Official Road Trip Stop #16: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

9/16/2009
Blue Jays 4 @ Yankees 5 (10 innings)

So this is what one and a half billion dollars looks like.

The "House that Jeter built" (well, and George Steinbrenner and a few pissed off New York taxpayers) replaced the "House that Ruth built" this year, and it is, in a word, amazing.

I was fortunate enough to visit the original Yankee Stadium last year before it closed. It was special, historic, the cathedral. It was also kind of a dump. There is a lot to be said for history and charm, but sometimes you just need a fresh start, and the Yankees pulled theirs off very, very well.

Like in Detroit, there were very high expectations in replacing such a historic and beloved ballpark, and the Yankees were certainly able to meet those expectations. It is beautiful and squeaky clean, with homages everywhere to the deep, deep Yankee history and tradition. I dubbed it "Yankeeland," because that's almost exactly what it is.

The most amazing thing about new Yankee Stadium is that it feels so much like the old one. I struck up a conversation with a man next to me and he told me about how he was at Game 6 of the '77 World Series in which Reggie Jackson hit 3 home runs against the Dodgers. He kept having to correct himself when he would say "I saw it here, err, I mean, across the street." It picks up where the original left off, and doesn't skip a beat.

Unlike most new places, there isn't much to do in the Stadium but watch the game, which is a very, very nice change of pace. There is the Great Hall and the Yankee museum and Monument Park, all showcasing the rich history of the Yankees, and that's about it. I arrived too late to avoid any lines to see Monument Park or the Museum, but I am told they are great. Plus I saw Monument Park in the old stadium and was told not much has changed.

Like the city it represents, Yankee Stadium has the widest variety of food options that I've seen. Everything from Johnny Rocket's to Sushi to the Hard Rock Cafe that's in the right field corner. And there are pretzels the size of your head. It's all pretty expensive, but all looked pretty damn good for ballpark food.

The field dimensions are all the same as old Yankee Stadium, and the signature Yankee frieze rings the roof of the stadium. There is also a gorgeous massive HD video screen in Center Field.

For 1.5 Billion Dollars, the place had to be pretty amazing, and it is. It is definitely worth a trip to New York to see this new cathedral. It's not the original, but eventually, it too will have its memories and players, like Derek Jeter and his passing of Lou Gehrig as the all-time Yankee leader for hits. It's a great experience and great place to host the next generation of the Yankees.