The closing banquet on Saturday night was well done.
Each team was introduced and the respective coaches had about five minutes to dish on their team. Some good laughs. Then they distributed awards for all-star team, rookie of camp, most valuable player in camp and special honors.
As we bring down the curtain on this saga I keep going back and forth between how lucky I am to be able to do something like this and how wonderful the week actually was.
The Yankee staff left no stone unturned. This wasn’t their first dance and it showed.
It was small stuff. For example, when we returned to our lockers after every game there was some kind of swag waiting for us–T-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, golf shirts, sport shirts, sneakers, sandals, tote bag, autographed ball by each legend, logo’d wine glasses. It never stopped. The only thing they missed was a suitcase to bring it all home. As BarryO said, “I will never have to buy any Yankee merchandise again. I have everything I need.”
Social events, organized meals, transportation to venues, the scheduling of each team to play twice on Steinbrenner Field, the professional clubhouse guys who made sure your laundry was done and ready for your next game and available for any other need, the training staff, the photographers. It was all in a neat package coordinated by Julie Kremer and AmySue Manzione.
Even the official hotel, the Tampa Sheraton Suites, was perfect. A mile from the airport and less than two from Steinbrenner training complex.
