Eric Duncan signs for fans at last year’s game
Remember that warm and fuzzy feeling you got about the Yankees farm system when the Double-A and Triple-A squads faced off in an exhibition game at Waterfront Park last season?
Yeah, about that…
Have been hearing from a few people from both sides that the game, which was believed to potentially become an annual event that would have been hosted by Scranton this year, may not be happening.
Nothing’s been decided yet and certainly nothing’s official, but according to multiple people familiar with the planning of the game, one of the big hurdles that the Yankees organization has been facing is camp breaking on a Sunday and the minor league season kicking off on a Wednesday, which was not the case last year. Last year’s game took place on a Thursday, which gave both teams the extra day they needed to pull the game off.
As Chad Jennings has reported, this year’s minor league camp will break on Sunday, April 5th.
The Trenton Thunder kick off their season in Mercer County by hosting the Binghamton Mets on Wednesday, April 8th.
The Scranton Yankees start their title defense on the road, heading out to Lehigh Valley on Thursday, April 9th.
You would have to imagine that, at least for the Thunder players, Monday would be used as an off day, and Tuesday would see the usual media day/open workout scenario.
So it would appear that unless the spring schedule is changed, or the game is again hosted by Trenton, the game could be in jeopardy.
I placed a call to Scranton’s PR department yesterday, and am hoping to receive some sort of official word from them at some point.
If the game does disappear, should you be upset? Probably not.
Based on covering it last year, I felt the idea of the game far exceeded the actual execution of it. I don’t think the fan turnout, although respectable, was anywhere near what was anticipated. And the game itself was one of the more truer exhibitions you’ll see, with players batting out of order and the game ending early. No one really seemed to know what was going on.
Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com
January 22, 2009 at 2:33 pm |
Speaking of things who’s future with the Yankees is not secure…
January 22, 2009 at 5:28 pm |
This is bad news! I went last year and totally enjoyed it! It was nice to see our old Thunder players in the SWB dugout. I was hoping it could be a yearly thing.
January 24, 2009 at 2:47 pm |
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