Miami meets its leader’s model
JUPITER — They came to see the big boppers put on a show, many sporting jerseys reflecting excellence spanning generations.
Ruth ... Jeter ... Mattingly ... Judge ... Stanton.
With the New York Yankees making their only spring visit to Jupiter, their followers brought regularseason enthusiasm Sunday to sold-out Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Giancarlo Stanton, a day after hitting his first homer in pinstripes, didn’t make the trip from Tampa to face his former team, though a much less notable former Marlins player, Wade LeBlanc, made a pitching appearance.
Yankees fans, who composed most of the 7,648 in attendance, got to cheer home runs by Didi Gregorius and Aaron Judge. The Marlins countered with homers by Brian Anderson and Cameron Maybin in a 7-5 win that improved their spring record to 10-5. Judge was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before he launched a monstrous drive onto the second-floor deck of the Marlins’ building in leftcenter off a sinker from Sandy Alcantara that stayed up in the zone.
“He just missed it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Had Judge gotten all of it, he may have duplicated the memorable homer Stanton hit in the same direction that cleared the building two springs ago. It was predictable that Stanton skipped the trip, as stars often avoid the longer bus rides in spring training. The Yankees did field a representative lineup, with Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird and Aaron Hicks among other notables.
“He was off today. He’ll play back-to-back the next two days,” Boone said of Stanton. “I didn’t ask him one way or the other. I honestly didn’t give it much thought.”
Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Stanton’s absence: “It’s a long trip. I’m not disappointed. It would have been fine, though. Big G is a good dude. I had no problems with him. He’s going to be great over there.
“I wouldn’t be disappointed at all if I could miss him in the regular season.”
The Marlins will face the Yankees for games that count April 16-17 at Yankee Stadium and Aug. 21-22 at Marlins Park.
Meanwhile, Mattingly said there is a benefit in his rebuilding club facing toptier teams such as the Yankees, as well as the champion Astros, Nationals and Cardinals who they play regularly in spring training.
“You want to play against the best. Right now they’re considered one of the best teams. It’s good for our guys to play in that atmosphere,” he said.
Mattingly, who played his entire 14-year career for the Yankees and was a coach for them under Joe Torre for four seasons, noted that they provide a model that Marlins CEO Derek Jeter wants to follow in building for sustainable success by establishing continuity throughout the system. Jeter was present Sunday, as was principal owner Bruce Sherman, who grabbed a foul ball that landed under a seat by the team’s suite.
“I think there is a certain way he wants to go about his business and wants us to go about our business, and those are very similar to the Yankees,” Mattingly said. “I think we know, for us to compete we’re going to have to be able to have a system that’s full of players.”