Now I'm a huge sports fan, but moreover I'm an even bigger Yankees fan. I was asked what I wanted for my birthday from my girlfriend and without a second thought my answer was "go to the new Yankees Stadium". (PS, June 2nd vs. the Rangers its so on) What I really don't understand is why the Yankees and Yankee fans are so afraid of change.Every review I've heard about the new stadium has just gushed about how amazing it is. The amenities are all state of the art and more than you could ever imagine being at a baseball stadium. Thats all well and good, and believe me I have no issue with that. My main gripe about the new cathedral in the Bronx is this: Why does it have to be a carbon copy of the building you just used? I'm a Yankees fan. I'm used to the traditions, the history, the "way it is". But you just spent $1.5 BILLION on a new stadium. The outside of the stadium looks like Yankee Stadium from the 20s. The inside of the stadium looks like Yankee Stadium from the 90s. Why do we have a new stadium then? The point of new is to start over. It seems to me like the Yankees wanted new but to keep the old.
I've been to Camden Yards, Citizens Bank Park, and Progressive Field (formerly Jacobs Field). These new stadiums opened as homages to old parks. But one thing that these stadiums have is an identity to themselves. The new Yankee Stadium is just an ode to the old Yankee Stadium. It seems to me that if they loved the old place so much, they should have just stayed there. The Yankees spent a lot of money, and it seems like everyone who has been there is more than happy with their experience. It just feels like if you're going to create a new stadium, a new home for the next 85 years, it should be NEW, it just have its own identity. It almost feels akin to parents who lose their child and then have a new kid and name it the same and force them to accept all the same things the previous child liked.
During its 4 game homestand with the Indians, the stadium has set a record for most homeruns hit in the first 4 games of ANY park. This includes Coors Field (pre-humador), Great American Ballpark, Citizens Bank Park, and Camden Yards. Some people say there's a jetstream that carries the ball out to right field. Some say its because this stadium (as opposed to the old Yankee Stadium) has open spaces which contributes to the jetstream theory. Others say its simply because the pitching has been poor. Personally I dont buy this one. I watched all 4 games. Multiple times I saw hitters pop a ball up, break a bat, show a look of disgust after the ball went in the air, and the next thing you know, the ball is 4 rows deep into the stands. I find it hard to believe that no one saw this coming. Stadium construction is a very precise art, and with the money the Yankees spent on this one, you cannot convince me that it was surprising to them that the ball could carry the way it does.
That just brings me back to my main complaint. Why did the field have to be exactly the same as the old Yankee Stadium? The old Yankee Stadium was the House That Ruth Built. The Yankees were smart back then. They designed a stadium which played exactly into the strength of their club - lefthanded power hitting. The Giants did the same thing when they made AT&T Park (or PacBell Park or SBC Park or whatever they'll call it next year). They made an arena which played directly to the face of their franchise - Barry Bonds. The Yankees, on the other hand, just left it the same. It seems like the Yankees are so enamored with their own history that they use that as a crutch to avoid changing with the times. Building a brand new ballpark is a fantastic way to shake things up a little, to find a way to give an advantage to a team who expects no less than greatness every year and has fallen short 8 years in a row. Instead of designing the park to help the Yankees, now every left handed power hitter can pad their stats in the Bronx. Back when Yankee Stadium first opened, a player with the skill set of Babe Ruth was confined to Babe Ruth. Nowadays, a high schooler could deposit 3 run homers over the right field fence. So why do we need a Yankee Stadium replica? The short answer is we don't. I'm excited to see the new stadium. I'm excited to see what "state of the art" means in terms of multi-billion dollars. I'm excited that when I go to get some food, I can still see the game. (As a person who grew up in Philadelphia, this was the norm at both the Vet and Citizens Bank Park) I am particularly intrigued by the Great Hall. It looks like a vast dedication to the greatest team in the history of professional sports. And that's fine. I don't mind the idea of displaying the rich history and traditions of the Yankees. But does it have to be everywhere? The fences have to be the same distance? The asthetic has the be same? When I walk into a new stadium and drop double the amount of money, I want to feel like I'm in a new stadium, not Yankee Stadium 2.0.
