Thanks for the pics, DJ. Who is the young boy with Jeter, aside from the luckiest kid on earth??

Source: NJ Star-Ledger

Thursday, February 15, 2007
BY DAN GRAZIANO

When the Jets told Joe Klecko he was done and he didn't agree, he went to play somewhere else.

He wishes he hadn't.

"When you grow up with one team and then go to another, you don't really understand it until you get there," said Klecko, a lifelong Jet who left to play for the Colts in 1988, after the Jets told him his knees were shot. "It's not the same. I played the whole season, but my heart wasn't in it."

Klecko, now 53, was looking back on that memory the other day because he was asked about Bernie Williams, the lifelong Yankee who doesn't appear to have a spot on the 2007 team. Klecko doesn't know Williams, but he's a baseball fan, and he knows enough to understand what's going on.

"That's almost exactly what happened to me, huh?" Klecko said. "I really believe there's only one person who knows (when you're done), and that's you. Whether you're fooling yourself or not is a different story."

The place at which the Yankees have arrived with Bernie Williams is not uncharted. It's one of the tougher spots in professional sports. How do you tell a legendary player -- a franchise icon, in this case -- that he's done when he doesn't think he is? How do you tell your fans he's done when they want to see more of him? What are you supposed to do?

It's a difficult situation, and not just for the player or the fans. It's tough on the team, too.

"I don't think general managers are totally devoid of sentimentality, or emotion, or what's right for their organization's culture and fan base," Arizona Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes said. "But by nature, I think we have to be a little less emotional and a little more pragmatic in situations like those."

Byrnes isn't far removed from a similar situation. Late last season, he had to call Luis Gonzalez into his office and tell him the Diamondbacks wouldn't be bringing him back for 2007.

Gonzalez was 39 years old and moving toward the end of a season that would see him post his lowest home run total (15) since 1997. Yes, he would end up with 52 doubles. Yes, the fans loved him. Yes, his was the hit that famously won the 2001 World Series against the Yankees and Mariano Rivera. Yes, he was a powerful charitable presence in the community.

But he was also getting old, and the Diamondbacks had to make room for top young outfield prospects Carlos Quentin and Chris Young. And so Gonzalez, whether he and the fans liked it or not, had to go.

"It's extremely difficult," Byrnes said. "He's unquestionably the most popular player in the history of our franchise. But if it gets to a point where a player's not performing the way he used to and then playing-time issues arise with young players that you're trying to build around for your future, that's a situation where nobody benefits. That's what you have to guard against."

In Williams' case, the Yankees are determined to carry 12 pitchers and two first basemen (in addition to Jason Giambi, who will be a full-time designated hitter). That leaves room for only four outfielders -- starters Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu, plus reserve Melky Cabrera. The Yankees offered Williams a non-guaranteed contract and an invitation to spring training, but so far he has not accepted it. Last week, he said he probably would not.

That means Williams' career could be over, or that he could play for a different team than the one that signed him in 1985. And while those are painful possibilities for Williams and his fans to consider, that's basically the way it goes.

"You can have personal feelings, but you separate yourself," Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski said. "You're a human being, and you understand people's feelings, but you still have to do what's best for your ballclub."

The example Dombrowski cited came in the wake of the 1997 World Series title he won as GM of the Florida Marlins. Dombrowski said he formed a special attachment to the players but that he had to trade them because ownership ordered him to slash payroll so the team could be sold.

"It was not easy to pick up the phone and tell those people they had been traded, or that they were going to be traded at that point," Dombrowski said. "But that was a case where you had to do it because it was dictated to you by your ownership. So there are a lot of different reasons it could happen, but what it comes down to is, you have to separate yourself from the emotional aspect of it to do your job."

That's the situation in which Yankees GM Brian Cashman finds himself now -- and he's not likely to be the only one. As players are playing to an older and older age, there are more players than ever who will be determined to hang onto their careers longer than their teams might want them to. And as salaries are skyrocketing, more and more teams are looking to fill those fourth-outfielder spots with young, cheap players such as Cabrera rather than older, more expensive veterans.

"Newer guys are coming in, but the old guys aren't going out as willingly," said Gregg Clifton, an agent whose clients include Gonzalez as well as the seemingly ageless David Wells. "There are bound to be a lot more situations like this."

Gonzalez, who played with three different teams before he became a Diamondback, has moved on. He signed with the Dodgers this winter. Williams has dropped the occasional mild hint about possibly playing elsewhere, but it's unclear how serious a possibility that is. Right now, Williams is dealing with the emotional part of not feeling wanted by the team for which he's played his entire career and won four World Series titles.

"We play a game because it allows us to stay little kids," Klecko said. "Bernie's 38, so it allowed him to stay a kid for 20-something years. That's what it does for us. We feel like we're owed, maybe, but you're not. You played. You've made a lot of money. Now, the latter part of your career, it becomes a very tough emotional time for all of us, as players."

Klecko may not have been as great, or as famous, or as decorated as Williams is, but he was a beloved Jet. And in that respect, he knows what Williams is going through. But if Williams is thinking about playing for another team, Klecko might just advise him to think again.

"It's very hard to go to anybody else at this stage," Klecko said. "It wasn't in me. There's a time when you wake up in the morning and you want to get it done, but it's just not there."

Source: Newsday

BY JIM BAUMBACH AND KEN DAVIDOFF

February 15, 2007
TAMPA, Fla. -- Derek Jeter is one of the few Yankees who managed to reach Bernie Williams lately, and the captain said yesterday he doesn't think Williams will be with the team in spring training.

"From what I understand, he's not coming. From what I've heard," Jeter said. "Whether he changes his mind or they change their mind, I have no idea. But as far as I know, he's not coming."

Williams, who presumably is at home in the New York area, said last week he was leaning toward declining the Yankees' non-roster invitation. Pitcher Jose Veras is already using what has long been Williams' locker here.

Williams, of course, could change his mind. Joe Torre is one of his biggest supporters and has reached out to him twice in the past week. Torre even said Monday that Williams would have a shot to make the Opening Day roster.

Williams also has the support of his most influential teammates.

"Bernie had a good year last year," Jeter said. "He wasn't expected to play much last season, and then because of injuries, he found himself in the lineup a lot. He did a great job. He did an outstanding job. I don't know what the numbers are. I don't know what the situations are. But I wish Bernie was here."

Mariano Rivera also has reached out to Williams recently but hasn't spoken with him. "I've been trying," he said, "but no luck."

Source: Newsday

BY JIM BAUMBACH

February 15, 2007
TAMPA, Fla. -- If the Yankees don't sign Mariano Rivera to an extension by the end of spring training, their longtime closer vowed yesterday to give every team an equal shot to sign him.

"The Yankees will not have an advantage," he said.

Speaking softly and confidently for about 10 minutes in front of his Legends Field locker, Rivera reiterated his strong desire to remain a Yankee and was adamant he is not upset.

But Rivera also made it clear the Yankees should not take his words lightly.

When asked if he could picture himself wearing another uniform, he said, "I don't, but if I have to, I have to do it."

Brian Cashman called Rivera Monday night to talk about his uncharacteristically strong comments, and the Yankees general manager left the conversation confident Rivera understood his stance.

"I don't feel there is an issue here," Cashman said.

Cashman said he explained to Rivera that he doesn't want to deal with contracts until they expire, and Rivera is no different.

"I told him what my preference is," Cashman said. "My preference is, right now it's 2007 and we're focusing on the '07 situation. It's very hard, despite how great Mariano is, to all of a sudden pick and choose who to start discussing contracts with."

Rivera added, "They'll make the decision. They have to do what they have to do. I have to play my season and wait for them."

But Rivera seemed to hold out hope that a deal still could be done, and he said he'd be willing to talk about an extension until the end of camp as long as the Yankees make first contact. But he stressed he would not negotiate during the season.

Although Cashman did not rule out signing Rivera to an extension in spring training, he strongly expressed his preference to wait until after the season to negotiate.

"At the end of the day I think it's a lot simpler to handle," Cashman said.

"The Yankees are very good at writing the checks. I personally have done every one of Mariano's contracts and I've never had a problem. We've always found common ground."

But Rivera's previous two extensions were negotiated in spring training, and he has never been a free agent.

If Rivera gets that chance next winter, he said he plans to test the open market, a possibility that can't sit too well with Yankee fans.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Rivera said.

"All I can tell you right now is that I'm going to focus on this season, and at the end of the year we'll see what happens. The Yankees know me. They know what I want to do. I want to remain a Yankee."

And the Yankees to a man expect Rivera to stay in pinstripes, even if the contract isn't finalized until after the season.

"I don't anticipate Mariano ever being anything but a Yankee," Cashman said.

Derek Jeter added, "Mo ain't going anywhere. Mo will be right here next year. Where's he going to go?"

Then Jeter said, "I'm just playing."

Rivera, however, is not kidding these days. When asked if he thought the Yankees are waiting until the offseason so they can make sure he stays healthy, he said, "Maybe they're thinking that. Maybe they think they have to wait for me to be healthy. But I'm good. I don't have to prove to nobody. I'm fine."

With the memory of Rivera's elbow injury from September still fresh, the Yankees enter spring training with the intention of viewing Rivera as a one-inning pitcher only.

But he disagreed, saying, "I will never think one inning."

Source: Newsday

by Shaun Powell

February 15, 2007
For decades they've given us a weird contrast: a rich company located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country. Predictably, their priorities were hardly a match. While the South Bronx suffered from decay, the Yankees lived by caviar standards. The Bronx craved money; the Yankees gave money away.

Well, the times they are a-changin', and while the Yankees are hardly pleading poverty today, they're suddenly looking at price tags before they open their wallet. The days of the impulse purchase and egotistical buys and trophy hunts are apparently over. This is no longer a team that an agent can love.

In a few years, who knows, the payroll might slip into a size 8. That's the direction the Yankees are headed as they begin to shift into a period of fiscal responsibility by cutting payroll, not to the level of Alex Rodriguez's playoff batting average, but in that general area.

The trick for general manager Brian Cashman is to do this without dropping in the standings or insulting those players who helped make the Yankees winners. He must locate the next great Yankees while making tough decisions on the Yankees who aren't so great anymore. He must be willing to pay for the next Mariano Rivera while resisting any urge to overpay the current Mariano Rivera. It all comes down to money, obviously, which no longer will be spent so freely and stupidly anymore in the Bronx.

This financial game of chance will be every bit as interesting as the game played on the field. It will dictate the Yankees' philosophy as they move further away from the spend-at-all-cost mentality of George Steinbrenner, whose grip on the franchise is loosening every year. It will send a message to current Yankees along with potential Yankees. Mostly, it will be an attempt to return to the good old days, circa 1996, when the Yankees won games with a leaner and younger lineup.

That Yankees team won a championship without paying out a pinstriped ransom for it. They were mainly built through smart trades and free-agent signings, with the right mix of role players who came up big when it counted and a sprinkling of young and cheap players fresh from the farm. It's the kind of team St. Louis used to win the World Series last season and the White Sox the year before that. Actually, with the exception of the 2004 Red Sox, every World Series champion that followed the 2000 Yankees managed to win without maxing out their credit cards.

That hasn't been lost on Cashman as he begins to form the Yankees with a more frugal touch. Basically, don't expect the Yankees to give $15 million to 40-year-old pitchers or 38-year-old outfielders. Randy Johnson and Gary Sheffield were lucky enough to cash in while the getting was good in the Bronx; others won't be so lucky, if Cashman sticks to his plan. The biggest sign that a new day has dawned in the Bronx came this winter, when the Yankees didn't sign a single high-profile Scott Boras client. Now that's showing restraint.

Over the next few years, they'll need to show more strength when decisions are due on the players who helped win four titles in five years. And if Cashman is smart, he'll put sentiment aside when talking contract with Rivera and Jorge Posada. To an extent, Cashman is doing this with Bernie Williams. The Yankees gave Williams roughly $90 million in his last deal. They owe him nothing except a great farewell day at Yankee Stadium. And if Rivera's demands are unreasonable come November, then the Yankees must make a tough decision with him, too. When a team puts one player above the franchise, then in most cases, the franchise is doomed.

Every current player who was on the roster in 2000, the year of the last Yankees' title, is living quite nicely today. Jeter is $190 million richer. Posada, Rivera and Williams all received contracts bigger than the Royals' payroll. Pettitte went to Houston for his money, and now has returned to the Yankees for more. Everyone made a ton of "respect," to borrow a phrase from Rivera.

After failing to win a championship for the sixth straight year, the Yankees are done with spending more money; they just want more to show for it.

Source: Newsday

by Ken Davindoff
February 15, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. - For the first time in this mass-media era, the Yankees have themselves a phenom. Someone who has generated widespread excitement before he ever sets foot in a major-league ballpark.

"I kind of get that sense, somewhat," Phil Hughes, 20, said yesterday, speaking of his fan following.

For this, you can thank (or blame) a perfect storm of circumstances. Consider:

Since the Yankees took Derek Jeter in the 1992 amateur draft, not one of their top picks has played for the big-league club.

The 2007 Yankees' starting rotation appears thin, in terms of major-league experience.

Hughes, the 23rd overall selection of the 2004 draft, is indeed great - the best pitching prospect, many believe, in all of baseball.

Consequently, we have a situation in which people - some fans, some media, perhaps even some team officials - will be clamoring for Hughes each time Kei Igawa or Jeff Karstens pitches poorly. The challenge with Hughes will be for the Yankees to balance their short-term needs against their long-term ambitions.

"In a perfect world, theoretically, I'd love him to take the ball every five days in [Triple-A] Scranton, and then we'll see where he's at, at the end of the year. Maybe a September call-up," GM Brian Cashman said. "But that's in theory. Practically speaking, we'll have to wait and see where it goes."

Said Bill Masse, who managed Hughes last year at Double-A Trenton: "I'm pretty sure that if they let him pitch in the big leagues this year, he would be one of their five starters."

Masse, now managing the Blue Jays' Double-A club in New Hampshire, said, "I've never seen anyone dominate like he dominated Double-A last year," and the numbers back that up. You strike out 138 and walk 32 in 116 innings, and you'll get noticed. This space was fortunate enough to witness Hughes' start in the Eastern League semifinals - six innings, 13 strikeouts, one walk. Incredible.

The Yankees let Hughes throw six innings because it was the playoffs. For the roughly three months prior to that, he was limited to five innings or 80 pitches, whichever came first.

"He was pitching so deep in games [at the start of last year]," Cashman said. "He was piling up so many innings that he got to the point where you were projecting he would have too many. We had to cut it back."

"I was fine with it," Hughes said. "Obviously, I wasn't going to go out and throw 200 innings-plus. I think the way they handled it was fine."

Hughes threw 152 innings in 2006, including the playoffs, and Yankees senior vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman said last month that the righthander would be targeted for 175 to 180 this season.

As much as they want to protect Hughes, however, the Yankees eliminated a buffer when they traded Randy Johnson to Arizona. Regardless of your feelings about the Big Unit, that propelled Hughes up the Yankees' depth chart.

Cashman disagrees, saying, "Now I've added more guys to be in a position to help give me depth." Citing Humberto Sanchez, Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf, Steven Jackson, Darrell Rasner, Steven White and Tyler Clippard, besides Hughes, he said, "All of these guys are supposed to be in the position to help pick up the slack. Who emerges, I can't tell you. But that was the purpose of it, that there would be strength in numbers."

It clearly excites Yankees fans to have so much pitching potential in this camp, and yet the wise ones also know that potential doesn't win a World Series. When rookies perform like Justin Verlander or Francisco Liriano, it's awesome. When they perform like Ed Yarnall and Randy Keisler ... not so much.

Hughes at least acts as if he's not caught up in all of this.

"Whatever the plan is for me, is fine," he said. "I'm still fairly young, so I have to wait. I've got to pay my dues."

The Yankees' season will dictate whether the rest of us prove as patient.

Source: NJ Star-Ledger

BY ED PRICE
February 15th, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. -- Here's who isn't hyping Phil Hughes: Phil Hughes.

Hughes -- he prefers Phil to Philip -- is regarded as one of baseball's top pitching prospects. And even though Yankees executive Mark Newman recently gave Hughes a shot at making the roster out of spring training, Hughes yesterday downplayed that chance.

"I'm not coming in here aggressively, like, fighting for a rotation spot," he said, "because there's not one really open. It's just one of those things where I can come in, get ready for the season and then go from there."

Asked about Newman's comment, a nonplused Hughes said, "You can't really rule anybody out for any spot."

The projected rotation includes Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano. But as manager Joe Torre has pointed out, four of those five have had recent health issues. (And the fifth, Igawa, has never pitched in the U.S.)

Hughes, a right-hander who turns 21 in June, split last year between Class-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. In 21 starts for the Thunder, he was 10-3 with a 2.25 ERA, striking out 138 while allowing 73 hits in 116 innings.

Concerned about his workload -- Hughes, a first-round pick in 2004, entered last season with just 91 1/3 pro innings -- the Yankees handled him gingerly down the stretch. Hughes was allowed to pitch no more than five innings in each of his final 11 starts, including being removed Aug. 24 without having allowed a hit.

Andy Pettitte said he expects Roger Clemens to pitch this season but won't be lobbying Clemens to rejoin the Yankees.

"Usually when me and Roger get together, Roger talks," Pettitte said upon reporting to camp. "There's nothing I've got to say. He knows how I feel about him, I know how he feels about me, and really that's it. He knows whoever he adds himself to, he'll be an unbelievable help to the team."

Clemens, who will turn 45 in August, has said if he pitches this year it will be for the Yankees, Boston Red Sox or Houston Astros.

Pettitte underwent elbow surgery in 2004 and, because of the elbow, seriously considered retirement before signing with the Yankees (two years, $32 million guaranteed, with 2008 a player option).

Judging by his comments yesterday, Pettitte seems to feel the elbow will always be a concern.

"I just try to get out there, you know what I'm saying?" he said. "I just try to get out on the mound and make my starts. Whether I feel bad or good, however my elbow feels, really doesn't matter. Whatever I've got that day, I just go with it.

"I feel good, and I feel like I'm going to be strong and I'm going to hold up. Or I wouldn't have done this."

General manager Brian Cashman said that because of the surgery, Pettitte's elbow was judged to be in better shape now than when he left after the 2003 season.

"The elbow is something he's had to deal with for quite some time," Cashman said. "There is risk associated with him. ... I don't think anybody can tell you that he's definitely going down or that he won't go down again."

Right-hander Ross Ohlendorf, acquired from Arizona in the Randy Johnson deal, said his younger brother, Chad, will follow in his footsteps and pitch for Princeton.

Source: Bloomberg.com

By Danielle Sessa

Feb. 15 (Bloomberg) -- The New York Yankees want to play Major League Baseball's first game in China, team president Randy Levine said.

Levine and General Manager Brian Cashman were among Yankees officials who visited China last month to form a partnership with the Chinese Baseball Association that will help coaches and players learn about the sport.

The earliest a game might be played in the most populous country is 2009, because the stadium to be used won't be available until after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Levine said in a telephone interview yesterday. He said the Yankees want to play a regular-season game there, with a season-opener a possibility.

``We are open to going over and playing in China, whether it's opening or not,'' said Levine, who added he has informed MLB and the Chinese Baseball Association about the club's interest.

Paul Archey, baseball's senior vice president for international business operations, didn't immediately return a call for comment. Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney didn't immediately return a message on his mobile phone.

Baseball, which opened preseason training camps this week, has started its season overseas four times, twice in Japan and once each in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

U.S. sports are trying to capture the attention of the more than 1.3 billion people living in China, where soccer is the most popular game.

The National Basketball Association has played preseason games in China and the National Football League will stage a preseason game there in August. Baseball opened a Beijing office in January.

Olympics Preparations

Levine toured the baseball stadium under construction for the Olympics and said it's important the ballpark be maintained after the Games.

``Major League Baseball and all of the clubs have an obligation to make sure that the stadium stays,'' he said. ``You need a venue to play games.''

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said at last month's owners meetings he's ``anxious'' to open a season in Europe, though baseball hasn't been able to find a proper venue. Selig said the sport would be ``very aggressive'' in China and that talks are taking place about playing games there.

The Yankees played the 2004 season opener in Tokyo against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and New York would rather not go back to Japan, Levine said.

``I'd leave that to baseball,'' he said. ``They probably prefer having teams that haven't been there go, and that is what I think should probably happen, too.''

Source: Hartford Courant

By DOM AMORE, Courant Staff Writer
February 14th, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. -- Andy Pettitte and Carl Pavano went to the outfield to play catch Wednesday. It seems like Pavano has spent most of his two years with the Yankees playing catch in the outfield, but this had the potential to be a most valuable session.

"You've got to trust me," Pettitte told Pavano at one point, "because you need somebody to talk to."

Maybe personality had nothing to do with the Yankees' decision to bring Pettitte back, but if it was a sensible baseball and business decision, it also figures to pay dividends on the human side. Pettitte, a mainstay in the Yankees rotation in 1995-2003, knows his way around the clubhouse, and his way with people could be what Pavano needs to repair his career.

"I know he's frustrated; just from talking to him I can see that," said Pettitte, who re-signed with the Yankees after three years in Houston. "When you're not healthy you're going to be frustrated, and sometimes you have trouble competing through situations like that. I wanted to let him know, `I'm here. I'm on your side. ... I'm your teammate. We're family here.'"

Pavano, who spent the offseason at a training complex in Arizona, has been throwing off the mound and today will join the starting pitchers in the first session in the bullpen at Legends Field. This is a far cry from where Pavano, 31, was last February, when a back injury forced the Yankees to shut down the former Southington High pitcher for nearly the entire spring.

When he was close to coming back in May, bone chips in his elbow cropped up and required surgery. When he was about to return in August, it was revealed that he had broken two ribs in an auto accident and more controversy ensued.

Pavano, who signed a four-year, $40 million contract after the 2004 season, missed most of his first Yankees season with a shoulder injury, so he has not pitched for them since June 27, 2005. The perception has grown that Pavano just does not want to pitch in New York, and teammates now have a we'll-believe-it-when-we-see-it approach.

Late last season, manager Joe Torre called for a greater commitment from Pavano. During the winter, pitcher Mike Mussina said Pavano would have to "earn the trust" of the other players, some of whom plastered headlines from the accident, including "Crash Test Dummy," in his Yankee Stadium locker while he was away.

"I have to make it work, it's not `if,'" Pavano said. "I have two years on my contract. This is the only place I want to be. I wanted to be a Yankee all along. It would be easy to say I made a mistake coming here, but this could have happened anywhere. I don't like the perception that my teammates don't like me, that we don't communicate. I just didn't think they needed to be involved in my problems. I've tried to handle them myself."

Pavano does not plan to make a speech at the first team meeting today, and Torre said he won't encourage him to do so, but the healing process could begin with Pettitte's help, given his clubhouse stature.

"I'm going to be looking for someone to work out with," Pettitte said. "Roger [Clemens] isn't here. I know [Pavano] can't run much because of his back, but I was talking to him about the offseason and he's been working hard. He's got great stuff and he's a big, strong guy. We've got to help each other."

Pettitte, 34, came up through the Yankees organization and won 149 games for them, plus 13 in the postseason. If Pavano, who was 24-12, plus two postseason wins, in his last 11/2 seasons with the Marlins, is another pitcher who goes bust after coming to the Yankees, Pettitte is an example of the few who thrive on the pressure of pitching in New York.

"I want to start building relationships with all the guys who weren't here before I left," Pettitte said. "You know, I'm the kind of guy that likes to build relationships. I made some good friends here, and some good friends with Houston. I want to let people know I'm ready to go out and battle. I wouldn't have done this if I didn't think I could pitch. I don't want to go through the agony of feeling like I let people down because I can't toe the rubber."

Source: The New York Times

By TYLER KEPNER
Published: February 14, 2007

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 13 — George Steinbrenner shuffled down the AstroTurf carpet that covers the concrete walkway to the Legends Field clubhouse. Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ principal owner, wanted to sit in on Manager Joe Torre’s first meeting with his coaches.

In the past, Steinbrenner might have marched in, gesturing confidently while predicting a championship. But there was none of the old gusto on Tuesday. He tried to shoo away cameras and seemed uncertain with his answers to questions. He mumbled a few words and lurched away.

Clearly, it was not the same raging Steinbrenner of popular caricature. One answer might have been revealing, or it might have been meaningless. When asked if Torre “had to win” this season, Steinbrenner replied in a word: “No.”

The fiction around the Yankees is that Steinbrenner, 76, demands a championship every season. The Yankees have lost 10 of their last 13 playoff games over the last three years, yet Steinbrenner has retained Torre every winter.

Now, Torre is in the same position as some of his stalwart players: like Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada, he is unsigned past this season.

Torre, 66, did not sound ready to retire. But he made no promises, either.

“I don’t know yet,” he said, when asked if he wanted to manage in 2008. “The way I feel now, I’d say yes. It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to it. Every year is different and that’s what keeps it stimulating.”

Torre said he had not thought at all about initiating talks on a new contract. He spoke with Steinbrenner after flying here Monday, but did not speak to him during the lengthy coaches meeting.

“I think I’d probably know during the year if it’s as much fun as I expect it to be,” Torre said. “It’s the challenge, the excitement. I was pretty proud of what we did last year. Sure, it ended abruptly, and you can’t control it.”

The Yankees’ playoff series with the Detroit Tigers ended in just four games. The Yankees then traded two starters from that series, Randy Johnson and Jaret Wright, as well as the slugger Gary Sheffield.

They have a standing offer to Bernie Williams to return on a minor league deal, although Williams does not have an obvious spot on the 25-man roster.

“We’d love to have him,” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “I respect the fact he’s not interested in doing that.”

Williams’s corner locker was given to a young pitcher, José Veras, but Posada said Williams had not ruled out accepting the offer. Torre said he would keep trying to reach Williams by phone, but he could offer no guarantees.

“Obviously, he has to know he’s got to come in here and make the team,” Torre said. “That’s something he’s never had to do before.”

Torre said he would limit Rivera to pitching only the ninth inning, a sign that the Yankees want to protect an arm that needed three weeks of rest last September. That is one reason the Yankees see no urgency to address Rivera’s wish for a contract extension.

“My preference is to wait until the end of the year,” Cashman said. “We have a lot of people up. But I have to talk to Mariano. I talked to him once this winter, and this subject didn’t come up.”

Another sensitive issue is the clubhouse credibility of Carl Pavano, who has not pitched for the Yankees since June 27, 2005, because of a series of injuries. Pavano threw at the minor league complex on Tuesday, but he must regain the trust of his teammates, who questioned his competitiveness last season.

“I think it’s sizable,” Torre said, referring to the work Pavano must do in the clubhouse. “I don’t think it’s all based on results, either. I think it’s based on being here every day and being part of it, and that’s something that sort of got disconnected.”

Pitchers are scheduled for physicals on Wednesday, with the first formal workout on Thursday. Torre said he had nothing he needed to speak about with Alex Rodriguez when the full roster reported next week.

Torre dropped Rodriguez to eighth in the lineup for the final playoff loss in Detroit. Rodriguez went hitless in the game and finished 1 for 14 in the series.

Torre did not talk with Rodriguez over the winter, but he heard plenty about the lineup. It was such a hot topic, Torre said, that an opposing player at his daughter’s soccer game even asked about it. He was ready for the question on Tuesday.

“Do I know where he’s going to hit? No, not yet,” Torre said, smiling. “It won’t be eighth.”

INSIDE PITCH

The left-hander Ron Villone re-signed with the Yankees on Tuesday and said he expected to compete to be the second left-hander in the bullpen. “I wouldn’t come here unless there was an opportunity,” said Villone, who is not on the 40-man roster but will earn $2.5 million if he makes the team. Villone made a career-high 70 appearances last season, but his effectiveness waned under a heavy workload in August. He said he turned down multiyear offers from other teams. ... The Yankees did not assign No. 30 out of respect for pitcher Cory Lidle, who died in an October plane crash. ... Proof that spring training is big business: The Yankees are installing three rows of premium seats behind home plate at Legends Field. The cost of a box of eight a year is $22,800, an average of $190 a ticket over the 15-game spring schedule.

Source: Lower-Hudson Journal

By PETER ABRAHAM
February 15, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. - Andy Pettitte reported to Legends Field yesterday and took a long look around the clubhouse.

"Everything is so much the same," the left-hander said. "It's Groundhog Day, almost."

In that movie, cranky weatherman Bill Murray had to repeat the same day over and over again until he mended his wayward ways. Pettitte's déjà vu is the result of having rejoined the Yankees after three seasons with the Houston Astros.

Pettitte didn't have to take a physical, having done so in December when he signed a one-year, $16 million deal to return to the Yankees. But he showed up anyway.

"That first day with Houston was gut-wrenching; I didn't know (any)body," said Pettitte, who spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Yankees. "But this is so comfortable, which it should be."

In an appropriate twist on Valentine's Day, Laura Pettitte called her husband's cell phone as he was being interviewed. His ring tone was the song "I'm So In Love With You."

Pettitte, slightly embarrassed, took the call.

"I told her before I get to the ballpark, I should get rid of that ring tone," he said.

Pettitte recently bought a home in Purchase, just down the street from where he lived in 2003, when he last played for the Yankees.

Laura and his four children will move there in April.

"It's like we never left," he said. "Everything is the same as it was."

The final piece of the puzzle would be a reunion with Roger Clemens. The 44-year-old free agent is working out and is expected to sign with the Yankees, Astros or Red Sox in May or June.

Pettitte won't recruit Clemens to return to the Yankees. He doesn't think he has to.

"Me and Roger don't talk an awful, awful lot but when we do get together, he does a lot of talking," Pettitte said. "I won't say anything. There's nothing I've got to say. He knows how I feel about him."

Wang ready: Chien-Ming Wang reported to camp well into a throwing program. He spent four weeks with personal trainer Brett Fischer in Phoenix.

"I've been in the bullpen six times," said Wang, who won 19 games last season and finished second in the Cy Young voting. "Everything is good."

Extra bases: The Yankees will wear a black band on the left sleeve of their uniforms in memory of Cory Lidle. The right-hander was killed in a plane crash on Oct. 11. The team also does not plan to assign his No. 30 this season. ... Derek Jeter said he spoke with Bernie Williams and doesn't believe the outfielder will accept the team's offer of a minor-league deal. "He's not coming, from what I understand," Jeter said. ... Humberto Sanchez is listed at 6-foot-6, 270 pounds. But the rookie right-hander who was acquired from Detroit in the Gary Sheffield deal said he is closer to 250. "I feel great," said Sanchez, a native of the Bronx. "It's kind of a dream, come true to be in this room with the Yankees."

Source: Lower-Hudson Journal

By PETER ABRAHAM
February 15, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. - Mariano Rivera understands why the Yankees plan to wait until after the season to discuss a contract extension. But if the legendary closer does get to free agency, the only team he has ever played for should not expect any special consideration.

"Everybody would have the same shot," Rivera said yesterday. "The Yankees would not have an advantage. Everybody would have a free shot."

That is welcome news to the Red Sox and any other team without an established closer. But the Yankees are banking on Rivera wanting to stay in New York. They also retain his rights for 15 days after the final game of the World Series and would try to reach an agreement during that time.

"I don't anticipate Mariano never being anything but a Yankee," general manager Brian Cashman said. "We love Mo. He knows that, he knows how we feel. ... I don't think this is as big an issue as it's being played out to be."

Rivera was uncharacteristically irritated as he discussed his contract status on Monday. Cashman called the right-hander on Tuesday night after reading his comments and came away optimistic.

"I've personally done every one of Mariano Rivera's contracts and never had a problem," Cashman said. "We've always had common ground. We've always been fair and respectful, and he has been back. We've never had an issue. But I believe there's a time and place for everything."

The 37-year-old Rivera appeared in only four games last September because of a muscle strain near his right elbow. Tests taken last fall were negative, and Rivera said he feels strong. But there are plans to limit Rivera to one inning per appearance this season.

By waiting to commit the money, the Yankees can ensure that Rivera is healthy and productive.

"All I can tell you is that I'm going to focus on this year and at the end of the year we'll see what happens," Rivera said.

Rivera spoke in conciliatory tones regarding his conversation with Cashman and said several times that he is not upset with the GM or the Yankees.

But as he is on the mound, Rivera was ruthless behind a calm exterior. If the Yankees want to discuss an extension, they'd better do so soon. That door slams shut once the regular season starts.

"I won't be talking," Rivera said. "I would say to wait until the end of the year because that would be a distraction. That's how I work."

Rivera has been one of the key players of the Joe Torre dynasty, saving 413 games and dominating the postseason. His last contract extension came during spring training in 2004.

"I don't know what they're thinking now," Rivera said. "This is a business, and I cannot control what they do. They're going to do whatever they're going to do. On my behalf, all I have to do is make sure I stay healthy and help the team as much as I can."

As Rivera and other pitchers reported for their physicals, Derek Jeter worked out across the street at the minor-league complex. Asked about the idea of Rivera leaving, the team captain laughed.

"Mo will be here next year," Jeter said. "Where's he going to go? ... I'm just playing. But I'm sure it will work out."

The Yankees have no closer on the horizon. Current set-up man Kyle Farnsworth closed for the Braves over the final two months of the 2005 season, but wears down easily.

"You can't replace a guy like Mo," catcher Jorge Posada said. "He's the best ever at what he does."

It would be unsettling to Yankee fans to see Rivera pitching for another team. Even Rivera admitted that he could not imagine such an outcome. But he held the possibility open.

"If I have to, I have to do it," he said. "I'm not going to sit home crying."

Andy Pettitte said he expects Roger Clemens to pitch this season but won't be lobbying Clemens to rejoin the Yankees.

Source: Associated Press

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
February 15, 2007

New York Yankees' Bernie Williams walks off the field after batting practice before a Major League Baseball game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in this April, 27, 2006 file photo, at Yankee Stadium in New York.
AP - Feb 13, 7:43 pm EST
More Photos

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Joe Torre spoke to Bernie Williams and the message from the New York Yankees manager was clear: Come to spring training.

Williams, feeling slighted by the only major league team he's played for, has thus far refused to accept a minor league contract. After Torre left some telephone messages, the 38-year-old outfielder called back on Wednesday afternoon.

"The only thing I stressed to him yesterday is: `If you want to continue to play, you can't do it if you stay up there. We have to see you,"' Torre said Thursday.

Torre said that if Williams does come to spring training, he would have a real chance of earning a spot on the Yankees' 25-man roster

"It doesn't mean you have to hit .400," Torre said. "I think it's what you see more so than what the numbers are."

Williams has been one of Torre's favorites and helped the Yankees win four World Series and six AL pennants. Williams said last week that he was leaning against accepting the minor league contract but said he hadn't made up his mind.

"Yeah, it would be tough for me if you had to say goodbye," Torre said. "I sense he feels confident that he can still play this game."

Williams lost his starting job in center field to Johnny Damon last year. Because of injuries to Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield, Williams played a lot and hit .281 with 12 home runs and 61 RBIs in 420 at-bats.

New York doesn't currently have room for Williams because it plans to carry 12 pitchers, use Jason Giambi as a designated hitter and platoon Doug Mientkiewicz at first base with either Josh Phelps or Andy Phillips.

"If we see Jason as a first baseman, that all of a sudden opens up a spot," Torre said.

Torre spoke with Williams for about 20 minutes and planned to talk with him again in the next day or so.

"It's tough for him to feel wanted if it means getting spot on the 40-man roster at this point in time because there's no room," Torre said.

"I think we have to think more in terms of: `You come down and compete for a job and don't worry about the numbers,"' he said.

Source: Rotoworld.com

Yankees general partner Steve Swindal was detained early this morning in Florida under suspicion of DUI, according to WFAN. He reportedly apologized profusely once released.

Swindal is George Steinbrenner's son-in-law and is the top candidate to take control of the Yankees once Steinbrenner's reign is over. There's also been some controversy lately about Swindal's future with the team given his stake in Excelsior Racing Associates, which is bidding for three New York racetracks and eyeing the inclusion of video slot machines. Of course, MLB dislikes any ties with casino gambling.