First Summer Camp Homer

Late in Monday night's intrasquad game, Thairo Estrada homered off Tommy Kahlne for the only score of the night. Let's give the second year infielder credit -- he crushed the pitch, lining it into the lower left field seats. Yet, like everything else as baseball ramps up, it was different. No one was manning left field -- and Estrada's ball bounced off a seat and landed back on the eerily quiet field.

I'll admit it, it was nice to tune in and see something resembled baseball. Players I knew, working in a familiar field. Everything else was different: no fans, and the YES Network broadcasters working from home or the studio. It was a casual broadcast, in some ways paralleling late February or early March games from Florida. Although with just 17 days before the opener in Washington, it was more businesslike. In the midst of a pandemic, there was no friendly chat with Aaron Boone; no Yankee celebrities such as Lou Piniella dropping by the booth. It was subdued and rather joyless.

Still, it was a first step, one day and one practice game closer to Opening Night.