Yankees Postpone Opening Day: Bad Weather Puts Kibosh On Season Opener Against Astros
Aaron Homer
The New York Yankees have postponed Opening Day, citing bad weather around the New York area, and promising to make up Monday's season opener against the Astros on Tuesday, the New York Post is reporting.
Die-hard fans of the Bronx Bombers, desperate for some baseball action for almost six months, will have to wait until tomorrow to get their Yankees fix.
Beginning this morning at about 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, the Yankees organization were hinting that inclement weather in and around New York could put a damper on Opening Day, as a steady rain began falling in The Bronx.
To fans attending Opening Day: we're currently assessing today's weather forecast and hope to have a better idea of next steps in ~30 mins
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 4, 2016
Less than half an hour later, the hammer came down on Yankees fans.
Today's Opening Day game is postponed due to inclement weather; will be made up tomorrow, April 5th. Stay tuned for official press release.
Today's Opening Day game between the Yankees and the Astros will take place on Tuesday, weather permitting. The storm currently dumping rain on the east coast and postponing Opening Day — the remnants of Winter Storm Ursula — are expected to dissipate by tomorrow, according to the Weather Channel. Tomorrow's forecast for the New York area calls for partly cloudy skies and a zero percent chance of rain, meaning the Yankees are all but guaranteed to get their Opening Day action in on Tuesday.
Unfortunately for Yankees fans, it will be a cold Opening Day: temperatures at game time are expected to be in the low 40s.
Fans who had tickets for today's Yankees Opening Day game can present today's tickets at Yankee Stadium Tuesday, and they will be honored. Or, they can exchange their tickets for a later regular-season game, if Tuesday does not work out for them.
Monday's scheduled Opening Day starters — Masahiro Tanaka for the Yankees and Dallas Keuchel for the Astros — will take the mound Tuesday, in a rematch of last season's AL Wild-Card Game. Keuchel dominated that game, and the Astros beat the Yankees 3-0.
Masahiro Tanaka admits recovery from elbow surgery worried him https://t.co/kaX0CudxWA pic.twitter.com/YM4brSRvJE
— NY Daily News Sports (@NYDNSports) April 3, 2016
Although postponing Opening Day is undoubtedly a disappointment to Yankees fans who have waited since last season for some baseball action, Sporting News writer Jesse Spector says they made the right call.
"It's disappointing for everyone to have to wait another day for baseball that counts after six months without it, but it's just one more day and the baseball winds up being better as a result."
In fact, as Spector points out, Major League Baseball, knowing full well that the weather can be finicky in most of the country this time of year, basically counts on Opening Day being postponed, at least in some markets.
"This is, after all, the reason that Major League Baseball puts an off day between opening day and teams' second games. Opening day is special and if it has to be pushed back, it can be pushed back one day instead of making a doubleheader or finding a random mutual off day during the summer."
The eyes of baseball are upon you. #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/VYJ1YaxewN
— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2016
Regardless of how Opening Day shakes out, 2016 looks to be a good season for the Yankees, according to Elite Sports writer Christian Kouroupakis. Aging and injury-prone veterans are making way for young talent, giving the Bronx Bombers a legitimate shot at a World Series appearance this fall.
Do you think the Yankees made the right decision to postpone Opening Day?
[Image via Shutterstock/CristinaMuraca]