New Yankee Stadium

Since 2009 Yankee Stadium has been located at 1 East 161st Street in Bronx, New York, just across the street from the New York Yankees' original stadium, built in 1923. The new, state-of-the-art ballpark cost $1.6 billion to erect. The main entrance, called the Great Hall, runs from Gate 4 behind home plate to Gate 6 where the subway lets off eager fans. The ceilings of the Great Hall reach seven stories in height and the walls are lined with banners of past and present Yankee greats. There is over 31,000 square feet of retail space inside. As a nod toward their old home, the manual scoreboard has been included in the design, though it is dwarfed by a high-definition (HD) video board in center field. The new Yankee Stadium is the third most expensive to be built after Wembley Stadium in London and the Meadowlands Sports and Entertainment Complex in New Jersey.

The dimensions of the park are 318 feet to left field, 399 feet to left-center field, 408 feet to center field, 385 feet to right-center field and 314 to right field. The outfield fences reach 8 feet 5 inches in height from the left-field foul pole to the Yankees' bullpen; the fence then descends in height to the right field foul pole where the height reaches a maximum 8 feet in height. The distance from home plate to the backstop is 52 feet 5 inches. The field is made of Kentucky bluegrass, just like the original stadium.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBnuRB9v-Bs  

One of the features carried over from the original stadium, Monument Park in center field features retired numbers and plaques from Yankees of the past. The Yankees bullpen connects to the Park as a result of a request from relief pitcher Mariano Rivera. The Park opens when the gate opens at the start of the game, and closes 45 minutes before the first pitch is thrown. Be sure to visit before you take your seats to enjoy the game!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBnuRB9v-Bs 

Tickets to a Yankees game range in price from $6 bleacher seats to hundreds of dollars for seats behind home plate to thousands for suites and season tickets. Check online before you purchase tickets to see if you can take advantage of one of the team's ticket specials, including $5 game days, Tuesday night game discounts, family night, plus deals for senior citizens, students, military and youth.

See Mahalo's page on getting tickets to a Yankee game for more.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBnuRB9v-Bs 

There are four different tours you can take of the stadium: the Classic Individual Tour, the Classic Group Tour, the Party City Birthday Bash Tour or the Twilight Tour and NYY Steak. 

The Classic Tour is for groups of 11 or less and takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete. This tour begins every 20 minutes from 12 p.m. to 1:40 p.m., but it is encouraged to check the website as changes may occur. For $20 you will visit Monument Park, the New York Yankees Museum, the Clubhouse and batting cage area (when available), and the dugout. Fifteen dollar tickets are available for seniors and children 14 and under, but they must be purchased in person. The Ticket Windows are open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.

The Classic Group Tour is for parties of 12-30 people. Ticket prices are $14 for adults, $8 for seniors and children 14 and under. These tours are booked from 9 a.m.-11:40 a.m. and 2 p.m.-4 p.m. daily. These tickets must be reserved in advance by emailing tours@yankees.com, by calling (646) 977-TOUR or by calling (212) YANKEES.

The Party City Birthday Bash Tour combines the sites of the Classic Tour with a birthday celebration at the Hard Rock Cafe within the stadium. The menus, which include food, beverages, Carvel ice cream cake, party invitations and a Yankee souvenir, range in price from $40 for children 10 and under, to $55 for adults. Intended for 12-30 people, you must book this tour at least two weeks in advance. For more information or to make a reservation, email tours@yankees.com or call (718) 508-3917.

The Twilight Tour and NYY Steak tour is only for groups of 20 people or more. At $100 per person, this private tour of the stadium includes all of the sites of the Classic Tour plus a lavish dinner at NYY Steak, the Yankees' premier steak house within the stadium. You can only take this tour on non-game days Monday-Saturday from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. For more information or to book your tour, email tours@yankees.com or call (212) YANKEES.

Tour tickets can be purchased online up until 11 a.m. the day of the tour. Buy them via phone at least 10 days before your visit by calling (877) 469-9849. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis. Arrive at least 20 minutes before your tour to get through security.http://www.mahalo.com/yankee-stadium-new-york-city-new-york/#reference_1 

Not just the home of the New York Yankees anymore, Yankee Stadium hosts many other events throughout the year. From the College Bowl and the Pinstripe Bowl to political conventions and concerts, there is sure to be something for every taste here.

Boxing was big in the original stadium where Benny Leonard beat Lou Tendler for the lightweight title three months after the gates were opened. One of the most memorable fights for the heavyweight title between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling happened here as well on June 22, 1938. 

Both collegiate and professional football have also been fixtures of the stadium, the New York Giants even calling the park home from 1956-1973. 

The Jehovah's Witnesses have held their annual conventions here since 1950, attracting upwards of 100,000 people to the venue in a single day. On Pope Paul VI's first visit to North America in October 1965, he stopped at the original ballpark to lead a mass before a crowd of 80,000.http://www.mahalo.com/yankee-stadium-new-york-city-new-york/#reference_2 

The New York Yankees shared the Polo Grounds in Manhattan with the New York Giants from 1913 until their very own stadium was purchased on February 6, 1921. The 10-acre property in the Bronx cost $675,000 for the team to acquire. Then co-owners Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast l'Hommedieu Huston set out to build the first triple-decked structure baseball had ever seen. The stadium was originally intended to be enclosed, but that never came to fruition when the project was scaled back. A 15-foot copper facade was created for the front of the roof covering the third deck. New York's White Construction Company began to build May 5, 1922 for the price of $2.5 million to be completed by Opening Day 1923.

The New York Yankees played their inaugural game in their very own first stadium on April 18, 1923 against the Boston Red Sox. Later in the season, the stadium played host to the first of 33World Series; the Yankees ironically beat the Giants for the title that first year.

Renovations to the stadium took place in 1928, when the left field grandstand was extended, and 1937, when the right field grandstand was extended. These changes decreased the distance from center field to home plate from 490 feet to 461 feet. Lights were added in 1946 and a repainting of the exterior took place over the winter of 1966-67. The grandstand seats were changed from green to blue during this period as well.

The entire ballpark went through a massive renovation in 1973, causing the team to move to theNew York Mets' Shea Stadium for the next two seasons. Among the changes were the addition of escalators, 10 more rows of seats and a brand new, 560-foot-long scoreboard with a screen that could provide instant replays to the fans. The new version opened April 15, 1976.

On November 8, 2008, the home plate and pitching rubber of the original Yankee stadium was removed and moved to the new stadium. Dirt was even taken from the original stadium and mixed with the dirt of the new venue in an effort to bring as much "history" to the new park as possible.http://www.mahalo.com/yankee-stadium-new-york-city-new-york/#reference_3 

The Yankees moved into their new stadium, just across the street, in 2009. The exterior was designed to resemble the 1923 stadium; the playing field even mirrors the dimensions of the old park. There are 4,300 club seats and 68 luxury suites installed. All-told, the stadium can seat 51,000 fans, with standing room capacity for 52,325; that equates to 4,000 more seats than its predecessor. "Yankee Stadium" is V-cut and gold-leaf lettered above each gate. Approximately 1,300 photographs taken over the team's history can be viewed throughout the halls of the stadium.

Unlike the 1923 stadium's stacked tiers, the new ballpark is spaced outward in a bowl design. There are many elements that are reminiscent of the first park, however, such as the frieze replica on the upper deck stands of the facility, a trademark of the old stadium. The wall behind the bleachers has been left out so the subway trains can be seen whizzing by, akin to the first park across the street.

For more information about the Yankees, check out their website.

1900s

• Jan. 9, 1903: Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchase the defunct Baltimore franchise of the American League for $18,000 and then move the team to Manhattan.
  
• Mar. 12, 1903: The New York franchise is approved as a member of the American League. The team will play in a hastily constructed, all-wood park at 168th Street and Broadway. Because the site is one of the highest spots in Manhattan, the club will be known as the "Highlanders" and their home field "Hilltop Park."

1910s

• April, 1913: The Highlanders are officially renamed the "Yankees" after moving to the Polo Grounds, home of the National League's New York Giants.

1920s

• May 5, 1922: Construction begins on Yankee Stadium.
• Apr. 18, 1923: Yankee Stadium opens with a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox before a reported crowd of 74,200. Babe Ruth hits the Stadium's first home run.
• Apr. 20, 1928: The Yankees' sixth season at Yankee Stadium opens with the left-field stands enlarged to three decks.

1930s

• Apr. 20, 1937: The Yankees' 15th season at Yankee Stadium opens with the right-field stands enlarged to three decks. The wooden bleachers are replaced by a concrete structure with the distance to center field dropping from 490 to 461 feet.
• July 4, 1939: "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" is held at Yankee Stadium. His uniform number (4) is the first to be retired in Major League Baseball and Gehrig makes his famous "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth" speech.

1940s

• June 13, 1948: Babe Ruth's uniform number (3) is retired at Yankee Stadium's 25th Anniversary celebration. The Babe makes his final Stadium appearance.

1950s

• Dec. 12, 1951: Joe DiMaggio officially announces his retirement.

1960s

• June 8, 1969: "Mickey Mantle Day" is celebrated at Yankee Stadium and his uniform number (7) is retired.

1970s

• Aug. 8, 1972: The Yankees sign a 30-year lease to play in a remodeled Yankee Stadium to be completed in 1976.
• Apr. 6, 1974: The Yankees begin the first of two seasons at Shea Stadium, playing the first home game outside Yankee Stadium since 1922 (go 90-69 there in 1974-75).
• Apr. 15, 1976: Remodeled Yankee Stadium opens with an 11-4 win over Minnesota Twins. The Twins' Dan Ford hits the first home run.
• Aug. 2, 1979: Yankees Captain Thurman Munson dies in a plane crash in Canton, Ohio, at age 32 (his number "15" is immediately retired).

1990s

• Aug. 14, 1993: "Reggie Jackson Day," his uniform number (44) is retired.
• Aug. 25, 1996: A monument in honor of Mickey Mantle is unveiled in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park.
• Jan. 22, 1997: Don Mattingly officially announces his retirement at a media conference at Yankee Stadium.
• Apr. 25, 1999: A monument in honor of Joe DiMaggio is unveiled in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park.

2000s

• 2008: Ready to look ahead, the home slate finished with an emotional sendoff in the Bronx on Sept. 21, with Derek Jeter taking the microphone behind the mound and promising to help bring the memories across the street for the new Yankee Stadium in 2009.
• April 3-4, 2009: The Yankees play their first exhibition games in the current Yankee Stadium, defeating the Chicago Cubs, 7-4 and 10-1, respectively. Chien-Ming Wang tosses the first pitch in the April 3 contest.
• April 16, 2009: The Yankees play the first regular season game in Yankee Stadium history, falling to Cleveland, 10-2, and snapping their all-time record 11-game home-opener winning streak. CC Sabathia tosses the Stadium's first official pitch, Johnny Damon records the first hit (first-inning single off Cliff Lee) and Jorge Posada hits the first home run (fifth-inning off Lee).http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/history/timeline1.jsp