If the bitter cold weren’t enough, preparation for the Yankees’ home opener also featured a rare earthquake Friday morning.
Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres was taking batting practice from bench coach Brad Ausmus on the field when the earthquake rattled the region for more than 30 seconds. The Blue Jays weren’t on the field yet, and the players in the visitors’ clubhouse didn’t react to the shaking.
It was a different story on the other side. Aaron Judge noted that rumbles are usually felt at Yankee Stadium before games but quickly realized the shaking on Friday was different.
Judge declined to share where he was when it happened. “I don’t want to say,” Judge said with a laugh. “I don’t want to say.”
NY Yankees Team (Credits: MLB)
Marcus Stroman, the Yankees’ starting pitcher on Friday, was at his locker.
“It was just one of those things that was more shocking,” said Stroman, who went on to throw six scoreless innings in the Yankees’ 3-0 loss. “We were just kind of asking around like, ‘What was that?’ We thought it was maybe somebody pushing something up on the concourse. No one really knew.”
Yankees right fielder Juan Soto, hours from making his long-awaited home debut in pinstripes, said he didn’t notice the rare event “at all.”
“I was getting a massage,” Soto said, “so I was really relaxed.”
NY Yankees Stadium (Credits: MLB)
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was on the field talking to former Yankees catcher and current broadcaster John Flaherty behind the cage during the earthquake.
Boone, who experienced countless tremors growing up in Southern California, said he didn’t think the vibration on his feet was the result of an earthquake.
“I thought it was the sound system,” Boone said.
The earthquake reached a magnitude of 4.8, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and reportedly could be felt from Boston to Baltimore. The epicenter was detected about 45 miles west of New York City in Tewksbury, New Jersey.
“I heard it was Tewksbury, New Jersey,” Boone said, “and John Flaherty and I were talking about Bob Tewksbury. Can’t make it up.”
