. That resulted in a new left field distance of 281feet 1inch (85.67m), and a new right field of 294feet 6inches (89.76m) (eventually posted as 295).[53]. On November 12, 2008, construction workers began removing memorials from Monument Park for relocation to the new facility. In 1967, C.A. The game was the longest in All-Star Game history by time, lasting 4 hours and 50 minutes and tied for the longest in history by innings, tied with the 1967 All-Star Game and was played in front of 55,632 people. After the September 11 attacks, all American Major League Baseball stadiums started playing "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch for the remainder of the 2001 season. Original dimensions at Yankee Stadium were 295 ft. (right), 490 ft. (center), and 281 ft. (left). Maybe a bigger way to remember that historic date? In addition to the NFL championship games, one of the most notable plays in NFL history, sometimes referred to simply as The Hit, occurred at Yankee Stadium on November 20, 1960. In the Home Run Derby, Josh Hamilton set a single-round record with 28 home runs in the first round. McGraw, always ready with a pointed quote for the sportswriters, derisively suggested that the Yankees relocate "to Queens or some other out-of-the-way place".[9]. And when it opened on April 18, 1923, it was in grand fashion, with a 4-1 New York Yankees victory over the Boston Red Sox, and with the stadium's first home run hit by … who else? The latter three games that year were all part of a three-day "United States Cup of Champions". The YES Network uses the frieze in its graphics. A 56ft. Sometimes, after a long rain delay, the Creatures started another Roll Call for comedic effect. Derek Jeter hit the winning "walk-off" home run in extra innings off Kim, earning himself the nickname "Mr. November". Future Yankee manager Casey Stengel hit the first post-season home run in stadium history while playing with the opposing New York Giants. In Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS, Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to right-field that was interfered with by fan Jeffrey Maier but ruled a home run. The 1958 New York International Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses attracted 253,922 people from all over the world, although many were at the nearby Polo Grounds, the Yankee Stadium total of 123,707 in a single day remains the biggest attendance ever for any event at Yankee Stadium and is commemorated by a historical marker in the sidewalk nearby. On June 21, 1990, a rally was held at Yankee Stadium for Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison. On September 28, 1976, a declining Muhammad Ali defended his heavyweight crown against Ken Norton. In essence, the old Stadium of Ruth and Lou Gehrigs days, and later Joe DiMaggio, Mantle, Whitey Ford and Elston Howard, was demolished after its 50th anniversary in 1973, for construction of the modern version. The frieze was made of copper and developed a green patina over time until it was painted white during the 1960s. The ceremonies for the final game at Yankee Stadium began with the opening of Monument Park, as well as allowing Yankee fans to walk on the warning track around the field. [82] European club exhibitions first came in 1952, when on June 14, Liverpool drew 11 with Grasshopper Club Zrich. The Cosmos moved to Giants Stadium for the 1977 season.[86]. In the final season in 2008, Yankee Stadium had a capacity of 57,545. Yankee Stadium hosted its final Classic during the 1987 season, also the last time a football game was played there. The stadium's roof, including its distinctive 15 feet (4.6m) metal frieze, was replaced by the new upper shell and new lights were added. Benfica of Portugal, with whom they drew 33. November 9, 2008 was the last day the public tours included Monument Park and the retired number area. They made their home at the original Polo Grounds, a tiny grandstand on a field . Yankees COO Leon Trost said at a press conference, "We're talking about . [25] In January 1973, CBS sold the Yankees to a group led by George Steinbrenner for $10million. Deep left center shrank to a mere 461 feet (141m), behind the flagpole. The stadium's nickname, "The House That Ruth Built",[3] is derived from Babe Ruth, the baseball superstar whose prime years coincided with the stadium's opening and the beginning of the Yankees' winning history. The original wooden stadium seats were replaced with wider plastic ones and the upper deck expanded upward nine rows, excluding the walkway. Napoli of Italy 42 at the Stadium, along with S.L. Many people also felt three baseball teams could not prosper in New York City, but Huston and Ruppert were confident the Yankees could thrive amongst the more established New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League (their gamble eventually paid off: Both National League teams relocated to California following the 1957 season). The Yankees played at Shea Stadium in 1974-75 while their home was rebuilt by the city of New York to the tune of $48 million dollars. The New Yankee Stadium sits across where the old stadium stood. The field was initially surrounded by a (misshapen) 0.25-mile (0.40km) running track, which effectively also served as a warning track for outfielders, a feature now standard on all major league fields. It was the first of 30 championship bouts to be held at the Stadium. The National League won both games. Famous World Series games were against the Dodgers, Giants, New York Mets, and many more teams. In February 2010, demolition work began on the upper deck and the outfield wall; the final part of the outfield wall (the Continental Airlines ad, the out-of-town scoreboard and the remaining part of the advertising panel to its right) was taken down February 24, 2010. Roger Maris would later break this record in 1961 at Yankee Stadium on the final day of the season by hitting his 61st home run. Yankee Stadium as a host for boxing had always been the plan. Yankee Stadium was only about a half-hour old when the first legendary moment occurred there. Yankee Stadium underwent more extensive renovations from 1936 through 1938. On the subject of marking the 100th anniversary, Appel says sagely that its a bit problematic to be honoring a building thats not standing anymore.. In 1971, the city of New York forced (via eminent domain) Rice to sell the stadium for a mere $2.5million (equivalent to $16.7million today). [50], Until the September 30, 1973 April 14, 1976 renovation, the Yankees' American League championship pennants hung from the frieze. by 101ft. For the current Yankee Stadium, see Yankee Stadium. The Old Yankee Stadium went through a major renovation from 1974 to 1975. Here is how it looks. During the 2008 year, you would have seen the following dimensions from home plate.