It’s early Saturday, and our sneakers have just hit the warning track dirt, with welcoming signage behind us indicating Yankee Stadium “Photo Day.”

Mick Kelleher, Shawn Kelley, and Vidal Nuno. I told Kelley that my mother’s maiden name was Kelly, but he called me out: “With the extra ‘e’? No? Guess we’re not related.”

A swing and a miss. I realized this was reliever Preston Claiborne a moment late. I could have told him (correctly) that we saw him pitch twice in Tampa in early March.

The first of many who made us realize the Yankees wanted to appeal to the kids, Joe Girardi welcomed my “fellow Westchester County citizen” comment with a smile.

Austin Romine was appreciative of my “big double last night” comment, and his “got to keep it going” reply seemed earnest and sincere.

Bullpen and hitting coaches Mike Harkey and Kevin Long. Mike replied “All right then” when I told him the sight of “Big Mike” standing in the bullpen was a comforting sight.

John Sterling confessed that he’s been saying the “Love it, Lyle. Lyle Lovett” home run call for Lyle Overbay for years, but off mike before Lyle became a Yankee. Sterling really does think that way!

Suzyn Waldman was simultaneously pleased but surprised by my “Give us a song, Suzyn” request. “Too early in the morning” was her eventual reply.

Twelve hours after his masterful two-hitter, “Two hits, wow!” was all I could come up with facing Hiroki Kuroda. The “Have to keep pitching well for the team” reply was Matsui-like.

Smiling ear to ear, I think Travis Hafner appreciated my kudos for his having homered in his first at bat in Cleveland, his former club and where he and his family live.

A guy with a real sense of humor, Chris (“Stewie!”) Stewart seemed to get a real kick out of my assurance that it was his name, and not “Boo!”, he’s been hearing in Yankee Stadium.

I conducted myself carefully with starting pitcher Phil Hughes, coming off his worst start, only assuring him (correctly) that it was a thrill to meet him.

GM Brian Cashman responded enthusiastically when I shared that we had discussed a favorite restaurant when I met him last year, telling me that they had opened a new branch near his Connecticut home.

Boone Logan so enjoyed the “It’s not ‘Boo!’ We’re shouting your name” comment (see Chris Stewart caption) that we continued to discuss it back and forth until he was four or five people away.

I thanked Robinson Cano for treating me so well when we met as fellow dental patients months ago [true story]. But how great a picture did Sue take here, huh?

I got a chuckle and “You’re right!” out of Michael Kay when I told him, as he greeted one fan after another, that we were appearing together on “Left CenterStage.”

Belying some buzz from recent events, Joba Chamberlain was very pleasant, was particularly nice to the little kids in the crowd, and told me he was only “a few days away” from returning.

Ichiro Suzuki floored me. When I replied that “She is,” referring to Sue, when he asked, “Who is taking the picture?”, he said, “Why can’t I have my picture taken with her?”

Impressed with the time David Robertson took to make sure that the 5- or 6-year-old to my left got to take a picture of the two of them with his iPad, I congratulated Dave: “You did a nice job ‘setting up’ that shot.”