It's that kind of weather for smackin' leather and playin' baseball! Sunday marks the first day of what feels like a million in the 2016 MLB season. Okay, so 162 games isn't anywhere close to a million, but it's a lot.
While the Yankees will have their hands full discriminating against those who bought their tickets cheaply, the brave Mets will look to fight their way out of the shadow of their big brothers from the Bronx as they try to capitalize on being World Series runners up.
We'll forget the strange juxtaposition of Citi Field and Willets Point, the absurdity of ballpark culinary inventions (lookin' at the clogged arteries in Atlanta), and try to remember that bat flips aren't nearly as dope as touchdown dances, neither of which disrespect "the game" more than A-Rod ever did.
Speaking of living in the past, Yankees and Mets fans alike will have the opportunity feel the warmth of opening day nostalgia when riding the MTA's throwback subway cars.
The MTA announced that they will in fact be continuing an annual tradition that's spanned the last decade or so: nostalgia rides to Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.
The first time the MTA ran the Museum’s vintage cars out for the games, according to Chelsea Newburg of the New York Transit Museum, was for the final games played at both Yankee and Shea Stadiums in 2008.
The first vintage “Nostalgia Special” ride to the home opener games was then in 2009 with the opening of the new ballparks for both teams. The Yankees went on to the post season that year while the Mets, not surprisingly, didn't.
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Newburg says they have been doing the home opener rides ever since, for all opening days at Yankee Stadium and, when possible, for the Mets (due to 7 line construction).
So, just in time for the first pitch against the Houston Astros Monday, April 4th at 1:05 p.m., Yankees' fans can hitch a ride from 42 St-Grand Central to 161 St-Yankee Stadium on four, low voltage cars nearly a century old (1917 because, math) at 11:30 a.m.
This train will depart from the uptown express platform of the Lexington Avenue Line at 42 St-Grand Central and operate non-stop service to 161 St-Yankee Stadium.
Mets' fans, bless their little hearts, can catch the beloved "Train of Many Colors" to Citi Field for their home opener against the Phillies Friday, April 8th at 1:10 p.m.
The train, made up 11 cars made between 1948 and 1964, will make express stops from 34 St-Hudson Yards to Flushing-Main Street, departing at 11:30 a.m.
While we're not going to speculate as to how these two teams will fare by the end of the season, we're pretty stoked for hotdogs, beer, and, of course, baseball.
Check out The MTA Could Actually Run Out of Money By the End of June.
[via MTA] [Feature Image Courtesy SubChat]