May 22, 1922: Yankees Begin Construction on the 'House that Ruth Built'

[Tock Ada Shot]

From nationalpastime.com:

May 22, 1922 "The Yankees, the Giants' tenants in the Polo Grounds since 1913, begin construction on their ballpark in the Bronx. The stadium will become known as the 'House that Ruth Built,' acknowledging the Babe's popularity and influence."
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This Day in Yankees History: Yankee Stadium begins construction
https://www.pinstripealley.com/2020/...ens-tommy-john
Excerpts from the www.pinstripealley.com article:

"The Yankees began construction of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, which would earn the famous moniker ‘The House that Ruth Built’ in a nod to Babe Ruth’s status as a legend in his own time."

"The Yankees had shared the Polo Grounds with the Giants since 1913, until the rival New York team evicted the highly popular Bombers in the hopes they would relocate to a distant borough. Instead, they constructed their new ballpark just a mile from the Polo Grounds."

"Their new home paid immediate dividends. The Yankees beat the Giants in the World Series in 1923, the first of 26 championship seasons the stadium would host before the new Yankee Stadium was erected ahead of the 2009 campaign."
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Rare Blueprints Show How an Iconic Baseball Stadium Evolved
https://www.insidehook.com/article/h...iums-evolution
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Old Yankee Stadium – 1923
https://baseballinstadiums.com/histo...ankee-stadium/
Excerpt from the baseballinstadiums.com article:

"Home to the New York Yankees from 1923 to 2008, the original Yankee Stadium remained the city’s most famous sports symbol until its demolition. Often eulogized as the “the Cathedral of Baseball,” the stadium stood as a testimony to the Yankees’ scripting MLB records and becoming the most successful professional sports team. Yankees moved to the adjacent new stadium when the 2009 season began, and the 1923 stadium underwent demolition. The former Yankee Stadium site now is home to a public park named Heritage Field, a fitting remembrance of its MLB legacy after demolition."
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( NOTE: THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE HAS SOME REALLY NICE PHOTOS OF OLD YANKEE STADIUM )
The Original Yankee Stadium – Photographs and Memories
https://stuffnobodycaresabout.com/20...ankee-stadium/
Excerpts from the stuffnobodycaresabout.com article:

"I visited the new Yankee Stadium once in 2009 when it first opened. The feeling was a bit surreal. It was like being in Yankee Stadium, but it wasn’t. The main difference for me was the surrounding neighborhood and looking out past the right-center field bleachers and not seeing the apartment buildings and the Bronx County Court House."

"The new Yankee Stadium is a glorified mall."

"The old Yankee Stadium that existed from 1923 – 1973 was where the storied history of the Yankees took place. Even after the renovation of Yankee Stadium from 1974-1975 which included taking out the old wooden seats and the removal of the beams that could block your view from many of those seats, the stadium still retained some of the old charm, even though it lost a bit of its character. From 1976 -2008 the Yankees played in the same spot where Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Red Ruffing, Hank Bauer, Whitey Ford Joe DiMaggio and Bill Dickey saw action."

"Here are some vintage photos of the original Yankee Stadium with some notes and memories. (Click on any photo to enlarge and click again in some cases to get a high resolution view)"

( NOTE: The following included photo from this article is one of my forever favorites. )
Baseball-Yankee-Stadium-Polo-Grounds-Aerial.jpg

"In the foreground is Yankee Stadium and in the background across the Harlem River is the Polo Grounds. The Giants abandoned New York, and the Polo Grounds, leaving for San Francisco following the 1957 season. After four seasons with no baseball, the expansion New York Mets played in the Polo Grounds for their first two seasons in 1962 and 1963, before moving to their own ballpark in Flushing, Queens – Shea Stadium. The Polo Grounds were torn down in 1964. The site is now a housing project."

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Baseball says goodbye as Yankee Stadium retired
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-b...50865620080922
Excerpts from the www.reuters.com article:

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - Baseball said goodbye to Yankee Stadium on Sunday, ending 85 years at America’s most storied sports venue with a celebration of its past and a postgame salute that players and fans didn’t want to leave."

"The New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-3 in what was practically an inconsequential game, but a sellout crowd electrified “The House That Ruth Built.”

"The team will play next season in a $1.3 billion Yankee Stadium nearing completion across the street."

"The Yankees won all 26 of their World Series championships since the stadium opened in 1923, and the venue has hosted Masses celebrated by three popes, great boxing matches, and a rally for Nelson Mandela shortly after his release from prison."

"Fans stood throughout the final inning, which concluded when Yankees relief star Mariano Rivera got Brian Roberts of the Orioles to ground out to first baseman Cody Ransom."

"Players greeted fans who lingered after the game was over, and athletes from both teams scooped up dirt from the infield as souvenirs."
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Yankee Stadium 1923-2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR3T9wyLqyc

Yankee Stadium: Cathedral of Baseball 2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV7XnosmyaU

Yankee Stadium Renovation 1974-75
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPwsl8YtxqQ

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Related nyyfansforum articles:

April 18, 1923: Opening Of The Original Yankee Stadium
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...yankee-stadium

May 19, 1929: Yankee Stadium Bleacher Stampede Deaths During Violent Storm
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...-violent-storm

June 3, 1937: Josh Gibson HR Hits 2 Feet From Top of Yankee Stadium CF Bleachers Wall
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...bleachers-wall

AUGUST 11, 1973- The last Old Timers Day at the original Yankee Stadium.
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...yankee-stadium

Rare Home Film of Yankee Stadium Renovation in 1974-75
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...ion-in-1974-75

April 15th, 1976 Yankee Stadium Reopens
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...tadium-reopens

April 13, 1998: Yankee Stadium 500-Pound Concrete and Steel Beam Falls
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...eel-beam-falls

September 21, 2008: Last Game Played At 85-Year-Old Yankee Stadium
https://nyyfansforum.sny.tv/forum/fo...yankee-stadium

[HelloNewman]

Built by the White Construction Co. on the site of an abandoned lumberyard, I believe. Slogan: "Let White build it of CONCRETE"

I guess concrete was considered a big deal back then.

[ymike673]

The original reason the Giants wanted to evict the Yankees from the Polo Grounds had nothing to do with Babe Ruth. Before the 1919 season Sunday baseball was legalized in NYC. The Sunday games were the most highly attended games. Now over in Brooklyn the Dodgers were able to schedule as many Sunday games as possible. So if they had a weekend series at Boston or Philadelphia, where Sunday ball was still not alowed they would return to Brooklyn to play those team at Ebbetts Field on Sunday. But the Giants shared their park with the Yankees so the teams split the Sunday dates. The Giants did not like this and told the Yankees after 1919 that they better find a new place to play. Ironically after Yankees Stadium opened because of the closeness of the parks both teams were never home on the same weekend so they still ended up splitting the Sunday dates evenly.

[HelloNewman]

The original reason the Giants wanted to evict the Yankees from the Polo Grounds had nothing to do with Babe Ruth. Before the 1919 season Sunday baseball was legalized in NYC. The Sunday games were the most highly attended games. Now over in Brooklyn the Dodgers were able to schedule as many Sunday games as possible. So if they had a weekend series at Boston or Philadelphia, where Sunday ball was still not alowed they would return to Brooklyn to play those team at Ebbetts Field on Sunday. But the Giants shared their park with the Yankees so the teams split the Sunday dates. The Giants did not like this and told the Yankees after 1919 that they better find a new place to play. Ironically after Yankees Stadium opened because of the closeness of the parks both teams were never home on the same weekend so they still ended up splitting the Sunday dates evenly.

Interesting, thanks. It raises a few questions in my mind:

1) Why did the Giants give the Yankees a 3-year grace period? Building a ballpark wasn't necessarily a multiyear project then as it is now, especially in those days when unions weren't as powerful.
2) Why then did the Yankees choose the current site? The popular story has always been that Ruppert was chapped at getting kicked out of the Polo Grounds and wanted Giants execs/staffers to be able to see the crowds coming to see Ruth from across the river. But Ruppert had to be aware of the value of Sunday baseball if he was being kicked out over it, why not find a site that would allow both Giants and Yankees to be home on Sunday?

[ymike673]

Interesting, thanks. It raises a few questions in my mind:

1) Why did the Giants give the Yankees a 3-year grace period? Building a ballpark wasn't necessarily a multiyear project then as it is now, especially in those days when unions weren't as powerful.
2) Why then did the Yankees choose the current site? The popular story has always been that Ruppert was chapped at getting kicked out of the Polo Grounds and wanted Giants execs/staffers to be able to see the crowds coming to see Ruth from across the river. But Ruppert had to be aware of the value of Sunday baseball if he was being kicked out over it, why not find a site that would allow both Giants and Yankees to be home on Sunday?

Actually the Yankees considered several sites for their new park but something always happened to stop them. They were very close to building the park on the site of an orphans home somewhere around 103rd st and 5th Ave but at the 11th hour the owners of that property backed out of the deal. Another site in Queens near the 59th st bridge was also considered. The site across the river was actually more of a last resort. As for why the Giants gave the Yankees 3 years to move it was more of an open ended thing. The Giants did not want to look bad by forcing the Yankees out before their new park was ready. They were still collecting rent from Ruppert and since they knew he was trying to find a site for the park they were going to give him time to build it.

[HelloNewman]

Actually the Yankees considered several sites for their new park but something always happened to stop them. They were very close to building the park on the site of an orphans home somewhere around 103rd st and 5th Ave but at the 11th hour the owners of that property backed out of the deal. Another site in Queens near the 59th st bridge was also considered. The site across the river was actually more of a last resort. As for why the Giants gave the Yankees 3 years to move it was more of an open ended thing. The Giants did not want to look bad by forcing the Yankees out before their new park was ready. They were still collecting rent from Ruppert and since they knew he was trying to find a site for the park they were going to give him time to build it.

Interesting, that 5th Avenue site would have been the second failed attempt to build a ballpark on or near 5th. The Newark team of the Federal League had planned to move into Manhattan if the league had prospered and were looking at a site near where 5th ends (or I guess, today we would say begins) at the Harlem River (it's a park/playground today).

[ymike673]

Interesting, that 5th Avenue site would have been the second failed attempt to build a ballpark on or near 5th. The Newark team of the Federal League had planned to move into Manhattan if the league had prospered and were looking at a site near where 5th ends (or I guess, today we would say begins) at the Harlem River (it's a park/playground today).

What's more interesting is where the Yankees might have played before Ruppert bought the team. When the team moved to the Polo Grounds for the 1913 season it was only supposed to be for 1 or 2 seasons. The originally owners announced that their new park would be built just across the river near the 225th st IRT subway station. There was even going to be a physical connection to the station from the park. There was a news article that announced this. The land was acquired but there was a problem with a creek that ran through the site. It held up the construction and the plan was eventually dropped. Than Ruppert bought the team.

[HelloNewman]

What's more interesting is where the Yankees might have played before Ruppert bought the team. When the team moved to the Polo Grounds for the 1913 season it was only supposed to be for 1 or 2 seasons. The originally owners announced that their new park would be built just across the river near the 225th st IRT subway station. There was even going to be a physical connection to the station from the park. There was a news article that announced this. The land was acquired but there was a problem with a creek that ran through the site. It held up the construction and the plan was eventually dropped. Than Ruppert bought the team.

Are we talking about the Marble Hill area? Kind of a remote location for those days?

[ymike673]

Are we talking about the Marble Hill area? Kind of a remote location for those days?

Yes, Marble Hill. But not really that remote. Located right next to the elevated subway station and several trolley lines. Also a railroad station nearby. Probably less remote than Hilltop Park was when that park originally opened in 1903.

[Tock Ada Shot]

Are we talking about the Marble Hill area? Kind of a remote location for those days?

Thank you for your additions. Absolutely intriguing.

[Tock Ada Shot]

Yes, Marble Hill. But not really that remote. Located right next to the elevated subway station and several trolley lines. Also a railroad station nearby. Probably less remote than Hilltop Park was when that park originally opened in 1903.

Thank you for your additions. Absolutely enjoyable to read and save.