Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Lonn Trost, Screw You And Your Stadium

After some lengthy deliberation, reviews of meeting notes, going over photographs, and considering all points and perspectives, I've come to my ultimate conclusion: the new stadium sucks. I was largely willing to overlook the homerun porch, the fan interference in right field, the giant restaurant that restricts the view of bleacher fans, the hidding of monument park, and the overpricing of game tickets, but the one thing I cannot overlook is the Yankees keeping fans away from the field during batting practice. The Yankees feel that if you did not pay for those expensive seats, you should not be able to get a players autograph. In the old stadium, you could, I believe up until an hour before the game started. Not only is this a slap in the face to everyone who can't afford multi-thousand dollar seats, it also shows what the Yankees organization values, and its not the fans. And I could really care less about this for myself. I'm past autograph getting age. But for all these kids who look up to these players, and would consider it the greatest joy in their life to get an autograph from one of them, that's who really gets affected. Think about the kids growing up in the South Bronx. You're telling me that if one of them can't afford thousand dollar seats they can't get an autograph?

Lonn Trost had this to say about fan access to the players: “If you purchased a suite, do you want people in your suite? If you purchased a house, do you want people in your house?” We get the point. You don't want anyone in your house Lonn, so allow me to oblige. This new stadium is an abomination. Your ticket pricing, your restaurants, your new food menu's, all of it is an insult to baseball. You ruined a good thing. I have tickets to this weekends game, and I plan to attend. Unless something changes my mind, I hope to never return. That's right, I said it, I'm pulling a Yogi Berra, and boycotting the stadium. Lonn Trost and the Yankees have made it clear to us real fans that we're not welcome in their house. I hope this embarrasment you call a park remains empty all season as you keep waiting for your banking buddies, and stock brokers to show up. I'll be watching from home, where unfortunately, many real fans will be too. So in conclusion, screw you and your new stadium Lonn. I make better hotdogs anyway.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's the over/under on how long this boycott lasts? August 6, when the BoSox come back to town? I'll take under.

She-Fan said...

I bet you'll love the new place in spite of yourself. Those steak sandwiches sound pret-ty good. Seriously, I hear you on everything you said, but maybe they'll fix the problems, lower the prices, make it all better. They have to!

Roberto E. Alejandro said...

The new park is nice, but not so nice I couldn't boycott it. The steak and cheeses are excellent by the way. But not so excellent I couldn't boycott them. Besides, I get a bigger, better steak and cheese at the deli near my apartment for $4.50.

Fernando Alejandro said...

Honestly, if they just lift the autograph ban, I would feel fine about the stadium. Everything else is forgivable, the autograph thing is not.

I can't afford Bosox tickets anyway. Way out of my price range.

anonymous number two said...

Sounds like a topic for She-Fan to address in the NYT.

Roberto E. Alejandro said...

the best part of this post is my brother's claim that he makes better hot dogs. It's funny b/c it's true.

TribeGirl said...

I just read this on Pete Abe's blog. That Lonn Trost guy, the COO in charge of the new stadium is such a tool!!! Even if that's how they REALLY feel, you don't say it out loud....the Yankee organization (not the team, just the suits) sucks and I now hate them. The new Yankee stadium is no longer on my list when I travel to NYC during baseball season. I will continue to see the Yankees in Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago, and Cincinnati when they have interleague games. It would be nice to see them when I'm not in the minority fan base though...Jerk-offs!!!

Tigs said...

Lon Trost and his charming attitude have seriously harshed my mellow.

I have a 11-game package, and actually am ok with my changed seat placement.
However, from my seats (last row in the house, directly behind home plate), you can see all of the anti-plebian features of the new stadium.

First and most obviously is the moat.

Second and pathetically are the three tv's on either side of the restaurant wall. They are about as big as the HDTV in my living room that I scored used off of craigslist.

Third (and my personal pet peeve), the Terrace level cuts around the stadium in a broad circle, whereas in the old stadium there was basically a straight shot from home plate to about a third of the way into the outfield. The purpose of this is that if they put the overhang any further out, it would potentially interfere with the sightlines from the luxury boxes. The down side is that it moves the front line of the upper deck a good 10-20 feet further away and makes a few hundred extra cheap seats impossible. Another situation in which Lon Trost doesn't give a---two whits-- about you or me.

Fernando Alejandro said...

Yeah, Lonn has not befriended many of us commoners. Unfortunately, we were never who he was trying to bring into the stadium. However, we're the life blood of this team. We've all heard how quiet the stadium was throughout opening weekend.

Tribegirl, yeah, its pretty bad. I wouldn't mind visiting some new stadiums myself. I could get much better seats to see my Yankees play. The thing is, nothing was like watching the Yankees in the South Bronx, but truthfully, this new stadium just doesn't have the same feel.