Yankees plan to make solar eclipse a cosmic celebration at Yankee Stadium

Prepare to witness a doubleheader of epic proportions on Monday! First, marvel at a celestial wonder, and then cheer on the Yankees as they take on the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium.

To celebrate the awe-inspiring solar eclipse happening that day, the Yankees are throwing a special curveball though the starting time is delayed by four hours to 6:05 PM for the game. The stadium opens at 3 PM and will be abuzz with unique giveaways and eclipse-themed entertainment to commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

According to CNN, the solar eclipse will take place between 2.11 p.m. and 4.36 p.m. in New York City. An 80-85% eclipse is expected at 3.25 p.m.

While New York City won’t experience a total eclipse, the magic begins around 2:10 PM. Yankees fans will be treated to a spectacular partial eclipse, with the moon obscuring a whopping 90% of the sun at its peak.

Genuinely surprised at how cheap tickets to this game were considering how experiencing a solar eclipse during a Yankees game is a once in a lifetime experience pic.twitter.com/ajVBKf2ryw
— Dom (@BronxBmbrz) April 2, 2024

For those located upstate in cities like Buffalo, Syracuse, or Rochester, get ready for a complete blackout! These areas lie within the path of totality, where the sun will be completely covered by the moon for a brief window. According to NASA, Buffalo can expect totality to begin around 3:18 PM, lasting roughly four minutes, with the peak happening at 3:20 PM.

Yankees ready for a celestial day

Don’t worry, the baseball action won’t be interrupted! The Yankees will illuminate the field lights at the start of the game and keep them on throughout the contest.

As the highly anticipated total solar eclipse approaches on Monday, the Yankees are pulling out all the stops to ensure a stellar experience for fans while keeping safety top of mind. The hallowed gates of Yankee Stadium will swing open bright and early at 3pm, giving the Bronx faithful ample time to soak in the cosmic spectacle before first pitch. However, the team is urging attendees to exercise caution when outdoors during the prime eclipse viewing window.

Over the weekend, the Yankees broadcast an eye-catching public service announcement across the mammoth centerfield jumbotron. The safety-conscious video served as an unmistakable reminder to never look directly at the partially eclipsed sun without protective eyewear, lest risking permanent eye damage from the sun’s intense rays.

While fans revel in the marquee celestial event pregame, the Yankees’ on-field preparation could potentially overlap with the eclipse itself. As of Sunday though, manager Aaron Boone indicated the team has no plans to adjust their standard batting practice routine or pregame schedules. That said, the skipper left the door open to tweaking the club’s protocol should any concerning factors arise between now and the first pitch cosmic coincidence.

“Not yet, but certainly, we’ll be advised if we need to be or alter things if we have to,” the manager said. “I hate to plead ignorance, but I didn’t even give it much mind. I was next to [Brian Cashman] when they had first broached with the league about getting this changed. I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, okay.’”

The Yankees clearly appreciate the astronomical rarity of Monday’s total eclipse intersecting with the summer schedule. Their commitment to amplifying the experience for attendees, while prioritizing health precautions, underscores the organization’s desire to make this an unequivocally supernova celebration under the Bronx skies.

To add to the excitement, the first 15,000 fans will receive a commemorative Yankees Solar Eclipse T-shirt courtesy of HubSpot. Keep your eyes peeled for space-themed content displayed on the scoreboard throughout the game, making it a truly out-of-this-world experience!

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