Yankees Game Weekend Announcement
This weekend’s Yankees game will have a different vibe. Paul Alden, who has been the voice of the Yankees since the new stadium opened in 2009, missing his first game after a remarkable streak of 1,339 consecutive games. He shared on Instagram that he’s skipping out to attend a wedding.
“Well, another streak is over,” Alden posted on Friday. “My four-year winning streak ended nearly two years ago. Now, the 1,339-game Yankees PA Streak is done, and I’m thrilled to head to Southern California for my friend’s wedding.”
Alden hinted at starting a new streak soon, mentioning, “A new announcement streak will begin in two weeks.”
It’s worth noting that his long streak included both regular season and postseason games over the last 16 years, with the exception of the 2020 playoffs, which were held in San Diego during the shortened Covid season.
In his absence, Mark Fratto will take over the announcing duties. Some fans may recognize him as the PA announcer for NYFC in Major League Soccer, where many games are also played in the Bronx. He’s been associated with Madison Square Garden since 2008, announcing for college basketball and boxing events.
Fratto expressed his excitement, calling it an “absolute honor” to be behind the microphone at Yankee Stadium. He shared in an Instagram post, “I still can’t believe it, but we’re going to the show with the Yankees this weekend. It’s a family affair—it goes back four generations for us. The Yankees are my grandfather’s team, my dad’s team, and now my brothers’ and sons’ team too.”
He reminisced about his childhood, saying, “Like many ’80s kids, I grew up pretending to be Bob Sheppard in my backyard. Absolutely wild. Let’s go.” Fratto will make the announcements during the Yankees’ series against the Cubs.
The Yankees recently celebrated an exciting win, coming off a wild game against the Mariners where they achieved a 6-5 walk-off victory in eight innings. As they head into the series, the Yankees are positioned two games behind the Blue Jays in the AL East and 2.5 games away from the first wild card spot.
