A Bronx boost for business, energy amid Yankees' playoff push

After 15 years wandering in the desert, the Yankees hope 2024 is the year they return to World Series promised land.

That is also the earnest hope of Yousef Abbadi, 25, the third-generation manager of Ballpark Sports Shop on River Avenue, a Juan Soto’s throw from the stadium. He will sell you a Yankees pint glass ($20), a satiny hot pink Yankees jacket ($130) or an infant-sized "Snack, Nap Baseball" T-shirt ($15). The top sellers are the Aaron Judge jerseys ($145-$160) — "He’s loved by everybody," Abbadi said — followed closely by Soto jerseys.

Last year was not a good year for the Yankees and, by the transitive property of sports marketing, nor was it for the businesses along River Avenue and East 161st Street, said Abbadi, of Morris Park in the Bronx.

"Oh, my God," he said, shuddering at the memory. "The whole September was no business — they were out before the season was over. It was like a ghost town here. You barely saw anybody. A lot of businesses shut down."

But Monday, hours before the Yankees opened their American League Championship Series at home against the Cleveland Guardians, had a different feeling. The fans were already browsing the shops and the bars. They came from as far away as England, Switzerland and Australia, Abbadi said.

"When they’re winning, everybody’s in a good mood," he said. "When the Yankees are here, it’s crazy."

On 161st Street across from the stadium, three staffers of JRC Garifuna Co., a Bronx-based fashion label, had set up a stand. The Garifuna are descendants of an Afro-indigenous population from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. Some settled in Central America; many now live in the Bronx, home to the largest Garifuna population in the United States, according to the Bronx borough president’s office. Much of JRC’s line is Garifuna-themed, so the baseball shirts ($20), sweaters ($35) and hats ($25) represented a departure for the company.

"We thought, ‘Why not?’" said Ivan Moreira, 49, of the South Bronx. His personal favorite was a T-shirt showing Yankee Stadium’s silhouette, surrounded by a floral crest. Listed below were seven subway lines serving the borough and the 718 area code; up top, in stylized print, The Boogie Down Bronx.

In his native Honduras, Moreira said, "everyone knows the Yankees. Everybody calls themselves a Yankee fan."

He also calls himself a Yankees fan.

"We’re feeling pretty good," Moreira said. "I think it’s going to be the year."

For some fans on game day, the place to gather is the Hard Rock Cafe at Gate 6. Yes, they have cheeseburger sliders (three mini-burgers with Cheddar cheese, pork belly, pickles and dijonnaise, $22.99 and a mere 1,515 calories) but it’s also "the best place to get in" to the stadium to see batting practice, said Andrew Hudes, 55, of Kensington, Brooklyn, a prekindergarten teacher.

Hudes estimated he’d been to 70 games this year. He buys season tickets in the right field bleachers ($4,000-ish) with Griffin Brown, 30, a database clerk from the Upper West Side.

They were waiting with their friend James McGrady, 35, a custodian and professional wrestling referee from Valley Stream.

Two tips from the experts: 1: Batting practice is important. "You get a good feel for the team." McGrady said. "How they’re seeing the ball, the camaraderie of the team." 2: Season tickets may be worth it, even at the cost of a used automobile. At home games during the regular season, "I could pay $6 on StubHub, minus Red Sox, minus Mets," Brown said. "The playoffs is where they get you. Your team makes postseason, you’re spending $250 a game on tickets."

Back on River Avenue, not far from Abbadi’s shop, Brian and Bryce Zicaro, a father and son from Syracuse, said they had driven four hours and about 250 miles for the game. They’d paid about $175 each for their 300-level tickets.

"They better win," Brian Zicaro said.

Yankees fandom was nonnegotiable in the Zicaro household. Bryce Zicaro, 19, recalled going to his first games with his dad when he was 6, and is now a pitcher and first baseman at Herkimer College in upstate New York. He had his game glove in hopes of snagging a ball during batting practice.

The Zicaros had a couple hours to kill before BP. They weren’t sure how they were going to spend the time but it didn’t really matter, Brian Zicaro said.

"Whatever we do, it’s going to be about the memories we make," he said. "That experience is priceless. Some day he’ll do it with his son or daughter and we’ll continue the legacy."