Spring Training Losses Not a Bad Thing

(The Voice of Yankees Universe)

Spring training is upon us and I can see frustration setting in among some fans as the Yankees keep losing. I have a mantra that I keep repeating during this time period and that is, the Yankees always perform poorly during Spring Training, but it’s okay because these games mean nothing. In fact, if the Yankees were to keep winning, I’d be somewhat concerned because I’d fear injuries before the season began, along with an extra month contributing to seasonal exhaustion.

Spring training is, in fact, a time for pitchers to build arm strength, to practice new pitches, to tweak weak ones, and to build stamina; it’s a time for hitters to practice contact and for fielders to practice tracking the ball (but not by making dangerous diving plays). It’s clearly a time when all players need to stay healthy by preventing injuries and premature burnout.

When the media and our adversaries attempt to invoke fear with the suggestion that Joba has “lost it,” they need to realize that he’s actually trying to “get it” in preparation for the upcoming season, so there’s nothing to lose quite yet. Joba logically explained on both occasions that he was working on some pitches, so there’s no need to be concerned.

It’s interesting to note that the team is hardly recognizable by the 7th inning, which often contributes to a great number of losses. Plus, the boredom factor comes into play very quickly and it appears the players are merely going through the motions. When Opening Day approaches, Spring Training becomes meaningless history.

Despite all this, many fans panic with every loss, believing the Yankees should never lose, period. While I also hate losing, I’d much rather lose meaningless games than lose our players to injury while trying to win games that have no significance whatsoever.