The New York Yankees will begin their slate of spring training games in 2015 this week with a Tuesday afternoon match-up against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, FL.
The Yankees will be playing their first game of the year while the Phillies look to rebound following their loss to the University of Tampa baseball team; a game in which a Divison-II college squad defeated millionaire professional athletes and the rookies trying to take their jobs by a score of 6-2.
Now five full seasons removed from their meeting in the 2009 World Series, the Yankees and Phillies are two of the least-intimidating teams in all of professional baseball. For two franchises that have both won championships in the last decade, it's a little surprising to find myself speaking about them in this tone.
Philadelphia sportswriters are calling for manager Ryne Sandberg's job only days into the 2015 campaign, and with the organization already shopping players like P Cole Hamels and OF Domonic Brown, all signs appear to point to a long summer in the City of Brotherly Love.
As for New York, well, the Yankees have little much more to look forward to in 2015. No one would be surprised to see this team hover around .500 for most of the year, and realistically, that might even prove to be a challenge. Most Yankees fans will spend the year bemoaning the absence of Derek Jeter while cursing Alex Rodriguez's name and exorbitant salary, all the while praying that some no name farm prospect will assume the role and persona of Derek Jeter II.
It's going to be a long summer for fans who have actual expectations, but I will simply take solace in the return of baseball rather than waste time wishing the Yankees were competitive.
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