NEW YORK (AP) — Roy White remembered when he got called up to the major leagues in 1965 and walked out to Yankee Stadium’s 463-foot sign, to the left of the monuments.
“It was like three blocks away. You needed two relays to get it back to the infield,” the former All-Star outfielder said.
The original stadium opened April 18, 1923, with Babe Ruth hitting the first home run in a 4-1 win over Boston before 74,200, at the time called the largest crowd to see a baseball game.
“Ruth’s circuit,” The Associated Press wrote, “added the one touch needed to complete the most picturesque drama in diamond annals.”
The original stadium will be celebrated before Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels at the modern version across 161st St. that replaced it in 2009.
Eleven no-hitters were pitched at the original stadium, including three perfect games. At the time of its closing, it hosted 100 of 601 World Series games. The black-and-white images of memorable moments are still seen, the feats of Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra marveled at along with the more modern color video of Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.
Yankee Stadium was built at a cost of $2.5 million, astronomical then but the salary of a backup middle infielder these days. Even after a 1974-75 renovation eliminated obstructed seats but caused the loss of many original elements, a game there remained an aspiration for many players and fans.
“A lot of people there, a lot of energy. They make their presence known, they don’t sit on their hands,” former right fielder Dave Winfield said. “If you played there and you played for that team and you played for the pinstripes and played for New York City, that you were part of a long tradition. High expectations.”
Built on land purchased from the William Waldorf Astor estate for $675,000, the ballpark was designed by Osborn Engineering and took just 284 working days to construct. The…
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