Yankees Enjoy West Point Experience, Defeat Army In Exhibition Game
WEST POINT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - The New York Yankees concluded their spring training schedule in the picturesque setting of the Army campus.
Before the game, the team took a tour of the campus, making stops at the Hall of Fame, Cadet Chapel, Michie Stadium, and Trophy Point before eating lunch in the mess hall.
Brennan Boesch and Melky Mesa hit home runs and the New York Yankees closed their preseason with a 10-5 victory over Army on Saturday in the revival of an old tradition.
The Yankees improved to 22-0 against the Black Knights in a series that dates to 1927, when Babe Ruth led Murderers Row to West Point.
General manager Brian Cashman said the roster was complete for Monday's home opener against the Boston Red Sox. He said he still had to make room for Lyle Overbay by 3 p.m. EDT Sunday.
It was difficult to figure out who was more impressed — the Yankees or the Black Knights — on a picture-perfect day. An overflow crowd of over 6,000 attended.
Joe Girardi was taken aback by the beautiful setting of the West Point campus and that he appreciates the duty done by the cadets.
"When you pull into this place, you see the beauty," Girardi said. "We're here to play a game, but they're here to protect us. Every day I wake up I feel safe. That's not true in a lot of places."
Joe Girardi
The teams hadn't played since 1976.
Mariano Rivera was overwhelmed by the experience. He spoke with WFAN's Sweeny Murti.
"Everything is first-class," Rivera told Murti. "We went to the gym for the football team, oh my God. I think you can play baseball there. The whole thing is amazing."
Rivera was amazed when one cadet told him he would graduate to diffuse bombs. "He loves it, so I said -- okay, good luck."
Mariano Rivera
Many Yankees stars joined the cadets at the West Point mess hall and high-earning stars spent the day rubbing shoulders with the men and women who are being trained to protect the United States.
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