New York City is giving up the contents of Yankee Stadium I in a deal with the team and Steiner Sports.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the New York Yankees announced an agreement on the sale of seats and other City-owned memorabilia from the original Yankee Stadium. The City will receive a guaranteed payment of $11.5 million from the Yankees, and the team will sell the City-owned memorabilia together with Yankees-owned memorabilia through Yankees-Steiner Collectibles, the exclusive provider of game-used memorabilia from the original and current Yankee Stadium.
The details of the sale are expected to be announced today, with much of the memorabilia on display and prices revealed. Memorabilia owned by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation includes Yankee Stadium seats, bleachers and fixtures such as the foul poles, player lockers, and the iconic "frieze." The City’s proceeds from the sale will go to the City’s general fund. The Yankees will be responsible for all contracting and costs related to the removal, sale and marketing of the inventory. Information on acquiring memorabilia from the original Yankee Stadium will be released by Yankees-Steiner Collectibles.
"The original Yankee Stadium has served as the place for some of baseball’s most enduring memories," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Countless New Yorkers and people around the world have a lasting connection to the Stadium thanks to the legends who played in pinstripes, the plays that brought championships home, and even the popes that celebrated Mass there. I’m glad the City’s agreement with the Yankees will generate much-needed revenue for the City, and offer fans a chance to own some of the famed Yankee Stadium history."
Some have argued that the city’s $11.5 million deal is a good one for the Yankees and Steiner, which should have little trouble selling virtually anything connected with the park, provided prices don’t offend fans and collectors.
"We are delighted to have reached an agreement with the City of New York," said New York Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn A. Trost. "The original Yankee Stadium was – and still is – an important part of our country’s sports heritage, and we are thrilled to be able to offer our fans the opportunity to acquire a keepsake from our former home."
In August 2008, the City and the New York Mets announced an agreement to sell Shea Stadium memorabilia. That agreement called for a joint sale of City and Mets-owned memorabilia, with the City receiving 70 percent of revenues net of sale costs and the Mets receiving 30 percent. To date, the City has earned $3.5 million from the sale of Shea Stadium memorabilia.
