|
Post by maizeyanks on Jul 8, 2021 12:27:43 GMT -5
Great stuff Pipps, thanks for sharing. My uncles used to share what it was like at the original YS and I can only imagine how special it felt. Here's another thing to ponder, IIRC Boston and Cubs both wanted new stadiums but the city wouldn't let them bc they were historical landmarks. Why and how did NYC let the Yankees re-model in the 70s and then tear it down in 08-09? Why wasn't YS ever labeled a historical landmark? I remember that with Fenway, Maize. I didn't know Wrigley was in the same boat. Can you imagine? Far lesser structures than Yankee Stadium have historic preservation status. I don't recall now if George was still mentally competent when that decision was made. I think possibly not, because he had a slow decline that began many years before his death in 2010. It seems more like a Hal thing. Whoever it was it was an act of historical vandalism. Supposedly that stuff ended after the old Pennsylvania Station was torn down and replaced by that sterile ugly mess that sits there still. Supposedly the vandals were shamed -- that's what saved Carnegie Hall when it was scheduled to be the next victim. I never understood why they didn't just do what they did before the 1973-74 remodeling and bunk with the Mets for a couple of years. Or figure out a way to play in the Meadowlands temporarily. Aqueduct, Yale Bowl, anything. They could have done it, but they didn't care. We care, but they didn't care. I have more attachment to the place across the street. That's where they played. Maybe someday Jacob Ruppert VII will buy the team and build it back. I believe it was our good friend Randy Levine and his connections in the NYC political spectrum that got the ball rolling on approving YS3, he's the gift that keeps on giving.
|
|
|
Post by kaybli on Jul 8, 2021 12:31:28 GMT -5
Hi Maize, just reading your post now -- concur on Wrigley, it's my favorite existing park for the reasons you stated. It feels like baseball. I was at old Yankee Stadium (aka Real Yankee Stadium) many times. First time was 1960. To me it felt like walking into the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Even later in life after being in dozens of major league parks, none had the feeling of grandeur that Yankee Stadium had. The immense size, the beautiful facade, the monuments--and there were only three then, and they were part of the playing field -- and of course mainly the history of who had played there. Nothing else like it. The seats were small and wooden and there were a lot of polls obstructing your view. The good part was once you were inside it was easy to move around the park and nobody bothered you unless you tried to stay in the season ticket holder seats once the game started. Then the ushers, who were all old men who looked like they had been there since the Stadium opened, would make you scatter. But it was very easy-going and you could even chat with the players near the dugout before the game started. Back in those days the Yankees only averaged maybe 20,000 to 25,000 a game, even with great teams, so you could easily move around. Capacity was around 67,000 -- it had been as high as 82,000 a one point -- so that contributed to the vastness. It was 296 and 301 down the lines, but quickly moved out to 407 in right-center, 461 to center, and 457 to left-center, the famous Death Valley. BTW it was 500 to left-center when the place opened in 1923, and 483 to center. There was no music or commecials blasting. No idiotic contests on the scoreboard. No electronic fake cheerleading. You might get rhythmic clapping if the Yankees had a rally going or he occasional "Let's go Yankees" chant, but all the noise came from actual live human beings. Eddie Layton played bland background organ music between innings and before the game. And you could exit the game walking across the field to get to the tunnels. The first game I ever went to there, the guys from the bullpen walked right past us on their way to the locker room. I remember Johnny Blanchard, Ryne Duren, Bill Stafford and Eli Grba moving right past me. Baseball cards come to life! I was awestruck -- Eli Grba, OMG!! Wow, this has become an essay. Sorry Maize, when you asked about The House That Ruth Built, that was a hanging curve to me. Anyway, the memories are all fond ones, and I cherish all of them. Great memories Maize. My first time at Yankee Stadium was 1959. One of my favorite memories from that trip was getting off the subway at the Stadium and seeing all the Yankee's memorabilia stores. A young kid who loved the Yankee's was in heaven. I still have my Yankees pen shaped like a bat and the auto penned baseball. I managed to hold on to a few of my baseball cards from those days. Right now I am looking at a 1959 Jim Coates and a 1959 Marv Throneberry. Not stars by any means. My favorite card is the "Bomber's Best" from 1963 featuring Mantle, Tresh and Richardson. Now I will get out of the wayback machine. That Bomber's Best Card looks to be selling for north of $175 on Ebay! I'd keep it though if I were you.
|
|
|
Post by pippsheadache on Jul 8, 2021 12:31:36 GMT -5
Imagine a player so good that he finished in the top 9 of the MVP vote in 10 out of his 13 seasons. The only season in which he got no MVP votes at all was 1951, his final season… And he could hardly run that last season because of those ankle spurs. Wish I had been able to watch him live. MrG remembered him at the end of his career. Imagine going from Joe to Mick. Here we sit dealing with Hicks and Gardner.
|
|
|
Post by pippsheadache on Jul 8, 2021 12:35:01 GMT -5
Maize-- you're right, Randy Levine. Just in it for the love of the game.
|
|
|
Post by bearman on Jul 8, 2021 13:46:50 GMT -5
Great memories Maize. My first time at Yankee Stadium was 1959. One of my favorite memories from that trip was getting off the subway at the Stadium and seeing all the Yankee's memorabilia stores. A young kid who loved the Yankee's was in heaven. I still have my Yankees pen shaped like a bat and the auto penned baseball. I managed to hold on to a few of my baseball cards from those days. Right now I am looking at a 1959 Jim Coates and a 1959 Marv Throneberry. Not stars by any means. My favorite card is the "Bomber's Best" from 1963 featuring Mantle, Tresh and Richardson. Now I will get out of the wayback machine. That Bomber's Best Card looks to be selling for north of $175 on Ebay! I'd keep it though if I were you. I love the old cards that had multiple players on them. How about a 1964 Yankees Rookie Stars card featuring Jake Gibbs(former college football star) and Tom Metcalf? You are right kaybli I would never consider selling the Bomber's Best card. Too many good memories of a young boy and his dad sitting in Yankee Stadium watching a game.
|
|
|
Post by inger on Jul 8, 2021 13:54:23 GMT -5
That Bomber's Best Card looks to be selling for north of $175 on Ebay! I'd keep it though if I were you. I love the old cards that had multiple players on them. How about a 1964 Yankees Rookie Stars card featuring Jake Gibbs(former college football star) and Tom Metcalf? You are right kaybli I would never consider selling the Bomber's Best card. Too many good memories of a young boy and his dad sitting in Yankee Stadium watching a game. Bomber’s Best card / E-Bay / $175.00 Same card in Bearman’s hand / priceless I like it. Hang on tight, Bearman. While you can’t take it with you, you’ll know that you kept it. You can also pass it on to trusted hands that you know will keep the legacy going. Someone else that would never part with it. As for collectibles, I would only sell one if it was going to net life-changing money. I have a few little items that might be worth as much as $30 to the right person. I’d much rather look at them once in a while…
|
|
|
Post by bearman on Jul 8, 2021 14:25:42 GMT -5
One more story as I wander farther off the thread topic. I have an attorney friend here in Hickory who found a couple autographed baseballs in the safe of his law office last year. As it turns out they belonged to one of his partners who got them from his grandfather who lived in New York at one time. He brought them to me since he knows I dabble in collectibles. We were able to determine that the balls were from the 1952 Yankees and the 1952 New York Giants. The signatures were amazing. He sent them to PSA for authentication and they came back legitimate and graded an 8, which is very high. He offered to let me display them in my store but I declined because I didn't want the responsibility. They went back in his safe.
|
|
|
Post by kaybli on Jul 8, 2021 14:29:33 GMT -5
One more story as I wander farther off the thread topic. I have an attorney friend here in Hickory who found a couple autographed baseballs in the safe of his law office last year. As it turns out they belonged to one of his partners who got them from his grandfather who lived in New York at one time. He brought them to me since he knows I dabble in collectibles. We were able to determine that the balls were from the 1952 Yankees and the 1952 New York Giants. The signatures were amazing. He sent them to PSA for authentication and they came back legitimate and graded an 8, which is very high. He offered to let me display them in my store but I declined because I didn't want the responsibility. They went back in his safe. Very cool, bearman! Do you have pictures by any chance?
|
|
|
Post by bearman on Jul 8, 2021 14:49:27 GMT -5
One more story as I wander farther off the thread topic. I have an attorney friend here in Hickory who found a couple autographed baseballs in the safe of his law office last year. As it turns out they belonged to one of his partners who got them from his grandfather who lived in New York at one time. He brought them to me since he knows I dabble in collectibles. We were able to determine that the balls were from the 1952 Yankees and the 1952 New York Giants. The signatures were amazing. He sent them to PSA for authentication and they came back legitimate and graded an 8, which is very high. He offered to let me display them in my store but I declined because I didn't want the responsibility. They went back in his safe. Very cool, bearman! Do you have pictures by any chance? No I don't but the next time I see Andy I'll ask him to send me some pictures.
|
|
|
Post by kaybli on Jul 8, 2021 14:50:34 GMT -5
Very cool, bearman! Do you have pictures by any chance? No I don't but the next time I see Andy I'll ask him to send me some pictures. Sounds good!
|
|
|
Post by inger on Jul 8, 2021 15:01:22 GMT -5
One more story as I wander farther off the thread topic. I have an attorney friend here in Hickory who found a couple autographed baseballs in the safe of his law office last year. As it turns out they belonged to one of his partners who got them from his grandfather who lived in New York at one time. He brought them to me since he knows I dabble in collectibles. We were able to determine that the balls were from the 1952 Yankees and the 1952 New York Giants. The signatures were amazing. He sent them to PSA for authentication and they came back legitimate and graded an 8, which is very high. He offered to let me display them in my store but I declined because I didn't want the responsibility. They went back in his safe. Smart of you not to take them. The dark of the safe is the best place to preserve those signatures…and smart for other more shameful reasons that have to do with human behavior…
|
|
|
Post by rizzuto on Jul 8, 2021 15:15:20 GMT -5
Beautiful memories, everyone. That soliloquy of James Earl Jones from Field of Dreams echoes through my head when reading these posts. Those emotional ties baseball provides that “mark the times” are the reason baseball is different from every other sport. Thank you for taking me to the original Yankee Stadium with these posts.
|
|
|
Post by inger on Jul 8, 2021 16:00:54 GMT -5
Beautiful memories, everyone. That soliloquy of James Earl Jones from Field of Dreams echoes through my head when reading these posts. Those emotional ties baseball provides that “mark the times” are the reason baseball is different from every other sport. Thank you for taking me to the original Yankee Stadium with these posts. The opportunity to “Take a trip and never leave the farm” is one of the most attractive virtues of this little forum…
|
|