The Yankee Stadium that opened in 2009 is the 3rd ballpark in the Bronx to bear that name. The first opened in 1923. That ballpark was torn down in 1974 and a new, far less appealing structure opened in 1976. After only 33 years, YS2 was abandoned for a shiny new park across the street. The 3rd Yankee Stadium, I'm sorry to say, is a beauty. (I'm a Mets fan, you see)
Yankee Stadium
Bronx, NY
Review by Mike & Gary
The Yankees chose not to follow the trend and build a smaller, more intimate park and I think this was the correct decision. They are the Yankees, after all, a franchise that is "bigger than life" as it were, and they should play in a stadium, not a ballpark. This place is big and grand and feels like a baseball palace. All of the modern amenities are in place; restaurants, open concourses, ludicrously high concession prices... That's not a knock on the Yankees, it's an MLB epidemic. I really like the open concourse at field level. If you don't mind standing, you can buy a seat at the top of the world, then stand on field level and watch the game from a primo location.
PROS
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Dedicated Yankee train for MetroNorth riders was awesome!
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Nice walking path from the train station with markers along the way highlighting notable events at the old Stadiums.
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Great exterior using the same limestone as the old ballparks looks classic.
CONS
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Exorbitant ticket price makes it tough for many folks to see a game.
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Monument Park seems shoe-horned in CF with only a limited number of fans able to see it before the game.
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Silent fans unless the Yankees actually score.
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Poor sight lines from the upper deck, with everyone bobbing back and forth to see around the heads in front of them.
The frieze around the roof, and the fact that there IS a roof, are a nice look back at the original Yankees Stadium. The Yankee Museum and large photos of each World Series victory around the concourse are a constant (and painful) reminder of Yankee glory. All in all, the Yankees have built a stadium worthy of their reputation as the biggest baseball team in the world. Well done.
2017
108
2009
88
