Start spreading the news: the Yankees will now play Frank Sinatra’s iconic rendition of the “Theme From New York, New York” exclusively after home victories, reverting to a tradition first established by owner George Steinbrenner in 1980.
According to the team, players and staff expressed fatigue over hearing a celebratory anthem following losses.
Following a 4-0 spring training defeat to the Detroit Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees opted to play Sinatra’s 1966 classic “That’s Life,” a song originally penned by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon in 1963. This change came just two days after the team lifted a long-standing ban on beards that had been in place since 1976.
In a fresh approach, the team announced that various songs will now be played after losses.
The tradition of playing “New York, New York” after wins began when Steinbrenner learned about Sinatra’s version from a disc jockey at Le Club, a popular Manhattan restaurant and disco, as former team media relations director Marty Appel recounted in a 2015 interview with The New York Times.
The song, composed by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb, was first performed by Liza Minnelli for the 1977 Martin Scorsese film “New York, New York,” with Sinatra later recording it in a Don Costa arrangement for his 1980 album “Trilogy: Past Present Future.”
For many years, the Yankees alternated between the Sinatra version after wins and the Minnelli version after losses. Recently, the Sinatra rendition had been played after every final out.
On Friday, the Yankees announced the end of their beard ban, citing concerns that the restriction could hinder player recruitment.
Hal Steinbrenner has been the controlling owner since 2008, taking over from his father, who passed away in 2010.
FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience 
