Goodbye, Yankee Stadium

There's a lot to catch up on after being out of the country for the weekend. We were still in the air and then driving from the airport when the Yankees beat the Orioles last night and said farewell to their home for the last 85 years. No, I don't have a sudden soft spot for the Yankees in my Red Sox soul, but, c'mon, Yankee Stadium is Yankee Stadium. It's the House that Ruth Built (even if he did it after he was traded from the Red Sox). Gehrig played there (and gave a fabulous speech when he had to call it a day--and let's not forget Gary Cooper's depiction of that same speech in Pride of the Yankees). So did DiMaggio and Mantle. Those were great players, and together they made a great team. Baseball Almanac collects a lot of stadium facts and figures, if you're curious about what we're losing. I've heard the reports that the stadium has outlived its usefulness and is not a terribly comfortable place to watch a ballgame, I haven't experienced that for myself, so it's hard to tell how much truth there is to it and how much is hype from the Steinbrenners (I'm always ready to believe the worst about the Steinbrenners). It already went through one renovation thirty-some years ago, and I don't know why the Steinbrenners decided that they'd rather build a new one than renovate again (for all I know, it's very possible that renovation wasn't really an option this time, so I'll withhold judgment until such time as I hear differently). But the deal's been done, and there will be a new Yankee Stadium next year. In some ways, it will be just as well for people like me. I won't have to worry about tradition, nostalgia, and the greatness of the past. Now opponents will be able to face the pure modern Yankees. Dislike of the team doesn't have to be diluted by fondness for the storied Yankee past.

Goodbye, Yankee Stadium. Thank you for all the great baseball and great moments you've provided.