Introduction
One of the most popular and successful teams in all of sports history is the New York Yankees, who have been winning baseball World Series championships since 1913, in their very own Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY. The New York Yankees team has been playing in the original Yankee Stadium from 1923 to 2008, however, a new stadium was built for them in 2009 (Kerrigan, 2016). With the passing years, Yankee Stadium has not just remained the ballpark but it became a part of New York because of its traditions, chronology, and renowned people who came there in the past. The history of Yankee Stadium is very rich and it has gone through massive success in the sports world that led it to become part of New York culture. In this article, the history of Yankee Stadium and the reason behind its construction has been analyzed that led to the conclusion that Yankee Stadium is the greatest legacy in the sports world due to its richness in history and tradition.
History
Nearly one hundred years ago, the original Yankee Stadium opened its doors to thousands of fans, after the Yankees had previously shared a field named “Polo Grounds” with the New York Giants. In 1923, the original Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY completed construction for $2.4 million (or just over $36 million today) (Kerrigan, 2016). The original Yankee Stadium was constructed in 11 months and it was opened on 18th April 1923 for the fans. The very 1st game was played against Boston at the “House that Ruth Built” (nickname of Yankee Stadium) which was attended by over 70,000 people. However, Bronx Bombers won that very 1st match by 4-1. In the first season that the Yankees played in Yankee Stadium; they won the World Series (Kerrigan, 2016). The original Yankee Stadium was built for just $2.4 million, the new version cost $2.3 billion, which makes it the most expensive stadium ever created.
Importance
In the history of New York, The construction of Yankee Stadium was itself an uncertain decision and considered a monumental event. The construction of Yankee Stadium has beautified the Bronx and it has become popular for Yankee Stadium. The Bronx is now known as the Borough of the stadium where a huge number of fans and tourists visit. Before the opening of Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees used to play at the Polo Grounds by sharing the ground with New York Giants. This sharing used to create tension among the two organizations and teams. Due to the increasing tension between the organizations, the New York giants asked the Yankees to leave the Polo Grounds, after this declaration, the Yankees looked for land to construct their stadium. At last, the Yankees became successful to buy land from William Waldorf worth $675000 in the West Bronx.
The Yankees were very excited about their new stadium while Yankee Stadium’s scale was very different and innovative in the sports world. The Yankee Stadium owner was very eager to build the 1st triple-decker stadium in the US. Due to its grand scale, Yankee Stadium construction underwent various controversies but despite these issues, the construction of Yankee Stadium was completed successfully and it was opened in 1923 (Kerrigan, 2016). Yankee Stadium is referred to as the most expensive sports stadium ever constructed in the World. The swanky exterior of Yankee Stadium was built from the 11000 Indiana limestone pieces (Kerrigan, 2016).
However, hundreds of photographs of Yankees legends have been pasted on the interior of the Stadium. The opening of the stadium has given birth to a huge cultural impact in the city due to a large number of attendants during the very 1st days of launching (The New York Times, 1923). This kind of cultural boom was also portrayed by Andrew Gordon Harrington when he wrote an article named “The House that Cultural Capital Built: The Saga of the New Yankee Stadium” (Harrington, 2011). Harrington’s theory of “cultural capital” gained much popularity and correspondence due to the major event that occurred during that time. However, the city was going through a major economic boom while the Yankees were turned into a brand followed by the construction of the new stadium.
Improvement
Yankee Stadium is a great place but it needs to keep its standard due to its significance and popularity. Yankee Stadium management team should focus on facilitating the fans by providing them with more comfort and ease. It has been observed that everything available at YSIII is so pricey, therefore the fans have to buy from outside. The infrastructure of the Yankee stadium also needs some attention to improve the seating. Besides, the Yankee needs to improve its giveaways procedure to support the attendants (Kerrigan, 2016). On the other hand, every organization and brand are mainly focusing on sustainable development. Yankees is the 1st North American sports team to sign the UN climate change framework in April 2019. However, the Yankees should pay more attention to sustainable development and the improvement of pricing strategies at the stadium. Yankees management needs to work on the issues to provide a better experience to the fans and tourists (McCullough et al., 2020).
Conclusion
The original Yankee Stadium has undergone decades of history and become a legacy rather than just a sports stadium. It has beautifully assimilated New York and American culture. Yankee Stadium has hosted the US presidents and the Pope along with the legends of baseball teams. The best interpretation of Yankee Stadium history is given by Derek Jeter who stated that Yankee Stadium is overwhelmed with memories, history, and tradition.
References
Harrington, A. G. (2011). The House That Cultural Capital Built: The Saga of the New Yankee Stadium. NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, 19(2), 77–92. https://doi.org/10.1353/nin.2011.0022
McCullough, B. P., Pelcher, J., & Trendafilova, S. (2020). An Exploratory Analysis of the Environmental Sustainability Performance Signaling Communications among North American Sport Organizations. Sustainability, 12(5), 1950. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051950
Kerrigan, A. (2016). Yankee Stadium – History of New York City. Blogs.Shu.Edu. https://blogs.shu.edu/nyc-history/2016/11/14/yankee-stadium/#_ftn1
The New York Times. (1923, April 19). 74,200 SEE YANKEES OPEN NEW STADIUM; RUTH HITS HOME RUN; Record Baseball Crowd Cheers as Slugger’s Drive Beats Red Sox, 4 to 1. (Published 1923). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1923/04/19/archives/74200-see-yankees-open-new-stadium-ruth-hits-home-run-record.html
