Jim Bouton on Yankee Stadium

After 28 years, Yankee Stadium was a different place—a strange and garish place. A makeover in 1973-75, under the new owner George Steinbrenner, added cantilevered stands that destroyed the elegant upper façade, and exterior elevators which spoiled the view of the of the lower facade.

Inside, the grayish green carpet was now bright blue and featured a giant Yankee logo. The honest ceiling with its exposed pipes was now a dropped ceiling with stark white tiles. Everything was painted blue and white—the Yankee colors, get it?

Now, instead of restoring the stadium, they’re going to tear it down. Raze the clubhouse where Pete Sheehy made coffee for Ruth. Destroy the dugout where Stengel slept. Bulldoze the field where Mantle roamed and level the mound where Larsen pitched the only perfect World Series game.

And they’re going to build an underground parking garage on the site! This will no doubt be “The Garage that Ruth Built”—which could produce a reverse “Curse of the Bambino.” If you check the current standings, you’ll see this may already be happening.