Cathedral of Baseball (Yankee Stadium)
Yankee Stadium (both the one opened in 1923 and the one opened in 2009) has been called the “Cathedral of Baseball or “Baseball’s Cathedral.”
“Yankee Stadium is the cathedral of baseball, a magnificent monument to the sport, the home of a club that has drawn 4,000,000 customers this summer” was written by sportswriter Red Smith (1905-1982) in the New York (NY) Herald Tribune on September 27, 1949. “The park first opened its doors 50 years ago today—April 18, 1923—and since that time it has become the cathedral of baseball” was printed in the Columbia (SC) Record on April 18, 1973. “THE CATHEDRAL OF BASEBALL…IT WILL BE BACK!!!” was posted on Twitter by Rudy W. Giuliani on April 20, 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic).
“The overhead lights were turned on in Yankee stadium, baseball’s cathedral and base of its legendary gods” was printed in the Chicago (IL) Daily Tribune on October 11, 1960. “Next season will serve as a six-month homage to Yankee Stadium, as baseball’s cathedral will celebrate its 86th and final year” was posted on the newsgroup yankees-fans on September 19, 2007. “Tonight at 6pm ET, we go inside one of baseball’s ultimate monuments in @Yankees Stadium: Baseball’s Cathedral” was posted on Twitter by MLB Network on November 20, 2011.
Other Yankee Stadium nicknames include “Big Ball Orchard in the South Bronx,” “Bronx Bandbox,” “Bronx Toilet,” “Coors Field East,” “Home Office of Baseball,” “Launching Pad” and “The House That Ruth Built.”
Wikipedia: Yankee Stadium (1923)
The original Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees, one of the city’s Major League Baseball franchises, from 1923 to 2008, except for 1974–1975 when the stadium was renovated. It hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the home of the New York Giants National Football League (NFL) team from 1956 through September 1973. The stadium’s nickname, “The House That Ruth Built”, is derived from Babe Ruth, the baseball superstar whose prime years coincided with the stadium’s opening and the beginning of the Yankees’ winning history. It has often been referred to as “The Cathedral of Baseball”.
27 September 1949, New York (NY) Herald Tribune, “Views of Sport” by Red Smith, pg. 23, col. 6:
Yankee Stadium is the cathedral of baseball, a magnificent monument to the sport, the home of a club that has drawn 4,000,000 customers this summer. Its press box is altogether adequate for most series with the Browns.
Newspapers.com
11 October 1960, Chicago (IL) Daily Tribune, “In the Wake of the News” by David Condon, pt. 4, pg. 1, col. 5:
NEW YORK, Oct. 10—The overhead lights were turned on in Yankee stadium, baseball’s cathedral and base of its legendary gods, just before the ninth inning of today’s world series match.
Newspapers.com
18 April 1973, Columbia (SC) Record, “Birthday For a ‘Cathedral’” by Doug Nye, pg. 1-D, col. 1:
The park first opened its doors 50 years ago today—April 18, 1923—and since that time it has become the cathedral of baseball. Yankee Stadium—just the sound of those two words together conjurs up visions of powerful bats, masterful pitching performances and brilliant outfield catches.
Newspapers.com
5 July 1989, Hartford (CT) Courant, “Yankees slip past Tigers” by Jerry McConnell, pg. D1, col. 1:
NEW YORK—Fourth of July at Yankee Stadium, the cathedral of baseball legends, holds special significance.
Newspapers.com
11 August 1991, Miami (FL) Herald, “Legacy of Yankee Stadium” by Dave Von Drehle, pg. 8A, col. 1:
Baseball’s cathedral
But if they are churches, Yankee Stadium is baseball’s cathedral.
Google Groups: rec.sport.baseball
Reasons for Yankee dominance?
Gerald Lanza
May 16, 1994, 12:28:04 PM
(...)
I actually think the entire Yankee reign was determined by the purchase of Ruth. He permitted the creation of the cathedral of baseball, Yankee Stadium and established the winning tradition that lured the better players to the Yankees.
Newspapers.com
26 April 1995, Daily News (New York, NY), “Getting back to biz-ball game” by Dennis Hamill, Long Island sec., pg. 1, col. 2:
Over in Macombs Dam Park in the shadow of the baseball cathedral, neighborhood kids practice their jump shots.
Google Groups: clari.sports.baseball.major
Travel Odyssey for Braves / Oct 19
Sports Ticker
Oct 19, 1996, 3:00:00 AM
SPORTSTICKER BASEBALL NOTE
By Doug Mittler
Senior Editor
(...)
Major league players are often criticized for not having a sense of history, but the Braves were an enthusiastic bunch as they held an evening workout at the Stadium.
Smoltz referred to the facility as “The Cathedral of Baseball” and talked of how he visited the stadium briefly early in his career with the Detroit Tigers. While not on the roster, Smoltz practiced with the Tigers during a September trip to New York.
Google Groups: alt.obituarie
DEATHWATCH: Yankee Stadium
Bill Schenley
Jul 11, 2001, 2:16:34 AM
> Yikes. I’ve never seen a game in that stadium. I guess I’d better
> take a road trip soon.
Then you should go. This is the best baseball cathedral you could ever hope to visit.
Even if you are not a Yankee fan, Yankee Stadium is still the apex of baseball fields.
Google Groups: alt.culture.ny-upstate
Do Upstaters root for Yankees?
Bill
Oct 20, 2003, 4:20:50 PM
About once a year, I take my family down to a game at what I consider to be the Home Office of Baseball, or the Baseball Cathedral, or the House that Ruth Built, or, if you prefer, Yankee Stadium.
Google Groups: yankees-fans
Report: Yanks will be on road to finish 2008 season
Les
Sep 19, 2007, 7:40:55 AM
Report: Yanks will be on road to finish 2008 season
By MARK FEINSAND and BILL MADDEN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS
Wednesday, September 19th 2007, 4:00 AM
The House That Ruth Built will close at the end of the 2008 season, but the schedule that MLB built doesn’t seem to realize that.
Next season will serve as a six-month homage to Yankee Stadium, as baseball’s cathedral will celebrate its 86th and final year.
OCLC WorldCat record
Yankee Stadium : baseball’s cathedral
Authors: Meredith Eckert, Jeff Scott, Chazz Palminteri, Major League Baseball Productions, A & E Home Video (Firm), New Video Group
Summary: Fans and ballplayers have congregated for more than 80 years to witness history, they cheer their hearts out, realize their dreams and heal their souls in this ultimate baseball cathedral. The stadium that means so much to so many
DVD Video, English, 2011
Publisher: A & E Home Video : New Video, [United States], 2011
Twitter
MLB Network
@MLBNetwork
Tonight at 6pm ET, we go inside one of baseball’s ultimate monuments in @Yankees Stadium: Baseball’s Cathedral.
5:30 PM · Nov 20, 2011
Twitter
Barry Jordan
@BarrydaVillain
At the cathedral of baseball, Yankee Stadium to watch my @Yankees
3:43 PM · Jul 28, 2012
Twitter
Larry Covitt
@thelarry7
Awesome night for a @Yankees game at the Cathedral of Baseball with @melissaleighcc
8:29 PM · Aug 13, 2012
Twitter
𝕶𝖆𝖗𝖑 𝕰𝖘𝖈𝖔𝖇𝖆𝖗
@KarLEscobar
@Yankees the 27 Time World Champions, baseball cathedral that is the Yankee Stadium…. baseball 😊
7:31 AM · Sep 4, 2013
Twitter
₱Ɽł₥Ø 🥷🏾
@PrimoDaRebel
Yankee Stadium: more than just a baseball cathedral.
@Yankees’s photo http://instagram.com/p/jo7uOcKH8K/
12:45 PM · Jan 26, 2014
Twitter
Rudy W. Giuliani
@RudyGiuliani
THE CATHEDRAL OF BASEBALL…IT WILL BE BACK!!!
8:11 PM · Apr 20, 2020
Twitter
L.H.
@This_is_LH
Replying to @yankeestadium and @Yankees
This is NOT what anyone means when we refer to Yankee Stadium as Baseball’s Cathedral. Just. No.
11:56 AM · May 17, 2022
Twitter
🅃🄷🄴 🄱🅁🄾🄽🅇 🅉🄾🄾
@BronxZooNYY
“A cathedral of baseball.”
~ John Smoltz on Yankee Stadium
#Yankees #RepBX
1:52 PM · Dec 26, 2022
Twitter
John Schmidt
@TheWordSchmidt
Replying to @BronxZooNYY
Art Rust Jr. called it THE cathedral of baseball. The big ball orchard in the Bronx.
2:00 PM · Dec 26, 2022