 Yankee
Stadium
New
York, NY
Known throughout the world of sports as the home of the New York
Yankees (MLB), Yankee Stadium served as the home of the New York
Giants for more than a decade. In the early 1920s after being
evicted from Polo Grounds, the owners of the Yankees began looking
for a location to build a new stadium. After finding a suitable
location in the Bronx, a new stadium was constructed and opened in
April 1923 as the home of the New York Yankees. With a capacity of
around 58,000, Yankee Stadium was the grandest stadium in the
country. In 1925, the New York Giants were founded and began
playing at the Polo Grounds. The team played football at Polo
Grounds for more than 25 years before deciding to move into Yankee
Stadium. On October 21, 1956 the Giants played their first game at
Yankee Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers. By the time the
Giants moved into Yankee Stadium in 1956 the stadium's capacity
had grew to 67,000 with additions to the main three tier
grandstand. Prior to being the home of the Giants, Yankee Stadium
had hosted football and numerous other events other than baseball.
In order for football to be played at Yankee Stadium, bleachers
were added in what would have been right field during a baseball
game. The football gridiron was drawn out across the infield and
into left field up the third base line.
 By the late 1960s Yankee
Stadium began to show its age. The Giants had always wanted a stadium
of their own. A local sportswriter proposed an idea for
a new sports complex that would include a football stadium in New
Jersey. By the early 1970s the Yankees decided to completely renovate Yankee
Stadium that required them to play elsewhere for
two seasons after 1973. The Giants played their last game at
Yankee Stadium on September 23, 1973. Unfortunately the Giants new
stadium was not ready for the start of the 1974 season.
The Giants played one year at the Yale Bowl and one year at Shea
Stadium before moving into Giants Stadium in 1976. The Giants had
six playoff appearances and were the 1956 League Champions while
at Yankee Stadium. In
the late 1990s the Yankees began exploring the possibility of
building a new stadium as Yankee Stadium lacked many of the modern
amenities of newer ballparks built. In June 2005, the team announced plans to
construct a
new Yankee Stadium.
Yankee Stadium will be demolished over
a two year period, completed by Summer 2010, and converted into a public park area featuring a
baseball and softball field. Nearly 12,000 trees will be planted in
the shape of the stadium.
For more than eight decades Yankee Stadium was the home to some
of the greatest players in baseball.
The Yankees played
their last regular season game at Yankee Stadium on September 21,
2008. The new
Yankee Stadium opened across East 161st Street in
April 2009. |
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FACTS & FIGURES |
-Tenant: New York Giants
-Capacity: 67,000
-Surface: Grass
-Opened: October 21, 1956 (NFL)
-Closed: September 23, 1971 (NFL)
-Other Names: None
-Cost:
$2.5 Million
-Architect:
Osborn Engineering
-Demolished: 2010
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Giants Games from TicketCity |
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Giants
Stadium PhotoMint
by Highland Mint
Limited to 2,500 |
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