Yankees vs. Phillies, 3/24/2017

Friday we attended the last of the three Spring Training games we purchased tickets for at Yankees George M. Steinbrenner Stadium in Tampa. 

When we arrived, the Phillies (my team!) were warming up on the field. John is a huge Yankees fan. 

A pre-game ceremony was held to award the International Yankees Team their Championships rings. Well done, team!

CC Sabathia was the starting pitcher for the Yankees. What a big dude...6' 7" and close to 300 pounds!) 

Jerry Hellickson pitched most of the game for the Phillies.

This umpire had an interesting habit of placing his right hand on the catcher's back during pitches. I had not seen this before (maybe it is a common practice?)

This Phillies shortstop, Galvis, played a great game! He was all over the infield...

With bases loaded, the Yankees pulled Sabathia and put in Dellin Betancer.

During the 7th inning stretch, the grounds crew thrilled the crowd with their traditional YMCA dance moves! And yes, they also played Take Me Out to the Ball Game.

This veteran (with his family) was also honored during the 7th inning stretch. 

The Phillies put pitcher Cesar Ramos in to replace Hellickson. 

The Phillies led most of the game, but the Yankees pulled out a win in the 9th inning.  Music performances are held after the Friday afternoon games, although we did not stay to hear them.

We had parked at the Raymond James Stadium, so we left the Steinbrenner stadium via the pedestrian walkway over the street (very convenient). 

Attending a Friday afternoon baseball game is so much fun! We really enjoyed all three of the games we saw at the beautiful (recently-renovated) stadium. Spring Training it a great way to see your favorite team in a more intimate setting than their huge home-town stadiums.