"Are Yankees courting their own curse?" amNY 04/24/06

Are Yankees courting their own curse?

BY JUSTIN ROCKET SILVERMAN
amNEWYORK STAFF WRITER

April 24, 2006

The house that Babe Ruth built by hitting balls out of the park now has a date with the wrecking ball, and demolition plans have set off a backlash that has little to do with the loss of parkland or increased traffic, and everything to do with nostalgia.

Having cleared all but a few financial and legal hurdles, the Yankees are planning to build a new stadium across the street from their 83-year-old home. The structure should be finished for the 2009 season, and the most tangible symbol of four generations of Yankees fans will be eradicated soon afterward.

"If there are baseball gods the Yankees will be punished for this," said Jim Bouton, a Yankees pitcher from 1962 to 1968. "The curse of Babe Ruth is going to come visiting on them, saying, 'You've paved over my hallowed ground for a few bucks.'"

Although a number of high-profile players such as Reggie Jackson have come out in favor of the new stadium, other players and baseball historians, not to mention fans, are talking as though the family dog is going to be put down.

"Nothing in athletics compares to Yankee Stadium," said Ron Blomberg, whose new book "Designated Hebrew" talks about his experience as a Jewish player for the Yankees from 1971 to 1976. "For me, it's the most nostalgic place in the whole world."

Nor is the enchantment of playing at Yankee Stadium lost on younger players like Alex Rodriguez.

"You're entrenched in the history of the franchise here," he said.

"[Playing here] is a great responsibility," he said in 2004 when Newsday asked him about playing in the stadium that carried the Yankees to 26 championships wins, and where Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio pranced in center field.

The team said it is unfeasible to rebuild or renovate the stadium on the current site. Some observers say a 1970s renovation stripped it of its architectural worth.

The New-York Historical Society is hosting a program on Yankee Stadium history this Thursday, and among the speakers is Bert Sugar, author of 10 books about baseball.

"Business-wise it makes sense to put up a new stadium," he said. "George Steinbrenner knows how to maximize profits … But imitations of any kind in life are not the same."

Still, Sugar predicted that fans will come to love the new stadium if the Yanks start winning championships. He said new stadiums have a way of bringing good luck to teams.

"Suppose they open a new stadium and start winning big. The old stadium will be in the rear view mirror before you know it."

Plans for the new stadium include restaurants and a Yankees museum that would be open on non-game days. The famous Monument Park that pays homage to Yankee greats will be moved over to the new stadium, and the original façade will be recreated. The dimensions and direction of the playing field are going to be the same.

"In the design there is a great respect for the history and tradition of the original stadium," said Alice McGillion, a spokesperson for the stadium project.

But for countless fans like Louis DiLullo, who edits Yankeetradition.com, any new stadium will always be second best.

"When you tear it down there will be no more Babe Ruth, no more Lou Gehrig. no more Joe DiMaggio," he said. "They can move all the stuff over to the new stadium, but when you're are sitting at Yankee Stadium now, you're sitting where Babe Ruth sat."