Bombers Beat

3/20 - Yankees at Astros

2010-03-20T13:24:59Z

Posting the lineups quickly before I fire up the Toyota and motor to Osceola County Stadium (which, as I've mentioned before, is the first Minor League stadium where I ever saw a game - summer of '91). Here they are:

YANKEES
Gardner CF
Johnson DH
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Thames LF
Weber RF
Pena SS
Rivera C

Pitching: Alfredo Aceves RHP
To follow: Dustin Moseley, Boone Logan, Mark Melancon. (Also on this trip backing up in the bullpen are Minor Leaguers John Van Benschoten - once a touted first round pick of the Pirates - Jonathan Ortiz and Craig Heyer.)

What do the pitchers do when the rest of the team leaves for Kissimmee? For A.J. Burnett, Dave Robertson and Phil Hughes, they played fungo golf this morning at the stadium complex. It's exactly what you think it is - you hit a baseball with a fungo bat and try and get it as close to the 'pin' as you can. A.J. said he hadn't played since '07, but my money's on him.

Granderson OK after hit by pitch

2010-03-20T13:18:08Z

TAMPA, Fla. - Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson said that his right hand feels fine, one day after being hit by a pitch from the Rays' Jeff Niemann.

Granderson was grazed near the knob of his bat by the Tampa Bay right-hander in the third inning on Friday in Port Charlotte, Fla.

The 29-year-old remained in the game, a 6-2 Rays win, and singled in the fifth inning before manager Joe Girardi replaced him for precautionary reasons.

"I could have stayed in, but Joe decided to get some ice on it early to prevent whatever could happen from happening," Granderson said on Saturday. "I iced it, woke up this morning, and felt fine."

Granderson remained behind to work out at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday as the Yankees traveled to play the Astros in Kissimmee, Fla.

He was not originally scheduled to be on the trip and said that he would take batting practice on Saturday morning.

"Right now, everything feels good," he said.

A-Bomb's away!

2010-03-19T22:30:13Z

Alex Rodriguez knew it as soon as ball met wood. This one was headed a long way.

Rodriguez's shot off the Tigers' Rick Porcello cleared the left-field scoreboard at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Friday, letting the Yankees slugger glow a little bit about it: "That one felt good, because it wasn't an everyday home run."

Actually, for A-Rod, it was the first home run in 2010, leaving the Yankees hoping there will be many more to come. He said that he has been spending more time in the cage now after focusing on conditioning early.

"I've been swinging OK," Rodriguez said. "My emphasis the first part of Spring Training is to make sure I get all my work in, and that [begins] early in the morning. As you get closer to Opening Day, you want to make sure you hone in on your swing, and so far so good.

"I had a really good session with Kevin Long and Reggie [Jackson] on one of the back fields a couple of days ago, and we're on schedule. ... You just make sure that your legs are under you and you're in great condition to play six or seven days a week every day."

Rodriguez said that there are still some limitations to what he can do one year after right hip surgery, but it is not that he can't do certain things - he's just trying for quality over quantity, as prescribed by Dr. Marc Philippon.

"You've just got to work a little bit more diligently," A-Rod said. "Overall, it was good to get back a full winter of training. You just cut your swings in half and ground balls, you just can't go and do all the crazy things you did before and take 100 swings a day. Every swing, you've got to make it count."

Asked if that's hard for him to swallow after doing it so many years his own way, Rodriguez said that these are the 'Philippon Rules' and he has to stick to them.

"He didn't give me an option," Rodriguez said. "Philippon was very specific about the workload and I thought it was a plan that I put into play last year. It worked and I'm very comfortable with it. I'm used to it now."

Notes & quotes: Mariano Rivera said "everything was good" in his 10-pitch inning and he'll take the mound again on Sunday ... Girardi said that he's OK with Marcus Thames' performance so far in a small sample size (3-for-25, .120), saying that he's had good at-bats and some line-outs. He's competing with Jamie Hoffmann (3-for-22, .136) to be the right-handed bat off the bench ... Jon Weber (10-for-17, .588) is having a "great spring" and it would have been "very possible" that he could have been considered if he wasn't left-handed, Girardi said. Termed a "survivor" by the skipper, Weber is slated to open at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

3/19 - Yankees vs. Tigers; Yankees at Rays

2010-03-19T13:36:49Z

If I can read my notes while the morning sun blares into the press box here at George M. Steinbrenner Field, I'll be able to post today's lineups ... a marathon day for the Yankees, who play the Tigers in a 1:05 p.m. ET start here and will also be on the field in Port Charlotte at 7:05 p.m. ET against the Rays.

No Johnny Damon, but there's Phil Coke (and a guy named Deik Scram, who's on Detroit's bench). It seems like the main event is tonight, when Joe Girardi might be able to start nixing some names from the five-man open season for the fifth starter's role. You'd have to think that Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin are still long shots, and a bad outing could sink one or both, with Alfredo Aceves going tomorrow against the Astros.

Here's the scoop:

TIGERS
A. Jackson CF
Thomas RF
Inge 3B
Cabrera 1B
Guillen DH
Laird C
Ramirez LF
Dlugach 2B
Santiago SS

Pitching: Rick Porcello RHP

YANKEES (VS. TIGERS)
Jeter SS
Johnson DH
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Thames LF
Hoffmann CF
Cervelli C
Golson RF

Pitching: CC Sabathia LHP
To follow: Jonathan Albaladejo, Damaso Marte, Royce Ring, Mariano Rivera

RAYS
TBA

YANKEES (AT RAYS)
Gardner CF
Granderson LF
Swisher DH
Posada C
Winn RF
Miranda 1B
Pena 2B
Laird 3B
Nunez SS

Pitching: Sergio Mitre RHP
To follow: Chad Gaudin, Jason Hirsh, Ryan Pope, Romulo Sanchez, Amaury Sanit, Zack Segovia.

Position players not on tomorrow's trip to Kissimmee (Astros): Montero, Posada, Jeter, Miranda, Pena, Gardner, Granderson, Swisher, Winn.

Nick Johnson leads the Yankees with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs ... Robinson Cano leads the team with a .400 BA (minimum 21 at-bats) ... Amaury Sanit leads the Yankees with two wins ... Alfredo Aceves leads the Yankees with 10 IP ... Javier Vazquez leads the club with 9 K's. ... Through eight games, the Yankees lead the Grapefruit League in total attendance (83,195).
Nick Swisher has a six-game hitting streak (7-for-17) ... Jorge Posada is 8-for-12 with 4 RBIs and 5 R in his last five games ... Robinson Cano has hit safely in six of nine games, with multiple hits in four of those games. ... There are 52 players remaining in camp, 17 of whom are non-roster invitees.

Jeter's hand fine, Girardi says

2010-03-19T02:27:51Z

If Derek Jeter's throwing hand was bothering him at all while playing the field on Thursday, it came as news to Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Girardi said that he learned there might have been an issue with his shortstop only after he was asked about it on the YES Network, as the telecast caught Jeter wincing and flexing his right hand while manning his position.

"He's fine," Girardi said. "I asked him and he said, 'My hand's fine.' I didn't know about it until they said it [on television] in the fifth inning."

Jeter never drops hints about possible injuries and left George M. Steinbrenner Field on Thursday without speaking to reporters, but the play in question appeared to happen in the fourth inning, when Jeter dove for a Pat Burrell single.

As Girardi pointed out, Jeter looked good enough in his next at-bat, singling in the bottom half of the fourth off the Rays' Heath Rollins.

"He got a hit after that," Girardi said, adding, "He'll play [Friday]."

Legs under him: Javier Vazquez allowed Carlos Pena's first hit of the spring after 21 fruitless at-bats, and it went a long way over the right field wall. But other than that, Vazquez was pretty sharp, allowing two hits in three innings while walking two and striking out three.

He said that he felt his mechanics got out of sync at times but overall, Vazquez told pitching coach Dave Eiland that he was feeling pretty good after 60 pitches.

"I felt I could keep going," Vazquez said. "It felt pretty good today. I feel my legs are strong. I've been working hard on them."

Vazquez mentioned something interesting in that he felt this spring was more predictable than last, because he'd pitched in winter ball to get ready for the World Baseball Classic. But unlike some pitchers, he wasn't saying the WBC participation was a bad thing.

"I threw a little bit more, and I felt last spring that I was ready quicker than usual," Vazquez said. "This is just a normal spring for me."

Cheering section: Chan Ho Park's Yankees debut was brief, but it had a loud audience in Joba Chamberlain and Dave Robertson, who were impressed watching Park pounce on a fifth-inning Pena tapper and by the movement on a strikeout pitch to Willy Aybar.

"His outing was so sharp, I forgot he pitched," Girardi said.

Scouting from the press box: Girardi mentioned how he saw Boone Logan pitch for the White Sox during his season as a FOX broadcaster in 2007, and liked his arm then, as he does now. Logan has been asked to make some minor adjustments and is throwing the ball "pretty decent," striking out the only batter he faced tonight around a passed ball.

Gotcha: If you'd walked by the travel roster for Friday's game against the Rays in Port Charlotte tonight, the name 'Rivera, Mariano' had been circled by a clubhouse prankster. Rivera wasn't buying it, and after the game, Rob Thomson pitched the altered travel roster in the trash and replaced it with the real deal.

Separated at birth?: A clubhouse suggestion of 'Step Brothers' - Dustin Moseley and Will Ferrell. My opinion? "That is bush league."

3/18 - Yankees vs. Rays

2010-03-18T19:00:15Z

Tonight is the Yankees' 15th game and third night game of their now-32-game spring schedule, and the second of three meetings with the Rays this spring (the Yankees had a 12-7 loss to Tampa Bay on March 5). Here are tonight's lineups:

RAYS
Bartlett SS
Crawford LF
Zobrist RF
Pena 1B
Aybar 3B
Upton CF
Burrell DH
Rodriguez 2B
Navarro C

Pitching: Carlos Hernandez LHP

YANKEES
Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Swisher RF
Posada C
Cano 2B
Thames DH
Winn LF
Miranda 1B
Pena 3B

Pitching: Javier Vazquez RHP
Also available - Boone Logan, Chan Ho Park, Dave Robertson, Dustin Moseley, Mark Melancon, Romulo Sanchez.

Not on tomorrow's trip to Port Charlotte (Rays): Cervelli, Pilittere, Mi. Rivera, Cano, Jeter, Johnson, A-Rod, Russo, Teixeira, Vazquez, Golson, Hoffmann, Thames, Weber, Winfree.

Nick Johnson leads the Yankees with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs ... Robinson Cano leads the team with a .455 BA (minimum 19 at-bats) ... Amaury Sanit is tied for the Grapefruit League lead with two wins ... Alfredo Aceves leads the Yankees with 10 IP ... Sergio Mitre leads the club with 7 K's. ... Through seven games, the Yankees lead the Grapefruit League in attendance (71,994).
Nick Swisher has a five-game hitting streak (6-for-15) ... Jorge Posada is 8-for-11 with 4 RBIs and 5 R in his last four games ... Robinson Cano has hit safely in six of eight games, with multiple hits in four of those games. ... There are 52 players remaining in camp, 17 of whom are non-roster invitees.
Notes from the clubhouse: LHP Damaso Marte looked better than expected, said he is "OK" and is slated to pitch Friday ... RHP Mariano Rivera will also pitch Friday vs. the Astros ... Joe Girardi said that it is "conceivable" that he could start eliminating contenders for the No. 5 rotation spot as soon as Friday, when Sergio Mitre, Chad Gaudin and Alfredo Aceves are all scheduled to pitch, but not necessary ...

Today on Yankees.com

2010-03-18T14:47:21Z

• Joba's strong day keeps him firmly in mix

Were those four innings against the Phillies' B lineup enough to catapult Joba Chamberlain right back into the mix for the No. 5 rotation slot? Joe Girardi called it "outstanding" pitching, and the race is still too close to call. March 25 is approaching fast.

• Pettitte sharp in first official spring outing

Hey, it beats pitching in a covered cage! Andy said he felt good, and obviously that's the most important thing at this stage. He said that he's getting used to starting his springs this way, and if he can repeat the way 2009 went, no one's going to remember that rain killed his first scheduled start of '10.

• Pettitte, Joba solid in Yankees' loss

It would appear that the Yankees lost, 6-2, yesterday at Bright House Field. By the way, that is absolutely one of my favorite Spring Training stadiums. If you've never been across the causeway from Tampa, definitely check it out ... even if the Phillies aren't playing the Yankees. Then hit the Tilted Kilt around the corner for postgame burgers and brews. Last year I spotted Ryan Howard chowing down there, apparently unnoticed by many of the Phillies fans in the restaurant.

• Marte fine after being hit with liner

I've got to say, Damaso Marte had no chance to get out of the way of that ball. It was absolutely smoked back up the middle by Ryan Howard. He's going to have an ugly welt right around his belt line, but at least he avoided serious injury. Don't expect him to pitch for a few days, though.

• Tough calls mark Yanks' team of decade

This was an off-season project we set out on, and once you get past the obvious calls -- Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte -- the decisions our panel had to grind out were tough. The point of the exercise isn't that you should agree with every single choice on the roster, to be honest. You might disagree, and that's actually a good thing. But give it a look and some thought. It was fun and something different to do.

Joba "back to having fun"

2010-03-17T20:59:45Z

Here are some thoughts from Joba Chamberlain after his four innings of work today:

"I'm back to having fun, just embracing the challenge. That day off was good for me just to think about what I needed to do. I just went back out and attacked the zone and tried to stay positive."

"That's me, attacking the strike and being able to work on some things in certain counts. I just felt really aggressive. It's one of those things where once you feel it you continue to build from that. I think it's a good thing from a mental aspect to build on."

"These other guys are throwing the ball great. Pushing each other in the competition we have is going to make our team better. I'm going to fight with all my heart and everything I've got to try to win that job and try to help this team win. That's something that I want to do, to get that opportunity to hopefully not have innings restrictions, and we'll go from there."

Just a big bruise for Marte

2010-03-17T20:30:36Z

Updating the previous story...

Thanks to that bullet off Ryan Howard's bat, Yankees LHP Damaso Marte will be sore for the next few days, Joe Girardi said.

"I asked if he had Bud's signature on there," Girardi said, referring to Commissioner Bud Selig's mark that adorns every Major League ball. "He said, 'Just seams.'"

He was seen working out beneath the stadium later in the game, checking out the bruise in a mirror while applying ice.

"It's OK because it's cold now," Marte said.

Andy Pettitte's line - 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (55 pitches, 36 strikes) ... Two hits for Brett Gardner, including a standup triple, and a 3-for-3 day for Francisco Cervelli today. ... Cervelli took a foul tip off his mask but he's fine. ... Mariano Rivera will pitch Friday -- at home, of course.

Marte leaves after being struck by liner

2010-03-17T18:29:54Z

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Yankees left-hander Damaso Marte was forced to leave Wednesday's game after being hit in the lower back by a line drive.

Pitching against the Phillies at Bright House Field, Marte was making his spring debut for New York in the bottom of the fifth inning. He had already served up a three-run homer to Jayson Werth when Ryan Howard hit a hard line drive back up the middle.

Marte appeared to be struck above the belt, and hunched over in pain between third base and the mound as he was attended to by Yankees manager Joe Girardi and assistant athletic trainer Steve Donohue.

He slowly walked off the field and was replaced in the inning by right-hander Amaury Sanit. Marte, 35, was 1-3 with a 9.45 ERA in 21 relief appearances last season for the Yankees but pitched well in the postseason and is envisioned as a safe bet for New York's bullpen to open the season.

3/17 - Yankees at Phillies

2010-03-17T13:50:47Z

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here are the lineups as Andy Pettitte starts against the Phillies in Clearwater, on a day when it seems like all eyes are on Joba Chamberlain. But Pettitte will begin his first game action of 2010 the same way he ended 2009 - with a start against the Fightin' Phils...

YANKEES
Gardner CF
Johnson DH
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Thames LF
Winn RF
Cervelli C
Pena SS
Russo 2B

Pitching: Andy Pettitte LHP
Also available - Damaso Marte, Joba Chamberlain, Royce Ring, Amaury Sanit, Ryan Pope

PHILLIES
Rollins SS
Victorino CF
Werth RF
Howard 1B
Francisco LF
Ransom 3B
Castro 2B
Ruiz C

Pitching: Joe Blanton RHP

IF Brandon Laird has a sore elbow and will sit out a few days ... Joe Girardi said this morning that he is looking forward to seeing how Chamberlain competes today. He didn't come into the spring feeling like this job was Chamberlain's to lose, and believes that whoever is not starting will be disappointed. ... Girardi didn't nix the idea that the Yankees could send Chamberlain to Triple-A as a starter if he doesn't win the job, but reiterated that they'll take the 12 best arms. ... Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter have been spared the Friday night game at Port Charlotte against the Rays, thanks to rainouts.
Nick Johnson leads the Yankees with 3 HRs ... is tied with Greg Golson and Nick Swisher with 5 RBIs ... Robinson Cano leads the team with a .455 BA (minimum 13 at-bats) ... Amaury Sanit is tied for the Grapefruit League lead with two wins ... Alfredo Aceves leads the Yankees with 10 IP ... Sergio Mitre leads the club with 7 K's.
The Yankees are 6-5 on St. Patrick's Day over the last 10 years, with two split squads (2001, 2002) and a 2005 rainout. The Bombers don't take part in this tradition, but Tom Singer has a story today on MLB.com today about how the Reds started wearing green St. Patrick's Day uniforms in a 1978 exhibition against Boss Steinbrenner's boys. I didn't see much green in the Yankee clubhouse today except for trainer Steve Donohue, who is sporting a green t-shirt that has the interlocking NY inside a shamrock.

3/16 - Yankees vs. Astros

2010-03-16T17:18:09Z

This look like the Yankees' Opening Night lineup to anyone else? I've got to think that this is going to be it, barring injuries.

"We haven't done it all spring," Joe Girardi said. "it's nice to put them all together for the first time."

So here is the probable batting order for your '10 Yankees, with the possible exception that Curtis Granderson could be playing center field at Fenway Park and Brett Gardner in left field. This is no indication of a decision, Girardi said, and they will continue to bounce Granderson and Gardner between left and center all spring.

ASTROS
Bourgeois CF
Keppinger 2B
Pence RF
Blum 1B
Feliz 3B
Michaels LF
Castro C
Maysonet SS
Bogusevic DH

Pitching: Brian Moehler RHP

YANKEES
Jeter SS
Johnson DH
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Granderson LF (Happy 29th Birthday)
Swisher RF
Gardner CF

Pitching: A.J. Burnett RHP
To follow - Phil Hughes, Mariano Rivera, Romulo Sanchez, Zack Segovia.

Tomorrow at Phillies: Pitching will be Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte, Royce Ring & Amaury Sanit. Position players not on the trip to Clearwater are Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, Greg Golson and Austin Romine.

Paul Simon threw out tonight's first pitch. Who knew he was a lefty? ... Joe Girardi said he is "not too worried" about Brett Gardner, who entered tonight hitting .158 (3-for-19). ... Damaso Marte will make his first spring appearance Wednesday; Chan Ho Park follows suit Thursday. ... Looks like Alex Rodriguez might not go on Friday's split-squad trip to play the Rays in Port Charlotte after all.

Back in action

2010-03-16T16:07:40Z

The Yankees were dark on Monday, as Joe Girardi wanted everyone in camp to have a complete day-off - and some of the regulars (like Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera) got Sunday as well, making this a nice 2 1/2 day respite for them.

That all ends tonight under the lights at George M. Steinbrenner Field, as the Yankees host the Astros tonight at 7:05 p.m. ET. We'll get more looks at both A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes in this one, as well as what could more closely resemble the Yankees' Opening Day lineup - Nick Johnson hitting second, Robinson Cano batting fifth and Curtis Granderson seventh, perhaps?

Catch you later with some updates from the ballpark.

Granderson looks dandy in left

2010-03-13T21:41:35Z

Curtis Granderson departed the stadium before we could talk to him about his afternoon in left field, but from an observer's point of view, it didn't seem like he had much trouble at all out there.

Granderson made a nice play in the third inning running toward the seats to snag a Nick Markakis ball near the foul line, and on the next play he had to run back to track down a Miguel Tejada fly. Granderson also snagged a Cesar Izturis fly ball in the fifth inning.

"It was a tough wind & sun day," Joe Girardi said. "It wasn't an easy day to play left field. I thought he looked good."

Girardi said that he'll mix Granderson and Brett Gardner between left field and center field the rest of the spring.

When the clubhouse opened to reporters in the fifth inning, Nick Johnson was sprawled on the carpet in a deep stretch, trying to keep flexible between at-bats. He's looked pretty good so far to Girardi, who says that Johnson "really fits that bill" for the No. 2 spot.

"I'm extremely pleased with what he's doing," Girardi said. "A lot of long counts, he's pulled balls, he's hit balls over the left fielder's head and the right fielder's head, through the middle - quality at-bat after quality at-bat."

Yankees make nine cuts

2010-03-13T21:25:39Z

The Yankees officially made nine cuts after Saturday's game:

Andrew Brackman, optioned to Class-A Tampa
Christian Garcia, optioned to Double-A Trenton
Wilkin De la Rosa, optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Reassigned to Minor League camp: Wilkins Arias, Jeremy Bleich, Kyle Higashioka, Kei Igawa, D.J. Mitchell, Kevin Whelan.

Yankees director of media relations Jason Zillo said that two players on the Lakeland trip were also cut and will be informed in the morning.