Yankee Tavern
When you can’t get into the House That Ruth Built, you can always nurse one at the bar where he drank. The memorabilia on the walls date back to 1928, when the current owner’s grandfather set up shop shortly after the Yanks did. During day games, the party starts early and goes late with the Q103.4 van on hand to fuel the mayhem.
72 E. 161st St. nr. Gerard Ave., Bronx; 718-292-6130
Stan’s Sports Bar
This “home of the diehard Yankees fan” is another fallback if you can’t scalp a ticket. Ripping your baseball cap off in unified exasperation at an ump’s bad call is the next best thing to being in the stadium. Plus, the beers and dogs are cheaper. The mostly male crowd—with the few girls in Jeter jerseys—stand shoulder-to-shoulder around a gigantic island bar that nearly takes up the whole room.
836 River Ave. at 158th St., Bronx; 718-993-5548
Dorrian’s Red Hand
[Update: In 2006, Yankees management banned players from entering Dorrian’s.]Ever since Dorrian’s manager Keith Zlomsowitch befriended Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada in 1996, this has been the spot where the Bombers come to get bombed. David Wells has hit the beer bong with Carson Daly here, and even though Wells has gone red, he still makes post-game appearances. During the game, catch him on one of the 60-inch hi-definition plasma screens. Turnout should be fierce with 80% Yanks fans.
300 E. 84th St. at 2nd Ave.; 212-772-6660
Farrell’s
Brooklynites can root for the winningest team in major league sports alongside the hard-nosed Irish who’ve been bellying up to this Windsor Terrace bar since Lou Gehrig’s day. (Don’t let the name fool you; there’s no grill.) Should the Bombers lose, the 32-ounce styrofoam cups of Bud are large enough to drown your sorrows.
215 Prospect Park West at 16th St.; 718-788-8779
Harrison’s Tavern
Since New England Sports Network always plays on the flat-screen TV, you know this tavern is Red Sox-friendly. But Beantowner Keith Harrison insists he isn’t anti-Yankees. BoSoxers began showing up two years ago during the heart-stopping NYC vs. Boston playoffs; ever since then, the bar has pulled in up to 70% Boston fans. A “no bleacher creatures” edict ensures civility prevails. For better or worse, Fenway Franks are absent on the menu but you can eat a Boston grinder (a variation of the Philly cheesesteak) while envisioning the fall of the Evil Empire.
355 Amsterdam Ave. at 77th St.; 212-724-3600
Boston (212) Café
With a motto like “Think outside the Bronx,” this Boston-themed bar/restaurant is more than a safe bet for Chowderheads, it’s a safe haven. Not only have former players like Jerry Casal (and David Ortiz’s father) stopped by but the World Series trophy itself made an appearance earlier this year. Expect game specials galore.
1009 2nd Ave. bet. 53rd and 54th Sts.; 212-755-1476
Riviera Cafe and Sports Bar
It starts like a joke. Five Red Sox fans walk into a bar… But five years after those pioneers changed the channel from the Mets to the Sox, the Riv is the go-to place for big games. FOX cameras were stationed in the bar during last year’s World Series, when the line went down the block. The manager (who’s rumored by certain defectors to be a Yanks fan) is expecting 100% red.
225 W. 4th St. at Seventh Ave. South; 212-929-3250
Croxley Ales
If you’re loathe to pack yourself into a sports bar, take advantage of the two six-foot flat screens in this East Village spot’s tented garden. Croxley has so many beers on tap that you can try a different draft for every inning of all three games. An evenly split crowd means there will be just as many who think David Ortiz deserves this year’s Hank Aaron award as those who support Alex Rodriguez.
28 Ave. B between 2nd and 3rd Sts.; 212-253-6140
Turkey’s Nest Tavern
Maybe it’s because Fenway Park’s right field was dubbed Williamsburg in honor of Ted that so many BoSox fans gravitate to a neighborhood with the same name. When the Sox broke the Curse last year, the narrow confines of this frozen-in-time watering hole was overflowing with revelers who came of age with Buckner’s Blunder.
94 Bedford Ave. at N. 12th St.; 718-384-9774