WHERE IS THE 'REAL' HOME PLATE?

What if home plate, from the original Yankees stadium, never made it over to the stadium they use now when the team moved across the street in 2009? What if the location of the original Home Plate is a complete mystery?

A few days ago I got a message from Casey asking if I could do some investigating. Apparently there is a discussion going on about the whereabouts of the "real" home plate. Several people seem to think that it stayed at Heritage field. 

To begin, I have to say that I am truly skeptical that the Yankees, a team that prides themselves in its rich history, would leave such an iconic part of the stadium behind. It seems more like the kind of thing they would take with them. If not for continued usage, then for display at the Yankee Museum. The museum has just about everything else on display, including Thurman Munson's locker, every World Series pocket watch and ring, jerseys, hats, and an entire wall of signed baseball by nearly every Yankee to have ever played. It's a beautiful place for fans to visit, and the most likely place for home plate to end up. 

You also have to consider some facts about Heritage field. For starters, the baseball field consist of three diamonds. When discussing location of the original home plate in relation to the new field, home plate would have been where second base is on the field closest to the corner of River Ave, and 161st St. Usually, when a stadium moves from one location to another, a plaque is left behind at the site of home plate to commemorate it. That seems unlikely in this case given that it would interfere with any game played on that field. The same is true for the actual home plate.

Of course you could argue that it's not on the field, but in the area around it. The walk around Heritage field is known as Ruppert Plaza, named after Jacob Ruppert, past owner of the Yankees. 

If you walk around the baseball fields, you'll occasionally see tiles with some fun Yankees facts. There is also the Lou Gehrig quote wall, as well as a decorative bench. It really is a nice little walk to take. Full of Yankees history, but no sign of the Yankees original Home Plate. Of course, I will just assume that is because the other objects are permanently placed, where home plate would be easily removed by anyone. But it's not there. No sign of it at all. The question is, where is it? What happened to the real home plate?

Well, home plate seems to be at Yankee stadium. In November of 2008, Scott Brosius, Paul O'Neill, David Cone, Jeff Nelson and the 1998 World Championship Team, were joined by a group of kids from a Bronx Youth group and dug up home plate and the pitching rubber from the old stadium, and transported them over to the "new" stadium, along with some dirt from the House that Ruth Built (HERE). 

So, there you have it, folks! The REAL home plate, is in fact at home at Yankee Stadium. Makes sense, if you ask me. Again, the Yankees pride themselves in the rich history. Leaving such iconic pieces of the stadium behind is not in the Yankees character. So the next time you're at the stadium, rest assured that a little piece of the old stadium is there with you. 

--Erica Morales 

BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804