Spring Break
The death of baseball's cathedral
Issue date: 10/9/08
The new Yankee Stadium will have fewer seats than the old Stadium. In place of these seats will be dozens of luxury boxes. The seats that remain will be more comfortable, it's true, but they will also be more expensive. The amount of retail space will be almost doubled in the new park.
And, as if that weren't enough, the new Yankee Stadium will feature two restaurants that do not even have views of the field. Babe Ruth was a big fan of restaurants, but I think he would have expected a view of the field from a stadium restaurant. What's the point of a restaurant at a baseball stadium? Money. The restaurants will make buckets of money for no reason other than the fact that they are located on the grounds of a baseball stadium. Nothing against making money, but that's pretty petty.
The Yankees are not alone in their money grabbing. My beloved Mets are guilty of the same thing, though the stadium they are leaving behind lacks the history of Yankee Stadium. The football Jets and Giants are building themselves a new stadium as well, and are sticking to their fans far worse than either baseball team, with their personal seat licenses and auctions for club seats.
With the economy in bad shape, these teams may be facing hard times. They will very likely not make the profits they expected from the new stadiums, at least at first. Tragically, though, one of the most important sites in baseball history will be lost to the greed of men who were doing just fine without the new park.
And, as if that weren't enough, the new Yankee Stadium will feature two restaurants that do not even have views of the field. Babe Ruth was a big fan of restaurants, but I think he would have expected a view of the field from a stadium restaurant. What's the point of a restaurant at a baseball stadium? Money. The restaurants will make buckets of money for no reason other than the fact that they are located on the grounds of a baseball stadium. Nothing against making money, but that's pretty petty.
The Yankees are not alone in their money grabbing. My beloved Mets are guilty of the same thing, though the stadium they are leaving behind lacks the history of Yankee Stadium. The football Jets and Giants are building themselves a new stadium as well, and are sticking to their fans far worse than either baseball team, with their personal seat licenses and auctions for club seats.
With the economy in bad shape, these teams may be facing hard times. They will very likely not make the profits they expected from the new stadiums, at least at first. Tragically, though, one of the most important sites in baseball history will be lost to the greed of men who were doing just fine without the new park.
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