Once the Yankees begin play in their new ball park next season, their already astronomical profits will increase to monumental proportions. The new Yankee Stadium will have about 60 luxury boxes, compared to the old Yankee Stadium, which has about 16. We all know that today, it's all about those luxury boxes, and that's where the Yankees will see an increase in revenue. Season ticket prices for the 2009 season are so expensive, that many fans who have had season tickets for more than twenty years are being forced to give them up. But that doesn't really matter to the Yankees, because a Fortune 500 company will swoop in and replace that fan as a season ticket holder. The Yankees don't care who buys the season ticket, as long as the money is green. Corporate money is just as good as hard earned private money. It's obvious that this is a no-lose situation for the Yankees. Or is it?

As a Met fan who has seen many games at Yankee Stadium, I can tell you that the aura surrounding the stadium is incredible. I felt Babe Ruth's presence. I was honored to be at the same stadium where "The Mick" played for all of those glorious years. I can't even imagine what it must feel like to be an opposing player on the field. What a thrill it must be to be playing at the same position that Mickey Mantle played in Yankee Stadium, or catching behind the same home plate where Yogi caught for all of those years. Or hitting a homerun in the same spot where Maris hit one of his record-setting homeruns. When an opposing player can be in awe of an opponents stadium, that says something. When a player from another team "looks forward" to going to Yankee Stadium because of the history, that says something too. Let's face it...who wouldn't be awestruck with the rich tradition of the Yankees at that stadium? And if awed, how well could a young opposing player play at the Stadium? That is a true home field advantage. If an opposing team could beat the Yankees at the Stadium, with 50,000 crazed Yankee fans, and the ghosts of Ruth, Mantle, and DiMaggio on the Yankees side, it was an accomplishment.

But now it's time to move on, because the Yankees feel the need to make even more money. You can't really blame a team for wanting to make more money. Money is more important than tradition in todays world. So, the Yankees will no longer be playing in the house that Ruth built. They will no longer be playing in a park where Joe DiMaggio was a real-life Roy Hobbs. They will no longer be playing in the park where Lou Gehrig made his historic speech, or Don Larson threw his perfect game, or Roger Maris hit his 61st homerun, or Reggie belted three World Series homers. Those feats, along with countless others, is what made Yankee Stadium such a daunting place for opposing teams to play.

Most of that aura will be gone in the new Yankee Stadium. The Yankees can try to resurrect the past, but it won't be the same. So when Melky Cabrera hits a ball that is caught at the warning track, it will be because Mantle didn't help lift it over the outfield fence for a homerun. When Andy Pettitte loses a no-hit bid in the 8th, it will be because the new stadium won't have the karma that the old stadium had, which helped enable guys like Larsen, David Wells, Doc Gooden, or David Cone throw a no hitter. When Jorge Posada throws a ball into centerfield trying to nail a would-be base stealer next season, he won't have Thurman Munson patting him on the back saying "we'll get him next time kid". When a nice play is made, we won't hear the echo of Phil Rizzuto's "holy cow", or Mel Allen's "how about that?". The Yankees won't even have many of their die-hard fans who were there to witness so many special moments. They'll be replaced by the corporate suits who can afford the $80,000 price tag for four season tickets. Instead of cheering, they'll be on their cell phones to reserve tee times. Even the tradition of having die-hard Yankee fans may be at an end as well.

The 2009 Yankees will be on their own. Opposing teams will no longer be in awe. Why should they be? The Yankee greats of the past played at the old place...not the new one. The new Yankee Stadium has no history...none. Bringing Monument Park over to the new stadium isn't the answer. The plaques will be relocated, but the memories and history will remain at the old stadium.

So while Jeter, A-Rod, Cano, Kennedy, and Hughes play at the new park next season, the real game will be taking place across the street at the true field of dreams where Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Munson, Maris, Dimaggio, Rizzuto, and the new kid, Bobby Murcer will be playing. The Yankees had true angels in the outfield, and on the infield, and in the locker room. Beginning next season, there won't be any angels to be found at the new Stadium, but hey...they'll have 46 more luxury boxes, and that sure beats tradition, I guess.



Court Adjourned!