TAMPA, Fla. _ It was likely the most hyped and documented first-day-of-the-spring batting practice session in some time.
And while neither Aaron Judge nor Giancarlo Stanton put on the kind of show Monday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field that the sizable crowd of some 2,000 fans and media _ almost all equipped with camera phones it seemed _ were looking for, this needs to be said leading off:
It matters not in the least.
Counting batting practice home runs, and affixing importance to said number, is akin to tallying shots made in an NBA layup line or projecting the Masters winner based on a long-drive contest.
But the number wasn't the point Monday. The palpable excitement about the season was, anticipation that only figures to increase as Opening Day in Toronto on March 29 steadily approaches.
Judge and Stanton, of course, being in the same lineup and the damage the pair potentially can inflict on baseballs throughout a season are front and center why.
"The fans, the moment we touched the dirt, they were buzzing and ready for us to get in the cage," Stanton said. "That was really cool. Like nothing I've ever experienced in the spring."
That's not a surprise. Stanton spent the first eight years of his career with the Marlins, who never won more than 80 games in a season while he was there. But, generally speaking, there hadn't been this kind of buildup for the first full-squad workout for the Yankees since 2010 when they were defending World Series champions.
"We've been excited for this day for a long time," new manager Aaron Boone said. "I'd be lying if you don't get the juices flowing a little bit when they walk out and share a group together. It was a little bit of a rush."
For the record, Judge and Stanton both had their moments during the BP sessions. Judge's most impressive blast was a shot to left that departed the stadium and Stanton's moon-shot hit near the top of the scoreboard in left-center. But overall, Gary Sanchez had the hardest hits of the quartet _ in what seemed like an oddity, Jacoby Ellsbury rounded out the group _ with Stanton joking he spent much of his four rounds "playing pepper" with the cage.
Afterward, Judge acknowledged the "buzz" created by the spectacle of he and Stanton hitting together, but said the day, and ensuing days, are about getting the necessary work to be ready for the regular season.
"I'm locked in on my work, everyone's locked in on their work," said Judge, who took his first round of full outdoor BP since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder last November.
Both players said they weren't tempted to alter their approach to try and hit more home runs.
"I just focus on doing my job," Judge said. "My job is to barrel up the baseball as many times as I can. I have to stick to my routine whether there's zero people in the stands or if it's packed. I still have to work on certain things so I can go in the game and perform how the fans want us to."
Said Stanton: "I know they're here for the entertainment but we have to get our work in."
Work for, Stanton said, the "main entertainment" of the 162-game regular season.
Stanton, smiling again, said he still feels like a "deer in headlights" with his new team but has been put at ease with the talent in the clubhouse.
"You've got All-Stars all over the place, future All-Stars, future MVPs," he said. "It's a great clubhouse, a great group of guys. I'm just here to mesh with them."
