We Have Moved!!! Update your RSS Readers, Blogrolls and Bookmarks

The whole story is posted at the new blog, but the short version is that we have moved back to NYYStadiumInsider.com.

Please update your RSS readers with our new feed:
http://nyystadiuminsider.com/feed/rss.html

Please update your bookmarks and if you are a blogger, your blog rolls with our new URL:

http://nyystadiuminsider.com/

This site will remain in existence so you can access all of our old posts. Thanks for reading, and we hope you join us at the new blog!

Read the full post, after the jump

Our Vision For The Mysterious Grandstand Party Deck

While most new stadiums undergo some cosmetic tweaks between their first and second seasons, there has been surprisingly little talk about potential improvements to the "new" Yankee Stadium.

Back in December, River Ave. Blues caught a minor note in a the Sports Business Journal about a Grandstand level "Party Deck," which garnered a bit of buzz, but there hasn't been any news since. This vague description of a party deck was especially appealing after experiencing Yankee Stadium in 2009.

We contacted multiple sources at Yankee Stadium, and they were unable to provide any additional information about the party deck. The only improvements we could get out of them was that they were "adjusting some of the handrails in the grandstand and some of the bars/mesh in the stair areas on the terrace level to cut down on obstructions." Even without any further information, we'll still speculate.

As we mentioned at various points during the season, the new venue is extremely conducive to milling around and catching the game from different vantage points, meeting people and having a good time. Unfortunately, the only area where fans can gather in large groups with easy access to food and drink along with a view of the field is the center field "bleacher cafe area." While this could have been a great feature of the new Yankee Stadium, it is usually frustrating. Many of the fans with obstructed view bleacher seats don't en

joy seeing half of the field, so the bleacher cafe area becomes packed with fans as soon as the stadium starts to fill up.

When we first heard about the Grandstand "party deck," w

e immediately thought of the upper deck wheelchair seating behind home plate (below section

420). Yankee Stadium is extremely handicapped accessible with wheelchair seats spread throughout the structure. Because of this, the "nosebleed" wheelchair seats are often empty. The vie

w from this wheelchair section is a great bird's eye view of the field, but there are better options on lower levels.

In addition to the great view, this area is very close to the currently exclusive "Jim Beam Suite Lounge." It's no secret that the Jim Beam Suites haven't been well-received by their owners. Most feel they aren't getting the promised value out of the $150 seats and that the "exclusive" dining suite is a glorified food court. Our proposal would be to

replace the brick oven pizza with some classic ballpark fare,

serve plenty of beer and open the former Jim Beam Suite Lounge to the public.

At the end of the day, our party deck idea probably won't pan out. Owners of Jim Beam seats are in the midst of multi-year plans and the Yankees aren't going to water down the product and give them an excuse to break their contracts. Further, the Yankees will probably want to sell standing room tickets for these "party deck" seats, so the general public will likely be shut out.

Does anyone out there have any crazy ideas for the grandstand party deck? Anyone have some insider information? Feel free to let us know in the comments, and we'll be sure to post an update if we hear more.

Read the full post, after the jump

An Interview With The Yankees Season Ticket Plan Canceler

On Friday, we posted an email exchange between an emotional Yankees fan and his season ticket account representative. When the tip arrived in our inbox, we realized that it was perfect for this blog, but never expected the interest from around the rest of the blogosphere. From Sports Illustrated's "Hot Clicks" to Yahoo's "Big League Stew," NBC Sports' "Circling The Bases" and Deadspin, people were fascinated with the email exchange.

In sharing our emailer's story with the masses, we opened him up to significant public ridicule - NOT our original intention. Commenters and bloggers around the internet were starting to pile on and take cheap shots, so we decided to give him a chance to tell his side of the story.

In the interview after the jump, you'll find out exactly why the email he sent was rambling (spoiler alert: "sent from my iphone"), his thoughts on the representative's timely and logical response, whether he will ever regret his decision to cancel his ticket plan and what he thinks of the new Yankee Stadium. We still don't agree with his harsh criticisms of the Yankees offseason moves, but his lucid response made us realize that we shouldn't be embarrassed to have him as a Yankees fan.

We have reached out to the ticket representative for his side of the story and if he is allowed to respond, we'll post that later this week.


Thanks for indulging us by answering a few questions. The attention your story has grabbed around the blogosphere has been unexpected to say the least. People seem really intrigued by your honest and heartfelt communication with the Yankees and their subsequent response.

New Stadium Insider:
First of all, please tell everyone about yourself (unless you care to remain anonymous, in which case feel free to make something up). How long have you been a Yankees fan? How long were you a season ticket holder before canceling your plan because of the Randy Winn signing? Which ticket plan did you have?

Emailer:
I am a 33 year old teacher from Long Island, NY and a lifelong Yankee fan. As a child my favorite Yankee was Dave Winfield and the first Yankee game I attended was in 1985 when my grandmother took me to the game in which the Yankees beat the Red Sox when Ken Griffey Sr. robbed Marty Barrett of a home run in left field. I have always tried to attend as many games as possible, but since I moved to Queens 5 years ago to take a teaching position in the Bronx, I have bought some form of ticket plan each of those seasons. I take my students every year as a field trip to the tour of Yankee stadium and last year when I was the Dean at my building, I was lucky enough to take a group of 50 students with high attendance on the open practice at the new stadium. The last two seasons I had the 12-13 game packages, the final season the seats were in the left field bleachers and this year my seats were in 306, in right field. My favorite Yankee of all time is Mickey Mantle, I have a plaque of him that is behind my desk in my classroom and if I have a son, I plan on naming him Mickey.

NSI:
In our original post, we accidentally included a paragraph about your career as a teacher in the Bronx. Since you wrote your season ticket cancellation from your IPhone, some of the spelling, grammar and sentence structure wasn't exactly what people consider "teacher material." We feel bad for "outing" anything about your personal life - would you like to clarify any of the points you made in your email that might not have come across properly because you were writing it from your IPhone?

E:
Well, I can say the email was hardly an example of me modeling the writing process to my students in terms of revising and editing, but I've always thought of email and texting as a medium in which one didn't have to hire an editor to proofread one's work (There is a reason why any email from my phone has the "Sent from my Iphone" signature at the bottom) The truth is, I was on the subway home from work and I was thinking about the moves that occurred this offseason and how disappointed I was. After I had received that email from the Yankees about renewing my package, I was holding off on responding because numerous writers were stating that Damon had informed them that he would have a decision in regards to his signing by the end of the week. Once I heard about the Winn signing, I knew that the window to sign Damon had closed and the team that we had on paper was pretty much what I was going to see on Opening Day. So I starting rattling off this email to [REDACTED] , describing why I was upset, not only to voice my concerns but as a sort of therapeutic attempt to calm my anger as well (I have done similiar [SIC] emails to my ticket account representative from the Knicks as well, as you can guess, there are more often opportunities for such emails with that organization). When I had finished writing the email, I went to highlight my writing to copy it so I could paste it as a note on my facebook page as well. While I had the whole text highlighted, I got a text message and I clicked to close the text message and it ended up deleting the whole letter I wrote. This obviously increased my anger and I thought about just forgetting the whole letter writing idea, but then I decided that I needed my voice to be heard, so that's how the letter you see before you was crafted, flaws and all.

NSI:
It seems that you wrote your email regarding the Yankees' offseason moves in a very emotional state. Once you read the very reasoned response from the Yankees ticket representative, did you question your stance at all?

E:
First I'd like to say how impressed I was that the representative took the time to read my email and to craft a well written response. When I sent the email, I was anticipating him seeing the word cancel and then just crossing my name off of the list of possible ticket plan holders. I sent him an email after thanking him and expressing how I hope in the near future the Yankees can make a move that will restore my faith in the direction of the organization so I can return as a ticket package holder.
In terms of his response making me question my stance, I pretty much was aware of all of the information that was presented, except for the part about Granderson scoring the winning run, which is only because I don't watch the All Star game. It didn't make me waiver [SIC] at all regarding my disliking all of the moves made this offseason.

NSI:
The ticket representative might have a somewhat biased opinion of the Yankees' player personnel moves since it is his job to keep you as a customer. However, it seems like a lot of smart baseball evaluators (both professional and amateur think highly of the Yankees' offseason moves. Did the nearly universal response from bloggers, commenters on blogs and commenters on Twitter open your eyes to another way of evaluating the trades and signings?

E:
I'm not sure if it has been a universal response from the baseball world about Cashman's moves, nor has the comments from the blogs really open my eyes to having a different view of the moves. I still don't think giving up Austin Jackson was a good move to get Granderson. I would much rather try to see a prospect with potential grow rather than trade them to get a name player who has significant problems hitting left handed pitching considering that many teams plan their rotation to use left handed starters at the stadium to negate the short right field dimensions. A couple of years ago, my co-workers thought I was crazy because I said the mets trading for Johan Santana would be a great day for the Yankees because it allowed us to focus on developing young talent. The Nick Johnson move doesn't make sense to me because it negates the plans the Yankees had to use the DH position as a way for the other older players to use the DH spot to rest up. I understand his high OBP and understand that baseball is now a stat driven sport, but I don't think a one dimensional player is worth that sort of investment for a team so focused on it's budget.
The only area in which my eyes were open a bit is when I read Buster Olney's blog about the negotiation proccess that ensued between Cashman, Damon and Boras. I saw the Yankees had a genuine interest in bringing Damon back and did not get an eager response back from Damon's camp. I understand how the Yankees didn't want to be in a position to have to overpay for a player later because they had limited options remaining. Yet, I also think there is a grudge that Cashman has for Boras, maybe from the ARod opting out of his contract debacle, and he gets a genuine pleasure in seeing Boras look bad in the media during these negotiations. I also understand how a player like Damon could be upset how a team that has spent money year after year on free agents, yet would ask him to take such a significant paycut to remain on the Yankees. I think that Damon deserved a contract in the neighborhood of the Bobby Abreu deal, since Damon is a much better rounded player than Abreu. I'm sure the union would not have been thrilled about Damon taking such a serious pay cut as well.

NSI:
Can you foresee a day that you regret your decision to cancel your season ticket plan?

E:
Not really, although I had good seats, there are always plans available and I don't think the ticket plans really were that advantageous. One of the main reasons I got the plan was to have access for postseason tickets, and I was only able to get tickets for game 2 of the ALDS and game 7 of the ALCS. I attempted to get world series tickets the minute the presale started and they were sold out right away. My friend who had an over 20 game package had similiar [SIC] complaints and wrote a long email which brought her no results. The bottom line is with agencies such as Stubhub, the ticket packages are not such a necessity, since that was the method I was able to buy tickets to other postseason games last year.

NSI:
Bonus question: what are your feelings about the new Yankee Stadium? Do you miss the old one?

E:
I like some of the modern advantages of the new stadium such as the Jim Beam suite and some of the new food vendors. I also enjoy that I am able to continue to watch the game with the open site lines while I am away from my seat. I was worried in regards to the stadium having the same electric atmosphere for big games, especially when I watched early season games and the crowd seemed to not be as enthusiastic. My theory that the crowd in early season was just exploring the new features of the stadium turned out to be accurate however, for once the big games came late in the year, the stadium atmosphere and feeling was still vibrant. I have video on my iphone from the bleachers when ARod hit the tying homerun off Nathan in the ALDS that can attest to that. It's not the same as the old stadium and it never will be, but the fans are, and that passion is what makes the atmosphere of the stadium so amazing.

Read the full post, after the jump

How Fast New Becomes Old... Yankee Stadium

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when someone says Yankee Stadium? Is it off-blue seats, the blacked out section in centerfield, the steep overhanging upper deck and an impossible to match 26 world championships?

Probably not.

Perhaps it was the calendar's progression into January, but sometime in the past week we realized that "Yankee Stadium" is now completely associated with the oversized HD video board in centerfield, the pristine navy blue seats, standing room views from behind home plate, copious unimpressive food options and thankfully, championship No. 27.

As great as the Yankees' 2009 season was, the awareness that the vivid memories of the "original" Yankee Stadium will only continue their advance into the depths of our subconscious is a bit disturbing.

The "House That Ruth Built" is still standing, reminding us of those memories, but the only people entering that sacred ground are construction workers slowly tearing down what took years to build.

It is unbelievable how many enduring and special moments we were exposed to during the inaugural season of the "new" Yankee Stadium in 2009. Let's face it - we're spoiled. But still, thinking back to the great season that ended nearly three months ago it all seems so surreal.

This blog is still named "New" Stadium Insider and the structure is still less than a year old. However, when we walk through Babe Ruth Plaza and enter through Gate 6 on April 13 we'll be walking into the only Yankee Stadium that will exist during the rest of our lifetime. The novelty and gimmick is gone. The structure sitting on the former site of Macombs Dam park is here to stay and will continue to be the home to life-altering memories for a new generation of Yankees fans for years to come.

Read the full post, after the jump

Yankees Fans Are Canceling Their Ticket Plans Because They Hate Randy Winn

OK, so maybe they're more angry about the Yankees decision not to retain the newly minted "true Yankee" Johnny Damon. However we frame it, people like the one in the real life email chain below don't seem to see that Johnny Damon has always chased every last dollar. They also fail to understand that the Yankees aren't Scott Boras' puppets anymore and run their operation with a sound business plan.

Or they just hate Randy Winn.

Anyway, we swear the below emails are 100% genuine.

From the Yankees:

Dear Ticket Licensee,

2009 marked the Inaugural Season at the new Yankee Stadium, a season that was more exciting than we could ever have anticipated - unforgettable games, unforgettable moments, an unforgettable Postseason and the 27th World Championship!

The 27-time World Champion New York Yankees would like to thank you for having joined us as a Season Ticket Licensee during the just concluded incredible Inaugural Season at Yankee Stadium.

With the successful conclusion of the 2009 World Series, it is time to begin making plans for the 2010 Regular Season. Accordingly, in late November, we mailed to you your 2010 Regular Season Invoice. The start of the 2010 Regular Season is quickly approaching and according to our records, as of January 25 2010, your Yankees Ticket License Account reflects an outstanding balance due.

As you are aware, the payment due date was Friday, January 8, 2010. To ensure you don’t miss a single minute of the upcoming season, please do not hesitate to call me or the Yankee Stadium Ticket office at (718) 293-6000 in order to finalize your payment*.

If you would like to cancel your 2010 Ticket License, please email me directly at (xxxxx@yankees.com) and include your Ticket License Number, Account Name and contact information. If sending an email, please enter CANCELLATION in the subject heading. If payment in full is not received by Monday, January 25, 2010, by 5:00 pm, your 2010 Ticket License will be cancelled without further contact from me or the Yankees.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter and for your continued and loyal support. Should you have any questions, please let me know.

Response from our emailer (all SICs his):

XXXX,
I am sorry for the delay in responding to the many emails about making the payment on my Yankees account. The last time I spoke to you I believe I was inquiring about the proccess of upgrading to a full season ticket plan. Unfortunately, right after that I learned of the granderson trade and that made me begin to have some doubts.

As long as I have been a Yankee fan, I have always had the belief that the Yankees would do their best to put the best possible team on the field to attempt to win a championship. After an amazing season in which the Yankees brought the trophy back home, sadly it seems they hav lost their focus on winning another championship this year.

The list of transgressions includes bringing in players who have already proven they are capable of succeeding in ny ( nick Johnson and Javier vasquez), destroying the farm system that was finally being built back up to aquire older players who have had mediocre careers (granderson) and today the signing of winn in order to save some money instead of bringing back one of the most productive players as well as a great teammate, Johnny Damon was the final straw.

I held out hope for so long, praying cashman would make a move to show me he cares about putting together a team that can win this year, but today proved that the Boss's son are more concerned with a profit margin than winning championships, something their father would never be accused of.

I am a middle school teacher in the Bronx with a budget as well, but since I've moved out here I've always found a way to get ticket packages because of the entertaining product the Yankees put on the field, but also because I knew that the Yankees would do what was in their power to put a championship caliber team on the field. Even in 2008, when I knew the team was rebuilding, I bought a plan because I knew they were making a sacrifice to improve their chances the following year.

This offseason has not instilled this same confidence, so I regretfully must inform you that I am cancelling my ticket plan. I am no longer a ticket package holder for the Yankees, but I remain what I will always be, I lifelong Yankee fan.

Thank you for your help and service throughout the years XXXX. Hopefully, we will be in touch sooner than later.
Best regards,
XXX XXXX

And the committed and logical Yankees ticket representative tries to talk some sense into our passionate emailer:

XXXX,

I would hate to see you cancel your season ticket plan on the basis of some moves that you feel make the team weaker. I on the other hand feel that the moves Brian Cashman made will make the team just as competitive as they were in 2009. While Nick Johnson is an injury prone player, he does not have any chronic injuries Yankees fans should be concerned with. He has shown throughout his career that he can consistently get on base and I think he will flourish in the number 2 spot in the order behind Jeter and in front of Teixeira. His On Base Percentage last year was .426 which was 20 points higher than Derek Jeter’s .406 which led the team. I think it’s fair to say that last time Javier Vasquez was a Yankee he did underachieve. However, his role in 2010 is very different than what his role was in 2004. He is not expected to be the ace of the staff this year and is slotted to pitch in the 3rd or 4th spot in the rotation. He is a lock to give the Yankees 200+ innings and last year had an ERA of 2.87. He even finished in 4th place in NL Cy Young voting. Not bad for a middle of the rotation guy. As far as Curtis Granderson is concerned, I would say he has had far from a mediocre career. He was an All-Star last year and even scored the winning run in the game. In 2007 and 2008 he was in the top 3 in the AL in runs scored. In addition to his stellar play on the field, he is said to be a great clubhouse presence. What you lose in Johnny Damon clubhouse wise, you get back with Curtis Granderson. He is also very active in the community. While Randy Winn does not have the bat that Damon has, he is an above average outfielder and excellent on the bases. The Yankees have a plan and part of that plan is sticking to a budget this year so next year they can spend on what they see as a better free agent class. Hopefully you will still be a season ticket holder by then.

Sincerely,

XXXX

27-Time World Champions
New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium Ticket Office
One East 161st Street
Bronx, New York 10451

So there you have it. The Randy Winn signing has pushed Yankees fans over the edge.

On the other hand, that ticket rep sounds extremely knowledgeable and may or may not have been brainwashed by Brian Cashman.

Only in New York.

Read the full post, after the jump

A Guide to Owning a Piece of Yankees History

As a franchise with a legacy of championships and Hall of Fame players, it’s no surprise that Yankees memorabilia is a favorite among fans and collectors alike. Within the multibillion dollar sports memorabilia market, the New York Yankees dominates in memorabilia sales by team. Mickey Mantle’s signature also ranks fourth in memorabilia sales by player and the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold was even a Yankees collectible; a Babe Ruth game-worn jersey that was purchased for over $4.4 million. Through the purchase of autographed baseballs, jerseys, bats, and photos, the baseball memorabilia industry offers fans a way to collect their favorite memories. Fans can not only own a piece of baseball history that makes for an emotionally valuable family heirloom, it also allows fans to connect with childhood heroes. From a monetary perspective, the memorabilia industry offers collectors a potential for big returns on their investment, which, unfortunately, has led to a number of issues regarding forgeries. In a market that is constantly striving to weed out deceitful sellers, how can a fan know what to purchase?

 Understandably, fraudulent sellers are to blame for casual memorabilia collectors and purchasers inability to trust when purchasing an autographed item. Although forgeries continue to exist, the best way to avoid buying unauthentic items is through education. When purchasing baseball memorabilia, there are several important factors to consider in order to ensure the genuineness of the signature and its likelihood to increase in value. The most significant element to consider is third party authenticator. Third party authentication services like PSA/DNA and JSA are two of the most widely recognized and trusted services in the industry due to their reputation and knowledge regarding sports autographs. Additionally, manufacturer authenticators, like Mounted Memories, Steiner, and Upper Deck all guarantee the presence of a witness present at every signing. Once a buyer can trust the authenticity of the signature, their reason for acquiring the piece weighs heavily on the rest of the decision. As a collector looking to add value to their collection, big names in sports with impressive career achievements are most likely to increase in value. Memorabilia signed by current players, like Derek Jeter and Robinson Canó, are likely to increase in value due to their accolades, but the risk of future scandals or controversies that can cause their autograph to deplete in value. On the other hand, a piece autographed by a baseball legend, like Mickey Mantle, is worth significantly more due to the inability to produce more products with the former athlete’s signature. Whereas, an item of sentimental value may not feature the signature of a league’s top athlete, but instead a childhood icon or family favorite. Other factors to consider are features of the collectible, which include signature location, special inscription, and authentic or replica products, that don’t necessarily hinder its value but rather offer options to align with different buyers’ preferences.

Click here to shop for authentic baseball memorabilia and other sports collectibles at SportsMemorabilia.com. Read the full post, after the jump