Grapefruit League Game 3: Yankees at Tigers
Feb. 28, 2011, 1:05 p.m. ET – Joker Marchant Stadium – Lakeland, Fla.
TV: None / Radio: None
YANKEES (1-1)Derek Jeter SS, Robinson Cano 2B, Mark Teixeira 1B, Alex Rodriguez 3B, Andruw Jones RF, Russell Martin DH, Francisco Cervelli C, Justin Maxwell LF, Melky Mesa CF
Starting pitcher: CC Sabathia LHP (21-7, 3.18 ERA in 2010)
Also scheduled to pitch: Pedro Feliciano, Manny Banuelos, Mark Prior, Daniel Turpen, Robert Fish
TIGERS (2-0)
Austin Jackson CF, Ryan Raburn LF, Magglio Ordonez RF, Miguel Cabrera DH, Victor Martinez 1B, Jhonny Peralta SS, Brandon Inge 3B, Scott Sizemore 2B, Alex Avila C
Starting pitcher: Justin Verlander RHP (18-9, 3.37 in 2010)
Also scheduled to pitch: Rick Porcello, Ryan Perry, Daniel Schlereth, Charlie Furbush
- CC Sabathia makes his first start of the spring this afternoon, and basically the Yankees just want him to throw two good innings and hit the highway. This hasn’t always been the friendliest park for Sabathia – in ’09, he got lit up here and sparked a minor panic back in New York. Of course, that year turned out pretty well in the end.
- This is Russell Martin’s first game action with the Yankees. He could catch later in the week.
- The Yankees will be curiously eyeing Manny Banuelos. Joe Girardi said he is telling young players like Banuelos and Dellin Betances to take it easy and relax this spring, since they are most likely heading to the Minors. The last thing the Yankees want is these kids pushing in slim hopes of forcing a decision to make a team and suffering an injury.
- There are 31 days until Opening Day.
Grapefruit League Game 2: Yankees at Phillies
Feb. 27, 2011, 1:05 p.m. ET – Bright House Field – Clearwater, Fla.
TV: YES / Radio: None
YANKEES (0-1)Brett Gardner LF, Nick Swisher RF, Curtis Granderson CF, Jorge Posada DH, Eric Chavez 1B, Jesus Montero C, Eduardo Nunez 2B, Ronnie Belliard 3B, Ramiro Pena SS
Starting pitcher: Ivan Nova RHP (1-2, 4.50 ERA in 2010)
Also scheduled to pitch: Sergio Mitre, Boone Logan, Dellin Betances, Adam Warren
PHILLIES (1-0)
Jimmy Rollins SS, Shane Victorino CF, Raul Ibanez LF, Ryan Howard 1B, Placido Polanco 3B, Domonic Brown RF, Ben Francisco DH, Carlos Ruiz C, Wilson Valdez 2B
Starting pitcher: Joe Blanton RHP (9-6, 4.82 ERA in 2010)
Also scheduled to pitch: Justin De Fratus, Michael Schwimer, Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero, Brad Lidge
- A.J. Burnett, Freddy Garcia and Romulo Sanchez threw over at George M. Steinbrenner Field this morning. Burnett and Garcia sat down to simulate throwing two innings. Girardi said all three looked good and used all of their pitches.
- Mark Teixeira said his right big toe is bruised, a day after being hit by a pitch.
- The Yankees were still buzzing about Jorge Vazquez’s tape-measure home run that cleared the center-field batters eye at Steinbrenner Field. Girardi said that it is possible that Vazquez could work his way into the mix that the Yankees are considering Eric Chavez for, a backup corner infielder.
- Chavez is playing first base today because, as Girardi said, he already knows Chavez can play third base. All those Gold Gloves aren’t just for show.
- There are 32 days until Opening Day.
Grapefruit League Game 1: Yankees vs. Phillies
Feb. 26, 2011, 1:05 p.m. ET – George M. Steinbrenner Field – Tampa, Fla.
TV: YES / Radio: WCBS
PHILLIES (0-0)
Pete Orr 2B, Ross Gload DH, Raul Ibanez LF, Ryan Howard 1B, Ben Francisco CF, Domonic Brown RF, Jeff Larish 3B, Brian Schneider C, Wilson Valdez SS
Pitching: Cole Hamels LHP (12-11, 3.06 in 2010)
Also scheduled to pitch: Vance Worley, Ryan Feierabend, Brian Schlitter, Mike Zagurski
YANKEES (0-0)Derek Jeter SS, Nick Swisher RF, Mark Teixeira 1B, Alex Rodriguez 3B, Robinson Cano 2B, Jorge Posada DH, Curtis Granderson CF, Francisco Cervelli C, Brett Gardner LF
Pitching: Bartolo Colon RHP (Did not pitch in 2010)
Also scheduled to pitch: Joba Chamberlain, Dave Robertson, David Phelps, Hector Noesi, Eric Wordekemper
- The game will be preceded by a ceremony to honor George M. Steinbrenner as the Yankees begin their first spring since the longtime principal owner passed away last July at age 80. A statue of Steinbrenner will be introduced, followed by a performance by the Steinbrenner High School marching band. A rose will be laid at home plate by Steinbrenner’s widow, Joan, honoring ‘The Boss,’ and there will be a ceremonial flyover by two F18 Hornets from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va.
- Former Yankees to be introduced before the game include: Yogi Berra, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry and David Wells.
- Brian Schlitter, who is scheduled to pitch for Philadelphia, was briefly Yankees property this spring. He was designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster for outfielder Andruw Jones and claimed by the Phillies.
- The Yankees and Phillies will play again on Sunday in Clearwater, Fla. Ivan Nova starts for New York, Joe Blanton for Philadelphia.
- There are 33 days until Opening Day – March 31, Yankees vs. Tigers in New York.
Getting ready for games to begin
George M. Steinbrenner Field is bustling with activity this morning, as workers are hanging bunting around the stands and getting the facility ready for tomorrow’s Grapefruit League opener.
They’ve already given us a sneak preview of part of the tribute for Steinbrenner, airing part of the video that will be played before tomorrow’s ceremonies.
Because of all that needs to get done, today’s workout is the only one of the spring that the seats won’t be open to fans. The Yankees are having a quick one anyway – the plans are that they’ll be off the field by noon.
A few of the pitchers were on the main field throwing live batting practice this morning, with Manny Banuelos keeping a group that included Francisco Cervelli and Russell Martin largely quiet. Mark Prior also threw to hitters, with 85-year-old Yogi Berra finding a seat behind a protective screen in the infield to take it all in.
Around this time tomorrow, the gates are going to open up and we’ll have baseball once again. Bartolo Colon and Cole Hamels are your scheduled starters as the Yankees take on the Phillies, and just having scheduled starters for a ballgame tomorrow sounds pretty good.
CC Sabathia believes weight loss helped stamina
A lighter CC Sabathia threw his first live batting practice of the spring this morning in front of an audience that included manager Joe Girardi, pitching coach Larry Rothschild and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, and the left-hander was pleased with the results.
“In years past I would get a little gassed in my bullpens once I got 30 to 40 pitches in, but I felt pretty good,” Sabathia said. “I was able to keep my mechanics together and work on stuff that I need to work on.”
Reporting to camp at 290 pounds – 25 pounds less than last year, thanks to an improved diet that included laying off entire boxes of Cap’n Crunch cereal – Sabathia said that the weight loss should help him keep stress off his surgically repaired right knee.
“Just after the first bullpen, I didn’t feel anything. I was fine,” Sabathia said. “It shouldn’t take me as long to get ready because my bullpens are a lot better, because I can stay tall and keep on throwing the ball downhill nice and tight.”
Sabathia said his workout program over the winter included cardio sessions twice daily, with exercises on a fan bicycle to get his heart rate up, and also running outdoors or on a treadmill.
“It was the knee and just me getting older, not feeling the same way as I did when I was 25,” Sabathia said. “The combination of both of those things and trying to pitch as long as I can and not have that affect me was the reason why I tried to lose the weight.”
Sabathia said that he’ll try to maintain his weight around 290 pounds, but it fluctuates depending on which cities the Yankees go to. He said his danger weight gain cities will be Kansas City, Chicago and Boston, so keep an eye out.
A.J. Burnett to follow Phil Hughes in Yanks’ spring rotation
The Yankees have made an edit to their spring rotation. Phil Hughes will pitch ahead of A.J. Burnett in the rotation, not the other way around as had been previously announced.
Joe Girardi said yesterday that he had misspoke when giving the pitching order, saying not to read anything into it. Girardi also said the Yankees can decide to arrange it differently for the regular season.
The correct upcoming pitching lineups are as follows:
Feb 26. vs. Phillies – Bartolo Colon
Feb. 27 @ Phillies – Ivan Nova
Feb. 28 @ Tigers – CC Sabathia
Mar. 1 @ Pirates – Phil Hughes
Mar. 2 vs. Astros – A.J. Burnett
Mar. 3 @ Rays – Freddy Garcia
Rivera throws first bullpen, feels “bueno”
Mariano Rivera got on the bump this morning, throwing about 25 pitches in his first bullpen of the spring. Rivera said he was working on command and felt “bueno,” throwing to bullpen catcher Roman Rodriguez.
Rivera said he doesn’t plan to deviate much from his usual spring schedule, which has him throwing only about eight to 10 innings to get ready for the season.
Joe Girardi has said he figures Rivera will get into his first game sometime in mid-March; until then, Rivera will throw bullpens and a couple of live batting practice sessions.
In other early news…
Snapshots from Yankees Spring Training
I’m not a photographer, but sometimes I carry a camera around. That’s pretty much all I can tell you about what’s to follow – a few selections from what life has been like around camp with the Yankees for the last couple of days.
Now that the position players have all reported and camp doesn’t seem to be out of hand (OK, Hank Steinbrenner spoke up, but this is the Yankees, after all), these are the days when it’s actually possible to snap a few shots, before games begin and the crush of news gets too intense. Once that happens, I’ll leave it to the pros again.
Here goes nothing, no refunds. My favorite one in the set leads us off – a lot of great baseball stories in that picture:
See a few more at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanhoch/
Bartolo Colon to start Yanks’ spring opener
Bartolo Colon will be on the mound for the Yankees’ spring opener on Feb. 26 against the Phillies.
Joe Girardi said that Colon has been pitching in winter ball and is thus best prepared for the assignment.
He will be followed in the rotation by:
Feb. 27 @ Phillies – Ivan Nova
Feb. 28 @ Tigers – CC Sabathia
Mar. 1 @ Pirates – A.J. Burnett
Mar. 2 vs. Astros – Phil Hughes
Mar. 3 @ Rays – Freddy Garcia
Sergio Mitre will work in relief the first time through.
Bryan Hoch
Recent Comments