Yankees Slash Luxury Ticket Prices to Fill Empty Seats

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»

(NEWSER) - The New York Yankees pulled out all the stops in pregame ceremonies today to christen their new $1.5 billion stadium. Then they went and ruined things by playing baseball. The Indians routed the Yankees 10-2 after putting up nine runs in the 7th inning, the Daily News reports. "It's not how you want to start out a new stadium, but one game is not going to make the history of this Yankee Stadium or this year," said manager Joe Girardi. More»

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»

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»