Phil Rizzuto, shortstop and broadcaster for the New York Yankees, past away last night at the age of 90. He’s known for his catch phrase “Holy Cow!”. He’s also the play-by-play announcer in the song Paradise By The Dashboard Light by Meatloaf.
I made a post about 2 weeks ago saying that the Yankees were going to host the 2008 All Star Game. It’s finally been made official. Bud Selig announced yesterday that Yankee Stadium will host the All Star Game in its last year. Now all I have to do is find out when and how they are going to sell the tickets so I can buy some.
Today, George “The Boss” Steinbrenner and Mayor Bloomberg broke ground on the new Yankee Stadium. It is scheduled to open in 2009 across the street from the current House That Ruth Built. It will hold less fans than the current stadium but from what I’ve read about the new stadium, that’s the only downside. The new stadium will have the same dimensions as the current ballpark but the rest of the stadium will look like the original Yankee Stadium, including the facade that used to encircle the roof. The current stadium only has the facade in the outfield portion. The Yankee bullpen will be in right field which will be interesting to see. I’m so used to it being in center/left-center near Monument Park. Speaking of Monument Park, that will also be moved over to the new park. I am seriously thinking about getting tickets to the very last game of the season in 2008 and then the Opening Day of the new stadium in 2009.
I stuck around in the city tonight to check out “Pinstripes In The Park”. It was the Yankees-Tigers game from Detroit being broadcast on the YES network on a huge TV similar to a jumbotron. It took place at Bryant Park in the city and to make it feel more like a Yankee game at the stadium, they had backdrops next to the TV that were made to look like the left and right field walls at the foul poles. They had hot dog carts selling hot dogs (obviously), peanuts, and Cracker Jack. The prices though were a lot cheaper than at the Stadium. A hot dog was only $2 compared to $4+ that it would cost at a real Yankee game. I left once I saw the game was in a rain delay. After all, it’s not as much fun watching a Yankee game outside of Yankee Stadium.
Ron Guidry has been named the pitching coach for the New York Yankees for the 2006 season replacing Mel Stottlemyre. First the Yanks bring back 2 years ago Donnie Baseball for their hitting coach, and now The Gator is the pitching coach. After I heard Mel Stottlemyre was leaving (because of disagreements with The Boss – and I don’t mean Bruce Springsteen), I was hoping they would either bring in Guidry or Goose Gossage.
Taken from ESPN.com
Yankee Stadium could go out with a bang.
The New York Post reported Saturday that the Yankees and Major League Baseball have discussed the possibility of Yankee Stadium hosting the 2008 All-Star Game. The Yankees will move into a new Yankee Stadium in 2009.
“There have been talks about it being a way to honor the last year of the stadium,” a source told the Post.
Pittsburgh will host the 2006 All-Star Game and San Francisco has been chosen to host in ‘07. The Post reported that after two years in an NL park, the All-Star Game will likely be awarded to an AL team for ‘08.
Yankee Stadium has hosted the contest three times, in 1939, 1960 (the second All-Star Game) and 1977.
I’ve been at Yankee Stadium for a World Series game and it would be great to also see an All-Star game there. I wonder how soon it’ll be before they have an All-Star game in the new Yankee stadium.
The New York Yankees, my favorite baseball team since I was a kid, will be announcing plans for a new stadium across the street from the present stadium today. It would look like the original Yankee Stadium from when Babe Ruth played, including the facade around the inside of the building, but have the present field dimensions of the current stadium. Since they are staying in the Bronx, they can keep the name Yankee Stadium, which I hope they do, instead of having some company name attached to it.
