The House that George Built

I hate when people give human qualities to inanimate objects. I think it's a literary crutch. However, after attending my first game at Coors Field East the new Yankee Stadium, I can't help but feel that by building this magnificent structure, my favorite ballclub also sold its soul.

The Stadium is great. Terrific site lines (I mean incredible), wide aisles, cushioned seats, lack of garbage stench, short lines for a wide variety of concessions (Nathans, Brother Jimmy's, and we had some noodle thing...I still miss the chicken fingers from the old ballpark). But I couldn't help but think that the quirks that made the old ballpark almost unbearable for the fans, also provided a distinct advantage for the players on the field.


Not the Same
I recognize that familiarity brings a level of comfort and for my entire baseball viewing life, I've only known the old ballpark. Perhaps for that exact reason, last night's game felt artificial--like some sort of exhibition that one would catch in the Grapefruit League or during a meaningless September game in Seattle.

For most of the game, the ballpark was eerily quiet. I recognize that Tampa's Jason Bartlett lead off with one of those all-too-familiar wind tunnel shots out to right field, but there wasn't much life for the first few innings. Finally, when the Yanks put together a mini rally in the 4th, there was some life amongst the Bronx faithful. However, where the old Stadium used to rock, the buzz just wasn't the same.


We'll hang your banner, O'Neill, but stay away from the clubhouse
Noted acoustics expert Dr. Michael Francesa spoke on his radio program yesterday that the cushioned seats might absorb some of the sound. And considering the fact that there weren't many butts in those cushioned seats on the park's lowest level, I guess this is feasible. But hey, they have waiter service for those seats. The fact of the matter is that either the fans weren't hyped up (entirely possible) or that the Stadium doesn't channel the same juice as the old place.

The field itself definitely evokes the old ballpark, and there's nothing like hearing Bob Sheppard's voice over the public address when leadoff hitter and Yankee captain Derek Jeter steps in the box. The friese/facade is a nice touch. However, as has been well documented elsewhere, the fans don't sit on top of the field as we used to in the old Stadium, and lose a little of that Roman Colosseum

I didn't have a chance to see Monument Park 2.0, I'll have to get there eventually. The retired numbers in left field were kind of tacky, as were the wall listing the 26 world championships garnered throughout the pinstripers storied history. And there is no lacking for advertising plastered all over the fence and scoreboard.

I did sneak a peak at section 103, where we were supposed to be assigned. I have to admit that they were awesome seats, right next to the Yankee bullpen. It would have been a real treat to watch Mo warm up night in and night out. Unfortunately, the seats were a thousand miles from where my old man sat for nearly three decades. And I don't think I mentioned that the Yanks quoted us one price for the seats before coming back with a 25% increase citing an "administrative error". I can sleep easy knowing that we were smart to avoid the $20,000 investment.


Field of Nightmares
Mrs. Morganobrien.com and I headed out in the 5th (it's a long way back to the Island), so I didn't have to suffer the indignity of watching Mariano give up back-to-back dingers in the 9th (something he had never done in 800+ appearances). And that's probably good, as I would have turned into Sam Neill in Event Horizon and cut my eyeballs out.


Liberate tute mae ex inferis
It's going to take a long time, decades even, to regain the home field advantage earned over eighty years at what was once described as "Baseball's Home Office." And that's a shame. I like the new ballpark, but I loved the old place.