Accepting Jameis Winston: Yankees fan

For the last two years, since he was initially predicted as the first round pick of the Buccaneers, I have written about Jameis Winston's relationship with professional baseball teams in Tampa Bay. I've often wondered when he will ever support the local Major League team instead of a team that only spends two months in Tampa.

The answer is probably "never".

Last week, there were two Jameis sightings. In both, he openly supported the New York Yankees.

On February 8th, Yankees pitcher James Kaprielian tweeted thanks to Jameis for visiting the Yankees training facilities, apparently for the 2017 Yankees Captain Camp.

The next day, on February 9th, Jameis made an appearance at an Orlando Magic game decked out in Yankees gear.

Neither of these should matter. After all, LeBron James was a Yankees fan for years before being seen at Indians games wearing Indians gear. But LeBron leaned on his localness to be accepted as an Indians fan. If Jameis were to don a Rays jersey, it would not have an ounce of authenticity or credibility.

He is a Yankees fan. He is always will be.

The quarterback of Tampa Bay's football team openly roots for a team that plays against and in the same division of Tampa Bay's baseball team. This would be similar to Evan Longoria publicly being a Atlanta Falcons fan or Chris Archer publicly being a Carolina Panthers fan.

The big word here is "publicly". As with the Sternberg-Mets fandom, it is absolutely acceptable if a player, owner, or whomever roots for a team outside of Tampa Bay. But when that fandom is publicly flaunted or discussed, Tampa Bay fans have every right to be upset. Because if the opinion makers believe the local teams aren't good enough to root for, why should the fans?

If I was the Rays, I would write Jameis off. I would not invite him to throw out a first pitch nor be a special guest at any games or outside charity events. I wouldn't even invite him to the FSU Chop at the Trop. If any fans ask (and FSU fans probably have), the Rays should politely inform them that Jameis's fandom is somewhere else besides Tampa Bay. Jameis is not persona non grata, nor he is not barred from Tropicana Field, but if he wants to see a Rays game, he will have to buy a ticket.

That's not to say the Rays shouldn't engage Jameis. They should absolutely make Jameis's Yankees fandom an issue. But they should do it through Raymond.

I have often said Raymond is an under-utilized marketing tool for the Rays. Raymond can go to local events and engage fans at Tropicana Field as any mascot would. But he should also create videos for Rays fans to share on social media.

Raymond should create a series of short online videos - either on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or YouTube - playing up that Jameis doesn't want to hang out with him. These videos would show Raymond wanting to be friends with Jameis, but Jameis not responding.

Raymond could try to play catch with the Bucs mascot only to fail every throw, he could try to call Jameis, tweet Jameis, or cry after after looking at pictures of other Bucs and Rays relationships and then a picture of Jameis in pinstripes. This could be an ongoing saga throughout the season - maybe once a month. Momentum it could build if done right.

Currently, Jameis Winston has shown little interest in the "Team Tampa Bay" concept. He is a Yankees fan and expresses that openly. It is probably not the smartest move, but then again, Tampa's politicians play both sides of the Yankees-Rays local dynamic as well. As long as the Yankees have such a large presence in Tampa, there is no incentive for Jameis to root for the Rays, just like any other Yankees fan in Tampa Bay.

Using Raymond could get Jameis's attention. The skits should be very careful not to annoy Jameis, only to poke fun at his fandom. That's why the videos need to posted sparingly.

As much excitement as Jameis Winston has brought to the Bucs fanbase, it is a shame he can't bring any of that to the Rays.

Yankees fandom in Tampa Bay's top 25 most populated zip codes

Over the past year, I have explored many Tampa Bay area zip codes. I have looked at these regions by population, determining how many baseball fans live in each and how many of these fans are teams of what team. Then I determined how far each of these fans are to each of Tampa Bay's baseball stadiums.

This post is the second of several to combine zip code demographics and look for patterns and trends.

Again we will start with a list of the top 25 most populated zip codes in Tampa Bay per the 2010 census database on census.gov.

Of the top 25 most populated zip codes in Tampa Bay, 12 are in Hillsborough County, 5 are in Pinellas County, 5 are in Manatee County, and 3 are in Pasco County.

Now let's look at the amount of Yankees fans per zip code by using data from Facebook/New York Times. This is calculated by assuming 50% of the total population is baseball fans. For example, if 50% of Zip Code 33511 are baseball fans, and 20% of those are Yankees fans, then 5,200 people in zip code 33511 are Yankees fans.

The biggest difference is that the three St Petersburg zip codes in the first chart (33710, 33713, 33702) are not in the second chart. However, 5 more Hillsborough County zip codes are among the most populated with Yankees fans.

These 25 zip codes have a population of 909,553. The total amount of Yankees fans in these zip codes is 81,295, or 9% of the population. Now let's look at how far each of these Yankees fan-heavy zip codes are from Steinbrenner Field.

These zip codes average less than 21 miles from Steinbrenner Field. This is 7 miles closer than the 28 miles Rays-heavy zip codes were from Tropicana Field. So Tampa Bay area Yankees fans live closer to Steinbrenner Field than Tampa Bay area Rays fans live to Tropicana Field.

Now let's plot Yankees fans per distance. The following graph depicts the amount of Yankees fans per distance.

A few observations:

• The two zip codes with the most Yankees fans are under 30 miles from Steinbrenner Field.
• Proximity to Steinbrenner Field does not seem to have an effect on the amount of Yankees fans per zip code.
• Only 6 of the most Yankees-fan heavy zip codes are beyond 30 miles from Steinbrenner Field.
• Most Tampa Bay area Yankees fans live within 30 miles of Steinbrenner Field.

There are many Yankees fans in Tampa Bay. Many have moved into the area from New York. Others are children of Yankees fans. Yet others root for the Yankees as they have been spring training in Tampa since 1994. The Yankees presence in the area is undeniable.

That 9% of the population of Tampa Bay roots for the Yankees poses a problem for the Rays. It also poses a dilemma for Tampa politicians. These are the fans attending Yankees Spring Training, Tampa Yankees games, and supplementing Rays attendance in games versus the Yankees. Based on recent attendance trends, we can guess local Yankees fans are no longer making the drive to Tropicana Field as Yankees vs Rays attendance has dropped severely in recent years.

But that these fans buy Spring Training tickets hurts the assumption that Spring Training is only for tourists. These fans are spending their local dollars on the Yankees product. To believe that they are not is dishonest.

Even if the Yankees moved their Spring Training from Tampa (where they are contracted until 2046), there would still be Yankees fans in Tampa. There are Yankees fans everywhere. The Yankees are a global brand.

That the Rays have to compete in their own market against a global brand is a problem Major League Baseball has created and shows no intention of solving.

Hillsborough County Needlessly Approves Yankees Extension

On Tuesday, the Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a deal between the county and the New York Yankees to improve Steinbrenner Field and extend the Yankees Spring Training for another 20 years in Tampa.

According to the Tampa Bay Times,

The deal commits more than $13 million in Hillsborough County tourism tax dollars to the project and is also contingent on Florida matching those dollars through a spring training retention fund. The Yankees will pay the remaining $13 million.

The Times also writes that the vote was "swift and unanimous".

That not one county commissioner questioned the deal is a incredibly odd and an example of what is wrong with our region.

This absolutely should have been questioned. Unfortunately, now it seems the commission blindly followed the lead of Commissioner Ken Hagan's faulty claims and an economic study published by the Yankees themselves.

In my opinion, Hillsborough County is giving millions of taxplayer dollars to a team worth billions to upgrade a stadium the richest team in baseball was in no danger of leaving.

The Yankees contract was due to end in 2026. They were guaranteed tenants for 10 more years. There was no need to extend them.

Improvements include new seats throughout the 10,000-capacity ballpark, roof replacements, a better entry plaza and an upgraded outfield concourse.

How will these improvements increase revenue? Maybe the upgraded outfield concourse will enable a new concession stand. Maybe the Yankees will charge more because of the better seats. These are both maybes and not guaranteed return on investments.

While I already proved the Yankees Spring Training doesn't "routinely sell out", like Commissioner Hagan and the Tampa Tribune claim, they do average crowds of 10,000 per their annual 15 to 17 spring games. If half of those attendees are tourists and all of those tourists only attend one game, we are looking at 85,000 tourists in the Tampa area per year here to see baseball.

That seems small when compared to Busch Gardens or other area attractions.

Another point to consider is that Hillsborough County made a deal with the Yankees knowing they also would like to make a deal with the Rays. How can Commissioner Hagan and the other members can look the Rays in the eye and offer community loyalty when the commission approves funding a rival team didn't even need?

Especially if spring training attendance is linked to record and the better the Yankees do the year before (in other words, if they finish ahead of the Rays), the better their Spring Training attendance.

As I said before, if I was the Rays, I would be furious.

Under the existing contract, the county was not obligated to pay for any of the upgrades, but it agreed to in exchange for the Yankee's long-term commitment to Tampa.

If this is true, the Yankees would have made the upgrades this season without the County paying a dime. Then, in a few years, the County and the Yankees could have made their extension deal at another cost. Did the Yankees make unrevealed threats that lack of public dollars would be a deciding factor ten years from now?

While this is a completely unnecessary move by the county, it is a brilliant move by the Yankees. They wrote an economic study that was not challenged, proposed a business plan that was not challenged, then received money to repair a stadium they could have paid for themselves, and received a deal that locked them into a highly contested market.

The Yankees know the Rays would love to be like almost every other Major League team and not share their market with Spring Training and Minor League Baseball. The Yankees also know the Rays are looking for a new home, possibly in Hillsborough County. Lastly, the Yankees know they have 18% of the baseball fan market in the Tampa Bay region.

In order to maintain that 18% and continue to leverage it for Spring Training and other income, the Yankees proposed a decent deal to county and the county fell for it hook, line, and hanging sinker.

If the Yankees left, local and regional baseball fans would have to go to Tropicana Field or Stadium X to get their fix of Yankees baseball. Which means the revenue would go in the pocket of the Rays. However with the current system, the Yankees receive revenue from Tampa Bay area residents.

Hillsborough County ensured (without challenge) this awkward arrangement will continue for another 20 years.

Tampa extends Yankees Spring Training through 2046, continues divided market

On March 26, the Tampa Tribune posted what I called a "very puzzling editorial". The editorial board of the Tribune praised the presence of the Yankees in Tampa and called Steinbrenner Field an "economic boon" for the area. The editorial used an uncited mysterious study that claimed,

the total direct expenses by attendees at Yankees’ spring training games in 2015 was $95.5 million, with most of that coming from out-of-state visitors who stayed overnight in the region.

The study estimated the overall economic impact at $162 million.

At the time, I wondered what the point of the editorial was. There was no one doubting Steinbrenner Field specifically, although Field of Schemes posted about an economic study that claimed Spring Training games don't produce any economic benefit.

Now we know.

On Monday, the Tampa Sports Authority announced a $40 million renovation for Steinbrenner Field. Along with the renovation was an agreement extending Yankees Spring Training in Tampa 20 additional years to 2046. The Yankees present agreement with the TSA wasn't due to expire until 2026.

Did the Tampa Tribune know about the negotiations? Maybe this mysterious study was used in the negotiations. Maybe the Tampa Tribune was attempting to soften public perception against spending more on the Yankees.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the TSA agreement with the Yankees will require approvals by several government bodies and the TSA Board of Directors. If approved, the state will pay $13 million, the Yankees will pay $13 million, and the Tourist Development tax will pay the final $13 million.

According to quotes from County Commission Ken Hagan - who Shadow of the Stadium has cited for flip-flopping on stadium funding, taxes, and generally not understanding economics - the Yankees routinely sell out and attract Yankees fans from around the country.

The team routinely sells out the 10,000-seat Steinbrenner Field and brings to the area Yankees fans from across the country, he said.

That is the nearly exact words used by the Tampa Tribune on March 26.

The spring games routinely sell out and attract Northern visitors who come specifically to see their favorite team.

And as I wrote two weeks ago, it is wrong.

What is routinely? This season, the Yankees have sold out four of 14 games. That’s 29%. While more than the Rays, it is far less than the Lightning. Additionally, the Yankees four sell-outs have been against the following teams:

• Mets – attracting additional Tampa area NYers
• Phillies – attracting tourists staying in Clearwater
• Blue Jays – attracting tourists staying in Dunedin
• Rays – attracting locals who root for the local Major League team

Steinbrenner Field does not routinely sell-out due to Yankees fans. While it routinely averages over 10,000 fans per game, sell-outs happen mostly because of the additional fanbases of other local teams.

Maybe Commissioner Hagan should read my blog instead of Tampa Tribune editorials.

Here are facts the TSA board of directors, Hillsborough County Commission, the Tampa City Council, and the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority need to consider:

According to Forbes, the Yankees are valued at over $3.5 billion. That is greater than five times more valuable than the Rays, who are valued at $650 billion. Since Steinbrenner Field opened, nearly $45 million in public funds has gone towards the Yankees Spring Training home, with another $26 million scheduled if approved. That's nearly $70 million given to the Yankees, or as much as they will pay C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and Masahiro Tanaka in 2016.

The Yankees don't need state or local money to renovate Steinbrenner Field.

The New York Yankees average 15 Spring Training games per year. According to a 2009 Spring Training Economic Impact study, (the same study cited by the Tampa Tribune, by the way) only 13% of Yankees spring attendance comes from out-of-state attendees, 41% are non-county attendees, and 46% are in-county attendees.

According to my 2014 post on Florida fan demographics, there are 1.2 million Yankees fans in Florida. A rough estimate says there are 261,000 Yankees fans in the Tampa Bay area.

2.9 million population x 50% baseball fans x 18% Yankees fans = 261,000

Since 2005, the Yankees average total Spring attendance is 158,000. With so many Yankees fans in the state and local, I highly doubt the Yankees are drawing a majority of tourists. The numbers just don't add up.

Meanwhile, nothing in either the Tampa Tribune nor the Tampa Bay Times mentions the blatant hypocrisy of the Tampa Sports Authority. By negotiating with the Yankees, they are again being disingenuous to the Tampa Bay Rays, the region's Major League team. Both Commissioner Hagan and TSA President Eric Hart are on the committee to help identify possible Hillsborough County areas for a new Rays stadium.

It is absolutely flabbergasting that Hagan and Hart can discuss a new Rays stadium one month and the next month extend the Yankees in the same city. It is dishonest, disingenuous, and sends a horrible mixed message to the Rays organization and their fanbase.

If Tampa is a "Major League city", as it claims to be, let it be a Major League city. Provide the Rays the ability to succeed in the market. Extending the Yankees continues the obstacles the Rays have always faced in the Tampa Bay baseball market.

If I was the Rays, I would go on the offensive. I would question Hagan and Hart's intent at their next meeting. I would ask them to defend their actions. I would ask what other city openly fosters a divided local fanbase and reduces incentive to attend the events of the local Major League team.

Then I would say Montreal wouldn't do that, and watch their reaction.

There was one other interesting point in the Tampa Bay Times article:

If the Yankees back out of the agreement at any time, they would have to pay the TSA $500,000 annually until 2046 as well as any balance on the bond payments.

What if the Yankees opt to leave because the Rays move within the Yankees territory? There are many locations in Pinellas County where the Rays would be within 15 miles of Steinbrenner Field. If the Rays force out the Tampa Yankees, would the New York Yankees look for a new location? If the Yankees do move, as they did from Fort Lauderdale when the Marlins started in 1992, would the Rays have to pay the TSA as part of their compensation to the Yankees for moving costs? The Rays would already have to pay the Tampa Yankees for lost revenue.

One final point to consider: could Major League Baseball step in and prevent the TSA agreement with the Yankees? MLB nixed a discussion between Pinellas County and the Atlanta Braves over a new training location for the Braves at Toytown.

At that time, Major League Baseball stated:

“Major League Baseball is committed to working with the Rays to secure a new ballpark in cooperation with the Tampa Bay region,” the statement said. “This can only happen with the support of local political and business leaders.”

This situation is no different. Once again, local politicians and the Tampa Sports Authority aren't doing what is best for the Rays in the region.

No wonder Stu Sternberg has lost confidence.

Mariano Rivera and the Face of Victory

In case you missed the hoopla, hoorahs, and heaping helpings of hubble-bubble, Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera retired at the end of the 2013 baseball season. After 19 years in the game playing for only one team and being on the winning side of several championships, there is no doubt Rivera had a great career. For his accomplishments, some have mentioned he might be the first unanimous Hall of Famer.

But before we crown Rivera the greatest player ever – which is what a unanimous Hall voting would do – I’d like to ramble a bit why I think the public loved him so much and whether or not any Rays player could ever reach such lofty acclaim.

First, on an interesting aside, did you know there are no punters in the NFL Hall of Fame? Nor are there any long-snappers. Both of these specialized positions work under pressure. So why are baseball closers held in such high regard?

Closers end games. Most of the time, anyway. The final relief pitcher of the night is a very emotional position. Not only on the field, as they attempt to solidify their teammates’ victorious efforts for the evening, but also for the fans. Closers are the gatekeepers to celebration. Successful closers are front and center in the memories fans have of the final out of championships. As Rays fans, we remember David Price was on the mound when Akinori Iwamura fielded the last out of the 2008 ALCS. No matter what else Price does for as long as he is in a Rays uniform, that play will be one of our most lasting impressions.

Despite pitching only the ninth and sometimes the eighth inning, Mariano Rivera “closed” the Yankees’ championships in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009. His final pitch to end each game set Yankees fans in New York City and all over the world in a frenzy of celebration.

To Yankees fans – one of the biggest and most influential fanbases in Major League Baseball – the image of Mariano Rivera brings to mind championships. The concept is almost Pavlovian.

Had Rivera not been automatic, he would have denied fans the opportunity to celebrate. Average or below average relief pitchers bear the brunt of fan bases that went into the final innings of games expecting to win. Winning would have sent the fans home happy, feeling the expensive tickets, pricey parking, and way too overpriced beer were worth the cost because their team won.
Financially, fans that go home happy are more likely to return to the ballpark.

Of course, there is ample data that the closer position is statistically overrated. However, “saves”, even for the forward-thinking Rays, are still a driving force in the appearance order of the bullpen – although one might argue Joel Peralta and perhaps even Alex Torres were more valuable to Joe Madden. (As a matter of fact, only Kyle Farnsworth and Josh Lueke allowed more walks and hits per inning out of the Rays bullpen than Fernando Rodney.) Because he pitches the ninth inning, Fernando Rodney is the Rays face of victory with his bow and arrow routine, crooked cap, plantains, and other pro wrestling-like gimmicks.

Since Rivera was on the Yankees since before the Rays existed, and since the Yankees have had winning ballclubs for most of that time, there is no way any current Rays player has added as much significant emotional value to the Rays fanbase as Rivera has to Yankees fans. However, are there any Rays players who have added even a minor amount of significant emotional value? Might any of them have a chance to be at least as locally acknowledged as Rivera was on the national scale? Might the Rays present any Rays players with a sand dollar, no less the elaborate sand castle they presented to Rivera?

(Note: Significant Emotional Value (SEV) is not a measurable statistic. Rivera’s stats are insane. He dominated with one pitch for 19 years. However, some defensive-minded backup catchers play just as often and stick around with one skill as well. If we cheered framing pitches like we do saves, perhaps Jose Molina would be at the end of a Hall of Fame career. Unfortunately for Molina, that’s not the case. Framing pitches carries little significant emotional value for the fans. At least most of them.)

Taking a look at Rays “Face of Victory” candidates, the first potentially heralded hero would be any closer the Rays decide to keep for more than a two years, which unfortunately hasn’t happened since the days of Roberto Hernandez (1998-2000). Knowing the Maddon/Friedman front office as we do, that probably won’t be the case anytime soon. I doubt Fernando Rodney returns to the Rays in 2014. If Rodney does stay with the Rays, he would need at least one World Series winning moment before he becomes the face of celebration for the Rays. To Rodney’s determent, closers usually don’t age well (see Troy Percival or Kyle Farnsworth).

Next on the list of possible leaders in Significant Emotional Value is David Price, who, like Rodney, might be counting down his days in a Rays uniform. While Price has a huge head start, clinching the biggest win in Rays history to date, even if he signs a new contract and stays with the Rays, unless he moves back to the bullpen, I don’t believe he would be on the mound for too many more clinching moments. It’s possible he could turn out a performance like Josh Beckett in the 2003 World Series, but moments like that are few and far between. Odds are he would be pulled in the sixth, seventh, or eighth inning of the clinching game so Madden could put the game in the hands of his bullpen.

The third player who could possibly receive a bevy of booty upon retirement because of his emotional impact to Rays history is Dan Johnson. There is no doubt “The Great Pumpkin” holds a near, dear, and special place in the hearts of Rays fans thanks to his numerous late inning heroics. But is it enough? I would think when Johnson does retire, the Rays might have him throw out a first pitch and maybe present him with a plaque of his finest moments. That would be a nice gesture. But there would be no number retirement, no induction into the Rays Hall of Fame, and certainly no gifts from other teams.

After the departure of Dan Johnson, Jose Lobaton picked up the baton of unlikely outcomes. Lobaton earned his ice cream several times in 2013, including an exciting game-winner in the ALDS versus the normally unhittable Koji Uehara, who coincidentally was on the mound for the Red Sox when they won the World Series, upping his own Significant Emotional Value. If Lobaton continues the ice cream celebrations could Cold Stone Creamery permanently retire a flavor in his honor? Would even a Tampa Bay area local ice cream parlor dare to take a flavor off the shelf in honor of the Rays backup catcher?

(By the way, I think the Hard Rock Casinos and Café “retiring” Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” because a baseball player used it as his entrance music is the most shameless and ridiculous attempts at publicity I’ve heard in a long time. Metallica playing live for Rivera a few weeks before he retired was a very cool and novel tribute. But the Hard Rock people have nothing to do with baseball nor with Mariano Rivera. Now no Hard Rock establishment, whether in New York or anywhere else, will play “Enter Sandman”. Forever. Because of a baseball player. I hope the Seminole Hard Rock Casino knows I am going to request it each and every time I visit because of principle.)

This finally brings us to the most famous Rays player and the most famous Rays player song – a song that may just be retired on every Tampa Bay rock radio station the day this player hangs up his cleats. Of course, I am talking about “Down & Out” by Tantric and Rays third baseman Evan Longoria. Longo is the best bet to be the Rays version of Mariano Rivera. With his heroics in Game 162 (the “9/11” of baseball nicknames, by the way – completely unoriginal), Longo already has one classic moment under his belt. He also has the ability to rack up more with his long-term, team-friendly contract. Currently, he is on pace to be our Chipper Jones. But if we are lucky, Evan could be the face of several World Series championships.

Then just maybe when he calls it a day the entire baseball world will shower him with praise and parades.

Mark Teixeira Plays Stickball in Tampa

Cool story in Tampa Bay Online (via Ybor City Stogie) about New York Yankee first baseman and multi-gabillionaire Mark Teixeira playing stickball with some local teams in the historic Ybor City district of Tampa.

(Yankee Hits Ybor Street For A Game Of Stickball)

The Florida Stickball League web site has a few videos of the event.

I am confused about why Teixeira is even "playing" first. I thought stickball was played with "automatics". Maybe it's league preference. Whereas here in Florida they use bases, a Troy, NY league and the Uptown Stickball Association of Bayonne, NJ doesn't.

Anyway, good to see Teixeira taking time to play ball with people who play for the love of the game, even if it was a promotional event. Would it be too much to hope a few Tampa Bay Rays players join in local stickball games like the old folks say Brooklyn Dodger, NY Giant, and NY Yankee players used to do back in the day?

Grapefruit League Tour 2009: Twins at Yankees, Tampa, Fla.

The first leg of this year's Spring Training tour took me to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. For whatever reason, even though this is the closest park to my place, I had never been to The George.

(Note: They don't actually call it "The George". I made that up.)

Before I begin, however, I have to say that the ticket office at Steinbrenner Field is incredibly rude. That's a whole other story in itself, but suffice to say, I went to get a ticket the day before the game and they did not give me a good first impression. So if you ever go, you have been warned.

Another note: limited bicycle parking (read: none). Because Steinbrenner Field is so close (appx 5-6 miles) from my place, I decided to ride my bike. It had been a while, so need some exercise. Not a bad ride, except for the fact that a few spokes broke on my wheel and I had to walk the bike home. But again, that's a whole other story. So anyway, I had to lock my bike to a handicap parking sign and have a security guard promise he would watch it. At least someone at The George is customer friendly.

Before I get to the game itself, I want to pitch an idea to each and every concession stand at each and every event (sports, concerts, etc): SELL BATTERIES! I took two pictures before my camera ran out of juice. I was not going home to get more batteries. I was ready to dish out whatever the cost to take more pics, but they don't sell batteries at The George. Their loss.

Ok, the game: Twins v. Yankees.

Starting pitchers: Francisco Liriano (Min) vs. Joba Chamberlain (NY)

(By the way, what is the official pronunciation of "Joba"? Is it "JOE-BA" or "JOB-A"?)

Today's lineups had the usual spring flavor. The Yankees were playing most of their starters, save for Jorge Posada. The Twins featured far less big names, as neither Justin Morneau nor Joe Mauer played. But they did play Delmon Young and the great Nick Punto, who in 2007 was 23.4 calculated runs worse than a replacement-level player (that's baseball geek-speak for "he was beyond terrible").

To use the cliche, the Twins struck early and often, posting 2 runs in the first, 1 in the second, and 3 in the third. Whether prescribed or not, Joba lasted only 1 inning. The Yankees matched the Twins through the first two innings, but fell behind 6-3 after 3.

Sidenote: I've come to the conclusion that jeering A-Rod and the rest of baseball's Steroid Squad (another term I made up), is a lot like jeering a pro wrestling heel. One of the most common accusations a "bad guy" wrestler gets is that he is a "cheater". The biggest difference, however, is that when the heel chokes his opponent, it is part and parcel of the show. A-Rod's steroid dalliance, on the other hand, was more than an act, it was a slap in the face to baseball. And so, to paraphrase "The Princess Bride",

Jordi: Boo. Boo. Boo.

Alex Rodriguez: Why do you do this?

Jordi: Because you had greatness in your hands, and you gave it up.

Alex Rodriguez: But they would have ignored me if I hadn't done it.

Jordi: Your true ability lives. And you scarred it. True ability allowed him to be great before, and he treated it like garbage. And that's what he is, the King of Garbage. So bow down to him if you want, bow to him. Bow to the King of Sham, the King of Fraud, the King of Mockery. Boo. Boo. Rubbish. Filth. Slime. Muck. Boo. Boo. Boo.

Ok, one more sidenote: The George P.A. played The White Stripes's "Seven Nation Army" in the middle of the sixth. I wonder if they conveniently swiped it from the Rays, who were playing it every game towards the end of last season (credit for the idea goes to The Professor over at Rays Index).

Back to the game:

Twins won 7-4. Read about it there, I written too much and said too little. I'm done.

Next stop: Melbourne Viera.