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Secondary sourceArtifact1923

Yankee Stadium

1923

The original Yankee Stadium, built in 1923 and nicknamed 'The House That Ruth Built,' opened the year Ruth hit its first home run.

Nicknamed 'The House That Ruth Built' because his fame and drawing power justified its construction, and he hit its first home run.

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Aerial view of Yankee Stadium, a large oval stadium with white concrete walls, the words YANKEE STADIUM across the upper facade, and a green baseball field surrounded by stands. Apartment buildings and streets surround it.
Yankee Stadium, the Bronx, New York, opened 1923. Demolished 2010.

About this source

What it is

Yankee Stadium was a baseball stadium in the Bronx, New York, home to the New York Yankees from 1923 to 2008. It was built for team owner Jacob Ruppert and opened in 1923. The stadium was demolished in 2010, and the site is now a public park.

Why it matters

The stadium earned its nickname, 'The House That Ruth Built,' because Babe Ruth's popularity as a player drew the enormous crowds that justified building such a large venue. His prime years lined up with the stadium's opening and the start of the Yankees' long run of success. It stands as physical evidence of how one athlete's fame could reshape a city's sports infrastructure.

Look closer

  • Why do you think the stadium became linked so closely with one player's name instead of the team's?
  • What does the size of the original stadium (much bigger than typical ballparks of the time) suggest about expectations placed on Ruth?
  • What might this aerial photograph not tell you about what happened inside the stadium over the decades?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Babe Ruth on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Black-and-white photo from behind of a baseball player in a pinstriped uniform with the number 3, holding a cap, on a stadium field. A line of uniformed players and suited men stands at right, with crowded stands and banners behind.Photograph

Primary source

Babe Ruth Bows Out

Nathaniel Fein · 1948

Black-and-white full-length studio portrait of a man in a striped baseball uniform and cap with a large N-style logo, holding a wooden bat on his shoulder against a painted backdrop. Signature reads Yours truly Babe Ruth.Photograph

Primary source

Babe Ruth2

Irwin, La Broad, & Pudlin · c. 1920

Black-and-white portrait photograph, cropped at the shoulders, of a man wearing a dark cap with a white interlocking NY emblem. He has a serious expression and looks toward the camera, wearing a light collared shirt.Photograph

Primary source

Babe Ruth cropped

1920s

Four baseball bats displayed upright in a glass case against a yellow wall with placards. From left: a light wood bat signed by Babe Ruth, a bat signed by Roger Maris, a pale bat signed by Mark McGwire, and a black bat signed by Sammy Sosa. Each has a labeled placard below.Artifact

Primary source

Home Run Record Bats Display

1927 (bat); display photographed later

Trade magazine advertisement for the 1920 film Headin' Home starring Babe Ruth. Left: an illustrated cartoon of a batter in pinstripes with a bat, numbered 54. Large text reads Babe Ruth in Headin' Home. Below: a still of a man in a work shirt grinning beside a woman in a wide-brimmed hat by a fence. Text reads a delightful photoplay of youth and happiness.Documentary

Primary source

Headin' Home

Lawrence C. Windom · 1920

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