November 10, 2008 [LINK / comment]
Yankee Stadium II photos
I have added several photos taken during my recent visit to New York to the Yankee Stadium II page. I have seen some recent photos showing that they have installed the grass sod, one of the final steps as construction nears completion. As noted on that page, the diagram on that page is woefully inadequate, and revisions are pending.
Meanwhile, in hopes of hanging on to the ancient championship "mojo," perhaps, the Yankees are moving some of the dirt from old Yankee Stadium into new Yankee Stadium. Former Yankee star Paul O'Neill joined a bunch of kids with shovels and wheelbarrows hauling the sacred ground across the street. See MLB.com.
One thing I don't much care for in the new Bronx stadium are the huge "YANKEE STADIUM" letters on top of the roof. They already have the gilded "YANKEE STADIUM" letters above each of the three main entrances, and it just seems like overkill.
The mail bag
Even though the economic crisis has caused a postponement of a decision to provide public funds for a new baseball stadium in Miami, the Florida Marlins are moving ahead with their design work. According to the Florida Sun-Sentinel, team owner Jeffrey Loria wants the new stadium to have some special feature (yet unspecified) and to be pitcher-friendly with a deep "Bermuda Triangle" area, like Dolphin Stadium; hat tip to Mike Zurawski.
Mike also informed me that the Red Sox are adding more seats on top of the roof near the right field corner in Fenway Park. After next year, the renovations should be essentially completed. See MLB.com. The Red Sox want to host the 2012 All-Star Game to mark the centennial of Fenway Park, but they just hosted in in 1999, and other ballparks have been "waiting in line."