The Media Circus Travels to Florida

With that whole snow thing happening here in New York, it might be hard to think baseball, but down in Florida, baseball is in the air. Last week, pitchers and catchers showed up to Spring Training; this week, the position players are starting to show up as well. For the Mets and the Yankees, this means two big off-season stories are ready to take center stage.

Carlos Beltran took his place on Tradition Field for the "new Mets" and was immediately the center of attention. Apparently, that's what happens when you sign a $119 million contract and are potentially the present and the future of the franchise. Of course, Beltran's arrival was overshadowed by Jason Giambi's arrival in Tampa.

Giambi arrived at Legends Field, took a physical, addressed the media without discussing anything specific about the reports of his steroid use, and then tried to mend fences with the fans. A year after denying the use of steroids in Spring Training, Giambi could only say that he could only "concentrate on being ready for game number one."

For both Beltran and Giambi, that concentration might eventually prove to be difficult, especially for Giambi when he and the Yankees take the $200+ million show on the road.

Photo by Newsday/Paul J. Bereswill