Yanks, Mets Dig In for Stadium Sell-Offs

As Shea and Yankee stadiums shut, relatives fret over final resting places

(NEWSER) - Now that Yankee Stadium and Shea have shut their doors forever, people who scattered ashes in their favorite ballpark worry that their loved ones may spend eternity in a parking lot, the New York Times writes. Some are searching for a way to get some dirt out of the hallowed grounds before demolition begins. The Mets and Yankees officially forbid scattering ashes, but many fans have managed to stealthily slip them in. More»

(NEWSER) - New Yorkers would like to go out to the ball game, but the Wipons and Steinbrenners “have let their unfettered greed keep the fans at bay,” writes Allen Barra in the Wall Street Journal. Fans are outraged that their tax dollars have gone to fund stadiums they can’t afford to visit, with the cost for a family of four to take in a Yankee game jumping 49% this year, to $410, while the Arizona Diamondbacks, for instance, dropped 29%, to $114. More»

Recession means few takers for box seats for Yankees, Mets, Cowboys

(NEWSER) - When the Mets, the Yankees, and the Cowboys decided to build staggeringly expensive stadiums, they didn’t realize what kind of economy the arenas would open their doors to. The Wall Street Journal reports that the amenities-heavy fields, laden with luxury-boxes and steakhouses, are struggling to fill their swanky suites. "Build the most expensive stadium, charge high prices and have the worst economy. It's called lack of sleep," says the Yankees’ COO. More»

Innocently defacing cards, balls, comics makes items nearly worthless to collectors

(NEWSER) - Mickey Mantle never wore a beard, but that didn’t stop an 8-year-old Mets fan from giving him one, scrawling the words “You Stink,” on his 1968 Topps card. While such youthful indiscretions are fairly common, collectibles that could be worth hundreds, even thousands, of dollars are rendered worthless by childhood doodles, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Team steps up security to thwart souvenir-hunters as ballpark gets set to close

(NEWSER) - The final few games at Yankee Stadium promise to be a battle of wits between sticky-fingered fans and New York's finest, AP reports. The House That Ruth Built shuts forever soon and at least a dozen fans have been busted trying to take a piece of it home. Seats have been unscrewed and one fan managed to smuggle out a toilet seat. The Yanks move into a new $1.3 billion stadium across the street next season. More»