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It might have been the shifting temperatures on Thursday, but sports fans in Southern Westchester were hot and cold on the subject.
Spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular baseball season. During the training, new players try out for roster spots and positions, and existing team members get in some practice time prior to the start of the season.
Todd Keresey, manager at the Black Bear Saloon in White Plains, said even though he's a diehard Yankees fan, he isn't getting very into spring training games this season - and neither are his customers.
"I would say we definitely aren't getting any crowds. A lot of the time, certain games aren't on TV - even on satellite dish networks," he said. "Seventy-five percent of Yankees and Mets games are aired, but it's pretty rare for a group of friends to meet at a bar to watch spring training."
Keresey added that because a lot of the games are played during the day, most people are working and cannot watch them.
John Morales, a self-described "huge Yankees fan," who works in Tuckahoe, couldn't be more excited for spring training because it bodes for a great season.
"I'm excited for the new season coming up," he said. "I'm really excited about the Yankee's new pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. I have faith in him. We're going to make the playoffs this year. We didn't last year, but we will this time."
Sheldon Robinson, a Yankees fan from Mount Vernon, said he was interested in this year's spring training because it means the new season is around the corner.
"I'm looking forward to the 2014 season, but I'm sad to see Derek Jeter retiring. He is one of the greatest Yankees ever. But, I'm glad that he is going out on top," he said.
Robinson added that during this new season, he's concerned about the team's bullpen.
"I hope they shore it up this season, or else we could get into trouble," he said.
@suzannesamin
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