And what a relief it was! On Tuesday night, the New York Yankees’ bullpen suffered a meltdown and coughed up a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning to lose 7-5. It happens. But at least we didn’t get the team’s victory song jammed down our throat after a crushing defeat.

Shortly after the Yankees announced they would be amending their facial hair policy earlier in the offseason, they also let fans know that they would no longer be playing “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra after losses. Fans got to enjoy Frank after the sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend. It was good. It was fun. It was how it should be.

Last year, fans really got upset when they were subjected to the famous tune after suffering a terrible experience. For a while now, it just didn’t make sense. The 2020-2023 Yankees just really put a sour taste in everyone’s mouths, and it was time for change.

The new era became official after Tuesday’s loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. “That’s Life” by Sinatra blared over the Yankee Stadium sound system. Much better.

Yankees fans get first taste of new Yankee Stadium music after losses

The loss was not fun whatsoever. Tim Hill and Mark Leiter Jr. giving fans a preview of the worst-case scenario for the bullpen wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it stung a bit less with a very appropriate song in the aftermath. That’s life. Sometimes, you blow games in epic fashion. It doesn’t always go your way.

It’s important to make the winning environment that much more unique instead of one blanket experience across the board. Fans understand a lot of tourists attend games and they’re coming for the full Yankee Stadium affair, but there are also diehards at every game who aren’t about that.

The Yankees made the right choice here. Hearing “New York, New York” after Game 5 of the World Series was an all-time gut punch nobody ever wants to feel again. If we have to hear “That’s Life” beaten into our skulls, that’s fine. It’ll make the wins that much better.