3.02.2008

It's Always Sunny in Tampa: Yankees/Phillies from Fla.


The Good Life: A Yankee Fan shows off two rings unrelated to baseball. To his left, another fan's shirt suggests that the "Mets Suck".

Bonus to the the YES Network for HD coverage on a perfect sunny afternoon from the HQ of NYY operations. (Fun fact: every spring game has sold out since the 1996 opening of Legends "Soon-to-Be George Steinbrenner III" Field. C'mon Devil Ray fans...you'll always have a special place in 90 Percent's heart for scouting Scottie, but you've gotta go to a couple games for YOUR team each year.)

Jeter appears to be a bit leaner than last year, maybe trying to one-up fitness-freak skipper Joe Girardi? J. Giambi is clearly not leaner than last year, perhaps trying to one-up Joba Chamberlain -- the pleasantly plump reliever hoping to make the leap to the starting rotation.

For the Yanks, we had Honest Andy Pettitte, fresh off apologizing to every human being he could find for using HGH (c'mon now...he even apologized to the broadcast team in the hallway). For the Phils, we had Cole Hamels (who is publicly aiming for the Cy Young this year). Awesome!

Top 5

1. Our new, lean Jeets goes deep in the hole on a Pedro Feliz grounder, lifts-off in patented Jeets fashion and torches a throw across his body to pinch the fleet-footed Philly at first (though called safe on the play, Huddy replay showed it was an out. Hey, it's Spring for the Umps as well.)

2. Disappointing day for current Philly/former Dodger rising-star...your attention please (pregnant pause) now starting (pause) in center field (with deep bass, one word) Jaysonwerth. He dropped a toughie in the sun on the run, missed the cutoff man on a throw from the warning track and did next to nothing at the plate in four tries, going 0 for 3, BB. Adding insult, his replacement in center was 1 for 1... and made a diving grab that made SportCenter.

3. Hamels hangs a breaking ball for Giambi that went about halfway to St. Pete! (A little local humor there.)

4. Skipper J. Girardi crossed the dugout to congratulate Melky Cabrera for a run-scoring sacrifice fly...in Spring Training. I think I remember J. Torre blinking once in 2001.

5. Tall Boy Kyle Farnsworth giving up a Home Run to Pat Burrell on his second pitch...a.k.a.: the moment Yanks gabber Michael Kay predicted that a great Farnsie spring would allow the Yanks to move Joba up from the bullpen.

FUKUDOME WATCH


0 for 3 today. What's Japanese for frownie?

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