Stormy

They wore secondhand coats over sweatshirts with hats pulled low against the cold. Malik sat in the middle of the group on the 2 train and pulled the collar of an old Yankee jacket tight around his neck.

“You need layers to work construction on a day like this,” Malik explained. “I’ve got this coat and a sweatshirt and a heavy sweater and a T-shirt.”

But he didn’t have enough to protect him from the news that Alex Rodriguez opted out of his contract.

“It really hurts,” he admitted. “I loved him and wanted him to stay. I thought a guy from Washington Heights would want to be here.”

The group nodded in agreement.

“It’s been a rough couple of weeks,” Malik continued. “First Torre goes and now A-Rod. I hope this storm breaks soon.”