This post combines my two loves - weather and baseball. Because the Yankees start their season in April, chances are good the game will be played in brisk conditions. Looking back at Yankees home openers played since 1979, game day temperatures have averaged in the upper 50's - but they've ranged from the upper-30's to mid-70's. Opening Day in 1982 was postponed because of a blizzard that dumped nearly 10 inches of snow on the City; snow fell throughout 1996's game; 1998's home opener was rained out; and the game in 1999 was called after 7 innings because of rain.
Comparing home opener weather conditions of the Yankees and Mets, the Yankees take it on the chin. Using a 1-10 rating scale (where 1 is a strikeout and 10 is a home run) Yankee games have averaged a 4.7 versus the Mets 6.0. They've had four games that rated a 9 or 10, but seven with a rating of only 1 or 2 (including last season's game).
Now that the warm-ups are through, let's "play ball"!
1979 (April 10) - Cooler than average temperatures (53 degrees) but sunny skies greeted the Yankees as they received their World Series rings before the game. Then they lost a quickly played game (2:02) to Milwaukee 5-1. Weather rating: 5
1980 (April 18) - A very pleasant day for a ballgame, sunny and 65 degrees, but for the first time since the mid-1960's the Yankees lost back-to-back home openers. And like last year it was to Milwaukee, this time by a score of 3-2. Rating: 8
1981 (April 9) - Today's delightful high of 75 degrees was seventeen degrees above average. Although some light showers moved through between 2-4PM, amounting to just 0.05", it didn't prevent the Yankees from easily beating the Rangers 10-3. Rating: 8
1982 (April 11) - Originally scheduled for April 6, the home opener had to be postponed because of a blizzard that dumped ten inches of snow. The rescheduled game was played today, Easter Sunday, at 5PM with temperatures in the lower 50's. The Yankees lost to the White Sox in 12 innings, 7-6. Only 31,000 were in attendance. Rating: 1 (based on original home opener date)
1983 (April 12) - The Yanks were thrashed by the Tigers 13-2 on a day with close to seasonable temperatures (upper 50's). This was the most runs ever given up by the Yankees during a home opener. Rating: 5
1984 (April 10) - After a chilly start (35 degrees, seven degrees below average) the afternoon high rebounded into the upper 50's. And on the ballfield the Yankees beat Minnesota 4-1. Rating: 5
1985 (April 16) - What a glorious day for baseball as the high reached 75 degrees and the Yankees beat the White Sox on a walk-off home run by Don Baylor in the bottom of the 9th innning. Rating: 10
1986 (April 8) - After showers at daybreak the sun came out and for the second year in a row the temperature at game time was 75. And like last year the Yankees won. Rating: 10
1987 (April 13) - After early showers between 5-8AM the rest of the day was gray and chilly with a game time temperature in the low 50's. This came after three days of 70-degree temperatures. Happily, the Yankee bats were hot as they rolled over the Indians 11-3. Rating: 3
1988 (April 5) - Under sunny skies the high reached 73 (mildest reading of the month), the last Opening Day with temperatures in the 70's. This added to the pleasure of Rick Rhoden's 3-hit, 8-0 shutout over the Twins. (The Yankees won every home opener this decade when the temperature was in the 70's.) Rating: 10
1989 (April 7) - Morning sunshine gave way to overcast skies by mid-afternoon but the game was over before rain moved in during the evening. The temperature was a chilly 50 degrees when the first pitch was thrown. As for the game, the Yankees scored two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning for their only runs but it wasn't enough as Cleveland, which scored three runs in the 1st inning, hung to win 4-2. Rating: 3
1990 (April 12) - Brisk conditions with a cooler than average high of 54 under partly cloudy skies. The Yankees broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning to beat the Indians; relief pitcher Eric Plunk got the win. Rating: 4
1991 (April 15) - A miserable day all around as the Yankees lost 6-5 to the White Sox in a steady, light rain and temperatures hovered around 50 degrees, well below average. Quite a contrast from the Mets' home opener last week when the temperature flirted with 90! Rating: 1
1992 (April 7) - The Yankees beat the Red Sox (and Roger Clemens) on a pleasant day with an afternoon high of 60. A light cloud cover kept the temperature from getting even warmer. Rating: 6
1993 (April 12) - The Yankees' Jim Abbott pitched a complete game win over Kansas City in slightly cooler than average conditions (high of 55) under overcast skies. Rating: 4
1994 (April 4) - Under clear skies and temperatures slightly milder than average (60 degrees) the Yankees beat Texas 5-3. Rating: 7
1995 (April 26) - With a game time temperature of 68 degrees this was the warmest Opening Day in seven years. This was also the Yankees latest home opener since 1903 (a result of the players strike which started in August 1994 and wasn't settled until April 2). As for the game the Yankees held on to beat the Rangers 8-6. Rating: 8
1996 (April 9) - Hard to believe today's home opener wasn't postponed as the temperature was in the upper-30's and wet snow fell throughout the game. (This was a week after the Yankees' season opener in Cleveland was snowed out.) Since the air temperature remained above freezing very little of the snow accumulated (0.3" was measured in Central Park). Happily, the Yankees beat KC 7-3. Rating: 1
1997 (April 11) - On a sunny and quite chilly day, with the afternoon temperature about ten degrees colder than average (upper 40's), the reigning World Champions took a 1-0 lead into the 9th but ended up losing to the A's in 12 innings. Rating: 3
1998 (April 10) - It was sunny with seasonable temperatures but the field was soggy the day after 2.15" of rain fell (ending early this morning). And it was a home opener for the ages as the Yankees came from behind a number of times before finally prevailing over Oakland by a score of 17-13. Rating: 6
1999 (April 9) - 0.39" of rain fell between noon and 6PM and the game was called after 7 innings with the Yankees in the lead 12-3. Not only was it rainy but cold as the temperature fell all day. By game time it was down into the mid-40's - quite a change from yesterday's 80-degree weather. Rating: 1
2000 (April 12) - Sunny and breezy with a chilly high of only 50, nine degrees colder than average. This kept the attendance (48,487) down from the usual sell-out. After the Yankees received their World Series rings in a pre-game ceremony they then went onto the field and, in a see-saw battle, defeated the Rangers 8-6. Rating: 4
2001 (April 2) - Very similar to Opening Day last season, the high was a chilly 49 under mostly overcast skies. And like last season the World Champions won the game. And in the course of pitching a complete game Roger Clemens became the American League's all-time leader in strikeouts in the 9th inning. Rating: 3
2002 (April 5) - For the third season in a row, Opening Day was very chilly, with a high of only 45, twelve degrees colder than average. Tampa Bay's bats were chilly as well as they managed just three hits and were shut out 4-0. Rating: 3
2003 (April 8) - Yet another cold beginning to the season. This game tied the snowy game of 1996 as the coldest home opener in the 1979-2011 period and was played one day after four inches of snow fell. The temperature at game time was just 37, twenty-one degrees below average, and more typical of mid-winter. Happily, the Yankees' new Japanese acquisition Hideki Matsui hit a grand slam to help them beat the Twins, but only 33,000 were in attendance (compared to a usual 55,000+ sell out). Rating: 1
2004 (April 8) - After a sunny morning clouds rolled in quickly and some showers popped up in the afternoon. Temperature at game time as 54, thirteen degrees cooler than yesterday, and four degrees below average. The Yankees got two runs in the first inning and they held up as they beat the White Sox 3-1. Rating: 3
2005 (April 3) - After high winds and rain the day before today's weather was more tranquil but chilly (high of 50), damp and gray. (This was the seventh year in a row that the home opener was played in less than optimal conditions.) After suffering a historic collapse to them during last season's playoffs the Yankees rolled over the World Champion Red Sox 10-3. Rating: 3
2006 (April 11) - With a game time temperature of 68, this was the mildest home opener in eleven years. The Yankees celebrated by setting a team record with their ninth Opening Day victory in a row, breaking the previous record from the 1920's. And they did it by coming from behind with a 5-run eighth inning against Kansas City. (The Yanks are 5-0 against KC in home openers.) Rating: 9
2007 (April 2) - Gray skies cleared shortly before game time but a persistent fog never lifted completely. And temperatures never rose into the upper 60's as predicted as a warm front stalled to our south. As for the game the Yankees beat Tampa Bay 9-5 in the first of just two starts this season by pitching bust Carl Pavano. Rating: 5
2008 (April 1) - The day following yesterday's postponed home opener game-time temperature was 67 (eleven degrees above average) and skies were mostly overcast as the Yankees won their eleventh home opener in a row. (As in 1982 the rating for this year's home opener is based on the original game date, so since it was a rainout the rating is 1.)
2009 (April 16) - The Yankees played their first regular season game in the new Yankee Stadium and lost, their first loss on Opening Day since 1997. They lost to Cleveland 10-2 after giving up nine runs in the 7th innning. The game was played in slightly milder than average temperatures (64 degrees). Rating: 7
2010 (April 13) - Gray skies, a few sprinkles, chillier than average temperatures (56 degrees). It looked to be an easy W for the Yankees until former Yankee Bobby Abreu made it interesting when he hit a grand slam in the 9th inning, but the Yanks prevailed over the Angels 7-5. Rating: 4
2011 (March 31) - This was the earliest date for a Yankees home opener and it was played in raw and damp conditions. The high was only 43 degrees, twelve degrees colder than average. After morning showers, no rain fell during game time but showers resumed in the evening. The Yanks beat the Tigers 6-3. (By contrast, the first time the Mets played on this date, in 1998, the temperature soared to a record high 86 degrees.) Rating: 2
2012 (April 13) - Despite it being Friday the 13th, skies were clear, temperatures pleasant (mid-60's) and the Yankees were winners as they beat the Angels 5-0. The last time the Yankees won a home-opener shutout was ten years ago. Rating: 7
2013 (April 1) - It was fortuitous scheduling, weatherwise, as the game time temperature of 62 degrees was the mildest reading of the year. Unfortunately, the outcome of the game, a loss to the Red Sox, somewhat negated the mild weather (which came to an end later in the day when a cold front moved through). Rating: 8
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