The Yankees throw season ticket holders a bone with exhibition ticket prices

The Yankees did the smart thing today and announced visibly reduced prices for the April 3 and April 4 exhibition games that will open up the new Stadium.

According to this release, full season ticket holders will get the games for free, while partial plan holders will have the opportunity to purchase bleacher tickets for 25 cents and grandstand (upper deck) tickets for $1.10. Apparently, these were the prices back in 1923 for the opener at the old Stadium.

This is a nice gesture, but it would have had a bit more impact if it was the first regular season game. This is yet another aspect of these exhibition games that are going to take away from the regular season opener. I may or may not have gotten up on this soapbox before.

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Its official - Cubs to open up the new Stadium with two exhibition games

The news comes courtesy of NJ.com - The Cubs will officially usher in the new era of Yankee Stadium with two exhibition games in early April.

While exciting, it is also a bit disappointing. The first regular season game at the new Yankee Stadium is bound to be anticlimactic after these two games are played only two weeks earlier. Before you laugh, these "meaningless exhibitions" will have a lot more meaning than most. Lou Piniella will be back in town, along with old friend Alfonso Soriano representing the lovable loser Chicago Cubs. Tickets will likely be reasonably priced, although the ticket office is not yet releasing ticket information - meaning more real fans will be in the house that Big Stein built. April 3rd will have the feel of opening day night (the game starts at 7:05 PM] at the Stadium, a cool early early Spring evening, full house at the big ballpark in the Bronx. But it will only be a dress rehearsal.

The bottom line? This game will end up being a little too fun, taking all of the anticipation out of the season opener in the new Yankee Stadium. Yes, most teams warm up their new ballparks with exhibition games, but these are the Yankees we are talking about in the greatest city in the world. That game on the 16th should really be the day they break in the new digs.

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