Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium II, opened in 2009, was built in order to replace a historic (but deteriorating) old Yankee Stadium. The late General Manager George Steinbrenner even considered the old one dangerous, in order to build a new stadium. The purpose of the new Yankee Stadium was to have more suites for wealthier people. This can take away from the fact that most baseball fans are just regular, middle-class people.

The most surprising part about the new Yankee Stadium is that is costed 1.5 billion dollars, the most money spent on any stadium, behind only Wembley Stadium in London. This is coupled with the fact that most people don't even consider it one of the top stadiums in the league. When the New York Times rated their best stadiums, Yankee Stadium was rated number 21 out of 31. That's ridiculous for how much money was spent on the ballpark. Here's another crazy fact: The top 5 stadiums combined to only 1,740,700,000! That means the cost five of the best rated ballparks barely surpassed the low-rated Yankee Stadium.


One thing I admire that the Yankees did when building their new stadium, was making it so that the Yankees had a home-field advantage. The stadium quickly became known as a launching pad, or a bandbox because of how many homeruns were hit out. ESPN reporters Peter Gammons, went as far as saying "one of the biggest jokes in baseball." His colleague Buster Olney claimed the stadium as practically being "on steroids" and compared it to playing wiffleball as a child.


The distance to right field is tremendously short, only 314 feet down the right field line, with no high fence. Fenway Park's Green Monster is 310 feet from home plate. The difference is, the walls at Yankee Stadium aren't 37 feet tall. The Yankees were well aware of the criticism, and in the offseason before 2009, the Yankees went out and bought Mark Texiera, a decent power hitter, and also got Curtis Granderson the following year. Granderson was hitting an average of 20 homeruns a year before he came to the Bronx, and was more well-known for his speed, glove, and athletic ability. The following year in Yankee Stadium he hit 41 homeruns in 2011. Mark Texiera has also increased his number of homeruns since joining the Yankees.

The front entrance is limestone, and was made to look like the original Yankee Stadium when it first opened. They brought the arches from the old stadium, and added luxury suites. The seats are more angeled to the field then the old stadium as well. They also added a larger scoreboard in Center Field. Food and beverages are espensive, and Yankee Stadium has been nicknamed "Home of the 10 dollar beer" by fans. The best way to get to the game is by rail, or "The 4 train," so you can beat the New York City traffic. If you want to see memorabilia, like balls, bats, and jerseys used by greats like Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth, check out the Yankee Museuem.

Though, the stadium only seems good when comparing it to the old Yankee Stadium. When you compare it to the other stadiums around the majors, it just doesn't match up, especially for the price tag. If you are a die-hard Yankee fan, than going to a game is worth it. But if you are just going for fun, well, just remember to have your wallet handy and hope you have money well spent.

Statistics from: Baseball Reference, ESPN, Wikipedia: Yankee Stadium

Next Weeks Edition of Ballpark Guide: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

Citi Field

Citi Field (home to the New York Mets,) opened in 2009 is a vast improvement from the worn out Shea Stadium. Plans regarding a new stadium in New York started circulating in the '90s, when the introduced a model of a potential ballpark that included a retractable roof, fitting for New York's unpredictability in Early Spring and Fall. The plans fell through, as New York City would not provide the funds to a stadium with a retractable roof, which are very expensive.

In 2009 the Mets opened their inaugural season at Citi Field, to 3,154,270 fans. Since then, Citi Field has allowed the least amount of Home Runs in the MLB, and has been criticized as being to "pitcher-friendly."

Older fans may have a feeling of Nostalgia, as the arches in the front entrance give homage to the old Ebbets Field where the Brooklyn Dodgers played before they left to Los Angeles, and their stadium was demolished. The Stadium Also honors Jackie Robinson, a Dodger, who broke the color barrier, with a Jackie Robinson Rotunda at the front entrance.

Either way, Citi Field is recognizable to all MLB fans for many unique reasons. One instance being, that in right field the "Pepsi Porch" overhangs the playing field, so fans are literally on top of the action. Another being the "Great Wall of Flushing" (Flushing is the neighborhood in the borough of Queens they play in) which is twice the size of a regulation fence in left field. It has taken away countless home runs. Unlike the 37-foot "Green Monster" at Fenway Park, which is only 310 feet from home plate, the Great Wall of Flushing is 358 Feet from home plate. This means putting an uppercut on the baseball isn't necessarily going to mean you'll hit it over. The most iconic figure at Citi Field would have to be the Home Run Apple in center field, that pops up every time the Mets hit a home run.

Citi Field has a fan-friendly atmosphere as all the seats are very close to the playing field, so you won't get a bad view and miss out on any action. All seats are great, as even the upper deck has a steep incline that makes sure you can see the whole playing field.

Unlike Shea Stadium, where you had to go through a tunnel to go to the concession stands (which are great, but don't forget your wallet $$,) Citi Field has an open view all the way throughout the concourse, and TV's broadcasting the game in every corner. This ensures no one will miss the game winning hit.

Some say that Citi Field is just too ordinary, with a brick facade in front, which is very ordinary amongst ballparks today. But unless you see a game there and feel the atmosphere, and hear the roars from the airplanes flying over, you just won't understand what makes it so special. It may not have broken any ground architecturally, but Citi Field is a top destination to see a good ol' fashion ball game.

Next Weeks Edition of Ballpark Guide: Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON