I read here that you and the Yankee organization were interested in hearing from select season-ticket holders inviting a critique of the new Stadium. I also understand you want honest, candid comments telling you exactly what is good and more importantly what is not working with respect to the entire “Yankee Stadium Experience”. I am not looking for any free gifts, just the chance to be heard.

The fan base – Season ticket holders cannot go to every game. An important reason why you were able to draw 4 plus million the last few years was that in addition to full season and partial ticket plans, customers were able to buy and sell tickets on the secondary ticket market. In addition to corporate fans, you had small business owners and other fans with disposable income in the premium field seating areas of the old stadium. This combination kept the seats occupied and helped season ticket holder pay the up front cost associated with a season plan. Fans and ticket brokers can re-sell a $175 – $200 seat. However, they can’t re-sell a $350 -$1250 seat. As the small business owner is the backbone of the nation’s economy, they are also the backbone of your customer fan base. Everything flows from the fan that can pay about $175 – $200 for a seat in the infield. Other fans may do it once or twice a year from the secondary market. At the present prices, corporations that own premium seats are the only part of the fan base that can afford to buy and pass tickets onto their employees and others keeping the seats filled throughout the season. Few individuals and small business owners can afford to pay for or even sell tickets on the secondary market. Like US Steel and GM, the Yankee brand is destined for future failure if you continue to price out future generations of fans. Along with a positive game day experience that includes the ability to get close to the field, proper pricing that allows fans to use the secondary market will help keep future customers coming back to see a game at the stadium. In addition, you need to be more creative with payment options. While in Dallas recently, I noticed that they are marketing the remaining Cowboy tickets as $1600 down, $1300 a year! Basically, they are allowing fans to spread out the payments. The Yankees should do something similar.

“Premium” seating areas – All new and re-modeled stadiums have premium seating areas. In addition to Yankee Stadium and CitiField, I’ve sat in a number of premium seating areas throughout the country (again because the price was such that I could afford do it on an occasional basis). However, most are from on deck circle to on deck circle. Not all the way down the foul lines. This expanded premium area helped create the fan anger with the relocation process. The premium seat should be from on deck circle to on deck circle in the field and main levels only. You will still have the access to and from the seat area to the Legends Club.

Tear down the wall at the dugouts and price the seats behind the dugouts closer to what they were at the old stadium. This allows a greater number of your customer fan base to have access to these seats both as season ticket holder and through the secondary ticket market. For the non-premium seating near the dugouts, you can offer club access on a full or limited game basis but don’t force it. Let the fan decide whether to pay for their food and soft drink each game or subscribe to a full or partial meal and club access plan. To help ensure that the seats are filled when the game starts, stop serving food in the Lounge 15 minutes before game time and begin seat food service after that point. If fans do not want to mingle with other fans and want to stay indoors and watch the game on TV then they should be on the suite level, not the infield area seats.

Obstructed view seats throughout the building – We all know about the building in center field and the obstructed view seats in the bleachers. By now you have probably heard from the other fans throughout the stadium that are angered by the other obstructed views throughout the building. The raised bleacher platforms that obstruct the seats in both left and right field grandstands areas (i.e., sections 135 and 104). The handicap platforms that obstruct the infield or outfield view for fans in the next section. The steel columns on the second level obstructing the views of the infield or outfield. The stair and front railings throughout the building that partially block the views of fans in every level of the building are also a major problem. There was no excuse for this in a 21st century design. A fan who can’t see the whole field does not wants to hear the excuse that other stadiums also have obstructed views. Each stadium project should learn from the mistakes made in the project that came before and make the necessary improvements. The important thing now is to correct each of these problems.

Seats – As you move down the foul lines, the seats do not face the mound as they do in other new ballparks I visited throughout the country. Instead, they face short center field making the customer turn their neck or body to see the pitcher and the batter. With the flat seating bowl this is a real problem. Each seat must have a clear view of the pitcher and hitter. Therefore, the seats need to be angled correctly once you pass the bases. With that, the aisles will also be moved especially behind the foul poles. Placing wider aisles behind the foul poles will help with some of the seats that are obstructed by the poles.

The Restaurant – It’s an eyesore that along with the “moat” has come to symbolize the belief that the Yankee organization values revenue streams over the dignity of the average fan. While expensive, this symbol along with the “moat” past the on deck circles must be torn down.

With a little imagination, you can have the revenue stream without obstructed views. You can still have fans stand above the bleacher area in an air conditioned room and pay $90+ for the privilege. One way would be to relocate the Mohegan Sun Restaurant to the area now occupied by the left center field scoreboard area. Instead of the 3 large ads that section would be the front of the party suite (maybe a Brownstone design). Remove the Yankee Stadium letters and replace the smaller ads in that area with an outdoor concession and standing area with at least 20 or more rows of bleacher seats (aka Wrigley Field). The total height would be less than the current building. The distance from home plate is not the issue. It’s the party atmosphere as evident in Chicago that fans would pay to be part of. Access would be via stairs, elevator, and a bridge from the grandstand concourse. Best of all it won’t interfere with any of the other bleacher seats. The Yankee Stadium letters could be moved to the right center side of the scoreboard along with a copy of the frieze behind the lettering to help soften the skyline behind the letters and better see the sign. In addition, the Yankee Top Hat logo symbol (much like the 1961 scoreboard) can sit atop the frieze between the two words (much like the all star game symbol sat on the banner in the old stadium). Also, a replica of the water tower that dominated photos of the outfield area of the original and post war stadium with more ad space could sit atop the roof top party area. Other ads could be relocated above and below the party suite and in other parts of the stadium such as the stair wells (using screens that allow the fans to look out from the stairs to see the game but you see the ads from the field. This could also be used at each end of the scoreboard. This will help get away from that concrete and steel look of the new building. Another concession facility with smoked glass could be constructed and used as the batter’s eye. However, this time the building would be pushed all the way back between the bleachers. While the view from this facility would be obstructed by the bleachers, the idea here would be for someone to get a quick something to eat, or drink in a bar area and still see part of the field. Also, those who choose to spend most of their time in this area as well as the new roof top party area can drink and watch the TV screens while being in a separate area away from fans with families, especially small kids in the bleachers.

Monument Park – The history and tradition of the franchise should be the showcase and focal point of the outfield area. For this there should be no compromise. Right now, Monument Park is hidden behind a wall, under a building, covered under a veil of netting and a black tarp. It looks more like a storage area than a shrine or place of honor.

Monument Park should be located in first bleacher section in left center next to the new batter’s eye. This will also allow for visitors throughout the game. It would be on three levels with the entrance under the left field bleachers starting on the first level where the 5 monuments and the original plagues of Ruppert and Barrow would be located. The next level would feature the retired numbers and the third level would feature the other plagues, flagpole and the exit (this will keep a straight line going in one direction as well as being handicap accessible). The Monument Park area would be much like a triple tier bullpen. With Monument Park raised above the left center field fence (flowers, but no trees or solid fences to hide the history), above and behind the left center field wall this historic area will now be the focal point of the outfield area. Monument Park will now be visible from the field, on camera, and throughout the stadium. Monument Park will again become a valuable marketing tool to be used by the team; inviting viewers on YES and national televised games to visit and tour the Stadium. Monument Park is too important to hide in a closet or restrict visitors. Like the Yankee Top Hat logo atop the scoreboard in right center, Monument Park in left center, will be recognizable to all out of town markets on the MLB, ESPN and YES televised games and highlights clips. I travel to our field offices throughout the country and speak to managers from every state, many ask about Monument Park when talking about the Stadium. It’s the one thing all baseball fans want to see. You can’t continue to hide it in a closet. The seating and standing area above the new party suite/restaurant in left center would make up for the seats in the bleachers lost to the new Monument Park.

While I really believe it must go, if you keep the centerfield building, you can still move Monument Park to left center as described above. Put both bullpens side by side, in a north/south direction along the right field wall of the restaurant (about a section and a third of seats, the sitting area for both teams would be in the present Yankee bullpen for both teams). The ads would be above the sitting areas and the throwing areas of each bullpen. Each bullpen would be double tier. The first level would be the sitting area. Above and behind that area would be the warm up area. Where the visitor bullpen is now located you can extend the bleacher seats, making them closer to the field. The new bullpens and Monument Park locations will take care of the obstructed view seats next to the restaurant. The additional seats in the old visitor bullpen would make up for part of the loss seating because of Monument Park and the additional bullpen. If you need to make up for all of the lost seats, I would raise the centerfield TV picture and place bleacher seats on top of the concession stand area.

Great Hall – The great hall should be like entering the lobby of a grand hotel. It should be the one amenity that all fans enjoy by simply walking into the building. If you do nothing else but go to your seat and watch the game; every time you enter the great hall you should have the sense of entering the hallowed home of the greatest franchise in sports. A grand museum lobby with tile floors, windows that open and close depending on the weather (still no AC, but cut down the wind tunnel, the dust, and other elements) so you can use the hall for non-baseball functions. In addition to the banners, fill the space with bronze statues, plagues, and historic game used artifacts (that will not fade in the bright area) and photos. The Yankee Museum is great but you should expand the concept to include the great hall and have something that all fans can enjoy and don’t have to wait on line to see.

Right now the great hall with its cheap concrete floor is just another store, a market place for peddlers to sell their wares. Use the area outside the building for game day sales. You have enough retail space in the building and don’t need to cheapen the great hall. While I’m on the subject, taking away a third of the concourse areas throughout the building with additional food and vending carts only makes the walking areas as small as the old stadium. You also need to move the lines so they are next to the vending areas so fans can walk freely throughout the concourse instead of weaving through fans on line as we did in the old stadium.

Handicap Platforms – I have nothing against the seating areas for the handicapped. I do object when they interfere with other fans view of the field. Either have them the same throughout the building making the concourse area the same width on each level or place them where they do not interfere with other fans. The seats in the sections next to the platforms must be raised above the platforms so the fans can see over the handicap fan and others who are in those areas. See what they did in Philadelphia where the handicap platforms do not interfere with other fans.

Railings and counters – Behind each handicap platform and in other areas behind the seats, there should be counters and railings for those who wish to stand and have something to eat and drink. Especially, in the 300 concourse level of the building where there is not a single place to set down your food and drink. You also need more in the food court, more on each level but especially counters behind the seats and platforms so you can catch an inning or two while you eat. Again, in Philadelphia they have a great system for the handicap and the standing room fans with plenty of counters. They let you stand there and watch the game while you eat.

Third Level Concourse – In addition to the winds that help create the wind tunnel effect; a driving rain makes all the seats in the grandstands and the whole concourse area wet. There is no place to keep dry (or warm) on that level. You need to close up part of the back wall of the grandstands and the front wall of the concourse area. Simply put a wall above the concession stands that extends up. From the outside, it can mirror the original stadium with the arch grates to allow ventilation but keep the majority of the rain and wind away from the concourse and grandstand area. It will also allow the outside to resemble the original building without the expensive granite. The wall can constructed using stucco and supported by connecting it to the present steel structure. The roof can be similar to that of the great hall allowing natural light into the area. Speaking of wind tunnels, you need to also place glass on the windows of the food court like the great hall. I’ve been there when the wind was very strong creating a wind tunnel out to right/right center field. Finally, the rest rooms on the third level also need hot water or at least warm water. The cold water only is unacceptable.

Outfield wall – The power alleys appear to be shorter than the old stadium. The 385 ft. and 399 ft. marks appear to be about 20 feet toward center field than the mid way power alley markers in the old stadium. The fence does not have the same angle from the foul lines toward the power alleys. It appears more gradual in this new park and some web sites have published fence comparisons showing a shorter right center field. If true, along with the wind currents, this would help explain the HR surge.

I have no idea why the wall depth was not taken into consideration in the initial design and that fans would lean over and interfere with balls still in play. They thought of it for the wall that separates the bleacher fans from the outfield grandstand fans. The joke on the web is that the Yankees planted poison ivory in the plant boxes to keep the bleacher fans in their place. Take a look at the National’s Park for a clever design for the outfield wall. You may need to take out a row of seats or place a rail angled in toward the seats to prevent fans from reaching over the fence.

Sight Lines – The flat bowl seating is a major problem especially in the grandstands. In addition to being much further away than the old stadium, there are too many sections in the grandstands where you still can’t see large parts of the whole field. You should be able to see all of fair territory no matter what section in the building you sit. Again, this should never have happened in a 21st century stadium design. While it’s true you can see in between the fans sitting in front of you, the poor site lines are still a problem because the fact remains that fans don’t sit still. They move in their seats; they wear all types of hats; they use umbrellas; and they talk to the person sitting next to them. Since you can no longer see above them as you did in the old stadium, and there is so little foul territory in the new stadium, you now have poor site lines even behind home plate. This is true of a person sitting 3 rows in front of you.

While you can’t stop people from moving in their seat or from wearing hats, you can stop them from bringing in umbrellas. They interfere with other fans from seeing the field. They also get fans next to and behind them wet from the rain dripping off the umbrella. As in any Disney theme park, you must use a poncho. Besides, I’ve seen them used as weapons during fights and arguments in the stands. Because of the flat seating area this is a difficult area to address without major reconstruction to make each seat higher than the one in front. However, it is extremely frustrating not to be able to see all the action while at a game. TV monitors in the grandstands may be an alternative (and you don’t need 5 speakers in each section, the noise is deafening)

The Backstop Netting – It appears to be higher than the old stadium to protect the fans in the second seating level. But what if you lowered the first backstop and put another back stop at that second seating level? It could be lower allowing the TV camera to see through without the netting. I think this may be a possibility. It’s worth exploring. The fans on the second level see through the net anyway, so it’s not new. If the net is high to also protect the media, then put a third net there but allow the camera a free sight line. That is how it was done in the early days of broadcasting games on TV.

Customer Service – The customer service reps with the signs asking to serve you was a great idea and many have said “Welcome to Yankee Stadium”. One thing I always remembered about Atlanta is that they not only welcome you but thank you for being at Turner Field.

I realize that security is important but there is a right way and wrong way to achieve your objectives. Learn best practices from Disney, Las Vegas, and other stadium venues. Stop treating your customers like criminals. Only in NY are fans subjected to the “pat down”. This is not security or even a perception of security. Take a page from the Disney theme parks, check the bags quickly, have express lines for those without bags, and keep the lines moving. You know that the idea is to get fans inside to spend money, not standing on line outside the building. Also, if you want fans to come from their office using public transit then you need to expect them to carry a larger bag, maybe even a brief case. Check the bag but let them in. The no re-entry policy is outdated. Disney theme parks and other ball parks simply stamp the fans hand and let them back in. No fuss, no problem. Most fans are not going to go in and out all night. The batting practice policy is perceived as a sign of class distinction. Nearly every stadium I’ve been to allows all fans to gather near the dugouts, the infield and the outfield walls to seek autographs and see their favorite players up close. That’s a sure way to build your fan base. Fans need positive memories of going to the stadium, positive experiences to keep them coming back. One way is to let fans see their favorite players up close. Let fans stand behind each section, on each level and have something to eat or drink at a counter, and watch an inning or two. Allow fans to move to better seats after the 6th or 7th inning. I’ve done it in many ball parks with the ushers right there. As long as you are not taking another fans seat or being disruptive, what’s the harm? In fact, you fill up the lower level for the TV camera in later innings.

You will soon have a generation of fans who’s only memories of the stadium will be negative, being yelled at by security or other stadium personnel for nothing more than trying to see their favorite players. I’m not saying that fans should be allowed to just go anywhere but security needs to ease up on all the restrictions. If not the next generation of fans will simply sit on the couch and watch the game on HDTV rather than traveling to a game and being hassled by security and other stadium personnel.

Also, they should have day of game stubhub booths at the stadium. They have some good last minute deals, but you need to be in front of a computer, not actually at the stadium!

And lose the hokey fight-like-men film clips every half-inning when the team is trailing.

looking at the steel supports in the outfield…the off white…just looks like it’s unfinished…ran out of paint.