By JUSTIN TERRANOVA
Hal Steinbrenner said he was very impressed with the new Yankee Stadium, also known as “The House That George Built.”
“Very proud. I don’t think he would like to hear that, but that’s his personality,” Hal said of his father and the stadium’s unofficial nickname. “You know, 35 years he has been the face of the Yankees and still is. He’s put his heart and soul for this endeavor for over three decades. It certainly makes me proud.
As for the stadium itself, “Unbelievable, in a word. I have been here every couple of weeks, but when you are not here every day, it’s amazing the changes. Two weeks ago this place still had a lot of work to be done and everyone came together and it’s great.”
Here are some more reactions to the new Yankee Stadium, which opened today: Joba Chamberlain: “I am trying not to get lost first of all. I am going to have to send a telegram to talk to some of the other guys in the clubhouse. You can’t ask for anything better than this, to come home and have this waiting for us. It’s great for all of us guys that worked so hard to get where we are at. It’s probably a little different for the guys that have been here 12-13 years.
“Pitching on the mound is going to be a little different, just because your background’s going to be different, so that will take a little adjustment.”
A.J. Burnett: “You can get lost in here easily. I think they did a very good job. I was apart when they did one a re-make of the one in Toronto and they did an A-plus job, but this is just incredible.
Johnny Damon: “If you could see the looks on our faces, you can tell Christmas came a bit early for us this year. My first thoughts were that we very fortunate to have a place like this. This place is special the second you walk into it.”
Joe Girardi: “It’s like Christmas morning. It’s an unbelievable building.
“The first door I walked through was the kitchen. It’s probably my favorite place. I love to eat, that’s my passion.”
Phil Coke: “It’s unbelievable, you can’t put it into words. And I haven’t been able to see it all yet.”
