TAMPA, Fla. — The baseball season is an endurance test, running from mid-February until at least the end of October for two lucky teams. In a game that is played at a languid pace — no matter how many times a catcher is permitted to visit the pitcher’s mound — there are surely moments, like a midsummer weeknight game in Atlanta or Arlington, Tex., when the mind may wander.
For the last decade, the Yankees’ focus could easily be snapped to attention. The sight of the No. 28 on Joe Girardi’s jersey served as an “O.K., everybody, let’s get back to work” moment, a reminder of the Yankees’ raison d’être: chasing World Series title No.