Farewell to Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ at Yankee Stadium

First, the beards. Now, the music! Things are changing over at Yankee Stadium. Just last week, the New York Yankees organization changed their long-standing facial hair policy to allow well-groomed beards on their players. Now, they’ve changed their tune...literally.

Start spreading the news: No more Frank Sinatra after Yankees losses

On Sunday, a Yankees spokesperson confirmed that the team will no longer play Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York” after losses.

Since 1980, the Yankees have played the song at the end of games, win or lose. Then owner George M. Steinbrenner had heard the song in 1979 at a Manhattan nightclub and wrote a letter to Sinatra’s representatives to ask about playing it in the stadium.

“Sinatra wrote back and said that he would be very pleased to have the song played at the stadium,” said John Fugazy, the Yankees’ marketing director in 1980, back then. “After one game, I noticed people were standing in the aisles at their seats listening or singing the song. And this was after the team lost. The song makes you feel like you’ll win tomorrow anyway.”

Since then, it’s always played at the end of games. There have been other versions, like Liza Minnelli’s and Tony Bennett’s duet with Sinatra, but always that song.

Before 1980, the game would end with organist Eddie Layton playing a variety of different songs. Now, the Yankees are going back to that tradition if the team loses. After a Yankees loss, there will be a rotation of other Sinatra songs that will play - minus “Theme from New York, New York.” That song will only play now after a Yankees win.

After the Yankees lost 4-0 to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, the game ended with Sinatra’s “That’s Life”.

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