To celebrate tomorrow's final game at Yankee Stadium, the team will allow fans to walk on the field before the game. The grass and infield will be off limits, but fans can stroll along the warning track, behind home plate and even on the remains of one fan who recently found a new home there. The stadium will have a huge police presence tomorrow to stop fans from pocketing handfuls of dirt that are expected......

With his financial records under the public microscope after revelations of a tangled web of personal finances including not paying rental taxes on a Dominican villa for twenty years, Representative Charles Rangel has now revealed that he has discovered more inaccuracies while going over his returns from years past. Among them are omitting any mention of the sale of a home he once had in Washington DC for the last 10 years and dollar amounts......

Yes and no. The name “Polo Grounds” was originally just a generic name describing the function of the place – grounds where polo was played – and got transmogrified into a proper name. Like another Manhattan sports venue, Madison Square Garden, it was the name for several different structures, but it was only the first where polo was actually played. The original Polo Grounds, located across from Central Park on 110th Street between 5th and......

Photograph of Fidel Castro from 2006, proving he was alive after intestinal surgery and wearing an Adidas tracksuit Cuban president Fidel Castro resigned his position after nearly 50 years of rule. The 81-year-old Castro has been battling illness since 2006, notably turning over power to his brother Raul and other ministers temporarily. Though he was still ruling after his 2006 surgery, Castro was little seen. Now it is expected that Castro's resignation positions Raul......

Photo of Andy Pettitte talking to the media by AP/Julie Jacobson With some of his current Yankees teammates on hand, Andy Pettitte addressed the media in Florida this afternoon. Pettitte, who previously admitted using Human Growth Hormone in 2002 and again in 2004, apologized to the Yankees, Astros, and his fans for the "embarrassment" he caused. Pettitte said, "I want to apologize to the New York Yankees and Houston Astros organizations, their fans, my......

alphabet city no. 3, by nschaden at flickr Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on 120th St. and 3rd Ave. in Manhattan, a stabbing on West 31st St. in Brooklyn, and a fall victim at MoMA in Manhattan. The New York Yankees took first place in franchise spending, with a total payroll of $218.3 million last year. The World Series-winning Boston Red Sox payroll totalled $155.4 million to finish a distant second. The......

Derek Jeter's mom is claiming that her son wouldn't cheat on his taxes, days after the NY State Dept. of Taxation and Finance claimed that the Yankees captain owed the state hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in back taxes. Jeter says that his primary residence is in Florida, which doesn't have a state income tax. He does, however, live in the Trump World Plaza building on 1st Ave., across from the United......

It looks like Alex Rodriguez is set to come back as a member of the New York Yankees...and for less money than what they were rumored to be offering before. The former Yankees 3rd baseman is reportedly hammering out a 10-year, $275 million contract with the Yankees. Sources tell the Daily News that a deal could actually be worked out in the next 24-28 hours. So much for the 10-year, $350 million offer the Yankees......

Stating that “this is about being a New York Yankee again today,” and proclaiming, “I expect to be in the Fall Classic next October,” Joe Girardi met the media as the next manager of the New York Yankees today. Girardi sought to differentiate himself from his predecessor saying, “I am going to be myself. There are expectations on me and my coaching staff, the same that were on Joe Torre when he came in......

Former Yankees shortstop and long-time announcer for the team Phil Rizzuto died this morning at the age of 89. Rizzuto played his entire professional baseball career with the New York Yankees after being selected by the team as an amateur free agent in 1937. He wouldn't play his first major league game with the Yanks until 1941, but then served as shortstop for 13 seasons, during which the Bronx Bombers won 10 Pennants and 8......

What do kids like more than Harry Potter? Alex Rodriguez, of course. Okay, maybe not, but there was a block-long line Friday for the a signing of A-Rod's new children's book, Out of the Ballpark. The AP reports that the book features "a green-eyed youngster named Alex lets a grounder get between his legs at second base and loses a popup in playoff games attended by friends and family." Sounds a little like a certain......

If you're itching for some baseball during this season's All-Star break, and hate the Yankees too much to endure a rebroadcast of last night's premiere of The Bronx is Burning, The New York Sun recommends an HBO documentary on the Brooklyn Dodgers that will premiere tomorrow night. "Brooklyn Dodgers: The Ghosts of Flatbush" chronicles a decade of seasons (plus one) for the team and the borough it belonged to, from 1947 to 1957. The......

The Copacabana, perhaps best known as the muse for Barry Manilow's song of the same name, is closing this weekend (the papers are reporting last night, however their website has a flyer for a Last Dance, tonight). The club has been around since WWII, and was at one point a staple stop in New York's nightlife circuit. Having already had to move three times, finding a new home isn't something new for owner (since 1976)......

In October 1977, Howard Cosell leaned into his announcer's microphone and intoned to the worldwide audience watching the World Series, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning." He was reporting yet another burning building marring the NYC skyline from his vantage point at Yankee Stadium. His line would eventually become the partial title of a superb book written by Jonathan Mahler: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle......

Yankees fans can now rejoice, because Roger Clemens is returning to the New York Yankees. The 44-year old right-hander, who last pitched for the Houston Astros last season, announced his plans to the crowd during the 7th inning stretch of today's Yankees-Mariners game (audio from WCBS), "Well, they came and got me out of Texas. I can tell you, it's a privilege to be back. I'll be talking to y'all soon." How surprising was the......

A look at some noteworthy television this week: Gefilte Fish Chronicles (Sunday, 7:00 p.m. WNET 13; 10:00 p.m., WLIW 21) A look at three sisters as they spend weeks getting a traditional Passover seder ready. New York Mets at St. Louis Cardinals (Sunday, 8:00 p.m., ESPN 2) The Amazings start their 2007 campaign this year against the team that shouldn't have even been in the World Series. A bit of warning - the game is......

Illinois Senator Barack Obama was in New York yesterday as speculating about the 2008 Presidential race started to reach a fever pitch (or as much of a fever pitch as possible this early on). He spoke at a fundraiser for Kids in Distressed situations, saying, "We have an empathy deficit. It's time for a sense of empathy to infuse our politics in America. It is time to stop making excuses for inaction." The Daily......

When the dust cleared after the elections on Tuesday, the Democrats were the last party standing. Even in a blue-leaning state like New York, Democrats had to play hard in their quest to dominate the old boys' club known as the Republican party. As Dems claimed victory in every state race, Republicans retreated and joined the ranks of some other New York losers. Sort of like the 2006 New York Yankees and Mets. Focusing on......

A-Rod best ship into shape. If not, his hitting coach might have to take him out. After all, Don Mattingly is the "Hit Man." Gothamist reader Matt sent over a link to this poster to us. It seems like it's about 20 years old. The text of the poster (click the image enlarge) reads "Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees, 1985 American League MVP and Converse. The shoes he wears every time he makes......

- Hey, wacky junkie Jewels, last seen on the ground in the NY Times, talks to the Village Voice! - A small group of fans rallied in Queens as Jets President Jay Cross met with varius Queens politicos - people will take any reason to tailgate on a work day - The police bust a crack den across the street from the 92nd Street Y; and tomorrow, there's a 2PM program of Better than the......

When Gothamist hears the stories of George Steinbrenner going nuts about the players on the Yankees (and their agents), it makes us appreciate our "normal" bosses that much more. Over the weekend, Steinbrenner, the principle owner of the Yankees, expressed his dislike of Arn Tellem, the agent for Jason Giambi and Hideki Matsui, "We'd like to have the player - bleep the agent." Steinbrenner is upset at Tellem for his role in directing Giambi's press......

like Gothamist loves the runs. "Welcome to New York" is what a CBS cameraman said to the newest member of the New York Yankees yesterday after Randy Johnson refused to be videotaped. Newsday has screengrabs of mildly entertaining video. The last thing Johnson said to the camera was, "Don't get in my face; don't talk back to me...all right? Or you'll see what I'm like." Yikes! At least the Big Unit cleaned up for New......

It's the second day of Yankee premature-post-season depression, and the local press is taking note. The Yankees went to the Bronx to clear out their lockers while Joe Torre and George Steinbrenner claimed they'd get back to work. Get back to work throwing money at players! There are legions of stunned Yankees fans in the city and all over the country; NY1 headed to Boston Market on 23rd Street and heard from one fan who......

If you asked Jeremy Bonderman to hold the Yankees to four hits after seven innings, he probably would have told you he would be winning the game when he was replaced. Unfortunately, those four hits were all solo home runs by the New York Yankees and ended up being the difference in the 5-1 Yankee win. Kenny Lofton started the solo home run hit parade in the 3rd inning launching his second home run......

The New York Yankees had a seven-game winning streak over the Baltimore Orioles broken last night in Camden Yards, falling to the Orioles, 13-2. Jon Lieber pitched poorly, giving up 11 hits and seven runs (five of them earned) in 3 2/3 innings. Lieber has not had a solid outing in a month and right now is embarrassed by his pitching. His pitches are finding to much of the plate, and his sinker is not......

As if Mayor Bloomberg didn't have enough problems, New Yorkers are doubting his loyalty to the New York Yankees, as he is a Massachusetts native. Gothamist would like to see his poll numbers broken down by Yankees fans, Mets fans, Giants fans, Jets fans, Knicks fans, and disaffected sports ignorami from this point forward. [Actually, we'd really like to see voter breakdowns between those who watch Law & Order, Sex and the City, and......

Gothamist is glad to know that dressing up and looking foolish on purpose is a part of the Major League Baseball rookie's agenda. Apparently, rookies are supposed to dress in costume as part of their initiation. Here, New York Yankees' Hideki Matsui, left, is pimptacular and Tampa Bay's Doug Waechter, right, shows off his hot gams and shows that sports jocks are not afraid to cross dress. Picture of the Yankees' Jose Contreras and......