As much as it pains us to admit, fans are going to have to get used to obstructed view seats scattered throughout the new Yankee Stadium. This is probably the case in most ballparks, but since the Yankees have the highest attendance in baseball and the highest payroll in baseball their obstructed view seats are going to get the most negative attention.
Since most people purchase their tickets from
Stubhub these days, a guide to the specific seats affected by obstructed views has the potential to be very helpful. What follows is what we hope can be a helpful guide to avoid the various obstructions when purchasing Yankee tickets. We are creating this guide as a service to potential ticket buyers and in no way is our intention to deride the Yankees or their ticket office. We are as sick of the negativity about the new stadium as anyone, but this is the reality of the situation.
THE BLEACHERS
The view from section 239 in a high row number and a high seat number
A view from section 201 in a high row number and seat number 1The first, and
most widely talked about obstructed view seats in the new Yankee Stadium are the "architecturally shadowed" seats in the bleachers.
There are roughly 1,048 seats in the bleachers that have obstructed views of the opposite outfield. If you are in the right field bleachers, you can't see left, and if you are in the left field bleachers, you can't see right. Of course, not all bleacher seats are obstructed. The main obstructions occur in sections 239 (right field) and section 201 (left field).
Andrew over at Scott Proctor's Arm has it all figured it out:
If you're in Section 201, you want your seat number to be higher rather than lower, and vice-versa in Section 239. If you're seat one [in section 201], I'd suggest standing.
It is also worth noting that you want your row number to be lower, rather than higher, but that is obvious. Don't be fooled by extremely low ticket prices on Stubhub for most Yankees games - they are likely in these obstructed sections. That being said, buying a ticket for the obstructed view seats and then just wandering around and gawking at the game from the future standing room only sections might be the best bet for those on a budget.
THE GRANDSTAND
section 428, row 3, seat 1 in the GrandstandAside from being miles away from the field of play, the new upper deck at Yankee Stadium features obstructions never seen at the old Yankee Stadium. Much like at
Citi Field, the design of the upper deck means that folks in the first few rows of the highest level of the stadium will deal with annoying obstructions. In the old Yankee Stadium, only row A in the Tier Reserved had to deal with the constant obstruction of people walking by through the narrow walkway. In the new Yankee Stadium, each section of the Grandstand has an annoying piece of glass, a metal handrail, and people walking by constantly. We can confirm that section 428, row 3, seat 1, has the obstruction seen in the photo above. Similar obstructions are likely found in most of the lower rows and lowest seat numbers from sections 431 - 422 down the left field line and the lowest rows and the highest seat numbers from sections 409 - 418 down the right field line. Buyer beware.
THE MAIN LEVEL
An obstructed view seat at the new Yankee Stadium in and around section 230, row 23
An obstructed view seat at the new Yankee Stadium in and around section 230, row 23 The least talked about obstructed view seats are in the 200's level, also known as the main level.
We broke the news of these atrocious obstructions back at the beginning of February. According to the
Yankee Stadium pricing chart, the seats in section 230, row 23 (obviously obstructed by the support beam in the above photos) sell for $75 in advance and $80 for day of game sales. After visiting the stadium this weekend, we can confirm that the beam only blocks the view of one seat in each section. However, the obstruction might be worse than the one in the bleachers - the view of the entire infield, including home plate is blocked. Unfortunately, we don't have the specific seat number of the obstructed seat in each of these row 23 seats in the 200's level. However, we would recommend staying away from seat 1, or the highest seat numbers. We will try to get the specific seat numbers that this obstruction affects in the future.
THE JIM BEAM SUITES (Sections 317-323)
Section 319, Row 1, seat 1Even the Yankee Stadium "premium offerings" are not immune to the unacceptable obstructed views found in the cheaper locations throughout the stadium. The seats seen in the photo above sell for $135 and are only sold on a full season basis. They include admittance to the supposedly exclusive Jim Beam Lounge in the Upper Deck, but they don't include a view of home plate. Steer clear of Section 319, Row 1, seats 1-4, and Row B, seats 1-2. We have specific information about the seats in Section 319 since someone wrote in specifically complaining about their seats. We can no confirm this obstruction in the other sections of the Jim Beam Suites. Interestingly enough, situations like this could have been settled a long time ago, if only the Yankees allowed those patrons to tour the stadium and view their seats before the stadium opened. Unfortunately, the Yankees refused tours of the seats, quickly citing the fact that the 1300 seats in the Jim Beam sections sold out in 4 days. Essentially, they were resorting to their typical scare tactics, informing people ready to drop thousands of dollars that if they didn't purchase without a tour, they would sell the seats to someone else. The Yankees claim that these seats are the best value in the entire stadium but they are actually one of the worst, considering the obstruction of home plate.
Needless to say, the Yankees will be receiving many angry calls this morning. We feel really bad for our super ticket representative, Kate, as she has done all that she can to satisfy all of her loyal season ticket holders. Unfortunately, many of the other representatives are not as helpful or as friendly, and there will be a lot of potentially productive work hours spent arguing about seats to baseball games.
As always, we welcome reader feedback. If you noticed any other blatantly obstructed views at the new Yankee Stadium, please write in and we will add to this post. Our intention is for this post to be regularly viewed by potential visitors to Yankee Stadium so they have the best possible experience. We are all spending a ton of money to watch these baseball games, and we deserve to have views of the playing field.
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