Second thoughts

For the first time in baseball history, the New York Yankees and New York Mets will open their seasons at home on the same day and at the same hour. The Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox on April 1 at Yankee Stadium (above) while the Mets face the San Diego Padres at Citi Field.
For the first time in baseball history, the New York Yankees and New York Mets will open their seasons at home on the same day and at the same hour. The Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox on April 1 at Yankee Stadium (above) while the Mets face the San Diego Padres at Citi Field.

— New York, New York not big hit

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the New York Yankees and New York Mets will open their seasons at home on the same day and at the same hour for the first time in baseball history.

On April 1, the Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox at 1:05 p.m. Eastern at Yankee Stadium while 10 miles away, the Mets face the San Diego Padres at 1:10 p.m. at Citi Field.

“Nobody is particularly happy about it,” Katy Feeney, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for scheduling and club relations, told The New York Times. “But it’s unlikely to happen again anytime soon.”

Feeney said that the scheduling quirk for the two New York major league teams resulted from several factors. The 2013 season will be the first with two leagues of 15 teams each and there will be an interleague game nearly everyday, causing some scheduling difficulties.

Also, the All-Star Game, which is at Citi Field this season, will be held July 16, which is the third Tuesday in July. The All-Star Game normally falls on the second Tuesday in July. The only way for the game to take place July 16, Feeney said, was to have the Mets and Yankees play at home on the same day.

The last time two New York teams opened their seasons at home on the same day was in 1956, when the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers did so.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told The New York Times that he plans to attend both games.

Former major league outfielder Darryl Strawberry, who played with the Mets and Yankees during his career, said picking one game would be tough.

“I wouldn’t be able to choose,” he said. “I think that’s a day for a fan to stay home and watch on TV and switch back and forth.”

“Sounds like a plan. Unless it snows,” wrote David Waldstein of The New York Times.

He said it

From Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote:

“Speculation is the Dolphins will pursue speedy [Pittsburgh] Steelers receiver Mike Wallace in free agency. With Miami’s luck, let’s just hope the team doesn’t inadvertently sign the deceased 60 Minutes reporter.”

“Broward Health made Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill an honorary physician as the new face of the hospital’s orthopedic and sports medicine division. We may now conclude that Tannehill, by aligning himself with a program that performs knee surgeries and injury rehab, is not the least bit superstitious.

Best part about Ryan being ‘Dr. Tannehill,’ of course, is the unavoidable mental image of his blond model wife Lauren dressed as a nurse. I’m not saying she’s gorgeous. ‘But I am!’ says Brent Musberger.”

Quote of the day

“When he’s not on the court, it hurts. So we need him on the court.” Arkansas junior guard Kikko Haydar on forward Marshawn Powell’s foul trouble

Sports, Pages 18 on 02/12/2013

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