The New House

Billy Crystal famously said this, and it's become somewhat cliche to describe Yankee Stadium, but it's absolutely true. The best moment about going to a game at the old Yankee Stadium was walking from the concourse to your seat, and seeing the field for the first time. I've been to dozens of Yankee games at the Stadium throughout my life, but I always got the same feeling. Everyone who went to a Yankee game feels the same way. Maybe it had to do with all the history, the World Series and the great players who played in them. Maybe it's because the field was the only green patch of land in the Bronx. Maybe it's just as simple as the thought of "Hey now, I'm at a ballgame!". Maybe it's all of those things.

The field at the New Yankee Stadium looks almost exactly the same. The diameters of the field are identical to the House across the street, the grass is just as green, it's the same pinstripes, the same interlocking NY painted behind home plate. It's only when you look up and all the stands are different, and there's a monster HD screen in centerfield. Building sized. It's not just high definition, it's high definition high definition. As I was walking around just to check out other areas of the park, I turned to take a look at the HDHD screen, and I could literally count the hairs on Johnny Damon's head. It's super crisp no matter how far away you are.

Not sure if it's because today's game was just exhibition, but the security at NYS was a lot less Nazi-ish. No metal detecting wands as soon as you enter the stadium, no intense grilling over what's inside your bag. The Bleacher Creatures got to do the "Box Seats Suck!" chant right after the Roll Call. You could tell the cops were just happy to be there. Even the concession stand workers were pumped. I have never seen a more excited serving of a hamburger than I did by the woman working the counter of Johnny Rockets in the centerfield plaza.

The whole place is a tribute to Yankee History. Walking down towards the stadium looks just like the pictures from 1923. Inside the Great Hall there are gigantic banners featuring all the recent Yankee greats like Bernie Williams or Paul O'Neill on one side, and legends like Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio on the other. Lining the concession stands are pictures from each of the World Series wins. There's a Yankee Museum to go along with Monument Park. Memorabilia is everywhere.

If you're a Red Sox or Mets fan, you might get a little sick, but anyone with a sense of baseball history will have a lot of fun walking around the Great Hall and the Concourse. It's going to be one of those rituals everyone does. Get to the Stadium extra early, and take a lap around the park. There's a lot to take in, a things to see, a lot of food to eat. I didn't get to check out the Hard Rock Cafe or the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar, but I did hang out the plaza right by the bleachers which is on top of the sports bar. It's gonna be a great place in the summer to hang out and drink a beer. There wasn't an equivalent in the old place. The food options are incredible, from Carl's Cheesesteaks to Boar's Head sandwiches to sushi. That's right. Sushi. Like most ballparks, the food is a little pricy, but delicious. There's no excuse to go hungry when going to a Yankee game. There's something for everyone, especially those who are into having cholesterol problems.

There were some hiccups, however. There was a montage playing in the sixth inning when Mariano Rivera entered the game, and apparently the guy working the music didn't realize what was going on, because "Enter Sandman" didn't play until Mo was well into his warmup session on the mound. For the final few innings, the third spot in the Yankee lineup was blank on the screen next to the HDHDTV. And at one point in the final inning, "#28 - Unknown" was listed as the Yankees catcher.

One thing I was bothered by somewhat was the inundation of advertising throughout the stadium. There are framed posters of Budweiser and Geico ads, among others, all over the concourse. Pretty much everything that appears on the HDHDTV is sponsored by something. Every ballpark does this, but it's really noticable at NYS. I was half expecting the announcer to say "Leading off, the shortstop, #2, Derek Jeter...brought to you by Pepsi."

The most lucrative advertising opportunity was the one not offered. The new place is not Bank of America Field, or Time Warner Park. It's still Yankee Stadium, the grandest stage in American sports. The highlights of the first game include Jeter getting the first Yankee hit, Robinson Cano hitting the first home run, the Yankees getting the first win. It's not Gehrig's farewell address or Reggie hitting three bombs on three pitches, but how could it be? Nostalgia runs rampant in the New House, but the history took place across the street. Lasting memories will come, but they're not there yet. Gods don't build stadiums, they only play there.