There is no better sound than the reverberation of an umpire’s call of “Play Ball!” on Opening Day. That wonderful sound, met only seconds later by the slap of the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt on the first pitch, symbolizes a yearly rite of passage for millions of baseball fans. Opening Day signifies so much more than just the first game of the Major League Baseball season. Opening Day is not just for baseball fans; it’s for everyone. Opening Day represents the final escape from the dreariness of winter, the launchpad toward summer, and the arrival of spring’s glorious weather.
Photo: User: (WT-shared) Jtesla16 at WTS Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
As New Yorkers, we experience all four seasons in relatively mild fashion. Our winters are not too cold, with some exceptions, and our summers are, for the most part, tolerable when compared to the southern regions of the United States. However, it’s our fall and spring seasons that are the envy of the rest of the country. There is nothing like autumn in New York City or spring on Long Island. Opening Day serves as the first reminder of the glory days of our past, to quote Bruce Springsteen.
Every year, one of New York’s Major League Baseball teams opens at home. Yesterday, the New York Yankees opened their 2017 season on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in sunny Florida. Starting at 1:00 p.m. on April 2, the New York Yankees versus Tampa Bay Rays game was the first official game of the 2017 Major League Baseball season. It was one of only three games played on the official 2017 Opening Day. At 4:00 p.m., the Arizona Diamondbacks opened at home against the San Francisco Giants. The day’s final game presented baseball fans with a nightcap in St. Louis, with the Cardinals hosting the Chicago Cubs.
With the New York Yankees out of town on Opening Weekend, the New York Mets got the chance to utilize their home field on Opening Day in New York. The New York Mets opened at home on Monday, April 3, against the Atlanta Braves. With the New York Mets game starting at 1:00 p.m. on a school day, the team continued the tradition of fueling absentee lists for students across the metropolitan area. And yes, substitute teachers were busy filling in for all those teachers who were die-hard Opening Day attendees.
Last year’s New York Yankees home opener was rained out. But today’s weather called for above-average temperatures and mostly clear skies, so at 1:00 p.m., no matter how many planes from nearby LaGuardia Airport looked to disturb the peace at Citi Field, the umpire stood behind home plate and yelled out those golden words that sent chills down the spines of everyone ready to witness the ultimate rite of spring: “Play Ball!”
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If you enjoyed this article, be sure to explore our other New York baseball features on ClassicNewYorkHistory.com, including the history of the New York Mets, the New York Yankees, Shea Stadium, Citi Field, Yankee Stadium, and many of the people and places that helped shape baseball in New York.
Article updated on June 26, 2026
