Monument Park (Yankee Stadium)
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Monument Park is an open-air museum located at the new Yankee Stadium containing a collection of monuments, plaques, and retired numbers honoring distinguished members of the New York Yankees.
The original Monument Park was created when the old Yankee Stadium fence was moved in 44 feet during a late 70's renovation, enclosing prior monuments, plaques, and a flag pole previously on the field of play. Over time, additional plaques were added to the original centerfield wall and "Monument Park" became formalized. When the Yankees moved to their new ballpark in 2009 a replica Monument Park was built beyond the center-field fences and the contents of the old transported over.
Plaques in Monument Park are a great honor for players so distinguished. The monuments mounted posthumously on five large red granite blocks are the highest honor of all. Only five Yankees have been so recognized: players Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Joe DiMaggio, and manager Miller Huggins.
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[edit] History
[edit] Precursor
The original Yankee Stadium was built in 1923. As with many other so-called Jewel Box ballparks of the era the flag pole in was placed in play. With a generous center field dimension of 500' straightaway there was plenty of room for it without materially interfering in play. In 1929, Yankees manager Miller Huggins died suddenly, and in his honor the team erected a free-standing monument in front of the flag pole consisting of a bronze plaque mounted on an upright block of red granite resembling a headstone.[1]
The Huggins monument was later joined by similar memorials to Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth erected upon their deaths. Over time a number of plaques were mounted behind them on the outfield wall. Placing monuments in the field of play was not so unusual at the time, as there had been in-play stones and plaques at the Polo Grounds and Forbes Field. In 1969, Mickey Mantle was given a plaque by Joe DiMaggio to hang on the center field wall, who in turn gave Joe DiMaggio a plaque of his own which, in Mickey's words, had to be hung a little bit higher than his.
While the monuments were very far from home plate, a batted ball still sometimes made it back there. In the 1992 book The Gospel According to Casey, by Ira Berkow and Jim Kaplan, it is reported that on one occasion a Yankees outfielder had let the ball get by him and was fumbling for it among the monuments. Manager Casey Stengel hollered to the field, "Ruth, Gehrig, Huggins, somebody get that ball back to the infield!"[citation needed]
[edit] Monument Park I
When Yankee Stadium was remodeled in 1974-5, the center field fence was moved in to 417' from its previous 457'; a subsequent reduction brought the fence in again to 410'. This enclosed the area, formerly in play, containing the flag pole and monuments. As this fenced in area between the two bullpens gathered additional plaques on the original wall it began to be referred to as "Monument Park".[2]
With the formalization of the area as an official Monument Park the Mantle and DiMaggio plaques were removed from the wall upon their deaths and mounted on red granite blocks matching the original three of Huggins, Gehrig, and Ruth.
It was an achievement for a home run to reach Monument Park on the fly. Among those who did so were Thurman Munson (in Game 3 of the 1978 American League Championship Series) and Alex Rodriguez (in August 2005).[citation needed]
Monument Park was inaccessible to fans until 1985.[2] After the center field fence was moved in, the Yankees enabled fans to visit Monument Park prior to most games at Yankee Stadium.[2] Monument Park was also part of the public tour of Yankee Stadium.
[edit] Monument Park II
When the Yankees moved to their new ballpark, the Yankees established a new Monument Park in the new stadium[3] An area was built behind the fence in straightaway center field, below the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar that serves as the batter's eye. Built of pearl blue granite from Finland, this new monument park features the five Yankee monuments in a central area around a black marble Yankees logo. This is flanked by two short stone walls which hold the retired numbers. The plaques are mounted on the back wall and the September 11th monument is on one end of the park.
In contrast to the old stadium, the new Monument Park is not readily visible from the field, and its relatively drab appearance and inconspicuous placement have led some to derisively nickname it "Monument Cave."[4][5]
[edit] Honorees
[edit] Honored baseball members
The following players and other Yankees personnel are honored with monuments or plaques in Monument Park. Monuments are considered a greater honor than plaques, and are only awarded posthumously.[6]
Often, the uniform number of the player being honored is retired in the same ceremony. Such events historically often took place either at home openers or on Old Timers' Day, but have lately been scheduled on separate weekend home games. Figures are listed in the order in which their plaques were dedicated:
| Honoree | Name of the honoree |
|---|---|
| Position(s) | Fielding position(s) or role in the organization |
| Yankee career | Years with the Yankee organization |
| Number retired (x) | Date number retired (and number), if applicable |
| Plaque | Date plaque dedicated, if applicable |
| Monument | Date monument dedicated, if applicable |
 |
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |
| Honoree | Position(s) | Yankee career | Number retired | Plaque | Monument | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miller Huggins |
Manager | 1918–1929 | — | May 30, 1932 | May 30, 1932 | [7] |
| Lou Gehrig |
First baseman | 1923–1939 | July 4, 1939 (#4) | July 6, 1941 | July 6, 1941 | [8] |
| Jacob Ruppert | Owner | 1915–1939 | — | April 19, 1940 | — | [9] |
| Babe Ruth |
Right fielder | 1920–1934 | June 13, 1948 (#3) | April 19, 1949 | April 19, 1949 | [10] |
| Ed Barrow |
General manager | 1921–1946 | — | April 15, 1954 | — | [11] |
| Joe DiMaggio |
Center fielder | 1936–1951 | April 18, 1952 (#5) | June 8, 1969 | April 25, 1999 | [12] |
| Mickey Mantle |
Center fielder | 1951–1968 | June 8, 1969 (#7) | June 8, 1969 | August 25, 1996 | [13] |
| Joe McCarthy |
Manager | 1931–1946 | — | April 29, 1976 | — | [14] |
| Casey Stengel |
Manager | 1949–1960 | August 8, 1970 (#37) | July 30, 1976 | — | [15] |
| Thurman Munson | Catcher | 1969–1979 | August 2, 1979 (#15) | August 9, 1980 | — | [16] |
| Elston Howard | Catcher / Outfielder | 1955–1967 | July 21, 1984 (#32) | July 21, 1984 | — | [17] |
| Roger Maris | Outfielder | 1960–1966 | July 21, 1984 (#9) | July 21, 1984 | — | [17] |
| Phil Rizzuto |
Shortstop / Broadcaster | 1941–1956, 1957–96 | August 4, 1985 (#10) | August 4, 1985 | — | [18] |
| Billy Martin | Second baseman / Manager | 1950–1957, 1975–1978, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1988 |
August 10, 1986 (#1) | August 10, 1986 | — | [19] |
| Lefty Gomez |
Pitcher | 1930–1942 | — | August 1, 1987 | — | [20] |
| Whitey Ford |
Pitcher | 1950–1967 | April 6, 1974 (#16) | August 1, 1987 | — | [20] |
| Bill Dickey |
Catcher | 1928–1946 | April 18, 1972 (#8) | August 21, 1988 | — | [21] |
| Yogi Berra |
Catcher / Outfielder | 1946–1963 | April 18, 1972 (#8) | August 21, 1988 | — | [21] |
| Allie Reynolds | Pitcher | 1947–1954 | — | August 27, 1989 | — | [22] |
| Don Mattingly | First baseman | 1982–1995 | August 31, 1997 (#23) | August 31, 1997 | — | [23] |
| Mel Allen |
Broadcaster | 1939–1964, 1976–1989 | — | July 25, 1998 | — | [24] |
| Bob Sheppard | Public address announcer | 1951–2007 | — | May 7, 2000 | — | [25] |
| Reggie Jackson |
Right fielder | 1977–1981 | August 14, 1993 (#44) | July 6, 2002 | — | [26] |
| Ron Guidry | Pitcher | 1975–1988 | August 23, 2003 (#49) | August 23, 2003 | — | [27] |
| Red Ruffing |
Pitcher | 1930–1946 | — | July 10, 2004 | — | [28] |
| Jackie Robinson |
Second baseman | — | April 15, 1997 (#42) | April 17, 2007 | — | [29] |
| George Steinbrenner | Owner | 1973–2010 | — | September 20, 2010 | September 20, 2010 | [30] |
Miller Huggins never wore a number on his uniform, and so no number is retired in his honor. Although the Yankees adopted uniform numbers in 1929, McCarthy never wore a number as Yankee manager, and so no number has been retired in his honor.
The Jacob Ruppert plaque was placed on the outfield wall, to the right of the flagpole. The Lou Gehrig monument was placed to the left of the Huggins monument. Gehrig was the first Major League Baseball player to have his uniform number retired.[31] The Babe Ruth monument was placed to the right of the Huggins monument. The Ed Barrow plaque was placed on the wall, to the left of the flagpole.
The Mantle and DiMaggio plaques were mounted side-by-side on the outfield wall, Mantle's, as former Yankee publicist Marty Appel noted in his own memoir, was slightly lower than DiMaggio's as Mantle had suggested. These were the last plaques to be placed in play. The 1974–1975 renovation of Yankee Stadium added a new shorter centerfield fence, effectively enclosing the original wall they were hung on as what came to be known as Monument Park.
In honor of Jackie Robinson's unique place as the first black player of the modern era, his number 42 was retired throughout baseball on April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Yankees erected a plaque for Robinson[29] reading: "In becoming the first Major League player to break the color barrier, Jackie will forever be an inspiration with his grace, dignity and perseverance. His story and the stories of those who never had the same opportunity must never be forgotten." 42s were also painted in front of each dugout. Players active at the time of the number's retirement in 1997 were granted a special exemption permitting them to continue wearing the number for the remainder of their careers; the last such player still active is Yankee relief pitcher Mariano Rivera.
[edit] Other honorees
In addition to baseball related recognitions the Knights of Columbus donated plaques in honor of the Masses celebrated at Yankee Stadium by Pope Paul VI on October 4, 1965; Pope John Paul II on October 2, 1979; and Pope Benedict XVI on April 20, 2008.
The Yankees also dedicated a monument to the victims and rescue workers of the September 11, 2001 attacks on September 11, 2002, the first anniversary of the attacks. It was placed in the back right corner.
[edit] Monument Park I photo gallery
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Miller Huggins's Monument
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Lou Gehrig's Monument
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Babe Ruth's Monument
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Mickey Mantle's Monument
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Joe DiMaggio's Monument
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Jacob Ruppert's Plaque
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Monument Park from the stadium's pressbox
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The September 11th Monument
[edit] Monument Park II photo gallery
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Monument Park
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Monument Park and surrounding area
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Roger Maris's plaque
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Elston Howard's plaque
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Ed Barrow's plaque
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Joe McCarthy's plaque
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Whitey Ford's plaque
[edit] See also
Media related to Monument Park (Yankee Stadium) at Wikimedia Commons
[edit] References
- ^ "Results in Major Sports Yesterday". The New York Times. May 31, 1932. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00B15F63F5513738DDDA80B94DD405B828FF1D3. Retrieved November 25, 2011. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Sandomir, Richard (September 21, 2010). "Everyone Agrees: Steinbrenner’s Plaque Is Big". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/sports/baseball/22monument.html. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- ^ Anthony DiComo (November 12, 2008). "Monument of Babe Ruth removed: Artifact will make its way to new Yankee Stadium by year's end". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081112&content_id=3676342&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
- ^ Madden, Bill (2009-05-09). "An open letter to Boss: Please, fix Yankee Stadium". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/05/09/2009-05-09_madden_an_open_letter_to_boss__please_fix_your_stadium.html. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ "Impressions of the Opener". The Lohud Yankees Blog. The Journal News. 2009-04-16. http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2009/04/16/impressions-of-the-opener/. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
- ^ Brunell, Evan (2010-08-24). "Steinbrenner to be honored in Monument Park". CBS Sports (CBS Sports). http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/24087040/. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
- ^ "Mayor to Speak at Unveiling Of Huggins Memorial Today - Free Preview - The New York Times". Select.nytimes.com. 1932-05-30. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50615FC385A13738DDDA90B94DD405B828FF1D3. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ . http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xMA0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=a00DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6129,7032381. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ . http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xJYRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9OMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3541,2915903. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ Roden, Ralph (April 20, 1949). "Six Home Teams Score Victories in Opener". St. Petersburg Times. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LswKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VU4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3655,6203626. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
- ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=60BSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aXoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4608,7753939&dq=ed+barrow+plaque&hl=en
- ^ "An American icon: DiMaggio honored at Yankee Stadium with monument". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. April 25, 1999. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/1999/04/25/dimaggio_honored/. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
- ^ Ira Berkow (August 26, 1996). "A Final, Sweet Ovation for Mantle". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/26/sports/a–19final–19sweet–19ovation–19for–19mantle.html. Retrieved September 17, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Wallace, William N. (1976-04-21). "Yanks Top White Sox, 5-4, As Shirt Dispute Flares; Yankees Win, 5-4, In a Shirt Battle". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A10F93E5F167493C3AB178FD85F428785F9.
- ^ . http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XRwLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VVIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3364,193949. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ . http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tccsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OhMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5246,898824. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ a b http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=clNaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n0wNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4719,2581429
- ^ Kerber, Fred (2007-08-14). "For 'dreamer' Scooter, a moo-ving day". New York: Nydailynews.com. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2007/08/14/2007-08-14_for_dreamer_scooter_a_mooving_day.html. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ . http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UNIpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QMoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4479,6719460. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ a b Noble, Marty (1987-08-03). "Well, 2 Out of 3 Ain't BadYanks aren't overwhelmed by successful weekend". http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/104526144.html?dids=104526144:104526144&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+03%2C+1987&author=By+Marty+Noble&pub=Newsday+%28Combined+editions%29&desc=Well%2C+2+Out+of+3+Ain%27t+BadYanks+aren%27t+overwhelmed+by+successful+weekend&pqatl=google.
- ^ a b Shaughnessy, Dan (1988-08-21). "Is Balance Of Al Power Headed West?". Boston Globe. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59659152.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+21%2C+1988&author=Dan+Shaughnessy%2C+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=IS+BALANCE+OF+AL+POWER+HEADED+WEST%3F&pqatl=google.
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- ^ Chass, Murray (1997-09-01). "ON BASEBALL - Mattingly's Monument To Effort". NYTimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/01/sports/mattingly-s-monument-to-effort.html. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
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- ^ Madden, Bill (2000-05-08). "FOR ONCE, SHEPPARD IS SPEECHLESS Yanks hail keeper of names". New York: Nydailynews.com. http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/2000/05/08/2000-05-08_for_once__sheppard_is_speech.html. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ Lupica, Mike (2002-07-06). "Reggie Means World To Yanks". New York: Nydailynews.com. http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/2002/07/06/2002-07-06_reggie_means_world_to_yanks.html. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
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- ^ By David Moses / MLB.com (2004-07-10). "Ruffing finally gets his plaque | yankees.com: News". Newyork.yankees.mlb.com. http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20040710&content_id=794774&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
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