Yankees Second Annual "Game Break" from Baseball

The Yankees participated in their second annual day away from camp today.  Last Spring Training, in sticking with his promise to loosen up, Joe Girardi made one of the normal training days a team bonding experience and brought all the players to a pool tournament.  This year, to try something different Girardi and the gang headed to a local arcade and participated in different games.  This years tournament included games such as Indy Car Driving, Skeeball and Pop-a-shot.  This years winners included A.J. Burnett, Andrew Brackman and Royce Ring.

When Girardi started this last year I thought it was a phenomenal idea.  It served as a time for the all the players to get to know each other.  This includes both major league and minor league players.  Andy Pettitte last year was paired with Mark Teixeira in the pool tournament.  Pettitte said it was a great way to get to know Teixeira as an individual outside of the field.  Teixiera himself summed up the event the best.

  “It was a great day,” Teixeira said. “The fact that we get three or four hours not to have to worry about baseball and not have to compete on the baseball field, it was fun. Playing video games, we felt like kids again. It promotes a light-hearted atmosphere."

I'll leave you with one more picture with Teixeira playing Skeeball with familiar faces Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera in the background.  

-Courtney