Some Classic Yankee Stadium Views
I've been waiting to put up my shots of the classic Yankee Stadium -- prior to the 1974-'75 renovation. Now, with this final season winding down, and little indication we'll have a post-season, it's time to post my photos. It's August 9th, 1972.
I've always loved how your view of the field emerges as you come out of a dark walkway or ramp -- especially on the field level, with the two upper decks shading your panorama. Then, the perfect green grass, the expansive stands and the massive (for its time) scoreboard.
The new-in-'09 stadium will return to the original design in which a decorative frieze regally tops the ballpark like a crown. Here's how the original looked.
1972, the Yankees of Murcer, White and Stottlemyre. Ralph Houk was the manager. Lee MacPhail the GM. Mike Burke ran the business as a division of CBS. No free agency, tickets five dollars and under, and the Yankees just a middle-of-the-pack team in the AL East.
Yes, we've frozen a moment in time. A year later, George Steinbrenner would lead a new ownership group determined to shake things up. Two years later, the Yanks would call Shea Stadium their temporary home. Four years later, back in the Bronx, a thrilling homecoming season would be capped by Chris Chambliss' pennant-winning home run. The term "walk-off" hadn't been invented. So this is our final look at a quieter time, a more modest business and view of the Stadium us baby boomers remember fondly.
I've always loved how your view of the field emerges as you come out of a dark walkway or ramp -- especially on the field level, with the two upper decks shading your panorama. Then, the perfect green grass, the expansive stands and the massive (for its time) scoreboard.
The new-in-'09 stadium will return to the original design in which a decorative frieze regally tops the ballpark like a crown. Here's how the original looked.
1972, the Yankees of Murcer, White and Stottlemyre. Ralph Houk was the manager. Lee MacPhail the GM. Mike Burke ran the business as a division of CBS. No free agency, tickets five dollars and under, and the Yankees just a middle-of-the-pack team in the AL East.
Yes, we've frozen a moment in time. A year later, George Steinbrenner would lead a new ownership group determined to shake things up. Two years later, the Yanks would call Shea Stadium their temporary home. Four years later, back in the Bronx, a thrilling homecoming season would be capped by Chris Chambliss' pennant-winning home run. The term "walk-off" hadn't been invented. So this is our final look at a quieter time, a more modest business and view of the Stadium us baby boomers remember fondly.
Comments
Also, this was a DH in August of 1972. The Yanks were just 2 games out of 1st and there was quite a buzz at the time. The night after this game, the Yanks beat Billy's Tigers 1-0, Sparky Lyle struck out Ike Brown with the bases loaded in front of 40,000. Was perhaps the highlight of the early 1970's Yankees, which were few.