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Yankees Announce Another Unexpected Change After New Beard Rules

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Feb 23, 2025 7:39 PM ET

New York Yankees games will look and sound differently this year.

The Yankees stunned the sports world last week when they removed the decade-old rule prohibiting players from growing beards. Never again will top free agents consider signing elsewhere because they’d need to shave upon joining the Yankees.

If that wasn’t enough, the Yankees are removing another long-standing tradition. Frank Sinatra’s iconic “New York, New York” has played following Yankees games dating back to the 1980s.

The good news: You’ll still hear Sinatra crooning and spreading the news after Yankees victories. However, “New York, New York” will no longer play following losses.

“We will be rotating through a number of different songs after a Yankees loss this year,” a Yankees spokesperson told The Athletic.

Yankees fans got a taste of things to come following Sunday’s 4-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Stadium speakers played Sinatra’s “That’s Life” as fans headed for the gates.

The Yankees spokesperson said there will not be a specific loss song. Additionally, the expectation is Yankee Stadium will only play Sinatra songs after games this year, regardless of the outcome.

The move is certainly unexpected, though the timing makes sense. Yankees fans would likely be extremely confused if they didn’t hear “New York, New York” following an Opening Day loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Welcome to a new era of Yankees baseball, featuring bearded players in pinstripes and rotating songs after losses. There’s no word on if or when the Yankees will put names on the back of jerseys or switch to cotton uniforms.

Then again, we don’t expect fans to care too much if the Yankees win their first World Series since 2009.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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