TAMPA — Ron Guidry has been coming to George M. Steinbrenner Area because the ballpark opened in 1996, however the Yankees’ annual spring coaching visitor teacher had a tough time discovering his means round when he reported to camp earlier this week.
“He said he basically needs a map,” Yankees director of baseball operations Matt Ferry joked.
That’s as a result of GMS, the Yankees’ spring coaching house and the Rays’ impending, momentary common season house, has undergone huge renovations. Ferry and different Yankees officers gave media members a behind-the-scenes tour of the reworked facility on Thursday, granting entry to areas usually off-limits to reporters and the general public.
Ferry was closely concerned within the renovations, and gamers like Aaron Decide, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells additionally supplied enter.
“Everything’s new. The space is great. There’s a ton of natural light, high ceilings, good privacy. I think the flow is great,” Cole stated. “It feels good to have a really nice facility.”
Added Ferry: “We asked anyone, whether you have a year of service or 10 years in the big leagues, because they’ve all experienced something. Things that they’ve liked, whether it was off-site, whether it was with another team. We tried to get ideas from everywhere, ultimately, and that also led into building relationships with other sports [and teams] in the NBA, the NFL and college programs, just to get an idea what other teams do.”
Ferry particularly stated that the the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Clemson College all have services that supplied inspiration.
Thursday’s tour started within the house clubhouse, which comes full with a barbershop. That space was unveiled final spring throughout Section 1 of the renovations.
Reporters and TV crews are getting a tour of the renovated services at GMS. Here is a take a look at the locker room, in addition to the barbershop. #Yankees #Rays pic.twitter.com/8LQkR4eABi
From there, Ferry confirmed off the staff assembly room and baseball ops division. The latter is the place you could find baseball ops, professional scouting and analytics staffers. Division administrators and assistant GMs have places of work alongside this wall. Brian Cashman can be stationed in there.
The #Yankees‘ staff assembly room at GMS: pic.twitter.com/1OBnBnBdLA
A partial take a look at the brand new baseball ops area at GMS. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/TRQm5wAx4r
A take a look at the batting cages adopted, although solely two of the cages are solely for hitters. One other is for catching drills, whereas a fourth one is multi-purpose. TV displays present real-time suggestions on pitch metrics, launch angles, exit velocities and extra.
The cages and participant eating area at GMS. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/AN3W61Arog
There’s additionally a two-story weight room, which overlooks one of many GMS facet fields and components of Raymond James Stadium, the house of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And when gamers must recuperate, they will go to a coaching room that options therapeutic massage tables, whirlpools, chilly tubs and extra.
The GMS weight room comes with a pleasant view of Area 2. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/OALzqLpk4Y
Come on in. The water’s heat.
A take a look at the GMS whirlpools and coaching room. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/f2IceSCtDT
There’s additionally a gamers lounge with a ping-pong desk and arcade video games.
“Aaron Boone talks a lot about culture with our players,” Ferry stated. “How do you get to know those players and those teammates on a professional level, on a personal level, on a baseball level? These spaces allow for that. We hope that they come. We hope that they stay. We hope that they utilize everything as best as they can under this roof as long as possible.”
The GMS gamers lounge features a ping pong desk and your favourite arcade video games. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/2NauyDArhP
Final however not least got here the Yankees’ eating corridor, the place gamers can eat indoors or exterior whereas having fun with recent, made-to-order meals, salads, snacks, espresso, protein powder and varied drinks. On Thursday, tequila lime flank steak, esquite salmon and hen fajitas had been among the many choices reporters may style.
It is dinner time!
A take a look at the GMS meals corridor. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/yHN1lf3jfL
A small sampling of the meals obtainable to the #Yankees at GMS. pic.twitter.com/CJ7hopVRqp
Whereas spring coaching is just a few days outdated, Ferry stated GMS’ revitalization has drawn rave critiques. He’s significantly proud of how all the pieces turned out, as the power wanted an overhaul because the Yankees and the game modified over time.
“We love this home,” Ferry stated. “We love the city of Tampa. But just over time, the game’s grown and evolved and spaces need to get bigger. We’ve added staff over time as well, and we modernized as we grew.”
After all, the Yankees received’t have the new-look GMS to themselves for for much longer.
The Rays are shifting in for the common season after Hurricane Milton ravaged Tropicana Area, and so they’ll take over all of the areas reporters noticed on Thursday, together with the house clubhouse. The Yankees won’t have entry, even once they go to GMS for normal season video games.
“The Rays will enjoy this,” Cole stated. “I can tell you that.”
Nevertheless, Cole pushed again towards the thought of Tampa Bay benefiting from homefield benefit when the Yanks return to GMS in April and August.
“It’s still George’s Field,” he famous.
