Yankee Stadium — THE Yankee Stadium — played its last game yesterday after a stellar 85-year run that now leaves “The House that Ruth Built” to fall into demolition rubble.


How does something like this happen where history and merit are tossed in the trash bin as worthless and aged while the “bigger is better” and “newer is neater” mantras push the agenda of America’s national pastime? 

There can never be another “House that Ruth Built” and so the greatest heroes of that stadium remain in the ghostly mist that gave context to their greatness.

The rest of us are left to mourn the memory of a stadium that could have been saved if the wretched Steinbrenner family had the guts to invest in history in the same way they obnoxiously dump money into the temporary stardom of their ancient players.

Not only are the Steinbrenners to blame, but so is Major League Baseball and the City and State of New York.  Why did they choose new skybox suites over the integrity of the where the Yankees play ball?

Money may be everything, but it cannot make history.  Changing the moral character of a city in situ breaks the spirit and the intention of its people, and we must not blindly abide change for the sake of change.  

They can build a whole new “Yankee Stadium” — but it will never be the real Yankee stadium — because that stadium, even shining from its grave, will be more alive and cheering than any shallow replacement.

11 Comments

  1. ANNE – I live and teach on the upper West Coast of the United States. My interests are Philosophy, English, and Social Communication.
    ANNE says:

    Baseball is all about money now, david. There used to be love of the game when seats were a nickel. I read in the paper many Yankee fans won’t even be able to afford to buy a ticket in the new stadium.

  2. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    The Yankees were always about being the best, Anne, not being the most elite. They are dumping their entire history for a whole new ballpark. It amazes me the players don’t want to stay even if the old stadium is stinky and aging.

  3. ANNE – I live and teach on the upper West Coast of the United States. My interests are Philosophy, English, and Social Communication.
    ANNE says:

    Players don’t care about history anymore. They only want a paycheck. And break the old records. No connection, David. Zero.

  4. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    The great thing about baseball is the history of it, Anne! I agree that today nobody seems to give a heck about anything older than last week. Only now matters. Only future hope is important enough to remember.

  5. Janna Sweenie – East Coast – Janna teaches -- and tutors online -- American Sign Language! She also writes ASL books! She works for the Great State of New York. Janna enjoys writing for the Boles Blogs Network every chance she gets! She is also a live streamer on Boles.tv and a founder of the ASL Opera interpreting project!
    Janna M. Sweenie says:

    I’m a Mets fan, but this makes me sad. Watching Seinfeld will never be same again.

  6. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    Well, the Mets are losing there stadium too, Janna. I guess that’s the new way of the baseball world: Old is out and new is now. You’re right that Seinfeld celebrates the old ballfield. Good memories there.

  7. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    Here’s the link to the Shea Stadium demolition:
    http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25631715/

  8. Janna Sweenie – East Coast – Janna teaches -- and tutors online -- American Sign Language! She also writes ASL books! She works for the Great State of New York. Janna enjoys writing for the Boles Blogs Network every chance she gets! She is also a live streamer on Boles.tv and a founder of the ASL Opera interpreting project!
    Janna M. Sweenie says:

    Poor Mets. Better luck in the new stadium, maybe.

  9. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    It will be interesting to see how well the Mets do next year. If their new stadium is open, it might just give them the boost they need.

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