Plan a visit to the new Yankee Stadium!

Plan to visit new Yankee Stadium at Monument Park -- it is the epitome of a first class stadium!

I will never go down in baseball history as the most successful pitcher ever, but I will challenge anyone to find a Major League Baseball player who has been more fortunate than me over the past 52 years.

My string of good fortune continued when I had an unforgettable experience at the new Yankee Stadium. I had a personal tour of the Stadium the day before the official opening by Lonn Trost, COO of the Yankees, and through the graciousness of Debbie Tymon, the Yankees' Director of Marketing, I was invited to be one of 46 former Yankee players introduced on the field prior to the historic first regular season game.
 
My spot on-field for the festivities was smack in the middle of the field behind second base where I had an amazing panoramic view of the new Yankee Stadium. What an experience! Don Larsen, who pitched the only perfect game in World Series history in 1956, was on one side of me and Reggie Jackson was on the other. Former teammates Goose Gossage, Graig Nettles, Bucky Dent, Willie Randolph and Mickey Rivers were there along with many of my former Yankee competitors such as Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Bobby Richardson and Ralph Terry. Paul O'Neill, David Cone, David Wells, and many of those covered over the past 22 years while announcing for the Yankees were there too. I had a chance to visit with all of them before the ceremonies -- what a wonderful trip down memory lane. Then it was time to announce the first game in the new Yankee Stadium with Bob Costas and Harold Reynolds. What an unforgettable day!
 
The new Yankee Stadium is a good mix of modern amenities while preserving the rich history of the most storied franchise in professional history. Attention was paid to every detail. For example, the food court has pictures of former Yankee greats like Babe Ruth, Yogi Berra and Lou Gehrig eating or drinking. The great hall has huge color portraits of the modern Yankee greats and the old-time Yankee giants like Bill Dickey, Mickey Mantle, and many more are remembered in black and white. Another room is filled with autographed baseballs of many of the former Yankees players. There is a computerized list of all the names and where to find them -- I'm number 55b. The luxury suites are numbered and the name of every Yankee that wore that number is on a plaque outside the suite.

Monument Park is accessible to all and there are great photo spots where you can have your picture taken. If you don't have a ticket but would like to enjoy the thrill of the game at the Stadium, the Hard Rock cafe and NYY Steak are accessible from the outside and open to the public. You can always watch the game on one of 1,400 (yes 1,400!), flat screen HD TV's throughout the Stadium. The new Yankee Stadium is designed to get around with ease; 16 high speed elevators, 81 staircases and extra wide concourses make it easy to walk without bumping into people -- unlike Manhattan.

I was asked by many friends and family, "Is the new Yankee Stadium impressive?" Over the years I have found there are very few openings including restaurants, golf courses, movies, concerts or plays that have lived up to advance hype and expectations. But the new Yankee Stadium at Monument Park exceeds everything I thought it would be by a large margin!

I often say to friends, "You can love them or hate them. But one thing you can count on, the Yankees do everything first class." The new Yankee Stadium is the epitome of that. Plan a visit this season -- you won't be disappointed.