Answer: To get to the new Stadium
Last Sunday, friends of mine and I made the 4+ hour trek north from DC to pay one last homage to the old Yankee stadium. While the team had yet to be mathematically eliminated from playoffs, we knew that even a resurrection of the Babe (may he rest in peace) would not be enough to ensure even a wild card pass into October. This was to be the last game--ever-- in Yankee Stadium, closing a season where every fan was reminded, every day, that 2008 was the last season-- ever-- of Yankee Stadium.
Admittedly, I was "fan-lite" this past season, missing most games in our Sunday ticket pack, and only sporatically tuning in to the NY Post Sports Section. But this game, this excited me, and by the 3rd inning, my mind was already to how I would blog about it. I know this is a dog-focused blog, but hopefully my handfuls of readers will indulge me in this off-topic post.
In true Yankee fashion, the team went out with pomp and circumstance (including a crazy fan that charged the field), and all the attention of major news media that the winningest team in all of sports has enjoyed since the stadium opened. And remember, the team is only moving across the street-- to a state of the art, amazingly fabulous stadium.
In my opinion, The Final Season was a marketing masterpiece on many, many levels. The Yankee enterprise so successfully branded The Final Season that it took on a personality and meaning all its own. It might as well have been another player on the team... with its own authentic pinstripe jersey.
To best illustrate this genius is the stark contrast with the other NY team (Mets, for those of you grasping for the name), who is also getting a new stadium in 2009, and had a winning-er record vs. the Yanks (until their second epic collapse, not to be confused with the 2007 implosion). What was the last thing you heard about the up and coming Citi Park in Flushing, Queens? Remember, they too are also moving across the street.
The Yankees successfully dominated the news media with references to nostalgia and records, championships and family commaraderie. They successfully convinced fans to pony up the cash and credit to buy new merchandise, that looked just like the old merchandise, only with a "Final Season" patch (guilty as charged in case you were wondering). They successfully convinced 400 million fans to watch the floundering team that had fired their beloved manager, and hadn't been such a long shot for the playoffs since the late 60's. They successfully convinced boatloads of fans to to arrive at the Stadium doors 7 hours prior to the first pitch of the last game, only to sit in stadium seating and watch the equivalent of Yes Network b-roll on the tiniest jumbo-tron in the Majors. And, remember, they were ONLY moving across the street.
Honest to goodness, I firmly believe the White House could have moved across the street with less media attention than this. At least 6 minutes of 1010 WINS "22 minutes, we give you the world" was about The Final Season that Sunday!
Not that it needed any help, but the Yankee enterprise appropriately coined Yankee stadium a "cathedral," structurally crumbling it may be, of Baseball. The opening ceremonies started with additional reminders of it being the last game ever, and closing a legend, yada yada... but no worries, by the 7th inning, fans were re-assured that the team was not deserting them, that these memories would not end...because the team was ONLY moving across the street.
Perhaps my favorite memory of Yankee Stadium will be my young nephew standing outside, telling me he was upset that the "House that Ruth Built" will be going away, and wondering just who will literally be "building" the new house. After assuring him that it would not be A-Rod out there swinging a shovel and leveling dirt, he still seemed less than convinced that leaving a "cathedral" as steeped in memories and history would be a good thing, despite the fact that parts of the upper deck were known to fall down. And, I probably failed to assure him that the team was only moving across the street. They were not deserting him, they were not going to cease playing the game, or stop making records.
But my nephew's attitude was identical to the vibe running rampant through the rows and sections of the Stadium last Sunday night. Why were they leaving the place where Ruth, Lou, Mickey, Joe and Yogi and caught, hit and threw their way into baseball history?
I left the stadium that night concluding that the player named "The Final Season's" biggest contribution to baseball was easing the fan's pain associated with giving up the place where so many legends were made, so many memories had, and so, so many championships won. But, next year, the team will be right across the street, so start spreading the news...
1 comment:
I think it is cool you made it to the last game in Yankee Stadium. Having been there only a handful of times, I did feel like you were surrounded by history. I must admit, I am sad to see it go.
That said, what are they calling the new stadium? Also, will they move all of the plaques and such from the outfield to the new stadium? Did you get better seats for next season in the new stadium? Finally, what will be built on the grounds of the old stadium once demolished?
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