This was always a fear of mine with the new stadium, and from everything I've read from opposing players it seems my worst fears have come true. The new stadium doesn't scare anyone.The aura and mystique of the old Stadium is gone forever, so say the Tampa Bay Rays.
"You're in the new Yankee Stadium. It's absolutely a different stadium," Rays manager Joe Maddon said before last night's series opener in the Bronx was rained out. "It's kind of nice, actually, because I hated the smell of the old place.... I don't know if that odor was the remnants of the ghosts walking around, but they always had a home-court advantage in that yard.
"I'm not saying they can't develop it here, but they had an advantage just based on the smell of the place. They could have put that in a bottle, sprayed it on somebody and you'd say, 'Oh, Yankee Stadium.'"
That antique smell - and a sense of history - could get opponents caught up in their surroundings. Evan Longoria, for one, couldn't help but think of all the great players who had gone before him when he visited the old Stadium as a rookie last season.
"You went into the old Yankee Stadium and there was just that feeling - almost like the calm before the storm - you knew what was going to happen, you knew it was going to be a battle," Longoria said. "When you walked down that hallway, you knew that Ruth and the forefathers of the game had walked down that same tunnel. That was the cool feeling about it."
But it hasn't necessarily carried over to the new Stadium.
"It feels a lot different," added Longoria, who hurt his left hamstring on Tuesday and will be a game-time decision this afternoon. "You don't really get to feel the ghosts of the past."
It seems the Rays are proving that the new place doesn't scare them at all, so far they're 3-0 at the new stadium, and today they beat the crap out of Mo after the Yanks tied the game in the 8th. It's safe to say, they're not intimidated.
As far as that smell goes, I think anyone who has been to both stadiums knows what Maddon is talking about. Stale beer, stale hot dogs, popcorn and peanuts, all combined with 80 years of dirt. It was awesome. The new place smells like an airport.
18 Comments:
Well, the only thing we can do is build a new history with the new stadium.
Also I'm still pissed that CC was not left in for the ninth. God dammit Girardi, Mo does not pitch well in tie games. Period. It's been this way since last season.
I loved the old Stadium and I agree that the new one won't have a championship feel until they win one there.
But the Yankees had the advantage because they played better than the other teams.
Plus the Rays who play in the biggest dump in in the majors probably shouldn't talk... especially since the only way they can fill it is when the Yankees "mystique" comes to town.
The aura and mystique was great during the Red Sox collapse.
Bottom line you play good baseball and you will devolop that at the new stadium.
I think the Minnesota Twins think the ghost did travel across the street after there series.
Where was the Aura and Mystique last year when they missed the play offs?
Or when they didn't win the WS since 01?
The fact is that teams treat new yankee stadium like any other ballpark, and regardless of what some fans want to think, that's a damn shame. There is nothing special about "the new house."
Special or not, games aren't decided on what building it's being played.
Players on the field decide that.
Another brilliant post by you.
Where the hell was the magical ghost at in October of 2004?
*crickets*
This really doesn't have much to do with the games. I just think the new building sucks, has zero history, and is about as special as Citi Field. The Yankees should be better than that.
lulz. The first one didn't have any 'feel' when it was first created. This one will start getting it's character soon enough.
Dane, I've been to the new place 8 times, and when I'll be honest, I absolutely hate the place. I was actually happy yesterday when the game got rained out because I didn't have to be there.
I really wish I never bought my season package this year, because I just don't enjoy going to games anymore.
Then don't go.
I'm tired of you bitching about the new stadium.
For all it's lack of aura and mystique they've had some great come from behind wins.
Wins that no one saw coming.
The kind of wins that we've seen in the old place.
How does that happen when it's a new building?
Hmmmm........ could it possibly be that the players decide whether it's hard to win at YS if you're a visitor.
Yankees have one of the better home records this year.
Some of you fans put way too much stock in magical forces.
I'm mean really, this is baseball-a game. Not Poltergeist.
THey beat the crap out of Mo because Mo stinks and is a clueless moron like the media. Mo says "I think I have good enough stuff to get people out." YOu're a clueless old man MO. Just STFU you have blown huge games this year because you dont have good stuff. You have no life on your ball, no movement and you get the heart of the plate. Everybody you faced today was creaming you. Just STFU you idiot. I am so sick of these old men on this team. Its a friggin joke.
I'm thinking that Anon probably walked in and saw his mom on her knees getting a little "chin music" from a Yankee fan. lol
He's obviously too embarrassed to admit what team he likes because his team because, unless he is under 11, he has seen the Yankees win more World Series than any other team... and that's a FACT!!!
Try responding to that dipshit!
Bet you don't have the balls to admit what shitty team you like because you know you can't win an actual argument against Yankee fans because we will always have more World Chapionships than your shitty until the day they bury your ignorant ass.
Another fact! lol
I do like a shitty team. I like the Yankees.
Oh, and the Yanks have the 12th best home record in baseball. Is that really something we should be proud of, anon?
You don't like the Yanks Anon and I knew you were too big of a wuss to admit who you really like.
Like I said dude, this doesn't have much to do with what goes on in the field, and it really has little to do with magical anything. The mystique and aura thing came from the article.
And I'm sorry it bothers you that I don't like the new stadium. Grab a tissue and cry it out.
Greg, I realize you don't like the new stadium, but to say this early in the season that it's not a good home field advantage for the Yankees is beyond a snap judgment.
The Yankees are now 16-11 at home - not remarkable, but when you consider that many of those games were played with a struggling Tex and no Alex, as well as no Posada, then it's not that bad. Add in the fact that they were still getting used to the new digs, and there was that bad 6 or so game losing streak in there, 16-11 isn't bad at all.
You need a much, much larger sample size, as well as more time for the team to get cozy in the new digs, before you can suggest that the new ballpark is a disadvantage to the Yankees vs. the old ballpark.
I actually think that the new stadium has already proven to be advantageous, and that as the season wears on and the players become more comfortable and familiar with the field, it will be a better home field advantage than the old place was.
The fact remains that good pitching, defense, and hitting wins ballgames, not Yankee Stadium. If our pitching does well, they'll win ball games, regardless if they're in the old stadium, the new stadium, Fenway park, or east nowhereville. Home field advantage comes from being comfortable in your own ballpark, having a talented team that understands how to take advantages of the ballparks quirks, the home crowd, and batting last... not from some "mistique" factor.
But I really didn't say that. All I said was it appears that it doesn't scare anyone. Also, it bothers me that the home of the New York Yankees is so, well, not significant or special.
"I actually think that the new stadium has already proven to be advantageous, and that as the season wears on and the players become more comfortable and familiar with the field, it will be a better home field advantage than the old place was."
That's definitely possible.
"The fact remains that good pitching, defense, and hitting wins ballgames, not Yankee Stadium."
True.
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