New York Yankees - Monument Park

Monument Park, Yankee Stadium, is an open-air museum located behind centerfield in Yankee Stadium. The Park features a collection of monuments, plaques and retired numbers honoring distinguished members of the Yankees and events that took place in Yankee Stadium

In 1929, Yankees manager Miller Huggins died unexpectantly, leading the Yankee organization to honor him by placing a monument featuring a brass plaque mounted on an upright piece of granite in front of the flag pole in centerfield. Many fans believed this was Huggins final resting place. Mounments for Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth would eventually be placed on either side of Huggins

When the Stadium was remodeled in 1974-1975, the centerfield fence was moved in, enclosing the centerfield monuments and taking them out if the field of play. With the addition of plaques for Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, the area became known as Monument Park. The DiMaggio and Mantle plaques would be moved and mounted on red granite blocks.

When the stadium was rebuilt, Monument Park was included in the centerfield design. Besides honoring Yankees players and executives, the heroes of the 9-11 tragedy, Pope Paul IV, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, Nelson Mandela and the Stonewall Inn Uprising

 Mantle making a catch in front of the monuments - 1959

2019