Yankee Stadium Facts and History

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Tenant: New York Yankees

Opened: April 18, 1923

Closed: September 30, 1973

Reopened: April 15, 1976

First night game: May 28, 1946

Current capacity: Approximately 58,000

Owner: New York Yankees (1923-1971); City of New York (since 1971)

Cost: $2.5 million (1923); renovation: $48 million, but some estimate the actual cost with debt service at over $160 million (1976).

Location: Left field (NE), East 161st Street; third base (NW), Doughly Street, later Ruppert Place; home plate (W), Major Degan Expressway/Interstate 87 and Harlem River; first base (SW), East 157th Street; right field (SE), River Avenue and IRT elevated tracks; in the southwest Bronx.

The Field

Surface: Merion Bluegrass

Field dimensions: Left field: 318 feet; left-center: 399 feet; center field: 408 feet; right-center: 385 feet; right field: 314 feet.

Left-center field monuments and plaques:
Yankee Stadium (pre-renovation): monuments in fair territory: Lou Gehrig on the left, Miller Huggins in the middle, Babe Ruth on the right.

Yankee Stadium (post-renovation): monuments beyond the fence same as before, plus the addition of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

Plaques beyond the fence of Ed Barrow, Jacob Ruppert, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy, Pope Paul VI, Thurman Munson, Pope John Paul II, Billy Martin, Whitey Ford, Lefty Gomez, Roger Maris, Allie Reynolds, Elston Howard, Phil Rizzuto, Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, and Don Mattingly.

Other noteworthy events held at Yankee Stadium

June 22, 1938: Heavyweight champion Joe Louis knocks out former champ Max Schmeling in the first round

November 12, 1928: With Notre Dame and Army locked in a scoreless game at halftime, Notre Dame football legend Knute Rockne makes his famous "win one for the Gipper" speech and the Fighting Irish go on to beat the Cadets, 12-6.

December 28, 1958: The New York Giants football team plays what is widely recognized as "the greatest game ever played." With the NFL championship at stake, a crowd of 64,185 watch the Baltimore Colts tie the game 17-17 on a Steve Myrha field goal with seven seconds left. Eight minutes into professional football's first-ever "sudden-death" overtime period, the Colts' Alan Ameche crashes through from the one yard line, ending a contest that would help establish pro football as a major sport.

October 4, 1965: With the Yankees out of the World Series for only the third time in 17 years, the Stadium hosted the first visit to North America by a Pope, as Paul VI celebrated mass before a crowd in excess of 80,000.

April 1977: "Disco" Dan Ford of the Minnesota Twins hits the 1st homerun in the "new " Yankee Stadium.

• Know other fun facts about Yankee Stadium or have great gameday photos to share? Click EasyEdit to add 'em to this page.

• What do you love about games at Yankee Stadium? Share your stadium memories with other fans.