One of the most successful professional sports team in the world are the New York Yankees, who have won 27 World Series and appeared in 40, well over double the amount of the next most successful team, the St. Louis Cardinals. As a result, the new Yankee Stadium continues as a storied hive of baseball villainy. This the third major build, the first of which opened in 1913.
The new iteration of Yankee Stadium was a massive project that broke ground on August 19th, 2006 and opened on April 2nd, 2009. The cost of Yankee Stadium is approximately $1.5 billion, although some estimates believe that the stadium cost as much as $2.3 billion. Regardless, this stadium is easily one of the most expensive in the world. The public purse subsidized the lion share of the cost, contributing $1.2 billion at the very least for the construction of Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.
One of the ways that the Yankees honor the tradition of the many incredible players that have graced their club is through the Great Hall, that features giant banners of the most famous Yankee superstars.
New York Yankees Stadium
Yankee Stadium is often derided due to the ease of which home runs launch out of the park, especially along the short porch in right field. MLB Park Factors statistics confirm this, as this stadium ranks in the top five in terms of home run rates. This results in a top ten ranking for runs production, despite a below average rate on doubles and triples, as well as an average rate of hits and walks.
In 2014, the Yankees missed the playoffs for only the third time since the year 2000, although they played fairly well throughout the season, earning a 43-38 record at home. For the 2015 season, the Yankees improved on their home record and are poised to do damage in the playoffs as a wild card entrant.
The history of the New York Yankees has allowed them to open the New York Yankees Museum, which houses a wide range of Yankee memorabilia, including statues of Yogi Berra catching Don Larsen during his perfect game for game 5 of the 1956 World Series. The Legends Suite that includes seats behind home plate are among the costliest regular season seats in the world of sports, averaging more than $500 per ticket, with some prices hurtling over the $2,000 mark.
Stadium Vitals
Date Opened: April 2, 2009
Construction Cost: minimum $1.5 billion
Architect: Populous
Ballpark Type: Retro Classic
Capacity Attendance: 49,642
Playing Surface: Kentucky Bluegrass
Previous New York Yankees Stadiums
Hilltop Park; Polo Grounds; Yankee Stadium I; Shea Stadium
Other Major Events
College Football
The Pinstripe Bowl has taken place at Yankee Stadium every year since 2010. This annual event draws a Big Ten team to play against an ACC team for the right to lift the George M. Steinbrenner trophy.
Major League Soccer
The New York City FC decided to use Yankee Stadium for their inaugural season with Major League Soccer. Yankee Global Enterprises owns a fifth of this team, with majority ownership held by the City Football Group.
2014 NHL Stadium Series
The NHL Stadium Series visited Yankee Stadium on January 26th, 2014, welcoming the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers walloped the Devils by a score of 7-3, making the first outdoor game ever held in New York a high scoring affair.