I hate the Yankees.
Let’s just get that disclaimer out of the way right off the bat. The passion is fueled by the recognition of excellence in a team other than your fan favorite, who has just achieved way more than any other team.
So likely that colors my experience of this ballpark, as this was more of a “I really should make this iconic visit” choice than anything else.
But I didn’t like this park.
Built in 2009, just like the Mets’ Citi Field where I was last night, it’s the only park on this trip that felt old to me. I think it’s because they chose (probably rightly so, given the incredible history of the Yankees) to make so many nods to the past two stadiums that stood just across the street in the Bronx. So this park is entirely enclosed, with a colosseum-like facade on the outside, and just feels weighed down in concrete on the inside.
The outside is gorgeous:
But it comes at such a cost on the inside. I think they also kept the levels and seating levels similar to past Yankee Stadiums, rather than some of the newer designs which get seats closer to the field. And they chose ramps instead of stairs to get up high, which is more accessible. But that meant my third level terrace seats took so long to get to, and walking up the ramps was the first time on this trip that I had flashbacks to some of the 70’s and 80’s ballparks I saw as a kid.
They’ve re-created the familiar white facade inside the stadium at the top, and the familiar pennants of every team ring the top.
Some of the nice touches were the excellent museum, and the fact that they’ve transformed the area across the street, where the two former stadiums stood, into Heritage Park, where the public can play baseball games.
It’s still a nice place to spend an evening, with some great views to enjoy.
One last nod to the 2007 baseball tour. Day 4 sixteen years ago was in Pittsburg, and I was quite proud of how I took multiple pictures from my camera phone, and then stitched them together like the old school panoramas we had to create digitally back then. How proud? “It turned out so stunningly well, I wish I would have done this at every stadium.”
Let’s take a look, shall we?
My three year old iPhone, with its built in wide angle lens, took a far better picture tonight all by itself:
We now come to the close of the 2023 barnstorming tour, as I start the journey home in the morning. Thanks for actually reading a blog like it’s 2007 all over again!
Thanks for the throwback shot from Pittsburgh. The panorama shot is impressive as mastery of the available 2007 technology, but it doesn’t do the stadium justice.