Yankees Honor Archrival Red Sox

Sweet Caroline is played at every Red Sox home game.

New York Yankees Promise To End Homophobic Taunting In The Stands

Responding to pressure from GLAAD, the New York Yankees have vowed to end homophobic taunting by their fans. The issue came to light on Tuesday thanks to a video (created by JMG reader Sean Chapin) which showed fans shouting an obscene version of Village People's YMCA at fans for opposing teams. Via GLAAD:

We reached out to the Yankees, and were extremely pleased with their reaction. Yankees spokesperson Alice McGillion told us “the Yankees have zero tolerance for this and any kind of abuse.” She said that security in the bleacher sections of the stadium will warn fans, before YMCA is played, that any type of homophobic abuse “will not be tolerated” and she assured us that any fans who take part in this ugly bullying will be ejected from the game. We’d like to thank McGillion and the Yankees organization for their prompt and proactive response.

The taunting has been a tradition at Yankee Stadium at least since 2006, when the original clip was first posted on YouTube, where it has received 200,000 views to date. Once again, here's Sean Chapin's version.

Homophobia At Yankee Stadium

If you are a fan of the opposing team at Yankee Stadium, this is how Yankee fans will treat you. Infantile.

UPDATE: Sean Chapin reports that YouTube has disabled the clip and issued him a "first strike" warning for violating terms of services. No explanation has yet been given. Stand by for this clip to be replaced at another video hosting service.

UPDATE II: YouTube has sent Sean this message.UPDATE III: The video is back up.

George Steinbrenner Dead At 80

Mercurial New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died of a heart attack this morning in Florida at the age of 80. Since Steinbrenner bought the team in 1973, the Yankees have won eleven pennants and seven World Series. He retired from day to day operations in 2006, handing over the business to his two sons. Steinbrenner is widely credited as having turned the Yankees into the world's most valuable sports brand, with the team and its assets now being worth an estimated $1.6B. His infamous eccentricities were regularly parodied on Seinfeld.

Terrarium Town

An interesting TV bit on today's "tickertape" parade for the New York Yankees mentioned that the total tonnage of confetti dumped in the "Canyon Of Heroes" is down by about 75% since the 1930's. Because so few of downtown's buildings have windows that can be opened. I know they're energy efficient and all that, but I feel like a hamster in those places.

Yankees Win World Series

In 1923, their first season at the "House That Ruth Built," the New York Yankees won the World Series. In 2009, their first season at the "House That Bloomberg Built With Over One Billion Dollars In Tax-Exempt Bonds," the Yankees won the World Series.

That Ball Is Outta Here

Call me a bad New Yorker, but I find it a little giggle-worthy that the brand new fancy-schmancy Yankee Stadium, which was built with tax-exempt city bonds at a cost of $1.5B, is poised to be a record-setting home run factory. This, despite "expert" wind evaluations that promised the new field would be no more batter-friendly than the old one. At the current rate, the new stadium will see 400 homers this season versus 160 last year at the old field. How many millions did the Yankees just spend to hire hotshot pitchers? FAIL.

Macho, Macho Yanks

The Yankees held their annual hazing of the rookies this weekend, forcing the newbies to dress as the Village People and parade around Boston. I watched it on the news, wondering if there might be a faint hint of homophobia in making the players dress as the most famous gay group of all time, but everybody seemed to be having a ball with it. I gotta wonder who got them the outfits, isn't that a Nasty Pig shirt on the cop?

Goodbye To Yankee Stadium

Yesterday the final game was played at Yankee Stadium, the most venerated sports venue in American history.

It will only grow with time, like Lou Gehrig’s farewell, Don Larsen’s masterpiece and Reggie Jackson’s third home run in a World Series game. Untold thousands will say they were there the night the curtain fell on baseball’s grandest stage.

It happened Sunday night in the Bronx, when Yankee Stadium hosted a baseball game for the last time. It went out the way it opened, with a victory, this one by 7-3 over the Baltimore Orioles. Babe Ruth hit the first home run, in 1923, and José Molina hit the last, a two-run shot to left that broke a tie in the fourth inning.

Tickets for yesterday's game went as high as $3500 for seats behind the home dugout. The stadium will be dismantled and many parts (seats, signage, banners) will be sold on eBay. The final game at the Mets' Shea Stadium will be this weekend and that stadium will be disposed of similarly. Both teams have nearly-completed brand new stadiums waiting in former parking lots next door.