UNCOMMON PRACTICE
Stanton initial at-bat in pinstripes is an event, even in spring
TAMPA — You’ve got Allen Iverson’s voice in your head: “We’re in here talking about practice.”
Terms l i ke “Grapefruit League” and “Cactus League” add the veneer of legitimacy and charm to exhibition games and give life to the whole miniindustry of spring training. But we are, at the end of the day, talking about practice.
Nevertheless, we can’ t help ourselves, right? When Giancarlo Stanton comes to the plate Friday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field — for his first time wearing the Yankees’ pinstripes in a game of any form, in front of thousands of fans — it’ll feel l i ke an event. If you a r en’ t here or watching the telecast, you’ll at least want to find out how Stanton did against the Tigers.
“Yeah, there’ll be a little excitement with the crowd and the pinstripes,” Aaron Boone, who will manage his first contest of any sort, said Thursday at The George following a brief practice. “Actually playing a game and playing another team, I think you’ll get some juices flowing for that.”
With Aaron Judge not yet ready to play as he recovers from offseason left shoulder surgery, Stanton will own the spotlight, all the more so with Gary Sanchez taking more time before game action. Exhibition debuts don’t necessarily stand the test of the ages, yet they exist as a rite of passage. Though I couldn’t tell you from memory how Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, Alex Rodriguez or Mark Teixeira performed in their first Yankees preseason games, I know we made a big fuss over all of those occasions, and understandably so.
The excitement over Stanton won’t pass with his first atbat Friday or his first regularseason trip to the plate, either. Like Judge, Stanton’s physique and light-tower power make each of his at-bats an event. A tape-measure shot in February, under the Florida sun, can be thrilling even if it carries no impact in the AL East standings.
“He’s got such a tremendous skill set, such unique bat speed, power,” Boone said. “It’s unlike anything you see, obviously. Just standing behind him and seeing how closed he is [in his stance], that’s something that probably would be difficult for a lot of people. But he’s so uniquely skilled that it allows him to hang in there, it allows him to be incredibly short with his swing and what’s impressive is how short he is with his swing and the unique ability to impact it unlike very few have impacted. He does it without even having to generate much from a body standpoint.”
A new arrival’s spring-training debut carries with it the scent of innocence. Stanton has yet to strike out in a big spot for the Yankees. He hasn’t suffered an injury or said the wrong thing after a tough loss. He’s thrilled to be out of the Marlins circus (which, ironically, is more low-key now that businesslike Derek Jeter and low-key Bruce Sherman — who traded Stanton to the Yankees — have replaced the more flamboyant Jeffrey Loria and David Samson atop the hierarchy) and excited about what lies ahead.
There will be turbulence shortly. No new Yankee of this caliber has avoided it, though Teixeira came close. This early in the honeymoon, though, bliss and buzz rule.
“This is all new to me,” Stanton said last week, upon arriving in camp, “and it’s going to be a fun new ride.”
The ride intensifies on Friday. Yeah, we’re talking about practice. Practice on a big stage, however, can be pretty fun.
“He’s got such a tremendous skill set, such unique bat speed, power. It’s unlike anything you see.” — Yankees manager Aaron Boone