Numbers: What does Yankees Opening Day tell us?
CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees stands on the mound in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. (Aug. 12, 2011) Credit: Jim McIsaac
So much is made of the “firsts” of a new baseball season.
Almost using them as supernatural predictors of what's to come for a team, announcers often note with special enthusiasm if a new season begins with a strike or a ball; if the home team singles or strikes out in the first at-bat; and, of course, if their team wins or loses the game.
But, at least if you're a Yankees fan, you shouldn't place too much stock in that first outcome. While the Yankees' season result is certainly better when they win that first game at home, there's plenty of exceptions to the rule (all stats are when Opening Day is also the home opener):
-The Yankees are 74-36-1 on Opening Day all-time. (They tied the Red Sox, 4-4, on April 14, 1910)
-The Yankees are 36-13 on Opening Day when they make the playoffs.
-They're 38-23 when they fail to reach the postseason.
-They're 18-9 when they win a World Series. Most recently they lost on Opening Day 2009 to Cleveland, 10-2, but still went on to trump the Phillies in the fall classic.
- They're 10-2 when they lose in the World Series.
- They're 2-1 when they lose in the ALCS.
- They're 6-1 when they lose in the ALDS.
- The Yankees' longest Opening Day winning streak was 11 straight from 1998-2008.
- The Yankees' longest Opening Day losing streak was five straight from 1963-1967.
The Yankees play the Rays on Opening Day this Friday (3:10 p.m. start in Tampa), and if you're a believer that the first game is a portent for things to come, then this is the matchup you want. The Yankees are 2-0 against the Rays on Opening Day. They're 20-10-1 against AL East teams overall.
The Yankees' most frequent Opening Day opponent? The Red Sox, against whom the Yankees are 14-9-1.
"The Numbers Game" is a Newsday app-only exclusive.
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