And just like that, it's the first official spring training game for the Yankees in 2021. The Bombers take on the Blue Jays in a seven inning battle that could be the precursor to many more competitive stints against these two teams. Mike King takes the mound today at George Steinbrenner Field as right-hander fights for a spot in the starting rotation. And fans will be there to root on "King for the Day", the first time fans have seen baseball in person since early March 2020.
“It’s very welcome,’’ DJ LeMahieu said of the return of fans. “I’m really excited to get some people back in and hopefully more as the season goes on. It’ll be good to play in front of fans again, that’s for sure,” reported the New York Post. Steinbrenner Field will welcome around 2400 fans today, which will energize the team and give some life back into a game who has been hard hit by the pandemic.
“Watching other events throughout the offseason, college football [and] NFL games, where fans were there in a limited capacity, it does change the look and feel — even watching on TV,’’ Boone said according to the Post.
The team will need to gel despite the limitations the pandemic has put on baseball, including limited touching and separate sites. But the presence of real fans is the first step toward normalcy which everyone craves.
“Just the adrenaline wasn’t there as much as a player,’’ LeMahieu said. “When you stretch [on the field] before a game, you get the juices flowing, usually. There was no one out there, so we had to dig deep. … Having fans, at least some, is good for the game, " reported the Post.
First pitch is 1:05 PM today and I for one can't wait for the 2021 season to start. It has been a long haul and it's not over yet, but at least we get baseball again and we can work through the rest together.
--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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