Yankee Stadium (1923)

===Replacement, closing, and demolition===
[[File:ALE-NYY-YankeeStadium.PNG|thumb|100px|left|Logo to commemorate the stadium's last season.]]
After years of speculation that the Yankees would build a new stadium to replace Yankee Stadium, construction began on August 16, 2006, with a groundbreaking ceremony across the street in [[Macombs Dam Park]]. The Yankees played their final two seasons in the stadium in [[2007 New York Yankees season|2007]] and [[2008 New York Yankees season|2008]] while the new venue was being built.

{{Multiple image|direction=vertical|align=right|image1=Yankee Stadium demolition.JPG|image2=Yankee Stadium 002.JPG|width=180|caption2=Demolition in February 2010 (top), and 3 months later, the remains of the original stadium (middle left) next to the new Yankee Stadium (middle right)}}
After the final game in the Stadium's history was played on September 21, 2008, public tours of Yankee Stadium continued until November 23, 2008. November 9, 2008 was the last day the public tours included Monument Park and the retired number area. On November 12, 2008, construction workers began removing memorials from Monument Park for relocation to the new facility.<ref>{{cite news |title=Monument of Babe Ruth Removed |first=Anthony |last=DiComo |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081112&content_id=3676342&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |publisher=MLB |date=November 12, 2008 |access-date=May 16, 2010}}</ref> On November 8, 2008, former Yankees [[Scott Brosius]], [[Paul O'Neill (baseball)|Paul O'Neill]], [[David Cone]] and [[Jeff Nelson (pitcher)|Jeff Nelson]], all members of the [[1998 World Series|1998 World Series championship team]], joined 60 children from two Bronx based youth groups Youth Force 2020 and the ACE Mentor Program in ceremoniously digging up [[home plate]], the [[pitcher's mound]] pitching plate (rubber) and the surrounding dirt of both areas and transporting them to comparable areas of new Yankee Stadium.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former Yanks Help Lay Dirt in Stadium |first=Anthony |last=DiComo |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081108&content_id=3671715&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |publisher=MLB |date=November 8, 2008 |access-date=May 16, 2010}}</ref>

An official closing ceremony was reportedly discussed to occur in November 2008, but was scrapped when the organization decided the final event should be a baseball game.<ref>{{cite news|title=Yankees Stadium Closing Ceremony Scrapped |url=http://www.1010wins.com/Yankees-Stadium-Closing-Ceremony-Scrapped/3102452 |work=1010 WINS |agency=Associated Press |date=October 8, 2008 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011030051/http://www.1010wins.com/Yankees-Stadium-Closing-Ceremony-Scrapped/3102452 |archive-date=October 11, 2008 }}</ref> Yankee officials said that while the team had contemplated a final ceremony (with any proceeds going to charity), talk of a concert was just media speculation.<ref>{{cite news |title=No Final Concert at Yankee Stadium |url=http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/86899/no-final-concert-at-yankee-stadium/ |work=NY1 |date=October 8, 2008 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929235150/http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/86899/no-final-concert-at-yankee-stadium/ |archive-date=September 29, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

The front office staff vacated the premises on January 23, 2009.<ref>{{cite news |title=Old Yankee Stadium Will Come Down Slowly |first=Anthony |last=Rieber |url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spystad0922,0,1036231.story |newspaper=Newsday |date=September 21, 2008 |access-date=September 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924232744/http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spystad0922,0,1036231.story |archive-date=September 24, 2008 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Demolition began in March 2009 with the removal of the playing field.<ref>{{cite news|title=Photo Gallery: Taking Off the Turf at Old Yankee Stadium |first=Tom |last=Kaminski |url=http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4029323.php?imageGalleryXRefId=987324 |work=WCBS Newsradio 880 |date=March 16, 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420140530/http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4029323.php?imageGalleryXRefId=987324 |archive-date=April 20, 2009 }}</ref> On May 13, 2009, the process of removing seats began and was completed on June 8.<ref>{{cite news |title=Photo Gallery: Yankee Stadium Seat Removal Begins |first=Tom |last=Kaminski |url=http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4396869.php |work=WCBS Newsradio 880 |date=May 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090517061010/http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4396869.php |archive-date=May 17, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Photo Gallery: Standing Room Only at Old Yankee Stadium |first=Tom |last=Kaminski |url=http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4572308.php |work=WCBS Newsradio 880 |date=June 8, 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803034006/http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/4572308.php |archive-date=August 3, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> On September 3 and 4, the iconic white facade was dismantled.<ref>{{cite news |title=Photo Gallery: Yankee Stadium Facade Removal |first=Tom |last=Kaminski |url=http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/5143336.php |work=WCBS Newsradio 880 |date=September 3, 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731084055/http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/5143336.php |archive-date=July 31, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Photo Gallery: Yankee Stadium Facade Removal |first=Tom |last=Kaminski |url=http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/5152211.php |work=WCBS Newsradio 880 |date=September 4, 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100802001424/http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/5152211.php |archive-date=August 2, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

[[File:Yankee Stadium and Heritage Field, September 2012.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Heritage Field in 2012, with the new Yankee Stadium in background]]
On November 4, 2009, construction workers began tearing down the outfield bleachers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Old Yankee Stadium's rise and fall: Complete story of 'The House that Ruth Built' 100 years after its opening |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/old-yankee-stadiums-rise-and-fall-complete-story-of-the-house-that-ruth-built-100-years-after-its-opening/ |website=CBSSports.com |access-date=16 November 2023 |language=en |date=18 April 2023}}</ref> On November 12, demolition work began on the field level grandstand.<ref>{{cite news|title=Photo Gallery: Yankee Stadium Destruction Update |first=Tom |last=Kaminski |url=http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/5668694.php?imageGalleryXRefId=1512624#imgXR |work=WCBS Newsradio 880 |date=November 12, 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091119080413/http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/5668694.php?imageGalleryXRefId=1512624 |archive-date=November 19, 2009 }}</ref> By the end of November, most of the grandstand and bleachers at field level were gone.<ref>{{cite news |title=Photo Gallery: Yankee Stadium Destruction Update |first=Tom |last=Kaminski |url=http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/5780484.php |work=WCBS Newsradio 880 |date=November 30, 2009 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803043752/http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/5780484.php |archive-date=August 3, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> By the first week of December, demolition of the midlevel loge seats had begun.<ref name="stadiumpage">{{cite web|url=http://www.stadiumpage.com/stpages/yankee_demo120309.html|title=Yankee Stadium Demolition – 12/03/09|publisher=stadiumpage.com|access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref><ref name="stadiumpage2">{{cite web|url=http://www.stadiumpage.com/stpages/yankee_demo120409.html|title=Yankee Stadium Demolition – 12/04/09|publisher=stadiumpage.com|access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref> By January 2010, the loge level was gone and demolition began on the left field escalator bank adjacent to Gate 2. In February 2010, demolition work began on the upper deck and the outfield wall; the final part of the outfield wall (the Continental Airlines ad, the out-of-town scoreboard and the remaining part of the advertising panel to its right) was taken down February 24, 2010.<ref>{{cite news|title=Photos: Yankee Stadium Destruction Update |first=Tom |last=Kaminski |url=http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/6380901.php?imageGalleryXRefId=1697078#imgXR |work=WCBS Newsradio 880 |date=February 17, 2010 |access-date=May 16, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> By March 25, the entire upper deck was taken down.

Following an unsuccessful attempt to save Gate 2 (the only portion of the original Yankee Stadium that mostly remained unaltered after the venue's renovation), demolition of the outer walls of the stadium began on March 29. Demolition of the original Yankee Stadium was completed on May 13, 2010.<ref>{{cite news |title=Photos: All Structures Gone at Site of Old Yankee Stadium |first=Tom |last=Kaminski |url=http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/7049159.php |work=WCBS Newsradio 880 |date=May 13, 2010 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516214438/http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/7049159.php |archive-date=May 16, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="nationalgeographic">{{cite web|url=http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/150403-yankee-stadium-demolition-vin|title=See Yankee Stadium Vanish in 30 Seconds|date=April 4, 2015|publisher=video.nationalgeographic.com|access-date=September 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906060024/http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/150403-yankee-stadium-demolition-vin|archive-date=September 6, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A {{convert|10|acre|m2|adj=on}} park complex called Heritage Field was constructed on the old stadium site, accounting for 40% of the original parkland that is now occupied by the new Stadium.<ref name="nycgovparks.org"/> The groundbreaking ceremony for Heritage Field took place on June 29, 2010.<ref>{{cite news |title=Groundbreaking Held For Field At Original Yankee Stadium |url=http://bronx.ny1.com/content/top_stories/121262/groundbreaking-held-for-field-at-original-yankee-stadium |work=NY1 |date=June 29, 2010 |access-date=June 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714220130/http://bronx.ny1.com/content/top_stories/121262/groundbreaking-held-for-field-at-original-yankee-stadium |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Heritage Field was officially opened in April 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Public Park to Rival the Yankees' Playground |first=Winnie |last=Hu |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/nyregion/heritage-field-opens-near-yankee-stadium.html |work=The New York Times |date=April 5, 2012 |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> At its opening, a blue outline showing the location of the original Yankee Stadium diamond was interwoven into the grass, showing that second base on the new field is at the approximate location of home plate of the original diamond.<ref>{{cite news|title=Yankee Stadium Opening Day 2012 – Photo Galleries |url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/photo-galleries/2012/04/13/yankee-stadium-opening-day-2012/#photo-415414 |work=CBS New York |date=April 13, 2012 |access-date=April 9, 2013}}</ref>