Ticket scalpers hoped for another bonanza as the Red Sox hosted the Yankees in a spring training game in Ft. Myers yesterday. Reports are the entrepreneurs were disappointed as the Yankees left most of their stars at home in Tampa to play a split squad game against Cleveland. Ironically, Jason Giambi and the Yankee scrubs bombed the Red Sox 9-2, while the Yankee stars got three-hit by the Indians in a 3-1 loss.

It was different last year as all of the big names came to Ft. Myers for the only meeting of the spring between the two teams. Scalpers supposedly got $500 per ticket for that game. It was the first chance Sox fans had to boo A-Rod in a Yankee uniform. Not only were Jeter and Posada there, but old-timers like Reggie and Yogi were there. I have a snapshot of Yogi standing by the batting cage pinned to the bulletin board over my desk. I don't like the Yankees, but everyone loves Yogi. I only saw one major league game in 2004, and that spring training game was it.

The Yankees won that meaningless game, and the Red Sox won the World Series. Yesterday the Yankees won another meaningless spring game. Draw your own conclusions.

From 1999-2002, I made it to the Cactus League in Arizona. In 2003 and 2004, I squeezed in weekend trips to Florida to see the Grapefruit League, specifically the Red Sox. This year it's back to Arizona, and I'll take in a few games.