A Little Competition

I always feel when players are competing for a spot in Spring Training and don't do well, I pretty much write them off. There is very little reason to not do well if you are competing for a spot in Spring Training. Especially at the beginning of spring training where 80 - 90% of the pitches are probably fastballs. That gives any hitter trying to compete for a spot, as opposed to a hitter working and experimenting with different things, an advantage. It also gives an advantage to pitchers competing. As these pitchers are throwing a normal selection of pitches, breaking and off-speed stuff, and since the hitters are only used to fastballs at this point, they tend to do well.

The Yankees have now played 2 Spring Training Games against other big league teams, and four of the players competing for playing time at first base, Giambi, Duncan, Lane, and Betemit have already homered.

Also in these 2 games, Duncan and Giambi both have doubles, and Lane a triple.