Buried at the bottom of today’s Apple press releases was this tantalizing tidbit:

VIP: Yankee Stadium premieres this Friday, April 4, featuring an all-encompassing look at how elite athletes, die-hard fans, dedicated staff, and epic moments make the Bronx ballpark legendary. Bono: Stories of Surrender pulls back the curtain on the deeply personal experiences that have shaped Bono as a son, father, husband, activist, and U2 frontman. The groundbreaking film from Apple TV+ premieres May 30, and will be available in 2D and in Apple Immersive Video.

I originally presumed both films were being announced today for the first time, but Bono was announced February 26—which I missed because, well, Bono—and VIP: Yankee Stadium was mentioned in the new season announcement of Friday Night Baseball on March 3—which I ignored because, well, Friday Night Baseball hasn’t been that great.

I’m sure the Bono film will be heartwarming, and I’ll eventually watch it (there’s only so much immersive video), but it was VIP: Yankee Stadium that really caught my attention.

From the early March press release:

Apple today also announced VIP: Yankee Stadium, a new Apple Immersive Video for Apple Vision Pro that gives viewers an all-access pass to one of the world’s most iconic sports venues. In the film, available for free next month, broadcasting legend Joe Buck welcomes viewers to Yankee Stadium for a June 2024 “Friday Night Baseball” matchup between the Yankees and their longtime rivals: the Los Angeles Dodgers. From early morning prep scenes to a tense nighttime finale, viewers will go far beyond the front row — with an all-encompassing look at how elite athletes, die-hard fans, dedicated staff, and epic moments make the Bronx ballpark legendary.

Readers of this site know I detest the damn Yankees with all of my being—a fervent and deep-seated hatred borne of two decades of living in New York with a family that rooted for the Bronx Bombers while I cheered on my oft-suffering New York Mets—but I absolutely cherish baseball history, and I’m especially captivated by the majesty of ballparks. I can’t deny the Yankees are the most storied team in baseball—and Yankee Stadium is baseball’s most storied ballpark.

You can bet I’ll be watching this one in fascination and awe—even though it was filmed during last year’s World Series matchup between the two teams I hate the most.

More intriguingly, VIP is listed on Apple TV+ as “Episode 1 Yankee Stadium.” I think (and hope!) this implies the series will (eventually) showcase all 30 major league ballparks. An immersive tour of every stadium would be exhilarating. I’m crossing my fingers!

(Goodness though, corporate naming rights have royally screwed the game. VIP: Citi Field? VIP: Oracle Park? They don’t have quite the same solemnity, do they? Get rid of corporate naming deals and call the parks by their team names. I’d much prefer to see VIP: Giants Ballpark.)