Yankees Begin Tight Rope Walk

No, I'm not talking about the AL East. I'm talking about the Yankees' status as one of baseballs elite teams, anchored by their legendary ballpark. A legendary ballpark that will soon be losing its "living legend" status.

The New York Yankees today officially broke ground on the new Yankee Stadium -- the house that George built.

Via Yankees.com:

The new Yankee Stadium will open in 2009, replacing the third-oldest stadium in the Major Leagues. Yankee Stadium has held up for 84 years, surpassed only by Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.

"This new stadium will present new comforts, new features and be state-of-the-art in every way," Yankees president Randy Levine said. "It will be the most spectacular fan-friendly stadium ever built."

A large artist's rendering behind the speakers showcased the $800 million stadium's majesty. Detailed pictures showed how modern the ballpark will be.

...The new Yankee Stadium will seat fewer than the current stadium, but it will have 60 luxury suites, including three outdoor suites and eight party suites. It will have many restaurants, larger concourses and entertainment areas.

But the Yankees will also carry over some of the time-honored traditions of their current stadium. The field dimensions will be the same, and Monument Park will be transferred to the new park.

The design will even go further back to recreate some of the original park's features. It will have the tall cathedral windows, auxiliary outfield scoreboards, a right-field Yankees bullpen and a frieze on the roof, which is commonly known as the façade and was a feature of the original stadium.

...Along with the $800 million the Yankees have fronted, the city and state are pitching in more than $200 million to build recreational parks along the waterfront and other facilities around the ballpark.

A hotel, convention center and $45 million Yankee Stadium Metro-North Station are also in the plans. Four new parking garages will be built, creating approximately 10,000 vehicle spaces.

[Mayor] Bloomberg said that the stadium's construction will create 6,500 jobs during the next four years and up to 1,000 permanent jobs. The city will spend $1 million in training Bronx residents for the construction.

The plan appears grand, and if they can recapture the look and feel of Yankee stadium in the days of Ruth while adding in high def video boards and expanded concourses, it could very well be a tremendous success. But...there is always the chance that it won't be.

The Red Sox, Yankees and Cubs are some of baseballs most-hyped teams, and a great deal of that can be attributed to their ballparks. So for those of us who have asked what would the Cubs be without Wrigley Field we are about to get an idea.

What are the Yankees when they no longer play on the same surface as Ruth, Gehrig and Mantle? Do they simply become a highly paid team, with a strong W/L record? Or does the legend, the aura, the Yankee pride make the move? Sure, all the trappings of the team and its personnel are moving, but can you surpass/recreate the Yankee experience?

2009 will be interesting.