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YANKEE STADIUM OPENS TO LARGEST CROWD EVER The Babe Highlights Game with Mighty Blast April 18, 1923 The Bronx in New York An announced crowd of 74,217 including commissioner Kennesaw Landis, NY Governor Al Smith, and Colonel Jacob Ruppert, and the dominant sounds of the music played by the Seventh Regiment band directed by John Philip Sousa highlighted the opening of the first ever “Baseball Stadium”. Babe Ruth’s wish that he would trade in a year of his life if he could hit a home run in his first game here, came true. In the third inning his three run blast soared in to the right field bleachers. Ruth, not fooled by Howard Ehmke’s slow pitch, rounded the bases, removed his cap as he crossed home plate, and waved to the ecstatic assemblage. The Yankees prevailed with strong pitching from “Sailor Bob” Shawkey in their 4 – 1 win over archrival the Boston Red Sox. Originally named, The Yankee Stadium, it was built in nine months at a cost of $ 2.5 million dollars, the massive ballpark stretched from 157th to 161st and from River St. to Doughty Ave in the Bronx. A copper frieze façade was designed to give it a regal look.