Mark Teixeira takes part in the Skee Ball competition as Mariano Rivera (left), Jorge Posada and Jesus Montero watch.
TAMPA — A year ago, when the Yankees struggled in April, Joe Girardi believed they stayed together because of a spring training billiards tournament/bonding session.
“There was a closeness here that I thought was extremely important,” Girardi said. “I thought we went through some tough times early in the year that guys hung together and pulled together. You could see there was a camaraderie there that I think is extremely important.”
So, on the eve of the exhibition season opener, Girardi yesterday took his team away from George M. Steinbrenner Field to GameWorks in the Ybor City section of Tampa for a few hours of Pop-A-Shot, Skee Ball and Indy Car Racing.
A.J. Burnett won the Indy Car competition with strength and conditioning coordinator Dana Cavalea the runner-up. Andrew Brackman, the favorite in the Pop-A-Shot because of his basketball background at North Carolina State, won the Skee Ball title. Highly regarded minor league infielder Eduardo Nunez finished second. Non-roster lefty reliever Royce Ring won the Pop-A-Shot title and Triple-A reliever Mark Melancon was second.
“It was fun,” Mark Teixeira said. “It was good to have a change of scenery from the pool tournament. It was new and fresh and we enjoyed it. The highlights were A.J. Burnett just smoking the field in the video game racing, and Royce Ring being probably the best Pop-A-Shot basketball player I’ve ever seen. Those two were hands-down the best at those two events.””It was a great day. The fact that we get three or four hours not to have to worry about baseball and not have to compete on the baseball field, it was fun. Playing video games, we felt like kids again. It promotes a light-hearted atmosphere. The great thing about this kind of atmosphere is that there’s no veterans or rookies, starters or role players, Triple-A or Single-A — everyone is on the same playing field.”
Curtis Granderson said he had never done this with other teams but recommends it.
“The highlight had to be watching (Kei) Igawa race on the Indy Car,” Granderson said. “He kept racing up against the wall and damaging his tires. He wouldn’t move off of it. He had his left hand on the wheel and he was just cruising like nothing was wrong. He was doing that for a good three minutes. Everyone was shouting, ‘Turn left! Turn left!’ ” After winning the billiards title last year, Mariano Rivera didn’t have the same success.”I don’t think he did as well, but I don’t want to throw him under the bus. At pool, he was definitely head and shoulders above the rest, but these arcade games leveled the playing field a little,” Teixeira said. “I won’t throw anybody else under the bus, but I’ll admit the race car game was a little difficult and I finished last in my heat. This will be a good springboard for the rest of spring training for us.”Girardi’s biggest goal was to move his players away from the daily grind and the structured routine of spring training where players often just interact with their specific groups.
“I think it’s good to get guys together away from the field,” said Girardi, who nixed Paint Ball, bowling and ping pong as too dangerous. “There is competition and cheering for each other. It’s just a nice day to hang out. I think it’s important during the course of the year that if you get called up you are familiar with these guys. Maybe you walk into that clubhouse with a little bit more ease. I think it’s a great day. We have been going at it pretty hard here for a couple of weeks. Just relax and have fun.”
A year ago, Girardi was entering his second season as Joe Torre’s replacement and the players had questions. During the 2008 season, one in which the Yankees failed to make the playoffs, players didn’t think Girardi was as accessible as he should have been.
The pool tournament helped break down that barrier and changed the public perception of Girardi’s personality.
“I think it did, somewhat,” Girardi said of him being looked at differently. “Maybe more publicly than in the (clubhouse). I think it’s important that you remember to have fun on and off the field as a group because we are going to go through enough adverse times during the course of the season.”
According to Mario Morales, GameWorks’ operations manager, the Yankees were well behaved.
“It went very well,” Morales said. “Of course, it’s an honor and a privilege to have them spend the morning here.”
