12 replies to this topic

[Cotuit]

Yankees Break Ground on Stadium [The New York Times]
Yanks break ground for new stadium [MLB.com]

[TheDash]

wow that looks really good, does anybody know how many seats it holds

[chuck!]

TheDash, on Mar 3 2007, 07:47 PM, said:

wow that looks really good, does anybody know how many seats it holds

Why do the Yankees need a new stadium?  Aren't there lots of homeless people in NYC???

[fractured]

chuck!, on Mar 4 2007, 12:00 AM, said:

Why do the Yankees need a new stadium?  Aren't there lots of homeless people in NYC???

...well, there's need and want. They do not need a new stadium.  They want one.  They're the richest team in sports and the bill (for the new stadium) is mostly covered by them.  NYC is a city that is used to being in the spotlight; used to being on top, and the Yankees reflect that.  They don't want to fall behind other "lesser cities" that do not have the same rich sports history and/or expectation.  And by "lesser cities" I don't mean to suggest that NYC is the best city, but rather that they see themselves that way. As to how this relates to homelessness in the city, building a new stadium won't hurt (or help) that situation. 

[rbdetsport]

Looks like it will be a nice stadium.

[melk]

It's just a shame that they are tearing down the 3rd oldest Baseball Park/Stadium in the country to build the new one.

(Fenway and Wrigley are 1st and 2nd)

[Lowerdeck]

melk, on Aug 18 2007, 08:55 PM, said:

It's just a shame that they are tearing down the 3rd oldest Baseball Park/Stadium in the country to build the new one.

(Fenway and Wrigley are 1st and 2nd)

The problem with the older parks is that they are slowly crumbling and seriously outdated.

While history is nice, there is one point in time you do need to drastically fix things or move on to the future.  Fenway for example, I love it ... it's got it's history and charm.  It needs a total gutting renovation though.  95 years old, plenty of bad and uncomfortable seats, narrow walkways, etc...

[melk]

I call that part of the experience. You're not living in the stadium, you spend at most a few hours there. Renovations for maintenance and upkeep? Sure. Tearing it down so you can add more luxury boxes?

[tombarnes]

As much as I hate to admit this, baseball is a business above anything else.  Unfortunately, luxury boxes are in demand to the extent that corporations won't have anything to do with a stadium that fails to meet its requirements for amenities.  The sad fact is that the average fan does not really pay the freight in these new sporting palazzi.  Luxury boxes do, and that's where you will see the future investment.  As much as I would love to see the old stadium saved, I fear that the race for luxury boxes has spelled its doom in large script.

[Cotuit]

Lowerdeck, on Aug 18 2007, 11:15 PM, said:

While history is nice, there is one point in time you do need to drastically fix things or move on to the future.  Fenway for example, I love it ... it's got it's history and charm.  It needs a total gutting renovation though.  95 years old, plenty of bad and uncomfortable seats, narrow walkways, etc...

Fenway has been going through extensive renovation in the off season for at least the last 5 years. Many big changes have taken place there while retaining the character of the old park. Fenway's age is part of the marketing now. Even if the Red Sox slip and become a crap team again, baseball fans will still make a pilgrimage to Boston to see a game in the oldest park in the country. The Red Sox owners finally realize that the park is something special, and more importantly to them, marketable.

[Lowerdeck]

Cotuit, on Aug 21 2007, 09:56 AM, said:

Fenway has been going through extensive renovation in the off season for at least the last 5 years. Many big changes have taken place there while retaining the character of the old park. Fenway's age is part of the marketing now. Even if the Red Sox slip and become a crap team again, baseball fans will still make a pilgrimage to Boston to see a game in the oldest park in the country. The Red Sox owners finally realize that the park is something special, and more importantly to them, marketable.

My major complaint about Fenway is the seating arrangements, I think much of the park needs improvements on that.  However, they have been doing lots of renovations throughout and think they're doing great things up there.  

Unfortunately much of what I see of Fenway is from the outside ... I am in the neighborhood a lot (as recently as Monday morning, 37 hours ago).  But tickets are incredibly expensive, sell out in February, and hard for the average fans to get (without being in section 5 or paying arm and a leg.)

[Sam H]

the new yankee stadium looks exactly like the old one

[Lowerdeck]

Sam H, on Jul 21 2008, 12:31 PM, said:

the new yankee stadium looks exactly like the old one

That was the intent, recreate the old one for the 21st century.  That of course means modern amenities and more luxury boxes with slightly less seating overall.