Opening Day a week away! Juliet Papa reports from Yankees training camp

Yankees training 2019
Photo credit 1010 WINS
By Juliet Papa

You sure don’t see spraying fountains and palm trees adorning Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, but the warm-weather accoutrements were front and center at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. That’s where the Yankees have been strutting their stuff to sell-out crowds packing the stadium for the team’s spring training games.

Yankees training 2019

I traveled south for warm weather and a baseball fix – and soon got caught up in the laid back vibe in the stands and on the field. Fans can walk the grounds, watch at an adjacent diamond as the players take BP and loosen up. There’s a separate garden for the team’s historic retired numbers – and a modified facade around the stadium paying homage to the famous frieze in the Bronx.

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I scored tickets to the afternoon game between the Bronx Bombers and the world champion Boston Red Sox – ready to get a first-hand glimpse of how the rivalry would shape up this season.

Juliet Papa spring training

The line-up was posted near the concession stand and the Yankee starters were all in – the Sox had their A-List except for Mookie Betts. Andrew Benintendi singled against Domingo German on the first pitch and we were underway. Brett Gardner got a big hand in the lead-off spot. Aaron Judge wowed the crowd with a three-run blast and nine innings later the fans left satisfied after a 14-1 romp. The next day, the Yankees did more damage against the Toronto Blue Jays, winning 17-7.

It’s all about the warm-up for Opening Day – and a mixture of the new and the tried and true. So much fun watching up-and-comers getting their shot – will they make it to “the show” in years to come? And how can there be a Yankee game without the grounds crew leading the crowd in “YMCA?” It was all there on that Florida field.

Here’s hoping for some warm and sunny on the field up north when the Yankees open at the Stadium March 28. Last year’s game was pushed back a day on account of – snow! But I’ll be there – interviewing friends and fans on 1010 WINS.

Tune in, and let’s play ball!

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