Fans' Ashes in Limbo as Yankee, Shea Shut Doors

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»

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»

Teams expect to make millions auctioning off pieces of closing parks

(NEWSER) - Demolition isn’t usually very profitable—unless you’re knocking down Yankee Stadium or Shea Stadium and auctioning off every last brick. When New York’s stadiums close at season’s end, they’ll transform into a merchandising windfall, Newsweek reports. Seats, lockers, scoreboards and maybe even infield dirt will be up for sale, and should easily net the clubs upward of $10 million. More»

New stadium draws small, bitter crowds, opponent home runs

(NEWSER) - With its $1.5 billion price tag, you’d think the new Yankee Stadium would be pretty much perfect, right? But even the most loyal fans are griping as the “Taj Mahal” isn’t turning out to be everything it promised. From outrageous ticket prices to questionable outfield dimensions, the park is in danger of striking out, writes Darren Everson in the Wall Street Journal. 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»