Yanks relax stadium access policies
ByIf you’re looking for the game thread, you can find it here. Please refrain from discussing tonight’s game in this thread.
On Tuesday, Lonn Trost earned the ire of Yankee fans with some ill-conceived comments about stadium access. Talking about the Yanks’ decision to bar fans from watching batting practice from the field level, Trost laid bare the Yanks’ policies.
“There’s an area by the Legends Suite which is not an area that fans can get into,” he said. “If you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite? If you purchase a home, do you want somebody in your home?”
While Trost rebuffed reporters who asked if the team was going to change policies, the Yankees are singing a different tune today. Beginning with their next homestand this weekend, the Yankees will allow fans into certain areas for batting practice. While the expensive Legends Suite seats will still be inaccessible to those without tickets, other field level and bleacher sections will be open. The new policies put the stadium in line with access during batting practice as it was across the street last year.
Bryan Hoch has more:
The Yankees have amended some of their Yankee Stadium operational policies, including permitting fans to access certain areas of the field level two hours before games.
Yankee Stadium gates on Babe Ruth Plaza, located between Gate 4 and Gate 6, will continue to open three hours to the start time of every home game.
Fans will be now permitted to watch batting practice and infield workouts during the first hour gates are open — for example, between 4-5 p.m. for a 7:05 p.m. game — from Sections 103-110 (right-field corner), 129-136 (left-field corner) and all of the Bleachers, provided the seat is vacant.
All seats between Sections 111-129, including areas near the dugouts, will remain off-limits unless fans hold a ticket for those sections.
The same Yankee spokesperson who earlier this week grew tired with reporters peppering her with questions explained the philosophy behind the new policies. “We liberalized the policy even more,” she told Ken Belson of The Times. “This is part of living in a new home and making adjustments. It’s only been a month.”
The new policies can be found here under the “Batting Practice” section. Fans can stay in those sections until the players leave the field or until one hour and 15 minutes before the game is scheduled to start.
I’ve harped on this for the last few weeks, and today we saw what can happen if enough people raise their voices to protest unfair arrangements. This is a victory for fans.
19 Comments»
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The Mason Williams Watch
Behold, the power of the fans.
Damn right, but still, even this is an insult. You still can’t get anywhere that you could reasonably expect to get a signature. It’s an improvement but still, the only thing those seats are legendary for is being empty. Why ensure that remains the case, even before game time?
Between that and monument cave, there are some serious issues. Why dig up the Babe just to rebury him under a bar?
cause he was a drunk ftw!
Im debating what has become more nauseating to read about – this topic or PED’s??
Its very close…
Tough call.
This really ticked me off when I went in April, 2 hours before gametime and I couldn’t move up to get a nice view before the game?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBF1lsZUlUI
I can not emphasize how simply awesome this commercial is.
God fu**ing damn it.
I meant to put this in the game thread, sorry Ben. You can delete it.
Why the hell do you post a basketball video on a baseball blog? But since you did:
This commercial is very stupid in my opinion. Dunking is very counterproductive most of the time. I can’t recall how many dunks have been missed in NBA and NCAA games when a simple layup would have done the job. This idiotic commercial just further glorifies the macho, stick-it-in-your-face nature of the game today. It’s a sad reflection on how basketball has changed for the worse.
worst.post.ever.
So why did I get Gameday audio? “Barajas scores and… OH HES OUT”
alright I’m done here. I’m takin the dayy off from RAB.
Yankees realizing that restricting access doesn’t actually get them anything.
matsui!!!!!
If you’re looking for the game thread, you can find it here. Please refrain from discussing tonight’s game in this thread.
Before we begin the Double Jeopardy round, I’d like to remind our contestants once again to please refrain from using ethnic slurs.
And please, no four letter words!
It’s a start.
This is progress. I know it isn’t the entire lower level, but at least the Yanks are throwing us fans a bone here.
If I do make it to a ballgame this summer(I really want to, but highly doubt it) I will now definitely go 3hrs early so that I can experience the warmups a little closer than where ever my seats were gonna be (And my wife will want to kill me). And the Yanks will probably get extra revenue from me purchasing extra beer (and maybe food)!
I don’t like this one bit. I purchased a home/bleacher seat. I don’t want somebody in my home.