George Grantham Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Barton Silverman/The New York Times; and Paul Burnett/Associated PressThe former mayors John Purroy Mitchel, Michael R. Bloomberg and Edward I. Koch. Updated 6:35 a.m.
Good Monday morning to you.
It’s a rainy day for a ballgame.
The Mets’ 2014 season opens today at Citi Field.
And the first to step onto the pitcher’s mound will be Mayor de Blasio.
He’s a confessed Boston Red Sox fan, but no matter.
The ceremonial first pitch is a mayoral tradition.
We asked Sam Roberts, a longtime reporter for The Times, to remember first pitches gone by.
“Koch hated baseball, never stayed more than a few innings at most,†Mr. Roberts told us.
“Dinkins, of course, liked tennis most.â€
“Giuliani was a die-hard Yankees fan.â€
(Yet he too threw out ceremonial pitches at Mets games.)
“Bloomberg was pretty indifferent.â€
“Mayors are traditionally booed,†Mr. Roberts said. “I can’t remember one that actually was cheered.â€
The pressure is on for Mr. de Blasio, given his record on mayoral rituals.
As you may recall, he dropped the groundhog in February.
And look what’s happened to us since.
You may tune in at 1:10 p.m. to see how it goes.
The Mets are playing the Washington Nationals.
The mayor has invited seven children affected by the recent building collapse in East Harlem.
Here’s what else you need to know for Monday.
WEATHER
Cold and wet. And windy, though it shouldn’t bust your umbrella.
Clouds part in the afternoon, with a high of 50.
A clear night’s in store and tomorrow may bring a brief interlude of bliss.
COMMUTE
Subways: Looking good. Check latest status.
Rails: Delays on the N.J. Transit Northeast Corridor Line. Check L.I.R.R., Metro-North or N.J. Transit status.
Roads: Check traffic map or radio report on the 1s or the 8s.
Alternate-side parking is in effect.
COMING UP TODAY
- Final day to enroll in health insurance coverage. Here’s where to go for help signing up.
- Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, talks to reporters after meeting with local advocates for immigration reform in Chelsea. 4 p.m.
- City officials announce a construction project to transform the aging A. Philip Randolph Houses in Harlem into a mixed-income development of public and private housing. Noon.
- Masbia Soup Kitchen Network announces a toll-free number for kosher food during Passover. Lincoln Square Synagogue. 10 a.m.
- “Heathers: The Musical†opens off-Broadway, at New World Stages. 6:30 p.m.
- The stand-up comedian and former taxi driver Jimmy Failla, who recently put a snake in a cab, signs his book at the Gotham Comedy Club in Chelsea. 6:30 p.m.
- Silver alert: “Black Sabbath,†featuring a 65-year-old Ozzy Osborne, plays at Barclays. 7:30 p.m. [$70 and up]
- For more events, see The New York Times Arts & Entertainment guide.
IN THE NEWS
- A state budget deal was reached over the weekend, providing $300 million for pre-kindergarten in New York City. [New York Times]
- Mayor de Blasio got his prize; but he will have to accommodate charter schools alongside his own education programs. [New York Times]
- Next on the mayoral agenda: affordable housing. [Daily News]
- Some of the city’s private schools have very poor vaccination rates, possibly because of the anti-vaccine movement. [New York magazine]
- Times Square was among many places to turn off the lights for “Earth Hour†on Saturday. [NY1]
- A Park Slope Food Co-op is coming to Paris. [Grub Street via Gothamist]
- A woman from New York used Twitter to ask American Airlines to reunite her with a man she met on a flight. It worked. [Daily News]
- One proposal for protecting the city from big storms involves creating our own islands. [CBS]
Sandra E. Garcia contributed reporting.
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