April 20, 2009

New NY stadiums roomier, in both good and bad ways

Some more reactions of late to the new New York Mets and Yankees stadiums:

The New York Times' Bats blog worries that "Let's Go Mets!" chants sound weaker in the new, smaller-capacity but physically larger Citi Field. Which will come as some surprise to the Huffington Post's Michael Shapiro, who insists that Citi is intimate like Ebbets Field. (The HuffPost's Thomas B. Edsall gives a more measured overview of the new Yankees facility and its funding controversies, including a quote from yours truly.)

NJ.com blogger Mike says he was "both impressed and disappointed" by his first visit to the new Yankee Stadium, digging the open concourses and abundant food options, but missing the close-in upper deck and history of the old stadium: "Overall, the new place lacks the character of the old, but much of that character was rooted in the fact that the old place was old. ... The new place in comparison, while more comfortable in many ways, also felt sterile in many areas."

The Bongo Frenzy blog notes the irony of Citi Field honoring Citi Field while dedicating much of its space to exclusive clubs: "In the elite Delta Club, fans are segregated into Delta Club and Delta Club Silver fans. I wonder if there are signs above the water fountains in the Delta Club that read, 'Silver's Only.'"

After the Yankees and Cleveland Indians combined to hit 20 homeruns in the first four games at the new Yankees park, there's growing speculation as to whether the team has inadvertantly created a homer haven. Greg Rybarczyk of Hit Tracker notes that contrary to team claims that the new park's dimensions are the same as the old, the Yankees actually moved the right-field fences in at the new place, while making them shorter as well; however, Rybarczyk notes that homeruns are flying out of parks all over baseball at increased rates, and speculates that a juiced ball is the likeliest explanation.

Finally, the Bronx Beat, a site run by Columbia Journalism School students, has turned my Yankees stadium cost spreadsheet into a nifty infographic, suitable for framing, if your wall can hold Flash applications.