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A comparison of the two
parks of the 2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series pits the teams of two ballparks that couldn't be
more different. Except for two years while their stadium was being
rebuilt, the Yankees have been playing home games on the same plot of ground in
The Bronx since 1923. Chalk up 26 World Series triumphs in the years
they've been playing there, and a total of 36 American League pennants (two AL championships came before the team left the Polo
Grounds). The sense of history in this baseball-only facility is perhaps
the greatest of any sports venue in North America.
Pro Player Stadium, on the other hand, has been the home for Major League
Baseball's Florida Marlins only since 1993. It has hosted one previous
World Series, when the Marlins won in extra innings of Game 7 in 1997.
However, aesthetically, it bears none of the attractive design elements of a
modern baseball-only park ... and that's because it's not. It's a football
stadium first and foremost, as it was built for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.
Here now is a "tale of the tape" of the two parks:
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|
 |
| Yankee
Stadium |
|
Pro
Player Stadium |
| 1923; re-opened in 1976 after being
rebuilt |
Year
opened for baseball |
1993; originally
opened for the NFL Dolphins in 1987 |
| Monument Park; facade along outfield
roof; huge bat at main gate behind home |
Special
features |
Extra-long escalators |
| 318'-399'-408'-385'-314' |
Outfield
dimensions |
330'-385'-410'-385'-345'
Deepest point is 434' (on left-field side of CF) |
| 57,545 |
Seating
capacity |
65,000 |
| 113,000 square
feet |
Area
of fair territory |
115,000 square feet |
| 36, counting 2003 (the Yankees
appeared in two Fall Classics before moving into Yankee Stadium) |
World
Series hosted |
Two, counting 2003 |
| Three - 1933, 1960 and 1977 |
All
Star Games hosted |
None |
| Could fill ten pages |
Biggest
moments |
Game 7 win in '97
World Series, Game 4 win in 2003 NLDS |
| "The House that Ruth
Built," simply "The Stadium" |
Nicknames |
"Joe
Robbie," "The Pro" |
| "This is the Temple of Sport,
where the New York gods created a masterpiece and dressed it in
pinstripes." --Ron Smith, The Ballpark Book |
Quote |
"No one has ever
said anything nice about Pro Player Stadium ... No one except a Miami
Dolphins fan. Or a pitcher." --Allen St. John, Wall
Street Journal 10/17/03 |
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