By David Freeze
Special to the Salisbury Post
After 86 years in “The House That Ruth Built,” the New York Yankees moved across the street into the new Yankee Stadium.
I have been a regular attendee at the old stadium, but didn’t get to see a game in its last year.
It was almost an obsession for this die-hard Yankees fan to make it to at least a couple of games in 2009. My goal was to see if it still felt the same, knowing the Babe, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle played just next door. As a little leaguer, I wanted to go see Mantle and Maris play, and as an adult I wanted to see the current crop of players. Beth Patterson Masters, formerly of China Grove and now of Manhattan, offered the tickets, and the trip was on to see my favorite team play. The best rivalry in sports, and I was going to be there!
I was looking forward to seeing how the old has blended into the new in baseball’s newest shrine to America’s game.
Our trip got off to a good start with several other Yankee fans on the same flight, and even the security attendant told me that nothing is better than the new stadium and its host team.
Upon our arrival in the Bronx, my first thought was to eat outside the stadium and look into the many souvenir shops. Once again, it had to be pizza for me. Pizza is one of the few things that is very affordable in New York City, and I often take advantage.
Sitting across from us were three umpires, also from North Carolina, headed to the Cooperstown Hall of Fame and hoping to find tickets to the game. Lots of scalping goes on with the tickets, some legal and some illegal, but they set off in search of a good source according to the shop owner.
Finally we headed into the stadium, early enough to watch batting practice. There was no use to wait outside to see the players walk in as they did in the old stadium. Now they just drive inside and park without signing autographs or talking to the fans.
Scanners allow you to process your own ticket at the gates, and immediately a photographer steps up offering to take your picture to be posted on the Yankees’ Web site. Dozens of people stand around the stadium holding signs that say “May I help you?” That is free, if you can forget the incredibly expensive tickets. In the foyer of the stadium and all through the walkways are posted banners of the old-time all-stars. But those walkways are wider, the handicapped access is wonderful and it is easy to identify where your seats are.
Nowhere is the grass greener or the paint shinier. The Mitsubishi Jumbotron and scoreboards have spectacular, bright moving colors with intense graphics, and background organ music enhances the adventure.
There are wonderful choices of food vendors, from the usual hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn and peanuts to pastas, veggie choices and even a farmer’s market. It costs $3 for two bananas, $5.50 for a hotdog and $5 for bottled water.
We quickly realized that the cheaper seats have less padding. The field-level seats, some costing as much as $2,500, have as much padding as a good recliner. Upper-level seats have almost no padding. But I don’t care. I am in the stadium.
Jeter, A-Rod, Rivera and Posada are close. The Yanks are playing the Red Sox. Muhammad Ali, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Paul Simon and Rudy Gulianni are on hand.
A-Rod has put Madonna on waivers, but current flame Kate Hudson was also there. Kate Smith’s “God Bless America” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” are as good as ever.
The Yankees want to keep you posted with a multitude of game, season and lifetime stats. Pitch speed, pitch count and batting averages in every conceivable situation keep even the average fan current with important facts. It helps to know if your favorite player hits well at home with less than two outs, in the ninth inning, with one runner on base and in night games against the Red Sox.
But the best statistic of all was that the Yanks played, I was there, and Frank Sinatra sang “New York, New York” after every game.
The Yankees win! The Yankees win!