New York Yankees Blog

All of our teams have them. The reserve players. They are often traded, bounced around, they join a club for half a season and then retire. The journeymen ball players are often lost in the shadows cast by their superstar teammates, and on a Yankee’s roster of astronomical salaries and personalities, it is doubly hard to stand out in the infrequent and sporadic opportunities for playing time. However against the Oakland Athletics tonight, Cody Ransom, with the moniker of a Wild West gunslinger, took full advantage of his at- bats, going 2-4 against the Oakland pitching staff. The 33 years old journeyman infielder hit two doubles and scored one run in a big win by the Yankees this evening. Ransom started as third base was vacated by Alex Rodriguez in a routine day off courtesy of manager Joe Girardi. Trips to the DL have limited the veteran Ransom’s at-bats and playing time this season, but he returned tonight healed and swinging the bat with a vengeance. Ransom’s two doubles and one run are another gem in his 2009 season, as he is on pace to wrack up career numbers in all offensive categories. His 10 RBI’s this year through 28 games are only one behind his total of 11 RBI’s through 78 games in 2004 while with the San Francisco Giants.
In the bottom of the sixth tonight, Ransom doubled to begin the inning which saw the Yankees snatch the lead from the A’s and the bullpen solidify the win with stellar performances from Phil Hughes, Brian Bruney and Mariano Rivera. This win did assuage some of the sting from the 6-4 loss to Oakland yesterday, the lone stain on the 9-1 home stand. Ransom not only had to play well defensively at third base, but missing a bat like A-Rod’s really puts some of the necessity to produce runs on the rest of the team, whether reserves or starters. Ransom was fundamentally sound and efficient in the field; he did what needed to be done without any flash or showing off, his jersey covered in grass stains and soil as he ran on and off the field.
We often forget when watching Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, and with the unfathomable talent that these men play baseball, that there are over 2000 active Major League ball players, the majority of whom play unglamorous back-up roles. Some of these players will end their major league careers with fewer than 100 at bats and hence a very limited opportunities to help their teams win. Cody Ransom, though he will probably never hit more than 5 or 6 home runs in a season or have over 300 at-bats, replaced an All-Star at third base this evening and played a pivotal role in the win with his judicious hitting. His play this evening was indicative of the type of guy who is grateful for his role on a Major League roster, however minor it may be. And when asked to step in , Ransom played hard and ultimately helped the Yankees get a good win to conclude a near flawless 10 game home-stand.
To see Ransom and all of the Yankees in action buy the best tickets at the best prices here: http://yankeestickets.net

To immediately answer your question: yes and no. Some of the architecture is, in fact, the same in order to capture the glory days of Yankees Baseball (except this one guarantees many more home runs). But the experience is very different. Here are some places to visit inside the new Yankee Stadium during your inaugural season visit:

If you’ve got the money, buy a ticket for the field-level box seats, recently reduced in price from their astronomical $2,000+ price tag. Have you ever had a martini bar with full service while you watch baseball? The answer is no, so don’t try to lie. It’s the priciest experience listed here, but also the most unforgettable…unless you really take advantage of the martini bar.

Have you ever sat in on a Food Network special with their amazing chefs? If not, here’s your chance. The Delta 360 club (which boasts 1,200 seats) is often visited by Food Network chefs which cook at two open kitchens.

Ever heard of Lobel’s? They have some of the best meat in the country. They don’t discriminate against the wealthy and the true fans sitting in the bleachers: there’s a Lobel’s stand near both sections. You’ll see beautiful meat being freshly sliced as you wait, and you can order their deliciously-aged prime rib for just $15.

Not into the grease and price of typical stadium fare? You’re not alone. Near the entrance is a great little place called Melissa’s Produce which offers, among other things, fresh fruit. A cold beer is the standard refreshment at a Yankees game: a plate of fresh strawberries is a new kind of refreshment. They also have fairly priced sandwiches and hot dogs.

Craving a 1950’s diner feel at the ballgame? Take your taste buds on a trip back to the glory days of baseball by visiting Johnny Rockets. Their milkshakes are too thick to be eaten with anything but spoons, and their burgers are the sloppy mess you always hoped they would be.

Miss the taste of Philly? Carl’s Philly Cheese Steaks offers reasonably priced beef or chicken steaks. You can even enjoy that true taste of Philly with your choice of white American or Whiz.

All in all, there are over 130 concession carts at new Yankee stadium. If you didn’t see something here that catches your eye, there’s guaranteed to be something that’ll fill your belly.

Your ticket to a Yankees game is your ticket to experience Yankee Stadium for yourself. Buy tickets here: http://www.yankeestickets.net

From the Pope to Babe Ruth, Yankee Stadium has had a history right out of a made for television drama. Built in 1923, the stadium was dubbed, “The House that Babe Built” as a reference to the baseball legend. But Yankee Stadium became more than just a setting for a cast of characters; it became an integral part of the action.

It is hard to imagine a professional team, in a day of multi-millionaire athletes, sharing a home field with another team, but that is what occurred here. The Yankees shared a field with the Giants at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan. After the Yankees won their first American League Pennant, the Giants owner was ready to ship them out. Charles Stoneham’s palatable resentment caused him to wish that the team would relocate to “Queens or some other out of the way place.”

When Yankee Stadium was built, the owner’s wished to have a field that no one could view from other vantage points –such as a subway platform. The design itself was over the top for the time, but soon became more sparse when the job was completed. However, the owners put a great deal of money and risk into their venture. They wished to build a stadium that could hold double what the stadiums at that time held.

It seemed a risky venture that paid off for these owners. They built an iconic facility that endured as a home base for the Yankees. Over the years, renovations occurred and improvements were made but except for the addition of lights –the stadium looked very much the same until improvements in 1966. During this time, the stadium was given to Rice University. The stadium was painted blue and white during this time, perhaps in tribute to the Texas-based University? The city eventually forced eminent domain and Rice sold the stadium. In the 70’s, major renovations were proposed by the owners, CBS. The renovations would require that the Yankees once again share a field with another team –this time the Mets. The Mets resisted and CBS couldn’t proceed as planned. The team was sold to George Steinbrenner. In 1972, the City of New York purchased the stadium to lease back to the Yankees. This time, the renovations took place as scheduled. The City just happened to own Shea stadium and the Mets would be forced to share.

After these renovations, the stadium didn’t look like itself. Once completed, the new look included Monument Park, to hold tributes and memorabilia from the years past.

In 2008, the final game was played at Yankee Stadium. A few small ceremonies were held, but no closing ceremony. The monuments were relocated to the new field, adjacent to the old. When demolition is finally completed, a park is to be constructed in its place. When demolition is complete, the historic park will be remembered fondly by fans that purchased pieces of stadium. The Stadium did its service and will be fondly remembered by New Yorkers and fans alike.

Your ticket to a Yankees game is your ticket to experience Yankee Stadium for yourself. Buy tickets here: www.yankeestickets.net

This years New York Yankee’s season is diffidently going to be one for the ages sports fans. With the opening season of the new stadium, major changes and upgrades are apparent. With the opening of the new stadium, it is not just larger, but much more suited to save and conserve energy.

With the energy crisis in full swing, every step to help conserve energy and improve usage is being taken from the lighting system all the way back to the restrooms. The new automated system that controls the lighting saves 300 watts than a typical stadium fixture and reduces light spillage by 50%. These improvements reduce CO2 emissions by over 200,000 pounds, which is the equivalent of planting a single tree for every pitch during the home season.

Yankee Stadium is also strategically placed in the city so that people are encouraged to use the subway, Metro-North, and busses so that emissions from cars are reduced. In fact, the cooking oil that is used to fry up the fantastic food everyone loves is recycled and converted into Bio-Diesel fuel. Of the over 8,000 gallons of oil recycled and converted into fuel, almost 130,000 pounds of carbon emissions have been reduced; that’s the equivalent of 11.7 cars taken off the road for a full year.

Even the plumbing system of Yankee Stadium has been improved to increase efficiency. The new restrooms throughout the stadium are designed to save over 3 million gallons of water, and reduce consumption by 22 percent. GoJo hand soap is available in all restrooms and requires no water. An additional 1 million gallons of water can be saved if every guest in the stadium opted to use GoJo, over the traditional soap and water.

Yankee Stadiums service manuals have also undergone changes. A new digital version of all service manuals has been made to reduce all paper and solid wastes. This new system will save 10 trees, 100 pounds of solid wastes, 1,000 gallons of water and 10,000 kilowatt hours of electricity.

The air conditioning system has been redesigned to so that the Great Hall and entryway are not air conditioned at all. Instead, they rely on natural cooling fans, which save as much energy as 10,000 New York City apartments.

It truly is an amazing age we live in when an old stadium can be replaced by a new stadium, increase its size by over 60% and still be eco-friendly. In the midst of the energy revolution, the new Yankee Stadium is the pioneer in retrofitting large halls such as stadiums, auditoriums, and fields and making them more eco-friendly.

To experience the eco-friendly Yankee Stadium for yourself, buy your tickets here: www.yankeestickets.net

Baseball’s most popular team has had no trouble becoming acclimated with their new home this year. With their powerful hitting and finesse on the mound in Tampa Bay, the Yankees eased their way to a victory over the defending AL-champion Rays on Monday, 11-4. Active bats and another strong seven innings from A.J. Burnett led New York to its tenth win in the last 11 games. Left fielder Johnny Damon made his presence known in the ninth inning as he took a Brain Shouse fastball over the wall for the 200th homerun of his career.

To put it simply, the Yankees are on a roll. The fact that the Yankees are one of, if not the, most successful team in Major League Baseball is undeniable. With 39 World Series wins in their franchise history, how can you doubt that the Yankees are the best team ever? But this year, in their recently built Yankees Stadium as well as on the road, they have played some of the best baseball that New York fans have seen in a few years. The Bronx Bombers have the second best winning percentage in the majors (.01 behind the Los Angeles Dodgers). At home, they are 35-17—a winning team and a beautiful new stadium is a recipe for elated players, coaches, and fans. But you may ask—besides the new stadium, what about this year’s team is so different from last year?

The Yankees made some off-season moves that were pivotal to this year’s success so far. First, New York added a few bats to their roster. With first baseman Mark Teixeira and right fielder Nick Swisher now in the line-up, the team has extra power. Teixeira’s 25 homeruns and Swisher’s 16, including two in Monday’s win over the Rays, have helped New York maintain a strong two and a half game lead in the AL East. Along with the new guys, 10-time all-star Derek Jeter is putting on a phenomenal performance this year, batting over .300 for the fifth straight season. Powerhouses such as Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, and the extremely versatile Robinson Cano, are also contributing to New York’s offensive success thus far. The team has also added pitchers, who have proven themselves to be kings of the hill. Starters CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett have both done their share to make their first full year as Yankees a success, while the always-prominent Mariano Rivera has tallied up 29 saves in 30 opportunities.

This year, New York fans have a different image of Yankee baseball to come home to. The team leads the American League with a 61-38 record and a current hot streak that seems to be insurmountable. The team has lived up to Yankee standards. From May 14 to June 1, the Yankees defense went without an error—eighteen straight games without a single defensive flaw and a new major league record. Consistently good play, a smart coach, die-hard fans, and a stunning new stadium—all key components of a new and improved Yankees era.

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Bobby Richardson, Brett Gardner, and DeAngelo Mack all have one thing
in common besides playing for the New York Yankees Organization. Each of
these men hail from the Palmetto State of South Carolina and represent the
past, present, and possible future of Yankee baseball. While Richardson and

Gardner have earned spots on the club’s roster, Mack didn’t turn too many heads
while playing for the Staten Island Yankees this past short season in the NY-
Penn minor League. All three men have made their fellow South Carolinians
proud due to their athleticism, sportsmanship, and overall respect for the
America’s favorite past-time.

The Past
From 1955-1966, Richardson averaged .266 at the plate for the Yankees
and played second base. Little is mentioned about this Sumter, SC native in the
club’s history except for his impressive play in the 1960 World Series against

Pittsburgh, which was the infamous Coach Casey Stengel’s last showing for the
title. Richardson was the unexpected star of the series knocking in 12 runs in
the 7 game series.

The Present
Although Brett Gardner recently landed himself on what Yankee fans
hope to be a temporary spot on the Disabled List, this southern gent has been
stirring the pot against Yankees’ opponents mainly with his speed. Gardner’s
been dubbed “the fastest man in pinstripes,” a nickname he has more than
earned with his proven ability to run the 360ft around the bases in an impressive
14 seconds. Basically, making him the fastest base-runner in the Yankee’s
organization. It will be at least two weeks before the extent of Gardner’s thumb
injury is known, an injury that he incurred sliding into second in an attempt to
break up a first-inning double play against Oakland in this past Saturday’s game.

However, Gardner displayed his commitment to his team despite the injury by
continuing to play without faultering in his performance.

New York Yankee fans are anxious for this speedster to regain his starting
status in the lineup. Manager Joe Girardi agreed, “He’s an exciting player. He
creates havoc. He entertains the fans.” There is no doubt that what Gardner
contributes to the team in the batter box as well as the outfield will be missed as
the Yankees depth charts are weakening.

With Gardner’s batting average this season of .275, 20 stolen bases, 3
Home-runs with one of those being an inside-the-park homer, and his awesome
defensive plays that have brought Yankee fans to their feet; this club can only
hope his return is as quick as he has been on the field.

Gardner played collegiate baseball for a school not far from his hometown
of Holly Hill, SC. Initially, he was a walk-on for the College of Charleston Cougars
but eventually the left center fielder became a three year starter. In 2005, he was
drafted by the Yankees in the third round and received a $210,000 bonus mainly
due to his fast feet.

The Future?
Despite him being a late 13th Round Draft pick this past year, DeAngelo
Mack shows similar qualities in his play as Richardson and Gardner due to his
knack for making things happen and wowing the fans. Although he got off to a
slow start this past season in minor league play, Mack is still finding his nitch in
the big leagues. Mack received 2nd Team All-SEC honors this past collegiate
season after leading the University of South Carolina Gamecock’s program with
a batting average of .361, 14HR’s, and 60 RBI’s. He won’t be called up anytime
soon to fill his sandlapper’s brethren’s shoes in the outfield, but Mack has the
potential to bring a lot to the plate for the Yankees once he gains more power in
his swing.

To see the Yankees in person, the best tickets at the best prices are available at

As a boy I played baseball on the streets of a small Latin American city, Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. No, I didn’t grow up to play major league baseball, or any kind of organized baseball.

But I did make it to the streets of New York City, where I played stickball, Spalding balls and all. (The feel of a Spalding ball and a stickball bat represent “Comfort Food” to my soul. In fact a few years ago, on quick trip to the Big Apple, I took two hours to chase some of those balls and a bat that I own today.)

I played baseball in High Bridge Park “In the Heights”. I suffered along with the early Mets even though I lived in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. I sat in the bleachers of that Bronx park. I sneaked into the 4th game of the 1969 World Series, along with 6 or 7 other kids from my high school. (Ask me how another time.)

I have always loved baseball, even when I’ve separated from it for whatever reason, its rank commercialism, player strikes, owner lockouts, scandals, etc. I’ve coached Little League baseball and that has helped to rekindle the emotions of my youth. Still, even there, so many of the ills that bedevil the modern game abound, rank commercialism, scandals…..

Then, a story comes along like the one that follows, and I think that if you are a lover of the game, you cannot help but fall for it again. Listen to the story, the whole of it. It deals with a topic wholly unrelated to baseball, an interesting topic, but not the one we’re discussing. Still, stick with it; you will find a gem if you do the work: NPR Story.

The list of factors affecting attendance at The New Yankee Stadium undoubtedly include:

- The condition of the general economy
- The impact of the economic downturn on corporate perks
- The third place but lackluster start (13W 11L as of this writing)
- The absence of A-Rod (Yes???)

But consider these other possible explanations:

- Average Ticket Price - 2008 $36.58 vs. 2009 $72.97
- The Yankees have replaced the Boston Red Sox at the top of MLB’s Fan Cost Index (The Index suggests that in theory a family of 4 will spend $197.17 to attend a game at Yankee Stadium.)

Whatever the real causes are, Year to Date, 6,206 fewer fans have seen each home game at Yankee Stadium compared to 2008. Projected over the course of the whole season, that would translate into nearly 1/2 million fewer bodies filling seats.

Expect Summer Specials?

The New York Yankees have recognized their pricing mistake and moved quickly to correct it. Seats originally priced at the Prohibitive level of $2,500 can now be had at the more attractive Premium price of only $1,250. The organization has also reduced other ticket prices that kept fans from purchasing them and leaving a wall of blue emptiness clearly visible on the TV screen.

In response to the criticism of apparent greed and the implications of the desertion of season ticket holders, management has changed course.

What this means to the great majority of Yankee fans who do not roam the lower glens of the new stadium, nor did so in the The Real Yankee Stadium, remains unclear. Not everyone will receive lower prices.

In a column of April 30, 2009, Richard Sandomir of The New York Times quotes Todd Gitlin, a sociology and journalism professor at Columbia University, as declaring that the decision to lower only the highest priced tickets (when complaints have been expressed over the entire pricing scheme) “…will intensify resentment”. And the professor also suggested that the only ones getting the break come from the very well-to-do, while the working class, many of whom have lost their jobs, get nothing. (See the links below for the whole column and an additional article.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/sports/baseball/30sandomir.html?ref=baseball

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/sports/baseball/29tickets.html?_r=1&ref=baseball