Yankees News: Spring Training Is About The Team

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News has officially backed me up on my quest to put an end to the Alex Rodriguez train wreck that the media vultures are feeding off of. In his article, Feinsand discusses how Spring Training is going to be about the New York Yankees and not A-Rod. Anyone who has been reading my articles knows that this is what I have been saying needs to be done. Brian Cashman took the team in a new direction this off-season and in doing so built a youthful roster. The young players cannot be corrupted with the New York media and the problems of Rodriguez. They need to focus on the game and developing their potential.

There are a few uncertainties that will need to be addressed in Spring Training. One of them is the catching situation and I wrote about that in yesterday’s article. The other side of the equation is the pitching. It is obviously the furthest thing from set in stone. Will Masahiro Tanaka‘s elbow make it through the season? Will Michael Pineda stay healthy and out of trouble for more than half of the 2015 season? Can Ivan Nova make a successful come back from Tommy John surgery? What CC Sabathia will show up? What veteran/rookie will step up to replace Hiroki Kuroda? Who will be the closer? How will Andrew Miller do in the Bronx? These are just some of the questions that will begin to be answered with the commencement of Spring Training.

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This is also the first season that Derek Jeter is actually gone. There have been seasons where it felt like he was gone because of injury but those seasons were like trying to quit smoking with a patch. In 2015 we are going cold turkey and must swallow hard and move on without the Captain. Will Didi Gregorius do enough to replace Jeter? I can answer that before Spring Training because of the unfair magnitude that some fans will hold against him. Gregorius will never replace Jeter. No one will. All he can do is continue to remind himself that he is not Jeter and he doesn’t have to try to be. He wasn’t brought in to be the next captain, he was brought in to be the next shortstop. If he remains humble and plays shortstop like he would anywhere else, and doesn’t let the high expectations get to his head, then he will be a success. Keep in mind I am using success as a relative term, he will contribute and do what is asked of him.

I am excited to see Spring Training unfold to answer these questions and others. Most importantly, the commencement means baseball is back and that is one of the brightest spots of any year. We can’t let the circus show of A-Rod ruin it and control it. My question for my readers is what do you think the biggest thing to watch for in Spring Training is?

Next: Posada Honored To Have Number Retired

Yankees News: Spring Training Is About The Team

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