Outrage over New Yankee Stadium

[NYFan1stYankFan2nd]

R--for some reason, that sort of OT is okay by me :)

hey, to fellow Baseball Fever folks - that article Rob is referring to actually IS a bit on topic because it harkens back to the days when the game was actually built (in part anyway) around the fans. If you've never read Arnold Hano's great "A Day in the Bleachers" it is an exquisite book. I'll share this image I took of him the day I wrote this article - he and my son - just two fans in the bleachers, soaking up baseball (Rob shoot me an email when ya get a sec - chris@chrisepting.com)



I had to blink at that photo to make sure it wasn't RYS. I swear, the interiors of DS and RYS are more alike than not - say what you will about what I'm smoking and how you'd like some - but inside, they are very much similar. Outside, I understand. DS is partially submerged into the terrain on which it was built, but inside, it may be all we have left of RYS to remind us.

[Rob R]

oh god no. He's going a little bonzai on the Yankees bashing. Even I'm not that bad haha

lol...got you. Every post he does the same. The dude doesn't get tired of it, but doesn't realize he's become a big yawn here.

Like I said, Sox fans are OK..I respect them. But Sox fans pretending to be Yanks fans so that they can bash the Yanks (and vice versa) are, shall we say, cowards?

[Rob R]

oh god no. He's going a little bonzai on the Yankees bashing. Even I'm not that bad haha

Dude, now I'm anxious to go to a game at NYS with you. I'd like to hear your honest impressions.

I've already given a "review" of NYS in the NYS thread and contrary to what scooter fisk wants people to believe while he's trolling, I don't praise everything and think I was fair in my assessment, good and bad.

[scooterfan]

haha, scooterfan - take notice..

Okay, fine. PM me and we'll all go to a Yankee/Red Sox game together this July. And Straw, if you want to go let's do it. Just don't go anywhere near the moat.

[Strawman]

Let me attempt to answer the "why us?" quotient among Yankees fans who think their new stadium is unfairly under the microscope - and has become the nation's leading example of both modern sports greed and incredibly poor business planning. In my view, there are an even dozen key factors that differentiate the Yanks' new granite temple and make it such a target:

1. It's the Yankees. Of course, the grand new stadium is going to get more attention than any others ever have. The team is the most successful in American sports history and it has made as many - if not more - enemies as it has fans. Rob and others are right. Everybody wants to knock 'em down a peg; just human nature if you're not a Yankee fan. So what did the Trost-Levine Cabal do, knowing that "Yankee effect" would be in place? They placed a "kick me" sign on their own rear ends with an insane, over-the-top, "new home of greatness" ad campaign that seemed to feature vulgar, near-orgasmic copy-reading by radio and TV voices. Dumb.

2. The stadium costs an insane amount of money. Almost double the ballpark across town.

3. It cost an insane amount of public money, in terms of tax breaks, park land, infrastructure etc. That is to say, "we built this palace to the wealth" is a true statement on the part of any taxpayer in the state, even more so for city residents.

4. Ticket prices that were created by the world's stupidest management.

5. The insanity of "exclusive" that way over-values the "Yankees" brand as some sort of high-end (think Tiffany, Mercedes) type of product - when it's really a Bud, Coors, Miller level consumer brand.

6. The exploitation of that mis-understood brand to build so much physical exclusivity into the architecture that nearly everyone cried foul - except for rich people. See: The Moat of Levine. Sure other teams do this. The Yankee brass added a 10x factor to it.

7. The poor treatment of long-time Yankee plan holders.

8. Really stupid and easy-to-avoid stuff that - guess what - Trost and Levine got wrong. The cheap-o frieze, the martini bar and Peter Max stores, the butcher shop, the smaller monument park, the shorter RF wall, the bleacher blockage, the moat etc.

9. An unwillingness to bend. Arrogant, in-your-face public attitudes displayed by Mssrs. Trost and Levine.

10. The most expensive team in MLB history off to a very slow start.

11. The more fan-friendly, less-expensive, and less-exclusive (though guilty of similar, greedy stupidity in some areas) Citi Field for the Mets - a ballpark that replaces a stadium not as beloved or picturesque as real Yankee Stadium.

12. Worst of all: the continued existence of the most hallowed, legendary, honored, beloved space in the history of American sports just across the street - literally begging Jeter et al to move back and play some real Yankee baseball. And it will be slowly torn down all season long!

Honestly, they screwed the pooch - not sure what the post Levine/Trost management does. Obviously those guys are gone, but the Steinbrenner group is still in charge, second generation. What do they do?

[MarcianoNY]

Let me attempt to answer the "why us?" quotient among Yankees fans who think their new stadium is unfairly under the microscope - and has become the nation's leading example of both modern sports greed and incredibly poor business planning. In my view, there are an even dozen key factors that differentiate the Yanks' new granite temple and make it such a target:

1. It's the Yankees. Of course, the grand new stadium is going to get more attention than any others ever have. The team is the most successful in American sports history and it has made as many - if not more - enemies as it has fans. Rob and others are right. Everybody wants to knock 'em down a peg; just human nature if you're not a Yankee fan. So what did the Trost-Levine Cabal do, knowing that "Yankee effect" would be in place? They placed a "kick me" sign on their own rear ends with an insane, over-the-top, "new home of greatness" ad campaign that seemed to feature vulgar, near-orgasmic copy-reading by radio and TV voices. Dumb.

2. The stadium costs an insane amount of money. Almost double the ballpark across town.

3. It cost an insane amount of public money, in terms of tax breaks, land, infrastructure etc. That is to say, "we built this palace to the wealth" is a true statement on the part of any taxpayer in the state, even more so for city residents.

4. Ticket prices that were created by the world's stupidest management.

5. The insanity of "exclusive" that both way over-values the "Yankees" brand as some sort of high-end (think Tiffany, Mercedes) type of product - when it's really a Bud, Coors, Miller level consumer brand.

6. The exploitation of that mis-understood brand to build some much physical exclusivity into the architecture that nearly everyone cried foul - except for rich people. See: The Moat of Levine. Sure other teams do this. The Yankee brass added a 10x factor to it.

7. The poor treatment of long-time Yankee plan holders.

8. Really stupid and easy-to-avoid stuff that - guess what - Trost and Levine got wrong. The cheap-o frieze, the martini bar and Peter Max stores, the butcher shop, the smaller monument park, the shorter RF wall, the bleacher blockage, the moat etc.

9. An unwillingness to bend. Arrogant, in-your-face public attitudes displayed by Mssrs. Trost and Levine.

10. The most expensive team in MLB history off to a very slow start.

11. The more fan-friendly, less-expensive, and less-exclusive (though guilty of stupidity in some areas) Citi Field for the Mets - a ballpark that replaces a stadium not as beloved or picturesque as real Yankee Stadium.

12. Worst of all: the continued existence of the most hallowed, legendary, honored, beloved spaces in the history of American sports just across the street - literally begging Jeter et al to move back and play some real Yankee baseball. And it will be slowly torn down all season long!

Honestly, they screwed the pooch - not sure what the post Levine/Trost management does. Obviously those guys are gone, but the Steinbrenner group is still in charge, second generation. What do they do?

The thing is, most of those complaints (many of which most Yankee fans agree with) have nothing to do with the actual building, and the ones that do are relatively minor. The idea of trying to cast the stadium as some type of Titanic-type failure because of some shortsighted and, in my opinion, borderline incompetent management decisions is just not working for me. While I do have a few things about the design I would like to see changed, overall I think they got a lot of things right. The building looks like Yankee Stadium; the lack of fans between the bases doesn't. It's important to separate the two things; there's the actual stadium, and then there's Levine/Trost.

[applenut]

The thing is, most of those complaints (many of which most Yankee fans agree with) have nothing to do with the actual building, and the ones that do are relatively minor. The idea of trying to cast the stadium as some type of Titanic-type failure because of some shortsighted and, in my opinion, borderline incompetent management decisions is just not working for me. While I do have a few things about the design I would like to see changed, overall I think they got a lot of things right. The building looks like Yankee Stadium; the lack of fans between the bases doesn't. It's important to separate the two things; there's the actual stadium, and then there's Levine/Trost.

the building is seriously lacking character and quality and is a very good example of poor design in many aspects. HOK fooled everyone with their admittingly attractive facade...... the design behind that curtain is pretty pathetic to be honest.

[MarcianoNY]

the building is seriously lacking character and quality and is a very good example of poor design in many aspects. HOK fooled everyone with their admittingly attractive facade...... the design behind that curtain is pretty pathetic to be honest.

Pathetic??? I dunno, for the most part it looks fine to me. (tripoli71, photo cred) http://www.flickr.com/photos/philthy7/3451341021/sizes/l/

[Rob R]

Let me attempt to answer the "why us?" quotient among Yankees fans who think their new stadium is unfairly under the microscope - and has become the nation's leading example of both modern sports greed and incredibly poor business planning. In my view, there are an even dozen key factors that differentiate the Yanks' new granite temple and make it such a target:

1. It's the Yankees. Of course, the grand new stadium is going to get more attention than any others ever have. The team is the most successful in American sports history and it has made as many - if not more - enemies as it has fans. Rob and others are right. Everybody wants to knock 'em down a peg; just human nature if you're not a Yankee fan. So what did the Trost-Levine Cabal do, knowing that "Yankee effect" would be in place? They placed a "kick me" sign on their own rear ends with an insane, over-the-top, "new home of greatness" ad campaign that seemed to feature vulgar, near-orgasmic copy-reading by radio and TV voices. Dumb.

2. The stadium costs an insane amount of money. Almost double the ballpark across town.

3. It cost an insane amount of public money, in terms of tax breaks, park land, infrastructure etc. That is to say, "we built this palace to the wealth" is a true statement on the part of any taxpayer in the state, even more so for city residents.

4. Ticket prices that were created by the world's stupidest management.

5. The insanity of "exclusive" that way over-values the "Yankees" brand as some sort of high-end (think Tiffany, Mercedes) type of product - when it's really a Bud, Coors, Miller level consumer brand.

6. The exploitation of that mis-understood brand to build so much physical exclusivity into the architecture that nearly everyone cried foul - except for rich people. See: The Moat of Levine. Sure other teams do this. The Yankee brass added a 10x factor to it.

7. The poor treatment of long-time Yankee plan holders.

8. Really stupid and easy-to-avoid stuff that - guess what - Trost and Levine got wrong. The cheap-o frieze, the martini bar and Peter Max stores, the butcher shop, the smaller monument park, the shorter RF wall, the bleacher blockage, the moat etc.

9. An unwillingness to bend. Arrogant, in-your-face public attitudes displayed by Mssrs. Trost and Levine.

10. The most expensive team in MLB history off to a very slow start.

11. The more fan-friendly, less-expensive, and less-exclusive (though guilty of similar, greedy stupidity in some areas) Citi Field for the Mets - a ballpark that replaces a stadium not as beloved or picturesque as real Yankee Stadium.

12. Worst of all: the continued existence of the most hallowed, legendary, honored, beloved space in the history of American sports just across the street - literally begging Jeter et al to move back and play some real Yankee baseball. And it will be slowly torn down all season long!

Honestly, they screwed the pooch - not sure what the post Levine/Trost management does. Obviously those guys are gone, but the Steinbrenner group is still in charge, second generation. What do they do?

Good post, though in my heart of hearts, the highlighted portion of reason #1 is the primary reason we're hearing "complaints" here. Other than a few Yanks fans in this thread, who've been against NYS from it's inception, for the most part, this thread is filled with anti-Yankee sentiment by the typical anti-Yankee BBF crowd. Most, not all.

Look, as Marciano states, these things are for the most part fixable, and will be fixed. Say what you want about the Steinbrenners, but one thing they don't have is a death wish. You're on the money when you talk about Levine and Trost having to answer for their sometimes severe misjudgments, perhaps even getting canned. Thankfully, the media and Yankees fans had a big part in this.

But other than the ethical, elitist, segregation factors, NYS is a fine ballpark, one of the best, if not the best, in baseball. Is it perfect? Of course not, but neither are any ballparks. Sorry, but minor-league intimacy never was and will never be a Yankee thang. It's all about the imposing, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping grandness that is larger than life. In this regard, NYS nailed it.


To me, the bigger "outrages" are ones that cannot be fixed, or easily fixed. Not to go tit for tat (honestly), but the obstructions (staircase, LED ribbon, OF seating) at CF are a bigger crime. Same with their gaudy, in-your-face, backstop suites and seats. Do they tear down that whole, unsightly section? Like the Yanks, the Mets too can address their pricing out the "common guy" as well. I'm sorry, but in my world, $700 per seat at Citi Field is screwing the pooch as well, only unlike the Yank's $1,200, the pooch may lick your face. And you can take the pooch to the dunk tank afterwards, to forget about the thousands you just blew. But, hey, what can be more fan friendly?

[Mongoose]

I got a chance to visit NYS and "Citi" this week. Truth is beyond the obscene price of everything and the thin scattering of rich people in barcaloungers behind the moat, NYS wasn't so bad. The "Legends" section was a disastrous mistake. I'd guess "Citi" probably has nearly as high a percentage of prime space devoted to exclusive, unamerican type seating, but they're smart enough to keep it out of plain sight (in various boxes suites restaurants, etc.); at NYS, it's as though you're being reminded you're a peasant every time you look at the field.

Whenever they showed crowd shots on the big screen and cut to a guy in an expensive suit looking bored and talking on a cell phone while sitting in an empty sea of barcaloungers, I cringed. If you're sitting in Grandstand or the Bleachers, you pretty much feel like you're being given the finger. But at least it's a real baseball stadium.

"Citi" is a total shrine to commerce. The stores and food areas are very well thought out, in complete contrast to the many obstructed views throughout the ballpark. The focal point of the structure seems as much the ongoing 9 inning street fair beyond the center field wall as the field itself. The result is a substantial amount of crowd energy being sucked over the center field wall, away from the game, and into the street fair.

Each was offensive in its own way, but at least the Yankee product is at the center of the NYS experience. I think if the Yankees do away with the "Legends" seating and hide the fat cats out of plain sight like everybody else, the problems will be solved. Otherwise, I actually thought NYS was beautiful and very grand; about what it should be.

[Rob R]

the building is seriously lacking character and quality and is a very good example of poor design in many aspects. HOK fooled everyone with their admittingly attractive facade...... the design behind that curtain is pretty pathetic to be honest.
Weren't you the one who visited NYS near its completion, took loads of photos (thank you) and raved about it, the frieze and the overall quality of it? It was as if you were in awe, and a lot of us shared your sentiment.

What's happened since, other than thousands of fans now attending? Did you kick a few tires?

[Rob R]

I got a chance to visit NYS and "Citi" this week. Truth is beyond the obscene price of everything and the thin scattering of rich people in barcaloungers behind the moat, NYS wasn't so bad. The "Legends" section was a disastrous mistake. I'd guess "Citi" probably has nearly as high a percentage of prime space devoted to exclusive, unamerican type seating, but they're smart enough to keep it out of plain sight (in various boxes suites restaurants, etc.); at NYS, it's as though you're being reminded you're a peasant every time you look at the field.

Whenever they showed crowd shots on the big screen and cut to a guy in an expensive suit looking bored and talking on a cell phone while sitting in an empty sea of barcaloungers, I cringed. If you're sitting in Grandstand or the Bleachers, you pretty much feel like you're being given the finger. But at least it's a real baseball stadium.

"Citi" is a total shrine to commerce. The stores and food areas are very well thought out, in complete contrast to the many obstructed views throughout the ballpark. The focal point of the structure seems as much the ongoing 9 inning street fair beyond the center field wall as the field itself. The result is a substantial amount of crowd energy being sucked over the center field wall, away from the game, and into the street fair.

Each was offensive in its own way, but at least the Yankee product is at the center of the NYS experience. I think if the Yankees do away with the "Legends" seating and hide the fat cats out of plain sight like everybody else, the problems will be solved. Otherwise, I actually thought NYS was beautiful and very grand; about what it should be.

Nothing like a fair assesment, where we can take the negatives seriously, and not just see them as the typical bash. Thank you.

[scooterfan]

Edgar and Rob,

So far you haven't taken me up on my offer. I'm big enough to bury the hatchet but it's a two way street.

[Yankeefan3783]

The thing is, most of those complaints (many of which most Yankee fans agree with) have nothing to do with the actual building, and the ones that do are relatively minor. The idea of trying to cast the stadium as some type of Titanic-type failure because of some shortsighted and, in my opinion, borderline incompetent management decisions is just not working for me. While I do have a few things about the design I would like to see changed, overall I think they got a lot of things right. The building looks like Yankee Stadium; the lack of fans between the bases doesn't. It's important to separate the two things; there's the actual stadium, and then there's Levine/Trost.

Exactly, it's a great stadium. It could use some tweaking as far as field level seating and fan access goes, but nothing that can't be fixed. Levine and Trost are the real problem.

Also, great post Mongoose.

[curb my enthusiasm]

5. The insanity of "exclusive" that way over-values the "Yankees" brand as some sort of high-end (think Tiffany, Mercedes) type of product - when it's really a Bud, Coors, Miller level consumer brand.

I couldn't exactly put it into words before, but this is exactly what I was thinking. This isn't a Broadway play or the Metropolitan Opera that we're attending. It's a friggin' baseball game for crying out loud. When I think of baseball, I think of hot dogs, beer, and peanuts. Not sushi and martinis.

[the stadium guy]

Absolutely correct, my mistake. It's hard to keep track of usernames, I sincerely apologize.

No worries. It's all good.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled thread.

Brad

[RationalNYYfan]

Weren't you the one who visited NYS near its completion, took loads of photos (thank you) and raved about it, the frieze and the overall quality of it? It was as if you were in awe, and a lot of us shared your sentiment.

What's happened since, other than thousands of fans now attending? Did you kick a few tires?

Several days before the opening of NYS, I think EVERYBODY on this thread was in agreement that this place was absolutely stunning. Sure there were - and still are - some problems with the circumstances surrounding the opening of the new park (the slow OYS demo, crazy seat prices, etc.) but as far as the aesthetics go it was impeccable. It wasn't until the Yankees started stinking up the joint that the fans began criticizing the actual ballpark design itself. Maybe if we had a winning team, we would dismiss the fact that the frieze isn't as pretty as the one in the old stadium or that the moat is an embarrassing separation of the classes. But since our team stinks right now, we get upset. At everything.

I'm angry at the Yankees for a lot of reason. But I'm not angry at the stadium. It still looks great to me.

[The House That Ruth Built]

Several days before the opening of NYS, I think EVERYBODY on this thread was in agreement that this place was absolutely stunning. Sure there were - and still are - some problems with the circumstances surrounding the opening of the new park (the slow OYS demo, crazy seat prices, etc.) but as far as the aesthetics go it was impeccable. It wasn't until the Yankees started stinking up the joint that the fans began criticizing the actual ballpark design itself. Maybe if we had a winning team, we would dismiss the fact that the frieze isn't as pretty as the one in the old stadium or that the moat is an embarrassing separation of the classes. But since our team stinks right now, we get upset. At everything.

I'm angry at the Yankees for a lot of reason. But I'm not angry at the stadium. It still looks great to me.

I agree with every word of that statement. I think that just about sums up the latest vibes in Yankeeland.

[hbwriter]

But since our team stinks right now, we get upset. At everything.

----

BUT--win or lose, those seats behind home would still be empty--and it would still look bad--and it would still stir controversy--and so we'd still be here today--

i really don't think it's about the team-it's too early in the season--it's about management--it's about the seeming disdain for the basic fan/family--it's about the freaking attitude that chases visiting broadcasters from unused booths and kicks Paul O'Neil out of the player's area. That's what I think this is about--arrogance & attitude.

ps--A-Rod didn't help with his ever-confusing, convoluted, ME-ME-ME-ME-ME scheme of dealing with HOW HE CHEATED (capped for emphasis) Not a good way for the marquee player to usher in a new ballpark that supposedly celebrates class, tradition and sportsmanship (though fellow cheaters Giambi, Clemens and Pettitte certainly softened the ground for him)

[Strawman]

But other than the ethical, elitist, segregation factors, NYS is a fine ballpark, one of the best, if not the best, in baseball. Is it perfect? Of course not, but neither are any ballparks. Sorry, but minor-league intimacy never was and will never be a Yankee thang. It's all about the imposing, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping grandness that is larger than life. In this regard, NYS nailed it.


See, now I realize where Trost/Levine went wrong - and how the stadium brand has really gone in two separate directions. rob, you've clarified the big mistake, I think.

Having been to RYS dozens of times "imposing, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping grandness" never, ever came to mind! It was just a great baseball stadium with incredible history. Why Yankee ownership should attempt to design for those (rather invalid and un-baseball-like) characteristics, I can't tell ya.

The old stadium wasn't those - it was, however, historic and relatively intimate (even with 55K inside) and loud as all hell. And it had nothing to do with the architecture.

For proof, look a pics of the stadium circa 1969 with 2,500 people in it - a grand original, empty and un-imposing! Wouldn't have intimidated a flea. Jump forward to 1978 - renovated, semi-ugly stadium with a wild crowd jazzed by what was happening on the field.

So if Levine and Trost went for "imposing, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping grandness" and nailed it...well, that's the problem! That's their fatal mistake.

The old stadium was never those things. No baseball stadium can be. Because it's freaking baseball. Epic fail.

The Yanks are a New York lunchpail, taxi driver, firefighter, Bronx cop brand - and they always will be. The suits go there to slum with the real people - for an authentic experience - not the opposite way around.

[toefer]

Quick question:

Would anyone that dislikes (or has mixed-feelings about) NYS have preferred if the stadium sat on the same ground as RYS?

I hear a lot of talk about how it lost it's history, but what if the Yankees found a new place to play for a year or two, and then proceeded to tear down the entire stadium (though supposedly leave the field in-tact), and build a new stadium around it?

Part of me kind of wishes that after YS is torn down, they could take a giant crane, lift up NYS, and plop it down over the old site (though I'm not sure what would happen to the batting cages... oh well). But most of me thinks it's not really a big deal.

[Ralphw]

See, now I realize where Trost/Levine went wrong - and how the stadium brand has really gone in two separate directions. rob, you've clarified the big mistake, I think.

Having been to RYS dozens of times "imposing, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping grandness" never, ever came to mind! It was just a great baseball stadium with incredible history. Why Yankee ownership should attempt to design for those (rather invalid and un-baseball-like) characteristics, I can't tell ya.

The old stadium wasn't those - it was, however, historic and relatively intimate (even with 55K inside) and loud as all hell. And it had nothing to do with the architecture.

For proof, look a pics of the stadium circa 1969 with 2,500 people in it - a grand original, empty and un-imposing! Wouldn't have intimidated a flea. Jump forward to 1978 - renovated, semi-ugly stadium with a wild crowd jazzed by what was happening on the field.

So if Levine and Trost went for "imposing, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping grandness" and nailed it...well, that's the problem! That's their fatal mistake.

The old stadium was never those things. No baseball stadium can be. Because it's freaking baseball. Epic fail.

The Yanks are a New York lunchpail, taxi driver, firefighter, Bronx cop brand - and they always will be. The suits go there to slum with the real people - for an authentic experience - not the opposite way around.


Perfect.... its the fans

[kimthemetschick]

Let the Yankees win a championship there and people will see things in a different light.

If that happens, it will only further the gap between the nobility and the commonfolk :twocents:

[Ralphw]

Quick question:

Would anyone that dislikes (or has mixed-feelings about) NYS have preferred if the stadium sat on the same ground as RYS?

I hear a lot of talk about how it lost it's history, but what if the Yankees found a new place to play for a year or two, and then proceeded to tear down the entire stadium (though supposedly leave the field in-tact), and build a new stadium around it?

Part of me kind of wishes that after YS is torn down, they could take a giant crane, lift up NYS, and plop it down over the old site (though I'm not sure what would happen to the batting cages... oh well). But most of me thinks it's not really a big deal.


Well, That would be better, but they still would have to recreate the big bowl effect that made it intimidating when full of crazed fans.

[applenut]

Weren't you the one who visited NYS near its completion, took loads of photos (thank you) and raved about it, the frieze and the overall quality of it? It was as if you were in awe, and a lot of us shared your sentiment.

What's happened since, other than thousands of fans now attending? Did you kick a few tires?

Please go back and actually read my statements..... I said exactly the opposite... I said it was an impressive structure, that would be difficult if not impossible for another team to replicate but I said it was most dissapointing to see the lack of finish and craftsmanship in it, especially for the price.... I also saw a work in progress which I assumed would be developed further... I also saw it in a whirlwind tour with no people present.


Really, go reread if you want, but you aren't representing what I said accurately.


As tiring as it might be for you to be reading complaints and criticisms, it is getting more tiring seeing you all over the place claiming how amazing and stunning the place is and how out to lunch any criticism is..... if you were more objective it would be one thing, but right now it just seems like you are drinking the kool aid.



The way I have been looking at the new stadium right now is how is better than any other new ballpark in the majors? What does it do better? What has it improved upon or sets it apart? The reality is, other than having a very impressive limestone facade, it really doesn't improve upon any modern ballpark.... it doesn't have the best sightlines, doesn't have the best concessions, doesn't have the best concourses, has one of the worst outfield areas/concourses I have seen in a new ballpark, and its "Yankee Signature" features such as monument park and the great hall really aren't integral to the stadium design and experience..... the frieze is nice, but when it comes down to it, you could stick that on the overhang of nearly any stadium and it would instantly look classier.... it certainly lost a lot of its beauty by being less detailed and further set back, but it is nice to have back. Otherwise, the seating bowl is very..... bland.... why they decided to "modernize" the seating bowl of RYS is beyond me.... modernizing a 70s modernization was just asking for blandness and problems.

Really.... what do you find better in NYS than in other new ballparks? Watching the games at Camden this weekend, I actually felt jealous.... kind of sad really.

[Tullydew]

Please go back and actually read my statements..... I said exactly the opposite... I said it was an impressive structure, that would be difficult if not impossible for another team to replicate but I said it was most dissapointing to see the lack of finish and craftsmanship in it, especially for the price.... I also saw a work in progress which I assumed would be developed further... I also saw it in a whirlwind tour with no people present.


Really, go reread if you want, but you aren't representing what I said accurately.


As tiring as it might be for you to be reading complaints and criticisms, it is getting more tiring seeing you all over the place claiming how amazing and stunning the place is and how out to lunch any criticism is..... if you were more objective it would be one thing, but right now it just seems like you are drinking the kool aid.



The way I have been looking at the new stadium right now is how is better than any other new ballpark in the majors? What does it do better? What has it improved upon or sets it apart? The reality is, other than having a very impressive limestone facade, it really doesn't improve upon any modern ballpark.... it doesn't have the best sightlines, doesn't have the best concessions, doesn't have the best concourses, has one of the worst outfield areas/concourses I have seen in a new ballpark, and its "Yankee Signature" features such as monument park and the great hall really aren't integral to the stadium design and experience..... the frieze is nice, but when it comes down to it, you could stick that on the overhang of nearly any stadium and it would instantly look classier.... it certainly lost a lot of its beauty by being less detailed and further set back, but it is nice to have back. Otherwise, the seating bowl is very..... bland.... why they decided to "modernize" the seating bowl of RYS is beyond me.... modernizing a 70s modernization was just asking for blandness and problems.

Really.... what do you find better in NYS than in other new ballparks? Watching the games at Camden this weekend, I actually felt jealous.... kind of sad really.

Well you are comparing it to the Mona Lisa of Ballparks. Nothing compares to Camden Yards.

[Ralphw]

Really.... what do you find better in NYS than in other new ballparks? Watching the games at Camden this weekend, I actually felt jealous.... kind of sad really.

I felt the same way at Citi

[Rob R]

that was 12 EW.

[RationalNYYfan]

Quick question:

Would anyone that dislikes (or has mixed-feelings about) NYS have preferred if the stadium sat on the same ground as RYS?

I hear a lot of talk about how it lost it's history, but what if the Yankees found a new place to play for a year or two, and then proceeded to tear down the entire stadium (though supposedly leave the field in-tact), and build a new stadium around it?

Part of me kind of wishes that after YS is torn down, they could take a giant crane, lift up NYS, and plop it down over the old site (though I'm not sure what would happen to the batting cages... oh well). But most of me thinks it's not really a big deal.

In retrospect, I would rather have had the Yankees renovate RYS for a second time. But it would have taken a few years. And it probably wouldn't look as good as NYS, yet still cost the same.

[GordonGecko]

How about we don't get this thread locked and stop turning it into a mets vs. yankees "discussion"

[Captain Cold Nose]

How about we don't get this thread locked and stop turning it into a mets vs. yankees "discussion"

Let's. Shall we?

[Strawman]

To try and keep this thread on its topic (c'mon fellas!) here's Tyler Kepner in the Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/sports/10blogs.html) about what's wrong with NYS - it echoes my post of a page or so ago in response to Rob's argument for its grandiosity and intimidation factor. I think Kepner has it right:


But it sure seems that the new Yankee Stadium lacks any semblance of the atmosphere that made the original so special. When you saw a game at the old place, you felt like part of a community of fans. The prices were high, and it wasn’t the kind of place the average working man could take his family often. But if you got in, everyone was part of the event, no matter where you sat. There was buzz.

The new park does not have it and is not set up for it. Everywhere else the Yankees play, fans congregate behind the dugouts for autographs, straining to get a little bit closer to the players. Not here. Not in a ballpark with a concrete moat encircling the first nine rows or so, almost from foul pole to foul pole, patrolled by a fleet of security guards.

That’s the part that is so perplexing. The Yankees had a chance to look at every other park that came before theirs — Seattle, Anaheim, Colorado, Pittsburgh, so many fabulous examples — and this is what they chose.

[hbwriter]

from the insult to injury department:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/sports/baseball/Yankees-Pay-City-115-Million-For-Seats-to-Old-Yankee-Stadium.html

[RationalNYYfan]

from the insult to injury department:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/sports/baseball/Yankees-Pay-City-115-Million-For-Seats-to-Old-Yankee-Stadium.html

If the Metsies sold seats for $869 per, I can't imagine the price of the Yankees' seats.

I'm so sick of talking about money, but I guess that's just the way it has to be for this year at least.

[Tullydew]

If the Metsies sold seats for $869 per, I can't imagine the price of the Yankees' seats.

I'm so sick of talking about money, but I guess that's just the way it has to be for this year at least.

I would think they would be twice as much as Shea seats. If seats from that dump sold for $869 I could see RYS seats going for somewhere between $1500-$2000 a pair

[GordonGecko]

I would think they would be twice as much as Shea seats. If seats from that dump sold for $869 I could see RYS seats going for somewhere between $1500-$2000 a pair

Correction, I could see RYS seats being offered at $1500-$2000. Truth is, they're not worth that much and there's no market at that price for all the seats in this economy. I think they'll be put on sale at anywhere from $999 to $1500 for 2 seats. I think they'll eventually have to discount them to around $750.

If you figure that there's about 54,000 seats, they can sell 18,000 pairs at $750, with 18,000 "third seats" straddling the pairs sold as seat backs for about $400, then the Yankees will have taken in $20.7 million, which is an 80% profit over what they paid the city.

And this is at the discounted price. The city should have sold the seats, not the Yankees. We would have gotten cheaper souvenirs and the city would have gotten more revenue for public services

[TJH1923]

I had the pleasure of attending games in both Yankee Stadium and Citi Field on May 7th & 8th.

Yankee Stadium the building is awesome. It is a magnificent structure and I am quite pleased to see the facade hanging from the roof. Unfortunately, it is not fan friendly. The security treat you like garbage and do not make you feel comfortable at all. This alone creates an unpleasant atmosphere. There is no doubt that you feel segregated from other parts of the stadium. I'm a life long Yankee fan and I will think twice before I return again. Even the last several years, the Yankee security in the stadium across the street was getting worse and worse every year. They just seemed to have put into overdrive and it makes for a miserable atmosphere.

Citi Field the structure is also an excellent venue. Immediately, I noticed a more relaxed atmosphere and just felt comfortable right away. The area behind center field was an excellent place to just congregate. Security was seen but they did not overplay their presence. Overall it was a better experience than the Bronx.

The Yankees have a lot of major tweaking to do to correct the fan experience.

The Mets seem to have it on the right track.

[Tullydew]

Correction, I could see RYS seats being offered at $1500-$2000. Truth is, they're not worth that much and there's no market at that price for all the seats in this economy. I think they'll be put on sale at anywhere from $999 to $1500 for 2 seats. I think they'll eventually have to discount them to around $750.

If you figure that there's about 54,000 seats, they can sell 18,000 pairs at $750, with 18,000 "third seats" straddling the pairs sold as seat backs for about $400, then the Yankees will have taken in $20.7 million, which is an 80% profit over what they paid the city.

And this is at the discounted price. The city should have sold the seats, not the Yankees. We would have gotten cheaper souvenirs and the city would have gotten more revenue for public services

I would be shocked if they were listed any less then $1250/pair. I dont expect it will be less the $1500.

[Ralphw]

In retrospect, I would rather have had the Yankees renovate RYS for a second time. But it would have taken a few years. And it probably wouldn't look as good as NYS, yet still cost the same.

Oh I don't know I think it may have looked even better... hard to say.

the only thing though, they would have wanted it to have a bigger footprint and not sure how they ever would have gotten away with that.

[Gary Dunaier]

My fantasy would have been to demolish the 1923/1976 structure entirely and build a completely new building on the site. The only thing preserved would be the orientation of the field, and the only thing resurrected (if possible) would be the footprint of the original 1923-1973 stadium. Everything else would have been fair game.

[GordonGecko]

My fantasy would have been to demolish the 1923/1976 structure entirely and build a completely new building on the site. The only thing preserved would be the orientation of the field, and the only thing resurrected (if possible) would be the footprint of the original 1923-1973 stadium. Everything else would have been fair game.

I don't know that it would even have been possible to rebuild at the same orientation. MLB has strict rules about the position of new parks. Existing parks are obviously grandfathered in.

It used to be so much easier to get things done. Like the subway, they would dig a trench, reroute the utilities, lay track, cover it all up and move down the line. Now you have to deal with miles of red tape to comply with environmental study after environmental study, community feedback, ADA compliance and on and on and then on top of that it has to be built union so it takes 5 times longer and you end up with projects that cost 100 times as much and never get done.

[SparkyL]

I don't know that it would even have been possible to rebuild at the same orientation. MLB has strict rules about the position of new parks. Existing parks are obviously grandfathered in.

It used to be so much easier to get things done. Like the subway, they would dig a trench, reroute the utilities, lay track, cover it all up and move down the line. Now you have to deal with miles of red tape to comply with environmental study after environmental study, community feedback, ADA compliance and on and on and then on top of that it has to be built union so it takes 5 times longer and you end up with projects that cost 100 times as much and never get done.

The Yankees and YES/WCBS have stated that NYS has the exact same orientation as RYS . . .

[the_Bored]

The Yankees and YES/WCBS have stated that NYS has the exact same orientation as RYS . . .

The Yanks have also stated that it has the exact same dimensions as RYS, and we all know how true that is.

[Yankeefan3783]

Speaking of dimensions, I think it's clear that it's a shorter distance between the 314' and 385' markers then it was at RYS, while I think it's actually deeper between the 399' and 408' markers then it was at RYS. Pop ups have been flying out of RF, but it takes a shot to get it over the wall in CF and deep LCF.

[Gary Dunaier]

The Yankees and YES/WCBS have stated that NYS has the exact same orientation as RYS . . .

At RYS the shadows came in from the first base stands. At NYS they come in from behind home plate... ironically, just like at Shea Stadium. So it's not exact.

Perhaps they didn't mean "exact" in a literal sense (in which case they shouldn't have said "exact," but that's neither here nor there right now), but were using it in comparison to places like Comiskey/the "Cell," or Tiger/Comerica, where the orientation in the new buildings are different from how they were in the original. At both Yankee Stadiums the field is oriented in a roughly northeasterly direction.

[jnakamura]

Several days before the opening of NYS, I think EVERYBODY on this thread was in agreement that this place was absolutely stunning. Sure there were - and still are - some problems with the circumstances surrounding the opening of the new park (the slow OYS demo, crazy seat prices, etc.) but as far as the aesthetics go it was impeccable. It wasn't until the Yankees started stinking up the joint that the fans began criticizing the actual ballpark design itself.

Sorry, but that's just false. People have been saying for more than a year now that the dimensions were not the same as RYS and that right field would be a bandbox joke as soon as the blueprints surfaced in '07. And many other aspects of the design and aesthetics have been heavily criticized long before opening day.

I agree that in the final days leading up to the opening "all was well", but those were not objective opinions--no different than the days leading up to a wedding--"our life together will be pure bliss, always!"...then you notice the snoring...the back hair...the obstructed views...

[hbwriter]

hold on to your hats -

http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/stadium-offer-not-quite-so-generous/

[toefer]

And this is at the discounted price. The city should have sold the seats, not the Yankees. We would have gotten cheaper souvenirs and the city would have gotten more revenue for public services

I disagree. I think the city was smart to just dump it all on the Yankees, so that the Yankees look like the ones whoring out little pieces of the stadium.

Not to mention the article I read implied the $11.5 million was for more than just the seats (it also included the foul poles, stuff from the locker-rooms, and the YS lettering from the outside the stadium). Those non-seat items alone could sell for a lot.

What's happening to the Louisville Slugger bat? I remember Jeter joking that he wanted to put it in his backyard... and maybe that can actually happen, unless the Yankees have other plans for it.

[Yankeefan3783]

I disagree. I think the city was smart to just dump it all on the Yankees, so that the Yankees look like the ones whoring out little pieces of the stadium.

Not to mention the article I read implied the $11.5 million was for more than just the seats (it also included the foul poles, stuff from the locker-rooms, and the YS lettering from the outside the stadium). Those non-seat items alone could sell for a lot.

What's happening to the Louisville Slugger bat? I remember Jeter joking that he wanted to put it in his backyard... and maybe that can actually happen, unless the Yankees have other plans for it.

I heard the bat is going to stay in it's current location.

[mandrake]

It used to be so much easier to get things done. Like the subway, they would dig a trench, reroute the utilities, lay track, cover it all up and move down the line. Now you have to deal with miles of red tape to comply with environmental study after environmental study, community feedback, ADA compliance and on and on and then on top of that it has to be built union so it takes 5 times longer and you end up with projects that cost 100 times as much and never get done.

Back in the 1930's, using their dated tecnology, NYC constructed the 6th Ave Subway. Big deal you say?

Well, they built it with the Sixth Avenue EL over head and they could not weaken any of the supports as the EL remained active. Below the new subway was the Hudson Tubes (now PATH) which also remained active.

Imagine building a subway with an EL overhead and another separate subway underneath in 2009 !! They did it on budget and on time and did not disturb any existing transportation 70 years ago. What the heck happened to our way of getting things done???

[stadiumbuilder]

I don't know that it would even have been possible to rebuild at the same orientation. MLB has strict rules about the position of new parks. Existing parks are obviously grandfathered in.

It used to be so much easier to get things done. Like the subway, they would dig a trench, reroute the utilities, lay track, cover it all up and move down the line. Now you have to deal with miles of red tape to comply with environmental study after environmental study, community feedback, ADA compliance and on and on and then on top of that it has to be built union so it takes 5 times longer and you end up with projects that cost 100 times as much and never get done.I couldn't agree more. That's what you get when government is involved. The new Yankee Stadium isn't private enterprise but a government project. In the early 1920's, Jacob Ruppert had a vision and made it all happen with his money. He was a talented, very intelligent individual with a great track record, in charge of making important decisions, motivated by profit all the way and maintaining control of the Yankee's destiny. The permit process nowadays is not much more than government looting and requiring union labor is downright unconstitutional. Somewhere along the line, the public seems to have forgotten that private enterprise, with profit as their objective, is a good thing. The motivation of government officials is the aquisition of power, which accomplishes nothing other than having your individual rights trampled. Bottom line, if you want a nice baseball stadium built quickly for a reasonable amount of money with affordable ticket prices, do it without government involvement, the Yankees wanted public money and it became a public project. End result:$1.5 billion in costruction costs, lots of new public debt and $2,500 tickets.:thumbsdown:

[Strawman]

I couldn't agree more. That's what you get when government is involved. The new Yankee Stadium isn't private enterprise but a government project. In the early 1920's, Jacob Ruppert had a vision and made it all happen with his money. He was a talented, very intelligent individual with a great track record, in charge of making important decisions, motivated by profit all the way and maintaining control of the Yankee's destiny. The permit process nowadays is not much more than government looting and requiring union labor is downright unconstitutional. Somewhere along the line, the public seems to have forgotten that private enterprise, with profit as their objective, is a good thing. The motivation of government officials is the aquisition of power, which accomplishes nothing other than having your individual rights trampled. Bottom line, if you want a nice baseball stadium built quickly for a reasonable amount of money with affordable ticket prices, do it without government involvement, the Yankees wanted public money and it became a public project. End result:$1.5 billion in costruction costs, lots of new public debt and $2,500 tickets.:thumbsdown:
And - I'd add - an ongoing state investigation that will only add to the pain management will feel over their white elephant project in the coming months and years...

[Strawman]

From Newsday:


Yankees protect Legends Suite 'homes' from riffraff (http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/2009/05/yankees_protect_legends_suite.html)

Yankees COO Lonn Trost made it quite clear about an hour ago that the team has no current plans to reconsider its policy of not allowing fans into the Legends Suites area during batting practice to seek autographs or simply to get close to their heroes.

I asked him the rationale behind the policy. His blunt comment on that:

“Well, if you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite? You purchase a home, do you want somebody in your home?’’

Attention Yankee fans - this man is damaging your franchise.

[GordonGecko]

From Newsday:


Yankees protect Legends Suite 'homes' from riffraff (http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/2009/05/yankees_protect_legends_suite.html)

Yankees COO Lonn Trost made it quite clear about an hour ago that the team has no current plans to reconsider its policy of not allowing fans into the Legends Suites area during batting practice to seek autographs or simply to get close to their heroes.

I asked him the rationale behind the policy. His blunt comment on that:

“Well, if you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite? You purchase a home, do you want somebody in your home?’’

Attention Yankee fans - this man is damaging your franchise.

I thought it was one big house. This piece of **** needs to be struck by lightning

[jnakamura]

From Newsday:


Yankees protect Legends Suite 'homes' from riffraff (http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/2009/05/yankees_protect_legends_suite.html)

Yankees COO Lonn Trost made it quite clear about an hour ago that the team has no current plans to reconsider its policy of not allowing fans into the Legends Suites area during batting practice to seek autographs or simply to get close to their heroes.

I asked him the rationale behind the policy. His blunt comment on that:

“Well, if you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite? You purchase a home, do you want somebody in your home?’’

Attention Yankee fans - this man is damaging your franchise.

At Dodger Stadium, they open two aisles through the posh Baseline Field Boxes during pre-game so that ANY kid from ANY level can get autographs. I've never heard of anybody in those $225 seats complaining about the policy--Probably because most of the ticket holders in this section are in the exclusive Baseline Box club getting their free food and enjoying the club atmosphere until the game starts anyway. It's a win-win situation.

The Yankees seem absolutely and hopelessly clueless about public relations.

[NYBase]

At Dodger Stadium, they open two aisles through the posh Baseline Field Boxes during pre-game so that ANY kid from ANY level can get autographs. I've never heard of anybody in those $225 seats complaining about the policy--Probably because most of the ticket holders in this section are in the exclusive Baseline Box club getting their free food and enjoying the club atmosphere until the game starts anyway. It's a win-win situation.

The Yankees seem absolutely and hopelessly clueless about public relations.

Fire Trost! :radio :ughh :reporter::thumbsup::twocents:

I hate that clueless man's ways.

[Yankeefan3783]

Fire Trost! :radio :ughh :reporter::thumbsup::twocents:

I hate that clueless man's ways.

I second that. He can take Levine with him as well.

[toefer]

I second that. He can take Levine with him as well.

Thirded. Either he's incredibly clueless, or just a jerk.

[Bernard Shakey]

From Newsday:


Yankees protect Legends Suite 'homes' from riffraff (http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/2009/05/yankees_protect_legends_suite.html)

Yankees COO Lonn Trost made it quite clear about an hour ago that the team has no current plans to reconsider its policy of not allowing fans into the Legends Suites area during batting practice to seek autographs or simply to get close to their heroes.

I asked him the rationale behind the policy. His blunt comment on that:

“Well, if you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite? You purchase a home, do you want somebody in your home?’’

Attention Yankee fans - this man is damaging your franchise.

This just keeps on getting worse and worse for you Yankees fans. Just give it up, here's a boring personal story for ya:

I was Mr. Browns fan. Although 300,000 claim to have been there, I was actually at the drive. My heart sank on that November day in 1995 when Art made his announcement. (Check some of my other posts for pics of my kids running around the field at Cleveland Stadium in their Browns unis). I was all about the return in 1999. PSL? OK!!! $20 Parking? OK!!! Full price for exhibition games? SURE!!! Heck, I even wrote a few columns for the Browns' website in the early 2000s based on a fan's perspective. Enough of the resume' and on to the point....

About 3 years ago, I just stopped going. Money, making the wife stay at home with the kids 10 Sundays each fall, and the fact that it just wasn't that much fun to be a diehard fan of pro sports anymore helped in the decision. But, what mattered the most is that the average fan matters the least - even though 40,000 "average fans" are a big part of a crowd of 48,000.

Like me, you might have suspected it but chose to ignore it. Now it's in your face, folks. NYS is a concrete and steel rendition of where sports is (not where it's going either, this boat left the pier about the middle of the 90s). Heck, I think it started in my own home town when the Tribe built a stadium where you need oxygen to sit in the upper deck above 44 levels of suites.

I have not missed it, either. Go to a local high school game, check out a DIII college football game, cut the grass, whatever... Watching the best athletes in the world is still pretty cool, but not at the expense of your dignity and money you cannot afford to lose. The current Cavs run is just as much fun on TV or listening to Joe Tait on the radio telling me about the game and trying to sell me a DiJorno Pizza is just as it would have been after paying too much for a ticket.

I say screw 'em, I'm no longer playing their game.

Sorry for the rant and sorry to all of the real Yankee and baseball fans on BBF who are getting squeezed out by this outrageous greed.

[Strawman]

This just keeps on getting worse and worse for you Yankees fans. Just give it up, here's a boring personal story for ya:

I was Mr. Browns fan. Although 300,000 claim to have been there, I was actually at the drive. My heart sank on that November day in 1995 when Art made his announcement. (Check some of my other posts for pics of my kids running around the field at Cleveland Stadium in their Browns unis). I was all about the return in 1999. PSL? OK!!! $20 Parking? OK!!! Full price for exhibition games? SURE!!! Heck, I even wrote a few columns for the Browns' website in the early 2000s based on a fan's perspective. Enough of the resume' and on to the point....

About 3 years ago, I just stopped going. Money, making the wife stay at home with the kids 10 Sundays each fall, and the fact that it just wasn't that much fun to be a diehard fan of pro sports anymore helped in the decision. But, what mattered the most is that the average fan matters the least - even though 40,000 "average fans" are a big part of a crowd of 48,000.

Like me, you might have suspected it but chose to ignore it. Now it's in your face, folks. NYS is a concrete and steel rendition of where sports is (not where it's going either, this boat left the pier about the middle of the 90s). Heck, I think it started in my own home town when the Tribe built a stadium where you need oxygen to sit in the upper deck above 44 levels of suites.

I have not missed it, either. Go to a local high school game, check out a DIII college football game, cut the grass, whatever... Watching the best athletes in the world is still pretty cool, but not at the expense of your dignity and money you cannot afford to lose. The current Cavs run is just as much fun on TV or listening to Joe Tait on the radio telling me about the game and trying to sell me a DiJorno Pizza is just as it would have been after paying too much for a ticket.

I say screw 'em, I'm no longer playing their game.

Sorry for the rant and sorry to all of the real Yankee and baseball fans on BBF who are getting squeezed out by this outrageous greed.
Great post - you're right.

[Robbyb26]

This just keeps on getting worse and worse for you Yankees fans. Just give it up, here's a boring personal story for ya:

I was Mr. Browns fan. Although 300,000 claim to have been there, I was actually at the drive. My heart sank on that November day in 1995 when Art made his announcement. (Check some of my other posts for pics of my kids running around the field at Cleveland Stadium in their Browns unis). I was all about the return in 1999. PSL? OK!!! $20 Parking? OK!!! Full price for exhibition games? SURE!!! Heck, I even wrote a few columns for the Browns' website in the early 2000s based on a fan's perspective. Enough of the resume' and on to the point....

About 3 years ago, I just stopped going. Money, making the wife stay at home with the kids 10 Sundays each fall, and the fact that it just wasn't that much fun to be a diehard fan of pro sports anymore helped in the decision. But, what mattered the most is that the average fan matters the least - even though 40,000 "average fans" are a big part of a crowd of 48,000.

Like me, you might have suspected it but chose to ignore it. Now it's in your face, folks. NYS is a concrete and steel rendition of where sports is (not where it's going either, this boat left the pier about the middle of the 90s). Heck, I think it started in my own home town when the Tribe built a stadium where you need oxygen to sit in the upper deck above 44 levels of suites.

I have not missed it, either. Go to a local high school game, check out a DIII college football game, cut the grass, whatever... Watching the best athletes in the world is still pretty cool, but not at the expense of your dignity and money you cannot afford to lose. The current Cavs run is just as much fun on TV or listening to Joe Tait on the radio telling me about the game and trying to sell me a DiJorno Pizza is just as it would have been after paying too much for a ticket.

I say screw 'em, I'm no longer playing their game.

Sorry for the rant and sorry to all of the real Yankee and baseball fans on BBF who are getting squeezed out by this outrageous greed.

I am with you. I have been a Yankee fan my whole life, but this trost idiot and sidekick levine have made it impossible to root for them and still respect myself. I can't give them emotional or financial support anymore. The team is lousy, and the new place is a hamptons country club. Shame on them.

[GordonGecko]

Yowzers:

the Yankees will not be cutting any checks to season-ticket holders in Sections 15A, 15B, 24B and 25 … because there are none.

“I’m reliably informed that the Yankees didn’t manage to sell any of those seats, so there’s no refund to be had,”

http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/stadium-offer-not-quite-so-generous/#more-6481

[NYBase]

Fire Trost :radio

[GordonGecko]

Fire Trost :radio

Better yet have all of the Yankee execs sell the team and leave to never come back to New York

[hbwriter]

FROM THE NEWS TODAY

The Daily Whacks, Wednesday Edition

My friend Neil Best had a fascinating interview with Yankees COO Lon Troost, who has come under vicious -- and justified -- fire for so many of the things that have made the opening of Yankee Stadium a less-than-universally-endorsed venture. The most fascinating quote is this one, about the Yankees' steadfast, stubborn -- and, let's face it, plain stupid -- decision to keep kids from the lower bowl of seats during batting practice:

""Well, if you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite? You purchase a home, do you want somebody in your home?"

The arrogance of the man, and the operation, knows no bounds. If the basic tenets of common decency don't apply here -- if Trost never got an autograph as a kid, it may explain a lot about the adult he's become -- then how about common sense: today's autograph seekers could be tomorrow's season-ticket holders ...unless they decide to become customers at Citi Field, where kids are still welcome to the lower seats for BP.

The Yankees deserve everything they've got coming to them with this brand of ceaseless, tone-deaf lunacy in charge of things.


---

Amen

[GordonGecko]

FROM THE NEWS TODAY

The Daily Whacks, Wednesday Edition

My friend Neil Best had a fascinating interview with Yankees COO Lon Troost, who has come under vicious -- and justified -- fire for so many of the things that have made the opening of Yankee Stadium a less-than-universally-endorsed venture. The most fascinating quote is this one, about the Yankees' steadfast, stubborn -- and, let's face it, plain stupid -- decision to keep kids from the lower bowl of seats during batting practice:

""Well, if you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite? You purchase a home, do you want somebody in your home?"

The arrogance of the man, and the operation, knows no bounds. If the basic tenets of common decency don't apply here -- if Trost never got an autograph as a kid, it may explain a lot about the adult he's become -- then how about common sense: today's autograph seekers could be tomorrow's season-ticket holders ...unless they decide to become customers at Citi Field, where kids are still welcome to the lower seats for BP.

The Yankees deserve everything they've got coming to them with this brand of ceaseless, tone-deaf lunacy in charge of things.


---

Amen
Yeah if you're not a fan of the Yankees from previous years I just can't imagine how anyone is becoming a new fan from what the Yankees are doing both on and off the field. If the Mets win the World Series that'll be an even bigger nail in the Yankee coffin. These idiots can't get fired soon enough

[Gary Dunaier]

Yeah if you're not a fan of the Yankees from previous years I just can't imagine how anyone is becoming a new fan from what the Yankees are doing both on and off the field.

Exactly.

Who knows how many potential fans they're alienating with this attitude? It would be interesting if we could somehow hook every Yankee fan up to some kind of machine to determine just how high their level of tolerance for this incivility is.

There will come a point where enough fans will say "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore," that the Yankee powers that be will have to take notice, and try to make amends.

But by then it may be too late.

[Mongoose]

I think the coup de grace of all this might be the breaking up and selling piecemeal of the historical landmark across the street. The teams make out like bandits in selling all the fittings and the City, which owns the buildings, gets very little in return.

I'd posted this in the Shea Demolition thread, but perhaps someone here knows something more about this. I noticed something interesting in this article about the sale of Yankee Stadium to the Yankees for $11 1/2 million:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/sports/baseball/12yankees.html?_r=1&ref=baseball


Bidder Up: Yankees and City Reach Deal to Sell Stadium Memorabilia
By KEN BELSON
Published: May 11, 2009

A brick is a brick is a brick, unless it came from Monument Park at the old Yankee Stadium. That is the pitch the Yankees are going to make to their fans when they start selling off every removable scrap from their old home in the Bronx.

The Yankees said Monday that they would pay New York City $11.5 million for the right to sell the city-owned memorabilia from the stadium, which closed last season. The money will go into the city’s general fund, providing a financial shot in the arm.

“I’m glad the city’s agreement with the Yankees will generate much-needed revenue for the city and offer fans a chance to own some of the famed Yankee Stadium history,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said in a release. Yankees-Steiner Collectibles, which markets team memorabilia, will try to recoup that money and then some by removing and then selling seats, bleachers, the foul poles, player lockers and the iconic frieze around the upper deck.

“The closing of the original Yankee Stadium marked the end of an era at an iconic American sports landmark,” said Brandon Steiner, the founder and chief executive of Steiner Sports. “The original Yankee Stadium can now live on in each fan’s household in a very unique way.”

Last August, the city struck a similar deal with the Mets, who sold memorabilia from the now-demolished Shea Stadium. The city received 70 percent of the net revenue from the sales, and the team received the remainder, which it donated to various charities.

So far, the city has received $3.5 million from the sale of Shea Stadium memorabilia. The Mets are still auctioning pieces of Shea.

Bidding for the locker used by Jerry Grote and Howard Johnson is up to $500. A sign that shows Mr. Met telling fans not to smoke cigarettes received at least 10 bids.

The sale of Yankee Stadium memorabilia is likely to generate far more money, given the popularity and history of the team.

For instance, when the Mets sold sets of two seats from Shea Stadium, they charged $869 (and shipping and handling), a number that reflected the two years the team won the World Series. The Yankees are selling pairs of seats for $1,923, a nod to the year the original Yankee Stadium opened.

The list of complaints about the new Yankee Stadium — the obstructed-view seats, the higher ticket prices, the increase in security — may also boost sales.

“There’s particularly a lot of value for the Yankees, especially with what’s happening at the new stadium, which doesn’t have the character or sentiment of the old one,” said Bob Dorfman, who writes The Sports Marketers’ Scouting Report, which analyzes athletic endorsement deals. “You can’t relive the past, but you can own a piece of it.”

Some critics say the Yankees got off cheap and that the city should try to sell the memorabilia itself.

“The carcass of Yankee Stadium is city property and it’s clearly worth more than $11.5 million,” Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky said. “I know no good reason why taxpayers, having built the new stadium, should not benefit more from the sale.”



How have the Mets gotten away with paying the City only $3 1/2 million for all the memorabilia they sold from Shea Stadium??? Anytime you're dealing with net profits the door is open for all sorts of mischief, but surely this number is outrageously low.

[GordonGecko]

How have the Mets gotten away with paying the City only $3 1/2 million for all the memorabilia they sold from Shea Stadium??? Anytime you're dealing with net profits the door is open for all sorts of mischief, but surely this number is outrageously low.

You need to actually read what you're posting before you click the submit button. The city had a revenue sharing agreement with the Mets. They got the vast majority of revenue, 70 PERCENT. The market said that what was sold was worth $5M. I can't possibly conceive in my wildest dreams a more fair arrangement. What are you complaining about? I don't get what you're trying to say, are you just arguing for argument's sake? Hell the Mets are even giving 100% of their cut to charity

[Shea 4 Life]

I went to NYS last thursday and was denied entry because I had I small hip-pack, much much smaller than most womens pocketbooks.



Now Notice what I can bring into Citi Field. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Silly Silly Yanks, I wont be back there.:thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

[Mongoose]

You need to actually read what you're posting before you click the submit button. The city had a revenue sharing agreement with the Mets. They got the vast majority of revenue, 70 PERCENT. The market said that what was sold was worth $5M. I can't possibly conceive in my wildest dreams a more fair arrangement. What are you complaining about? I don't get what you're trying to say, are you just arguing for argument's sake? Hell the Mets are even giving 100% of their cut to charity

I actually read what I'm posting. Please read what I'm posting and then take that into account when you reply. I think the numbers here are fishy. It would seem that the net is far less than the gross would project to.

The City is getting 70% of the net. I'd like to see what the gross revenue was and how it was filtered down to about $5 million in net sales. I wonder who was skimming revenue from the gross sales and for what reasons.

[yankies4life]

to be honest, even in the old stadium, if you didnt have a ticket from the end of the tarp, to the opposite side you werent allowed in those sections so thats nothing new to me. what sucks is that i used to go down the line and would never have a problem. i still dont see why they wont let you go down the line. the legends seating i can see the problem because you cant walk into other parts of the stadium that youre not supposed to go into but at least let fans go down the line and along the outfield walls

[GordonGecko]

to be honest, even in the old stadium, if you didnt have a ticket from the end of the tarp, to the opposite side you werent allowed in those sections so thats nothing new to me. what sucks is that i used to go down the line and would never have a problem. i still dont see why they wont let you go down the line. the legends seating i can see the problem because you cant walk into other parts of the stadium that youre not supposed to go into but at least let fans go down the line and along the outfield walls
Who says that policy of recent years is right? You can allow access in the Legends, there are stairs from the $350 Field Level seats directly into the Legends. You can rope off one or two aisles and have a section at the front for any fans to go to visit up to 30 minutes before the game. If the Dodgers can do this, why can't the Yankees?

[yankies4life]

Who says that policy of recent years is right? You can allow access in the Legends, there are stairs from the $350 Field Level seats directly into the Legends. You can rope off one or two aisles and have a section at the front for any fans to go to visit up to 30 minutes before the game. If the Dodgers can do this, why can't the Yankees?


i totally forgot about those steps. yea then i suppose there are ways, its just im used to being down the lines from the old place cause thats all you could really go. the bad PR eventually got the yankees to lower seating prices, maybe some about this, plus another idiotic comment from trost and this might get taken care of too. i really think it makes the yankees look really, really bad after that comment yesterday about the legends seats.

[Yankeefan3783]

I went to NYS last thursday and was denied entry because I had I small hip-pack, much much smaller than most womens pocketbooks.



Now Notice what I can bring into Citi Field. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Silly Silly Yanks, I wont be back there.:thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

I haven't had any issues bringing my bag into the stadium (not as large as the one pictured, but big enough to store a program and stuff jackets into it). Maybe you got an overly strict security guard at the gate or something?

[Yankeefan3783]

Exactly.

Who knows how many potential fans they're alienating with this attitude? It would be interesting if we could somehow hook every Yankee fan up to some kind of machine to determine just how high their level of tolerance for this incivility is.

There will come a point where enough fans will say "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore," that the Yankee powers that be will have to take notice, and try to make amends.

But by then it may be too late.

I for one will always be a Yankee fan, no matter how much they screw up on and off the field. I'm not happy with how the club is being run, and I think Trost and Levine should be fired, but I won't stop rooting for the Yankees because of those idiots, and I will go to Yankee games as much as I can. As for future fans, that may be another story.

[toefer]

I went to NYS last thursday and was denied entry because I had I small hip-pack, much much smaller than most womens pocketbooks.

Now Notice what I can bring into Citi Field. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Silly Silly Yanks, I wont be back there.:thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

Is that the same bag you tried bringing into Yankee Stadium? If it is, I wouldn't consider it small, and it's definitely not smaller than a typical purse.

Or are you just showing that you can basically bring in a satchel to CF, but can't even bring a tiny pouch into NYS?

(By the way, what in the world are you carrying around in that big bag?)

[toefer]

I for one will always be a Yankee fan, no matter how much they screw up on and off the field. I'm not happy with how the club is being run, and I think Trost and Levine should be fired, but I won't stop rooting for the Yankees because of those idiots, and I will go to Yankee games as much as I can. As for future fans, that may be another story.

That's what's hard for me though. It's kind of hard to cheer for the team on the field and want to support them while at the same time not showing that you are supporting the direction the front office is taking with the team.

I want to go to games, but I don't want to line the pockets of Trost & Co, or feel like I'm supporting the way NYS is being run. But since they're to intertwined you can't really do one without the other.

[Ralphw]

The more I think about this the more ticked I get,,

If you really think about it,,, these idiots are only the caretakers of the Yankee name, in a sense they rent it.

The Magic and history of the New York Yankees belongs to everyone. I personally feel offended by all of this "profit grabbing".

These people are turning the Yankees into a sideshow.

As soon as old George was out of the way the scumbag greedy vultures jumped all over it,

The built this New stadium for all the wrong reasons and its begining to show big time.

I think the Biggest scumbag of all is Brandon Steiner, how did he get the monopoly on the Yankees?

I did work for this guy and from what I can tell He fits right in with the better than thou crowd.

I was working in his home doing carpentry work and said hello to him and he looked at me like I had kicked his dumb dog.

You should see this guys house, I bet the guy is a billionare from Yankee profits.



check out this ad from his website



thats perfect.......

I wonder how long it takes till the PR people realize just how accurate this is and remove it..


The New York Yankees aren't about baseball anymore.... they are about greed and excess... and personally I can't relate to them anymore, and I'm not happy about it. very sad indeed.

[Yankeefan3783]

That's what's hard for me though. It's kind of hard to cheer for the team on the field and want to support them while at the same time not showing that you are supporting the direction the front office is taking with the team.

I want to go to games, but I don't want to line the pockets of Trost & Co, or feel like I'm supporting the way NYS is being run. But since they're to intertwined you can't really do one without the other.

When it comes down to it, all I want is the Yankees to win. Like you, I'm not a fan of the way Trost & Co. are running the club, but I won't let them ruin the Yankees for me.

Too bad the Yankees are not a club like Barcelona, where paying members of the club vote for club president, as well have a strong say when changes need to be made. If that were the case, we Yankees fan would have the power to remove a guy like Trost from the front office.

[Gary Dunaier]

I think Shea 4 Life was talking about the smaller fanny pack type bag to the right of the big grey bag. Unfortunately, it's reasonable that many of you will presume Shea 4 Life was talking about the big grey bag, and the presence of that big grey bag in the photo undermines his complaint for that very reason.

The bag issue is one of my pet peeves as well. Those of you who've seen me at Citi Field know I carry a soft-side shoulder bag with me. When I'm not going to games I have a slightly larger hard-sided shoulder bag (which I hate, but for purposes of this discussion that's not relevant), but I might even be able to bring it in. The Mets' policies clearly state a maximum size - 16"x16"x8".

The Yankees, unfortunately, do not have a specific policy. The closest they have is where they say "large purses, bags" are prohibited. What constitutes "large?"

Last year, at the start of the season I was able to bring in a shoulder-slung fanny pack. But starting in July they said that was too big and wouldn't let me in with it. Even though other men with larger camera bags were being allowed in with those bags, they wouldn't let me bring my obviously smaller bag because it wasn't specifically a camera bag. How f***ed up is that?

Answer: very.

Yankeefan3783, you say you "won't stop rooting for the Yankees [and you] will go to Yankee games as much as [you] can." All I can say to that is that your breaking point - yes, you've got one (all fans do) - is obviously higher than others'. Given what you've just said about continuing to go to games, all I can say is that if the Yankees' antics do get to a point where a Loyal Friend and True such as yourself gets mad as hell and won't take it anymore, then they'll really have crossed the line. Big time.

[GordonGecko]

How f***ed up is that?

Answer: very.
Well the most f'd up is the biggest exception for diaper bags. I bring in as huge a bag as I want filled with whatever when I take my son to the game and they can't say anything. I don't know if you can get away with bringing a diaper bag without a baby though. At the very least you'll get a few nasty stares :blush: :noidea :ooo:

[MarcianoNY]

When it comes down to it, all I want is the Yankees to win. Like you, I'm not a fan of the way Trost & Co. are running the club, but I won't let them ruin the Yankees for me.


Exactly. Trost and Levine think they are, but they aren't s&*t. People like them come and go. The Yankees are about Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Joe D, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Lou Gehrig, 26 championships, not to mention (for 85 years) the most famous arena in sports history, the greatest fans in the world, in the greatest city in the world. There's no way I could ever consider "switching" allegiances because of a couple two-bit punks like Levine and Trost who, in their egomaniacal, twisted minds think they're putting their own stamp on Yankee history. It's not even an option.

[DiggerODell]

I don't know if you can get away with bringing a diaper bag without a baby though.

Whatever ya'll "do do", don't ever bring in the baby without a diaper bag!!! I sat next to a couple last season at Coors who did "do do" just that . . . needless to say, the air was rich. After an inning or so, we got up and walked around the ballpark to savior the sights and smells of sausage and such . . .

[shaneslatts]

The more I think about this the more ticked I get,,

If you really think about it,,, these idiots are only the caretakers of the Yankee name, in a sense they rent it.

The Magic and history of the New York Yankees belongs to everyone. I personally feel offended by all of this "profit grabbing".

These people are turning the Yankees into a sideshow.

As soon as old George was out of the way the scumbag greedy vultures jumped all over it,

The built this New stadium for all the wrong reasons and its begining to show big time.

I think the Biggest scumbag of all is Brandon Steiner, how did he get the monopoly on the Yankees?

I did work for this guy and from what I can tell He fits right in with the better than thou crowd.

I was working in his home doing carpentry work and said hello to him and he looked at me like I had kicked his dumb dog.

You should see this guys house, I bet the guy is a billionare from Yankee profits.



check out this ad from his website



thats perfect.......

I wonder how long it takes till the PR people realize just how accurate this is and remove it..


The New York Yankees aren't about baseball anymore.... they are about greed and excess... and personally I can't relate to them anymore, and I'm not happy about it. very sad indeed.

Its just so amazing. On the one hand Trost and co attitude concerning Yankee Stadium was "Yankee Stadium was so completly changed it really isnt 'The House that Ruth Built' anymore. But NOW, LOL, since theres some cash to be made$$$$$$$$$ the articles from the renovated, "not really the same place", etc( according to them) NOW becomes "genuine articles from 'The House that Ruth Built"( $$$$$$$$$$$$$) and that Steiner and Co 'tear out".... This makes me sick. I have been a Yankee fan since 1966, but I really think I have had it. This combined with Trosts comment about not letting kids into his holy moat have about done me in. Even George, as money driven as he was kind of understood Yankee Pride. This crew? There are no words to describe them.

[jimm]

Yanks turning into QVC, sad. Take the only affordable day at a pro sporting event and ruin it for most fans.

[Ralphw]

I'm pretty much done with them for now...over 30 years a fan and these guys just make me want to puke...
that plus a terrible team,,, forget it

[CoreyNYC]

I think Shea 4 Life was talking about the smaller fanny pack type bag to the right of the big grey bag. Unfortunately, it's reasonable that many of you will presume Shea 4 Life was talking about the big grey bag, and the presence of that big grey bag in the photo undermines his complaint for that very reason.

The bag issue is one of my pet peeves as well. Those of you who've seen me at Citi Field know I carry a soft-side shoulder bag with me. When I'm not going to games I have a slightly larger hard-sided shoulder bag (which I hate, but for purposes of this discussion that's not relevant), but I might even be able to bring it in. The Mets' policies clearly state a maximum size - 16"x16"x8".

The Yankees, unfortunately, do not have a specific policy. The closest they have is where they say "large purses, bags" are prohibited. What constitutes "large?"

Last year, at the start of the season I was able to bring in a shoulder-slung fanny pack. But starting in July they said that was too big and wouldn't let me in with it. Even though other men with larger camera bags were being allowed in with those bags, they wouldn't let me bring my obviously smaller bag because it wasn't specifically a camera bag. How f***ed up is that?

Answer: very.

Here's ANOTHER vague policy of the Yankees:


Bottles and Cans

No bottles or cans are permitted in Yankee Stadium with the exception of transparent plastic water bottles. The water bottle must be full and factory-sealed. It cannot be a container from home, and it must only be filled with water. Exceptions may be made for empty plastic sports bottles, baby bottles, health-related materials and unopened soft-sided single-serve containers (such as small milk cartons, juice boxes, etc.). Exceptions may be made at the sole discretion of the Yankees.

Why is this a f'n guessing game? Can someone bring a f'n juice box for their kid or not? Either allow it or don't but don't make hard working people schlep drinks for their kids only to have some nasty GED toting security guard on a power trip telling them they have to throw them out.

[Rob R]

Funny how most who are , ahem, "outraged" are not even Yankees fans in this thread. What I read from 99% Yankees fans are honest disappointments over things that can be corrected, not "outrage."

Some (not all, you know who you are) of the same people here who are "outraged" won't even go so far as to mention even one negative about their club or their field, or ballpark. If anything, they take the opposite approach and defend their team's owners, as if they were their first born.

Kinda interesting......or hypocritical, depending on how you want to describe it.

[Rob R]

BTW, don't ridiculously high prices -$700 per seat, an abundance high end priced seats with despicable obstructions (staircases and LED board), thousands of seats with limited views of the field and a ballpark whose owner honors the team he grew up with more than the team he owns and whom Mets fans root for, constitute "outrage?"

Some will defend Wilpon till his death, as if he is their father or own a stake in the team, some have legitimate problems with this and some are indifferent. Some honestly just don't care, which is OK. Sound familiar? And it's rightly kept (or swept under the carpet) in the Citi Field thread for Mets and other fans to discuss, defend, etc..

Should I start an "Outrage over Citi Field" so that Yanks fans, trolls and fans of other teams take their shots? Surely there's enough to be "outraged" about, other than what I mentioned. There ARE in fact Mets fans who are outraged, and there are in fact Yanks and other fans willing to participate, I'm sure.

[toefer]

BTW, don't ridiculously high prices -$700 per seat, an abundance high end priced seats with despicable obstructions (staircases and LED board), thousands of seats with limited views of the field and a ballpark whose owner honors the team he grew up with more than the team he owns and whom Mets fans root for, constitute "outrage?"


I think the Yankees are held to a higher standard, that's why there's more "outrage". If the Mets do something wrong (which they've seemed to do... I've never been to CF, so I don't know first-hand how it looks), well.. they're just the Mets, so who cares? :p

I imagine people look to the Yankees as the ones who should be setting the bar, and should be doing everything right, so when they make a mistake, or don't live up to the hype/expectations, everyone is sure to point it out and laugh or cry or scream or whatever.

[Rob R]

I think the Yankees are held to a higher standard, that's why there's more "outrage". If the Mets do something wrong (which they've seemed to do... I've never been to CF, so I don't know first-hand how it looks), well.. they're just the Mets, so who cares? :p

I imagine people look to the Yankees as the ones who should be setting the bar, and should be doing everything right, so when they make a mistake, or don't live up to the hype/expectations, everyone is sure to point it out and laugh or cry or scream or whatever.

I hear ya, but I also think that a couple of Yanks fans are falling for the bait here, mostly at the hands of either Mets fans or Yankee-hating members.

Some Mets fans participating here, one in particular, would rather lie than admit even the slightest negatives regarding the Wilpons, Mets and Citi. Yet, they so willingly come here to participate in this "outrage?"

This all could have been discussed in the NYS thread, and I'll bet that some concerns would be mentioned, but outrage? Why in the world would a Met fan be "outraged" about anything Yankee or NYS related, anyway? If these fans were such good samaritans, they'd also be outraged by plenty of the Wilpon's blatant and outrageous grievances and transgressions at the expense of Mets fans and want to do something about it.

I say don't feed them.

[hbwriter]

personally, i think people expect more from the Yankees--they're the icons, the bar is set higher for them--that's what is such a drag. even to us outsiders here in CA, this is bad to watch because it's not just bad for Yankee fans, it's bad for baseball (and I like the Yanks a lot since childhood)

it's no longer baseball for the people - it so mercenary it's laughable - and yeah, the Mets may not be much better but it comes down to attitude and right now, the Yank's attitude looks bad - much worse than the Mets (and the Mets must be loving this) No matter how you slice it, this stadium unveiling has been an utter and outright bust - is it fair? i dunno - i have not been - but it's real - the national press on yankee stadium is dismal and getting worse (I spoke to a guy from the Angels b'cast squad - he said they've never been treated worse than at that place) so this is on the Yanks--their behavior is driving it as much as the stupidly priced seats and moat

[YankeeFanBx]

Funny how most who are , ahem, "outraged" are not even Yankees fans in this thread. What I read from 99% Yankees fans are honest disappointments over things that can be corrected, not "outrage."

Some (not all, you know who you are) of the same people here who are "outraged" won't even go so far as to mention even one negative about their club or their field, or ballpark. If anything, they take the opposite approach and defend their team's owners, as if they were their first born.

Kinda interesting......or hypocritical, depending on how you want to describe it.
You're right on the money Rob, reading how so many non Yankee fans are outraged or how Yankees fans should be outraged is truly amazin!
All it reads to me is fans from other teams finding fault with my team and kicking the heck out of my team over issues they could , in reality, care less than :twocents: about.
I would like to thank them all for the heartfelt concern.:rolleyes:

[Rob R]

personally, i think people expect more from the Yankees--they're the icons, the bar is set higher for them--that's what is such a drag. even to us outsiders here in CA, this is bad to watch because it's not just bad for Yankee fans, it's bad for baseball (and I like the Yanks a lot since childhood)

it's no longer baseball for the people - it so mercenary it's laughable - and yeah, the Mets may not be much better but it comes down to attitude and right now, the Yank's attitude looks bad - much worse than the Mets (and the Mets must be loving this) No matter how you slice it, this stadium unveiling has been an utter and outright bust - is it fair? i dunno - i have not been - but it's real - the national press on yankee stadium is dismal and getting worse (I spoke to a guy from the Angels b'cast squad - he said they've never been treated worse than at that place) so this is on the Yanks--their behavior is driving it as much as the stupidly priced seats and moat

hb, I don't disagree with some complaints (which I believe can be fixed, and how arrogantly (Trost) the Yanks have addressed some of them, or your take on the situation.

But - and not to make this a Yanks vs. Mets issue, have you read in the media and CF thread how the Mets addressed the despicable seat obstructions - a far severer problem than NYS's centerfield restaurant obstruction), how they lied to season ticket holders, how silent and then deceitful Wilpon has been in addressing some transgressions, including the lack of honoring Met tradition?

This doesn't absolve the Yanks, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Plus, if you know some of the players in this forum and their history, they aren't "outraged," it's just a convenient thread to bash the Yanks. I'm sure that even some Mets fans will agree on this.

[Bernard Shakey]

Funny how most who are , ahem, "outraged" are not even Yankees fans in this thread. What I read from 99% Yankees fans are honest disappointments over things that can be corrected, not "outrage."

Some (not all, you know who you are) of the same people here who are "outraged" won't even go so far as to mention even one negative about their club or their field, or ballpark. If anything, they take the opposite approach and defend their team's owners, as if they were their first born.

Kinda interesting......or hypocritical, depending on how you want to describe it.

Not a Yankee fan, but a fan of tradition and a fan of sports as an affordable form of entertainment for a family. I'm glad that I took my 3 oldest sons to Yankee Stadium last year and I plan to bring them to the Metrodome this summer (no Yankee Stadium for sure, but the end of an odd era in stadiums, Vancouver notwithstanding). The outrage I feel is on behalf of the Yankee fans who will be feeling the squeeze from the design and function of the new stadium. People like myself, still a part of the dwindling "middle class."

I don't like the Yankees, but I like the tradition and the rabid fan base. I'll admit to a bit of envy. But those people (most fans) aren't millionaires and are being put in their place by folks who don't get it and shouldn't be able to relegate such a loyal fan base to pauper standing.

That is an outrage.

[hbwriter]

This doesn't absolve the Yanks, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Plus, if you know some of the players in this forum and their history, they aren't "outraged," it's just a convenient thread to bash the Yanks. I'm sure that even some Mets fans will agree on this.

---

I hear you--and I'm an outsider here so I don't know the history - and if the Yanks were handling things I'm sure the Mets would be feeling more heat - the Yanks, just given their vaunted legacy, are a fatter target (and old Yankee Stadium has 10 tons more cachet than Shea)

[Rob R]

You're right on the money Rob, reading how so many non Yankee fans are outraged or how Yankees fans should be outraged is truly amazin!
All it reads to me is fans from other teams finding fault with my team and kicking the heck out of my team over issues they could , in reality, care less than :twocents: about.
I would like to thank them all for the heartfelt concern.:rolleyes:

Precisely. If even a fraction of the Yanks fans who post in the NYS thread dare come here, most would see that very few people are "outraged" other than a couple of Mets and Yankee hating fans rabble rousing. And a couple, unfortunately, are falling for it.

Most Yanks fans members either were smart enough not to read some of the nonsense in this thread, don't like confrontation, read the first few posts to see who exactly was outraged and what they were outraged about and laughed, or all of the above.

[Rob R]

This doesn't absolve the Yanks, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Plus, if you know some of the players in this forum and their history, they aren't "outraged," it's just a convenient thread to bash the Yanks. I'm sure that even some Mets fans will agree on this.

---

I hear you--and I'm an outsider here so I don't know the history - and if the Yanks were handling things I'm sure the Mets would be feeling more heat - the Yanks, just given their vaunted legacy, are a fatter target (and old Yankee Stadium has 10 tons more cachet than Shea)

hb...I KNOW your intent is honorable and that you don't have any ulterior motives. But, like I said, some do, and they salivated at the title of this thread. And of course, I'm aware that the Yanks are a huge target, as you say.

[toefer]

Is it possible that Trost suffers from Napoleon Complex? Maybe that's why he's going crazy now that he's in charge.

I didn't realize he was so small:

[Rob R]

Not a Yankee fan, but a fan of tradition and a fan of sports as an affordable form of entertainment for a family. I'm glad that I took my 3 oldest sons to Yankee Stadium last year and I plan to bring them to the Metrodome this summer (no Yankee Stadium for sure, but the end of an odd era in stadiums, Vancouver notwithstanding). The outrage I feel is on behalf of the Yankee fans who will be feeling the squeeze from the design and function of the new stadium. People like myself, still a part of the dwindling "middle class."

I don't like the Yankees, but I like the tradition and the rabid fan base. I'll admit to a bit of envy. But those people (most fans) aren't millionaires and are being put in their place by folks who don't get it and shouldn't be able to relegate such a loyal fan base to pauper standing.

That is an outrage.
But here's the irony, Bernard. The Yanks are in effect, and unwittingly pricing out the rich! There are tons of affordable seats available. The "empties" are seats that the common fan never could afford at the old stadium and naturally, couldn't afford now.

Trust me, when I tell you that you and your family can enjoy NYS at an affordable price, at least in baseball terms.

[hbwriter]

Rob--as a baseball fan, I hate all this crap - I mean it--I will go to a game ANYPLACE that I happen to be - I love the game but stuff like this gums up the works and I'm sure in time the guns will shift over to Queens - so many owners today are screwing things up--I'm grateful for Artie Moreno here in CA--he gets it

[Rob R]

Rob--as a baseball fan, I hate all this crap - I mean it--I will go to a game ANYPLACE that I happen to be - I love the game but stuff like this gums up the works and I'm sure in time the guns will shift over to Queens - so many owners today are screwing things up--I'm grateful for Artie Moreno here in CA--he gets it

I couldn't agree more. Baseball owners and their greed have long taken much of the fun out of baseball. They Yankees aren't alone, even if they tried taking it to different heights.

I think "Outraged over baseball owners and their greed" would be a more apropos title of the thread, and then I'd more willingly share my thoughts on Yankee greed. We baseball fans are in this together.

[toefer]

I wonder how long it takes till the PR people realize just how accurate this is and remove it..


Ralph, that didn't seem to take too long.

This is what I'm seeing on the site now:

[MarcianoNY]

Precisely. If even a fraction of the Yanks fans who post in the NYS thread dare come here, most would see that very few people are "outraged" other than a couple of Mets and Yankee hating fans rabble rousing. And a couple, unfortunately, are falling for it.

Most Yanks fans members either were smart enough not to read some of the nonsense in this thread, don't like confrontation, read the first few posts to see who exactly was outraged and what they were outraged about and laughed, or all of the above.

I think there are people here who are taking advantage of the opportunity to bash the Yankees, which is what they'd be doing anyways, but I think there are real fans, both of the Yanks and just baseball fans, who have real concerned. The thing is, the idea that the stadium itself is fatally flawed has been blown WAY out of proportion... The building is fine. Just logistics that need to be fixed. For me personally (and I think a growing number of Yankee fans), my biggest issue is that I'm really starting to get to the point where every time Lonn Trost or Randy Levine open their mouths, I feel the urge to puke. Because of their poor and misguided decisions, they've caused what is (with a few typical new stadium glitches) a great stadium to be shrouded in negativity at its opening.

[04golf]

I was/am (not sure anymore) a Yankee fan since the early 90s. I was lucky enough to grow up in a spoiled era when the yankees were winning in the late 90s. After this past off season, signing 3 players to $425M and opening a $1.5B stadium I cant even bring myself to support this team/organization anymore. When I was a kid my father used to be able to bring me down the stadium and purchase field seats at the ticket window for a good price. We would watch BP together, share hotdogs, ice cream and buy a suvenior. Im in my mid 20s now, my father wont go to Yankee games anymore. He grew up watching them since 1955, and thinks they are nothing but greedy when you go to a game from the ticket prices, concessions and parking. Its sad, he grew up in an era when you could walk off the train, buy a ticket, eat and drink for cheap and enjoy the game with fanatic baseball fans.

Its just sad, my friends and I used to be able to go to games by ourselves. I just dont think kids can do that anymore with the price of everything at games. They need their parents to attend games. I know people say there are affordable seats, but when you have very expensive seats in the stadium the demand for the affordable seats are much higher and harder to get. Meanwhile all the expensive seats are available. Everything should be priced evenly and reasonably, its just a 3hr baseball game, not a week long cruise to the bahamas.

My father and I have been to 2 games together this season at citifield, and ive been to 5 games so far. The Yankees lost some fans here. We buy $19 seats at CF that are the same as $85 at NYS. The concessions are 6% less too, a beer is $6.50 at CF but its $10 at NYS. Its still alot but I rather go watch a game where its less atleast.

People wonder why the economy in the US is in the crapper...greed. Its all greed. Baseball is suppose to be a form on entertainment to bring your family too, not wipe out your bank account. The Yankees capitalized on the 4 world series wins in the late 90s, if they never won in the late 90s I dont think the Yankees would be on this high pedistel like today. If they didnt win, they last championship they could put to their name would be 78. And its getting nearly 10yrs now and they still are playing off those dynasty years. We are paying the price for them winning basically. Maybe the Yankees needed a new stadium but not a price of $1.5B. Atleast the mets built a stadium in NYC for $800M half the price of the Yankees. It disgust the money they spent to now only cater to the rich. And the center field screen is way too big, its an eyesore.

Im not bashing anything about the actually NYS stadium itself (except for the cf screen and resturant!) just the way the stadium/organiziton is runned.

They need to realize its just a game, its just a game!!!!

[Rob R]

We buy $19 seats at CF that are the same as $85 at NYS.

Can I ask you what $19 seats at CF are $85 dollars at NYS?? The only $19 dollar seats I see at CF are promenade reserve - the highest point (only for silver tiered games - another ridiculous pricing structure) and can go as high as $27 for gold games. Comparable seats at NYS are $20 grandstand seats, only at NYS it's $20 for EVERY game.

Around $75 and up can get you field level tix at NYS.

[04golf]

Can I ask you what $19 seats in CF are $85 dollars at NYS?? The only $19 dollar seats I see at CF (only for silver tiered games - another ridiculous pricing structure and can go as hight as $27) which are comparable to $20 grandstand seats at NYS, only it's $20 for EVERY game.

Around $85 at NYS gets you on the field level.

In citifield we sat in lower promedade box 425 and in 402. 425 on game day was $19 and 402 was $28. Different teams the mets were playing so I assume different prices.

These same sections at NYS (CF 425)are comparable to 324-327 ranging from $70-85. Section 402 at CF is comparable to sections 310-312 $50.

[GordonGecko]

In citifield we sat in lower promedade box 425 and in 402. 425 on game day was $19 and 402 was $28. Different teams the mets were playing so I assume different prices.

These same sections at NYS (CF 425)are comparable to 324-327 ranging from $70-85. Section 402 at CF is comparable to sections 310-312 $50.

425 CF is pretty much 328 NYS which is $50, but right next to the the $70 section

[Rob R]

425 CF is pretty much 328 NYS which is $50, but right next to the the $70 section
Granted, but at CF, Platinum games for those seats are the same $50, though Gold is $42, Silver $35 and Bronze $28.

Not sure how many game warrant, Platinum, Gold, etc.

[GordonGecko]

Granted, but at CF, Platinum games for those seats are the same $50, though Gold is $42, Silver $35 and Bronze $28.

Not sure how many game warrant, Platinum, Gold, etc.
Mets pricing is like a gay pride parade of colors, but it does make sense to have cheaper tickets for crappy opponents and weekdays. Too many gold games. The Yankees should consider discounting those types of games too

[scooterfan]

Does anyone know Lonn Trost's bio? I had never heard of him up until 5 years ago when he started walking into the booth giving John Sterling attendance figures. Trost reminds me of "Brownie" of Hurricane Katrina fame.

Artie Moreno deserves credit for being a fan friendly owner, but I would love to see his books and learn how much he and his partners are profiting. Letting KRod go was indefensible.

I went to an Anaheim game out there a few years ago and it's a foreign site for people in the Northeast where most arenas and stadium are located in urban centers. The stadium is located in a suburban strip mall area. I parked for free in a shopping center a block from the stadium and when I got back the car was still there.

[toefer]

Does anyone know Lonn Trost's bio? I had never heard of him up until 5 years ago when he started walking into the booth giving John Sterling attendance figures. Trost reminds me of "Brownie" of Hurricane Katrina fame.

I don't know his full background, but this article is an interesting read, if only to see what was being said about NYS last year, and comparing it to what we now know and see.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/at_yankees_new_park_he_touches.html

Here's the bio portion of the article:

~~~~

THE ROAD TO THE YANKEES

Trost, raised in Brooklyn, was a brainiac who graduated from high school in 3½ years. His sports career ended early because of his size (he's 5-foot-7), but he remained an avid fan -- Yankees, Knicks, Rangers, Giants -- who caught every game on TV or radio.

He floundered in his first attempt at college, skipping classes and playing a lot of poker. Given a second chance, at Hunter College, something clicked. Like a fluttering TV given one good whack (by his mother), he snapped into focus. After graduation, when the Navy released him from his commitment because of colitis, Trost stunned his family with a dream of being a lawyer.

"Law school?" his parents said. "You never mentioned that."

He married Carol, who has been his sweetheart since they moved into the same Brooklyn apartment complex as teens. In a one-bedroom unit, the two lived off their wedding gifts and parental handouts for a year. When she graduated and became a first-grade teacher, she supported him through his final two years of Brooklyn Law School, reading to him when was too tired to study.

"I read to him so much I could have passed the bar," she says.

After a job as a tax attorney with the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., his ticket home was a job at Shea and Gould. It's the New York law firm of William Shea, who had been instrumental in persuading the National League to award a franchise to the Mets and for whom the team's stadium is named. With a fanatical knowledge of New York sports and a sunrise-to-sunset work ethic, Trost made connections that eventually led to work as outside counsel for the Yankees. He went in-house in 1997 as the team's general counsel, and was named COO in 2000.

"The only thing that anyone could have used to predict that I'd end up here was my love for the Yankees," Trost says.

That devotion was planted and cultivated by his father, another New York sports fan who, family legend says, spent his honeymoon at Madison Square Garden. On Old-Timers' Day -- his family too poor to afford tickets -- Trost and his dad, who died two years ago, would sit in front of the TV and listen to Mel Allen read each player's resume. The trick was to name the player before the announcer did.

It was a tradition Lonn Trost passed along to his kids, with a twist. Two-year-old Audra -- to this day, the biggest sports nut in the family -- would sit in her father's lap and complete the Yankees' lineup back in the 1980s:

"Dave ..." her father would say.

"Winfield!" she would shout.

"Don ..." he would say.

"Mattingly," she would giggle.

Those who know Trost love this story: In 1977, he had tickets to the World Series game in which Reggie Jackson hit three home runs to clinch a championship. But with a big case starting the next day, Trost gave away the seats. He was a fan staunch enough to score tickets, but a lawyer too responsible to go.

~~~

[hbwriter]

Artie Moreno deserves credit for being a fan friendly owner, but I would love to see his books and learn how much he and his partners are profiting.
-----

But who cares? Our tickets our (relatively) cheap (til 2 or 3 years ago my seasons were buy one get one free!), the park is beautiful, the teams have been competitive almost every year since we won the 02 world series, everything is priced fairly, the employees treat you like family--hell, the first thing he did was lower beer prices

and he has no partners--he is a self made billionaire--who wanders the park many home games meeting fans, asking them their opinions on the experiences at the park, signing autographs, taking photos--the guy is gold - he has spoiled us (my 11.50 seat is about $85-90 at the new yankee stadium)

what he makes is his business - this is America for crying out loud.

And look - owners make conscious decisions about how to operate - how to treat the fan, what to charge the fan, how hard to work to please the fan - bottom line, you make your bed, lie in it

[scooterfan]

I'm not disagreeing with you about Moreno. I'm just wondering why he can't keep prices low AND resign Krod? If I were an Angel fan I'd rather the price of my seat be raised from $11.50 to $15 and resign Krod. I know it's a weak division but with such a big hole in the bullpen even if they make the playoffs they won't go far.

[hbwriter]

look, i miss frankie too--we watched him from 02--but overall, i give moreno an A+ since he arrived--mainly because, even though he is a billionaire, he understands what fans want

he read a book I wrote a few years ago - not sure how he came upon it but i received the most thoughtful note from him - he just wanted to say he enjoyed it as a baseball fan - totally out of the blue - he took the time to do that (and i've seen him plenty of times at the park--he'll grab an empty seat, start talking to people - very accessible)

[scooterfan]

Toefer, thanks for the Trost link. He comes off as sympathetic in that profile. Who do you guys think has played a bigger role in presiding over the Yankee PR troubles...Trost or Levine? If the Steinbrenner boys are going to continue owning the team I think it's best to clean house, start from scratch and get rid of Levine, Cashman, and Trost.... and Girardi as well if the team doesn't make the Playoffs.

And hire Mattingly as manager. I'd rather have Lou but he has a great job already. If this season ends as badly as most of us think hiring Mattingly would be great PR and would reduce the chances of a disastrous exodus of season ticket holders.

In the past 25 years there have been three specific occasions when the Yankees have gotten killed in the court of public opinion. The firing of Yogi in April of 1985 of Yogi Berra. George was killed for this decision but people never give him credit for making the right move because the team played great under Billy and won 97 games. Second was the decision not to resign Buck. The New York papers killed George, Yankee fans were disgusted, but as history showed us George did the right thing by bringing Torre in.

This proves you can get killed in the court of public opinion yet still make the right decision so kudos to George. This doesn't apply however with the terrible troika of Cashman, Levine and Trost. All three gentleman have presided over this public relations catastrophe with the stadium and medicore play and if the Steinbrenner boys care about the franchise that has fallen on their laps then they should save face and get these guys outta there.

[mandrake]

look, i miss frankie too--we watched him from 02--but overall, i give moreno an A+ since he arrived--mainly because, even though he is a billionaire, he understands what fans want

he read a book I wrote a few years ago - not sure how he came upon it but i received the most thoughtful note from him - he just wanted to say he enjoyed it as a baseball fan - totally out of the blue - he took the time to do that (and i've seen him plenty of times at the park--he'll grab an empty seat, start talking to people - very accessible)

Artie Moreno is my favorite franchise owner in any sport period. He is a throw back to the days of benevolent gentlemen. A true class individual. When he purchased the team, he walked around and was shocked at concession prices and ordered them lowered ! When he saw Angels hats for around $20, he ordered that they find someone to make a less expensive hat that people would still wear, and he charged something like $6. He said you can NOT embarrass parents who can't afford to buy their kids a hat at the ballpark...and I read that he sold over 3 million of these inexpensive hats at Angels games.


And I admit I have not tried Shake Shack at Citi...but the best damn burger I ever had at any sporting event was a Carl Jr's double (one pound of beef plus the works). Could have triggered a massive heart attack, but tasted so good.

BTW, our Anaheim vacation streak ends at 13 years this:hissyfit: summer.:ughh:dismay:

It's OT here, but sometime I need to repost how the Angels treated myself and my 2 sons at a Angels game in 2004.

[hbwriter]

mandrake--you know, next time you come out--you come with us!

[mandrake]

mandrake--you know, next time you come out--you come with us!

You know I am taking you up on it !!!! Also, I am trying to figure out how we can transport double-doubles from Inn n Out burger when you come to NYC.

Can you PM the dates for your trip? I think I am in Orlando when you are here ! I would have loved to gone to a NYC gamewith you guys.

BTW, I told a Yankee 'honcho' that Anaheim Stadium was my fave ballpark before 2009 and she questioned me in detail about what made it so good.

PS do they still sell those Carl's Jr doubles at the Big A...1100 calories???Yum.

[hbwriter]

oh yeah, Carl's is still there :)

[CHiller]

Yesterday, I saw some footage of the NYU Commencement that was held at NYS. The grads were seated in the Field section, and it looked like guests were in the Main and Terrace sections. The stage was set up near second base. Nobody was seated in the Legends "suites"- that section was deserted. So, even when there's no game being played, the Yankees keep the riffraff out of those precious suite seats! I'll give them this- at least they are consistent.

[peterrod16]

Yesterday, I saw some footage of the NYU Commencement that was held at NYS. The grads were seated in the Field section, and it looked like guests were in the Main and Terrace sections. The stage was set up near second base. Nobody was seated in the Legends "suites"- that section was deserted. So, even when there's no game being played, the Yankees keep the riffraff out of those precious suite seats! I'll give them this- at least they are consistent.

here is the proof
via http://www.subwaychatter.com/

The New Stadium played host to my sister’s (and many others’) NYU graduation. As you can see from the above photos, when Yankees’ COO Lonn Trost equated the Legends seats to homes early this week by asking, rhetorically, “If you purchased a house, do you want people in your house?” apparently he meant you wouldn’t want the Class of 2009 crashing your digs.

On a day that meant nothing to the Yankees (well, other than several hundred-thousand in concession sales) and everything to these young men and women, you would think the Yanks could’ve found it in their hearts to let graduates have a bird’s-eye view of the ceremony that was being held in their very honor, right? Ha! Instead, many were forced back into sections 131 and 109, with nothing but the back of a white tent to view as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered the Commencement address.

I may be a Yankee lifer, but only an idiot would fail to see the damage that these seats, and the organization’s correspondingly buffoonish policies, are doing to the Yankee brand; the post-graduation banter didn’t center around Clinton’s speech, or even the beauty of a ballpark some had just seen for the first time. Instead, many could be heard asking a rhetorical question of their own, one, though, that could and should be posed to Lonn Trost, “What were they thinking not letting the kids sit there?”

Ironically, the Yanks are going to be relying on a good number of the soon-to-be doctors, lawyers, and businessmen and women among yesterday’s diploma-receivers to fill those seats in the years to come. And, incomprehensibly, they did their best to alienate them and everyone else who was left scratching their heads, once again, when it came to all those empty seats between the bases.

I can’t wait to hear Trost rationalize this one. Though, any explanation he offers could likely be summed up with yet another rhetorical question: “Do you think we really care?”

[Gary Dunaier]

even when there's no game being played, the Yankees keep the riffraff out of those precious suite seats! I'll give them this- at least they are consistent.

What about the fact that those seats were occupied during the Joel Osteen event?

My theory: the NYU event was "free" and "limited," in that it wasn't open to the public, and the attendees didn't have to buy a ticket. The Osteen event was open to the public, and tickets were sold. If memory serves me right Legends Suite seats were about $125 for the Osteen event.

Incidentally, I read somewhere that the Osteen people paid $1.5 million for the use of the Stadium. Don't know what kind of arrangement NYU had with the Yankees.

It will be interesting to see if the Legends Suite seats are offered for sale during the next public non-baseball event, whatever it may be.

[Ralphw]

Good.. I hope they keep doing this type of blatant social segregation. Cause thats what it is.

This is how these people live. The social elite. They live in a different world than most of us. I see it all the time.

They are better than us. These are the same people who get in front of you on the highway in their Jaguars and Mercedes and go 20 mph on their way to the country club when you are late for work or park in front of the front doors at the grocery store instead of the regular parking spots like the rest of us do.

The people who put us in this economic mess belong to that class.
Record numbers are unemployed, gas is 2.50 again, The price of food has doubled while the size of the package has shrunk.

I'm seriously not feeling like a Yankee fan any more. I love my Yankees, but the 11 dollar can of beer dumped in a plastic cup, the elitist attitude, the ridiculous ticket pricing and the fact that this team is plain bad has me losing interest in baseball.

[nymdan]

here is the proof
via http://www.subwaychatter.com/

The New Stadium played host to my sister’s (and many others’) NYU graduation. As you can see from the above photos, when Yankees’ COO Lonn Trost equated the Legends seats to homes early this week by asking, rhetorically, “If you purchased a house, do you want people in your house?” apparently he meant you wouldn’t want the Class of 2009 crashing your digs.

On a day that meant nothing to the Yankees (well, other than several hundred-thousand in concession sales) and everything to these young men and women, you would think the Yanks could’ve found it in their hearts to let graduates have a bird’s-eye view of the ceremony that was being held in their very honor, right? Ha! Instead, many were forced back into sections 131 and 109, with nothing but the back of a white tent to view as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered the Commencement address.

I may be a Yankee lifer, but only an idiot would fail to see the damage that these seats, and the organization’s correspondingly buffoonish policies, are doing to the Yankee brand; the post-graduation banter didn’t center around Clinton’s speech, or even the beauty of a ballpark some had just seen for the first time. Instead, many could be heard asking a rhetorical question of their own, one, though, that could and should be posed to Lonn Trost, “What were they thinking not letting the kids sit there?”

Ironically, the Yanks are going to be relying on a good number of the soon-to-be doctors, lawyers, and businessmen and women among yesterday’s diploma-receivers to fill those seats in the years to come. And, incomprehensibly, they did their best to alienate them and everyone else who was left scratching their heads, once again, when it came to all those empty seats between the bases.

I can’t wait to hear Trost rationalize this one. Though, any explanation he offers could likely be summed up with yet another rhetorical question: “Do you think we really care?”
Oh man, that's bad. Not letting people sit there isn't so bad by itself, but not letting people sit there and having to stick others beyond where they can see the stage is very bad.

[Robbyb26]

Good.. I hope they keep doing this type of blatant social segregation. Cause thats what it is.

This is how these people live. The social elite. They live in a different world than most of us. I see it all the time.

They are better than us. These are the same people who get in front of you on the highway in their Jaguars and Mercedes and go 20 mph on their way to the country club when you are late for work or park in front of the front doors at the grocery store instead of the regular parking spots like the rest of us do.

The people who put us in this economic mess belong to that class.
Record numbers are unemployed, gas is 2.50 again, The price of food has doubled while the size of the package has shrunk.

I'm seriously not feeling like a Yankee fan any more. I love my Yankees, but the 11 dollar can of beer dumped in a plastic cup, the elitist attitude, the ridiculous ticket pricing and the fact that this team is plain bad has me losing interest in baseball.

Ralph I understand where you are coming from. But don't worry, things are changing. The NY bubble popped, people like Madoff are getting exposed, and Lon Trost looks more like a horses ass than anyone in NYC since Boss Tweed. After I read his stupid comments I had a George Brett jersey and KC royals hat ready to go, but I thought about it. Whether its Colonel Ruppert, Macphail, Webb, Topping, CBS, Mr. Steinbrenner, or trost running the team, it doesn't matter. The "Yankees" as an entity are bigger than all of them. Its been the great players and great colorful fans that make the whole Yankee experience unique. Apartment prices are down, the luxury boxes are empty, and soon the Hamptons will be washed out too. Ahhh..The fall of rome.. Go Yanks!

[Strawman]

Oh man, that's bad. Not letting people sit there isn't so bad by itself, but not letting people sit there and having to stick others beyond where they can see the stage is very bad.
Wow - Levine's Moat strikes again!

That is truly hideous: blocking the young and best and brightest - our accomplished young people - from the "exclusive" territory of the rich and foolish.

That whole section is a scar on a great franchise and a deliberate attack on the average fan.

It's out and out class warfare!

[toefer]

Wow - Levine's Moat strikes again!

That is truly hideous: blocking the young and best and brightest - our accomplished young people - from the "exclusive" territory of the rich and foolish.

That whole section is a scar on a great franchise and a deliberate attack on the average fan.

It's out and out class warfare!

My first thought about why it was empty was maybe because of the secret tunnel entrances to the "moat", so it would've been weird to send a group of students through some other entrance. But aren't there at least a couple aisles of stairs that run from the field concourse down to the moat?

The other thing I noticed is that in general the stadium seems really bad for non-sporting events like this. The stage seems so far away from everyone, and seems so pointless. I assume if they ever host a concert in the stadium that they'll put seats on the field (or who knows, maybe not)... but I think it's imperative to have some sort of 360 degree stage planned as part of the show, because otherwise it looks like the stage is stranded out in the middle of nowhere.

If they sold tickets to a concert the way the NYU commencement was arranged, those would be the worst front row tickets in history. How did the Joel Osteen thing work? From the couple pictures I saw of that, I don't remember any seats in the field, and it also seemed like he was far away from everyone, but at least his stage/platform was open, instead of more tent-like like the NYU setup.

[NYBase]

Yah baseball stadiums usually aren't as good for these events.

I can't think of a good reason to not have people sit there... not one! I'm dying to hear the reason.

:rant:

[Robbyb26]

Yah baseball stadiums usually aren't as good for these events.

I can't think of a good reason to not have people sit there... not one! I'm dying to hear the reason.

:rant:

Silly NYBASE...Would you want people running around your house. :blush:

[NYBase]

Silly NYBASE...Would you want people running around your house. :blush:

:ughh

That was such a stupid analogy by Trost...

Buying Yankee legends tickets is equal to buying a house.

Pretty bad thing to say when people are LOSING their HOMES!

[Robbyb26]

:ughh

That was such a stupid analogy by Trost...

Buying Yankee legends tickets is equal to buying a house.

Pretty bad thing to say when people are LOSING their HOMES!
A stupid quote from a stupid man. Maybe I will get that KC hat and Brett jersey.

[NYBase]

A stupid quote from a stupid man. Maybe I will get that KC hat and Brett jersey.

I'm tempted to go and buy a Shane Victorino jersey :ughh Go Phils!

I tried upgrading my $45 seats to $70 for a better view and was basically told there was nothing available.

[threeyoda]

From Wikipedia:


Legends Seats are also walled off from the other lower bowl seating and are patrolled by stadium security, with the divider being described as a "concrete moat" that creates a "caste system" within the ballpark. Fans that do not have tickets within this premium section in the front rows are not allowed to access it or stand behind the dugouts during batting practice to watch players hit and request autographs.

[Coach Bombay]

Thought I'd repost this here:



http://yankees.lhblogs.com/

UPDATE, 5:59 p.m.: The Yankees have changed the rules for batting practice.

This from Yankees.com:


BATTING PRACTICE

Remember fans, on game days, arrive early. Yankee Stadium Gates on Babe Ruth Plaza and Gates 2 and 8, open three hours prior to the start of every home game. All fans are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy batting practice and infield workouts from select areas of the Field Level and the Bleachers; specifically, all fans may watch batting practice and infield workouts from Field Level Sections 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135 and 136 and from all Bleachers Sections.

Please note, on certain game days the Yankees may elect not to take batting practice, infield workouts or both. Those fans who take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy batting practice and infield workouts from the Field Level and/or the Bleachers may remain until the players leave the field following the conclusion of the Yankees batting practice or 1 hour and 45 minutes after the Gates open. At that time, all fans will be asked to return their respective seats.

This would seem to be a change from the earlier policy of not allowing any fans in the field level who did not have a ticket for those sections.

UPDATE, 6:15 p.m.: Just spoke to a Yankees spokesperson. The new BP rules were put in place today. So everybody who complained, congrats. Your words were heard.

Under the new policy, you can get on the field level. Now, you’re not going to get on top of the field, so autographs are not happening unless somebody stops out in the outfield. But you can close enough to snap some photos, take in the experience, etc.
It’s good the team is relaxing the rules and listening to their fans.

[SparkyL]

Big kudos to the Yankees for listening and acting!!!


http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090513&content_id=4708954&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

The Yankees announced Wednesday that they have amended some of their Yankee Stadium operational policies, including permitting fans to access certain areas of the field level two hours before games.

Yankee Stadium gates on Babe Ruth Plaza, located between Gate 4 and Gate 6, will continue to open three hours to the start time of every home game.

Fans will be now permitted to watch batting practice and infield workouts during the first hour gates are open -- for example, between 4-5 p.m. for a 7:05 p.m. game -- from Sections 103-110 (right-field corner), 129-136 (left-field corner) and all of the Bleachers, provided the seat is vacant

[YankeeFanBx]

They have to listen, money talks and the potential loss of money screams!!!:rant:
Happy to see a change in policy.:happy:

[MarcianoNY]

Big kudos to the Yankees for listening and acting!!!


http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090513&content_id=4708954&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

The Yankees announced Wednesday that they have amended some of their Yankee Stadium operational policies, including permitting fans to access certain areas of the field level two hours before games.

Yankee Stadium gates on Babe Ruth Plaza, located between Gate 4 and Gate 6, will continue to open three hours to the start time of every home game.

Fans will be now permitted to watch batting practice and infield workouts during the first hour gates are open -- for example, between 4-5 p.m. for a 7:05 p.m. game -- from Sections 103-110 (right-field corner), 129-136 (left-field corner) and all of the Bleachers, provided the seat is vacant

:clapping The people have spoken

[Ralphw]

Its a start,,, lets work on the pricing now! lol

[GordonGecko]

................

[Rob R]

HOW much does a $24 ticket to a Mets' game cost when you buy it di rectly from the Mets?

Twenty-four bucks, right?

Not quite.

Almost every local event of popular appeal that's attached to a ticket is now attached to a ripoff, some beyond-face-value tack-on and/or bait-and-switch scheme or scam. The cost of the ticket almost never ends with its printed cost. That's where the cost starts.

What began at Cablevision's Madison Square Garden more than 10 years ago as a tack-on "facility fee" -- an extra charge to purchase tickets at the Garden's own box office, for crying out loud -- has proliferated to where New York has become Suckertown.

Here, after finding out the price of the tickets, it's time to learn what they cost.

Rich Glanzer of Lynbrook wanted to organize a trip to a Mets' game for the co-ed adult hockey team on which he plays. He knew better than to go for pricey tickets on a pricey date against a pricey opponent. So he selected tomorrow night's game at Citi Field against the Marlins, the $24 per tickets in the outfield section we have been encouraged to lovingly call The Pepsi Porch.

Glanzer's call to the Mets' ticket office began with Howie Rose's taped hold-for-the-next-available-rep message, "So I knew I was dealing with the Mets, not StubHub or Ticketmaster or someone I'd have to pay additional fees to."

Glanzer told the ticket rep he wanted to purchase 10 tickets. "At $24 each that's $240, right? But the charge became $307.50. There was a $6 dollar 'service fee' for each ticket, then there was what I was told is a 'one-time service fee,' which was another $5.

"And then I was charged another $2.50 to e-mail me the tickets. I told the rep that I didn't realize that postage stamps cost so much through the Internet. They charged me to print out my own tickets on my own paper and with my own ink. After I paid over $30 apiece for $24 tickets, they charged me another $2.50 just to hit the 'send' button.

"When it was all over, I realized that the Mets were scalping their own tickets."

But it wasn't over. One more hockey player wanted in so Glanzer called back. That "one-time" $5 service fee is apparently at least a two-time fee, because that one additional $24 ticket cost $37.50.

So the answer is: $37.50. A $24 ticket bought directly from the Mets costs $37.50.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04262009/sports/moresports/your_ticket_to_amazin_ripoff_166281.htm?page=2

[IPO]

Funny how all my former detractors are now writing the same things.

:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:
IPO

[David Atkatz]

Yeah... Big kudos to the Yankees.

Right.

Kids can now watch BP from the left field and right field corners.

For one hour.

Wow!

Let's all pat ourselves on the back, give Trost a warm hug, and sing "Kumbaya."

[Rob R]

Howard firmly stated that there are no "obstructed view" seats in Citi Field. He next defined obstructed view as a beam or pillar blocking one's immediate view.

Howard did concede that there are seats that present "blind spots." These blind spots, he explained, are "a function of the geometry of the building." :laugh :laugh

Hmmm. Blind spot seats -- "b.s. seats," some might shorten them to -- but no obstructed view seats. And these blind spot seats, the kind from which you can't see through or around and block the view of the game, are created by "the geometry of the building." Got it?

My dad would have enjoyed that answer. He would have obstructed my view of a lot of things, for about a week. But what, if not structures built with pillars and beams, causes blind spots? Geometry?

No matter what blocks your view of a game -- a wall, an overhang, a ceiling, a blind spot seat, Mr. Met seated right in front of you -- remember: Citi Field has no obstructed view seats. None.

Howard additionally explained that nothing took the Mets by surprise. They were well aware that they had seats, and apparently lots of them, that presented "blind spot" views.

Of course, at that point most naturally curious folks would have asked why those who purchased "blind spot" tickets weren't forewarned.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04192009/sports/mets/francesa_blinded_by_amazin_spin_165137.htm

[04golf]

Yeah... Big kudos to the Yankees.

Right.

Kids can now watch BP from the left field and right field corners.

For one hour.

Wow!

Let's all pat ourselves on the back, give Trost a warm hug, and sing "Kumbaya."

I had the same thoughts when I read the announcement. What is everyone happy about, letting people watch from the left and right field corners? Fans should be able to be near the dug out and close to BP.

[Rob R]

Check out some of the obstructed seats at Citi, even at high priced seats. I'm outraged!

http://www.metspolice.com/2009/04/worst-mets-citi-field-obstructed-view.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4YNQpzbfdk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metspolice.com%2F2009%2F04%2 Fworst-mets-citi-field-obstructed-view.html&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJu5ScRGIlE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuY83xSmKQc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tioAFCzMZd4

[Rob R]

.........................

[Strawman]

Check out some of the obstructed seats at Citi, even at high priced seats. I'm outraged!

http://www.metspolice.com/2009/04/worst-mets-citi-field-obstructed-view.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4YNQpzbfdk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metspolice.com%2F2009%2F04%2 Fworst-mets-citi-field-obstructed-view.html&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJu5ScRGIlE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuY83xSmKQc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tioAFCzMZd4
Rob - wrong thread, off topic!

This isn't about CF, which has some of its own problems but isn't nearly the iconic, historic disaster that the new stadium is....

[Rob R]

A Met fan's outrage.

"Feels like a minor league park."

"I'm underwhelmed by the seating and cleanliness."

"The Met's are a low rent franchise (he "lovingly says that"). Citi Field won't change that."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqCp0JSu8dU&feature=PlayList&p=35A64CDB00807231&index=10

[CoreyNYC]

HOW much does a $24 ticket to a Mets' game cost when you buy it di rectly from the Mets?

Twenty-four bucks, right?

Not quite.

Almost every local event of popular appeal that's attached to a ticket is now attached to a ripoff, some beyond-face-value tack-on and/or bait-and-switch scheme or scam. The cost of the ticket almost never ends with its printed cost. That's where the cost starts.

What began at Cablevision's Madison Square Garden more than 10 years ago as a tack-on "facility fee" -- an extra charge to purchase tickets at the Garden's own box office, for crying out loud -- has proliferated to where New York has become Suckertown.

Here, after finding out the price of the tickets, it's time to learn what they cost.

Rich Glanzer of Lynbrook wanted to organize a trip to a Mets' game for the co-ed adult hockey team on which he plays. He knew better than to go for pricey tickets on a pricey date against a pricey opponent. So he selected tomorrow night's game at Citi Field against the Marlins, the $24 per tickets in the outfield section we have been encouraged to lovingly call The Pepsi Porch.

Glanzer's call to the Mets' ticket office began with Howie Rose's taped hold-for-the-next-available-rep message, "So I knew I was dealing with the Mets, not StubHub or Ticketmaster or someone I'd have to pay additional fees to."

Glanzer told the ticket rep he wanted to purchase 10 tickets. "At $24 each that's $240, right? But the charge became $307.50. There was a $6 dollar 'service fee' for each ticket, then there was what I was told is a 'one-time service fee,' which was another $5.

"And then I was charged another $2.50 to e-mail me the tickets. I told the rep that I didn't realize that postage stamps cost so much through the Internet. They charged me to print out my own tickets on my own paper and with my own ink. After I paid over $30 apiece for $24 tickets, they charged me another $2.50 just to hit the 'send' button.

"When it was all over, I realized that the Mets were scalping their own tickets."

But it wasn't over. One more hockey player wanted in so Glanzer called back. That "one-time" $5 service fee is apparently at least a two-time fee, because that one additional $24 ticket cost $37.50.

So the answer is: $37.50. A $24 ticket bought directly from the Mets costs $37.50.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04262009/sports/moresports/your_ticket_to_amazin_ripoff_166281.htm?page=2

WTF does this has to do with YS (other than your obsession with knocking the Mets, especially when it means derailing criticism on YS)? This is the outrage of YS thread.

The fan friendly Yankees have Ticketmaster do their ripping off for them and price gouge single game buyers who buy in advance and day of game buyers
even worse.

What's your point?

[Rob R]

Rob - wrong thread, off topic!

This isn't about CF, which has some of its own problems but isn't nearly the iconic, historic disaster that the new stadium is....

Should I start an outrage over Citi Field then? Seems like there's plenty of documented outrage over the disaster in Flushing to warrant a thread.

[CoreyNYC]

Check out some of the obstructed seats at Citi, even at high priced seats. I'm outraged!

http://www.metspolice.com/2009/04/worst-mets-citi-field-obstructed-view.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4YNQpzbfdk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metspolice.com%2F2009%2F04%2 Fworst-mets-citi-field-obstructed-view.html&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJu5ScRGIlE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuY83xSmKQc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tioAFCzMZd4


A Met fan's outrage.

"Feels like a minor league park."

"I'm underwhelmed by the seating and cleanliness."

"The Met's are a low rent franchise (he "lovingly says that"). Citi Field won't change that."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqCp0JSu8dU&feature=PlayList&p=35A64CDB00807231&index=10

http://mw1.m-w.com/dictionary/avoidance


avoidance
One entry found.

Main Entry:
avoid·ance Listen to the pronunciation of avoidance
Pronunciation:
\ə-ˈvȯi-dən(t)s\
Function:
noun
Date:
14th century

1obsolete a: an action of emptying, vacating, or clearing away b: outlet
2: annulment 1
3: an act or practice of avoiding or withdrawing from something

[GordonGecko]

The fan friendly Yankees have Ticketmaster do their ripping off for them and price gouge single game buyers who buy in advance and day of game buyers
even worse.
I was able to get a pair of bleachers for bat day on Sunday through ticketmaster. Those $14 bleachers ended up costing me $20 bucks each after fees. Basically a 50% fee. Not like the fans have any choice about this kind of garbage

[Strawman]

Should I start an outrage over Citi Field then? Seems like there's plenty of documented outrage over the disaster in Flushing to warrant a thread.
Sure, why not? If you think there's a growing drumbeat in the media, among state investigative agencies, and throughout the fan base, go ahead....

[Oct251986]

Sure Rob start a Whats wrong with Citi thread if you want. I will go and look at it. I don't look at Citi through rose colored glasses like you look at YS.

[CoreyNYC]

I was able to get a pair of bleachers for bat day on Sunday through ticketmaster. Those $14 bleachers ended up costing me $20 bucks each after fees. Basically a 50% fee. Not like the fans have any choice about this kind of garbage

I bought $5 bleachers for a game next week, they cost me just short of $10.

Kudos to the Yankees for not ripping people off!

[IPO]

I was able to get a pair of bleachers for bat day on Sunday through ticketmaster. Those $14 bleachers ended up costing me $20 bucks each after fees. Basically a 50% fee. Not like the fans have any choice about this kind of garbage

You always have a choice. DON'T GO.

After all that's what you said for months when I did my posts on this and all you had were insults.

You supported the convicted felon's obstructed view US Celluar steakhouse and the cookie cutter pile of Ebbets Field brick garbage on our dime and all the corporations that created this nightmare.

Keep paying them and stop complaining, you got what you wanted.

This is only the beginning.

[stadiumbuilder]

Yeah... Big kudos to the Yankees.

Right.

Kids can now watch BP from the left field and right field corners.

For one hour.

Wow!

Let's all pat ourselves on the back, give Trost a warm hug, and sing "Kumbaya."I'm sure the Yankees didn't realize that allowing people in up to 3 hours before gametime to view batting practice for an hour will cause some people to spend alot more time at the park getting hungrier and thirstier all the while. So this new policy will allow for more concession sales per game, thus hurting the Yankees financi----oh wait never mind.

[Ralphw]

I had the same thoughts when I read the announcement. What is everyone happy about, letting people watch from the left and right field corners? Fans should be able to be near the dug out and close to BP.

what a joke


I'm really done

[mandrake]

You always have a choice. DON'T GO.

After all that's what you said for months when I did my posts on this and all you had were insults.

You supported the convicted felon's obstructed view US Celluar steakhouse and the cookie cutter pile of Ebbets Field brick garbage on our dime and all the corporations that created this nightmare.

Keep paying them and stop complaining, you got what you wanted.

Just wait until the taxpayers really start paying for these two nightmare ballparks, this is only the beginning.

Hey , welcome back. I thought you had moved out to Kansas City, grabbed some brisket at Bryant's, and began waiting on line for hockey tickets for that team you like....

As for Mr Steinbrenner, I thought once you are pardoned by a President the conviction disappears.

[NYBase]

Last week at Citi for BP we were only able to see it past the pass the mini-moat there.... down the foul line in the outfield. From what I hear Shea was really good for watching BP.

[brooklyndodger14]

Messrs. Trost/Levine: FILL UP THAT MOAT!!!

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

[IPO]

Hey , welcome back. I thought you had moved out to Kansas City, grabbed some brisket at Bryant's, and began waiting on line for hockey tickets for that team you like....

I thought you had already moved there yourself to purchase tickets for that team you like. When the wind currents at Yankee Stadium are the big April story in NYC.......

Thunder sticks are supposed to prevent choking, happy trails.



As for Mr Steinbrenner, I thought once you are pardoned by a President the conviction disappears.

That's convictions, plural.

[IPO]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/05/14/2009-05-14_lonn_trost_bombers_brass_gets_an_f_in_pr.html#i xzz0FZaQwI2z&A

Lonn Trost and Bombers' brass get an 'F' in PR

Thursday, May 14th 2009, 9:41 PM

According to his bio in the 2009 Yankees Media Guide, Lonn Trost, the Bombers' chief operating officer, first was employed by the club in the mid-1960s as a grandstand vendor. Whether he sold hot dogs, beer, or peanuts is not specified.

Back then, Trost's terms of employment likely made it essential to arrive at the old Yankee Stadium early. On occasion, he may even have had the opportunity to linger for a few moments, mingling with the common folks, to gaze at the grass and see the likes of Mickey Mantle and Bobby Richardson take batting practice.

Now that he's risen from "Hey, getcha cold beer," to "Hey, getcha $2,625 ticket," Mr. Trost, a lawyer by trade, seems to have forgotten from whence he came.

On Tuesday, during a press conference to hype yet another way for the Yankees to make money, Trost was asked about the team's policy of not allowing fans to continue a tradition of congregating downstairs (the area now consists of the walled-off Legends Suites) before a game so they can be close to the field and perhaps get an autograph.

"If you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite?" Trost asked. "If you purchase a home do you want somebody in your home?"

Thursday, the Yankees backed off Trost's hard-line stance - sort of - saying the policy would be modified to give fans limited pregame access downstairs. This does not negate the absolute fact that Trost's statement was colder than the bottoms of all those empty, expensive seats he cannot sell.

His words define what he and his front-office colleagues think of a portion of their fan base. Those of lesser means. Was it the height of arrogance, or just stupidity, for Trost and his designated memorabilia flunky to publicly announce Tuesday a plan to sell off pieces of the old Stadium?

When you are having trouble selling overpriced seats in the new ballpark, and pricing out a significant portion of your fans, is it really a good idea to now be asking them to pay $279.99 for an "authentic" piece of old Stadium sod, or $249.99 for a seat back, or $2,000 for a seat they once occupied?

Yankees suits are entitled to do business as they see fit. Still, while doing it, the current regime, led by Hal Steinbrenner, president Randy Levine and Trost, shows a lack of sensitivity and public relations acumen.

A number of executives who either are currently doing business with the Yankees, or once did, agreed that while Yankees brass could not control how the toxic economy has impacted business at the new Stadium, they can control what leaves their mouths.

They portrayed Trost as an executive "once hidden away in the dungeon" when George Steinbrenner was in control, now in the spotlight without a clue how to handle it. While recognizing Levine as an unnecessarily "combative bully," they are still surprised over the defensive posture he has struck, publicly, over any criticism of the new ballpark. They all pointed to Levine's reaction, in April, to Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber commenting on those empty seats in the front rows.

"Don Garber discussing Yankee attendance must be a joke," Levine said at the time. "We draw more people in a year than his entire league does in a year."

Levine's response, one executive said, amounted to a gratuitous display of haughtiness that, once again, made the organization look bad.

"Look, you had George doing all the talking (for the organization), than you had George speaking through (Howard) Rubenstein," the executive said. "Now you have Randy and Lonn, both guys are very rough around the edges and don't know how to do PR. From a PR standpoint you have two cowboys steering this ship."

Another executive compared Levine's response to Garber to Trost, on Tuesday, putting up a verbal "no trespassing" sign. "It (Trost's comment) was foolish, childish, and arrogant," he said. "Lonn Trost is a lawyer, that's what he is. Now he has been given operational responsibility. When lawyers become COO's, watch out. He's been given business responsibilities and revenue responsibility. What do you get? The $2,625 ticket."

No one is discounting the possibility of someone taking the fall for what's gone wrong at the new Stadium. Are certain people inside the organization not shedding tears over Trost putting his foot in his mouth? Might he end up being the designated scapegoat? Maybe there is even some in-fighting between Levine and Trost, who knows?

It would be fitting, though. After all, The Boss loved injecting creative tension and fear into the mix. And with their loose lips and bullying, Trost and Levine show they have absorbed Steinbrenner's own management style.

Now if they would only, as The Boss did, pay lip service to the butcher, baker and candlestick maker - patronize the mythical little guy.

Either that, or just shut up.

[nymdan]

Last week at Citi for BP we were only able to see it past the pass the mini-moat there.... down the foul line in the outfield. From what I hear Shea was really good for watching BP.
Shea? You could watch from behind the dugouts if you wanted, but Citi is a much better place to watch BP because of all of the outfield seats.

[tomkaz]

in today's ny times:



May 14, 2009, 5:14 pm

Yanks Alter Policy, Making B.P. More Fan-Friendly
By Ken Belson
For generations, die-hard fans have shown up early to games to watch batting practice and get an autograph.

So, fans at Yankee Stadium this season were dismayed to find out they could not go down to the field level before the game unless they had a ticket to sit there. Brenna Mahoney of New Jersey learned this when she took her son early to a game in April.

“I have been going to batting practice for about 20 years for this time-honored tradition of letting a kid who doesn’t sit in the premium seats, where players are at close view and foul balls are regularly caught, have a shot at a wave from a favorite player or a prized ball to take home,” she said in an e-mail last month.

Mahoney was not the only fan to complain, so on Thursday the Yankees changed their policy. Fans will now be able to watch batting practice from the seats along the left- and right-field lines and in the outfield (Sections 129 to 136 and 103 to 111).

Alice McGillion, a spokeswoman for the Yankees, said that after the team received complaints it looked at the policy at the old Yankee Stadium. There, fans that had any field level seat could watch batting practice there.

“We liberalized the policy even more,” she said. “This is part of living in a new home and making adjustments. It’s only been a month.”

According to the new rules, posted on the Yankees’ Web site under the heading Batting Practice, fans can watch batting practice starting three hours before the start of each home game. Fans can stay on the field level and in the bleachers until the players leave the field or 1 hour 45 minutes after the gates open. Then “all fans will be asked to return their respective seats.”

Fans will still not be able to get to the field by way of the luxury box seats closest to home plate and the dugouts. Those are only for premium ticket holders. Safety nets installed there during batting practice prevent fans from catching a ball anyway.

At Citi Field, the Mets let fans watch batting practice starting two and a half hours before game time.

[Strawman]

As long as the current physical construction of the Moat and Legends section remains, NYS will stay the object of ridicule and complaint. And as they slowly, painfully, agonizingly rip apart the real thing - the historic gem of New York - across the street just to add a few numbers to Lonn Trost's spreadsheet, that anger will grow.

[Ralphw]

"Take a Classic Tour of
Yankee Stadium
Experience the legend of Yankees baseball by taking the ultimate behind-the-scenes tour of Yankee Stadium, presented by Zales. The Classic Tour lasts 45 minutes to one hour and includes visits to Monument Park, widely regarded as the most historic place in sports, the New York Yankees Museum, and the dugout. Guests will pass through the batting cages and Yankees clubhouse area before ending the tour in the Great Hall near the team store."


The most historic place in sports is across the street ..... idiots


don't forget to spend the rest of your money in the team store...

they use names like "classic" and "legends" like they have copyrights on them....

[David Atkatz]

Where the hell were all you people three years ago? When the Yankees first announced this abomination? When, if enough people stood up, the City Council might have been persuaded to not allow this to happen?

Where were you when most people on this board were ripping in to those few who had the audacity to actually speak about the irrevocable loss which was soon to occur?

Did it really take this long for you to realize they were going to tear the Stadium down? Did they actually have to start ripping it apart for you to understand?

[Strawman]

"Take a Classic Tour of
Yankee Stadium
Experience the legend of Yankees baseball by taking the ultimate behind-the-scenes tour of Yankee Stadium, presented by Zales. The Classic Tour lasts 45 minutes to one hour and includes visits to Monument Park, widely regarded as the most historic place in sports, the New York Yankees Museum, and the dugout. Guests will pass through the batting cages and Yankees clubhouse area before ending the tour in the Great Hall near the team store."


The most historic place in sports is across the street ..... idiots


don't forget to spend the rest of your money in the team store...

they use names like "classic" and "legends" like they have copyrights on them....
Yes, tour the historic grounds - formerly home of the Macombs Dam handball courts. Wander through the outfield concourses, where authentic Bronx youths shot hoops in pick-up games only two years ago! Actually walk on the hallowed ground where local senior citizens limbered up before a brisk walk on the famed Macombs Dam track! Marvel at the "world class amenities" and live the majestic history - while viewing the moat, constructed on the very site where high school baseball teams once invoked the slaughter rule!

[Ralphw]

Where the hell were all you people three years ago? When the Yankees first announced this abomination? When, if enough people stood up, the City Council might have been persuaded to not allow this to happen?

Where were you when most people on this board were ripping in to those few who had the audacity to actually speak about the irrevocable loss which was soon to occur?

Did it really take this long for you to realize they were going to tear the Stadium down? Did they actually have to start ripping it apart for you to understand?

There were some of us out there. we sent letters and had websites. had petitions. none of it mattered.

[CoreyNYC]

"Take a Classic Tour of
Yankee Stadium
Experience the legend of Yankees baseball by taking the ultimate behind-the-scenes tour of Yankee Stadium, presented by Zales. The Classic Tour lasts 45 minutes to one hour and includes visits to Monument Park, widely regarded as the most historic place in sports, the New York Yankees Museum, and the dugout. Guests will pass through the batting cages and Yankees clubhouse area before ending the tour in the Great Hall near the team store."


The most historic place in sports is across the street ..... idiots


don't forget to spend the rest of your money in the team store...

they use names like "classic" and "legends" like they have copyrights on them....

Why is a stadium tour sponsored by a crappy jewelry store? Are they subsidizing the price of the tour through their sponsorship? They already rip people off for $20 for the tour (the Red Sox only charge $12 to tour a park that is actually, you know, historic). Without the Zales sponsorship, the tour might have been $25 or $30.

[GordonGecko]

Where the hell were all you people three years ago? When the Yankees first announced this abomination? When, if enough people stood up, the City Council might have been persuaded to not allow this to happen?

Where were you when most people on this board were ripping in to those few who had the audacity to actually speak about the irrevocable loss which was soon to occur?

Did it really take this long for you to realize they were going to tear the Stadium down? Did they actually have to start ripping it apart for you to understand?
I think most people understood that it's foolish to stand in the way of progress. Renovated Yankee Stadium was outdated and a second renovation just wasn't going to cut it. The problem is with what they built to replace it, and how they are treating the fans.


As long as the current physical construction of the Moat and Legends section remains, NYS will stay the object of ridicule and complaint. And as they slowly, painfully, agonizingly rip apart the real thing - the historic gem of New York - across the street just to add a few numbers to Lonn Trost's spreadsheet, that anger will grow.

I think eventually they'll chop off a half dozen or so sections from the legends on the wings and convert them to "plebian" sections

[Ralphw]

I sure hope they do that and more,,, hopefully they will rip out the moat and most of the overstuffed chairs and squeeze some real fans closer to the action,,,, not just for the fans, but we need to be able to torment the other team. without that, this place and the yankees don't stand a chance.

keep the suites were they belong, sheltered and out of the way. let the fans be a part of the game again.

man this is frustrating

[stadiumbuilder]

Where the hell were all you people three years ago? When the Yankees first announced this abomination? When, if enough people stood up, the City Council might have been persuaded to not allow this to happen?

Where were you when most people on this board were ripping in to those few who had the audacity to actually speak about the irrevocable loss which was soon to occur?

Did it really take this long for you to realize they were going to tear the Stadium down? Did they actually have to start ripping it apart for you to understand?They said they were building a stadium that would bring back many elements of the original while leaving the footprint and some stands from the old stadium. Sounded good. I wanted something like the old stadium back. We didn't get either, it's not like I could have gone in there and designed the damn thing myself, although if I had, there'd be a much larger percentage of happy Yankee/Stadium fans now. The fans were out of the loop through the entire process, that's why there's so many of us long term, hard core fans that are less than delighted. Now we've got just another HOK designed park with a "frieze" to distinguish it from the other 500 HOK designed parks out there and we get to watch them tear down, in slow motion, the building where all the history occurred. They have missed the mark, although I don't think they were trying very hard to hit it.

[RationalNYYfan]

All the world's nicest sports venues inevitably evolve. I trust the Yankees will do whats right, but they are going to take way too long to do it.

[curb my enthusiasm]

You know what number is most associated with the New Yankee Stadium? 2,625. It doesn't matter that those seats were cut in half, and it doesn't matter if it's lowered even more in the future. The fact of the matter is that "2,625" will always be remembered.

In the old stadium, the most important number was "26".

Someday, I believe that the moat has to be ripped apart, and that area will have to be rebuilt. The way that it's set up, it will never work. Even if every seat is sold, it will still reek of empty seats, because there is always free food in the suites. It's easy to get lost in there and party for a few innings, rather than watching the game outside. And everybody knows that empty seats in the front rows of Yankee Stadium looks very bad on TV, and it makes the Yankees look bad.

It won't happen this offseason, and it might not happen for five years. But I think eventually, the moat area will be redone.

[Mastermind]

All the world's nicest sports venues inevitably evolve. I trust the Yankees will do whats right, but they are going to take way too long to do it.



Whats right would bring the upper deck back over the lower decks - not happening
when I went to the stadium to take a tour before the season- thats the first thing I noticed the loss of awe looking up at the giant upper deck hanging above the lower decks
instead a mini set back- split upper deck- no awe

[GordonGecko]

You know what number is most associated with the New Yankee Stadium? 2,625. It doesn't matter that those seats were cut in half, and it doesn't matter if it's lowered even more in the future. The fact of the matter is that "2,625" will always be remembered.
What colossal stupidity. As I've been saying Trost and Levine saw the Knicks charging $3000 for courtside and they figured hey we can do whatever we want so we'll charge that for open air baseball games with 3 times the seating capacity and double the games. They just don't get it, they don't understand baseball.

[mandrake]

What colossal stupidity. As I've been saying Trost and Levine saw the Knicks charging $3000 for courtside and they figured hey we can do whatever we want so we'll charge that for open air baseball games with 3 times the seating capacity and double the games. They just don't get it, they don't understand baseball.

Gordon
I know I can't veer off and discuss football stadiums per se, but the Cowboys are ignoring the Yankees bad press, and selling pre paid PARKING for up to $750 per season. That's 8 reg season games, 2 preseason, any post season is extra. The Super Bowl will really be extra as they host the 2011 game.
No wonder Jerry Jones signed with the Trost/Levin group ! Idiots.

[Robbyb26]

What colossal stupidity. As I've been saying Trost and Levine saw the Knicks charging $3000 for courtside and they figured hey we can do whatever we want so we'll charge that for open air baseball games with 3 times the seating capacity and double the games. They just don't get it, they don't understand baseball.

The Scene: New Yankee Stadium. Opposing team: Oakland. Foreceast: 60% chance of rain. Temperature: 45 degrees. Rain delay. Game finally starts at 9 pm. They play 5 innings. Yankees are losing 5-1. It starts pouring. Game is called. You just spent $2,650. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

[shaneslatts]

Where the hell were all you people three years ago? When the Yankees first announced this abomination? When, if enough people stood up, the City Council might have been persuaded to not allow this to happen?

Where were you when most people on this board were ripping in to those few who had the audacity to actually speak about the irrevocable loss which was soon to occur?

Did it really take this long for you to realize they were going to tear the Stadium down? Did they actually have to start ripping it apart for you to understand?

David is right again. We all stood around and did nothing. As if the reality of what is now would not happen. We excused it with posts like "its not the real stadium anymore anyway" or, Yankee Stadium was completly demolished in 1975" or "oh the narrow concourses" that we have to deal with" etc, etc.
And so now the the same building, sitting on the same piece of real estate in the Bronx where Babe, Lou and the Mick played, will be "deconstructed" (politicly correct term for gutted, scrapped, then totaly demolished bit by bit)
There were some here who spoke out aganist it. Yourself of course, NY Kid, even me, several times in the 'To save Yankee Stadium thread'.
For the 1.5 or whatever it was BILLION dollars, the Yankees could have kept THE most historic ballpark in America intact, and renovated it to bring it back to what it was in all its former glory. They could then have said ' we realize what we have here, there is no way we would demolish the building that binds the past of Murderers Row to the great Yankee teams of tomorow."
The plain truth is this. 'Yankee history, Yankee Pride, really do not mean much to the likes of Levine, Trost and co. "The House that Ruth Built Steiner takes down" ad really said it all. For the right ammount of cash the "completly demolished Yankee Stadium of 1975" now becomes, by sheer magic, "The House that Ruth Built" again, since any items from the the 'completly demolished 1975 building' wouldnt garner as much cash for the Yankees and Steiner.
"IF" they were honest(which they obviously are NOT), concidering what they said about the Stadium, three years ago, their promo's would read 'For an insane amount of money, you too can own a piece of a 1975 era baseball stadium! Yes sirree folks, you too can take home a piece of a 1975 era ball park! For more info on this once of a lifetime offer, go to www.your a sucker.com"

So, when they really start ripping into the Stadium, will they be tearing down the 'House that Ruth Built' or by that point, after they have drained whatever cash they could out of it, will it be the "completly demolished 1975 building across the street?' Depends on who is doing the PR that day it seems.
Enjoy the martinis and the moat folks

[scooterfan]

None of these small, disorganized, underfunded grassroots groups had any success saving the stadium because 5 years ago the Yankees were going great. They were winning and they could do no wrong. And everybody wanted to be on the winning team. Whatever the Yankee PR came up with was gospel. And anybody who opposed them, be it a politiician or a prominent media person didn't want to sound like someone from the stone age by opposing progress. This is why not ONE prominent person in New York opposed the new stadium. Privately a lot of people were disgusted, but no one had the balls to rock the boat.

[Strawman]

None of these small, disorganized, underfunded grassroots groups had any success saving the stadium because 5 years ago the Yankees were going great. They were winning and they could do no wrong. And everybody wanted to be on the winning team. Whatever the Yankee PR came up with was gospel. And anybody who opposed them, be it a politiician or a prominent media person didn't want to sound like someone from the stone age by opposing progress. This is why not ONE prominent person in New York opposed the new stadium. Privately a lot of people were disgusted, but no one had the balls to rock the boat.
Not true, Scooter - Freddy Ferrer, then a mayoral candidate, not only opposed - but proposed a real and viable plan to preserve and improve the real stadium site.

[Ralphw]

Brandon Steiner will go down in history as the greedy monster who killed Yankee stadium and deservedly so. That will be his legacy.

and anything I can do to further cement that in the minds of fans I will do.

He will be as infamous as O'Malley moving the Dodgers.

[frank72]

David is right again. We all stood around and did nothing. As if the reality of what is now would not happen. We excused it with posts like "its not the real stadium anymore anyway" or, Yankee Stadium was completly demolished in 1975" or "oh the narrow concourses" that we have to deal with" etc, etc.
And so now the the same building, sitting on the same piece of real estate in the Bronx where Babe, Lou and the Mick played, will be "deconstructed" (politicly correct term for gutted, scrapped, then totaly demolished bit by bit)
There were some here who spoke out aganist it. Yourself of course, NY Kid, even me, several times in the 'To save Yankee Stadium thread'.
For the 1.5 or whatever it was BILLION dollars, the Yankees could have kept THE most historic ballpark in America intact, and renovated it to bring it back to what it was in all its former glory. They could then have said ' we realize what we have here, there is no way we would demolish the building that binds the past of Murderers Row to the great Yankee teams of tomorow."
The plain truth is this. 'Yankee history, Yankee Pride, really do not mean much to the likes of Levine, Trost and co. "The House that Ruth Built Steiner takes down" ad really said it all. For the right ammount of cash the "completly demolished Yankee Stadium of 1975" now becomes, by sheer magic, "The House that Ruth Built" again, since any items from the the 'completly demolished 1975 building' wouldnt garner as much cash for the Yankees and Steiner.
"IF" they were honest(which they obviously are NOT), concidering what they said about the Stadium, three years ago, their promo's would read 'For an insane amount of money, you too can own a piece of a 1975 era baseball stadium! Yes sirree folks, you too can take home a piece of a 1975 era ball park! For more info on this once of a lifetime offer, go to www.your a sucker.com"

So, when they really start ripping into the Stadium, will they be tearing down the 'House that Ruth Built' or by that point, after they have drained whatever cash they could out of it, will it be the "completly demolished 1975 building across the street?' Depends on who is doing the PR that day it seems.
Enjoy the martinis and the moat folks

Well said David and Shane. I know that I for one whish I got involved in a movement to save the old girl long ago although I agree that it would have likely been a futile effort. Oh well - I have only myself and my own apathy to blame. Its undeniable that the destruction of our beloved Stadium will go down in history as an irreplaceable, tragic loss just like Ebbets, Polo Grounds, original Penn Station and countless other historic slices of NYC history that are no more. If I had my druthers we would have kept the original stadium, put the frieze back on the roof, perhaps figured out a way to "monetize" the black seats in center field and turned the mezzanine into more luxury suites. Having said all that - the vitriol being spewed about the NYS is way over the top. Much of it stems IMO from the idiocy of Levine and Trost (along with how lousy the team is playing). Over time I fully expect that we will all grow to enjoy NYS and we will create new memories that will be there long after Levine and Trost are gone from the picture. If I had to bet I think the ascension of these two (especially Trost) is the first move towards an eventual sale of the team by Hank and Hal. We should also not forget that obnoxious executives are something of a Yankee tradition. Go ask old time Yankee fans (or players) what they thought of George Weiss for example (although in fairness he did put together a ton of great teams). My humble advice to all the Yankee fans on this thread - stop getting yourselves so worked up about the negatives (of which admittedly there are many) Instead go sit in the bleachers on a nice sunny day, gaze up at the frieze with the flags flapping brightly in the wind and root for your team. ~frank

[hbwriter]

this is surreal - in a stadium debut that should have been a slam dunk, this is the backhanded press the Yanks lead the league in

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/05/yankees_relax_batting_practice.html

[Ralphw]

The only unfixable problem with the stadium is the mass of crazy humanity that used to intimidate opposing teams....Its gone. thats the worst part of the whole thing,,
all the moat stuff can change but the configuration of the stands will not.

[hbwriter]

Ralph - totally agree - but the team obviously doesn't care about that or value it so everyone will just have to move on--

[Ralphw]

Ralph - totally agree - but the team obviously doesn't care about that or value it so everyone will just have to move on--

Yes and thats where they shot themselves in the foot,,,, I have to believe the 26 championships and the Yankee Stadium home field advantage went hand in hand,

Thats gone and so is advantage past Yankee teams enjoyed and thrived on.

Its a money grab and the hell with the future.

[toefer]

Brandon Steiner will go down in history as the greedy monster who killed Yankee stadium and deservedly so. That will be his legacy.

and anything I can do to further cement that in the minds of fans I will do.

He will be as infamous as O'Malley moving the Dodgers.

Considering I never heard of O'Malley until just now (maybe I have before, but I don't remember), I guess Steiner is ok.

Of course, I'm young, and don't know much about the Brooklyn Dodgers, so maybe that's why I don't know who O'Malley is. I figure it will be the same way for Steiner. People now, living through it, will hate him (and Trost, and whoever else), but people born 30 years from now will have no idea who he was, or understand why it seemed like such a big deal.

~~~~~

Unrelated...

Wasn't the reason for a lot of new stadiums being built (in baseball, and other sports) that they needed to add more luxury boxes, to bump up their revenues? Old stadiums built before the idea of luxury boxes were losing out on lots of money, so they felt they needed a new stadium.

So the Yankees are already two steps ahead and have moved beyond just luxury box revenues, and have invented this new idea of outdoor luxury boxes, which they call the Legends section. For a nice price you can get your own free food and a waitress. They probably have private bathrooms too, don't they?

The biggest problem with that, for me, is that at least with luxury boxes you can't really tell if they're empty or if the people in them are not paying attention to the game. When the people buy Legends tickets, you can certainly tell when they're not there, and can usually see when they're not paying attention to the game (they have their head down and are fidgeting with something in their hands).

[CoreyNYC]

Brandon Steiner will go down in history as the greedy monster who killed Yankee stadium and deservedly so. That will be his legacy.

and anything I can do to further cement that in the minds of fans I will do.

He will be as infamous as O'Malley moving the Dodgers.


Brandon Steiner may be a lot of things but I think your anger is misguided here. He doesn't own or work for the Yankees.

[Ralphw]

maybe they should put a red light in each suite and turn it on when the so called fans are there but indoors, that way when the opposing pitcher sees that red light he'll be intimidated by all the phantom fans..

if they want to be sipping martinis and smoozing indoors they could do it elsewhere in the stadium and let the real fans sit there.

what a mess

[Ralphw]

Brandon Steiner may be a lot of things but I think your anger is misguided here. He doesn't own or work for the Yankees.

true... but, You don't think his involvement has influenced this?

He has a lot of pull believe me. I would be willing to bet he has an office just as nice or nicer than Trost's In the stadium

[SparkyL]

Considering I never heard of O'Malley until just now (maybe I have before, but I don't remember), I guess Steiner is ok.

Of course, I'm young, and don't know much about the Brooklyn Dodgers, so maybe that's why I don't know who O'Malley is. I figure it will be the same way for Steiner. People now, living through it, will hate him (and Trost, and whoever else), but people born 30 years from now will have no idea who he was, or understand why it seemed like such a big deal.

~~~~~

Unrelated...

Wasn't the reason for a lot of new stadiums being built (in baseball, and other sports) that they needed to add more luxury boxes, to bump up their revenues? Old stadiums built before the idea of luxury boxes were losing out on lots of money, so they felt they needed a new stadium.

So the Yankees are already two steps ahead and have moved beyond just luxury box revenues, and have invented this new idea of outdoor luxury boxes, which they call the Legends section. For a nice price you can get your own free food and a waitress. They probably have private bathrooms too, don't they?

The biggest problem with that, for me, is that at least with luxury boxes you can't really tell if they're empty or if the people in them are not paying attention to the game. When the people buy Legends tickets, you can certainly tell when they're not there, and can usually see when they're not paying attention to the game (they have their head down and are fidgeting with something in their hands).

Any student of the game knows O'Malley - please read up on him.

The Yankees in no way invented the idea of outdoor luxury suites (and the a related moat) - other new stadiums have this too. I can't figure out why the Yankees are getting killed on this. The only difference compared to other teams is the sky-high pricing.

[toefer]

Any student of the game knows O'Malley - please read up on him.

The Yankees in no way invented the idea of outdoor luxury suites (and the a related moat) - other new stadiums have this too. I can't figure out why the Yankees are getting killed on this. The only difference compared to other teams is the sky-high pricing.

I guess when you add in Walter, his full name sounds a lot more familiar, but still not to the point where he seems to be talked about anymore.

As much as we can hate Steiner or Trost or whoever today, given some time people will stop caring (and the people who care will grow old and die, and everyone left never really cared).

[Robbyb26]

Any student of the game knows O'Malley - please read up on him.

The Yankees in no way invented the idea of outdoor luxury suites (and the a related moat) - other new stadiums have this too. I can't figure out why the Yankees are getting killed on this. The only difference compared to other teams is the sky-high pricing.

Wow...Wall St., Madoff, Steiner, Levine, Trost. What a crew. NY's Finest.

[Ralphw]

Wow...Wall St., Madoff, Steiner, Levine, Trost. What a crew. NY's Finest.

well theres 4 of the empty suites

[bklyn8]

I guess when you add in Walter, his full name sounds a lot more familiar, but still not to the point where he seems to be talked about anymore.

Must disagree...these two books have come out in the past two months:

Forever Blue: The True Story of Walter O'Malley, Baseball's Most controversial Owner,and the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles

After Many a Summer: The Passing of the Giants and Dodgers and a Golden Age in New York Baseball

Both focus on O'malley's motivation for moving the Dodgers to LA.

[BeatEmBucs]

if they want to be sipping martinis and smoozing indoors they could do it elsewhere in the stadium and let the real fans sit there.

what a mess

That's the problem. More and more the "real fans" are being moved further and further away, and some have been relegated to their TV's because of the high ticket costs. In reading about this ordeal, it's sad that $2500 doesn't get what it used to.

[MarcianoNY]

I'm sure this will be of interest to many people here... Purely speculative of course, but still...

http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/1050espnradio/blog?id=3480300&post=4168676

[toefer]

Must disagree...these two books have come out in the past two months:

Forever Blue: The True Story of Walter O'Malley, Baseball's Most controversial Owner,and the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles

After Many a Summer: The Passing of the Giants and Dodgers and a Golden Age in New York Baseball

Both focus on O'malley's motivation for moving the Dodgers to LA.

Fair enough. Even though neither book cracks the top 10,000 on Amazon (compared to other recent books like the A-Rod book which is top 250, and the Torre book which is top 350), and one doesn't even crack the top 30,000, the fact that there are still books being written at least show there's still some interest or remembrance.

That being said, I think it's still an interest to only a small group of people, and that will be similar for the people who will remember Steiner/Trost/Levin/Steinbrenner Boys 50 years from now. New Yankee fans will never know anything other than NYS, and even if they are students of the game, can only know of what happened, but never relate or fully understand it.

~~~~

I'm of two minds about tearing down RYS. In a way maybe I can convince myself that OYS was torn down 30 years ago, so it's not really a big deal to lose what's currently standing. Maybe the whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing will apply, and 20 years from now we'll look back fondly on the old place, but completely accept the new one, and consider it home.

On the other hand, it sometimes feels like a rushed decision. Do we really need/want to get rid of it? Because once it's gone, there's obviously no going back. Not that I really think there would ever be a chance of using the stadium as a stadium again, but at least leave parts of it up or something, like some of the gates. But I guess you can't really make money from that, so from a business standpoint it's better to tear it all down, chop it up, and auction it off.

It took nearly 10 years to finally start taking down Tiger Stadium, and even today isn't a good chunk of it still standing?. Why wasn't there a similar resistance to tearing down an historic part of the city in NY?

[coasterbill]

some have been relegated to their TV's

Yeah but the stadium sucks for them too because apparently a stadium that was built in 1923 had better camera angles for high definition cameras than the 1.5 billion dollar stadium that we built in 2009 where we need to look through a net.

[Ralphw]

Fair enough. Even though neither book cracks the top 10,000 on Amazon (compared to other recent books like the A-Rod book which is top 250, and the Torre book which is top 350), and one doesn't even crack the top 30,000, the fact that there are still books being written at least show there's still some interest or remembrance.

That being said, I think it's still an interest to only a small group of people, and that will be similar for the people who will remember Steiner/Trost/Levin/Steinbrenner Boys 50 years from now. New Yankee fans will never know anything other than NYS, and even if they are students of the game, can only know of what happened, but never relate or fully understand it.

~~~~

I'm of two minds about tearing down RYS. In a way maybe I can convince myself that OYS was torn down 30 years ago, so it's not really a big deal to lose what's currently standing. Maybe the whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing will apply, and 20 years from now we'll look back fondly on the old place, but completely accept the new one, and consider it home.

On the other hand, it sometimes feels like a rushed decision. Do we really need/want to get rid of it? Because once it's gone, there's obviously no going back. Not that I really think there would ever be a chance of using the stadium as a stadium again, but at least leave parts of it up or something, like some of the gates. But I guess you can't really make money from that, so from a business standpoint it's better to tear it all down, chop it up, and auction it off.

It took nearly 10 years to finally start taking down Tiger Stadium, and even today isn't a good chunk of it still standing?. Why wasn't there a similar resistance to tearing down an historic part of the city in NY?



I believe tiger stadium still has dugout to dugout still standing

[Strawman]

Bill Gallo and Levine's Moat....hilarious, but it's gotta go.

[toefer]

I believe tiger stadium still has dugout to dugout still standing

That's certainly better than nothing, but the right field area of Tiger Stadium was always one of my favorite looking parts of a stadium. I guess I can always watch 61* if I want to see it.

[hbwriter]

what, pray tell, are "batter's eye" seats? (that come in at $125 per)

[CharlesM]

Why wasn't there a similar resistance to tearing down an historic part of the city in NY?

Two reasons:

1. There is a faction of concerned New Yorkers who nevertheless realize New York is a depraved state run for the mostpart by a soulless, unethical, greedy, immoral political machinery that WILL have its way and that resistance is futile. The average person and what he wishes for are a joke to this machinery. In New York, the average person's worth is as an over-taxed taxpayer who should (and will) be paying even more taxes.

2. There is a faction of unconcerned New Yorkers who have become so corrupted by this atmosphere that they have lost their own moral compasses and basically could care less if Yankee Stadium gets demolished. They have been taught to crave luxury, entertainment and diversion and they are just DELIGHTED that they have a new palace that caters to them.

This is why, as much as I support efforts to preserve some part of the old stadium, I would be surprised if it happens. Historic preservation in America is beginning to resemble historic preservation in China. In keeping with that, I expect that Yankee Stadium will be completely wiped off the face of the earth so that people will no longer be reminded of the emotions connected to it. They will just accept the new stadium and however its keepers choose to run it. It's already happening: Look at all the people who are throwing the old stadium under the bus with so much nonchalance, as if it's just any other building.

[curb my enthusiasm]

what, pray tell, are "batter's eye" seats? (that come in at $125 per)

Those are the two rows of padded seats above the restaurant spaceship in center field.

[JP1968]

I'm sure this will be of interest to many people here... Purely speculative of course, but still...

http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/1050espnradio/blog?id=3480300&post=4168676
Geez...they call the new Yankee stadium a "debacle"....they say the Yanks "whiffed badly"...the Yanks have suffered a "public relations blow"....NYS is "getting a bad reputation"....and I don't even think it is a Mets fan that is saying these things...glad they're not saying this all about the ballpark with the "bizarre and block party" going on behind center field...I wonder if it's because people actually do enjoy those things and the overall Citi Field experience...hmmm...

[Mygirljess]

The only unfixable problem with the stadium is the mass of crazy humanity that used to intimidate opposing teams....Its gone. thats the worst part of the whole thing,,
all the moat stuff can change but the configuration of the stands will not.

May be true, but wouldn't that be an unfair advantage? Kind of like a stadium on steroids, isn't that unfair if the other teams DON'T have that at THEIR stadiums? :happy:

[Mygirljess]

I'm sure this will be of interest to many people here... Purely speculative of course, but still...

http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/1050espnradio/blog?id=3480300&post=4168676

Is Lonn Trost related to Robert Klein?

[Ralphw]

Is Lonn Trost related to Robert Klein?

well,,, he sure is a joke.

[Mygirljess]

Anyone catch this? (Sorry if it was already posted.)

From the NY Post:

Reader Gary Cicio, NYC podiatrist, did the research, and asks us to choose one of the two options to see a Mariners-Yankees game this season, and from the very best seats:

Option 1: Two tickets to Tuesday night, June 30, Mariners at Yanks, cost for just the tickets, $5,000.

Option 2: Two round-trip airline tickets to Seattle, Friday, Aug. 14, return Sunday the 16th, rental car for three days, two-night double occupancy stay in four-star hotel, two top tickets to both the Saturday and Sunday Yanks-Mariners games, two best-restaurant-in-town dinners for two. Total cost, $2,800. Plus-frequent flyer miles.

[Ralphw]

Anyone catch this? (Sorry if it was already posted.)

From the NY Post:

Reader Gary Cicio, NYC podiatrist, did the research, and asks us to choose one of the two options to see a Mariners-Yankees game this season, and from the very best seats:

Option 1: Two tickets to Tuesday night, June 30, Mariners at Yanks, cost for just the tickets, $5,000.

Option 2: Two round-trip airline tickets to Seattle, Friday, Aug. 14, return Sunday the 16th, rental car for three days, two-night double occupancy stay in four-star hotel, two top tickets to both the Saturday and Sunday Yanks-Mariners games, two best-restaurant-in-town dinners for two. Total cost, $2,800. Plus-frequent flyer miles.



I'm lost for words

[CharlesM]

May be true, but wouldn't that be an unfair advantage? Kind of like a stadium on steroids, isn't that unfair if the other teams DON'T have that at THEIR stadiums? :happy:

Please, no more watering down baseball...PLEASE! No PC here. Yes, it would be an advantage and no, it would not be *unfair*.

If that's our logic, then the rude, loud Boston fans have to go; the Green Monster goes; the brick wall at Wrigley goes; the San Francisco winds go; the crowd noise at the Metrodome goes (well, that IS going); irregularities in field dimensions go; etc. etc. etc.

The eccentricities are what is (was) good about baseball.

[Ralphw]

How many can remember thier first time coming out of the hallways of old yankee stadium through the dark tunnel then into the sun bathed magic of the real Yankee Stadium, thats gone as well

[Mygirljess]

Please, no more watering down baseball...PLEASE! No PC here. Yes, it would be an advantage and no, it would not be *unfair*.

If that's our logic, then the rude, loud Boston fans have to go; the Green Monster goes; the brick wall at Wrigley goes; the San Francisco winds go; the crowd noise at the Metrodome goes (well, that IS going); irregularities in field dimensions go; etc. etc. etc.

The eccentricities are what is (was) good about baseball.

Yeah, I was only half joking. I do remember how fierce the crowds could get at Yankee Stadium. It had to be intimidating. But I must say, a true professional player has to learn how to tune that stuff out and concentrate on his job. And it could work against you too, see Ed Whitson or Steve Sax. The truth is, if the crowd really gets into it they could provide the same electricity in the modern stadiums, if they just stayed in their seats and made some noise instead of wandering around the ballpark concourses. I think we will see more of that at both NY stadiums, once the fans have finally seen all the amenities and settle into their seats. It might not happen until next season.

[jerseyyankeefan]

Horrible slogan...why not refer to memories or history, anything other than that.

[hbwriter]

From the NY Post:

Reader Gary Cicio, NYC podiatrist, did the research, and asks us to choose one of the two options to see a Mariners-Yankees game this season, and from the very best seats:

Option 1: Two tickets to Tuesday night, June 30, Mariners at Yanks, cost for just the tickets, $5,000.

Option 2: Two round-trip airline tickets to Seattle, Friday, Aug. 14, return Sunday the 16th, rental car for three days, two-night double occupancy stay in four-star hotel, two top tickets to both the Saturday and Sunday Yanks-Mariners games, two best-restaurant-in-town dinners for two. Total cost, $2,800. Plus-frequent flyer miles.
-
-----
I saw this--why do i get the feeling that the Yanks brass would sniff at this and say, "Yes, well, but you wouldn't be in *New York*"

[Mygirljess]

How many can remember thier first time coming out of the hallways of old yankee stadium through the dark tunnel then into the sun bathed magic of the real Yankee Stadium, thats gone as well

Yeah, I remember. Had to look it up. Aug. 13, 1970, Yanks 4, White Sox 3. I was 11 years old. I could only track that date down in Baseball Almanac because I remember Wilbur Wood started for the Sox and Roy White hit a homer.

Funny thing, many years later, "Woody" worked with my father in pharmeceutical sales. Dad told him his son was at the "Reggie Bar" game, Opening Day 1978, when thousands of fans hurled Reggie Bars onto the field after Jackson's home run. "Oh yeah?" Woody said. "Was your son the one who hit me in the shoulder with the Reggie bar?"

[stadiumbuilder]

I remember Wilbur Wood starting the first end of a doubleheader. Yankees knocked him out early and he took the loss. He threw relatively few pitches, and being a knuckleball pitcher, managed to talk the Sox into letting him start the second game, which he also lost. Imagine losing both ends of a doubleheader as a starter! It seems more likely to achieve that out of the bullpen. He also got his kneecap shattered by a line drive at some point, although I don't think that was against the Yankees.

[brooklyndodger14]

Is Lonn Trost related to Robert Klein?

Really funny and dead-on comparison. Unfortunately, judging by the crap Trost has spewed so far, he is dead serious and incapable of being funny and likable like Robert Klein.

I can easily imagine Trost channeling Klein in his press conferences telling reporters that there will "NO TALKING!!" of any disparaging NYS remarks, and he "WILL BE TAKING DOWN NAMES!!" LOL

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

[

[threeyoda]

How many can remember thier first time coming out of the hallways of old yankee stadium through the dark tunnel then into the sun bathed magic of the real Yankee Stadium, thats gone as well

No, it's not, as the entire upperdeck and lower field level have portals like that.

[Ralphw]

No, it's not, as the entire upperdeck and lower field level have portals like that.



I'm thinkin its a little different these days. My first visit I didn't see the area inside the old stadium until i came out out the tunnel... now you can see if pretty much everywhere.

No big deal just a personal thing i'll miss

[GordonGecko]

Looks like Steiner is already discounting the renovated yankee stadium salvage items:
http://www.steinersports.com/ssm/control/yankee-stadium-seats

Sucks to be you if you already paid!

[mandrake]

Looks like Steiner is already discounting the renovated yankee stadium salvage items:
http://www.steinersports.com/ssm/control/yankee-stadium-seats

Sucks to be you if you already paid!

Gordon
Let's just hope the fans don't go after this stuff. If Steiner already 'cut' some stuff up to 45%, that means NOBODY was interested at those insane prices. If fans can resist, we could see further drastic reductions in a few months.
(BTW, I wonder how much Mets stuff is still sitting in a warehouse)

[Ralphw]

considering They charge extra for specific seats I wonder what they would do if you told them your initials were scratched in the bottom of a certain seat....lol

[peterrod16]

Gordon
Let's just hope the fans don't go after this stuff. If Steiner already 'cut' some stuff up to 45%, that means NOBODY was interested at those insane prices. If fans can resist, we could see further drastic reductions in a few months.
(BTW, I wonder how much Mets stuff is still sitting in a warehouse)

I just posted an article from the post that all the yankee stadium stuff is in a meadowlands warehouse
mandrake, the mets have a lot of stuff left over from shea.
http://www.meigray.com/edealinv/servlet/ExecMacro?nurl=static/StoreHomeContent.vm&ctl_nbr=2381&siId=548286&scId=6992&page=hmpage&catParentID=

Both the mets and yanks are going to have an overload of inventory
I wouldnt be suprise in a couple of years the items will be in a junk yard.

[GordonGecko]

Both the mets and yanks are going to have an overload of inventory
I wouldnt be suprise in a couple of years the items will be in a junk yard.

Which is a disgusting artifical reduction of supply. I'm sure if they gave the stuff away there would be a line outside the warehouse 3 times as long as the number of items they had inside

[SparkyL]

Looks like Steiner is already discounting the renovated yankee stadium salvage items:
http://www.steinersports.com/ssm/control/yankee-stadium-seats

Sucks to be you if you already paid!

I won't buy until there is a 40%+ reduction in the non-package seats and benches . . .

. . . and too bad they don't let you go and pick them up to save the $70 shipping.

[GordonGecko]

too bad they don't let you go and pick them up to save the $70 shipping.
How can they make $50 on the $20 shipping cost if they allow pick up...

[Jim Vaz]

Notice now a nice 4 game winning streak happens, and all the nonsense outrage goes away? Go figure

[SparkyL]

Notice now a nice 4 game winning streak happens, and all the nonsense outrage goes away? Go figure

Or maybe we've said what needs to be said.

The biggest outrage - insane ticket prices in the main and lower levels, still needs to be addressed.

Field level access during BP needs to include all of BP - move people out when the visitors are done with BP.

Lighten up a bit on ticket checking in the grandstand and bleachers.

[GordonGecko]

Notice now a nice 4 game winning streak happens, and all the nonsense outrage goes away? Go figure
Yeah absolutely, Yankees winning takes the edge off the sting of the bad management running the team. But there are still problems

At the game during BP yesterday security went around telling people without tickets they had to leave because it had been 1hr 40 minutes since the gates opened. People didn't want to go anywhere and one guy from out of state went off on the usher telling him how that was BS, the Yankees aren't the same they used to be and now everything sucks, yada yada. He felt the need to tell him how last year he was told to vacate and the little girl who moved where he was got cracked in the skull by a fly ball a few seconds later.

I think the Yankees are close to better policies, the first part of BP is a good first step. I think eventually they'll let people hang out until 45 mins before game time and they'll remove a half dozen legends sections on the wings. To me the real key to making fans happy is going to be lowering food prices and ticket prices for the better field level seats

[hbwriter]

no matter how much people lighten up, it will not erase the stigma of the first impression on this place - the first two months should not have been the PR atrocity they became and that is how the park will be judged for a long time to come - as a woefully overprices, un-fan friendly confines with boneheads at the helm. You can't re-write this one--it is what it is. And the "unified roar" issue will remain such because there's no fixing that - it's an extreme- class segmented park, plain and simple, which makes it more pedestrian in terms of crazy noise.

This ain't over til it's over

and it ain't over yet

[IPO]

Notice now a nice 4 game winning streak happens, and all the nonsense outrage goes away? Go figure

Please spare us. The convicted felon x2 US Celluar is inferior to the only Yankee Stadium not only in policies but what it stands for top to bottom regardless of the wins or losses.

The grate paramus mall inside. The seats a mile from the field unless your a billionaire, moment park buried with the stupid moat and fatboy's obstructed view steakhouse. While the place was going up I wrote it would be like Titanic would first class, second class and steerage and it was dead-on with clowns like Levine, Trost, Steiner and the convicted felon x2 and his sons running things with an arrogance that speaks for what the ballpark is and always will be.

A Red Sox fan could not design it any worse simply to piss everyone off.

I just love reading all the Yankee fans finally awaken from their three year slumber asking what was wrong with only Yankee Stadium that any of this was ever necessary.

What was it a paper called it the other day? The A-Rod of Stadiums, perfect description.

[Jim Vaz]

Yeah absolutely, Yankees winning takes the edge off the sting of the bad management running the team. But there are still problems

At the game during BP yesterday security went around telling people without tickets they had to leave because it had been 1hr 40 minutes since the gates opened. People didn't want to go anywhere and one guy from out of state went off on the usher telling him how that was BS, the Yankees aren't the same they used to be and now everything sucks, yada yada. He felt the need to tell him how last year he was told to vacate and the little girl who moved where he was got cracked in the skull by a fly ball a few seconds later.

I think the Yankees are close to better policies, the first part of BP is a good first step. I think eventually they'll let people hang out until 45 mins before game time and they'll remove a half dozen legends sections on the wings. To me the real key to making fans happy is going to be lowering food prices and ticket prices for the better field level seats


Yea they really flubbed on so many things and it just the Yankee managements outright miscalculation, arrogance. They completely lost sight of something that is so a part of baseball. They wanted their little palace without realizing the cost to their fans. They went on this idea that the Yankees sell themseleves. While true in so many ways, it doesn't matter who you are and the logo you have when the economy is at it is and you're segregating your fans.

[Jim Vaz]

Please spare us. The convicted felon x2 US Celluar is inferior to the only Yankee Stadium not only in policies but what it stands for top to bottom regardless of the wins or losses.

The grate paramus mall inside. The seats a mile from the field unless your a billionaire, moment park buried with the stupid moat and fatboy's obstructed view steakhouse. While the place was going up I wrote it would be like Titanic would first class, second class and steerage and it was dead-on with clowns like Levine, Trost, Steiner and the convicted felon x2 and his sons running things with an arrogance that speaks for what the ballpark is and always will be.

A Red Sox fan could not design it any worse simply to piss everyone off.

I just love reading all the Yankee fans finally awaken from their three year slumber asking what was wrong with only Yankee Stadium that any of this was ever necessary.

What was it a paper called it the other day? The A-Rod of Stadiums, perfect description.


lol

You're angry man.... lighten up.
I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just saying notice how all the fever pitch of anger has seemed to quiet some when the Yankees are winning.

R E L A X

[GordonGecko]

lol

You're angry man.... lighten up.
I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just saying notice how all the fever pitch of anger has seemed to quiet some when the Yankees are winning.

R E L A X

FYI the ignore feature doesn't work when you quote the ignore-ee :happy:

[Jim Vaz]

FYI the ignore feature doesn't work when you quote the ignore-ee :happy:

lol

I always forget that.

[Rob R]

Notice now a nice 4 game winning streak happens, and all the nonsense outrage goes away? Go figure

LOL...well, that could be true in some circles, but 98.9% of the people in this thread who are "outraged" aren't Yankees fans, so I'm not sure how winning streak affected the posts here.

Anyway, starting Friday, NYS was rocking bigtime (even before the mini-winning streak) and that has carried throughout this home series. As loud or louder than I've ever heard it at RYS, and I've been at some huge games there. In addition, the atmosphere was festive. I'd love to know how many of those fans were, ahem, "outraged."

[IPO]

FYI the ignore feature doesn't work when you quote the ignore-ee :happy:

This from the person who goes from telling us it's only business to complaining as much as everyone else every time you have to pay more.

When is mirror day at US Celluar Bronx, first 5,000 millionaires get a free mirror with two sides.....LOL.

[IPO]

lol

You're angry man.... lighten up.
I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just saying notice how all the fever pitch of anger has seemed to quiet some when the Yankees are winning.

R E L A X

Why would I be angry at all? The anger is from Yankee fans who started this thread and keep in going at a fever pitch, I'm laughing pretty hard because I called this a long time ago.

The anger is all on your side and with every dumb policy at the Steakhouse, Steiner carving up only YS like his Thanksgiving dinner your anger only grows worse.

I feel bad for a lot of you, why would I be angry, I'm getting a kick out of it after seeing it coming for years.

[Rob R]

Why would I be angry at all? The anger is from Yankee fans who started this thread and keep in going at a fever pitch, I'm laughing pretty hard because I called this a long time ago.



LOL, brother I enjoy your posts (I'd never put you on ignore) whether I agree with you or not, but you're WAY off here. This thread was started by a Mets fan (though, in his defense, he's a good poster) and perpetuated for the most part by Mets fans, the typical trolls and many anti-Yankee fans of other teams. The Yankee fan participation in this thread is minimal.

[GordonGecko]

LOL, brother I enjoy your posts (I'd never put you on ignore) whether I agree with you or not, but you're WAY off here. This thread was started by a Mets fan (though, in his defense, he's a good poster) and perpetuated for the most part by Mets fans, trolls and many anti-Yankee fans of other teams. The Yankee fan participation in this thread is minimal.

That's a case of it takes one to know one there buddy. You go to the Citi Field thread to provoke and bash the Mets, and so you think everyone else does the same to the Yankee threads. Truth is most of the people pissed off on this thread are upset Yankee fans. If you check out the nyyfans site (which is 90%+ Yankee fans) you'll be able to find a bunch of threads about people deeply pissed off about how the team is being run. Has nothing to do with Yankees bashing

[Robbyb26]

LOL...well, that could be true in some circles, but 98.9% of the people in this thread who are "outraged" aren't Yankees fans, so I'm not sure how winning streak affected the posts here.

Anyway, starting Friday, NYS was rocking bigtime (even before the mini-winning streak) and that has carried throughout this home series. As loud or louder than I've ever heard it at RYS, and I've been at some huge games there. In addition, the atmosphere was festive. I'd love to know how many of those fans were, ahem, "outraged."

I've been a Yankee fan since Mattingly was a rookie, and I can assure that a little 5 game "lucky" winning streak isn't going to change my opinion about this lame character-less country club that they use for baseball sometimes. A friend offered me free tickets for sunday, and for the first in my life I turned them down, even though I had nothing to do yesterday. :ughh

[mandrake]

Hey, I have been called a "Steinbrenner apologist" and a "Yankee suck up" or vice-versa....and then yesterday I said their $2 Dunkin Donuts promotion was CHEAP and Michael Kay should stop shilling for it like its a great promotion...then somebody said I was Yankee bashing. Only in NY, folks!

[IPO]

LOL, brother I enjoy your posts (I'd never put you on ignore) whether I agree with you or not, but you're WAY off here. This thread was started by a Mets fan (though, in his defense, he's a good poster) and perpetuated for the most part by Mets fans, the typical trolls and many anti-Yankee fans of other teams. The Yankee fan participation in this thread is minimal.

Rob, what I can I write? I did not go back and look at everyone everything posted and determine who is a fan of what team. All I do know is the media has correctly killed everything this ballpark stands for and proved the people the represent the organization have zero credibility and that this ballpark is significantly flawed with things I have read at BF back to the first pages of the construction thread in 2005 when the blueprints came out.

Of course I get there are those fans who defend whatever the teams says because it's all about the laundry. We see that with Met fans too all the time.

Thing about me is I play no favorites and treat both ballparks and their owners as equally worthless.