I'm much more upset the Yankees are moving out of Yankee Stadium, even if it is just across the street. I've rooted for teams that have missed the playoffs in their respective sports, including those Yankee teams from the late 80's and early 90's, but I've never rooted for a team that left the greatest stadium on the planet. The new place will be very nice, but in my opinion it will never be the same.
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I'm with you on this one Greg. I've been rooting for this team since the early 70's when I was 8 years old, so I've seen them not only miss the playoffs, but finish in last place. So that's nothing that new for me, but leaving Yankee Stadium? That is a much bigger tragedy.
ReplyDeleteTo me, they're two very different things.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Stadium holds a special nostalgic place in my heart, there are/were a lot of "ugly" things about the current stadium that were masked or hidden in a way by our nostalgia.
And of course this is just my personal opinion, I don't begrudge anyone who disagrees, but I always saw the 70s refurb as taking nearly all of the character out of the original stadium. I never had a chance to visit the original, but my father went many times, saw Mantle, Maris, Berra, etc play, and he basically agrees. He's not all that sad to see the current stadium go, as he just doesn't feel the attachment to it that he felt for the original incarnation.
Looking at pictures and video of the original, there was something so much more larger than life about the original that was lost when they made the stadium a lot more generic.
The more I see of the new stadium, the more comfortable I feel moving on. It will be weird for a while, but it will become "home" before we know it. Fill that new, beautiful place with 50,000 screaming Yankee fans, and the classic pinstriped uniforms on the field, and I'll be ok.
All that being said, I will definitely, without a doubt miss the stadium. Just like you miss anything you've become comfortable with for years. I've been watching Yankee baseball in that stadium since I was a little boy in the 80s, and it's all I've ever known. That feeling of walking out of the tunnel and into that stadium was one I'll never forget. The first time I went I'll never forget how big it looked compared to on TV. I was in awe looking up at this huge structure.
So yes, I'm going to miss that a lot. But again, there are a lot of things about the new stadium that are going to improve upon things at the old, not just facility wise but aesthetically. It's going to be fun, new, and exciting, and I'm really looking forward to that.
I agree with Pinstripes.
ReplyDeleteI went to many games in the "original" stadium and more games than I can remember in the "current" one. The current stadium lost almost ALL of its character when they refurbished it the mid-70s. Don't misunderstand--I loved it, but it lost so much when they decided to "modernize" it.
I'm looking forward to the new stadium and hope to meet up with many of you guys there. Perhaps we could arrange a "Sliding Into Home Night" at the new park this coming season? Just a thought....
Mike
I agree with the both of you about the look of the renovated stadium compared to the original stadium. The original had a lot more charm. But I'm only 26, so this is the only Yankee Stadium I know. So for me, it's like losing a friend. I'm sure kids who are very young right now will feel the same way about the new place.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had seen The Stadium in its original form, but at least it was the same building, the same land, the same place where Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, etc played.
Anyway, about the "Sliding Into Home Night", I think that would be a great idea.
Perhaps we can put this togther at some point for next season--"Sliding Into Home Night." Although I live in the "beautiful" south, I'd be happy to work with you to see about doing this. It might work out well....
ReplyDeleteMike
PS I also feel like I'm losing a friend, trust me. But now I'm going to focus on my "new friend" right across the street.
Mike