It would see Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and Jeter.
Knute Rockne, Johnny Unitas.
Rocky Marciano.
Pink Floyd and Pope Paul VI.
Jacob Ruppert never could have imagined the history his Bronx ballpark would leave behind. Yankee Stadium was a big deal, though, when it began to rise from the dirt.
A rare, original image of the stadium as it neared its 1923 completion is the RMY Auctions Photo of the Day. The 4 ¾” x 10” International News panoramic photo is one of the highlights in the company’s Winter Auction.
The photo shows workers on the field and in the stands as they get the new baseball palace prepared to welcome thousands of fans to watch Ruth christen it with an Opening Day home run.
Fed up with having to share the Polo Grounds with the New York Giants, Ruppert built the park for his Yankees, who had become a major drawing card thanks to the unprecedented raw power of Ruth. It was the first three-tiered sports venue ever built in America and the famous white facade across the top deck can be seen in the photo. A train sits on a track above the outfield fence.
Before its duty ended in late September 2008, The House That Ruth Built would host over 6,500 regular season games and well over 100 more post-season contests.
While there are many photos of the original Yankee Stadium, most of them date to a time after it was completed and few original images taken and developed prior the ballpark’s first event are rare.
It’s among over 1,300 historic photographs up for bids in the auction, which is set to close March 6.
Related Stories:
Photo of the Day: Teenage Jimmie Foxx…at Catcher
Historic Items from Al Tapper Collection Coming to SCP Auctions
Photo of the Day: “And Then Cobb Said to Mantle…”
Notes: Oscar, Doc to NSCC; Palmer’s Putter; Leaving Las Vegas; Henrik the Hero
Photo of the Day: Yankee Stadium Opens in 1923
Watch Given to Babe Ruth at Last Stadium Appearance Coming to Auction
