Yankees Play ‘Sweet Caroline’ to Honor Boston After Marathon Bombings
Baseball's most storied rivalry was put on hold for a moment on Tuesday. In a show of class and support, the New York Yankees joined other big league teams in
playing Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline' after the third inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. The song is traditionally played as a sing-a-long at Boston's Fenway Park and is a touchstone of Red Sox Nation fandom. The Yankees played it to show support for the city of Boston after Monday's Boston Marathon bombing. Diamond himself noted the gesture on Twitter:
The fans in the Bronx took a little while to come around to the song. There was perhaps some emotional discord to reflect on the tragic event that killed three people and injured 140 others and then expect fans to connect with the jubilant anthem that often shakes Fenway. Suffice to say, if the song was played at Yankee Stadium prior to this, the Yankees fans might have drowned it out with boos because of its Boston ties. When the Red Sox return home after their road trip, and the city of Boston and its people have had a chance to recover a bit, we suspect you'll hear what might be the loudest version ever of 'Sweet Caroline.'