SportsFullCircle

It was sixteen years ago today that Jim Abbott, the one-handed southpaw, wowed the Yankee Stadium gallery by throwing a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians.  In 2009, it is the day that the famous facade that inhabited the stadium walls have come down.

Until this past week, major structural demolition of the stadium had not yet commenced.  This, as evidenced by WCBS 880′s Tom Kaminski, is no longer the case.

The facade, also known as “The Frieze”, had been an iconic symbol of what was Yankee Stadium.  In 1923, the original facade (which happened to be twice the size of the one pictured above) was installed above the stadium’s grandstand.  This was made of copper, and removed during the 1970′s renovation of the ballpark. Alongside, the Daily News provided this video of the removal.

Like most of the rest of the stadium’s artifacts, the frieze will be sold in individual pieces for prices of up to $75,000. The foul poles, which are also pictured above, are expected to gather a hefty fee as well.

Most likely to follow these out of the ballpark are the letters that have outlined the main entrance since 1976.  This is evidenced by the beams that have been setup around the structures. They have already been sold, likely for several million dollars, to former Yankees icon Reggie Jackson.  Jackson also purchased the famous black seating that served as the batter’s eye for many years.

Exterior demolition will likely begin and be heavily underway during the Yankees off-season, which will shield Yankees fans from the destruction during the team’s home games.  We expect to have more updates within the next few weeks.

Photo Source: WCBS 880