Yankee Stadium - Home of Those Damn Yankees

When thinking of New York it is almost impossible not think of great landmarks.  The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and, for baseball fans, the fabled Yankee Stadium at East 161st St and River Avenue in the Bronx.  The stadium was completed in 1923 and immediately won the title of the highest capacity stadium in the country, all at a total reported cost of 2.5 million.  

It is amusing to consider that Yankee Stadium was built both where it is and at such immense proportions out of necessity, ego and spite towards the Yankees' rival team, the New York Giants.  Since 1915, the Yankees played their home games at The Polo Grounds stadium, home of the NY Giants.  However, when Babe Ruth was signed to the NY Yankees in 1920 and the team became a sensation, the Giants’ owners started to resent the Yankees playing in their stadium.  They actually threatened to evict them, creating the incentive for the Yankees to find another place to play.  

After much consideration of various locations, the Yankee owners ultimately selected a lumberyard, at no coincidence, directly across the Harlem River in full view of the Polo Grounds. The new stadium was completed in 1923 and was dubbed the “The House That Ruth Built,” since it was Babe Ruth that created the popularity and ticket revenue for the Yankees.  From that day forward, Yankee Stadium would be the proverbial thorn in the side of the NY Giants, as it also began to siphon booking revenue away from the Polo Grounds for major rock concerts, soccer games, professional football and boxing events as a result of its superior venue.