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I did not grow up in New York City. I don't have an affinity for the Yankees or Mets. When it comes to New York's baseball teams, I would describe myself and completely neutral.

I can't say the same about the teams' respective stadia.

During more than a dozen years as a baseball correspondent, I visited Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium on several occasions and witnessed some unforgettable events in both venues.

As far as preferences, though, it's not even close.

My colleague, Bobby Tanzilo, a diehard Mets fan, isn't going to like hearing this, but I like Yankee Stadium considerably more than Shea.

Yankee Stadium opened in 1923. It's "The House that Ruth Built." It has Monument Park, the unforgettable façade, the giant bat outside and a slew of A-list celebrities in the box seats. You can sense excitement as you get close to 161st Street and River Avenue.

When I think of Yankee Stadium, I think of crisp, magical October nights. I think of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Maris, Larsen, Reggie, Jeter, O'Neill, Joe Torre and countless others.

When I think of Yankee Stadium, I remember how the tension would build in the hours before a big game (or even a regular-season game, for that matter) to the point where it was palpable near the batting cage. I remember being assigned a seat in the auxiliary press box for a playoff game and feeling bummed about it until I realized that there was a Plexiglas partition separating me from George Steinbrenner's private box, where Regis Philbin, Donald Trump, Billy Crystal and "Big Stein" himself munched on snacks and watched the action.

What's the first thing that pops into my head when I think of Shea Stadium? I have to be honest: it's the Beatles. They played there before I was born, but that's what I think about, along with the airplanes from nearby La Guardia Airport, a slow press elevator and some very friendly New York City policemen and jovial stadium workers.

The most memorable moment I witnessed in Shea Stadium may have been the Yankees winning the 2000 "Subway" Series.

Again, I have nothing against the Mets, their organization or their fans. I simply preferred watching baseball in the Bronx over Flushing. Yankee Stadium, which was constructed in 1923 and renovated in the mid-1970s, had a timeless charm. Shea Stadium, built in 1964, seemed outdated like many of the "flying saucer" ballparks of the era. The Mets tried to keep it nice, but its waning years recalled the final seasons at Milwaukee County Stadium.

"Stadiums such as Shea are not great experiences for the fans," Mets owner Fred Wilpon said in a recent interview with Newsday. "The seats are too far from the field; they don't face the field in the right way. That is not to say there isn't a lot of nostalgia and memories of good things, interesting things.

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3 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by dickdave on May 9, 2008 at 10:47 a.m. (report)

Having just got back from Yankee Stadium I was surprised that the surrounding area has not changed in many years. It is not like Fenway at all. Also the food in NYC is so good and why New Yorkers put up with such bad food at Yankee stadium is beyond me. Yankee stadium is very tired looking right now.

Posted by Bobby Tanzilo on May 9, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. (report)

Real nice, Drew. Real nice. But, I would like to point out that I love Shea for the baseball I've enjoyed there. Sure, Shea itself is a crumbling shed, just like County Stadium was. But you loved County Stadium, too, right people? Because YOUR TEAM played there, not because it had amenities. Yankee Stadium might be nicer than Shea, but Yankee Stadium is pretty much a dump, too. To say it's nicer than Shea isn't really saying much. What this article really reminds us is that new stadia in New York City are long overdue. Oh, and Drew, you might like Yankee Stadium better than Shea, but I bet you hate the Mets less than you hate the Yankees! :-)

Posted by yinger73 on May 9, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. (report)

I've been to both Yankee Stadium and Shea and I've got to concur with Drew. My first trip to Yankee Stadium was on the day after Mickey Mantle died. It was interesting to be there and see so many long time Yanks fans crying between innings when they showed highlights of the Mick's career between innings and then see the same fans curse out somebody on the field or a guy with an Indians hat on (they played Cleveland that day) in the stands just minutes later. Going to Shea was nostalgic for me but mainly because the place really reminded me of County Stadium.