Opening Day: Yankee Stadium 1923

The story of opening day at Yankee Stadium all started on February 6, 1921 when news circulated that the Yankees purchased ten acres of land in the Bronx, just across from the Harlem River, from William Waldorf Astor.  The purchase price of the land was $675,000. That land was where history was going to be made. What a bargain, right?  Previously, the Yankees shared the Polo Grounds with the National League Giants.  Once attendance started to soar for the Yankees due to stand-out performances from the players, the Giants basically told the Yankees to pack up and vacate the premises.  Once co-owners of the Yankees Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast l'Hommedieu Huston purchased the property, the plans were in place to build a three-story structure that be the first to ever be called a  'stadium.' 

 

Construction on Yankee Stadium amounted to $2.5 million and amazingly only took 284 days to build.  The American Flag and Yankees pennant were hoisted by center field by the Seventh Regiment Band, John Phillip Sousa, and both the Yankees and Red Sox.

 

On April 18, 1923 with a crowd of just over 74,000 fans, Yankee Stadium opened its doors to the world to watch the Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox.  As history was made, fans crowded themselves outside the gates of the stadium.  Babe Ruth, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, scored a three-run home run to lead the Yankees to their first win at Yankee Stadium.  What a way to finish off a historical day in the Bronx!

 

 

      Other Yankee Stadium facts:

• Yankee Stadium became "The Home of Champions" due to the amount of World Series they won.
• The Yankees won their first World Series against the Giants (remember the Giants kicked them out of the Polo Grounds?)
• The stadium was expanded in 1928.
•  It completed a $1.5 million renovation in 1966 to 1967.
• The Yankees moved to Shea Stadium for three season after a 1973 decision to renovate the ballpark once again.
• On September 21, 2008 the Yankees finished off an incredible end to what was the original Yankee Stadium, before it was to be torn down.
• Catcher Jose Molina scored the last home run; Andy Pettitte was the winning pitcher, while Mariano Rivera threw the last pitch to close the game.
• The all-time Yankee attendance was recorded at 151,959,005.
 

 

 

Lou Gehrig: An Inspiration to Many

     On June 19, 1903 a Yankee legend by the name of Henry Louis Gehrig was born.  Although stricken by poverty and his dad's battle with alcoholism, Gehrig's parents fought to give their son the education he deserved.  His athletic prowess was noted at an early age by his parents.  Gehrig was a gifted athlete in both football and baseball.  His parents devotion to his school work and his athletics enabled Gehrig to enroll at Columbia University, playing both baseball and football.  "Columbia Lou" quickly became a fan favorite. 

 

  Lou Gehrig Speech

   Shortly after he started college, the Yankees began to notice Gehrig's talents as a baseball player .  In April 1923, the Yankees signed Gehrig, who was just nineteen years old at the time, to a major league contract. Upon signing this contract he would earn $1,500, which helped his struggling parents in more ways than they could have ever imagined. 

 

 

   Sent in to replace the first baseman, June 15,1923 was Gehrig's introduction as a professional athlete for the New York Yankees.  He went on to play 2,130 games consecutively, which broke a Major League record.  (Gehrig's record was eventually surpassed by Cal Ripken Jr.) That is no ordinary feat,however.  At that time, Gehrig did not just hold the record for consecutive games played in the MLB; throughout his career, he scored 100 runs each, thirteen seasons in a row.  Through his leadership, the Yankees won six World Series Championships. Meanwhile Gehrig would earn the Triple Crown, break another Major League record, and became the first player to ever hit four home runs in one game in 1931. 

 

     Due to his diligent work ethic and the ability to play through any road block, Yankee fans nicknamed Gehrig "The Iron Horse." Also unlike many players in the major leagues todaywho are outspoken and very confident, Gehrig was much more reserved.  He kept to himself more so than his other teammates.  This did not fare well with some of them, especially Babe Ruth. 

 

    However, no one knew that Gehrig's last record-breaking season would occur in 1937.  Just one year later in 1938, he started to have difficulty completing the most basic tasks such as tying his shoes.  Although he still played through all of the pain, Gehrig had a below-average season. When the following season approached, Gehrig realized that he could no longer play baseball.  After visiting many doctors, he was diagnosed with ALS (now known as Lou Gehrig's disease).  On April 30, at the age of 35, Gehrig played in what would be his last game. 

 

    July 4, 1939 was the day that Gehrig would make his famous, inspirational speech in front of thousands of fans at Yankee Stadium.  Wearing his old uniform, Gehrig couldn't help but fight back tears while addressing his teammates, managers, and everyone who supported his amazing career. 

 

   Many did not know that originally Gehrig did not want to give the speech, but with no script and no teleprompter here is Lou Gehrig's tearful, yet thankful goodbye speech:

 

  Gehrig passed away on July 2nd, 1941 at the age of 37.

 

 

 

 This is an example of how one man can go from living in poverty to becoming a  Hall of Famer, while becoming an inspiration to millions of people.