Game 73: Old Timers’ Day

The Yankees are bad now, maybe forever but probably only temporarily, and this afternoon we’ll get to forget all about the 2017 Yankees for a few hours. Today is the 71st annual Old Timers’ Day, the franchise’s annual celebration of their unmatched history. Pretty much no other team can do something like this. The Dodgers tried it a year or two ago and it was kinda sad.

Based on experience, Old Timers’ Day is best enjoyed in person at Yankee Stadium, not through television. It also makes for a really, really long day in the ballpark, but that’s okay. No matter your age, many of the great Yankees of your youth will be in the ballpark today. Hall of Famers, All-Stars, fan favorites, role players … there’s something for everyone on a day like this.

Here is the roster of 2017 Old Timers. For the first time ever, a member of the Core Four Five will be in attendance. Jorge Posada is making his Old Timers’ Day debut this afternoon after inexcusably falling off the Hall of Fame ballot in his first year of eligibility over the winter. I’m not saying Posada was a no-doubt Hall of Famer, but man, he deserved more than one year on the ballot.

The Old Timers’ Day festivities will begin at approximately 11:30am ET. There will be the baseline introductions and then the Old Timers’ Game, as usual. I haven’t seen the Old Timers’ Game lineups posted anywhere, but if I find them, I’ll pass ’em along. The weather in New York today is pretty much perfect. A little on the humid side, but the sky is blue with just the right amount of clouds. The weather always seems to be great on Old Timers’ Day, doesn’t it?

Like I said, the Old Timers’ Day ceremonies begin at 11:30am ET. YES will show it of course and I believe the FOX Sports Go app will have it as well, though I can’t make any promises. MLB.tv never covers Old Timers’ Day. Sorry. Once the festivities are over, the Yankees and Rangers will wrap up their series at 2pm ET. Here is the Rangers’ lineup and here is the Yankees’ lineup:

1. LF Brett Gardner
2. CF Aaron Hicks
3. DH Aaron Judge
4. C Gary Sanchez
5. SS Didi Gregorius
6. 3B Chase Headley
7. 1B Tyler Austin
8. RF Mason Williams
9. 2B Ronald Torreyes
   RHP Michael Pineda

Enjoy the day.

Injury Update: CC Sabathia (hamstring) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session today and everything went well. He hopes to return as soon as possible (duh). I wonder if he could skip a minor league rehab start at this pace. We’ll see … Greg Bird (ankle) ran on the field today for the first time since receiving a cortisone shot the other day.