TAMPA, Fla. — Just days after the New York Yankees amended one of the most recognizable rules in American professional sports, another iconic tradition for the organization will change in 2025.
Following losses, the Yankees will no longer play Frank Sinatra’s “(Theme From) New York, New York” as fans exit the stadium. On Sunday at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees lost 4-0 to the Detroit Tigers in a spring training exhibition. After Yankees prospect Brendan Jones grounded out to end the game, Sinatra’s “That’s Life” replaced the usual “New York, New York” on the loudspeakers. It is customary for the team to play “New York, New York” as soon as the game concludes, no matter the result.
“We will be rotating through a number of different songs after a Yankees loss this year, none of them will be ‘New York New York,’” a Yankees spokesperson said. There will not be a specific Yankees loss song, the spokesperson added.
The Yankees first debuted the iconic Sinatra song in 1980, after then-owner George Steinbrenner wrote a letter to the singer requesting permission to play it as fans left the stadium. Since then, it has become synonymous with the franchise. Moving forward, the song will only play after Yankees victories with a rotation of different Sinatra songs playing after losses, which is how Steinbrenner originally instructed the Yankees to handle losses.
It’s been a significant week of change for the Yankees’ identity. After 49 years, owner Hal Steinbrenner announced the team would lift its ban on beards, calling the policy “outdated.” Now, after 45 years, another long-standing tradition has been altered.
Since Friday, both Yankees captain Aaron Judge and general manager Brian Cashman have emphasized their desire for the team to carve out its own identity while still honoring its rich history.
“The New York Yankees are different,” Cashman said Friday. “We want to remain different. This is a special place in baseball history. That logo has a lot of meaning behind it. We want our past and present players to recognize that and the future players to recognize that. There’s still going to be things that we’re going to hold on to that are important for us, which is always trying to be a championship-caliber franchise and chase winning.”
(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
