NEW YORK -- A new era in Yankees history will begin on April 16, 2009, as the Bronx Bombers move across the street and open the new Yankee Stadium against the Cleveland Indians.

The first regular-season games to be played across 161st Street will be a four-game series against the Tribe April 16-19, according to the 2009 Major League Baseball schedule released on Wednesday.

Coming out of Spring Training, New York opens the new campaign on the road, kicking off the season with an April 6-9 series against the Orioles in Baltimore and traveling to play the Kansas City Royals April 10-12 and the Tampa Bay Rays April 13-15 as anticipation builds back at home.

The Yankees are expected to first return to New York for exhibition games at the new Stadium, but those dates have not been finalized. Progress at the new Yankee Stadium has been impressive. The iconic frieze rings the stadium, many of the blue seats are in place, and manager Joe Girardi said on Tuesday that the installation lockers and tiling have already begun in the home clubhouse.

Overhead shots already show the beginnings of the infield where Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez will play. New York opens their $1.6 billion facility with a seven-game homestand, also welcoming in the Oakland Athletics in a midweek series April 17-19 before going on the road to reopen their rivalry with the Boston Red Sox April 24-26 at Fenway Park.

The Yankees will welcome the Red Sox to the new Stadium for the first time in a two-game series to be played May 4-5, and also travel to Boston June 9-11 and Aug. 21-23. Boston returns to Yankee Stadium for a four-game series Aug. 6-9 and a three-game set Sept. 25-27.

The Yankees will play the National League East in Interleague Play, kicking off with the Philadelphia Phillies visiting the Bronx May 22-24. The always-anticipated Subway Series opens with the Mets crossing town to play their first games at Yankee Stadium June 12-15, and the Washington Nationals come to New York June 16-18 for a midweek series.

The Subway Series resumes June 26-28 as the Yankees' make their first trip to the new Citi Field. Interleague Play also includes the Yankees' visiting Dolphin Stadium June 19-21, in a rematch of the 2003 World Series. From Miami, the Yankees travel to Atlanta and see the Braves June 23-25, sparking memories of the 1996 Fall Classic.

The 2009 All-Star Game is set for July 14 at St. Louis' Busch Stadium, and the Yankees have one of their biggest trips of the year in mid-August, flying west to play the Seattle Mariners (Aug. 13-16), the A's (Aug. 17-19) and then back east to play the Red Sox in the previously-mentioned Boston series.

The final regular-season games to be played at Yankee Stadium in 2009 will come with a six-game homestand against the Red Sox and Kansas City Royals Sept. 25-30.

One year after what looks to be their first missed postseason since 1993, the Yankees are guaranteed to be playing baseball in October -- the regular season schedule concludes with an Oct. 2-4 three-game series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

"In order to make the relocation of season ticket holders as convenient as possible, we have released a preliminary version of the Yankees' schedule at this time," said Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost. "We want to make certain our loyal season ticket holders have the most current and complete information at hand as they make decisions relating to the relocation of their seats into the new Stadium."

All current Yankees season ticket holders were sent a Relocation Program Guide, which explains the relocation process, along with a DVD describing the new Yankee Stadium. The Guide also describes the ticket license plans that will be available in the new Yankee Stadium in 2009, including full season, 41-game, 20-game, 15-game, 12-game and 11-game plans. Complete details regarding all plans and the ticket-relocation process may be found at www.yankees.com/relocation or by calling (800) 913-9793.

As in the past, the Yankees will have numerous group and individual-game discount ticket programs in 2009. Details regarding all group and individual-game ticket sales will be released at a later date. The Yankees are not currently accepting deposits on 2009 group ticket applications, but will accept them at a date to be determined in the future.

The newly-constructed Yankee Stadium is located on the north side of 161st Street (between River and Jerome Avenues), directly across the street from the current Stadium. With a capacity for 52,325 fans, the new Yankee Stadium has improved sight lines, wider concourses, significantly improved and varied food options and state-of-the-art audio/visual capabilities. All of the new Stadium's thoroughly modern amenities exist within the framework of the classic architectural elements of the original Stadium, most notably the instantly recognizable frieze that again circles the grandstand.

The new Yankee Stadium will be the fourth permanent home of the New York Yankees, following Hilltop Park (1903-12), the Polo Grounds (1913-22) and the current Yankee Stadium (1923-present). The Yankees also played two full seasons at Shea Stadium (1975-76) when the current Stadium underwent remodeling.