If I’m going to complete my countrywide journey, this was an inevitable stop. A site that, from the womb, I was taught was the real-life equivalent of the Death Star (technically Death Star II), or Mt. Crumpit. There’s even a distinct memory of my mom not allowing me to get a Babe Ruth jersey when going to Cooperstown when I was a kid. Rivalry, much? As I walked off the D train and walked the scenic route towards my seat in Section 237, my fan-like curiosity couldn’t help but want to explore the second generation lair of my team’s rival and what makes it special to the 50,000+ per game that attend a game here. All of this, while feeling a little like if Michelangelo walked into the Technodrome.
Game Time! (vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – 5/26/2018): On this Memorial Day weekend, I decided to bring my girlfriend and a good friend of mine out to the bleachers to enjoy some brews and a ballgame, with slightly-camouflaged jerseys in view. Walking in, I definitely noticed an early 20th century essence emanating from the design, which was no coincidence. It was as if we were off to see Ruth, Gehrig and Lazzeri back in 1927 rather than Judge, Stanton and Sanchez. Based on the Red Sox record that year, and the social climate at the time, I’m glad that wasn’t the case! A surprising delight was going to my seat in the last row of the bleachers, and actually seeing bleachers behind the outfield walls. Generally, the bleachers are the the place to be for a simultaneous session of game-watching and people-watching, and this place was no exception. Even within the pack of Yankee fans and scattered presence of Angel red, I spotted a few fans for my hometown Crimson Hose, making me a coward for leaving my Sox gear at home in exchange for my 2014 Clint Dempsey USMNT kit (Hey, it was Memorial Day!). The passion really came out in the top of the 4th inning, after Sonny Gray got yanked, allowing 5 runs and walking 3 in less than 4 innings. One crimson-faced fan let his frustrations right out, and in a rare moment, I found common ground with a supporter from the Evil Empire, for I too would have been screaming at Sonny Gray and his 5+ ERA from the bleachers if the Sox had got him at the trade deadline a year ago. Stuff like that can bring the country back together! Anyway, there are some entertaining moments to witness that don’t truly get captured watching at home, like hearing the bleacher roll call to the players, and how the flood lights flickered after Gardner and Judge went back-to-back in the 1st. However, once the game got out of hand, the volume was a little toned down, but there was still enough of a presence to show displeasure in the bullpen taking a blow torch and setting any chance of a comeback in flames.
Home Runs: Boy, I do not regret getting bleacher seats for this. The environment at Yankee Stadium (especially in the bleachers) definitely rivals that of my hometown team, especially when their starting pitcher gets lit up and doesn’t even get out of the 4th inning. Despite leaving a place with so much history almost a decade ago, they did a good job of incorporating the feats and legends of the past, all while recreating the look of the old stadium inside and out. In walking past the gate into the stadium, you will see flags of Yankee legends hanging one behind the other, which had the feel of walking into a neo-Coloseum, with the gladiators of the past greeting you on the way in.
Flyouts: As you may expect from a New York venue, the food and drink, while good, can run a pretty penny. There is also that little issue of those empty padded seats at the Legends Suite that hug the front rows, with 2 tickets costing as much as the average honeymoon. However, that has been well documented. Call me jaded from the normal ballpark experience I get, but at times, it felt like being more in a shopping mall that happen to have a Yankee Stadium replica attached. Maybe a little more cracks and rust over time will open my heart more a bit in my next visit. There is also not as much of a scene as you’d expect when it comes to bars and restaurants. There is a pocket of watering holes by the River Ave. side of the the stadium. However, it is not much for a city that has many scenic and character-filled neighborhoods as any city in the world.
Around the Diamond: As mentioned before, there aren’t as many options as there are around many other ballparks. Pretty much all the bars nearby are located at the River Ave side of the stadium. There is a Hard Rock Cafe located in the stadium if you’re a music memorabilia junkie, or if you’re a natural magnet for tourist traps. The one watering hole I visited after the game was Stan’s Sports Bar, which provides the basics of want you want in a bar near a sporting event; 90’s-2000’s music you can sing along to with beverages to quench your thirst after a hot 3-hour game. However, I would be open to exploring more of the options in a future trip to the Technodr…I mean Yankee Stadium. You can bet I’ll be back to explore more of the River Ave selections in the near future. Billy’s, you’re next!
My Final Play: I can’t help to think that after my new Yankee Stadium experience, it made me think of the future of Fenway, or even Wrigley Field in that eventually these franchises will go the way of the luxury boxes and Legends Clubs and create a new home for their local 9. The new Yankee Stadium is a reminder that you can’t recapture all of history simply by building a replica from yesteryear. However, it’s also a reminder that the legacy of the team is carried by the generations of fans who go through the turnstiles. At the end of the day, even if all of the ghosts haven’t quite found a home here, it’s the New York tradition and passion that can make this place special a couple of decades down the road (I think that last sentence made the Red Sox hat on my head catch fire!). For that, this is a must go for any sports fan. Besides, I would not be doing my duty as a sports fan if I skip out on attending the best North American sports rivalry in opposing territory!
Well, now you know!: With a little less than a decade under its facade, I will admit that it was a little tough finding a unique nugget that hasn’t been noted in the past, or that involves the Yankee Stadium of the past. In fact, this piece of information is pre-grand opening. Remember when the new Yankee Stadium was going to have a dome? In an original 2001 proposal, both the new stadiums for the Yankees and the Mets had retractable roofs included. However, Mayor Bloomberg scrapped the original deal, which shifted more of the stadium construction costs on the team, after which the Yankees decided to save a cool $200 million and continued construction, sans dome.
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