Source: New York Times

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 23 — The Yankees’ starting outfielders have combined for almost 5,000 career games in the major leagues and Japan. Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu will all be 33 by midseason, and they all could use a break now and then.

When injuries forced outfielder Melky Cabrera into a regular spot in the lineup last season, he responded by hitting .280 in 460 at-bats.

“Someone that plays 162 games a year has a chance of being good,” Damon said Friday. “But I think a player who plays 145 or 150 games has a chance to be great. Knowing there’s one day a week when you don’t have to mentally get prepared for a game, players are so much better.”

That is one reason Damon was so pleased this winter when the Yankees kept Melky Cabrera. When Damon needs a day off, Cabrera can fill in.

The Yankees considered trading the 22-year-old Cabrera for bullpen help and bringing Bernie Williams back as the reserve outfielder. There was some sentiment to trade Cabrera while his value was high. But Cabrera also has value to the Yankees, and he went nowhere.

He has come a long way from last spring. Just how far is reflected in the tone of the Yankees’ message to him from one camp to the next.

Last spring, Manager Joe Torre saw Cabrera as a talented player with an uncertain work ethic. This spring, Torre trusts Cabrera and said he would try hard to find him regular playing time.

“We nudged him last spring early on,” Torre said. “He was someone that we knew had tools, but it just looked like he was really not applying the tools. We had a meeting with him, and you didn’t have to tell him twice. He got your attention in the spring, and when we had a problem, we never hesitated as far as where we were going.”

The Yankees turned to Cabrera when Matsui and Gary Sheffield were injured early in the season, and he responded by hitting .280 with a .360 on-base percentage in 460 at-bats.

Cabrera showed a surprisingly sophisticated approach to hitting, with 56 walks to only 59 strikeouts, and his presence gave the lineup a jolt.

“I love having him in the lineup,” Damon said. “The spark and the happiness he takes to the field are pretty cool.”

Matsui is back and Abreu came over in a trade with the Phillies last July, but the Yankees want to play Cabrera enough to make sure he keeps improving. When the exhibition season starts next Thursday, Cabrera will be busy.

“We had a meeting with him today, actually, just to let him know what our plans were, and the fact that he’s got to come to the ballpark thinking he’s a regular player every day,” Torre said.

“The only difference is he’ll get time at all three outfield positions, make road trips and D.H. on the road to get used to pinch-hitting. Even though he’s not a D.H., you can sort of simulate that by using the designated hitter as a pinch-hitter four times a game.”

Torre said he was still trying to decide on a target number of at-bats for Cabrera. Damon said he would like the switch-hitting Cabrera to play 120 games — he played in 130 last season — to help the Yankees clarify their future plans.

“There are very important decisions to make after this year,” Damon said. “Bobby has an option, and right now we have three left-handers out there full time. There are a lot of things that can happen in this game.”

Interestingly, Damon mentioned that center fielders Andruw Jones and Torii Hunter would be free agents after the season. Damon plays in center now, and he is signed through 2010. But before the Yankees decide whether to pursue Jones or Hunter, they may need to see more of Cabrera in center field.

“On any other team, Melky could be a starter right now,” Damon said. “There’s just not a spot for him here, but we’ll find a way. We need to see if he can develop to be a decent center fielder. We know he can do it in left and right. But center is what needs to be seen.”

Cabrera played winter ball in the Dominican Republic last month and said he did not worry about the trade talk surrounding him then. Through an interpreter, he said his role would be up to Torre.

“I’m going to be satisfied with what the manager says, and be prepared when I have an opportunity to do the job,” Cabrera said.

Much like last season, Cabrera can usually be found in the clubhouse near second baseman Robinson Canó, who is also Dominican. Canó is further advanced as a hitter, but they seem to bring the same intangibles to the team.

“Leche, he plays hard and he has fun, man,” said Derek Jeter, referring to Cabrera by the Spanish word for milk. “He and Robby are very similar. They go out there and enjoy themselves. You like to see that. You like to see people enjoying themselves and playing hard, appreciating that they’re on the field and not taking it for granted.”

INSIDE PITCH

The relievers threw batting practice Friday, and Joe Torre was pleased with his inventory. The Yankees acquired the right-handers LUIS VIZCAíNO and Chris Britton in trades over the winter and did not lose any relievers who pitched more than 18 games. “We have more depth now in an area that certainly doesn’t hurt,” Torre said. “We went to the well with some arms last year, and you pay the price for that.”

Source: BoDogBeat

Memories of A-Rod’s nightmare 2006 season are still with fans, as well as Rodriguez himself as the New York Yankees continue their spring training in Tampa, Fla.

A-Rod made 24 errors at third base in 2006, matching a career high set in 1997 as a shortstop. He made just 25 combined errors during his first two years at third base.

"I never felt in control," Rodriguez told the Daily News. "I felt I was overweight, and my footwork as a result was very slow and lethargic. Good fielding comes from good feet, and my feet were bad."

His hitting in the playoffs was even worse - 1-for-14 (.071) with four strikeouts in the four-game Divisional Series loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Nevertheless, oddsmakers still believe in the Yankees (or at least they believe in their fans’ belief) and have given the Bronx Bombers 7/2 odds to win the World Series in 2007. Next closest are the Detroit Tigers at 5/1.

Odds To Win 2007 World Series Championship

Arizona Diamondbacks 45/1
Atlanta Braves 30/1
Baltimore Orioles 90/1
Boston Red Sox 9/1
Chicago Cubs 9/1
Chicago White Sox 9/1
Cincinnati Reds 50/1
Cleveland Indians 20/1
Colorado Rockies 100/1
Detroit Tigers 5/1
Florida Marlins 35/1
Houston Astros 35/1
Kansas City Royals 85/1
Los Angeles Angels 10/1
Los Angeles Dodgers 15/1
Milwaukee Brewers 40/1
Minnesota Twins 22/1
New York Mets 9/1
New York Yankees 7/2
Oakland Athletics 20/1
Philadelphia Phillies 15/1
Pittsburgh Pirates 100/1
San Diego Padres 30/1
San Francisco Giants 10/1
Seattle Mariners 100/1
St Louis Cardinals 9/1
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 200/1
Texas Rangers 40/1
Toronto Blue Jays 15/1
Washington Nationals 150/1

Source: Hartford Courant

February 23, 2007
By DOM AMORE, Courant Staff Writer

TAMPA, Fla. -- Johnny Damon has reveled in the fruits of life in America. He plays baseball for $13 million a year, and he wears fame comfortably.

Still beaming over his new baby girl, he arrived for his second Yankees training camp this week pronouncing, "Life just keeps getting better."

The shoulder-length hair is long gone, but Damon is not shy about wearing patriotism on his sleeve.

"I know we're [divided] about the war," Damon said of the U.S. involvement in Iraq. "But we need to take care of these soldiers who've made the sacrifice for our freedom. ... It's about our country. It bothers me when people dog the country. We're free, we have the ability to make millions of dollars, and people are complaining."

For Damon, his new passion is not about politics, but people. He became a national spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project last September, and has taken a personal interest in helping wounded veterans rebuild their lives.

His father, Jimmy, was a career Army officer who served in Vietnam. Johnny Damon, 33, spent much of his early life on Army bases, and often wears military-themed attire; it's part of him.

"My father's told me things in the last few years that he wouldn't tell me as a child," Damon said. "The thing that really inspired me is when I went to Walter Reed hospital last year, for the second time, and I saw the progress people were making. Their spirits are so high, in spite of everything they've gone through, and they say they would do it again."

When Damon launched The Professional Baseball Video Game League last winter, he made sure Sgt. Steven Andrew Robison was included with the major league players who are taking part.

"When Johnny gets involved in something, you get the person," said Jason Giambi, who hopes to join Damon in some of his upcoming projects. "He's a giver. This means a lot to him. He has a ton of ideas."

The Wounded Warrior Project helps address the various needs of soldiers wounded in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Damon is passionately concerned about the quality of life wounded soldiers return home to. If counseling is needed, Damon wants to facilitate it. If a wounded veteran has a dream that's humanly possible to reach, he wants to make sure money is no obstacle.

"We want to make sure they can have a normal life," Damon said. "We want to help set things up where they can play golf, ski, do a lot of different things. ... We want them to get what they need to do the things we're all able to do."

Damon is hoping to start a program where major league players visit wounded veterans in their area.

"That's what's important," Damon said. "These soldiers come from all over the country, and to have players from there visit with them ... It's just important to me that we not forget the sacrifices they've made to keep us free."

Adventurous Day

It's a routine part of spring training, the popup drills. But the degree of difficulty moved off the charts Friday.

"They had it set on knuckleball or something," Derek Jeter said.

For about 15 hilarious minutes, some of the highest-paid players in history could not catch simple popups, and the fans at Legends Field joined in the laughter.

"The machine has two wheels, and one was set faster than the other," manager Joe Torre said. "It took a few minutes to get it set right."

The baseballs, shot out of the machine from the plate, had a weird backspin and proved impossible to judge and catch, especially with a very high sky and a little breeze. The first one, out to left field, completely fooled Hideki Matsui, who started in, then raced back and couldn't catch up to it on the warning track. Jeter settled under one at shortstop, then lurched to his left and dropped the ball, the crowd howling. Robinson Cano had a similar experience, then Alex Rodriguez. Jorge Posada looked like he had one measured near the plate, but he stopped to avoid running into the machine itself and it fell five feet from him.

Finally, Jeter was able to hold on to one with a basket catch and the crowd cheered, Rodriguez raising both arms to celebrate.

"They're veteran players and they don't want to give the idea they weren't taking it seriously," Torre said. "They understood the main thing was to practice calling for the ball and calling each other off. But it doesn't hurt to have a little fun." ... Mariano Rivera threw live batting practice with the other relievers, so despite his extra rest time this winter, he is up to speed. "No problemo," he said. "I wasn't trying to do anything special, it was BP. Everything felt fine."

Melky's Role

Torre and the coaches sat down with Melky Cabrera to explain his role as the fourth outfielder. "We told him we want him to come to the park every day and prepare like he's an everyday, regular player," Torre said. "He'll get time at all three positions, and he'll take some road trips [in spring training] and DH for us so we can get him used to pinch hitting." ... The starting pitchers will throw BP again today. Torre is planning only one intrasquad game, next Tuesday.

Source: Hattiesburg American (MA)

Roger Clemens is getting away with it again.

The seven-time Cy Young winner won't make a commitment one way or the other on whether he will play this season.

He said he doesn't know if he'll play, but he's got a list of teams that he would possibly play for: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.

I can't argue with the fact that Clemens can still pitch. He's capable of helping any of those teams reach the postseason.

My point of contention with Clemens is the arrogance that he has displayed in the past two seasons in making teams wait and see where the fireballer will fall.

He signed a $22 million contract with the Astros last year to only pitch half a season.

That massive contract translated into a 7-6 record with a 2.30 earned run average and no postseason trip for the offensively-anemic Astros.

I argued at the time he signed on the dotted line that the Astros wouldn't reach the postseason even with Clemens in the pitching rotation, and I have a feeling he knew that as well. It seemed that the only reason Clemens was back on that field was the huge payday that was promised to him.

My question is, why does he get off so easy?

I hear very little criticism of him about making teams wait and cross their fingers that Clemens will fall in their lap.

Green Bay Packers quarterback and Southern Miss legend Brett Favre was absolutely skewered last year when he waited until April 26 to decide to come back for another year.

Granted, being an NFL quarterback is a different predicament than being one of five members of a Major League Baseball pitching staff.

But I hear very little criticism, if any, of Clemens holding out for big money for only half a season.

Clemens told The Associated Press this week that he'll wait until his agents get an offer he can't refuse before he amps up his workout regimen for a possible return.

He wouldn't be doing this if he didn't know he could still pitch. Why can't he dedicate himself to a team, go out there and complete a full season or just finally decide to retire?

Does he want to be viewed as a savior when he comes in at the midway point and leads a team to the World Series?

Save us the suspense and go ahead and sign with a team or just retire, like you said you were going to do in 2003 after your last season with the Yankees.

Don't wait and see who decides to show up with a dump truck full of cash in June.

Source: New York Post

BERNIE ON STATUS: "NOTHING'S CHANGED"

By MICHAEL MORRISSEY

February 23, 2007 -- Bernie Williams is home alone. And now more than ever, it appears that's where he'll stay.

Williams told The Post yesterday afternoon that nothing has changed regarding his status, although he wouldn't address the issue of retirement or say whether he will eventually head to Florida to join the Yankees.

A subdued Williams, who recently spoke with former teammate Derek Jeter but hadn't returned phone calls from GM Brian Cashman, manager Joe Torre or catcher Jorge Posada, made the comment outside his Westchester County mansion.

He pulled into his gated driveway at 2:40 p.m. with what appeared to be his daughter in the passenger seat of his Chevy SUV. Asked if anything had changed, Williams said, "No."



The longtime Yankees center fielder was offered an open invitation to spring training, but only with a non-guaranteed minor-league contract. It is widely believed the 38-year-old finds the offer to be insulting.

As temperatures climbed into the mid-70s in Tampa, rain pelted Williams' SUV and washed away the remainder of a recent February snowfall. It was a dreary, miserable day, and Williams was apparently spending it with family instead of his former Yankees teammates.

The juxtaposition couldn't have been more striking.

When asked if he were retired, Williams said he didn't want to talk. The five-time All-Star refused to answer whether he'd be going down to Florida this spring.

Certain Yankees players and team officials would love to see Williams at Legends Field, but Cashman has been adamant that he cannot guarantee a roster spot, never mind playing time.

Williams would be considered the fifth outfielder, and the onus is on Torre and the Yanks to develop burgeoning youngster Melky Cabrera by giving him playing time as the fourth outfielder. Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu have the starting outfield jobs, barring an injury.

While Cashman all but extinguished Williams' hope of making the team by laying out the numbers game, Torre was more optimistic. Even though Williams is a sort of teacher's pet with the manager, Torre has said that the more time Williams spent in Tampa, the better chance he had of making the club.

Jeter and Posada were under the impression that Williams wouldn't be coming to camp.

"As a 16-year veteran, it is tough to come to camp and fight for a job, especially if you are Bernie Williams," Posada reportedly said a few days ago.

Source: Newsday

Replacement in right-field is quite content to fit in and keep his mouth closed

BY JIM BAUMBACH
jim.baumbach@newsday.com
February 24, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. - When Gary Sheffield said of Bobby Abreu this past offseason, "He ain't me," he wasn't kidding. These rightfielders couldn't be more different.

Take, for example, their contractual situations.

Abreu is entering spring training the same way Sheffield did last year: with one year left on his contract plus a team option. But Abreu is going about business far differently from his predecessor.

While Sheffield - who wound up being traded to the Tigers this offseason - bickered all through camp about the status of his $13-million 2007 option, Abreu all but shrugged when asked about the $16-million option the Yankees hold for 2008. "I don't think too much about that," Abreu said.

This is how Abreu operates. He's soft-spoken and stays under the radar, exactly the opposite of how Sheffield carries himself. Aside from an occasional laugh with teammates, Abreu barely shows emotion.

Even after Sheffield's "He ain't me" quote was recited to Abreu on Friday, the rightfielder barely raised his eyebrows. "I don't really pay attention to that stuff," he said. "I just focus on me and my game. I don't worry about what other people say."

That attitude has helped Abreu succeed in an environment in which so many others have failed. When the Yankees acquired him from the Phillies just before the trade deadline last July, he said he told himself, "I'm not going to let the pressure get into my mind."

In Philadelphia, the pressure to carry the Phillies weighed on Abreu, and he was not suited for that role. "He felt that if he didn't get the hits, he was letting the team down," said Yankees third-base coach Larry Bowa, who had managed Abreu with the Phillies.

With the Yankees, Abreu became just another big bat in a lineup filled with All-Star-caliber hitters. The Yankees stressed to him that he should play his own game. He's a patient hitter, and the Yankees told him to take as many pitches as he wanted and not to worry about hitting home runs.

"They always made a big deal about home runs in Philly, but if he hits 15 or 20 here, that's fine," Bowa said. " ... Here, I think people really told him to go out and enjoy yourself, relax, and if you don't do it, we have some other people who can."

Abreu credits that for his strong second half last year; after hitting .277 in 339 at-bats with a .427 on-base percentage for the Phillies, he hit .330 in 209 at-bats with a .419 OBP in pinstripes.

"If you fail, you have guys behind you like A-Rod, Giambi, Matsui," he said. "They can take care of the job when you fail. So you're not afraid to fail because of that protection. It's different."

Bowa also has been impressed with the way Abreu has voluntarily worked with Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera. With that in mind, the Yankees put 18-year-old outfield prospect Jose Tabata's locker next to Abreu's. Both are from Venezuela.

Abreu said he would like to have the same impact on Tabata that infielder Ricky Gutierrez had on Abreu in Astros camp a decade ago. "He told me how to work, what to expect of yourself, how to get yourself better," Abreu said. "Work ethic, basically."

Notes & quotes: Joe Torre met with Cabrera on Friday to discuss the expectations for him this season. "We still want his mentality to be that of a regular player, and not as just a backup," Torre said. The Yankees told Cabrera they intend to find him regular time at all three outfield spots ... The Yankees ran a pop-up and fly ball drill to work on players calling off teammates, but troubles with the gun that shoots the balls resulted in knucklers flying through the air. The Yankees missed the first six balls. "The combination of not finding it right away and the high sky with no clouds up there, I think we lost them early and then it just got ugly," Torre said. "We will do that again." ... Randy Baker, recently promoted to vice president of security, ordered an older couple to leave the first three rows during the workout. They turned out to be Brian Cashman's parents.

Source: NYYFans.com

By Phil Allard
NYYFans.com Staff Writer
February 20, 2007

Berniegate

Last week I wrote an article that thanked Bernie Williams for his wonderful exploits as a New York Yankee.

I stand by those words. Bernie has always conducted himself with grace and dignity. He has been a champion…..until now.

When GM Brian Cashman granted him a Spring Training invitation, Bernie had a responsibility to accept it, sign with another team, or retire. By not returning calls and not responding in any way to the team, he kept Torre, Cashman and the whole organization hanging.

Cashman’s job is to put the best team on the field. If that team includes Bernie Williams in 2007, Cashman would not be doing his job.

If Bernie wants his last dealings with the Yankees to be punctuated with such a sour note, so be it.

There is no room for Bernie anyway. And if he were to report to Spring Training, Grandfather Joe would do everything in his power to place him on the 25-man roster, at the detriment of the team.

The purpose of a 25th man is to be versatile. Bernie is not. He is a bad defensive outfielder. He can not pinch run. He can not steal, and he is a horrendous pinch hitter. If he were to be on the team, it would simply be an act of nostalgic longing on the part of Torre, and he would have to talk Cashman into the silly notion to begin with.

The last roster spot should go to Kevin Thompson, but it won’t. It will go to a 12th pitcher instead as an apparent safety net against Torre’s penchant for overusing his bullpen.

The 25th roster spot should not go to Thompson because he is a superior player to Bernie. He isn’t. He simply fits the role better.

Moose jumps ugly with Pavano

Seriously, isn’t Mike Mussina saying what most Yankee fans are feeling? After missing a year-and-a-half with an absurd amount of injuries covering supposedly most every inch of his body, Carl Pavano has something to prove. The fact that Pavano does not agree should be troublesome to Yankee fans.

Mussina said. "It didn't look good from a player's and teammate's standpoint. It didn't look good. Was everything just coincidence? Over and over again? I don't know."

Asked whether Pavano deserved the benefit of the doubt, Mussina didn't hesitate.

"Not yet," he said. "I want to see that he wants to do it."
The next day, at the behest of Torre, Mussina made his peace with Pavano. But the point was made. There is nothing worse for a player than to not have the support of his teammates.

Here’s hoping you stay healthy during Spring Training, Carl, so Cashman can trade you.

A-Rod contra Jeter

When A-Rod says something that is politically correct (as Jeter often does) people complain that he is phony. When A-Rod speaks his mind, he is often accused of putting his foot in his mouth or being “calculating.” This guy can not win, and it’s a shame.

Asked to be candid about his relationship with Jeter, A-Rod said it’s not what it once was, but they remain teammates dedicated to winning. “I cheer very hard for him. He cheers for me.”

Is there anything wrong with that? So what if the 5-time-a-week-sleepovers are a thing of the past. Yes, the crap that A-Rod spewed at Jeter in that 2001 Esquire article was fueled by jealousy. But it is beyond time for Jeter to put the team above the feud. It would do wonders for A-Rod’s fragile psyche if Jeter would pull a Pee-Wee Reese and put a symbolic arm around A-Rod and embrace him as a Yankee.

Only Jeter can do that. He knows that, and he won’t do it. Jeter holds the power. Jeter can fix it. And by doling so he might prevent A-Rod from constantly saying the wrong thing.

This is not a knock on Jeter the player. God knows I would rather have him up with the bases loaded in the 9th inning of a tie game with the Red Sox than A-Rod. But as Captain, he should step up and tell the press and the fans to support A-Rod unequivocally. A-Rod is one of the best ballplayers of his generation.

But Jeter says he won’t tell the fans what to do. Pee-Wee did.

Mo barks for an extension

Perhaps the most stunning development of the spring so far as been Mariano Rivera’s announcement that, if he is not granted an extension now, there will be no “Home Town Discount” once his contract expires.

It’s very unlike Rivera to lash out like this. There is no doubt in my mind that Cashman will re-sign Rivera after the season. Brian is too smart to let the best closer in baseball go. There will not be an Andy Pettitte repeat here. So don’t worry about it.

Word has it that Mo is working on a new pitch this Spring: a change of pace. God help the league if he can make it work.

Source: Hartford Courant

February 25, 2007
By DOM AMORE, Courant Staff Writer

TAMPA, Fla. -- Chien-Ming Wang might be the most overlooked 19-game winner on this side of the Pacific, but not on the other side.

"I had to stay in my house," Wang said, recalling his tumultuous return home to Taiwan in November. "People were following me around for autographs everywhere."

It started when he landed at Taoyuan International Airport. There were hundreds of fans to greet him and more lined the streets, creating an unofficial parade route. Fans and reporters also camped out in his driveway.

"I wasn't surprised," he said, laughing as Taiwanese reporters stood nearby. "I knew the Taiwan media was like that."

Wang, 26, who eventually needed bodyguards to get around his home island, cashed in on his hero status with commercials for McDonald's, Nike, Ford and a local bank while he was home. But he has arrived without bells and whistles for spring training with the Yankees, who, with so many questions on their pitching staff, are counting on him to repeat what he did last year. Wang went 19-6 with a 3.53 ERA in 218 innings, good for second place behind Johan Santana in the American League Cy Young voting. The righthander was the first Yankee pitcher to throw live batting practice this week and could be their Opening Day starter April 2 in New York.

"It would be an honor to start the first game," Wang said. "I know I would be the first from Taiwan to start the home opener."

Wang arrived in Tampa in top condition; after two months in Taipei, he returned to Phoenix in January to work at the Fischer Sports Physical Therapy and Conditioning center for a third year in a row.

"We do a lot of weight training, stretching," Wang said. "Core exercises."

The Yankees are concerned about the number of innings Wang accumulated last year, especially since he had shoulder problems before. Though they were facing elimination, manager Joe Torre refused to pitch him on short rest for Game 4 of the Division Series.

"We're certainly aware of it," Torre said. "But fortunately, if you look at it, there weren't a lot of pitches to go with all those innings."

Wang's success runs contrary to most modern statistical thinking. He struck out only 76 batters, about one every three innings, and allowed more hits (233) than innings pitched, numbers hardly associated with a No. 1 starter.

But Wang countered those numbers with only 2.14 walks per nine innings. He got 75 percent of hitters putting the ball in play to hit ground balls, resulting in only 12 home runs and 57 extra-base hits. Runners managed only nine steals, with 11 thrown out, and 33 more were erased on double plays. Wang also averaged 14 pitches an inning, allowing him to last several times into the eighth with little more than 100 pitches.

All of this is made possible by a sinker ball that AL hitters have yet to translate into line drives.

"He threw his first BP and I asked him how it went and he said, `I was [terrible],'" Torre said. "He was joking. He has this inner security about him, it doesn't seem like anything has changed."

Wang has learned quite a bit of English, though he still prefers help translating for interviews. No matter how big he is back home, he still moves quietly and without swagger around the clubhouse.

"It's still the same," Wang said. "These are my teammates, my friends. No one treats me any differently."

Source: Lower-Hudson Journal

By PETER ABRAHAM
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: February 26, 2007)

TAMPA, Fla. - As sports fans, we are conditioned to roll our collective eyes when an athlete agrees to a new contract and says, "It's not about the money." Invariably, it is about the money.

Then there is Ron Villone, the exception to our cynicism.

On the advice of agent Scott Boras, the 37-year-old left-handed reliever declined salary arbitration with the Yankees in December, believing he would get guaranteed two-year offers from other teams.

He did receive those offers, several of them. But this time, against the advice of Boras, Villone turned them all down and agreed to a one-year minor-league contract with the Yankees that includes no guarantees of making the roster.

"I'm a crazy left-hander," Villone said. "It's not about the money for me."

That wasn't the case at first. Villone knew the approval of a new collective bargaining agreement last fall would trigger a hot market for free agents.

Mike Stanton, a lefty reliever of comparable quality to Villone, had agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million deal with Cincinnati in November. Alan Embree got the same deal from Oakland a few weeks later.

"I did get offers, but they weren't lucrative ones," Villone said. "I was stubborn about it."

In a game of financial musical chairs, Villone was the last man standing.

"When people have doubts about your health and performance, you get bad thoughts," Villone said. "I was willing to take a physical for anybody. I was confident with what I could do."

Villone was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball for the first four months of last season. He allowed only 37 hits and 12 earned runs in his first 45 appearances, earning the trust of Yankees manager Joe Torre.

Perhaps too much trust.

Villone appeared in 17 of the 30 games the Yankees played in August, and nine times pitched more than one inning.

"You're sorry it happened, but we had nowhere to go," Torre said. "He had his hand up all the time. We were up against it."

As the workload increased, so did Villone's ERA. He ended the season in a tailspin, giving up 33 earned runs and 38 hits over 26 2/3 innings. His ERA swelled from 2.01 to 5.04.

"I felt fine by the playoffs, like I was back," Villone said. "But it was too late. But I wouldn't change a thing. You learn from your experiences. I was available for 162 games, and I don't regret it. My mind can be stronger than my body at times, but that's me."

But across baseball, the concern was that Torre had worn Villone out. As February approached, Villone's confidence that he would get a good deal turned to wondering why he still was unemployed.

"I was talking to several teams, and I had a few offers," he said. "I just got in my car and drove to Florida."

Along the way, Villone contemplated whether to take a guaranteed two-year deal with another American League team or try his luck with the Yankees again.

Villone knew the Yankees needed a lefty reliever. Going with only one-batter sidearm specialist Mike Myers would be a risk. A Yankees fan all his life, he also valued the idea of being in pinstripes.

The biggest issue was his family life. Villone's ex-wife and two children live in River Vale, N.J. Villone lives a few towns over in Upper Saddle River. Being a Yankee means being able to watch 10-year-old Megan play softball or bringing 9-year-old Ronnie into the clubhouse after a game.

"If I'm playing somewhere else, it's hard to see my kids," he said. "The transition every time I go away hurts. Getting to go to their school during the season was one of the best experiences of my life, so I'm back."

If he makes the Yankees, Villone can earn $2.5 million. If not, he will exercise a clause in the deal and become a free agent on April 1.

Through two weeks of camp, Villone has looked like the pitcher who dominated for four months. Torre watched him throw batting practice yesterday and came away impressed.

"His arm strength is there," he said. "He's certainly qualified, and you liked just about everything about him last year. The fact he ran out of gas, we contributed to that."

You can make a case the Yankees owe Villone one more shot, but no matter what happens, Villone is at peace with his decision.

"More money would have been nice," he said. "Making the right decision is better."

Source: NJ Star-Ledger

Monday, February 26, 2007
BY LISA KENNELLY
Star-Ledger Staff

TAMPA, Fla. -- Reliever Brian Bruney will miss the next four to five days due to sharp pain in his left side.

Bruney received treatment yesterday but said he was still sore and didn't know when he would return to throwing drills.

"It is (significant) but there's not much we can do about it," manager Joe Torre said. "He was pitching in spite of it, and it just wouldn't go away. It's not something that's serious, it's just something that unless you just shut him down it's probably going to hang on."

Bruney was 1-1 with a 0.87 ERA in 19 appearances with the Yankees last season.

Humberto Sanchez threw his full batting practice session yesterday without any problems. The right-hander had his session pushed back a day due to tightness in his right forearm.

"Sanchez was a lot better," said Torre, who went over to Field 2 to watch. "It didn't look like he tried to muscle it today. He was a lot smoother, which gave him a better result."

While on Field 2, Torre also checked out reliever Ron Villone, who re-signed with the team on a minor-league contract at the beginning of spring training.

"(He looks) a whole lot better than he did a year ago at this time," Torre said. "Last year at this time we didn't see the arm strength I saw today."

Torre said Villone was "certainly qualified" to make the team again this season, in order to have another left-hander in the bullpen alongside left-handed specialist Mike Myers.

Joining the crowd of injured pitchers was left-hander Ben Kozlowski, who suffered a left intercostal (rib cage) strain.

He skipped batting practice yesterday and will be shut down for a few days, but the strain doesn't appear to be serious.

"I'm not too concerned about it at all," Kozlowski said.

Johnny Damon missed his second straight day of practice due to personal reasons. He is expected back in camp today.

Starter Kei Igawa is among the pitchers slated to throw in tomorrow's intrasquad game. The others are Villone, Jeff Karstens, Chase Wright, Jeff Kennard, Colter Bean, Steven Jackson, Tyler Clippard, Kevin Whelan and Chris Britton.

Source: MLB.com

TAMPA, Fla. -- The list of pitchers checking into trainer Gene Monahan's office is growing.

One day after right-hander Humberto Sanchez was pushed back from a scheduled live batting practice session with tightness in his right forearm, two more Yankees hurlers have been sidelined with Spring Training injuries.

Reliever Brian Bruney had been complaining of a sharp sticking pain in his lower left back -- he compared it to the sensation of being stabbed by a knife -- and manager Joe Torre confirmed Sunday that the 25-year-old right-hander will be put out of action for "four or five days."

"It just wouldn't go away," Torre said. "It's not something that's serious, but it's something that if you don't shut him down, it was probably going to hang on."

Additionally, left-hander Ben Kozlowski was scratched from a scheduled session on Sunday with an intercostal abdominal strain, and is likely to be shut down for at least two days.

Kozlowski, 26, had originally been selected as one of the eight hurlers slated to pitch live batting practice at Legends Field on Sunday.

Kozlowski said that he first felt the injury while reaching back for a fastball last week during a batting practice session on a back diamond of the Yankees' complex, wincing when a sharp sensation began to pang his left side.

A non-roster invitee to Yankees camp, Kozlowski said he wrestled Saturday evening with his injury, trying to decide whether or not to inform the team's medical staff.

Eventually, Kozlowski said he reached the right decision.

"I could either throw through this," Kozlowski said, "or do the professional thing and report it to the trainers. That's what I did."

As for Sanchez, the burly right-hander returned to action on Sunday, throwing in a session on a back field with Torre in attendance. Sanchez said he "feels good, for the most part," and no longer feels the tightness that prevented him from throwing with the Yankees' starters on Saturday.

"He looked a lot better," Torre said. "He didn't look like he tried to muscle it today. He was a lot smoother."

Showing his stuff: Torre said he was pleased by the velocity shown by left-hander Ron Villone, who led a contingent of Yankees relievers pitching behind the Legends Field diamond.

Villone, 37, is in camp this year as a non-roster invitee, but Torre said he can already see a major difference between Villone's ability during last Spring Training.

Villone was 3-3 with a 5.04 ERA in 70 appearances for New York last season, and would figure to be a candidate to make the club if Torre opts to carry a second left-hander behind side-arming Mike Myers.

"Last year, at this time, we didn't see the arm strength we saw today," Torre said. "He's certainly qualified. We liked just about everything about him last year."

Facing off: Torre announced his probable pitchers for Tuesday's intrasquad scrimmage, though right-hander Carl Pavano -- who was sent for MRIs and X-rays on his injured left foot Sunday -- is not currently listed among them.

The exhibition will range anywhere from nine to 11 innings and is highlighted by the appearance of Japanese left-hander Kei Igawa, who will face Yankees hitters for the first time without a batting cage.

Other pitchers slated to pitch in the game are: Colter Bean, Chris Britton, Tyler Clippard, Steven Jackson, Jeff Karstens, Jeff Kennard, Villone, Kevin Whelan and Chase Wright.

Due back: Torre said that outfielder Johnny Damon, who has been excused from camp for personal reasons, could rejoin the club on Monday. Damon met with Cashman and Torre on Friday and informed them of the reasons for his requested absence, which have thus far remained unspecified. Torre said Damon could speak to the matter if he so chooses upon his return.

The memory card: Britton's locker neighbor is right-hander Mike Mussina, and the two spent a recent morning comparing notes from their Baltimore Orioles pedigrees.

Mussina hasn't donned the black and orange since 2000, but his memories of the club's Spring Training are still sharp.

The location may have changed, as the Birds now train in Fort Lauderdale, but most of the team-specific routines continue to be consistent with the present-day, as the 24-year-old reliever informed him.

"Amazing," Mussina remarked at one point.

The Yankees present a new beginning for Britton, who appeared in 52 games for the Orioles last season, compiling a 3.35 ERA before being dealt in November's Jaret Wright deal.

Britton said he was "totally surprised" by the news of the deal, saying that he hadn't seen a trade coming, but noted that change can be viewed as a positive thing.

"All the guys are good and the coaches are great," Britton said. "I've just got to learn a new way of doing stuff because I've been with the Orioles for so long. The biggest thing right now is trying to remember everybody's name and get everything right."

Source: Hartford Courant

TAMPA, Fla. -- Don Mattingly has emerged from the dankness of the batting cage, eager to take the next steps out under the game's bright spotlight.

"Donnie was born to be a hitting coach," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "That was a layup for him. The growth is going to come now that he's being exposed to things he hadn't been exposed to before."

Mattingly, after three seasons as the hitting coach, is Joe Torre's new bench coach, a job that takes on the contours of the personality in it and can be a steppingstone. Across the organization, Mattingly, 45, is viewed as solid managerial timber, something that naturally excites Mattingly, and makes no one, including Torre, uncomfortable.

"Joe tells me, just prepare every day like you're going to manage the game that day," Mattingly said. "He says, `Just be prepared when the opportunity comes.' I just want to be prepared."

Torre, 66, is in the final year of his contract and there has been no talk yet of an extension. Mattingly, who replaced Lee Mazzilli, now a Mets broadcaster, is embracing the new role with characteristic gusto.

"He's a pain in the neck," Torre said. "He's very efficient. He's always showing me things because he knows I'm going to need that information during the season."

Mattingly, the Yankees' biggest star during much of his playing career, which ended in 1995, stayed home in Indiana to be with his family for five years, then got back into the game slowly as a spring training instructor in 2000.

"You could see it at that time," Torre said. "It wasn't just a vacation for him. He didn't just come down to hang out. He wanted to do some good. I told him to let me know if he was ever thinking about doing something full time, because he definitely had the capabilities."

Mattingly took the plunge and became the Yankees' hitting coach in 2004, and over his three years, he often says, the game has been "opening up" for him. Willie Randolph and Joe Girardi both parlayed one season as Torre's bench coach into their first managing jobs.

"As a player, you're just focused on what you have to do," Mattingly said. "You don't know what's going on behind the scenes, you don't think about all the things you think about on the bench. I'm beginning to form ideas about what kind of players I like. If a guy is on the bench, does he sit there and sulk? Some guys are into the game. They're seeing things and passing it along. Those are the kinds of guys you want."

As the hitting coach, Mattingly spent much of his time in the batting cage working on individual swings and approaches. He studied opposing pitchers and readied his hitters. Now that Kevin Long has replaced him, Mattingly is free to roam, look at the Yankees pitchers, formulate opinions and devour information about tendencies. One of his models is Girardi, who was Yankees bench coach in 2005, then became Marlins manager. Girardi is back with the Yankees as an analyst for the YES Network and figures to get another chance to manage eventually.

"I really learned a lot from Joe Girardi," Mattingly said. "A guy would get on base and he'd say, `This guy steals 80 percent of his bases on the first or second pitch,' so you'd need to throw over there, pitch out, that kind of thing. I'll spend a lot of time on positioning our fielders.

"... An [opposing] outfielder may have a great arm, but he's slow getting rid of the ball or he tries to bait runners - you can challenge a guy like that. Others may not have as good an arm but they're always attacking."

This is just a snippet. Mattingly, in fact, goes on and on about such intricacies of the game. Even with the regular season still more than a month away, he talked as if there were an imaginary opponent on the schedule Saturday night.

"He's a blend of old school and new school," Cashman said. "He's really just a great baseball man. He has keen insights into the game, and he is willing to do all the detail work, and it's hard to find people like that."

Mattingly pores over stats such as OPS - on-base percentage plus slugging percentage - but doesn't see himself as strictly a numbers cruncher. He wants to be a people manager in the Torre mold.

"I just want to use common sense," he said. "Those numbers are important, but you have to take into account different things at different times of the year. You have to get guys days off to rest. If you watch Joe, he sets a tone. He sets a tone when we're struggling, he sets a tone when a player is struggling. You can't be down on a guy when he's struggling and then pat him on the back when he's doing well."

Mattingly was with the Yankees in 1985 when Billy Martin was in his fourth stint as manager and Lou Piniella, the hitting coach, was considered the manager-in-waiting, causing tension in their relationship. Torre and Mattingly seem perfectly suited to make such an arrangement work.

"Those things aren't issues when there's trust involved," Cashman said. "Joe trusts Donnie, with good reason. Joe's never been into holding anybody down."

Said Mattingly: "I'd never do anything to jeopardize my character. I just want Joe to know that I'm here for him, and I want the players to know that I'm here for them. That was one thing I remember as a player: It would bother you if you felt a coach didn't care about you. When they do well, we all do well. We're all in this together."