Demolition crews are lining up for the chance to play wrecking ball at Yankee Stadium.
The city has given the Yankees until Feb. 28 to vacate The House That Ruth Built, and then – over the following year – the ballpark will be slowly smashed to pieces, according to a request for bidders on the $27 million contract released yesterday.
Just as fans have watched the new stadium rise across the street this season, the historic ballpark will shrink a little each day during the 2009 and, perhaps, the 2010 seasons.
From March to May of 2009, the crews will work to remove all the asbestos contained in 60,000 square feet of roof and 30,000 square feet of floor tiles.
Parts of the Stadium that can be resold to collectors or reused will be yanked out by the end of May. The rest of the demolition will be completed in the spring of 2010.
Aside from obvious memorabilia, such as the 57,000 seats, the city has been coy about which pieces of the Stadium will be salvaged.
Also likely to be spared are the iconic “meeting place” bat-shaped smokestack and the famous white frieze that runs across the outfield, according to Economic Development Corp. documents.
Sports memorabilia experts say the frieze – which is actually a replica of the original 1923 Stadium’s copper one – and The Bat would be difficult to sell because of their sheer size.
These are more likely to be moved, perhaps nearby to Heritage Field, which will be built atop the Ruthian ruins, said Mike Heffner, president of auctioneer Lelands.com.