With the Yankees hours away from playing their home opener, Yankee Stadium was literally shaking before Friday’s game against the Blue Jays.
That’s because a magnitude-4.8 earthquake made its way to the Bronx and other parts of New York City around 10:20 a.m. The quake’s epicenter was in Lebanon, N.J., according to the United States Geological Survey, and could also be felt in cities ranging from Philadelphia to Boston.
At Yankee Stadium, some felt the quake, including Jose Trevino and Aaron Boone.
“I am used to it, I guess,” said Boone, a California native who sensed a vibration in his feet during batting practice. “I grew up in these things. I thought it was the sound system, actually.”
Other Yankees didn’t notice.
“First I’m hearing about it,” Oswaldo Cabrera said when asked.
Added Jahmai Jones: “BP must have been loud! I had no clue.”
Brad Ausmus didn’t feel anything either. He lives in San Diego, so he said an earthquake has to be “at a certain level before I notice it.”
“I’ve been out there since 1993,” the bench coach said. “I’ve probably felt about six. Not a lot. Most of them are like that. Half the people feel them, and half the people don’t.”
While only some people felt the quake, emergency alerts could be heard blaring from cellphones during batting practice. Boone, meanwhile, took some additional time to speak with reporters following his standard pregame press conference.
The manager didn’t make much of the tremors, as he was impacted by the Northridge earthquake, which occurred in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles in January 1994. Boone was playing college ball at USC and had several roommates at the time. That earthquake, a magnitude-6.7, woke up the whole house, which featured a spiral staircase in the living room.
“It was the real deal,” Boone said, adding that his house lost power. “It’s the middle of the night. I walk out in the living room and my buddy is butt naked on all fours in the middle of the living room. And I’m like, ‘Are you alright?’ He panicked and fell down the spiral staircase.”
Boone said that that teammate, a pitcher, broke his thumb on the fall. Fortunately for the Yankees, no such injuries were reported prior to the home opener.
