The final game at Yankee Stadium had an effect on this true Yankee Hater…. For years I’ve rooted for any team but the Yankees. If the Tigers weren’t playing, my favorite team of the day was whoever was playing the Yankees. That said, Yankee stadium was one of the last great baseball parks. So much history will be lost.
In the American league only Fenway remains as one of the “Old” parks. In the National league, only Wrigley field (home of the cubs) remains as one of the old parks. 1912 and 1914 respectively these two ball fields are the last to stand up to the Test of Time. From the Green Monster to the Ivy covered walls, baseball is just a bit different at these two parks.
These are not the cookie cutter parks from the 60’s and 70’s with their artificial turf and half circle outfield walls. The old parks do have some home field advantage. These are not the parks from the 80’s and 90’s that had closer to little league dimensions (ok, I’m stretching it a little), but check out the dimensions of Camden Yards and Jacobs Field (excuse me Progressive Field). The old parks, Yankee Stadium, the old Tiger Stadium, even Cominsky park and Cleveland’s Municipal park had character.
They have tried to do that with some of the recent ball fields, but only time will tell if they made good decisions. Ballparks that were new in the early 70’s are now gone too.. Why didn’t fields in Houston, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh last more than few decades.
I’m not sure of the future of the two oldest ballparks in the major leagues, but I would love to see both last until at least their 100th anniversary. I’m sure there are plans in the works, if not already in development for these cities, but wouldn’t it be something if they could hold off until 2012 and 2014. We need more things that can pass the test of time…
Wrigley Field is for sale; there’s been all this controversy about who will buy it because they might rename it… but as far as I know, no plans exsist to give the Cubs a new home. That may change, depending on how well they do this year. There was a big stink when the Sox got their new stadium and the Cubs did not. I’ve always loved going to Wrigley and I hope I can get there at least once more before they tear it down – I even loved the time I went there and there were pieces of concrete falling off the stadium… maybe they do need a new one.
No matter if you love or hate the Yanks you have to admire the history of the stadium and the sheer spectacle of being there. Hopefully the new house and its traditions will live up to the old and the ghosts will travel next door.