Yankee Stadium
From SoSH
| Location: | Bronx, New York |
| Opened: | April 18, 1923 |
| Owner: | City of New York (Since 1971) |
| Surface: | Merion Bluegrass |
| Architect: | Osborn Engineering |
| Current Capacity: | 57,545 |
| Build Cost: | $2.5 Million |
| Tenants: | New York Yankees (1923-1973, 1976-2008) NY Football Yankees (AFL/NFL) (1926-1928) NY AAFC Yankees (AAFC) (1946 - 1949) New York Yanks (NFL) (1950 - 1951) New York Giants (NFL) (1956-1973) |
Contents |
Stadium History
On February 6, 1921, the Yankees announced the purchase of 10 acres of property in the west Bronx. The land, purchased from the estate of William Waldorf Astor for $675,000, sat directly across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds, where the Yankees' had played since 1913. On their newly acquired property, the Yankees would build one of the most famous ballparks in baseball history.
Renovations were made in 1966 and 1967, but more than that was needed. In 1972, the team sold their stadium to the city and signed a thirty year lease. During the 1974 and 1975 seasons, the Yankees played at Shea Stadium while the city made major renovations to Yankee Stadium. The renovated Yankee Stadium opened with much fanfare in 1976.
New Yankee Stadium
The Yankees have begun tearing apart Macombs Dam Park and John Mullaly Park, making way for the team's new stadium. The new stadium would feature a combination of elements from the old stadium before and after the 1970's renovation. The $1.3 billion stadium project is being constructed on 22 acres of public parkland north of the team's East 161st Street home. Financing for the stadium plan involves more than $400 million in public subsidies from the city and state; up to 40 percent of the Yankees' portion may be subsized through reduced revenue-sharing contributions. But community groups have not given up their fight to preserve their rare patch of parkland in the nation's poorest congressional district.
The Yankees expect to begin the 2009 season in their new home. This would make 2008 the final season at the Yankees' famed ballpark.
The current stadium does not have any ground rules in place and adhere to MLB's ground rules which are found in section 6.08 of the Major League Rule Book.
Trivia
- Hosted the 1977, 1960 (II) and 1939 All-Star games.
- A ball hitting the foul pole in the 1930s was in play, not a homer
- Monument Park used to be on the warning track close to center field, 460 feet away from home plate. Monument Park is no longer in play, but behind the fence
- Site of the greatest comeback in baseball history
Field Dimensions
| Left Field | Left Center | Center Field | Right Center | Right Field |
| 318' | 399' | 408' | 385' | 314' |
Wall Height
| Left Field | Center Field | Right Field |
| 8’ | 7’ | 10’ |
Ground Rules
Yankee Stadium currently does not employ any ground rules in addition to the Universal Ground Rules. It is yet to be known if the new park will have any ground rules, but will likely not as it is of similair design to the current park.
