The New York Yankees are taking a spring training trip to Virginia Tech:
TAMPA, Fla. — The itinerary for the Yankees’ trip to Virginia Tech includes a visit to the memorial site at Drill Field, where the traveling party will depart from buses and pay its respects to the victims of last April’s tragic and senseless shootings.
For the club, Tuesday’s benefit exhibition game presents an opportunity to give back.
Following the tragedy, Yankees principal owner George M. Steinbrenner pledged $1 million to the Virginia Tech “Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund,” while promising to set aside a date during the 2008 Spring Training schedule to visit the campus and embrace the student body.
“This is something the organization felt was important, and they reached out from Day 1,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “I think it’s important for our guys to see. Most of us have kids; some of us have been on college campuses. I get emotional when I think about it.
“Mr. Steinbrenner has always been a very charitable man. He’s always cared about people and so has this organization. I just think he’s doing a wonderful thing.”
The Yankees are scheduled to play a seven-inning game beginning at 3 p.m. ET, and the contest can be seen for free live on MLB.TV. Louisville Slugger has supplied the university with wooden bats and Major League Baseballs for the contest at English Field, an intimate facility that seats just 1,033.
New York plans to bring its “A” lineup for the exhibition, fielding a roster headlined by Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and others to face starter Andrew Wells, a senior left-hander for the Hokies.
Nice, very nice.
You can watch the game live at MLB.TV beginning at 3pm Eastern.
Here’s a picture of the cap that the players will wear during batting practice:
Nice.
