The Big Apple's basic baseball debate

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I did not grow up in New York City. I don't have an affinity for the Yankees or Mets. When it comes to New York's baseball teams, I would describe myself and completely neutral.

I can't say the same about the teams' respective stadia.

During more than a dozen years as a baseball correspondent, I visited Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium on several occasions and witnessed some unforgettable events in both venues.

As far as preferences, though, it's not even close.

My colleague, Bobby Tanzilo, a diehard Mets fan, isn't going to like hearing this, but I like Yankee Stadium considerably more than Shea.

Yankee Stadium opened in 1923. It's "The House that Ruth Built." It has Monument Park, the unforgettable façade, the giant bat outside and a slew of A-list celebrities in the box seats. You can sense excitement as you get close to 161st Street and River Avenue.

When I think of Yankee Stadium, I think of crisp, magical October nights. I think of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Maris, Larsen, Reggie, Jeter, O'Neill, Joe Torre and countless others.

When I think of Yankee Stadium, I remember how the tension would build in the hours before a big game (or even a regular-season game, for that matter) to the point where it was palpable near the batting cage. I remember being assigned a seat in the auxiliary press box for a playoff game and feeling bummed about it until I realized that there was a Plexiglas partition separating me from George Steinbrenner's private box, where Regis Philbin, Donald Trump, Billy Crystal and "Big Stein" himself munched on snacks and watched the action.

What's the first thing that pops into my head when I think of Shea Stadium? I have to be honest: it's the Beatles. They played there before I was born, but that's what I think about, along with the airplanes from nearby La Guardia Airport, a slow press elevator and some very friendly New York City policemen and jovial stadium workers.

The most memorable moment I witnessed in Shea Stadium may have been the Yankees winning the 2000 "Subway" Series.

Again, I have nothing against the Mets, their organization or their fans. I simply preferred watching baseball in the Bronx over Flushing. Yankee Stadium, which was constructed in 1923 and renovated in the mid-1970s, had a timeless charm. Shea Stadium, built in 1964, seemed outdated like many of the "flying saucer" ballparks of the era. The Mets tried to keep it nice, but its waning years recalled the final seasons at Milwaukee County Stadium.

"Stadiums such as Shea are not great experiences for the fans," Mets owner Fred Wilpon said in a recent interview with Newsday. "The seats are too far from the field; they don't face the field in the right way. That is not to say there isn't a lot of nostalgia and memories of good things, interesting things.

"When you were young, you didn't care about the bathrooms or concession stands because you were 10. When you were 10, this was new. You look at it now and we are at a great disadvantage for our fans."

At this point, some may be wondering why this is relevant for an audience based in Milwaukee. For starters, it's travel week at OnMilwaukee.com. In addition, many of our readers visit New York regularly for business or pleasure.

The real reason, however, is that both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium will be replaced after this season. Remember what it was like when Miller Park towered over County Stadium in 2000? That is what is happening in Gotham, where crews are working to complete the "new" Yankee Stadium and Shea's replacement, Citi Field. With a combined price tag approaching $2 billion, the facilities are slated to open in April.

Both teams plan lavish sendoffs and lucrative auctions for sod, signage and seats. Yankee Stadium will be the site for the All-Star Game, which is being described as one of the tougher tickets in sports this year. Tickets for the game range have a face value between $150 and $725, but scalpers will be getting much more.

"I wish I was playing in it," Hall of Famer Yogi Berra said at a recent Yankee Stadium news conference.

The All-Star Game will provide another memorable moment at Yankee Stadium. Shea has had its share (ask Bill Buckner), but it really can't compare.

From what I've seen of the new parks in photos, on television and online, they are going to be spectacular.

In this farewell season, however, I'd advise travelers to make seeing Yankee Stadium a priority.