On Deck. All Hallow's Justin Soto, 16, takes practice swings while waiting for his at-bat in yesterday's opener against Cardinal Hayes High School. All Hollow's won 8 to 1. The $ 2 billion dollar tax-payer subsidized Yankees stadium termed, "the House that Greed Built," is seen in the background. (Photos: © Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on image to enlarge.
The community lost two ballfields and 3 acres of parkland in the immediate area. These are just some of the impacts and Broken Promises felt by the community.
Now Parks must maintain the fields properly, All Hallows Principal and assistant baseball coach Sean Sullivan said. All Hallows players cleaned and raked the old Macombs Dam Park fields for years because the city failed to, he said.
History Destined To Repeat Itself? Babe Ruth Field- Macomb's Dam Park - 2006. Children of Mexican descent play in garbage while their parents picnicked nearby a few weeks before the parks were seized by the Yankees and destroyed to build the new stadium. The fields were located across the street from the original Yankee Stadium and were once one of the city's premiere fields before they abandoned taking care of them decades earlier.
Even though the Yankees have grossed over $ 1 billion dollars in ticket and luxury suite sales alone since the new stadium opened on the parkland, not a single penny of dedicated funding has been allocated for the maintenance of the replacement park facilities. A total of one Assistant Gardener is assigned for the entire park district - which consists of dozens park properties. — Geoffrey Croft
Bronx
The grass was green, the sky was blue and the players were in heaven Monday as the new Macombs Dam Park ballfields hosted their first baseball game, according the New York Daily News.
Built on the former site of the House That Ruth Built to replace parkland bulldozed to make way for the new Yankee Stadium, the fields boast lush Kentucky bluegrass, sturdy bleachers and plaques to honor baseball history.
Frieze panels from the old stadium overlook the three fields and a blue outline marks the historic Bronx Bombers diamond.
"It feels great to play here," said Lance Montano, 17, an All Hallows High School senior who plays first base. "The park is brand new and the grass is perfect."
All Hallows and Cardinal Hayes High School first base action. A section of the iconic frieze from the old Yankee Stadium can be seen in the background.
But neighbors and players who still feel "shortchanged" by the project described the opening day matchup between All Hallows and Cardinal Hayes High School as bittersweet. The new stadium opened on schedule in 2009 but work on the new Macombs Dam fields only began in 2010.
Local ballplayers went nearly six years without a regulation baseball diamond in their nabe. Pickup play halted and the All Hallows Gaels bused to home games on Staten Island.
"Today is emotional for me because for three years my team had no home," Montano said.
"The new fields look amazing," said Joyce Hogi, 68, a former Community Board 4 member who opposed the new stadium. "We want to be positive about the future. But we do remember that the Yankees were inconvenienced not for one minute and the community was for years."
The project was delayed because the city took extra precautions when demolishing the old ballpark, officials said. The fields are the last of several replacement parks to open.
"We thank the community for their patience...and welcome them to come and play ball," said Hector Aponte, Parks Department Bronx Commissioner.
Parks upset some last fall when it announced the fields would be restricted to permit holders, with pickup games prohibited.
It backpedaled Monday, stating that the park will be open to all when not under maintenance or use by teams that pay for permits. But Parks last fall said it expects the fields to be "very popular"among permit holders and some neighbors remain concerned.
Highbridge resident Mary Blassingame watched her nephews learn to play baseball at the old Macombs Dam Park. They never held permits, she said.
"It was just unorganized games but it kept them out of the street," recalled Blassingame, 71.
City Councilwoman Helen Foster, one of two city pols to oppose the stadium plan, said the neighborhood should have recieved more benefits in addition to the replacement parks but called the new fields "beautiful."
All Hallows Principal and assistant baseball coach Sean Sullivan agreed. Now Parks must maintain the fields properly, he said. All Hallows players cleaned and raked the old Macombs Dam Park fields for years because the city failed to, he said.
All Hallows won the game, 8-1.
Spectators and school supporters yesterday watched All Hallows and Cardinal Hayes High School at the first game played on the new Heritage field.
Editors Note: The Daily News article contained a few inaccurate and misleading statements.
"The project was delayed because the city took extra precautions when demolishing the old ballpark, officials said."
That statement was not fact checked. There were numerous factors that lead to the serious delays that plagued this project, taking "extra precautions" were not among the most relevant. The lack of pressure by the administration to stick to schedules is believed by many officials to be the main reason. One prime example was the administration allowing the negotiations to secure the rights to sell memorabilia from the original stadium to drag on. This caused serious delays. A more comprehensive analysis of these issues will be released shortly in the Broken Promises update.
"City Councilwoman Helen Foster, one of two city pols to oppose the stadium plan,..."
Helen Foster, in fact, sponsored the home rule legislation that allowed the park to be seized (alienated) to build the stadium. She later changed her mind and said she made "a mistake." She has been quoted by numerous media without mentioning her role.
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New York Daily News - April 3, 2012 - By Daniel Beekman
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