Obama's batboy is impressed----go figure.

The facade is a welcome sight. Train running through RF is pretty cool too.

"Congrats ole' collapsy! Olympic Stadium, Ladies and Gentleman, this week's WORST STADIUM IN THE WORRRRRLLLLLLDDDD!!!!"

Have they reinterred Jimmy Hoffa in center yet?

It is a good-looking stadium though.

It seems as if it is a good-looking stadium, but I am disappointed. I think the Yankees had 2 choices. One was to focus on the glorious past; the other was to establish the Yankees as cutting edge future. The decision was to exploit the nostalgia rather than risk a new path. It might be unkind to say the Yankees are wallowing in their past, but not too far from the truth.

Here was a chance to set a new standard. Since Camden Yards, just about every stadium has incorporated some sort of retro feel to it; the Yankees have taken that to an extreme. My reaction is "eh". It's impressive. It's nice to recall the old stadium. But it is safe and it is boring.

What would have been exciting is some new architectural concept, some departure from tradition. One reason I hope the Rays get their new ballpark is that we may finally see something elegant and special.

The new Stadium is a whopping 63% bigger than the old one...and this means more stands to sell you you interschlocking shiit.

It is a good-looking stadium though.

No it isn't. I mean, are you kidding me? It's a really bad mixing of an Albert Speer base with a 1970's football stadium that fell from the sky and crashed through the roof. It's vulgar. Just like the Steinbrenners.

"Ignore his politics"? Olbermann is one of the most reasonable guys on TV right now. About the only people I know of who don't like him are Bush supporters.

BTW, the video link seems broken when I tried it. Probably what MSNBC gets for trying to host their own instead of using YouTube.

However, there was a large smug cloud over the stadium during the tour.

"Ignore his politics"? Olbermann is one of the most reasonable guys on TV right now. About the only people I know of who don't like him are Bush supporters.

And recently, Clinton supporters. But it's not surprising, Bush over his entire existence and Clinton over the past couple months constantly spout nothing but ######## and Olbermann is one of the few members of the mainstream media who actually calls them on it. So of course supporters of Bush and Clinton hate him for it.

What would have been exciting is some new architectural concept, some departure from tradition.

Attempts at new architectural concepts which depart from tradition are why every new building in this city looks like ass. And much of the value of the Yankees, and of baseball in general, is tradition and history.


Olbermann is one of the most reasonable guys on TV right now. About the only people I know of who don't like him are Bush supporters.

I hate Olbermann about as much as I hate Bush. Except he's not nearly as important.

"Ignore his politics"? Olbermann is one of the most reasonable guys on TV right now. About the only people I know of who don't like him are Bush supporters.

Your divisive rhetoric only emboldens the terrorist evildoers who seek to destroy us because of our freedoms.

Attempts at new architectural concepts which depart from tradition are why every new building in this city looks like ass. And much of the value of the Yankees, and of baseball in general, is tradition and history.

Ever been to a SUNY campus? All those buildings built in the late 60s and 70s look totally ridiculous. they were new and exciting architectural concepts at the time.

The facade and entrance hall are gorgeous. The rest is pretty impossible to judge at this point in construction.

Olbermann is one of the most reasonable guys on TV right now.

Tremendous. The passport-gate (remember that?) hissyfit is a classic.

Politics in this country is pathological. The only way to remain sane is to become an arch-cynic and acknowledge that every pundit, on whatever side, is insane.

Ever been to a SUNY campus? All those buildings built in the late 60s and 70s look totally ridiculous. they were new and exciting architectural concepts at the time.

I don't know if the buildings built in NYC in the '60s and '70s were exciting architectural concepts at the time, but they all look like Soviet prisons.

It's a really bad mixing of an Albert Speer base with a 1970's football stadium that fell from the sky and crashed through the roof. It's vulgar. Just like the Steinbrenners.

I don't see it that way, teddy. I see it as a 21st century rendering of the old Yankee Stadium with updated art-deco elements. And I like art-deco.

What would have been exciting is some new architectural concept, some departure from tradition. One reason I hope the Rays get their new ballpark is that we may finally see something elegant and special.

I'm hoping htey go for that 60's Miami South Beach look. that would be totally cool.

I don't see it that way, teddy. I see it as a 21st century rendering of the old Yankee Stadium with updated art-deco elements. And I like art-deco.

Whatever the stadium turned out to be, he would give it a thumbs down.

Here was a chance to set a new standard. Since Camden Yards, just about every stadium has incorporated some sort of retro feel to it; the Yankees have taken that to an extreme. My reaction is "eh". It's impressive. It's nice to recall the old stadium. But it is safe and it is boring.

This is a fair point and I realize beauty is always in the eye of the beholder but this new stadium isn't another of the HOK brick and steel retro jobs. Yankee Stadium is the last of the pre-WWII "modern" stadiums. I think the current Yankee Stadium looks tired and bland. If they do it right, and include lots of glass and steel, with wood veneer paneling interior elements and period fonts for the signs, I think it would look way cool. I always felt the original Stadium wnet for the Superman Metropolis look but didn't really go for it. If they do that with this project, I would really like that.

Great job by a good journalist.

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/new_stadium.jsp

It looks like a giant 1930's something or other with a football stadium sticking up through the roof. See?

Olbermann wears far too much make-up, BTW.

I hope he doesn't let his mom sit above first base again. :(

Whatever the stadium turned out to be, he would give it a thumbs down.

Wrong. Have another drink, lardas$.

From tfbq's link: Home Plate To Backstop 52' 4"

Doesn't that have to be at least 60 feet?

Doesn't that have to be at least 60 feet?

Why do you say that? Just curious. Not personally aware of any rules on that, but what do I know, nothing, really, and too lazy to check the MLB rules.

It might be unkind to say the Yankees are wallowing in their past, but not too far from the truth.

Hey, when it's all you've got...

Doesn't that have to be at least 60 feet?

From Rule 1.04 (underlining is mine):

It is recommended that the distance from home base to the backstop, and from the base lines to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction on foul territory shall be 60 feet or more.

EDIT: villageidiom, less lazy than Dr. Memory.

From tfbq's link: Home Plate To Backstop 52' 4"

They're planning on Posada catching for the next 10 years and are worried about his throws after passed balls.

Olbermann to construction worker on video: "This crane WILL be out of the way when they're playing?"

Well, the crane currently covers more ground than Jeter at a fraction of the price...

Well, the crane currently covers more ground than Jeter at a fraction of the price...

Cashman to Jeter: "I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that we are moving you off SS. The good news is that it took a crane to replace you."

crane currently covers more ground than Jeter

He certainly did....

But does Jeter tape as much as Bob did?

"Now batting... the shortstop... number two... Mike... Mulligan... number two."

EDIT: villageidiom, less lazy than Dr. Memory.

Hee hee, a very large crowd you're in. 8-D

"Now batting... the shortstop... number two... Mike... Mulligan... number two."

Well played.

One of my absolute favorite memories of my daughter's toddler-hood was reading that story to her and when Mary Ann (spoiler alert!) finished the hole on time, she clapped for joy; it was only then that I realized she'd been very tense while I was reading. Virginia Lee Burton, you crafted a masterpiece.

I remember that story from Captain Kangeroo.

I got a version of it for my son on videotape that used the original CK illustrations and was narrated by Robert Klein. The music on it is great.