A PLACE OF PRIVILEGE

This entry was posted by on Thursday, 22 March, 2012 at

March 21, 2012
George M. Steinbrenner Field
(Formerly Legends Field)
Tampa, Florida

There’s a little area on my side of the chain link fence.  Three benches mark the spot.  I turn one of the benches around to face the field on the other side of the chain link fence

It is the New York Yankees pitcher’s practice field.

The time is 10:30 in the morning.
The perfectly manicured baseball diamond glistens after the early morning dew, as the warm sun prepares to overtake the day.

Waiting on the field are four Yankees pitching legends, as if choreographed, #54, #49, #33 and #46.

RHP – Rich “Goose” Gossage – The Goose is enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown;
LHP –  Ron Guidry – The “Gator” had his number retired at Yankee Stadium;
LHP – David “Boomer” Wells pitched a Perfect Game, when he played for the Yankees;
Standing on the pitcher’s mound, the youngest, newest legend LHP – Andy Pettitte.

The pitchers prepare for a fielding practice session, as Andy Pettitte once again trains to play Major League Baseball, after his announced retirement in 2010.

The Goose is at home plate holding a bat and ball, prepared to hit  come-backers to the pitcher;
the Gator is at 1st Base, glove in right hand;
Boomer stands near the pitcher’s mound offering advice to Pettitte on fielding to 1st Base.

Practice fielding proceeds as follows:
Andy Pettitte, on the rubber, does his wind-up and pitches an imaginary ball to Gossage;
Pettitte assumes position and waits;
Gossage bats the clean baseball on hand, to Pettitte on the mound;
Pettitte fields the ball and throws to Guidry who’s poised at 1st Base.  Out 1-3

Pitcher fielding practice continues for a timed 5 minutes.
When practice is over, the pitchers meet on the mound and one of them says “it is official”.

The pitchers exit the pitcher’s practice field through the gate of the chain link fence, as in a synchronized walk, one-by-one.  Yankees Legends – Ron Guidry, David Wells, Goose Gossage and Andy Pettitte

I observe with awe from “my place of privilege”.

Stay tuned.

Comments are closed.