S'job Yanks

// I should start by saying that at a young age, some of my best memories went down at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Tiger Stadium. Sometimes Pops would take me down for a nightcap and we’d watch Cecil Fielder hit one over the roof (following a burger at Nemos). Or when it was a hot afternoon in July, I would head down there with John Nechiporchik and we’d watch the early-90s Tigs beat up a Central-division rival. And Mike took me to the last game at the stadium, after 88 historical years, where we saw the Tigers mow down the Royals. Strong.

// But, for those in the organization with the deep pockets (i.e. Ilitch), it was time for a change. It was the new millennium, the Tigers were down, and this was a way to get fans back in the ballpark. On one hand, I don’t blame him. There were tons of empty seats in those days. But, as we were told in the press releases, the stadium was breaking down. And just as importantly, there were a lot of “Obstructed View” seats. The pillars, which were built to support the overhanging roof, blocked the viewers’ sightlines in multiple sections. Problem solved: It’s impossible to have a bad seat in Comerica Park.

// So why did I just give you a brief rundown of the old Tiger Stadium? The higher-ups in the Bronx clearly did not take notes. In about a month, the Yankees will open up their new stadium across the street from the House that Ruth Built. While the rest of the country feels the hurting economy, the Yanks have jacked up ticket prices in efforts to pay for their new ballpark.

// However, the price of watching a game for some tickets dropped last week. The obstructed-view seats have gone from $12 to $5, which applies to about 700 seats at the new Yankee stadium. They’ll be sold for $5. So let’s think about this... They spent $8 billion on their new stadium, and they still have 700 obstructed-view seats? That’s like if the Yankees built a car, they’d put the steering wheel in shotgun. Or lets look at this another way. If you go out and rent an apartment, and it costs $800 a month (damn Chicago rents), it probably won’t be perfect. There might be a quirky kitchen…or the bathroom might be a little cramped. But if you spend $1,500 for an apartment, you don’t want the toilet in the living room. Forget the Yankees free agent acquisitions, they can’t even build a stadium right. They have the best architects in the world at their disposal, and they have 700 seats where you can’t see the mound. There’s no other way to say it. If you can’t see the game…why go to the game? If you go down to the stadium with the guys, staring at a pole for three hours isn’t cutting it. I’d rather just stay home in my boxers and drink cheaper beers. Between this and the A-Roid story, I’m seeing a tough ’09 for the Yanks.

// That’s all I got. Have a greasy week. I’ll leave you with this…..