Joe Girardi is urging his players to get plenty of rest during spring training this year, and he does not want them turning their noses up at the opportunity he is providing them with.
Girardi has decided that workouts and practice will begin each day at 11:30 a.m. When Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal asked the New York Yankees manager for his reasoning behind that, Girardi explained that he ordered his team to sleep in.
“I said, ‘We start at 11:30. Don’t think if I see you here at 7:30 that I’m going to be impressed. It’s not going to impress me. Sleep! I’m giving you an opportunity to sleep. Sleep!”‘ Girardi told Diamond. “That was one of the first things I told them in camp.”
Sweet deal, right? If nothing else, that should give the players flexibility. Personally, I feel my best in the morning hours. I’m guessing there are at least a few Yankees who are the same way, and Girardi isn’t going to stop them from showing up early to get some work in.
We can think of one specific player Girardi wants to be taking him up on the extra sleep offer. Apparently the Yankees manager feels that rest in March is going to lead to production from April-October.
