ALL THE FANFARE
Yankees welcome cheers for first time since 2019
Gerrit Cole felt it the minute he stepped out of the first-base dugout. Aaron Judge said it was hard not to hear them and feel the buzz. Thursday, for the first time since Oct. 18, 2019, the Yankees played in front of fans.
“The second I came out of the dugout,” Cole said when asked about feeling the difference with fans. After signing with the Yankees in December 2019, it was the first time Cole had worn the pinstripes in front of his family or any fans.
“And it changes the game,” Judge said after the Yankees 3-2 10-inning Opening Day loss to the Blue Jays. “Having that buzz, having the energy back in the stadium was so special that I know, we all enjoyed it. I was talking with a couple guys, talking with umpires and man everybody missed it. I think for everybody, it’s those fans, that energy that helps. That makes the game. They’re a part of the game, just like all of us.
“So it’s a bad result. But uh, glad to have the fans back.”
In the 2020 coronavirus pandemic season, the Yankees and baseball played the regular season without fans in the ballpark. It was an odd experience playing in the giant stadium in the Bronx with recorded fan noise unable to drown out the sounds of the subway and streets outside.
This year, MLB is allowing some fans based on local government and public health officials guidelines. New York State allowed the Yankees — and eventually the Mets — to open with 20% capacity. Thursday, that was 10,850 fans — a COVID-19 era Yankee Stadium sell out.
“Obviously it didn’t end the way you want to where you’re shaking hands, but it was pretty special having a crowd back in there,” Aaron Boone said of noticing the fans. “Even though we’re 20% capacity, you could feel their energy and feel them waiting to erupt. Obviously we had some chances to take that and just couldn’t break through there, but it was definitely something that we don’t take for granted being able to have people back in the building.”
Even though the Yankees still filled in with recorded fan noise, it was hard to miss the Yankees fans. The Bleacher Creatures did a traditional roll call and down the stretch as the Yankees continued to pile up strikeouts in big spots, the fans were audibly frustrated.
Judge even had to deal with one overzealous fan who tried to grab a ball out of his glove after a catch that ended the inning.
“That was a first for me. So it was a little surprising,” Judge said. “But like I said it was the first day back in the stadium. So we’ll give them a little grace period there.”
TAKE IT BACK
Cole couldn’t let go of the pitch, his 90th of the day. A slider to Teoscar Hernandez in the sixth inning. The Blue Jays’ right fielder crushed it for a game-tying solo home run.
“I thought there’s a lot of good out there. I thought for the most part, we did a nice job.” Cole said. “I just want that slider back.”
Cole held the Blue Jays to two runs on five hits. He walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. twice and struck out eight. It was his 10th straight regular-season game with at least seven strikeouts.
“I thought Gerrit threw well, I really did,” Boone said. “Thought they put together some tough at bats against him. They got his pitch count up there, obviously a little bit but I thought he was overall pretty sharp. I thought his fastball was really good. I thought he executed the changeup really well... I thought that he shaped some good breaking balls, obviously made the mistake to Hernandez there where he hung one. But for the most part, I thought he was pretty sharp on a cold day.”
Cole had to battle through the second inning, after giving up three straight singles to start the inning. His eight strikeouts were the most strikeouts by a Yankee starter on Opening Day since 1991. Tim Leary struck out nine against the Tigers to open that season.
FINALLY FOR FRAZIER
It took a lot longer than he expected and it went through so many emotional ups and downs. Still, Thursday, Clint Frazier found himself in the lineup on Opening Day in the Bronx as the Yankees starting left fielder. It was a hard, obstacle-filled climb to get to that point, he isn’t looking to let go.
“I’m going to get my chance and I feel really good about running away with the job right now.,” Frazier said before the Yankees loss to the Blue Jays.
Thursday, Frazier went 2-for-3 with a walk in his first Opening Day start.
“(It’s) my first chance to show myself, show the people what I’ve wanted to do the last four-or-so years,’’ Frazier said. “A lot of excitement and there’s not too many other teams I’d be thrilled possibly hitting ninth on.’’