Remembering Yankee Stadium

(Produce September, 2008)

To me, it’s actually the closing of the second Yankee Stadium. The first went down in 1973 – although it was officially described as a “renovation”. Out came the famous upper deck facade (carted off to Albany where it was turned into scrap). Gone was the auxiliary scoreboard. Gone was the 296 foot right field proch. Gone were the on field monuments, relegated to a “Memorial Park”.

Well, you get the idea.

Yes, there were still reminders of the original House That Ruth Built. The rampways. The tunnels under the stands leading from the clubhouse to the dugout. The backdrop of Bronx County Courthouse (and just a bit of the elevated subway on River Avenue).

But clearly this was not the original Yankee Stadium. I considered it Yankee Stadium # 2.

So, it is with mixed feeling that I look at the closing of this Yankee Stadium.

Some of these feelings ate discussed in this podcast with Harvey Frommer, author of a wonderful book entitled “Remembering Yankee Stadium”.

Frommer, one of the nation’s leading baseball authorities, takes us on a journey through the Stadium’s 85 year history. From Murder’s Row to Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech. From Joe D, Mantle & Maris, Yogi and Whitey Ford through Jeter, Bernie and Torre.

Hear the podcast @ http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=116