In the beginning …

This is how the original Yankee Stadium on its grand opening 102 years ago Friday with New York beating the Boston Red Sox 4-1 before a midweek, afternoon crowd of 74,200 in the Bronx.

The new stadium’s first homer, naturally, comes off the bat of Babe Ruth in the third inning as the future Hall of Fame tags Red Sox starter Howard Ehmke for a three-run shot to deep right field that gives the Yankees a 4-0 lead in the 1923 season opener for both teams.

Babe Ruth touches the plate after his homer

The homer is the 198th of Ruth’s career – then an on-going record that eventually reaches 714 by the time he retires early in the 1935 season.

The Yankees go on to win the 1923 World Series – the first of their 20 championships from Yankee Stadium’s inaugural season in 1923 until the place closes for two seasons in 1974-75 to undergo major renovations.

The Yankees then win their next seven titles in the second and third incarnations of the original ballpark.