The Pecan Park Eagle

Yankee Stadium on a more somber day beyond its 1923 consecration as the great cathedral of baseball and the house built by a certain well-known Yankee player.

Moving into the biggest part of Opening Day 2014, It’s a good time to recall how Opening Day 1923 worked out as the first official game to be played at the new and original Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York on April 18, 1923. Here is one Associated Press article on how a mind-blowing record crowd of  74,200 described it the April 19, 1923 edition of the Olean (NY) Evening Herald:

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RUTH KNOCKS OUT FIRST HOMER OF 1923 SEASON BEFORE 75,000 FANS IN NEW YORK YANKEE STADIUM

Mighty Babe drives ball far into right field bleachers ~ Yankees trim Red Sox 4 to 1 ~ Bob Shawkey allows but three safe hits

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By the Associated Press

NEW YORK, April 19 – Babe Ruth came back into his own yesterday. When the mighty Yankee slugger cracked his first home run of the season far into the right field bleachers of the massive new Yankee Stadium, 74,200 howling fans, the largest throng that ever attended a baseball game, rose to accord their idol a thunderous ovation.

Ruth’s circuit clout, clinching victory for the American League champs in the opening game with the Boston Red Sox, added the one touch needed to complete the most picturesque drama in baseball annals. The Babe, those thousands agreed, had come back. A super-World Series atmosphere pervaded in the formal dedication in the huge home of the Yankees. The record crowd, which jammed every nook and corner of the huge triple deck grand stand and packed all but a few corners of the bleacher sections, far exceeded expectations. Every seat in the  mammoth structure could have been filled, but thousands chose to stand in the aisles rather than perch in the few vacant areas of the bleachers.

The attendance battered by more than 30,000 the previous high mark of 32,620, set at Braves Field, Boston, in a World’s Series game between the Red Sox and Brooklyn.

The reserve bleacher sections, accommodating 20,000, were sold out 24 hours before opening time, but ins of the faithful formed early in the day to await the opening at noon of more than 50,000 unreserved seats. By one o’clock, more than two hours before the game was scheduled to start, it was estimated that about 40,000 had passed through the turnstiles.

Formal ceremonies for the occasion included the raising of the 1922 Yankee pennant by managers Miller Huggins and Frank Chance, and a parade about the field, headed by Commissioner K.M. Landis, Governor Alfred E. Smith, who also tossed out the first ball, and other notables, but the real thrill – the kind that comes only to the heart of the dyed-in-the-wool fan on opening day – was provided by Babe Ruth.

The Home Run King demonstrated in practice before the game that he had the range. Taking his first (practice) time at bat, he picked (teammate) Sam Jones first offering for a terrific drive into the right field section. He followed with an even loftier drive shortly afterward that struck with such force as to splinter the planking in one of the top bleacher benches, scattering a group of youthful enthusiasts who immediately returned to scramble for the ball.

(Now don’t you just know that the kid who got that first Ruth souvenir BP ball in the first game ever at Yankee Stadium just took it home and played street ball with it until the cover came off? What are the odds he did?)

HOW IT HAPPENED

To the surprise of no one, Babe Ruth hit the first home run at Yankee Stadium on its original opening day, April 18, 1923.

Before a record throng, officially announced as 74,200, the New York Yankees American League champions opened their new stadium and the 1923 season yesterday with a 4 to 1 triumph over the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees did all of their scoring in the third inning. Babe Ruth getting off to a lusty start in his 1923 home run campaign by driving (one) into the right field bleachers for the circuit, scoring Witt and Dugan ahead of him. Bob Shawkey, veteran Yankee hurling star, pitched brilliantly, holding the Red Sox to three hits, one of which, a triple by McMillan, scored the only Boston tally in he seventh. Ehmke was effective, except in the third inning.

~ Associated Press, Olean (NY) Evening Herald, Thursday, April 19, 1923, Page 13.

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THE BOX SCORE, COURTESY OF BASEBALL ALMANAC.COM …

Baseball Almanac Box ScoresBoston Red Sox 1, New York Yankees 4
Game played on Wednesday, April 18, 1923 at Yankee Stadium I
Boston Red Sox ab   r   h rbi Fewster ss 3 0 0 0 Collins rf 4 0 0 0 Skinner cf 4 0 0 0 Harris lf 4 0 0 0 Burns 1b 3 1 1 0 McMillan 2b 2 0 1 1 Shanks 3b 3 0 0 0 DeVormer c 3 0 0 0 Ehmke p 2 0 1 0   Menosky ph 1 0 0 0   Fullerton p 0 0 0 0 Totals 29 1 3 1	New York Yankees ab   r   h rbi Witt cf 3 1 1 0 Dugan 3b 4 1 1 1 Ruth rf 2 1 1 3 Pipp 1b 3 0 0 0 Meusel lf 4 0 1 0 Schang c 4 0 0 0 Ward 2b 3 0 1 0 Scott ss 2 0 1 0 Shawkey p 3 1 1 0 Totals 28 4 7 4
Boston 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 – 1 3 1 New York 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 x – 4 7 1   Boston Red Sox IP H R ER BB SO Ehmke  L(0-1) 7.0 7 4 4 3 4   Fullerton 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 Totals 8.0 7 4 4 4 5   New York Yankees IP H R ER BB SO Shawkey  W(1-0) 9.0 3 1 1 2 5 Totals 9.0 3 1 1 2 5 E–Burns (1), Ruth (1).  DP–New York 1. Scott-Ward-Pipp.  2B–New York Meusel (1); Scott (1).  3B–Boston McMillan (1).  HR–New York Ruth (1,3rd inning off Ehmke 2 on 2 out).  HBP–Fewster (1).  Team LOB–4.  SH–Scott (1).  Team–5.  CS–Burns (1); Pipp (1).  U–Tommy Connolly, Billy Evans, Ducky Holmes.  T–2:05.  A–74,200.
Game played on Wednesday, April 18, 1923 at Yankee Stadium I
Baseball Almanac Box Score |

Tags: the first game at old Yankee Stadium

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