HOPE Week Kicks Off as Yankees Drop Series Opener

HOPE Week kicks off in the Bronx as the Yankees honor Love, Nana ahead of series opener versus the Angels.

Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels marked the start of the New York Yankees’ 16th annual HOPE Week. Helping Others to Persevere and Excel (HOPE) Week began in 2009 to support local nonprofits through financial donations and national exposure. Each year, five charitable organizations from the greater New York City area are invited to Yankee Stadium for a day of recognition and fun.

Kicking off this week’s festivities ahead of the Yankees series opener was Long Island-based non-profit, Love, Nana.

Love, Nana

A mother of seven, grandmother of 28, and great-grandmother of 11 more, 87-year-old Joan Hyland is no stranger to the demands of parenthood. Upon hearing of a local barista in need of clothes for her new baby, Hyland sprang into action. After rounding up her own family’s lightly used baby clothes, she meticulously cleaned, packaged, and delivered them.

What began as a random act of kindness has blossomed into a full-fledged project. Partnering with Backyard Players and Friends (BPF), Hyland’s project accepts and bundles donations into care packages for new parents in need of help.

“I thought if I give something that looks like a present, that the family wouldn’t be insulted by it,” said Hyland. “Whatever is in that bag is the very best I can put together.”

In the spirit of present-giving, Joan Hyland’s project is named for her signature on gifts to her own family: Love, Nana.

Together with Hyland’s family, Love, Nana delivers approximately 2,000 care packages per year to hospitals, missions, and charities throughout each borough of New York City and Long Island.

Hours before her ceremonial first pitch, Hyland and her team from BPF met with Yankees players and coaches to create her signature care packages for new parents. OF Aaron Judge, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, and RP Luke Weaver were among those on hand to present Love, Nana with a $10,000 donation after the event.

Making an Impression

The significance of Hyland’s work and the importance of HOPE week is not lost on Aaron Boone or his players, as he’ll be the first to tell you.

“Without question I think all of our guys feel pretty good about having a small role in some pretty cool stories and advancing some cool platforms,” said Boone. “We hope to get to the playoffs and go to a World Series and win another championship. When we look back on it all, if that hopefully happens, this week will probably be the best thing we do.”

On the Field

SP Clarke Schmidt toed the slab opposite Jose Soriano for an overcast pitcher’s duel in Game One of a four-game set between the New York Yankees and visiting Los Angeles Angels.

Schmidt would outduel Soriano by twirling seven-and-two-thirds scoreless frames and striking out three. In the midst of a 16-game stretch in as many days, Schmidt’s season-high innings total was invaluable relief for an already thinly stretched bullpen.

“Clarke was as good as he’s been, which is saying something because he has been really good,” said Boone. “He was so efficient… he was really sharp with his stuff. I like the last couple times out he’s expanded his arsenal a little bit, and that’s important for him.”

In the lineup, DH Giancarlo Stanton made his presence felt in his long-awaited season debut, smashing a 102.8 mph double to lead off the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees were unable to capitalize, however, stranding their eighth runner of the ballgame.

In an already tough week for a normally potent Yankee offense, New York remained scoreless through the first ten innings of the contest, extending their streak to 19 straight innings without a run.

1B Nolan Schanuel opened up the sky and the scoring with a one-out double to left in the 11th, driving in the first run of the game in the late-night drizzle. RP Jonathan Loaisiga surrendered walks to OF Mike Trout and OF Taylor Ward to load the bases behind Schanuel but managed a high wire act to escape the inning without further damage.

Schanuel’s RBI would stand, however, as the Angels hung on to win 1-0. The Bombers loaded the bases in the 11th but failed to score against the Angels bullpen. The Yankees will look to SP Will Warren to end their five-game skid Tuesday night at the stadium.