The Yankees Announce More Time Before Games To Roam The New Stadium

Lost amidst the furor over the handling of the account holder pre-sale for 2009 Yankee tickets, was an important passage from the press release:

GATE OPENING TIMES:
In 2009, Yankee Stadium gates will open approximately three hours prior to the scheduled start times of games. Gates will open at 10:00 a.m. for games with a 1:05 p.m. scheduled start time, at 1:00 p.m. for 4:10 p.m. starts, at 4:00 p.m. for 7:05 p.m. starts, and at 5:00 p.m. for 8:05 p.m. starts.

This makes a lot of sense, as the Yankees will have plenty of ways for people to spend their money once they are trapped within the confines of the new facility.

From a fan's perspective, this means that Yankee fans will now be afforded the opportunity to watch the Yankees take batting practice before games. In the past, gates only opened 2 hours before most games, so the Yankees were finishing up their batting practice when the fans started streaming in. For autograph seekers and A-Rod hecklers, this should be good news.