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Yankees open final season at Yankee Stadium

Mar 31, 2008 - 12:52 PM Toronto (0-0) at NY Yankees (0-0) 1:05 pm EDT

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Yankees begin their final year at 85-year-old Yankee Stadium on Monday when they host the Toronto Blue Jays in their season opener.

Except for two years in the mid-1970s, Yankee Stadium has been home to the Yankees since 1923. They played at Shea Stadium in 1974 and 1975 while the "House That Ruth Built" in the Bronx was renovated.

Next year, the Yankees move into a new stadium a few blocks from the existing one.

While the Yankees are embarking on an historic season, they also are beginning a new era as Joe Girardi takes over for Joe Torre, the team's manager since 1996.

Torre enjoyed remarkable success in New York, winning four World Series titles and guiding the Yankees to the playoffs in all 12 of his seasons.

However, New York has suffered three straight first-round exists and last year saw its nine-year reign as AL East champions ended by the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox. Still, expectations remain as high as ever in the Bronx

Torre rejected the Yankees' contract offer after last season and took the Los Angeles Dodgers' job. He was replaced in New York by Girardi, a catcher on three of Torre's championship teams in the late 1990s.

Chien-Ming Wang makes his first Opening Day start for the Yankees. Wang, who missed a chance to start last year's opener due to a hamstring injury, has won 19 games in each of the last two seasons and has a career record of 46-18. But he struggled in two playoff starts last year against the Cleveland Indians.

Wang will face Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, who went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA in 31 starts last season.

The Blue Jays posted an 83-79 record last season, finishing third in the AL East for the eighth time in the last 10 years. They were 13 games behind the Red Sox.