Demolition of the old Yankee Stadium

[AtomicEraTom]

I don't think it could be put better than this.

It wasn't nearly as big of a piece of history, but we went through this in Milwaukee with County Stadum/Miller Park. County Stadium was home of the Milwaukee Braves, and a part of Milwaukee's history, and it was part of my memory, my dad worked on County Stadium when I was a kid. And we could see the stadium from my old house.

As a lifelong Red Sox fan, I think this is a horrible thing -- not just for the Yankees, not just for baseball, but for American cultural history. The Stadium is the most famous American public venue of the twentieth century, and for it to be torn down with not a piece left standing as a memorial is a cultural crime of the first magnitude. The Steinbrenners ought to be ashamed of themselves, but I kind of doubt they're capable of such emotion.

 

[Silver Dollar]

I know what you're talking about Tom. I'm originally from NYC. To me, Yankee Stadium holds the same place as the Empire State Building or the Chrysler building. It's a crying shame that something as historic as the Stadium can be taken away so fast without a second look. Same with the Milwaukee Braves. Believe it or not, I was a Milwaukee Braves fan as a kid. When they left Milwaukee, I was crushed. Before that, it was the Giants and the Dodgers that left NY. What a state of affairs.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Well, I'm one native New Yorker who doesn't much care.

Despite growing up within spitting distance of the Bronx and always having vaguely considered the Yankees "my" team, I never attended a pro game anywhere until two years ago - and I'm in my fifties. (Though it was at the old Yankee Stadium, because a baseball-freak upper-management type was visting from out of town, and he wanted to see a game there before it was too late.)

But then, I'm that rarest of beasts, a totally sports-disinterested male. I have absolutely no emotional connection to the game/team/Stadium. While I can certainly feel for the loss of a classic bit of NYC architecture, in that department, I'm way more disturbed that they tore down the old Penn Station and the Singer Building back in the sixties!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Yeah, and now we've got the Brewers, what good's come of that besides the 82 season?

I guess change is inevitable, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Ironically, right across the street from me, my favorite sign in all of town, a 50's or 60's sign, about 8 feet tall and 3 dimensional that looks like the rexall logo and says Village Drug on it, is being taken down. And I am not too happy about that change either

I know what you're talking about Tom. I'm originally from NYC. To me, Yankee Stadium holds the same place as the Empire State Building or the Chrysler building. It's a crying shame that something as historic as the Stadium can be taken away so fast without a second look. Same with the Milwaukee Braves. Believe it or not, I was a Milwaukee Braves fan as a kid. When they left Milwaukee, I was crushed. Before that, it was the Giants and the Dodgers that left NY. What a state of affairs.

 

[dhermann1]

The Singer Building!

That's a name you seldom hear. I strongly suspect that it was the tallest building ever demolished (if you exclude the WTC). It wasn't a very efficient use of space, but what a gorgeous tower. The very practical and drab Merrill Lynch Building sits there now, with the downtown branch of Brooks Brothers, I think.
Old Yankee Stadiunm is just a dirty hole in the ground now. . . . . .

 

[Forgotten Man]

Truly sad, but not the first time something like this has happened in New York, remember Penn Station?

Yes, one of the biggest acts of civic vandalism ever! That station was amazing and what replaced it is a joke! And let this be one reason I really have no interest in the 1960s! So much beauty gave way to the "International" movement. BAH!

Not to mention our very own Ambassador Hotel and the Coconut Grove! LA, will you ever learn? Of course not, not so long as we have who we have runnin' the show, da sap!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Well, I'm one native New Yorker who doesn't much care.

Despite growing up within spitting distance of the Bronx and always having vaguely considered the Yankees "my" team, I never attended a pro game anywhere until two years ago - and I'm in my fifties. (Though it was at the old Yankee Stadium, because a baseball-freak upper-management type was visting from out of town, and he wanted to see a game there before it was too late.)

But then, I'm that rarest of beasts, a totally sports-disinterested male. I have absolutely no emotional connection to the game/team/Stadium. While I can certainly feel for the loss of a classic bit of NYC architecture, in that department, I'm way more disturbed that they tore down the old Penn Station and the Singer Building back in the sixties!

I think a lot of people tend to dismiss the Stadium as "a ballpark," but it was actually far more than that -- it was a civic arena, used for everything from world championship boxing matches to air raid drills, Presidential addresses to Papal visits, outdoor concerts to fundraising rallies for practically every worthy cause of the 20th Century.

We seem to have moved past the days of a single stadium filling such a wide range of functions, but Yankee Stadium was by far the most important example of such a civic arena ever built in the United States. Sports aside, it deserved better than the fate it got.

(Old joke: Q: Who holds the record for most saves in Yankee Stadium? A: Billy Graham, 80,000 souls.)

 

[AtomicEraTom]

People will never learn. They're doing it in Portage as well, they tore down the Woolen Mills, which is a historic, and very beautiful line of factory buildings along the Canal, now, it's 'green space' gimmie a break.

They tore down the old Hill Ford Dealership, which had been a Ford Dealership since the 1910's. My dad looked into investing in buying both of these buildings at separate times and they had their issues, but could have been saved for history's sake. All Hill Ford is now, just an empty triangular lot when you come into Downtown from the south end.

 

[Richard Warren]

One might well bemoan the destruction of a landmark of which one is particularly fond, but must not one also recognize that the owner of said landmark has some valid interest in not being burdened with satisfying other people's sentimental fancies?

 

[grundie]

May I offer a similar tale about a building in Dublin?

Archers garage was a wonderful art deco car dealership built in 1949. Here is a website that has some pictures from contemporary brochure - http://www.heritageireland.info/archersgarage/book49/index.html

Here it is today: http://www.flickr.com/photos/micsworld/4568241986/

Notice anything odd?

Well, a local hotelier bought the building in 1999 and demolished it, despite it being grade 1 listed. A big no-no. It went to court and he was told to rebuild it exactly as it was, or pay a €1 million fine and go to jail. He rebuilt it.

Now I know a lot of people will say a rebuilt Archer's garage isn't the same as the original and admittedly there differences. But what happened has certainly caused many trigger-happy developers to think twice about destroying any more of Dublin's built heritage.

 

[Tomasso]

he was told to rebuild it exactly as it was, or pay a €1 million fine and go to jail. .

They should have made him rebuild it AND fined him AND imprisoned him! :rage:

 

[dhermann1]

I REALLY REALLY like this!!!

 

[rustedmetal]

2008, my wife and I made it to the Bronx for one last Red Sox/Yankee duel in the Old Yankee Stadium.

 

[Professor]

Red Sox Announce Plans to Return Fenway to Original 1912 Conditions

And, of course, it hasn't be so long since the Red Sox were planning on replacing Fenway Park -- thankfully, those plans fell through.

Nostalgic Sox fans will be delighted by the re-antiquated Fenway Park complete with splintered bleachers and obstructed views...
http://www.theonion.com/video/red-sox-announce-plans-to-return-fenway-to-origina,17185/

 

[Professor]

Yes, one of the biggest acts of civic vandalism ever! That station was amazing and what replaced it is a joke! And let this be one reason I really have no interest in the 1960s! So much beauty gave way to the "International" movement. BAH!

Not to mention our very own Ambassador Hotel and the Coconut Grove! LA, will you ever learn? Of course not, not so long as we have who we have runnin' the show, da sap!

In every city there's one building, that though lost forever, ignites the spirit of preservation. Pennsylvania Station for New York,

the Fox Theatre for San Francisco

and the Richfield Building here in Los Angeles.

 

[John in Covina]

I have never been to Yankee Stadium. On 2 occasions I went with friends to go see a game there and both times something happened to keep us from getting in to the game. I still feel cheated some how.

 

[Tomasso]

The House of Steinbrenner is running on ESPN's 30 for 30 series (which incidentally had some excellent shows). I think they gave him a pretty fair shake.


http://30for30.espn.com/film/the-house-of-steinbrenner.html

 

[EmergencyIan]

I think the tearing down of Yankee Stadium is a travesty. The people in power don't care enough about anything anymore unless it involves more money in their pockets. And, I never heard any serious talk in the media in regard to preserving the stadium.

I've been to Yankee Stadium for a game and passed it twice a day, on the Major Deegan, for several years. It's really odd to pass by, now, and not see the old stadium there. Such a shame.

Though, I'm from Indiana, I have lived in NYC for the past decade. I live in the Riverdale section on the Bronx.


- Ian