Yankees: Ten-game “Homestand” amidst tragedy in Florida

The Yankees didn’t ask for this, but here they are sleeping in their own beds by a circumstance that prevented the team from continuing their road trip that would have taken them to Tampa. And so it is, the series at Citi Field will be played with a heavy heart for all the Patriots in Florida.

The Yankees will arrive tomorrow at Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, to face another displaced team which has to be demoralized by the impact of Mother Nature in their home state of Florida.

Along with millions of Americans, I have been tuned in to CNN and the Weather Channel as an observer, with a tendency to forget the thousands of Texas citizens who were disrupted by Harvey and still awaiting assistance enabling them to put their lives back together.

Baseball, unfortunately, cannot be the answer it was after 9/11 when Mike Piazza hit that home run when baseball returned, to New York City, giving some semblance of normality to a city in shock.

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And while the games will be underway at Citi Field, there will be thousands of our countrymen looking for a lifeline. FEMA stands by with checks available for registration online, a huge improvement and a sign we do learn from our mistakes of the past (Katrina).

Kudos to the Atlanta Braves

The Yankees and all of baseball have responded with cash donations. The Atlanta Braves have come up with a unique idea as well, offering free tickets to residents of Florida who fled, escaping the wrath of this historic storm.

Others will undoubtedly follow in the wake of the cleanup necessary to restore a good portion of what many Americans claim as their favorite destination for vacations and retirement.

With a twist of irony, the Tampa Bay Rays will no doubt experience a windfall as the home team for the games at Citi Field. Yankees fans will be present in throngs for tickets selling for only $25 a pop, increasing the Rays take versus a probable bomb in attendance if they were playing in their ballpark.

Regardless, for the Yankees, it’s time to stay with business as usual with an eye towards taking their fourth consecutive series, ensuring they keep pace with the Red Sox, at least, while maintaining their commanding lead in the Wild Card Race.

Tomorrow night, the Yankees and CC Sabathia will take the field with only one purpose in mind. But it wouldn’t be an oddity if, when the National Anthem is played, a thought or two is focused on those in distress.

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