New Yankee Stadium

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Yankees.com/AP

 

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees will announce detailed plans Wednesday for a new ballpark, which would be built adjacent to the current Yankee Stadium and could be ready by the 2009 season.

 

The team has spent years planning the new stadium, which will have a capacity of about 51,000 -- approximately 6,000 seats fewer than the current ballpark. It would be constructed in Macombs Dam Park, to the north of the current stadium, and financed mostly by the team.

 

Yankee Stadium, which opened in 1923, is the third-oldest park in use in the major leagues, younger only than Boston's Fenway Park (1912) and Chicago's Wrigley Field (1914). Yankee Stadium was renovated extensively in 1974-75, but the team has long desired a modern ballpark with more luxury suites and wider concourses.

 

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner planned to attend the news conference, spokesman Howard Rubenstein said. Yankees officials said earlier this year they hoped to start construction in 2006 and move into the new ballpark in 2009, a timetable that would be ambitious given the delays that frequently occur in construction in New York.

 

Just last weekend, New York City and the Mets announced plans for a new ballpark next to Shea Stadium. That facility would be used for the 2012 Olympics the International Olympic Committee votes July 6 to award the event to New York.

 

That plan was drawn up after last week's collapse of the proposal to build a retractable-roof stadium in Manhattan for the NFL's Jets and the Olympics.

 

The Yankees and New York City's government agreed several weeks ago to a memorandum of understanding for the new Bronx ballpark. The team will pay for the stadium on its own, and the cost of paying off the bonds used to raise the money will be deducted from the Yankees' locally generated revenue. That will lower the Yankees' revenue sharing payments to the Commissioner's office.

 

The team wanted the city and state to pay for building a commuter rail stop, and other infrastructure costs.

[mike546 0]

Ugh.

 

Whats wrong with Yankee Stadium? Honestly?

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Well, there was that beam that fell and crushed a seat...when nobody was there...in 1998....

[Precious Roy 0]

First we let the Red Sox win a world series, next we tear down the House That Ruth Built, and the final step is having Steinbrenner commited to an insane asylum

[Brett Favre 0]

The Stadium has been falling apart for a while. Hopefully they turn it into a museum, and just leave the field for people to walk on.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Here's some designs I found.

 

 

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

A retractable roof? How often do they have a rainout?

 

This is a bad, bad move for the Yankees. Half of their success is a result of their image. Yankee Stadium is a huge part of that image. Without their classic stadium, they play in just another sterilized park. And why should I drive two hours and brave New York traffic for that?

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Those designs are a few years old..they even show the new Mets stadium with a retractable roof and that was pulled from the plans that were announced recently.

 

Tomorrows press conference will probably unveil the new ones.

 

That ballparks site is cool though.

[Guest Fishyswa]

When I first heard about this a while ago I thought it was just retarded.

 

But really, it would have to happen eventually, and if they have to, this is a good way to do it. The old stadium stands as a smaller field and museum, the new one's right next door, has a very similar look, and is basically just more suited for the time. As a fan and NY'er, I think it's gonna work out fine.

[Precious Roy 0]

I can deal with a new park as long as the current YS is left standing. It's a piece of history and should remain intact. I feel the same way about Fenway and Wrigley. Hell, they could even convert it into a concert venue or something, just don't tear it down.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Red Sox fans could rent it out for parties!

[Precious Roy 0]

We could use it as a new "gulag" when they shut down Gitmo!

[tominator89 0]

I finally got to see Yankee Stadium last year so I'm glad I did. Even so, I'd rather it be renovated than destroyed or something. It's a place I'd like to take my kids to someday (when I have them).

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Well, in five years Williamsport's Bowman Field will officially be the oldest park in my region.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Maybe there will be some 11th-hour thing that prevents it.

[tominator89 0]

Well, in five years Williamsport's Bowman Field will officially be the oldest park in my region.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

We must be somewhat close to each other. I live two miles from Knoebels Amusement Park.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Great park. I'm about an hour east, in the Poconos.

 

Do you ever go to Red Barons games?

[Bored 0]

Obviously the Yankees can't compete without a new stadium.

[Guest Mosaicv2]

Well, there was that beam that fell and crushed a seat...when nobody was there...in 1998....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

All is right with the world.

[Guest Mosaicv2]

We could use it as a new "gulag" when they shut down Gitmo!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Like I said before... all is right with the world.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

If George is paying for it, let him do what he wants...

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Well shit, now I know I have 4 years to go see a game there. Been meaning to for a while, now I have an incentive to get my ass there.

[Jericholic82 0]

Well I guess we should have seen this coming. I mean they could just renovate the current one again, but then they would have to play their games in shea and that just complicates matters.

 

And they better not demolish the old one, but somehow I see that happening.

[treble 0]

I think they'd have to get rid of the old one, if not right away, then eventually. It's not really feasible to have 2 huge stadiums side-by-side if only one of them is in use.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

AHA!

 

The team estimates its annual stadium expense will increase from $22 million to $68 million, money that will be deducted from its locally generated revenue when calculating revenue-sharing payments to major league baseball.

 

Assuming the revenue-sharing rules don't change substantially after the current collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2006, the ballpark payments will cut the revenue-sharing money some teams otherwise would receive.

 

``They may be the only unhappy people as a result of this deal,'' Yankees president Randy Levine said.

 

Thats $46 million a year they wont have to cough to up to revenue sharing with other teams.

 

Oh and..

 

The Yankees unveiled a model of the ballpark, which on the outside will be treated with limestone and resemble Yankee Stadium prior to its 1974-75 renovation. It will seat from 50,800 to 54,000, with about 30,000 seats in the lower deck, an increase of approximately 10,000. The field dimensions will remain as they are currently, and the bullpens will be moved back to right field. Monument Park will move to the new ballpark, and a stadium club will be added above it.

 

Levine said the new ballpark also will be called ``Yankee Stadium,'' but that the team may sell naming rights and have the ballpark called ``Yankee Stadium at `X' Plaza.'' Steinbrenner said the team rejected having a retractable roof.

 

``There was a discussion, but the cost was very extraordinary,'' he said.

 

I also read that they would tear down most of the current Yankee Stadium, but that the field itself would be turned into a little leage/high school field. Lucky kids they will be..

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

I hope it's just named Yankee Stadium once again and they don't sell out to any company.

[mike546 0]

Everything at the old stadium is gonna stay the same beside them moving monument park and taking away the upper decks.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Good to know that with the Metrodome, Tropicana Field, and the Rogers Centre all stinking up the AL, we're finally replacing Yankee Stadium.

[Angel_Grace_Blue 0]

I know the perfect name for it: Famous Original Ray's Yankee Stadium

[the max 0]

The funny thing is that the local moron on talk-radio has declared that since the Red Sox try so hard to be the Yankees that they'll have to "1-up" the Yanks by building a newer, better Fenway Park. The question is...why? People don't want a new Fenway, they just wanted additions made to the old one. Eventually, they're going to have a build a stadium, but not to compete with the Yanks over who has the biggest armrests, etc.

 

That said, as much as I don't like the Yanks, Georgie is funding this with his money, without raising holy hell with the taxpayers and whatnot and that I like.