The House that Ruth Built
July 16, 2008
The House that Ruth Built has stood solid for since 1923. However, in 2009, 86 years later, it will be torn down to make room for parking for a bigger, better stadium. The 2008 MLB season is the Yankees last season in their historic home. Right now will be the last All-Star game ever played in the House that Ruth Built. Plans for a new one has been in the making since 2006. I’m not even a real baseball fan, and I think this is pretty sad. I don’t know much about baseball, the Yankees, or their stadium, but I do know that some of the best players (or at least most famous) came from that team and practiced in that stadium. I mean, the Yankees have won the most World Series (26) so seeing their home torn down is sad, whether you are a fan or not.
The Yankees stadium was home to players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and more. Ask anyone, baseball fan or not, and they will know who these guys played for and that they were greats of their time. It’s because of players like this that 40 Hall of Famers gathered to pay one last tribute to the famous house and its history. Among these living legends to attend were Hank Aaron, Dick Williams, Phil Niekro, Don Sutton, Harmon Killebrew, Ryne Sandberg, Rod Carew, Ralph Kiner, Paul Molitor, Joe Morgan, and Tony Perez. You know when there is gathering with a crowd like this that something monumental is happening.
Players have always said that in Yankee Stadium something unpredictable always happens, and it did! Ironically, the All-Star game played last night was the longest running All-Star game in MLB history, going for 4 hours and 50 minutes. It also tied for most frames played at 15 total innings. Amazing! Its like the stadium knew that this was its last big event, and so it prolonged the game to preserve a moment in history. Fans were probably loving life, as it was one of the best shows that the Major Leagues has put on for a crowd.
Last night was the first time that a ballpark hosted an All-Star Game in its final year and the eighth All-Star Game to be held in New York. The opening of the new stadium should be seen as a step forward towards a new generation, a new era, of greatness for the Yankees. Some people might be saying ‘all good things must come to an end’ but I think this is just a new beginning. I’m just upset that I will probably never get a chance to visit old Yankee Stadium.
Here’s what the new stadium will look like:
