New Yankee Stadium

From BR Bullpen

New Yankee Stadium is the $1.5 billion ballpark for the New York Yankees, that opened at the start of the 2009 season. The original Yankee Stadium opened in 1923, was extensively remodeled for the 1976 season, and closed at the end of 2008.

The frieze above the upper levels in the new stadium

The first regular season game in the new park was played on April 16, 2009, with the Cleveland Indians beating the Yankees 10-2 before a sellout crowd of over 48,000. The only positive note for the Yankees in that game was that the first hit and home run in the new park were collected by Yankee players, Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada respectively. However, the Indians exploded for 9 runs against the Yankees' bullpen in the 7th inning to send fans to the exits, with a two-run double by Jhonny Peralta and a grand slam by Grady Sizemore being the key blows.

Walking onto the field before Game One of the '09 World Series.

The Yankees were having trouble filling seats in the new stadium early in the season. Despite the flashy new location and the general appeal of attending a Yankees game, entire rows remained empty. Some of the more luxurious seating areas that remained empty feature cushioned blue seats with teak arm rests. While most of the cheaper seating areas were filled, the seats closest to the field costing $325-$2,500 remained empty. This prompted the club to reduce prices for these empty seats, slashing prices by up to half. ^[1]

The Seventh Inning Strech as seen from field level during game one of the '09 World Series.

The first two games of the 2009 World Series were played in the new stadium.

[edit] Related Sites

• Newsday.com New Yankee Stadium