Mendoza opens camp for first time as a manager

PORT ST. LUCIE — Carlos Mendoza used to run spring training for the Yankees in Tampa. Now that he's in orange and blue on the other side of the state, Mendoza has assistant coaches doing the planning for him while he oversees the entire operation as the manager for the first time in his career.

It's not quite a whole new ballgame, but it's close.

“It's a lot different,” Mendoza said Tuesday at Clover Park during his first press conference of the spring. “The conversations in the past were about practice planning and all of that. Now, it's more like leadership, you know, getting to know coaches, getting to know players, the organization, and you know, how we're going to attack spring training in the season moving forward. So, obviously, it's a lot different, but fun at the same time.”

Pitchers and catchers will report to Port St. Lucie on Wednesday to mark the official opening of 2024 spring training, with position players following early next week. Mendoza has been looking forward to the day since he was hired to replace Buck Showalter in November. The 44-year-old Venezuelan has spent the last three months reaching out to players and staffers trying to lay the framework for working relationships ahead of the season. Everyone is finally in one place and Mendoza can start to communicate his message.

“[I want the team to know] that I care about relationships, that I care about the connections that we create in our locker room, that we stay tied together as a group,” Mendoza said. “And that we have fun. This is a hard game and we all know that. But at the end of the day, I want those guys to know that I'm all about preparation, attention to detail, and having fun at the same time while we're doing it.”

New York can often be a tough place for fun. Demanding fans and deep-pocketed owners expect results. The managers face the most intense pressure. Fans in the market often view coaches as disposable and owners have little patience for losing. Coaches become scapegoats for embattled executives. It's a tough way to live.

Mendoza has seen what Yankees manager Aaron Boone faced in the Bronx up close and personal as Boone's former bench coach.