OUT AT THE OL’ BALL GAME
Here’s what fans can expect at Stadium on Thursday
On Thursday, the Yankees will return to the Bronx with something they haven’t experienced since James Paxton outdueled Justin Verlander to keep the 2019 season alive. Hometown fans.
As many as 10,850 of the Yankee faithful will be present for Opening Day, which Doug Behar, the Yankees’ Senior Vice President of Stadium Operations, confirmed during a Tuesday press conference. The figure is in line with New York State’s 20% attendance maximum for gatherings as the city continues to wrestle with the pandemic. Governor Cuomo raised the attendance cap up from 10% in a press event on March 18 despite the Department of Health’s citywide daily case counts that have rarely dipped below the “extremely high” designation since last December.
“This journey to get to Thursday, our home opener, started more than a year ago,” said Behar. “We worked with industry experts. We collaborated with anybody that we could. Our owners were intimately involved in the process to make sure that we were approaching this in the most strategic way possible.”
Fans will still have to either show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test to enter the stadium, and then wear masks at all times, except when eating and drinking. The Yankees mask rule is consistent with protocols Globe Life Field used — and which were abused according to workers who spoke to Daily News when the ballpark opened to fans for the 2020 NLCS and World Series.
Additionally, fans that make it to the stadium will do so in twos and fours. Tickets are being sold in batches of two and four to avoid as much cross mingling as possible, and possibly mitigate any potential spread of the virus while fans are soaking in the game. Stadium concessions will go cashless, with cash-to-card kiosks available as reverse-ATM for fans hoping to make a purchase during Gerrit Cole and Blue Jays ace Hyun-jin Ryu’s Opening Day duel.
“Our fans have made our home a preeminent worldwide attraction, and their excitement is the catalyst for the championship goals we set every season,” said Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner in a statement. “We are thrilled to be able to have them back in 2021 and promise them the highest standards for health and safety this season and beyond.”