The year 2020 was one to forget for nearly everyone in the world. For the first time in history, all major sports leagues shut down at the same time due to COVID-19. Towards the end of 2020, all sports were finally able to come back. However, when sports did return, there was a major catch. That catch was that no fans would be allowed to attend any of the returning sporting events. This was extremely disappointing news for players, management, and fans, as fans make a huge impact on the game. That is why home-field advantage is a thing. Fast forward to 2021, and fans are finally allowed back to most sporting venues, but with limited capacity.

On Apr. 7th, my brother and I attended Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2019.

However, there was a lot of effort required to make sure we met the qualifications to enter the stadium.  We either had to wait 14 days after our second COVID vaccine shot to enter the stadium, or had to get a COVID test at least three days before the game. We decided to get a COVID test three days before the game. From there, we printed out the results and showed them to the Yankee Stadium employees. From there, we easily entered the stadium with no problem.

Yankee Stadium is known for regularly selling out with nearly 60,000 screaming fans. With a limited capacity, things were definitely different. One of the biggest positives of fewer fans was that it was much easier to get around the stadium.

Ordinarily, Yankee Stadium is overcrowded with everyone bunched up together, but with the rules set in place now, that is not an issue anymore. One rule that I found very interesting, from famous baseball collector Zack Hample, was that during batting practice fans are not allowed to be in the front row. Another important thing to note about the ballpark is that a lot of the food stands were closed. Yankee Stadium has implemented UberEats, which allows you to order your food from your phone and walk to the food stand without waiting in line. This was definitely a welcomed change that should get better as more food venues begin to open up again.

Those are some noticeable changes during the pregame, but what was it like during the game?

Generally, you have servers walking around the stadium selling food and drinks, but that is not happening at all right now. Seats that are not being used are currently roped off completely. Yankee Stadium security is known to be uptight and strict, but because they are trying to have workers avoid people as much as possible, security was not around nearly as much as they ordinarily would be during the game. You are supposed to be wearing your mask at all times unless you are eating or drinking, but a security guard only checked once to see if fans were wearing their masks throughout the entirety of the game.

Other than that,  the crowd was pretty much mask-less and fans weren’t really doing their part to social distance. I was sitting in right field foul territory, so a lot of fans in that section were trying to get Clint Frazier and Anthony Santander to throw a ball in our direction. All the fans would run down to the first row and fight for the opportunity to catch a baseball. If you have concerns about social distancing, avoid sitting in the front row where a player can throw you a ball.

Other than that, life felt normal. It was an amazing feeling to be back in Yankee Stadium. The Orioles beat the Yankees in the 11th inning by a score of 4-3. Even though the Yankees lost, the energy of the crowd was still electric. Gio Urshela hit an RBI double in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game. I haven’t felt that kind of energy from sports in nearly two years.

I missed it so much. If you are fully vaccinated and are in need of a good time, catching a ball game in person is a must. America’s pastime is back, the fans are back, and there is nothing like it.