Editing Yankee Stadium (1923) (section)

===Outfield dimensions===
During its 87-year existence, Yankee Stadium's dimensions were changed several times. The many photographs taken throughout the stadium's history serve as references, especially as the Yankees were among the first to post distance markers on the outfield walls, doing so beginning in 1928.

In its 1923 incarnation, the right and left field foul lines hit the box seat railings at a distance of only about 257 feet from home plate.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34944955/|title=Can He Swat 'Em in New Park as He Swatted in Old?|date=February 4, 1923|work=New York Daily News|access-date=August 15, 2019|page=84|via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref> This did not pose too much of a problem for pitchers, as the seating angled away sharply, especially in left field. The right field corner was a problem for the outfielders, as its construction tended to make a bounding fair ball take an unpredictable carom. This problem, dubbed the "bloody angle" by the players, was solved prior to the 1924 season by moving the infield some ten feet toward center and rotating it slightly. That resulted in a new left field distance of {{convert|281|ft|1|in}}, and a new right field of {{convert|294|ft|6|in}} (eventually posted as 295).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34944913/|title=Longer Right Field at Yankee Stadium Blow to Babe Ruth|date=February 9, 1924|work=The Buffalo Commercial|access-date=August 14, 2019|page=8|via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref>

By 1928 some of the box seats had been chiseled away in the left field corner, allowing a somewhat longer foul line distance of {{convert|301|ft}}. The seating curved away sharply and the far corner of the lower left stand was {{convert|402|ft}} away. The large wooden bleachers remained well out of reach to most batters hitting toward left and center fields. In 1928 the deep left-center field corner was marked as {{convert|490|ft}}, with the deep right-center field corner {{convert|429|ft}}. For 1928 only, there was also a marker of {{convert|462|ft}}, in direct center field. The "straightaway" right field distance (at an exit gate) was marked {{convert|350|ft}} and the right field foul line {{convert|295|ft}}. The right field area would remain the only hitter-friendly portion of the outfield before its 1970s remodeling.

When the wooden bleachers were replaced by a concrete structure during the 1936 season, its left corner (now aligned with the main stand) was marked as {{convert|415|ft}}. Deep left center shrank to a mere {{convert|461|ft}}, behind the flagpole. As the monuments began to accumulate, the 461 sign was moved a few feet to the right. The deep right-center corner was {{convert|407|ft}}, the right corner of the bleacher area was {{convert|367|ft}}, and the right field line {{convert|296|ft}}, with a {{convert|344|ft}} sign about halfway between them. For the 1939 season, a {{convert|457|ft}} sign was added to left-center's "Death Valley", between the 402/415 pair and the 461.

The 415 sign in deep left field appears in clips of [[Al Gionfriddo]]'s catch of [[Joe DiMaggio]]'s long drive in the [[1947 World Series]]. That sign, and its 367 counterpart in right field, were both covered by auxiliary scoreboards which were built prior to the 1949 season. Those boards displayed the current game inning-by-inning along with runs-hits-errors.

As part of the upgrade for the 1967 season, the 461 marker was replaced by one reading {{convert|463|ft}}, and a {{convert|433|ft}} marker was added for direct center field.

When the stadium reopened in 1976, the distance in straight-away center field was {{convert|417|ft|m}}. The deepest part of the outfield was in left center at {{convert|430|ft|m}}. The most recent field dimensions were reached primarily by moving the Yankee bullpen to left-center from right and making a few other changes so as to bring the left-center field wall in. The 1973-era left-center field wall locations could still be seen in 1976, as this is where the outfield bleacher seats began.

The following is a partial list of the stadium's dimensions throughout the years:<ref>Lowry, Phil. ''Green Cathedrals''.</ref><ref>Durso, Joseph. ''Yankee Stadium: Fifty Years of Drama''.</ref><ref>Robinson, Ray and Christopher Jennison. ''Yankee Stadium: 75 Years of Drama, Glamour and Glory''.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" size="100%;" style="font-style:bold; border:3px;"
|-  style="text-align:center"
! style="background:#132448;color:#FFFFFF;|Year
! style="background:#132448;color:#FFFFFF;|Left Field<br>Line
! style="background:#132448;color:#FFFFFF;|Straightaway<br>Left Field
! style="background:#132448;color:#FFFFFF;|Left Center
! style="background:#132448;color:#FFFFFF;|Deepest<br>Center Field
! style="background:#132448;color:#FFFFFF;|Right Center
! style="background:#132448;color:#FFFFFF;|Straightaway<br>Right Field
! style="background:#132448;color:#FFFFFF;|Right Field<br>Line
! style="background:#132448;color:#FFFFFF;|Backstop
|- style="text-align:center;"
!1923
| {{convert|257|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|?
|?
| {{convert|498|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|?
|?
| {{convert|257.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|?
|- style="text-align:center;"
!1924
| {{convert|281|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|395|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|460|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|490|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|429|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|350|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|295|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|82|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
!1937
| {{convert|301|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|402|ft|m|abbr=on}} /<br> {{convert|415|ft|m|abbr=on}}.
|{{convert|457|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|461|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|407|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|367|ft|m|abbr=on}} /<br> {{convert|344|ft|m|abbr=on}}.
| {{convert|296|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|82|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
!1976
| {{convert|312|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|387|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|430|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|417|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|385|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|353|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|310|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|84|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
!1985
| {{convert|312|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|379|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|411|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|410|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|385|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|353|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|310|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|84|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
!1988
| {{convert|318|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|379|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|399|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|408|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|385|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|353|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|314|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|{{convert|82|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|}

After a mid-1960s remodeling, the 461 marker<ref name="ggpht">{{cite web|url=http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Q_Zerpnj63I/ShCwgpSDo_I/AAAAAAAAGHk/KEXqA7glZyQ/s800/c.jpg|title=Image: c.jpg, (800 × 519 px)|publisher=lh6.ggpht.com|access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref> was replaced by a 463 marker slightly farther to the left of the pair of double doors<ref name="thejoekorner">{{cite web|url=http://www.thejoekorner.com/yankee-stadium/ys-73-08.jpg|title=Image: ys-73-08.jpg|publisher=thejoekorner.com|access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref> and a 433 marker was added between the 463 and 407 markers<ref name="thejoekorner2">{{cite web|url=http://www.thejoekorner.com/yankee-stadium/ys-73-02.jpg|title=Image: ys-73-02.jpg|publisher=thejoekorner.com|access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref> ostensibly to represent true straightaway center field (being roughly at the midpoint of the batter's-eye screen).