IIATMS visits Yankee Stadium

Jason is about as objective as it comes in the Yankee blogosphere, so it comes as no surprise that his review of Yankee Stadium — following his first-ever visit there yesterday — is tough but fair. Many of the comments echo those heard in every city that has gotten a new park in the past 15-20 years: nice, comfortable, but a suggestion that it’s maybe too comfortable somehow. Jason kind of sums it all up with this humdinger, characterizing the transition from Yankee Stadium v1.1 to v2.0:

It was a rebel bad-ass that got married, had his hair cut, leather jacket donated to the Salvation Army, and fitted in a pair of pressed chinos and an oxford. Just not quite the same.

In other news, I now feel vicariously poorer after reading Jason’s description of how much everything cost. Dear Lord.


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Steve
14 years ago

A fitting summary… Isn’t that what the Yankees do to all their free agents?  Damon, Giambi, even Randy Johnson – they all have to shave, cut their mullets, whatever, and end up shells of their former selves.

Drew
14 years ago

I caught a game at the New Yankee earlier this year (scored seats in the Delta Suites or whatever they call the semi-private deck from a friend).  I noticed the concessions were indeed pricey (more on this), but my biggest issue with the stadium was that even with all the billboard real estate and the enormous TV screen in centerfield, they’ve managed to put in the worst out-of-town scoreboard I’ve seen in ages.  Only four games fit at a time on this thing, and while they do rotate through the scores, I’d like to see a full roster of games instead of this 4 at a time nonsense.  My buddy suggested maybe they figure you shouldn’t care about anything but the Yankees.  It’s possible.

Anyhow, on the topic of food prices, it’s important to remember that you’re talking about buying food in New York, which is already going to be on the pricey side.  Yes, there’s a giant mark-up in Yankee Stadium, but remember that you’re getting marked up from prices that are already on the very high side nationwide, so it’s not quite as ridiculous as it seems.  The calorie count thing, by the way, is a law in NYC, and I’m starting to come around to it.  The calorie counts are no different in other parks, you just aren’t aware of it.  If you want to consume 6,000 calories worth of food at a game (totally doable), that’s your choice; you should just be aware of what you’re doing.  CitiField of course has much more reasonable concessions, frankly on par with what you’d pay outside the stadium in most cases.  But the Yankees have always been the more expensive team.

Travis M. Nelson
14 years ago

Got to disagree with Jason, though admittedly I haven’t been to NYS yet.  But I’m sure that any residual bad-ass was extricated from the original Yankee Stadium during the renovations in the 1970’s. 

And as for concession pricing, well, I went to a game in Toronto in May and had to pay $10.50 CAN for a beer, which turned out to be something like $9 US, so they’re right up there price-wise, except that they can’t justify it as easily, given that they’re in the bottom third in the majors in average attendance and the Yankees are the biggest draw in baseball.

Jason @ IIATMS
14 years ago

Travo, the dark corridors, the upper-deck overhang, the visable monuments in left field, the black bleachers/batter’s eye…. all stuff that were the imposing parts of TOYS (for fans and players) that didn’t make the trip across the street to TNYS.

Nick Whitman
14 years ago

Yes, because when I think “Yankees” I think “rebel badasses.”

Jason @ IIATMS
14 years ago

Nick, keep looking, you’ll find the point eventually.  It wasn’t about the team; it was the about the old stadium being a tough place to play, visit, etc.