Let's Road Trip Twins 2025: Trip #11 - Those Dang Yankees

New York Yankees - August 11-13
Yankee Stadium - Capacity 46,537
2024 Attendance: 3,309,838 (Averaged 41,896, ranked 1st out of 15 AL parks, 2nd overall MLB)

The Twins thought they had broken the Yankee Stadium curse in 2023, only to get swept right out of town in early June 2024 by the eventual World Series runner-up Yankees. 13 wins and 39 losses. That's the Twins' record at the newest iteration of Yankee Stadium.

If you think that's terrible, just take the last decade into consideration. Since 2015, the Twins have won five games in the Bronx, and lost 26! 2013 was the only season that the Twins managed to win a series, and the general outcomes would be comical if they weren't so consistently devastating. The Yankees squad that awaits to start the 2025 campaign might be without Juan Soto, but they've added to their bats and arms just like they always do and should compete for the World Series yet again.

What Yankee Stadium lacks in hospitality to opponents’ chances for success, it makes up for in baseball history and charisma. Monument Park shares the rich tradition of the pinstripes and is the place to be before the first pitch. Being present for the “roll call” tradition of the Yankees' outfield bleacher bums and knowing that millions of humans are within blocks of you offers a lot of excitement. The stadium itself feels surprisingly bland and non-distinct, but if the Yankees are playing well, it's tough to be an opposing fan there. 

Yankee Stadium resides in the heart of the Bronx, so parking and any “quick” travel to destinations don’t happen. Then there’s the potential for rain. Luckily, MLB appears to have also thought this through and scheduled an off-day in case the opener needs a re-do, but there isn't a mutual off-day following the series, so any make-up game would have to find its way later on during the season. Enter the enemy's lair thick-skinned and get ready to enjoy baseball at its finest.  

Twins fans have an opportunity to take in the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Big Apple. The Statue of Liberty takes most of a day to visit appropriately, and traveling the New Jersey coast to see Ellis Island also offers a wonderful view of downtown NYC. If you do find yourself in Manhattan, Broadway, TV show scenery, and Central Park are must-sees. Finding affordable lodging and navigating the traffic are obstacles, but the public transit system is top notch (i.e., it mostly functions as designed) and can get fans most anywhere they want to go. 

Even if this trip hurts a little, the Twins return home to face what they hope to be some healing opponents in the Tigers and Athletics. Will the Twins come out on top in this week of August baseball? Or will this be more of the same from some difficult opponents?