With no fans present at these intersquad games, the New York Yankees need some normalcy. Thanks to Brett Gardner, roll call continues.
Remember those days when fans adorned every corner of Yankee Stadium? When the lines for a cold Stadium beverage or a good, old-fashioned burger were the only thing keeping you from missing out on some live baseball?
Or perhaps the most important thing was getting to your seat in time for the game-time tradition of roll call.
Thanks to Brett Gardner, the tradition of roll call continued, even with no New York Yankee fans to lead the way.
With Gerrit Cole taking the mound for his first “official” game-like experience in the Bronx, Brett Gardner made things that much more official. He was practicing his signature “kneel and flex” pose that he directs to the Bleacher Creatures in the top of the first inning.
Gardner is displaying his mid-season form for this move, looking like he’s ready to go for the season. He is just waiting for a response from the fan base and trying to make Gerrit Cole feel more at home in his “debut” at Yankee Stadium.
Good Guy Gardy strikes again.
Of course, this also gives fans a feeling of pure nostalgia, as the roll call is one of the greatest moments of going to any New York Yankees game. Maybe next time the entire team can join in to make things a little more normal for all watching from home.
Cole gave up one run on one hit in just five innings of work. Unfortunately, that one hit was an opposite-field home run off the bat of Miguel Andujar. He struck out six as well.
Summer camp for the Yankees continues for the next few weeks until Cole’s much-anticipated debut in the road grays on July 23 in Washington, D.C.