MESSAGE #641 OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW…YANKEE STADIUM
Babe Ruth played there.
Mickey Mantle played there.
Derek Jeter played there.
Muhammad Ali played there.
Pink Floyd played there.
Vince Lombardi played there.
Nelson Mandela played there.
John F. Kennedy played there.
It sure is sad to look across 161st Street at the old stadium, empty with the lights turned off.
Last night, I attended my first Yankee game in the new stadium. It was absolutely beautiful. I got off the D train, walked up the steps, and walked into my first souvenir shop. After checking out a couple shops, I headed towards my favorite hotdog stand outside the stadium (next to the bowling alley). Make sure you get one with onions and mustard.
After my treat, I took some quick photographs outside the new stadium. It was time to enter the new cathedral. We entered through Gate 4 and proceeded to walk down the Great Hall. Wow, breath-taking.
Next stop was Monument Park, which is back to it’s original location, behind the center field wall. I paid respects to the Babe, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and the rest of the gang. It was good to see my old friends again.
After that, we headed over to the Yankee Museum on the 200 Level. You walk in and see an autograph wall in between statues of Don Larson and Yogi Berra. There are signed baseballs by Babe Ruth, and players from the DiMaggio days up until the recent Jeter years. Seats from the original stadium were on display and a spectacular ball wall with autographs from almost every player who wore the pinstripes seemed like the main attraction. Last but not least, you can see Thurman Munson’s locker as you exit the museum.
We walked along the concourse, and I loved the fact that you can not only see the entire field, but also circle the entire stadium on the same level.
Our seats (thanks to Mike DeBlase) were Section 432B, Row 4, Seats 11 and 12 in the Grandstand in left field. As I took it all in, I was in awe of the new stadium’s beauty, but then I got a chill.
This was a new stadium, but there is something eerily familiar about it.
I could sense the pride and tradition all around me.
Do I miss the old stadium?
Of course, but nothing lasts forever. Sometimes you just have to move on.
There’s no sense dwelling on things you cannot change. Embrace the new. Live for today.
Thanks for reading.
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