WasWatching.com

This has Selig's fingerprints all over it. Of course, the Mets get to close the 08 season at Shea...there's so much tradition connected with that grand old structure (technically, it's older than the renovated Yankee Stadium). Let Selig choke on George's money and this year's abysmal playoff ratings.

This whole closing on the road thing is probably part of the deal with the ASG - Yanks get the ASG, Mets get to close at home.

Seems like a quid pro quo to me.

Good point on the ASG angle.

Teams who finished @ home
Orioles
Indians
Rockies (strike year)
Astros
Phillies
Pirates
Padres
Cardinals
Rangers

Teams who didn't
Braves (unless you want to count the playoffs)
White Sox
Reds
Tigers
Brewers
Giants
Nationals

Midseason replacement
Seattle
Toronto

Raf, the Tigers and White Sox are the only two teams on that list that could be compared to the Yanks in terms of the age and historical relevance of their former ballparks. The rest of them were already on their second stadium and, in most cases, of the 1960s/70s cookie-cutter variety.

If and when Wrigley and Fenway ever go down, it will be interesting to see how MLB treats those going-away parties.

I'm inclined to believe in the quid pro quo theory but I also have to say that there shouldn't have even been the need for such a trade-off. The Mets get to close down at home and will likely get an ASG in their new park in the next 3-5 years. They're getting their cake and eating it too. As it is, New York should NEVER have been made to wait this long for an ASG, not when Pittsburgh and San Diego are on their seconds and thirds in the time since the ASG was last in either Shea or Yankee...

Raf, the Tigers and White Sox are the only two teams on that list that could be compared to the Yanks in terms of the age and historical relevance of their former ballparks.
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And they finished on the road. I threw the list together to show that the Yanks finishing the season on the road isn't part of some giant conspiracy, or whatever. It happens sometimes.

As for the ASG, I think it should rotate annually between stadiums and between leagues, but it doesn't work that way.

From the looks of it, it has been a while since St. Louis or Kansas City hosted a game too.

Busch Stadium has the 2009 ASG.

I don't think it's part of some big conspiracy, I just think it's baseball's now-predictable lack of common sense. Yankee Stadium closing down should be a bigger deal to Selig and MLB honchos. It's another chance to promote the game and its history, which, ultimately is the one big marketing advantage that baseball still has over all other sports.

Why should they have to choose between the ASG and closing at home? Maybe that's how it's ordinarily done and blah blah blah, but surely they can change just one road trip.