NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The New York Yankees have changed the start of their rescheduled game with the Boston Red Sox to avoid a conflict with the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.
The Sept. 27 game at Yankee Stadium originally was set for 1 p.m. It then was changed to 8 p.m. to appear on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" national telecast.
But that start time put the game in conflict with the sundown start of Yom Kippur, a fact that was brought to the attention of Major League Baseball and ESPN by U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported Wednesday.
The congressman told MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and ESPN President George Bodenheimer Jewish ticket holders could not attend an 8 p.m. game.
"Because the game was moved, it now runs into direct conflict with the religious requirement for players, such as Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox, team personnel and fans to be home by sundown," Weiner wrote. "In New York in particular, home of the largest Jewish community in America, the current scheduling of this game ensures that any observant Jew who purchased tickets will lose their money because they will be unable to attend due to religious reasons."
