George M. Steinbrenner Field

Just got back from Florida tonight. There were a lot of memorable moments from this trip, all of which were enhanced by the seven days of perfectly sunny, low-to-mid 80's weather.

Two things in particular stand out, however. First was watching the Discovery space shuttle launch. Spectacular sight to see...clear blue sky, sun setting in the background...breathtaking.

But this is a sports blog, after all, so let me get to the good stuff: spring training! Elissa and I first stopped in Port St. Lucie to check out the Mets complex. It is called Tradition Field. What tradition is that, exactly? A tradition of losing? Or more recently, losing by way of choking? Because last time I checked, the Mets have as many World Series rings as the Marlins. Anyway, we didn't stay for the game (opting for the beach instead) but it was a "nice" stadium. And by "nice" I mean the Jewish way of saying "nice." As in, it's completely ordinary and instantly forgettable. But at least I got to buy a much-needed beach towel at the team store for the low, low price of $24.

Next, we visited Elissa's brother at the Phillies' complex in Clearwater. Bright House Field is brand new (built last year) and looks sharp. Scott, who is a strength & conditioning trainer for the Triple A affiliate, gave us the quick tour but we left soon after since he had been there since 5:45 a.m. (now I see why Manny is pulling a Fred Flintstone in order to skip spring training). Two cool stories here. First, Scott literally stole one of Chase Utley's game-used batting gloves for Elissa. Second, Utley joined Scott as he was working out about a dozen Single A and Double A minor leaguers. He walked right up to the group and said "mind if I join you guys?" Then he pulled up his socks, which is apparently a big deal since Philly minor leaguers must wear knee-high socks and the major leaguers don't have to. Here we have the reigning NL MVP and World Series champ trying to fit in with a bunch of minor leaguers who don't have a shot in hell of making the Phils. Nice.

Finally, the main event. The recently renamed George M. Steinbrenner Field is spectacular. I mean, it makes every other team's spring training complex look like a college ballfield. First of all, it is built in the shadow of the Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium. So unlike most complexes, where fans park on patchy grass lots, Yankees fans get to park in an NFL parking lot. Second, it looks like Yankee Stadium South. The classic white facade stretches all around the field. The field dimensions are identical to those in the Bronx. It has 10,000 seats, wraparound concourses that are fully stocked with all the regular foods (and some new stuff like po' boys and funnel cakes), and -- of course -- two levels of luxury boxes. Oh yeah, it also has a "party deck" overlooking right field that you can rent out for bar mitzvahs. You get full views of the major leaguers' batting cages, 7 pitching mounds, and both bullpens. Nearly every seat in the house has a view of the Bucs' pirate ship next door. There are 2 team stores and 2 VIP lounges.

In short, the place feels like a real baseball stadium. There is no "standing room only" grass seating, as you'll find at the Braves' complex in Disney World. This is like a 1/5 model version of the real Yankee Stadium. Feels just like the real thing, except that the sun is much, much stronger. I could go on and on about how classy this place feels, but if you are a Yankees fan and haven't been there yet, it's a must-see. I just kept thinking...of course the Yankees built the biggest and the best spring training complex. Of course they did.

They also played baseball on Sunday. A sharp 5-1 win over Minny. Pettitte looked strong, and we saw every regular hitter, except for A-Rod (injury) and Jeter (WBC). No Girardi or Joba sightings, even though both were there. Seats were 85% filled, which is a good sign in this economy.

Update: Yanks beat down Scott's Phillies 12-0 today and Joba looked sharp. Burnett pitched well last week, too. The rotation is already looking solid. I'll be sure to post photos as soon as I download them from my camera. Here's to the World Series in '09....