Yankees: Judge and Stanton highlight day one of Spring Training

Day one of Yankees Spring Training at George M. Steinbrenner Stadium was a day for firsts — the first time manager Aaron Boone gave a Spring Training speech to the club and Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton taking batting practice together.

Yankees teammates and journalists alike were aware and, somewhat in awe, of the significance of the event.

Veteran outfielder Brett Gardner commented on the historic pairing between the National League’s Most Valuable Player and the American League’s runner-up:

Gardner hit between Stanton and Judge during indoor batting sessions today. "I wish I could feel what they feel when they hit a baseball," Gardner said. He added, "It's pretty humbling."
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) February 19, 2018

Fans were able to tune in to ESPN’s SportsCenter to watch what Bryan Hoch of MLB.com called “The greatest show on dirt.” The balls did, indeed, go far, and so did the imagination of promise that many more spectacles are still to come.

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Jack Curry of YES Network witnessed the sluggers’ practice and also spoke with manager Aaron Boone about it:

There's an enchanting quality to batting practice, much more than the pre-game drills in other sports. Today, Judge and Stanton began a BP show that will last all season. "There's something really cool and sexy about seeing the long ball in batting practice," agreed Aaron Boone.
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) February 19, 2018

Aaron Boone addressed the entire team for the first time on Monday, telling them that expectations are sky high and to embrace those expectations.

He told the club that if they want to become a championship-caliber team, they must “grind away on the little things where we can add to the margins.”

Next: Brian Cashman's headspace

Something tells me that with Judge and Stanton concentrating on the big things, and Boone concentrating on the “little things,” the Yankees will achieve a balance between offensive spectacles and every day plays which will help the team meet and exceed expectations in 2018.

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Day one of Yankees Spring Training at George M. Steinbrenner Stadium was a day for firsts — the first time manager Aaron Boone gave a Spring Training speech to the club and Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton taking batting practice together.

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