YANKEE STADIUM... NOW THAT'S MY KIND OF BALLPARK!

Live from Stan’s across from the old Stadium, I see everything I need to see before the biggest rivalry in the game of baseball. A group of guys repeatedly chanting “Hip, hip, Jorge” and laughing after each set as if the last rendition was more hysterical than the previous one, fans adorning tees with “Big Poopie”, “Red Sucks”, “It was never a curse- you just suck,” father and son enjoying some brews in grey road Mariano and Donnie Baseball jerseys and the Staten Island sister waitresses sharing pleasantries with fans who make it to the ball park every year. Yes, it feels like the playoffs every time I go to the Stadium but particularly when I go to a Yankees-Red Sox game.

What makes Yankee Stadium so terrific, a must-see for every baseball fan?  There are so many reasons, but I will narrow it down to what I saw and felt at the ballpark this week.

The first is the hometown feel and tradition you can taste as you walk the streets surrounding the iconic ballpark.  Giant images of Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez greet you as you make your way up towards the shops and street vendors outside the beautiful architecture of Yankee Stadium.  A family of Hispanic shop keeps have every hat, every jersey, every t-shirt that looks perfect on you no matter your size or gender.  Street vendors sell custom t-shirts that are so creative, you have to have at least one.  

Ballpark employees saunter across the street to Gate 8 for another night’s work.  The Bronx is a melting pot of people who work, cheer, eat and decorate a Stadium like no other.  Everyone’s a Yankee fan in the boogie-down Bronx and they let you know it.  From Bald Vinny’s antics as the decisive ringleader of the bleacher creatures, to the screeching sound of the #4 train coming to halt in the 161st Street Station, Yankee Stadium is my kind of ball park with the sights of sounds of tradition- even Chi-town can’t beat da Bronx- there’s nothing like a brew in Stan’s with fire truck full of New York’s bravest serenading you with New York, New York- nope no one’s got us beat.

Next up, class- Yankee Stadium has class.  If you are lucky enough to score tickets in the Legends Suite, you have truly died and gone to heaven.  The Legend Culinary chefs are the finest in the world and each week, the stadium gourmet eatery features incredible menus that will make your mouth water.  Lobster, T-bone steak, sushi, pasta stations, carving stations, shrimp, clams, and the most amazing desserts fill the 9,000 square feet 1,200 people five star restaurant and club in the Stadium.  With seats as close to Derek Jeter as you can get as an everyday person and breathtaking views of the Stadium from the suite itself, the Legends Suites seats are luxury with the added punch.  And with access to top shelf wine and spirits until an hour after the game at the Ketel One and DKNY Lounges, Legends executive atmosphere make you feel like a celebrity at the ballpark, which frequently host the top tier of Hollywood, television and fashion at every game.

Finally, Yankee Stadium gives fans the ultimate field of dreams and experience of a lifetime.  From the Yankee Museum housing artifacts and stories of legends of today and yesterday, to Steiner Sports memorabilia giving every fan a chance to own a piece of history including Mo’s final season autograph photos, balls and pitching rubber, to the souvenirs you can only buy in the Stadium, this ballpark is missing nothing.  Everything is purposeful, from vintage snap shots of the greatest games played to Monument Park to a food court to the Hard Rock and Mohegan Sun Sports Bar- Yankee Stadium boasts everything a fan needs to enjoy the greatest team on earth.  And let’s not forget that Bombers always play to win in this hitter’s ballpark that chimes with every run scored and whistles with every strike out. 

So, if I haven’t convinced you yet to come out to the ballpark before the season’s end, I will leave you with one parting thought: Some teams have Papi, others have Trout and yet others have Crush but we have Mo and that’s all we need.  

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

Be sure to also check out my piece: MY FIVE FAVORITE BALLPARKS!



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