On This Day in Sports: April 18, 1923
On April 18, 1923, Yankee Stadium opened in the Bronx before an announced crowd of 74,200. The new ballpark gave the Yankees a home of their own after years of sharing the Polo Grounds. Fittingly, Babe Ruth supplied the signature moment, hitting a three-run home run in the third inning as New York defeated the Boston Red Sox, 4-1.
The scale of the stadium astonished visitors. Its massive decks and broad curves represented a new kind of sports architecture, built for the crowds Ruth’s power and personality had drawn. Governor Al Smith threw the ceremonial pitch, military bands performed and fans filled the aisles. By afternoon’s end, the building already had a nickname: the House That Ruth Built.
Ruth’s homer came off Howard Ehmke and landed in the right-field stands. Bob Shawkey handled the pitching for New York, allowing one run in a complete game. The combination of Ruth’s offense and a Yankees victory made the opening feel scripted, joining the team’s emerging dominance with the most ambitious baseball venue of its era.
Yankee Stadium became a setting for championships, heavyweight fights, football games, papal visits and public ceremonies before closing in 2008. Its first day established the themes that would define it: enormous crowds, expectation and Ruth at the center. The ballpark’s history began with one swing that made a new monument immediately feel legendary.
The announced attendance was 74,200.
New York defeated Boston 4-1.
Babe Ruth hit a three-run home run.
It was the first homer in the new stadium.
Bob Shawkey pitched a complete game.
The park became known as the House That Ruth Built.
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