PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The four older gentlemen, fans with field passes, were standing by the Mets’ dugout Wednesday morning when Curtis Granderson, bat in hand, bounded down the steps after taking swings in the batting cage for his spring training debut.
Granderson had a bounce in his step, a smile to match, par for the daily course. One of the men, sensing an approachable vibe, struck up a conversation. He asked Granderson his age — “Turning 35,” he said, cheerily — and about the differences between playing for the Yankees, Wednesday’s visitors to Tradition Field, and the Mets.