June 30, 2012
Yankee Stadium (Capacity: 50,287)
Bronx, NY
New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox
Final Score: 4 – 0
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On a very hot summer day, we headed into the Big Apple for some baseball, dinner and a Broadway show. The baseball was at the new Yankee Stadium, up in the Bronx. Being the most Northern of New York City’s five boroughs, the congested Bronx is home to nearly 1.5 million people. Since the 1920s, the New York Yankees have called the area home, likely making it the most popular destination in the borough. That Yankees name is familiar with everyone and they are one of the most popular teams in the world. Their history is well-advertised with 27 World Series championships, numerous famous moments and of course star players like Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra, Mattingly, Jeter and Rivera. After a recent run of success from 1996-2000, playoff runs fell short of a title again until 2009, the same year they moved into the new Yankee Stadium. This replaced the old stadium they played in from 1923-2008. Despite the 95 degree afternoon heat and my dislike for the Yankees, I loved many of the features at the new Stadium as they replicated their old home on a grander scale. However, there are a few flaws with the whole ballpark experience here.
Prestige Ranking: 5 out of 5
Location
The South Bronx is a classic New York City setting as you’ll find high rises all around and storefronts with a distinct look. It is uber-congested and not exactly an area you’d be coming to if it wasn’t for the Stadium. Immediate surroundings are a mixture of local business necessities and places like McDonald’s and Family Dollar. There is certainly no mistaking this area for other neighborhood parks like Wrigley and Fenway, but you can find a few sports bars around like Stan’s or Billy’s. You can even find an open space or two, like at Joyce Kilmer Park (with a fountain) or the public field where the old Yankee Stadium sat. To get to the other main attractions in the borough (the New York Botanical Gardens and the Bronx Zoo), it will take some crafty navigating, either 15-25 minutes by car or a bit longer by subway as multiple trains are needed. Even though you are close to all that Manhattan has to offer, I had to keep the Location ranking low because the immediate neighborhood is not one that people would otherwise come to.
Location Ranking: 4 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
This is a brutal drive all around, starting with the traffic. I’ve made many trips between New Jersey and Long Island and every time, I dread going through the Bronx. Unless you are coming from the North, a bridge crossing is needed, which is terrible in itself. Even worse is when I-95 goes through the borough as I don’t think there is a more trafficked road in the country (and a poor quality road to boot). At least to get to Yankee Stadium, you need I-87, which isn’t terrible. If the arrival is from Hudson Valley, it’s the relatively smoothest of options and it doesn’t involve 95 or a bridge. The Stadium being just off an exit is also helpful, especially if you go right to the two garages off the Macombs Dam Bridge. Anything beyond that and you’ll likely have challenges navigating the area and finding subsequent parking.
The much better option, one that I and most others used, is mass transit. You’ll still have added time unless you are staying local, but it is the simplest option. Right in front of Gate 4 is a subway stop for the 4, B and D lines. It’s about a 25 minute trip from midtown Manhattan. There is also a Metro-North train that stops nearby, servicing the lower Hudson Valley. New York City’s subway system is expansive and it’ll take some time to learn how to navigate if you are unfamiliar.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 3 out of 8
Exterior
Designers did a terrific job making the exterior look like the entrance from the original stadium. At each gate, is “Yankee Stadium” embedded in gold at the top of the building. When approaching the main entrance (Gate 4), fans will see a bigger, blue text of Yankee Stadium above the main exterior face. The outside follows a classic rounded ballpark shape and remains consistent throughout with its use of off-white limestone, granite and open-air archways. It is stately. The North and East sides of the stadium do not have much to see as they are blocked out by an adjoining building on the north and the subway on the east.
Exterior Ranking: 9.5 out of 10
Concourse
Most fans enter into the Great Hall, a striking introduction to the stadium before getting to the main concourses. In this tall, covered Hall, there are huge pennants of Yankees players. On the side is a videoboard that sits above entrances to a team store and the two restaurants in the stadium: the Hard Rock Café and NYY Steak. Three separate wide concourses help to keep things flowing here as each level (field, main and grandstand) has its own walkway. Even the bleachers have a little concourse. To get up and down, a nice trick is to find an elevator. Field views are available in most spots and some areas are reserved for standing-room only fans who get a counter space to lean on and use for food/drinks. Upper concourses are more open to the environment and there is also a little hidden rooftop bar. Scenery is good too on the lowest level as old Yankee pictures are above the food stands. Though the layout can be a tad confusing, signs are everywhere.
Concourse Ranking: 4.5 out of 5
Food
Food is expectedly excellent as the classics are all widely available, along with many New York specialties. Nathan’s Hot Dogs are a must, but Hebrew National is just as good. Then there are knishes and some classic deli sandwiches using quality Boar’s Head meat. Other features include an Asian stand, a few Mexican stands (“Wholly Guacamole”), Southern Barbeque, Chicken Wings and a mini Farmers Market. Even sushi. Beer has some variety, but the selection is not overly excessive.
Food Ranking: 7 out of 8
Interior
The V shape of the old stadium seems to be somewhat preserved, but the curvature of this ballpark is much more modern. What you have is a fairly large and spacious baseball-only stadium that follows the diamond partially into the outfield. It is broken up into three decks of seating. The lowest one is separated two-thirds of the way down by the ultra-exclusive and highly criticized Legends and Championship “suites”. These insanely expensive seats are closest to the field and get club access as they generally sit half-empty. The next deck up is the 200s or Main Level seats. Behind these seats near home plate is the press box. Lastly the upper deck is separated into two levels of seating, Terrace and Grandstand. The seating back here is further and not as on top of the field as the old stadium, which is my only gripe when comparing interiors. In the gap between left center and right center are the bleachers, a tradition brought over from the old stadium. These are closer than the old ones, however they become severely obstructed towards the middle as a good chunk of the outfield is blocked by a café. Yankee Stadium’s view consists of scoreboard and ads behind the bleachers and they help to somewhat block the rather bleak Bronx skyline, though it is still quite visible from the upper deck. Suites can be found tucked underneath the upper deck and in specialty areas behind home plate that look like regular seats. Meanwhile, two clubs and bars (Audi and Mohegan Sun) can be spotted in and around the outfield. Overhangs play a big role here and there are many seats in the first two levels that are covered, but have a limited view of balls hit in the air. Where an overhang is very advantageous is in the upper-deck, as a roof protects fans from the elements, but still allows for a great view. Up here is also where one of my favorite features is, the return of the frieze, a white, gate-like structure that was used to adorn the front of the roof on the first Yankee Stadium before it was renovated. New Yankee Stadium may lack the simplistic uniqueness of the old stadium, but there are several qualities here to like with fan comfort and overall design at the top.
Interior Ranking: 11 out of 14
Scoreboard
Located in dead centerfield, the all-video board is impressive, both in size and quality. All the stats you need are up there and during at-bats it is loaded with in-game information, along with a player picture and stats (featuring a snazzy, New York themed intro for each Yankee). Flanked on the right is an out-of-town scoreboard, while the left has a video board designated for pitcher information. A stand-alone text of “Yankee Stadium” is spelled out above. My only quibble is I wish there was live game video instead of just replays, this would help out those that lose the ball in obstructed view areas of the outfield.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3.5 out of 4
Displays
Yes, there is an aura of elitism, but if you are a fan, then this is exactly what you want to see in your home stadium. The displays are excellent and a nice introduction is the Babe Ruth Plaza outside that honors the franchise’s most recognizable face. Two of the main features in the stadium are Monument Park and the Yankees Museum. The park, located just past centerfield, consists of monuments, plaques and retired numbers for the most prestigious members of the Yankees. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell you what it is like, because they closed off the line to get in. And I was there an hour and 30 minutes before game time! So, to see Monument Park, you essentially need to head there as soon as the gates open. The other significant feature is the Yankees Museum, in the main level concourse. This was also a very long line, but the museum remains open during the game. Given the popularity, it should have been a bigger museum and I wish it featured more of a franchise history. Instead display cases are there for pieces of the Yankee history. Still really good. The best parts are the displays of World Series Trophies and Rings.
Inside Yankee Stadium, retired numbers are displayed on a wall in left field between the seating bowl and bleachers. Championship pennants meanwhile are very hard to see as they are barely noticeable on the suite-level wall. Odd given how much the Yankees like to taut their 27 championships. Flags atop the stadium feature each MLB team, in correct standings order. Lastly, a great little touch scattered in a couple of the concourses are seats from the old Yankee Stadium.
Displays Ranking: 5 out of 6
Cost
This was probably the defining thing about the new Yankees Stadium when it opened and it has hurt both perception and atmosphere. The only good is the Grandstand Level and Bleachers are quite affordable with tickets ranging from $15 – $33 and the Grandstand makes up for 30% of the park seating. The rest of the stadium is expensive as 17 out of the remaining 26 non-premium seating pricing levels are over $100. The 100 level seats between first and third range from $225 to $300 per game! Then you have the even more ridiculous Legends Suite seats near home plate which go up to nearly $1500 a game for the best seat (and that’s much lower from where they started). Other prices are high too with parking costs between $25 – $35 and a program costing $10. Concessions feature a $5.50 hot dog, $5 water and $4 for those small bags of Lay’s potato chips that cost $.50 in a school cafeteria.
Cost Ranking: 2 out of 8
Fan Support
Fan support for the Yankees is top notch as this is one of the most popular teams in the world. Though there is a pretty significant group of old-timers and hardcore passionate fans, there are also ones that rub you the wrong way. While the support is terrific, attendance has dropped off in the new stadium, likely because of the pricing out of fans. The team has been top 4 in attendance each year since 2009, however when comparing percent by capacity, it is closer to 80-90%. At our game, the crowd was announced at 46,895, while the turnstile count was much closer to 30,000 – 35,000 (see the smattering of blue seats below). In all of sports, perhaps no logo is more recognizable than the NY.
Fan Support Ranking: 8 out of 8
Atmosphere
Comparisons between the old and new stadium are inevitable given the proximity and how much is tied together between the two. The atmosphere here is unfortunately worse and I think a lot of that has to do with the specialty seating and overall experience cost. Compare a big playoff moment from each stadium and the buzz at the “new” one just seems to be missing. Plus, there appeared to be a ton of milling around during the game we attended. With that being said, the overall atmosphere is still an above average MLB experience, complemented by the quirks and shouts that only New Yorkers can provide. When big plays did happen, it was loud up in the Grandstand where we were and I think the overhanging roof has to do with that. Overall noise may seem down on TV, but the 400s come off as very noisy, which is great.
The Yankees have are several traditions and it starts with the Bleacher Creatures going thru “Role Call” for each Yankee in the field during the Top of the First. Then, you’ve got the grounds crew doing the “YMCA” in the 6th, “God Bless America” being played in the 7th and “New York, New York” playing as soon as the game ends. “Let’s Go Yankees” is the most common cheer and after home runs, the famous bells of 2Unlimited’s “Workaholic” chime.
Atmosphere Ranking: 10 out of 14
Other Stuff
Ushers are trained to be very polite here and that’s great and all, but boy does it feel manufactured. And if I heard “Welcome to Yankee Stadium” one more time, I was going to lose it…..Seats in Yankee Stadium are dark blue and a feature also retained from the old park is the short porch in right (only 314 feet from home plate).…The surprising allowance of bringing water bottles into the stadium was clutch on this day…..Yankee Stadium cost $2.3 BILLION to build, making it the most expensive ballpark ever built…..Ownership keeps gaining revenue streams as the ballpark now hosts college football games and soccer matches.
Game
The Bronx Bombers certainly lived up to their name as three solo home runs powered New York to a victory. Curtis Granderson got things going in the 1st and then the Yankees scored in the second thanks to a Dewayne Wise double. Wise and Robinson Cano homered in the middle innings and that capped a great day for Dewayne as he finished 3 for 3. Hiroki Karoda pitched beautifully for New York as he struck out 11 and only gave up 3 hits. Jake Peavy went eight innings for the White Sox and the game was played in a nice, crisp 2 hours and 25 minutes. Â
Stadium and Arena Visits 
