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A new era in the
history of the New York Yankees began in 2009 when the team moved
from the most famous and historic stadium in the world to their new
stadium across East 161st Street. The name, Yankee Stadium, remains the
same, and it appears that ghosts of the old Yankee Stadium moved to
the new one as the New York Yankees won their 27th World Championship in 2009.
For over
eight decades the Yankees played at the
old Yankee Stadium. When it opened in 1923, it was the largest and
most magnificent stadium in baseball and was home to many legendary players and teams.
Due to its
deteriorating condition in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Yankee Stadium
was renovated and rebuilt between 1974 and 1976. Since that renovation, nearly every team
in baseball either renovated or had a new ballpark constructed.
While many fans and traditionalists would have preferred the Yankees
to continue to play at Yankee Stadium, the team wanted a new
ballpark built in order to bring in additional revenue and to offer
fans more amenities and luxuries. After years of discussions and
rumors, the New York Yankees officially announced plans for a new
Yankee Stadium in June 2005. Constructed adjacent to the old Yankee
Stadium, groundbreaking occurred on
August
16, 2006.
The Yankees financed the $1.6
billion project, and the City of New York spent $220 million
for infrastructure and other improvements in the area.
On April
16, 2009, the New York Yankees played their first game at the new
Yankee Stadium against the Cleveland Indians. Tradition and the look
of the original Yankee Stadium prior to its renovation in the 1970s
is incorporated into the new stadium. The new Yankee Stadium seats
approximately 52,000 fans as the main grandstand consists of four
levels stretching from foul pole to foul pole, with nearly 30,000
seats in the first two levels.
 The third level contains 56 luxury
suites and the fourth level features a split level upper deck. Fans
who enjoyed sitting in the bleachers at the old Yankee Stadium can
continue to do so at the new stadium as it has the same number of
bleachers and includes a food court. Many elements are incorporated
into the new stadium that were lost when Yankee Stadium was
renovated in the 1970s.
The stadium consists of two separate structures. The exterior wall,
consisting of limestone and granite, constructed to replicate the
original Yankee Stadium facade, built in 1923, is known as the Great Hall. It
features 31,000 square feet and serves as the concourse before
entering the stadium. The interior stadium itself rises over the top
of the exterior. From the outside, the structures appear as one building
almost identical in materials and design to the original stadium.
Cavernous concourses give way to open spaces with sightlines to the
field from nearly every vantage point in the stadium.
The signature copper
frieze, the lattice work that once rimmed the original stadium roof
and was recreated in the outfield of
the renovated Yankee Stadium,
is now replicated in its original location at the new Yankee Stadium. Monument park is located
beyond the outfield fence in centerfield below a restaurant that
makes up the batters eye. The new stadium has the same dimensions
and bullpen placements as the old Yankee Stadium. A 56ft. by 101ft.
high definition video scoreboard is located in the outfield. Hand
operated auxiliary scoreboards are incorporated as part of the
right-center and left-center fences. There are many amenities at the
new stadium including luxury, outdoor and party suites, club seats,
a martini bar, steakhouse and picnic areas. A Yankees Museum that
displays memorabilia of great Yankee teams and players from the
past, along with a Hard Rock Cafe is located in the Grand Hall.
In 2009, the Yankees were able to accomplish the same feat that the
1923 Yankees did when the original Yankee Stadium opened, by winning the
World Series. Led by superstars including Alex Rodriguez and Derek
Jeter, the 2009 World Series Championship was the Yankees 27th
championship in team history.
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