Another Week of Spring Training Notes

Well, spring has finally sprung (just look at your calendar) so that means the players should be chomping at the bit to head up north.  What happened during the Yankees penultimate week of Spring Training?  Let's take a gander.  Continue Reading

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A-Rod comes to A-halt.  The Yanks played the Rays on Saturday for the first time since the bench-clearing incident on March 12 and it was uneventful.  There could have been another collision at home plate, but Alex Rodriguez pulled out the parachute and avoided a play at the plate.  A-Rod was out by a mile and decided not to lower his shoulder into Tampa catcher Josh Paul.  "That could have been a big story," Rodriguez said afterward.

Pettitte returns with attitude.  Andy Pettitte made his third start of the spring Monday after missing 10 days with forearm tightness and he brought the pain.  Well, not really, but he sailed a pitch past Boston's David Ortiz in the third inning and it was no accident.  "There's no doubt I backed him off," Pettitte said.  Huh!  Pettitte's line wasn't great (3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR), but he said his forearm felt fine.

Fallen hero.  Former Yank Jim Leyritz visited his old teammates before the Yanks-Red Sox game Monday.  Leyritz was arrested on Dec. 28 on suspicion of drunk driving and vehicular homicide after being involved in a two-car collision that killed another motorist.  "Obviously, it's a very sad story and situation," Girardi said, "but I don't believe you turn your back on people."

Giving Something Back.  The Yankees headed to Blacksburg, Va., on Tuesday and played an exhibition game against the Virginia Tech Hokies.  Nearly every Yankee starter made the goodwill trip up north and they were met with a packed house at English Field.  The contest was played less than a year after 32 lives were lost in the campus shootings last April.

It's official.  It was the announcement that shocked no one -- at least, it shouldn't have.  The Bombers declared that Joba Chamberlain would start the season in the bullpen.  Before Spring Training, the Yanks were flirting with the idea of starting Chamberlain in the pen and then moving him into the rotation later in the season.  I wasn't in love with that course of action and think the Yankees should commit to either one role or the other, but I'm not in charge.  At this point, Joba best serves the team as a setup man to Mariano Rivera.  Need proof?  He made his first relief appearance Thursday against Toronto and needed just 11 pitches to strike out the side in a 1-2-3 seventh.

Ladies and gentlemen, I implore you.  Shelley Duncan and Melky Cabrera have until today to appeal a three-game suspension levied against them by Major League Baseball.  I'm going to go out on a limb and say that both players will appeal.  The best they can hope for is to get one game knocked off the suspension.  At least, that's what they should expect.

Who's the kid?  Brett Gardner is having a lights-out spring and there has been some speculation that he might actually crack the Yankees roster.  Brian made a case for Gardner in his post and it would be great to have a speed guy on the team.  Chances are the kid will start the year in the minors, but he could be a valuable commodity later in the season.

Wanted: Lefties.  Joe Girardi and the Yanks are toying with the idea of having zero southpaws in the pen when camp breaks.  While this isn't unprecedented, it's still unusual for a team to go strictly with right-handed relievers -- especially a Yankee team.  Still, the lefties the Bombers have in camp aren't really dominant.  Billy Traber looks to have the best shot at making the team.  I guess this means that lefty Kei Igawa won't be making the trip to New York.

Beginning of the end.  In case you haven't heard, this will be the final season for the Yanks in "old" Yankee Stadium.  Network compadre Loge13 has been chronicling the end of Shea Stadium and Ch. 4 (WNBC) will relive the glory of the ballpark in the Bronx with "The Legacy of Yankee Stadium" on Saturday at 7 p.m.  I'll definitely take a peek.

Less than two weeks left of Spring Training.

We're through the looking glass here people.

Mike covers the Yankees and Jets on his blog, Green Pinstripes.

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