He tended bar for 27 seasons at the House that Ruth Built, but now, John Vendikos says the Yankees have dumped him for the same reason they ditched their storied stadium: old age.
The 73-year-old mixologist, who poured drinks at the Stadium Club for legends such as Joe DiMaggio, as well as for legions of fans, had hoped to move to the shiny new ballpark.
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But in January, he was told he had to re-interview for his old job because the Yankees had created their own food-service company.
“I had to wait in line for three hours, and when I got in, the guy said to me, ‘Why should I hire you? You’re an old man,’ ” Vendikos told The Post.
The veteran barkeep thought it was a joke.
“At first, I was sure he was being a wisenheimer,” he said. “But then I realized he was dead serious.”
So today, he’s filing a complaint against the Yankees with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“This is a textbook case of age discrimination,” said his attorney, Lenard Leeds.
Vendikos said, “This never would have happened before Mr. [George] Steinbrenner became sick.” ]
The Yankees say they’ve done nothing wrong.
“We deny the allegation of any age discrimination,” team spokeswoman Alice McGillion said. “We have hired many people over the age of 65 at the new stadium.”