www.HistoryOfTheYankees.com

Below are photos of the Park. (Photo credit: Doyle Partners)

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Here is one of the viewfinders and the images shown through it.

Here is a picture of the pavers and an example of some of the quotes on them. There are 49 with inscriptions.

Here are two of the historic benches displayed at the park.

Here is the one historic wall at the park.

Here is the famous quote from the movie "Bull Durham"

Here you can see the outline of the field of Old Yankee Stadium.

Here are two overhead shots taken of Macombs Dam Park.

I visited the park myself on Saturday, February 18, 2012. Below are the images I took of the park. (Photo Credit: www.HistoryOfTheYankees.com)

History of the Park (Credit: http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/X030/history)

This park was named for the Macomb family of millers who, in the 19th century, operated a dam and mill on the site. In 1813 Robert Macomb was granted permission by the New York State Legislature to construct a dam across the Harlem River. Macomb's dam was required to operate a lock, keeping navigation open along the river. However, only small boats were able to pass through the lock, severely limiting the river's capacity. By 1838 residents along the riverbank questioned the private usurpation of the public waterway. Led by Lewis G. Morris, the angered citizens chartered a coal barge and paid the crew to break through the dam with axes. Charges were filed against Morris, but the court, declaring Macomb's dam a "public nuisance," prohibited obstruction of the Harlem River by dam or bridge.

By 1858 the dam had been entirely removed and the toll-free Central Bridge was constructed. The bridge was replaced in 1890 with a new structure. The Department of Public Parks commissioned engineer A.P. Boller to design the new bridge. Its massive steel central swing span was considered at the time to be the world's heaviest movable mass. After the Brooklyn and Washington Bridges, Macomb's Dam Bridge is the third oldest major bridge in New York City. The bridge was named Macomb's Dam Bridge by the Board of Aldermen in 1902. It was designated a city landmark in 1992. The property for Macomb's Dam Park was acquired by condemnation in 1897 and 1924. The park opened in 1899, drawing neighborhood children and aspiring athletes to its extensive recreational facilities including a track, baseball fields, tennis courts, comfort stations, and a playground. The quarter-mile track was a favorite for local and European runners. Hannes Kohlesmainen used the park during his training for the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, where he won three gold medals.

In 1914 the Parks and Playgrounds Association established new playgrounds in eight Bronx parks. The playground at Macomb's Dam Park opened in the summer of that year with swings, shoot-the-chutes (slides), see-saws, swings for different age groups, sand boxes, and basketball courts. According to the 1914 Annual Report of the Department of Parks, children were "drawn to these playgrounds where they were able to give full vent to their excess of feelings, and enjoy to the fullest extent those kinds of exercise which were conducive to their well-being both mentally and physically." Yankee Stadium, to the east, was built in 1923 and became home to great Bronx heroes and legends. Babe Ruth Memorial Stadium, dedicated to baseball favorite George Herman "Babe" Ruth, further enhanced the facilities of Macomb's Dam Park.

Details about the Park:

Macombs Dam Park, East 157^th Street to East 161^st Street between River Avenue and Ruppert Plaza, Bronx
A Project of the Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Parks & Recreation, Doyle Partners, and Cozzolino Studio.

Located in and around the footprint of the original Yankee Stadium, the commemorative program successfully conjures up the history and legacy of the former stadium within this new community park. Mixing blue synthetic fibers with natural grass, the original baseball diamond emerges as an “Indelible Field,” allowing visitors to run the bases. Momentous events in history are inscribed on benches and pavers and brought to life through contemporary viewfinders that offer snapshots in stereoscopic 3D. Large-scale graphics on the outfield fence remind visitors that baseball is a simple game: “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.”

Design Team

Doyle Partners
Stephen Doyle, Creative Director; Thomas Kluepfel, Creative Director; Rosemarie Turk, Art Director; Drew Heffron, Senior Designer

Cozzolino Studio
Steve Cozzolino, Principal

Stantec
Gary Sorge FASLA AICP, Senior Principal; Brian O’Donnell PE, Principal; Thomas Hammerberg LA, Project Designer; Steven Yuen PE, Structural Engineer; Andrew Lessard PE, Structural Engineer; Jessie Jaime, Engineering Technician

Thomas Balsley Associates Landscape Architecture
Dale Schafer, LA, Senior Associate; John Donnelly, Landscape Architect

van Geldern Machine Company
Steve van Geldern, President

Economic Development Corporation
Seth Pinsky, President; Mel Glickman, Executive Vice President, Capital Program; David Kane PE AICP, Executive Vice President, Capital Program; Dmitri Konon, Senior Vice President, Capital Program; Emil Martone, Vice President, Capital Program; Gale Rothstein, Vice President, Design Review & Design Commission Liaison

Department of Parks & Recreation
Adrian Benepe, Commissioner; Liam Kavanagh, First Deputy Commissioner; Thérèse Braddick, Deputy Commissioner for Capital Projects; Hector Aponte, Bronx Borough Commissioner; Charles McKinney, former Chief of Design; David Carlson RLA, former Deputy Chief of Design; Frank T. McCue III RLA, Stadium Program Manager; Michele Lignore-Diaz, Bronx Parks Project Manager; Amie Uhrynowski, Design Commission Liaison