Monument Park (Yankee Stadium)

Information about Monument Park (Yankee Stadium)

For other uses of the term Monument Park, see Monument Park
Enlarge picture
The entrance to the monuments and plaques, at the end of the retired numbers display.
Monument Park is a section of Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, which contains a collection of monuments, plaques and retired numbers, pertaining to the New York Yankees and other events to take place at the stadium and in the city. It was formerly in play.

With the Yankees constructing a New Yankee Stadium across the street, Monument Park will be relocated to the new facility.

The following individuals are honored with monuments or plaques in Monument Park, located behind the left-center field fence at Yankee Stadium, between the bullpens. Monuments, rather than plaques, are generally awarded only to the greatest of the great, and then only after their deaths. Many of these figures also had their uniform numbers retired. Such ceremonies often take place either at home openers or on Old Timers' Day. Figures are listed in the order in which their plaques were dedicated:
  • Miller Huggins, manager 1918-29, monument dedicated May 30, 1932. This monument was originally placed on the field of play, in front of the center-field flagpole. Placing monuments in the deepest part of the playing field was not unprecedented - the Polo Grounds and Forbes Field also had monuments in deep centerfield. Huggins never wore a number on his uniform, and so no number is retired in his honor.
  • Jacob Ruppert, owner 1915-39, plaque dedicated April 19, 1940. This plaque was placed on the outfield wall, to the right of the flagpole.
  • Lou Gehrig, first baseman 1923-39, number 4 retired July 4, 1939, monument dedicated July 6, 1941. This monument was placed to the left of the Huggins monument. Gehrig was the first Major League Baseball player to have his uniform number retired.
  • Babe Ruth, right fielder 1920-34, number 3 retired June 13, 1948, monument dedicated April 19, 1949. This monument was placed to the right of the Huggins monument. The three monuments together were about 450 feet from home plate, but a ball would occasionally get behind them. In the 1992 book The Gospel According to Casey, by Ira Berkow and Jim Kaplan, it is reported that Yankee manager Casey Stengel was watching his center fielder fumbling with the ball in the vicinity of the monuments, while the batter-runner circled the bases. Stengel yelled out, "Ruth, Gehrig, Huggins, somebody get that ball back to the infield!"
  • Ed Barrow, general manager 1921-46, plaque dedicated April 15, 1954. The plaque was placed on the wall, to the left of the flagpole.
  • Joe DiMaggio, center fielder 1936-51, number 5 retired April 18, 1952, plaque dedicated June 8, 1969, replaced by a monument April 25, 1999.
  • Mickey Mantle, center fielder 1951-68, number 7 retired and plaque dedicated June 8, 1969, replaced by a monument August 25, 1996. Mantle was awarded his plaque on Mickey Mantle Day, handed to him by DiMaggio. Mantle then handed DiMaggio his plaque, saying, "His oughta be just a little bit higher than mine." They were placed side-by-side on the wall, although as former Yankee publicist Marty Appel noted in his own memoir, DiMaggio's was indeed slightly higher on the wall than Mantle's. These were the last plaques to be placed in play. Following the 1974-75 renovation of Yankee Stadium, the monuments and plaques were moved to the new Monument Park.
  • Joe McCarthy, manager 1931-46, plaque dedicated April 29, 1976. Although the Yankees adopted uniform numbers in 1929, McCarthy never wore a number as Yankee manager, and so no number has been retired in his honor.
  • Casey Stengel, manager 1949-60, number 37 retired August 8, 1970, plaque dedicated July 30, 1976.
  • Thurman Munson, catcher 1969-79, number 15 retired August 2, 1979, plaque dedicated September 20, 1980.
  • Elston Howard, outfielder and catcher 1955-67, coach 1969-80, number 32 retired and plaque dedicated July 21, 1984.
  • Roger Maris, outfielder 1960-66, number 9 retired and plaque dedicated July 21, 1984, in the same ceremony as Howard's.
  • Phil Rizzuto, shortstop 1941-56 and broadcaster 1957-96, number 10 retired and plaque dedicated August 4, 1985.
  • Billy Martin, second baseman 1950-57, manager 1975-78, 1979, 1983, 1985 and 1988, number 1 retired and plaque dedicated August 10, 1986.
  • Lefty Gomez, pitcher 1930-42, plaque dedicated August 1, 1987. His number 11 has not been retired.
  • Whitey Ford, pitcher 1950-67, number 16 retired April 6, 1974, plaque dedicated August 1, 1987, in the same ceremony as Gomez's.
  • Bill Dickey, catcher 1928-46, manager 1946, coach 1949-60, number 8 retired April 18, 1972, plaque dedicated August 21, 1988.
  • Yogi Berra, catcher and outfielder 1946-63, manager 1964 and 1984-85, coach 1975-83, number 8 retired April 18, 1972, plaque dedicated August 21, 1988 -- in each case, in the same ceremony as Dickey's.
  • Allie Reynolds, pitcher 1947-54, plaque dedicated August 27, 1989. His number 22 has not been retired.
  • Don Mattingly, first baseman 1982-95, coach since 2004, number 23 retired and plaque dedicated August 31, 1997.
  • Mel Allen, broadcaster 1939-64 and 1976-89, plaque dedicated July 25, 1998.
  • Bob Sheppard, public address announcer since 1951, plaque dedicated May 7, 2000.
  • Reggie Jackson, right fielder 1977-81, number 44 retired August 14, 1993, plaque dedicated July 6, 2002.
  • Ron Guidry, pitcher 1975-88, coach 2006, number 49 retired and plaque dedicated August 23, 2003.
  • Red Ruffing, pitcher 1930-46, plaque dedicated July 10, 2004 at an Old Timers Day Ceremony. His number 15 had already been retired for Munson.
  • Jackie Robinson, plaque dedicated April 17th, 2007. In honor of Robinson's unique place as the first African-American player of the modern era, his number 42 was retired throughout baseball on April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. On April 17th, 2007 (their first home game following the 60th anniversary), the Yankees erected a plaque for Robinson[1] reading: "In becoming the first Major League player to break the color barrier, Jackie will forever be an inspiration with his grace, dignity and perseverance. His story and the stories of those who never had the same opportunity must never be forgotten." 42's were also painted in front of each dugout. Players active at the time of the number's retirement in 1997 were granted a special exemption (grandfather clause) permitting them to continue wearing the number for the remainder of their careers; the last such player still active is Yankee relief pitcher Mariano Rivera. The number may be ceremonially retired by the Yankees after Rivera retires.
Huggins, Gehrig, Ruth, Barrow, DiMaggio, Mantle, McCarthy, Stengel, Rizzuto, Gomez, Ford, Dickey, Berra, Jackson and Ruffing are also members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Allen received the Hall's Ford Frick Award, the broadcasters' equivalent of Hall of Fame election.

In addition, the Knights of Columbus donated plaques to the Yankees in honor of the masses delivered at Yankee Stadium by Pope Paul VI on October 4, 1965 and Pope John Paul II on October 2, 1979.

Enlarge picture
The September 11th Monument


The Yankees dedicated a monument to the victims and rescue workers of the 9/11 attacks on September 11, 2002, the first anniversary of the attacks. It was placed in the back right corner.

Although Paul O'Neill (outfielder 1993-2001) has not been honored with the retirement of his number 21 or with the dedication of a Monument Park plaque, the number has not been reissued following his retirement.

The monuments are located more than 450 feet from home plate. It is an achievement for a home run in the "new" Stadium to go into the monuments on the fly. Among those who have done so are Thurman Munson (in Game 3 of the 1978 American League Championship Series) and Alex Rodriguez (in August 2005).

Since the mid-1980s, the rear fence lining the walkway from the grandstand to the monuments -- the barrier that was the outfield fence from 1976 to 1984 -- has borne the Yankees' retired numbers. Under those numbers are small stands with short biographies of the players that were honored.

Monument Park is open to fans during most game days at Yankee Stadium, from the time that the gates open until about 45 minutes before the start of the game. Sometimes Monument Park closes earlier for unannounced reasons. On the annual Old Timers Day, it is open throughout the Old Timers ceremonies and game, remaining open until 45 minutes before the start of the MLB game. It is also open to the public during tours of Yankee Stadium.

Note

1. ^ [1]

Photo gallery


Miller Huggins's Monument

Lou Gehrig's Monument

Babe Ruth's Monument

Mickey Mantle's Monument

Joe DiMaggio's Monument

Jacob Ruppert's Plaque

Bob Sheppard's Plaque

Monument Park from the stadium's pressbox


 •  • [ e]
New York Yankees
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Important Figures – Jacob Ruppert • Miller Huggins • Babe Ruth • Lou Gehrig • Joe DiMaggio • Phil Rizzuto • Bill Dickey • Casey Stengel • Yogi Berra • Whitey Ford • Mickey Mantle • Roger Maris • Elston Howard • George Steinbrenner • Billy Martin • Thurman Munson • Ron Guidry • Reggie Jackson • Don Mattingly • Joe Torre • Paul O'Neill • Bernie Williams • Derek Jeter • Mariano Rivera
Retired Numbers – 1 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 7 • 8 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 15 • 16 • 23 • 32 • 37 • 44 • 49
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Monument Park is the name of several places:

In the United States

  • Monument Park, Colorado
  • Monument Park (Yankee Stadium); an open-air baseball museum at Yankee Stadium, New York
  • Monument Park

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Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium in New York City that is the home of the New York Yankees, a Major League baseball team. Located at East 161st Street and River Avenue in the Bronx, it has hosted Yankees home games since 1923.
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The Bronx is New York City's northernmost borough, coterminous with Bronx County. The Bronx is located Northeast of Manhattan. It is the only one of the city's five boroughs situated primarily on the United States mainland rather than on an island.
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State of New York

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Nickname(s): The Empire State
Motto(s): Excelsior!

Official language(s) None

Capital Albany
Largest city New York City

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This article or section is about a planned or proposed stadium.
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As Player
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Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Manhattan, New York City used by baseball's New York Giants from 1883 until 1957, New York Metropolitans from 1883 until 1885, the New York Yankees from 1912 until 1922, and by the New York Mets in their first two
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Forbes Field was a Major League Baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.

It served as the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League from mid-1909 to mid-1970.
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Jacob Ruppert, Jr. (August 5, 1867 – January 13, 1939), sometimes referred to as Jake Ruppert, was a National Guard colonel; a U.S. Representative from New York; and brewery owner, who went on to own the New York Yankees.
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Henry Louis ("Lou") Gehrig (June 19 1903 – June 2 1941), born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American baseball player in the first half of the twentieth century.
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George Herman Ruth, Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948), also popularly known as "Babe", "The Bambino", and "The Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914-1935.
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Edward Grant Barrow (May 10, 1868 - December 15, 1953) was an American manager and executive in Major League Baseball who guided the Boston Red Sox to the 1918 World Series title, then built the New York Yankees into baseball's premier franchise and greatest dynasty as their top
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Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr. (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed Joltin' Joe and The Yankee Clipper, was a Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire MLB career (1936–1951) for the New York
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