Final Score: 6-2 Yankees

If one took parts of Yankee Stadium, jumbled them together, and then placed a life-sized statue of George Steinbrenner at the entrance, the result would probably be something similar to Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. The field’s dimensions are exactly the same as old Yankee Stadium, and the plaques of famous Yankees out front are similar to those in Monument Park. When Mariano Rivera came out from the bullpen to face the Phillies in the 5th inning, he was greeted with his customary “Enter Sandman” (and a standing ovation), and the eventual Yankee victory brought about a continuous loop of Frank Sinatra (“Start spreading the news…”), just as it would up north. The nostalgic talk among many of the older fans centered on the pinstripe heroes of yore, but this was mixed with veneration for the modern players on the field. Steinbrenner Field, much like its larger brother in the Bronx, is a temple to baseball and a shrine to the Yankee image, albeit with a wide range of expensive concessions and souvenirs.

In this metaphorical shrine, the Yankees, needing an outfielder after the injury to Curtis Granderson in February, tried multiple options against the Phillies. Melky Mesa, playing centerfield, went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts, continuing a troubling trend. Over his period with the Scranton RailRiders (AAA) last year, he managed to strikeout an astonishing 43 times in 133 plate appearances (and this spring, 10 times in 37 plate appearances). Ben Francisco, signed to a minor-league contract by the Yankees on March 11, went 1 for 3 with a two-run double, despite the fact that the Yankee announcer and scoreboard unfortunately introduced him as Matt Daley (a right-handed pitcher wearing the same number). Zoilo Almonte, who played last year in Trenton (AA), got the thankless task of pinch-running for Ichiro and being the first out in a 4-6-3 double play. He was moved to Scranton following the end of the game.

For the Phillies, beyond the 5 errors and poor pitching of Cliff Lee (2.2 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 R, 1 E), the performance of Humberto Quintero at catcher was disheartening. With Carlos Ruiz serving a 25 game suspension during the regular season for Adderall use, the Phillies need a replacement. Erik Kratz, the most obvious candidate, has played poorly throughout spring training and is unlikely to inspire confidence that he can maintain his decent numbers from last season. Sebastian Valle, though speeding through the Phillies system, struggled tremendously in his AAA appearances last year. Quintero, given a minor league deal by the Phillies, has also played poorly, and this game was no exception. He went 0 for 3 with a walk, and tossed two balls into center field on steal attempts.

3/14: I travel west to Dunedin to see the New York Yankees play the Toronto Blue Jays in Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.