I had planned to discuss Shea in the 1980’s in part IV but instead I wanted to write about something else that I started thinking about recently. I’ll save the glory years and the Shea renovation for the next installment.
What’s the oldest stadium being replaced in
While it was referred to as a renovation, for all practical purposes, the ballpark the Yankees have played in since 1976 was predominantly a new Yankee Stadium. If you have ever seen pictures of the renovation, there really wasn’t much left from the original park. It was a massive effort. The outside wall and some infrastructure were kept but mostly the entire stadium was replaced. The upper level was completely removed and replaced with a cantilevered version so that the obstructing support columns could be removed. The sin of that part of the re-design was removing the famous frieze that ringed the roof above the seats. In the new park, a bogus facsimile of the frieze was created in the outfield above the scoreboard behind the bleachers to pay homage to the original stadium.
When Yankee fans get all teary eyed about the current Yankee Stadium being abandoned after this season, they’re really about 35 years too late. Even the field which is cherished as hallowed ground is buried about 4 feet below the current dirt and grass field. Home plate is also in a different location. No, the original Yankee Stadium was torn down to an empty shell in 1974. They simply rebuilt a new one in its place while the Yankees inhabited Shea Stadium for 2 seasons. One wonders why they just didn’t destroy the whole place and start from scratch then. In the long run, it would have been cheaper.
A very good friend of mine, a devout Yankee fan, attended the first game in the rebuilt stadium in 1976. He was mortified at what had been done. Specifically he was upset that the frieze and the roof were removed and that the upper level was set so far back. He also lamented the loss of the scoreboards, especially the ones on the outfield wall.
The point is that except for a few things, the original Yankee Stadium ceased to exist after the 1973 season. Just because the rebuilt stadium is on the same site does not make it the same stadium. Next season, the Yankees are moving into their fifth home. They first played in the polo grounds, then the original Yankee Stadium from 1923 to 1973, then Shea Stadium from 1974-1975, then the rebuilt Stadium from 1976 to 2008.
The reason why I even bring this up is that Shea Stadium is being torn down too but no one seems to care. Next July, the All Star game will be held at Yankee Stadium and it will be treated as a shrine. As if Babe Ruth ran those bases and the fans that cheered him sat in those seats, they didn’t. That field and those seats did not exist then.
It’s all marketing. Because it’s on the same site since 1923, it must be the same place. But here are the facts. The majority of the current Yankee Stadium was constructed in 1974-75. What other renovation ever took over two years to complete?
I know Shea is hated by Yankee and Mets fans alike. But understand that when she opened in 1964, Shea was a state of the art facility. Except for renovations that insured structural integrity or cosmetic, Shea is as original as the day she opened. No way can that be said about the current Yankee Stadium. In fairness, the Yankees won 6 world championships while in the current building. That’s four more than the Mets ever won at Shea. I’m not saying that Yankee history, even in the current building, is not greater than the Mets. I’m not stupid. I also understand Shea will not be ignored. Her history will be glorified all season long too. But most of the focus will be on Yankee Stadium where all of that great Yankee history never took place.
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