Yankees first full squad spring notes

The notes are from the Lohud Yankees blog and put into my own words.  They provide great coverage of the Yankees all season as Chad Jennings is down in Tampa and mostly covers the Yankees during the season as well. 

Derek Jeter held his annual first day of camp press conference. He of course mostly talked about his ankle but was asked about Kevin Youkilis, Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera. He didn’t say anything controversial of course, he just said the goal is always the same to win. He also said why wouldn’t he be ready for opening day and that he wouldn’t be playing next week but there is plenty of time to get ready. 

Jeter did admit that he is going to be 39 and has a plate in his ankle, he said he isn’t completely ready right now but he will be. Joe Girardi left everything open, he said it is possible that Jeter regularly is the DH against lefties this season and Eduardo Nunez would be playing shortstop on those days. I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing, to get Nunez regular work and into the lineup pretty much all the time.

Girardi said everyone reported on time and as far as he knows everyone passed their physicals. Girardi said he expects Jeter to start as DH when he first gets into the spring games and then they will go from there. Mark Teixeira said he slightly altered his offseason workout program to stop doing his heavy lifting a little earlier. He said it is to get ready for the WBC but he also believes that it will help him with his early season struggles.

Teixeira said there is really no reason to change his offensive approach since he has had so much success with it. He said he wants to be best at what he does well which is hitting home runs, driving in runs and playing gold glove at first base. He said if he does those three things he knows he will help his team well, he has been doing those very well for the Yankees.

Travis Hafner called Yankee Stadium the best place for him due to his pull-heavy offensive approach. He said he signed though because he has only been to the playoffs once in ten years and feels he has a great chance with the Yankees to get back there. He said he feels great and ready to go and he is only a DH, he has a first base glove but hasn’t done any defensive drills in years. Girardi said he is strictly a DH also.

Girardi said his message for tomorrow before the first official full squad workout is lets get better, lets be prepared and lets get better, they advanced to the ALCS last year and then got swept. They do need to get better and make it to the World Series and try and win another one.