Yankees change flags atop stadium

[FiddySicks]

Relax man, I was joking, I thought my second line made that clear.

I do have to ask though if you've been to other stadiums. I've never been to Trop, but haven't heard anything but awful things about it from people that have.

I've been to the Trop, it's not that bad. It's not along the lines of AT&T Park, Minute Maid, or New Bush obviously. But it's still better then the last rendition of Yankee Stadium. That place was a DUMP. I'd compare the Trop to an indoor version of the Oakland Coliseum, which is another park that gets ripped on way too much.

Speaking of Yankee Stadium though, that new building is absolutely beautiful. I"m going to NYC this summer and I'm really looking forward to going there and to Citi Field.

[AsInHowe]

The Trop does have team flags. They're small metal ones above the right field scoreboard. I'm pretty sure they're generic ones that have been redone to represent the American League teams.

[The_Admiral]

http://progressiveboink.com/index.php?/archive/where-the-sun-dont-shine/

This is the best (and actually somehow most favorable) account of Tropicana Field on the Internet. Regular season baseball in St. Petersburg was a bad enough idea without the majors' worst stadium. Yeesh.

[Dexter Morgan]

Well the Trop isn't really a major league stadium, so I wouldn't expect it to display major league logos.

I hate it when the Trop gets crap for being an indoor stadium. It's a perfectly good place to play or watch a baseball game. Does it have luxury boxes or fancy architecture? No, but in my opinion, a baseball stadium, from a player's standpoint, is for playing a game, and from a fan's standpoint, it's for watching a game. The game can still be played there, and I can watch a game perfectly.

That said, I wouldn't mind a new stadium, but it doesn't stop me from going to the Trop for games.

Tropicana Field is a dump.

[BawlmerOreos]

Watching a game in the Trop is like watching a game in a Best Buy.

You have a fantastic organization...the team deserves better.

[powersurge]

Give the Rays organization credit for at least "improving" the Trop...but lets face it, its still NOT a great baseball facility no matter what you do to it.

Well, actually if you bulldoze it and rebuild it could be a great facility

[Matito]

Well fine, if it's so terrible, feel free to write Stu Sternberg a check.

[Mac the Knife]

I honestly haven't been paying attention to baseball one bit since I'm still in B-ball mode, but what did they do about the championship wall in monument field? Did they alter it to fit the 2009 box? I honestly think it was total stupidity to not leave any room for other championship years in there...I mean c'mon its the Yankees, they're gonna win more championships whether I like it or not.

You don't think the Yankees have it in the budget to have that wall re-done?

[The_Admiral]

Well fine, if it's so terrible, feel free to write Stu Sternberg a check.

It's not a matter of "if." It is terrible. This is accepted. A stadium that doesn't allow for an outdoor game to be played outdoors is unacceptable. I don't care if it's too hot or too rainy. It probably really isn't, and if it is, then perhaps baseball is not a viable pursuit. Having lived my life in temperate climes, I cannot process the idea of going inside to watch a baseball game (there are even times I'd rather listen to the game on the walkman than sit inside watching on television), and by the looks of things, even my subtropical brethren by the Bay struggle with the concept as well, because nobody goes to Rays games.

I hope the Rays can raise the funds to build that oceanside park they'd planned at the Al Lang site, because that looked really nice and would've mitigated a lot of heat concerns by being right on the water like that. I'm pulling for you guys, at least until it becomes a taxpayer shakedown.

[Buster]

Well the Trop isn't really a major league stadium, so I wouldn't expect it to display major league logos.

I hate it when the Trop gets crap for being an indoor stadium. It's a perfectly good place to play or watch a baseball game. Does it have luxury boxes or fancy architecture? No, but in my opinion, a baseball stadium, from a player's standpoint, is for playing a game, and from a fan's standpoint, it's for watching a game. The game can still be played there, and I can watch a game perfectly.

That said, I wouldn't mind a new stadium, but it doesn't stop me from going to the Trop for games.

{sings} On the catwalk...

[The_Admiral]

If it storms too much to contest baseball games outdoors, then doesn't it storm too much to safely drive to games contested indoors? Or are Florida's famous thunderstorms timed in such a way that it's smooth sailing (or driving, as the case may be) till just after a 7 p.m. first pitch, at which point the skies reliably open up to Old Testament proportions?

[Matito]

Well fine, if it's so terrible, feel free to write Stu Sternberg a check.

It's not a matter of "if." It is terrible. This is accepted. A stadium that doesn't allow for an outdoor game to be played outdoors is unacceptable. I don't care if it's too hot or too rainy. It probably really isn't, and if it is, then perhaps baseball is not a viable pursuit. Having lived my life in temperate climes, I cannot process the idea of going inside to watch a baseball game (there are even times I'd rather listen to the game on the walkman than sit inside watching on television), and by the looks of things, even my subtropical brethren by the Bay struggle with the concept as well, because nobody goes to Rays games.

I hope the Rays can raise the funds to build that oceanside park they'd planned at the Al Lang site, because that looked really nice and would've mitigated a lot of heat concerns by being right on the water like that. I'm pulling for you guys, at least until it becomes a taxpayer shakedown.

That proposal, sadly, is all but dead. There are three major site proposals at this time. There's one (Carillon) just off of I-275 on the Pinellas County (St. Petersburg) side of the Bay, one right next to the St. Pete Times Forum where the Lightning play (Channelside), and one at the Florida State Fairgrounds, a little farther east on I-4. I personally hope that the Carillon proposal will be picked, but that's just because I'm in St. Pete.

If it storms too much to contest baseball games outdoors, then doesn't it storm too much to safely drive to games contested indoors? Or are Florida's famous thunderstorms timed in such a way that it's smooth sailing (or driving, as the case may be) till just after a 7 p.m. first pitch, at which point the skies reliably open up to Old Testament proportions?

It really does storm here just about every day, but usually it's in the afternoon, from about 1-5 PM. The big deal would be the heat/humidity moreso than the rain, and day games would be killer. I would be fine with a retractable roof, so long as it's done right, like Safeco, where if still looks like a ballpark, not like Minute Maid or Miller Parks where it looks like a dark warehouse. At least the Trop is brighter than those two.

[goforbroke]

I honestly haven't been paying attention to baseball one bit since I'm still in B-ball mode, but what did they do about the championship wall in monument field? Did they alter it to fit the 2009 box? I honestly think it was total stupidity to not leave any room for other championship years in there...I mean c'mon its the Yankees, they're gonna win more championships whether I like it or not.

You don't think the Yankees have it in the budget to have that wall re-done?

I'm more worried about the retired numbers wall in monument park. there really isn't enough room for any more and in the next 5 years or so they are going to need to retire #2, #42 (Mo, not Jackie's) maybe #51, #20 and even #13.

[raysox]

THANK YOU for posting that. I needed a map to see where they were thinking about. I personally would built it at the Carrilon Site. Pinellas would still have the team, and it's right off the bridge from Tampa. But Hillsborough fans can't grasp the fact that you can zip over that bridge and get to the game.

Also a retractable roof is necessary.

[Perfect Zero]

The Ballpark in Arlington still has flags in the outfield section of the part to signify who is in first place. Of course, they don't have the option to put up 27 world championship flags either.

[Matito]

THANK YOU for posting that. I needed a map to see where they were thinking about. I personally would built it at the Carrilon Site. Pinellas would still have the team, and it's right off the bridge from Tampa. But Hillsborough fans can't grasp the fact that you can zip over that bridge and get to the game.

Also a retractable roof is necessary.

I hadn't seen a map, so I just whipped it up. The locations may be a bit off. I guesstimated the spot for the Channelside one, and Carillon is about a mile off the water.

[twi]

For all its shortcomings the Trop does have some benefits. Namely the variety and quality of food, spacious walkways, and the neat "attractions" like the ray tank and the Hitters' Museum. (Not sure if that is permanent or touring. There has been something cool in that space everytime I've been though.) I'm not the biggest baseball fan so for me these things mean a lot when I'm looking for something to keep me awake during the 5th and 6th inning doldrums. Place can get insanely loud too.

As for a new stadium, I think the fairgrounds would be the best spot, IF they also put in the work to make it easier for up to 20,000 people get in and out. Right off 75, right by the I4 connection. A retactable roof is a must, imo. Baseball is an outdoor game but you can't ignore the reality that is thunderstorms in this area in the summer.

[oo_nrb]

That proposal, sadly, is all but dead.

That's a damn shame... the renderings that popped up of that ballpark were beautiful, and to me it suited the Rays perfectly, especially in their new uniforms.

[jkrdevil]

The Trop sucks for one major reason. You sit down and instead of the lights being above you they basically shine right in your face because of the roof's shape.

Don't know what this has to do with the flags at Yankee Stadium though.

[powersurge]

I honestly haven't been paying attention to baseball one bit since I'm still in B-ball mode, but what did they do about the championship wall in monument field? Did they alter it to fit the 2009 box? I honestly think it was total stupidity to not leave any room for other championship years in there...I mean c'mon its the Yankees, they're gonna win more championships whether I like it or not.

You don't think the Yankees have it in the budget to have that wall re-done?

LOL!

yeah, they'll probably build ANOTHER stadium next door to celebrate the next 27 titles.

New New Yankee Stadium....the entire field will be a jumbotron and the fans will ALL be sitting on leather lounge chairs all the way to the rafters.