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Yankee Stadium gets ready for final season

A fan stands to applaud a play by the New York Yankees in a game against the Anaheim Angels on Aug. 25, 1998, at Yankee Stadium in New York. PHOTO: AP

Barry Bonds stepped out of a white stretch limousine, strolled into Yankee Stadium for the first time and basically pooh-poohed the place.

Pretty much just another ballpark, he told anyone who would listen.

That is, until he walked onto the field and took a look around. That's when the history hit him. Dressed in his San Francisco Giants uniform, he made a beeline to deep left-center field and asked a guard to open the gate that led to Monument Park.

"I want to see this," Bonds said.

The grumpy future US home run king became an eager little boy during that visit six years ago, standing in line with fans to study Mickey Mantle's bronze likeness and Babe Ruth's plaque.

Yankee Stadium tends to have that effect on people.

"I still get chill bumps every time I'm there," newly elected Hall of Fame pitcher Rich Gossage said.

Too bad for the Goose, there isn't much time left.

Christened by Ruth with a home run on opening day in 1923, the big house in the Bronx is set for its final season.

Next year, the New York Yankees will move across the street into a slightly smaller, US$1.3 billion ballpark that includes nearly 50 luxury boxes and a martini bar. The new Yankee Stadium is built for the future -- there's even locker room space for female umpires, in case any ever get hired.

The stadium at 161st Street and River Avenue was often the place where sports and legend intersected.

Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in 1938 in the most politically charged fight of their era. Lou Gehrig called himself the "luckiest man on the face of the earth." Johnny Unitas led the Baltimore Colts over the New York Giants for the 1958 NFL title in what is regarded as "the greatest game ever played," and which heralded US football as a major sport.

Muhammad Ali and Jack Dempsey boxed there among 30 world title fights, Pele got his kicks, and the 1972 Miami Dolphins won on their way to a perfect NFL season.

Off the field, equally important events. Two popes celebrated Mass, and Nelson Mandela spoke to thousands.

To the Yankees, the only fitting farewell would come in October with a 27th World Series victory. The park with the famous white facade -- initial construction plans called it the "frieze" -- has hosted exactly 100 World Series games.

The Yankees will mark the long goodbye with commemorative baseballs for every home game. They feature a logo of the stadium's original entrance, and the Yankees will wear a patch with the same emblem on their left sleeves.

Over in Queens, the New York Mets will do a similar thing at Shea Stadium, which opened in 1964 and will close after this season.

Tickets for the Yankees' last regular season home game on Sept. 21 are selling for US$15,000 and up on StubHub.com.

Properly, Major League Baseball will throw a party there with the All-Star game in July. And perhaps the last game won't be on grass at all, but ice instead. The NHL wants to play there outdoors on New Year's Day.

SIGNATURE

Yet baseball will forever be its unmistakable signature.

"There are so many great things about Yankee Stadium. The history, the nostalgia," said David Cone, who pitched a perfect game on that mound. "To me, it was the fans. They anticipated the flow better than anyone. Runner on second base, no out, they're already anticipating moving him over."

To Yogi Berra, his teammates made the park special. Remember this: When he showed up as a stubby catcher in 1946, many of the monuments were still alive.

Joe DiMaggio owned center field back then, when the original markers were in play behind him. A couple of years later, the Babe leaned on a bat and, in a hushed voice, said so long to the House that Ruth Built. After that, Mantle came along.

They'd been at Hilltop Park -- hence, the previous nickname of Highlanders -- before moving into the Polo Grounds in 1913. John McGraw and the New York Giants got tired of sharing the park, especially after Ruth and the Yankees became more popular, and told them to leave.

FIRST 'STADIUM'

With a capacity of more than 80,000 and outfield distances nearing 150m, Yankee Stadium was so colossal that some said it was the first arena in America specifically named a "stadium."

"I'll miss it. It's too bad that they're going to tear it down," he said. "In Europe, they take care of historical places, turn them into monuments. And here we bulldoze them to make room for something new. I'm not sure that's what you would call progress."
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