Yankee Stadium (1923)

==Legacy, traditions and mainstays==

===Bob Sheppard===
From 1951 through 2007, [[Bob Sheppard]] was the public address announcer at Yankee Stadium. His distinctive voice (Yankee legend [[Reggie Jackson]] has called him "the Voice of God") and the way he announced players for over half a century made him a part of the lore of the stadium and the team. Before a player's first at-bat of the game, Sheppard announced his position, his uniform number, his name, and his uniform number again. Example: "Now batting for the Yankees, the shortstop, number 2, Derek Jeter, Number 2." For each following at-bat, Sheppard announced just the position and name: "The shortstop, Derek Jeter." Due to health reasons, 96-year-old Sheppard announced his last game on September 5, 2007.<ref>[http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=nyy&m=9&y=2007 Yankees 2007 Schedule] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527021109/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=nyy&m=9&y=2007 |date=May 27, 2008 }} Retrieved July 20, 2010.</ref> He did sign a new two-year contract with the Yankees in March 2008 but lacked the strength necessary to do the job and missed the entire 2008 season,<ref name="nyt-2010-07-11">{{cite news |title=Bob Sheppard, Voice of the Yankees, Dies at 99|first=Richard|last=Goldstein|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/sports/baseball/12sheppard.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 11, 2010|access-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref> including the [[2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2008 All-Star Game]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Bob Sheppard Not Able to Be at All-Star Game|first=Steve|last=Politi|url=http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2008/07/bob_sheppard_not_able_to_be_at.html|newspaper=[[The Star-Ledger]]|location=Newark|date=July 9, 2008|access-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref> which was played at Yankee Stadium. He could not announce the final game at the old stadium in September 2008, but recorded a video address that was played during the pregame ceremonies and also recorded the lineups for the game. He officially announced his retirement after the 2009 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sheppard Gives Thanks for Place in History|first=Bryan|last=Hoch|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091125&content_id=7717078&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|publisher=[[Major League Baseball Advanced Media]]|date=November 26, 2009|access-date=July 27, 2010|archive-date=November 29, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129124400/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091125&content_id=7717078&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sheppard died in July 2010.<ref name="nyt-2010-07-11"/>

===Hammond Organ===
The [[Hammond Organ]] was installed at Yankee Stadium in 1967 and was primarily played by [[Eddie Layton]] from its introduction until his retirement after the 2003 season. The playing of the organ has added to the character of the stadium for many years, playing before games, introducing players, during the national anthem and the rendition of "[[Take me out to the ball game]]" during the [[seventh-inning stretch]]. After Layton's retirement, he got to pick his replacement, Paul Cartier.<ref>[http://ultimateyankees.com/eddielaytonbiography.htm Yankee Player Photo Template] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831132352/http://www.ultimateyankees.com/eddielaytonbiography.htm |date=August 31, 2006 }}</ref> In recent years, the use of the organ has been decreased in favor of recorded music between innings and introducing players. Since the 2004 season, the national anthem has rarely been performed by the organists, opting for military recordings of the Star Spangled Banner. In 2005, a new Hammond Elegante was installed replacing the original Hammond Colonnade.

===Music===
One of the most famous traditions for Yankee Stadium was playing [[Frank Sinatra]]'s version of the "[[Theme from New York, New York]]" over the loudspeakers after every home win, since 1980. Sinatra's version was played after Yankees wins, whereas [[Liza Minnelli]]'s was played after Yankee losses.

After the [[September 11 attacks]], all American Major League Baseball stadiums started playing "[[God Bless America]]" during the [[seventh-inning stretch]] for the remainder of the 2001 season. Many teams ceased this practice the following season, although it has continued in postseason events at many cities and become a tradition at Yankee Stadium alongside '"Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Usually, a recording of "God Bless America" by [[Kate Smith]] was played, although sometimes there was a live performance by Irish tenor [[Ronan Tynan]]. For part of the 2005 season, the Yankees used a recording of Tynan, but the Smith version was reinstated due to fan complaints about the long duration of the Tynan version. The tradition of playing Smith's version continued in the new stadium until April 2019, when accusations surfaced that some of her other songs contained racist lyrics. For the final game at Yankee Stadium, Tynan performed "God Bless America" live, including the rarely heard introduction to the song (which Tynan included every time he performed the song at a Yankees game). Currently, "God Bless America" is played on the organ at the new stadium during the seventh-inning stretch.

When the Yankees scored a run, a version of the [[Westminster chime]] played as the last player to score in the at-bat gets to home plate. The version of the chime is the beginning of "Workaholic" by the music group [[2 Unlimited]]. When the Yankees' closer [[Mariano Rivera]] entered a game, he was accompanied by [[Metallica]]'s "[[Enter Sandman]]". Since {{wsy|1996}}, the Yankees' World Series championships were celebrated with the playing of [[Queen (band)|Queen]]'s "[[We Are the Champions]]" followed by Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York".

===Meeting at "the bat"===
[[File:TheSlugger.jpg|thumb|150px|The Louisville Slugger-shaped exhaust pipe]]
Outside the stadium's main entrance gate stands a {{convert|138|ft|m|adj=on}} tall exhaust pipe in the shape of a baseball bat, complete with tape at the handle that frays off at the end. It is sponsored by [[Hillerich & Bradsby]], makers of the famous [[Louisville Slugger]] line of baseball bats, which is specifically designed to look like a Babe Ruth model. As the most prominent feature on the stadium's exterior, recognizable even to first-time visitors, the bat was often used as a designated meeting spot for fans to meet their ticket holding friends before entering the stadium.

The "Bat" continues to stand outside the [[Yankees–East 153rd Street (Metro-North station)|Metro North Station]], built in 2009. A {{convert|450|foot|adj=on}} long pedestrian walkway and its staircase meet at the "bat".<ref>{{cite news |title=Metro-North to start service direct to Yankee Stadium |url=http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/04/03/news/a1-yankeestation.txt |newspaper=New Haven Register |date=April 3, 2009 |access-date=July 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926133727/http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/04/03/news/a1-yankeestation.txt |archive-date=September 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

===Roll call===
{{main|Bleacher Creatures}}
Beginning in the 1990s and after the first pitch was thrown at the top of the first inning, the "[[Bleacher Creatures]]" in Section 39, usually led by a man nicknamed Bald Vinny, began chanting the names of every player in the defensive lineup (except the pitcher and catcher, with some rare exceptions), starting with the center fielder. They did not stop chanting the player's name until he acknowledged the Creatures (usually with a wave or a point), who then moved on to the next player. Other names called out during roll call from time to time have included Yankee broadcasters [[John Sterling (sportscaster)|John Sterling]] and [[Michael Kay (announcer)|Michael Kay]] or [[Aaron Boone]], [[Bucky Dent]] and Babe Ruth when the Yankees hosted the rival Boston Red Sox. Sometimes, after a long rain delay, the Creatures started another Roll Call for comedic effect. Often when a player was replaced in the field, their replacement was also welcomed with a chant. In 2008, center fielder [[Melky Cabrera]] booted a routine grounder while attempting to wave to the fans.