Next week, the All Star Game will be played at Yankee Stadium for the first time in over thirty years and the last time in the Stadium's history. That's because, in case you hadn't heard, the building is being replaced by a brand new Yankee Stadium with the addition of luxury boxes by the dozens, $2000+ ringside seating, and an HD scoreboard even the most nearsighted of people could see.

To experience the marketing, er, media blitz in New York surrounding the closing of Yankee Stadium is to be barraged with tales of greatness. It's not unlike visiting Disney World, where everywhere you turn, you're reminded about what a "magical" place you are visiting, what a special time you are having.

For non-Yankee fans, it's a bit difficult to understand.

In truth, I love Yankee Stadium.  It's the first place I saw a baseball game as a child.  I grew up in the late seventies, when I was too young to understand the hubbub surrounding Reggie Jackson.  All I knew was, when he actually did hit the ball, he hit it hard.  I used to make my dad get seats in right field when we went to games so that we could sit near Reggie, blissfully unaware of the lack of defensive prowess we were witnessing.  

In the eighties, it was Don Mattingly, Donnie Baseball, the shining light of an otherwise dark decade for the team.  Donnie was the sole reason to go to the Stadium in the mid to late eighties, a feeling felt by most as the Yankees typically drew eighteen thousand a night as compared to the fifty-four thousand they draw now.

But these are my memories, not yours.  As much as I love Yankee Stadium for giving me so many childhood memories, I have difficulty explaining to the non-believers why it's such a great place.  

What do Yankee fans love so much about this building?  

Is it the concourse around it?  Hardly.  The area around the Stadium has seen its better days, and while not nearly as threatening as it was in the seventies, it's still not a part of New York City one takes the kids for an afternoon stroll.

Is it Monument Park?  Sure, Monument Park is nice, but it has certainly lost some of its luster over the years due to overpopulation. It's hard to argue with the likes of Ruth, DiMaggio, etc.  But Guidry? Reggie?  Shouldn't retired numbers be saved for career guys who are Hall of Fame locks?  Reggie belongs in the Hall, but the Yankees were but a pit stop in his career, regardless of his three consecutive World Series home runs.  Guidry was a very good pitcher with some great highlights, but immortality?  There comes a point where the honor doesn't mean as much when everyone is getting it.

How about the food?  If you've come to New York and you've decided to eat at Yankee Stadium rather than the thousands of restaurants in Manhattan, you have chosen poorly.

The facilities?  What facilities?  They have bathrooms, some places to get food.  Bring Purell.

The stands?  It must be a great place to see a ballgame.  Although not great, I think this is one of the few things the Stadium has going in its favor.  Foul ground is relatively scarce down the lines in the outfield, making field level seats pretty close to the field.  The upper deck, while large and reaching ever upward, literally hangs over the sides of the field towards the bend in the lower deck, meaning you are literally on top of the action.  Conversely, this also creates a bit of a blind spot towards the lines on each side, but it's a small price to pay to be closer to the game.

After that, I have nothing to recommend Joe Fan about Yankee Stadium.  If looking out in centerfield, trying to conjure images of DiMaggio and Mantle trolling the alleys doesn't tickle you, chances are the eight-dollar beers and Mount Everest upper deck climb won't either.

I love Yankee Stadium because it's the only place where I can feel close to the history of a team that has always been a part of my consciousness.  As long as I can remember, I have been a Yankee fan.  I can't remember a summer where I wasn't completely engrossed.  And while so much of my life has come and gone, the only things that have remained constant are my family and the Yankees.

I finally had the chance to take the Yankee Stadium tour this summer.  I brought my two sons along and was able to get them into the dugout for pictures.  As we climbed down the steps, the mat underneath the bench looked ratty, the bat and helmet holder built from dilapidated old wood that had been painted a hundred times over.  A $250 million payroll and they can't do a little better freshening up around here?  

Sure, it looked kind of ugly but all I could think about was where Mickey's bat had resided on that rack.