For the Yankees, a “franchise worried about the state of a decaying roster and the potential for plummeting attendance, there hardly could have been a worse conclusion for Day 1 of a new season,” according to Joel Sherman of the N.Y. POST. By the end of the Yankees' loss to the Red Sox yesterday, it was "raining and the temperature had dropped and garbage was whipping around the field, a wonderful metaphor for the junk the Yankees offered on Opening Day.” Fans “fled in the ninth inning as if somehow the stench of Red Sox 8, Yankees 2 could be removed if they just got outside the Stadium quickly enough.” The “empty stands at the end were a reminder of what could be this year” (N.Y. POST, 4/2). In Newark, Dave D’Alessandro wrote there was “little about this meeting of toothless rivals that passes the Opening Day smell test.” This is “supposed to be Grudge Week, and this game has about the same cachet as, say, Rangers-Astros” (NJ.com, 4/1). The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Jason Gay writes baseball is “adapting, finding hidden value in the margins, and the Yankees and the Red Sox have been outpaced by teams that nimbly do more with less.” Big paydays “still happen all the time," but there is "no longer the confidence that outspending alone can vanquish the competition” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/2). ESPN’s Curt Schilling said, “We’re going into a different era for the Yankees.” They were “bound by a number” in terms of salary restrictions which “is not something we’re used to." They seem to be "sticking to that number.” The team has been “just devastated by injuries” to start the season. He added, “I think they’re the only team in the East that can’t win the division” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 4/1).
ROTTEN TO THE CORE: Sports Net N.Y.’s Eamon McAnaney said it was a “bad idea” for the Mets and Yankees to open the season on the same day in N.Y. at virtually the same time. McAnaney said, “Each team should have the city to themselves.” The N.Y. Daily News’ Bob Raissman said MLB “never gave a real good explanation as to why” they both opened in the city at the same time. SNY’s Marc Malusis said it was a “scheduling snafu” by MLB. McAnaney said MLB Commissioner Bug Selig is “tone deaf” (“Daily News Live,” SNY, 4/1).
