NYC Health + Hospitals Has Yankees Merch In Exchange for COVID Tests

By Brendan Menapace

The New York Yankees are much more than a baseball team. The historic “NY” logo is as much an emblem for the city itself as it a representation of the team. The Yankees could not win a single game and New Yorkers will still rock Yankees gear. So, NYC Health knew that if it promised New Yorkers some Yankees gear, it'd convince them to come out and get COVID-19 tests.

It’s kind of funny, actually. It works just like a ballpark giveaway, where only the first 4,000 to show up to the participating NYC Health + Hospitals testing locations get stuff like Yankees T-shirts, caps and more. Kind of ironic that the virus they’re testing for is what’s keeping fans out of Yankee Stadium, where they’d usually get this stuff.

Tomorrow, @NYCHealthSystem COVID19 test sites are offering FREE Yankees merchandise to the first 4,000 NYers who get tested for #COVID19! Find a location near you: https://t.co/jyhWHrGDTp #NYCTestandTrace #FightCOVIDNYC #NYYforNY pic.twitter.com/LkCLR76U2S

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 24, 2020

“Free COVID-19 tests and free Yankees gear—that’s really a win-win for our city,” Dr. Ted Long, executive director of NYC Test & Trace Corps, told 1010 WINS.

When it was first announced that sporting events would take place without fans, we did a lot of thinking and writing about what franchises could do to get merchandise into fans’ hands and keep team spirit alive. We thought about things like drop-shipping stuff to season ticket holders, having drive-through giveaways outside of the arena, and giving away products for people to use while they watch the game at home.

All of those things have happened across different leagues, but this Yankees initiative is the first one we’ve seen that directly tackles the issue of the COVID-19 spread and prevention through the promise of merchandise.

This would definitely catch on in other cities, except maybe here in Philly where we’re still pretty bitter about the baseball season. Heck, maybe NYC Health + Hospitals would even acknowledge the existence of the Mets and do another giveaway for Mets fans. (Boo, Mets.)