TAMPA — Because a billiards tournament last spring was credited with bringing the Yankees together, manager Joe Girardi has decided the team will gather away from spring training camp Tuesday for another bonding session.
Though Girardi didn’t announce the activity, it likely is to be pool again.
“No official announcement,” Girardi said yesterday, when asked if billiards is on the bill for a second straight spring.
Girardi took suggestions early in camp, but deemed some to them — paintball and bowling — to be too dangerous.
Chan Ho Park had his physical in New York, but wasn’t able to leave for camp because of the snow. Park signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract Sunday. When he reports, the Yankees will have to make a deletion from the 40-man roster.
Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner will play left field and center field during the exhibition season.
“We will put them in both spots,” Girardi said. “We will move them around so we can evaluate if they are comfortable in left. We know they are both comfortable in center.”
Gardner might sit against left-handed pitchers, so it’s possible Girardi would prefer Granderson to be the regular center fielder instead of moving from left to center when a lefty faces the Yankees.
Girardi hasn’t announced who his starting pitcher will be against the Pirates on Wednesday in the exhibition opener. CC Sabathia will start Thursday against the Phillies in Clearwater, Fla.
When the Yankees selected outfielder Jamie Hoffman in the Rule 5 draft from the Dodgers in December, there was an outside chance he would stick as the fifth outfielder. Since then Marcus Thames — who, like Hoffman, is a right-handed hitter — was signed to a minor league contract and is the favorite to be the No. 5 outfielder.
“It makes it a lot more competitive is what it does,” Girardi said of adding Thames to the mix. “And we like that.”
If Hoffman doesn’t stick, he has to be offered back to the Dodgers.
Sabathia will throw batting practice today, A.J. Burnett on Monday, Andy Pettitte on Tuesday and Javier Vazquez on Wednesday. . . . Mariano Rivera is slated for his first bullpen session of the spring Monday. . . . Yesterday’s fundamental was team defense on pop-ups. And with a crystal clear sky, the ball was hard to track. However, only once — when Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano let a ball drop in short center — was there a problem.