The outside of the new Yankee Stadium Jan. 23, 2009.

Yankees correct infamous 2024 World Series musical miscue

No more 'New York, New York' after losses

The outside of the new Yankee Stadium Jan. 23, 2009.

We’ve all made an unspoken pact to never talk about that fifth inning. But we have to talk about what it led to – Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” blasting through Yankee Stadium while the Los Angeles Dodgers danced on the field, celebrating a World Series win. Poetic? Maybe. Painful? Oh, absolutely. If you were in the Bronx that night, you wanted to melt into your seat, cover your ears, and vanish into thin air.

I don’t want to hear anyone say “worry about more important things.” We had to sit there and watch another team win the World Series on our field with New York, New York playing in the background. This change was IMPORTANT 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/J4CxAyeKSJ
— Madyson (@Majorleaguemadd) February 23, 2025

But sense finally prevailed. In a week where they’re already undoing outdated traditions (see: facial hair), the Yankees have made another necessary, long-overdue change. A club spokesperson confirmed on Sunday that Sinatra’s “New York, New York” will no longer play after losses. Instead, a rotating selection of Sinatra songs will take its place – none of which will be the victory anthem that’s made post-loss walks to the subway even more depressing for decades.

Now, some Yankees games will sound different too

The Yankees have already made headlines by ditching their long-standing facial hair rule, meaning some of them will be looking a little different this season. Now, they will sound different too.

Confirming @BryanHoch and others, the Yankees will no longer be playing Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” after losses at Yankee Stadium. It’ll be a rotation of songs instead.
— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) February 23, 2025

Sinatra’s song has been a Yankee Stadium staple since 1980 when it was first played as a tribute to the city’s resilience. “Sinatra wrote back and said that he would be very pleased to have the song played at the stadium,” John Fugazy, the Yankees’ marketing director at the time, told The New York Times in 1980. “After one game, I noticed people were standing in the aisles, listening or singing along. And this was after the team lost. The song makes you feel like you’ll win tomorrow anyway.”

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But there’s a big difference between optimism and denial. For decades, the Yankees’ post-loss tradition has been mocked by fans and opponents alike. Losing at home and immediately blasting an anthem about winning always felt like a weird choice. After 2024’s painful World Series finale, it became clear just how out of place the tradition was.

Now, as the Yankees enter 2025 with a revamped look – both on the roster and, for some players, on their faces – the stadium soundtrack will sound different too.

And for what it’s worth?

Much better than “Sweet Caroline” anyway.
Each time you hear “Start spreading the news, you’re leaving today,” you’ll know the Yankees just added one to the win column.
On a slightly more irrelevant note – where’s our third baseman?

New York Yankees

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.