Yankees Don't Plan Any Changes to Yankee Stadium

Team COO discusses home runs, fan interference and batting practice

After the Yankees announced the prices for the sale of memorabilia from the old Yankee Stadium, team COO Lonn Trost answered questions about topics concerning the current stadium. Most of what he had to say was predictable. 

The team is looking into the spike in home runs since moving into the new digs, and said that the weather may be playing a role. Trost called the winds in April and early May "the least likely" winds and admitted that there may not be much the team can do in the face of those conditions. He also said that the two instances of fan interference on home runs will cause them to look into removing the row of seats closest to the wall, but that nothing would happen this season. 

Sadly, Trost's predictable answers extended to a question about allowing fans visiting the Stadium to get closer to the field during batting practice. Currently, fans aren't allowed into the field level without a ticket.

"There's an area by the Legends Suite which is not an area that fans can get into," Trost 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?"

Yeesh. Am I the only one picturing Trost twirling his moustache and laughing maniacally while delivering this message? It's just callous for the sake of being callous, which has been the Yankees' course of action far too often this season.  

Here's the thing, we aren't talking about a suite -- the "Legends Suite" is the term for the first nine rows of seats -- and we aren't talking about a home. We're talking about rows of seats in a baseball stadium. Furthermore, we're talking about rows of seats that have been largely empty during games played thus far this season. It stands to reason, then, that those seats are also empty during batting practice. 

Charge whatever you want for the seats, but stop acting like you aren't selling seats at a baseball stadium. That's all they are, just as they were when the Yankees played across the street and just as they are at every other stadium in the country. And in all of those other places, kids rushing up to try and get autographs or balls during batting practice is just part of the experience.

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.

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