Opening Day....Yankee Stadium 1923....and today

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

It will never be the same as 86 years ago with Babe Ruth hitting a HR on opening day....nevertheless, a new era
starts today at the new Yankee Stadium.








Let's hear of your recollections of opening day's at your favorite ballpark ?



TED Z

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Posted By: jay wolt

"Let's hear of your recollections of opening day's at your favorite ballpark ?"

Was at the opening of the "New" Yankee Stadium in 1976
was wierd seeing them play at Shea Stadium in '74 & '75
Disco Dan Ford of the Twins hit the 1st Home Run and there
was a buzz about the place. They even went to the World Series
that year, 1st time since '64 and though losing to the Reds
they beat the Dodgers in '77 & '78.
Hopefully the New New Yankee Stadium will have that magic too!

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Posted By: Jerry

My grandfather took me to the very first game of the Colt 45's (1962) at Colt stadium that was built in the parking lot of the Astrodome which was under construction at the time. Remember seeing Ernie Banks bat and Roman Mejias hit 2 Hr's for the Colts as the Colt's beat the Cubs for their first win in the National League. The opening day winning Pitcher for the Colt's was Bobby Schantz.

Colt Stadium was sold and used in Mexico for many years before finally being torn down for good

Great Memories

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Posted By: Steve

Thanks for sharing Ted.

I have been to a few opening days at the Stadium.

Mainly from 1996 thru 2000.

Steve

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Posted By: T206Collector

...that I brought the family to the new Yankee Stadium for the Friday night exhibition game against the Cubs a couple of weeks ago. That, to me, was "Opening Day" -- it was, in fact, the first game ever played there.

Also, brought my wife to NYY Steaks inside the new Yankee Stadium for dinner on Saturday night. Perhaps the best "surf and turf" I ever ate -- and the Yankees-Royals game was being broadcast throughout the restaurant in Hi-Def.

So, I've had some pretty memorable experiences at the new Yankee Stadium -- and they haven't even had "Opening Day" yet!



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Posted By: Jason L

how did you find transportation around the new ballpark, for the game, and then for the dinner visit?
drive?
take a train?
any different than the old stadium experience?

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Posted By: John H.

I went to the old stadium last year for my only visit and found that the subway is the best and easiest way to get there if you're not within walking distance.

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Posted By: Jim VB

Jason,

The new Stadium is right across the street from the old one, so trasnportation is no different than it used to be. Subway is the most convenient on game days. Pretty easy getting there. Very crowded after the game, but still doable.

Getting there by cab would be easy. Catching a cab to leave might be tougher. After a game, forget it. After a dinner, maybe easier, but it depends upon the time of day/night. It's not a great neighborhood.


If you're made of money, and only buy penultimate cards, use a car service.

Call three times for advice.

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Posted By: T206Collector

They hadn't quite figured out the parking yet a couple of weeks ago. We had quite a walk to the new Stadium. And parking for dinner is a bit sketchy if you plan on going on a non-day game and staying past 10:00pm -- which we did. But it was a pretty neat dining experience and the food was outrageously good (and expensive). They serve the meals on plates that have different retired numbers on them -- my dinner was served on a Thurman Munson numbered plate, and my dessert was on a Babe Ruth numbered plate. Only downside is you cannot see the field from the restaurant -- you instead get a view of the 4-train and, for now, the old Yankee Stadium and Babe Ruth Plaza.

I am looking forward to May 23 because that is the date that the Metro North railroad station opens at the Stadium. I live on the Hudson line about 20 minutes north and plan to do all of my Yankee Stadium commuting via train from that point on.

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Posted By: Rob

i hear that Metro North train (from Connecticut into NY) now goes directly to the stadium on game days? Previously you had to take the train to Harlem and then hop on the subway.

Can anyone confirm that metro north now goes right to the stadium?

Thanks,
Rob

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Posted By: MVSNYC

i'm at work today (as i am everyday mon-fri )...and at around noon, i was thinking about the new Yankee Stadium, and the opening ceremony, etc...literally at that exact second, my phone rings...it was my dad, who was at a job site in upstate NY. he was like a kid in a candy store, explaining that there was a huge flat screen TV at the location where he was, and he'd be able to watch some of the game...not to sound corny, but without saying as much, i think we both thought of the legacy of the Yankees, and the importance of today...kind of a "field of dreams" moment...

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Posted By: CN

I went to opening day Monday night at Citifield to see the Mets. The ballpark is fabulous. I had a great time even though the Mets lost and will be going back at least 15-20 times this year. I loved the fact that the seats were much closer to the playing field than Shea Stadium and there were much more concession stands and restrooms. It is much more family oriented and it didn,t feel over the top. CN

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Posted By: Brian C.

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Posted By: T206Collector

<<Can anyone confirm that metro north now goes right to the stadium?>>

Train Service to Our New Yankees-E. 153rd Street Station Starts May 23rd

Metro-North train service to the new Yankees-E. 153rd Street Station will begin on Saturday, May 23rd.



Regular Hudson Line train service will stop year-round, seven days a week at Yankees-E.153rd Street Station. In addition, there will be special game-day train service to and from outlying stations on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven Lines, as well as Harlem-125th Street Station and Grand Central Terminal.



Tickets to Yankees-E. 153rd Street Station will go on sale Friday, May 1st at ticket offices, Ticket Vending Machines, and through WebTicket. Regular and game-day train schedules will be available at that time.



While station construction continues, the new covered pedestrian overpass connecting the parking areas with the stadium and local destinations will be open for exhibition games on April 3rd and 4th and for all home games before the station opens for train service.



Click here for an overview on the station and upcoming service. Please continue to check our home page for upcoming fare and schedule information.


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Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

I been to opening at Jocobs field and the Ballpark in Arlington.

Byy that seems forever ago even it was less that 15 years. Jacobs had a ton of more energy than Arlington. THe fans in Cleveland seemed to lift that '94 team and they had a year to remember and forget... oh what might have been..

marty

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Posted By: barrysloate

Not a good Opening Day for the Yanks at the new stadium. With the game tied 1-1 after six, the Indians score 9 runs in the top of the seventh and lead 10-1. Tomorrow is another day.

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Posted By: James Feagin

Absolutely wonderful result thus far!

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Posted By: Rob D.

Damn shame.

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Posted By: Glen V

So the trivia question answer is Posada (1st HR). However, G. Sizemore hit the first Grand Slam.

(oops - originally listed the HR following the GS.)

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Posted By: Jim VB

Glen,

BUZZZ!

Sorry, wrong answer! The Grand Salami was by Grady Sizemore.

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Posted By: MVSNYC

honestly, i don't care that they lost...the important thing for today is that a Yankee got the first HR in the new stadium, much like Ruth did on April 18, 1923...

how's that for putting a positive spin on a loss?

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Posted By: Rob D.

how's that for putting a positive spin on a loss?

Wouldn't expect anything less from a Yankees fan. (smiley x 2)

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Posted By: Bruce Dorskind

We have had Yankee box seats located just a few rows from the field for many years

Today we attended our 16th Opening Day. Whilst the result of the game was disappointing,
the new stadium is fantastic. For those in the luxury seats, it is the ultimate in private
service. special entrance and comfort. Many notable New Yorkers including the Governor
Mayor, former Mayer and dozens of former Yankee and baseball greats (as well as host) of
the city's most famous and powerful were there to bless the new stadium.

The Yankees have a wonderful museum, countless high end shops and the best and most demanding fans
in the world. We hope that their relief pitching improves and that bats of bottom half of the lineup
come to life.

Perhaps the nicest part of the day was when the Yankees interviewed a 99-year old man who shared his recollections
of the first Opening Day in 1923. That game was witnessed by a crowd that was 40% larger than today's crowd

A great day, perfect weather in the world's greatest city with the world's most demanding fans.

Who could ask for anything more?


Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List

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Posted By: Tim Caravella

I was lucky enough to be at today's game. The stadium was beautiful and weather was perfect. Although the game didn't have the best results I had a fantastic time. I was in the bleachers and David Wells came and sat with the fans for 5 innings. He signed, took pictures, and had fun. It was a much more conservative bleacher crowd as I think many people paid hundreds of dollars for bleacher seats. Fortunately, I got mine from a Yankee pre-sale for former partial season ticket holders for $20.25 for 2 seats!!! The only thing missing from my experience was the feeling I used to get walking from the main concourse into the stadium. You would go through a tunnel and the field would bring you to you knees as you came out. Now it is open to the field all around and there is no striking aura that comes over you. Nonetheless, the stadium is a great tribute to the past with all the modern conveniences and advantages of modern technologies. Looking forward to going again on May 5th to see the Yanks play the Red Sox, in much better seats!!! Now, if we could only work on those $9 beers!!!!

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Posted By: Matt Hart

I also was lucky enough to go to the game today. I paid a lot to sit in the bleachers, but I had a great time despite the loss. We were waiting in line to get in the Yankee Store and Jesse Barfield and Rickey Henderson walked in front of us. Henderson sign the cup I had for me and I didn't ask Barfield for an autograph. When we were leaving the store Don Larsen came out the restaurant right there, I asked him to sign the program but he said "I'm not here for that today" and I got to see David Wells leaving the bleachers. Weather was awesome and the stadium looks great even though we didn't make it to the museum. Overall, it was a pretty good day!
Matt

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Posted By: David Atkatz

I, too, was lucky enough to attend the inaugural game. Unlike Bruce, I didn't have a seat a few rows from the field. I was way up in nosebleed territory. But then, unlike Bruce, too, I didn't have to go alone. I was there with my son, and I wouldn't trade that for the world. It truly was an ultra high grade experience.

A few photos. The National Anthem, Johnny Damon getting the first hit at the new ballyard, and an original 1923 opening day program (unlike the 1976 reprint pictured above.)

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Posted By: PhilNap

Bruce writes: "The Yankees have a wonderful museum . . . "

Did you even go in there? For a man with such discriminating taste I am surprised that you are satisfied with that accumulation. The centerpiece is a wall which is largely filled with common single signed balls. I understand a museum is there to tell a story, but its not like they can acquire everyone who ever donned the pinstripes. Unless they can accomplish that then who really cares about a single signed Ross Ohlendorf.

Munson's locker is obviously cool to see but other than that the museum is really lacking. Hopefully they will step it up.

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Posted By: Fred C

NY teams are 2 for 2 in losing their OPENERS at their new respective stadiums. That was an ugly opening game for the Yanks.

Posada ended rallies in the 1st and 3rd innings and then hit the first HR in the new digs in the 5th.

Ransom really is looking for that one way ticket out of NYC. He was 0-5 and stranded 9 (that's right 9) runners. He K'd twice and came up with the bases jammed in the 9th and ended the game by hitting into a DP. I thought he'd be on his way out of town after the end of that game.

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Posted By: David Atkatz

"Munson's locker is obviously cool to see but other than that the museum is really lacking. Hopefully they will step it up."

It seems the only way they could "step it up" would be to borrow more material.

There actually are some wonderful pieces in that museum--Gehrig's 1927 home jersey, Ruth's "Called Shot" 1932 road jersey, beautiful 1923, 1927, and 1928 signed balls...

The sad part is that all of those--and everything else of any real value or interest--is on loan from a few collectors--Richard Angrist and the Depace family for the most part. (No, Bruce is not one of the contributors.)

The Yankees' own collection is, indeed, pathetic.

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Posted By: brock

My father took me to the first game yesterday. We were also able to attend the last game at the old stadium. Were thinking of getting the tickets framed together and make a nice display. But we sat in section 208, down by the right field foul poll.

David,
Was the Gehrig jersey one of the one's with-out a number on the back. Because i went in two times and thought there were no Gehrig items besides autographs. Also do you think that was Ruth's real bat he used to hit the first home-run. I can't see putting a 1.3 million dollar bat on the ground and then letting the players swinging it around. The yankees should try to get Ruths, Gehrigs and Mantle's locker back from the hall of fame for the museum.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

......"unlike the 1976 reprint pictured above".


The 1923 Opening Day program I depicted in my initial post here is a 1973 Reprint....and, was a souvenir copy issued
on opening day in 1973 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 1st game at Yankee Stadium.

FYI......I have the original one and the 1923 World Series program.


Get it....1923 + 50 = 1973

Or, are you...."mathematically-challenged"....?

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Posted By: Jim VB

"I thought he'd be on his way out of town after the end of that game."

He would be Fred, but then the Yankees would be the first major league team ever to play with four outfielders and no third baseman.

It was truly ugly.

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Posted By: David Atkatz

Don't you ever get tired of being wrong, Ted?

The reprint was given out on Opening Day 1976, when the renovated Stadium first opened.

I know. I was there, and received one.

(1973 was, indeed the fiftieth anniversary of the original opening, but that has nothing to do with the reprint.)

And Ted--you can call me lots of things, but "mathematically challenged" is hardly one of them. I am a theoretical physicist after all. How strong are you, Ted, in, say, differential geometry, tensor calculus, non-Abelian group theory etc. etc.?

And why do you always have to get nasty and personal? You may be 70, but you sure do behave like a testy child.

Obama won. By a landslide.

Get over it!

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Posted By: Sandy Schwartz

While we're on the topic of Yankee Stadium ...

I took my wonderful 8 year old son Jarett to his first and only game at the old stadium last August. Yankees won 15-6 vs. Royals. We sat upper deck, between home and 1st. 2nd inning, a foul ball comes within 3 seats of us ... closest I've ever been to a foul ball in the couple of hundred games I've been to in my life. 7th inning, Cody Ransom, in his first at bat as a Yankee, hits a high arcing foul that is headed right at my son's forehead. Holding a soda in my left hand, I reach out with my bare right hand, and the ball magically lands in it. Received a significant (at least for me) ovation from the crowd, odd moment where I didn't know they were actually clapping for me. Next pitch ... yes, NEXT PITCH ... Ransom hits a homer! Crowd now clapping for Cody, not me! Talking about stealing my thunder, or at least my 2 minutes of fame!

What I most remember ... looking down at my beaming son who was very proud of his dad who just caught a ball, sitting in a stadium that I personally grew up in. My life instantaneously flashed before me, thought about the game in 1969 (when I was 8!), was sitting with my dad in the upper deck and saw Mantle hit a homer. My son looks up at me and sees a few tears (of utter joy) streaming down my face (I had to explain these were good tears ... VERY GOOD TEARS). I love my son, I love baseball, it won't get any better than that. The ball is now proudly displayed in holder with the tickets and a write-up for my future generations to enjoy.

I know many of you can relate ...

Sandy Schwartz

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Posted By: Rob D.

That's a great story, Sandy. Thanks for cleansing our collective palate.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

David, it's nice to see that you never miss a chance to flash that psychotic personality. Maybe if you ask Bruce nicely you two could get a room?

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

The 1923 reprint was printed in 1973 (Copyright 1973....Terminal Printing & Lithographing....Hoboken, NJ)....and,
it's my understanding that it was first available in April 1973....check-it-out ?

I'm not impressed that you are a theoretical physicist. You ask......

"How strong are you, Ted, in, say, differential geometry, tensor calculus, non-Abelian group theory etc. etc.?"

I retired as a senior Electronics Engineer (after 31 years) from AT&T Bell Laboratories. I've applied more complex
mathematical equations in the process of designing electronic communications equipment than you can think of.
My Hi-speed modems and periphal equipment are still in service in AT&T comm. centers. My early mathematical
analysis programs have been Copyrighted. And, I have several Patents for my designs that have been put into
production (40,000 units).

Also, for many years, I have taught complex electronic courses (and RADAR) at Bell Labs....and, all my students
gave me positive reviews.

What can you boast....brainwashing your students with your "Socialistic-Karl Marx" ideology ?

And, speaking about Socialists.....boasting that "Obama won".....at this point is not something to boast about.


TED Z

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Posted By: Jim VB

Offered without comment or bias. (Sorry to "out" an auction.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Yankee-Stadium-Opening-Day-Program-1923-Reprint-1973_W0QQitemZ130300365061

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Posted By: barrysloate

Sandy- great story, but Mantle retired in 1968. I'm sure that is the year you meant.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Yes, Barry, but he's got a 1969 baseball card!!!

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Posted By: barrysloate

He's got two- white letters and yellow letters.

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Posted By: David Atkatz

Ooohh--an Electrical Engineer. So you know a bit of calculus, and how to manipulate complex numbers. BFD.

High school math, nothing more.

Admit it, Ted. You've never even heard of the mathematical fields I mentioned.
(No pun intended, as a "field" is another mathematical object you know nothing about.)

Your comments simply highlight your mathematical shortcomings.

(And your political comments highlight your complete lack of the ability to think critically.)

I can't vouch for what happened with those reprints in 1973, but they were definitely given out on the Stadium's re-opening day in 1976.

(Upon reading this post, I can't help but be a bit embarrassed. It sounds just like one of Bruce's bragging, ranting put downs. For that I apologize. But I've had it with Ted's unprovoked nastiness. You reap what you sow.)

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Posted By: barrysloate

Come on David...let's nip it in the bud. I know Ted responded to you in kind but you did provoke this. And it's getting tired.

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Posted By: David Atkatz

Come on Barry. I pointed out that Ted pictured a reprint, and offered the real deal. That's all. For some reason, T. rex takes that personally, and begins the name-calling.

I'm sure if someone illustrated his post with a picture of a card reprint, no one would post a photo of the real item.

Of course, I was provoking Bruce. And for that, I received a nice, unsolicited nasty email from the Group.

Nice to hear from you, too, Jeff!

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Posted By: Sandy Schwartz

Barry,
How right you are ... it was a typo ... I was 8 in 1968, and the game was that year. And yes Jeff, still have my 1969 card (yellow letters unfortunately).
Sandy

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Great story SANDY.


My daughter, Zoe, was 7 years old when I took her to her first BB game. In the Summer of 1973, we were at the
Old Timer's Day game at Yankee Stadium.

I recall it as it was yesterday......Whitey Ford was pitching and Mantle was at bat. Ford grooved one to Mantle.
Mickey hit it into the stands. The 67,000 fans went wild. I think that this was Mickey's last HR at the Stadium.

Zoe was really thrilled; and, since then #7 has always been her favorite number.


TED Z

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Posted By: barrysloate

David- when I saw the picture Ted posted I knew it was a reprint. And when I saw your posted scan I recognized it was an original.

Does it matter? I'm more concerned with the continual aggressive responses that are so unnecessary. Why you fight with Bruce, Ted, and Jeff all the time is a mystery.

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Posted By: Sandy Schwartz

Ted,
Wonderful recollection, these are the lasting memories we cherish and pass along. I was at an old-timer's game in the early 70's too, but I don't recall Mantle hitting a homer, so must've been a different year.

Oddly, I grew up in Brooklyn a Met fan but wound up going to many more Yankee games cause my father worked a 2nd job setting up concessions for Harry M. Stevens at Yankee Stadium on game days (weekends), and he'd drag me along (happily) to many games cause he had keys to a stadium gate and could get me in for free! We'd need to be at the stadium at some ungodly hour (6 AM or so as I recall) to get the concession process started. Will always remember the morning drives from East New York in Brooklyn to 161st St. I did this as far back as 1964-65 when I was only 4 or 5. Needless to say, I'm sorry to see the old stadium go away.

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Posted By: brock

What is the deal with Bruce. Is it one person or a whole group of them?

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Posted By: barrysloate

It's a one man group, but he chooses to use the editorial "we."