Yankees baseball blog

Igawa debut dazzling

As Kei Igawa prepared to take the mound for a two-inning stint in the Yankees' lone intrasquad game of the spring, pitching coach Ron Guidry delivered a simple message to him. "Have fun," Guidry said. Igawa did just that, throwing two nearly flawless frames in his first game action since he signed with the Yankees this winter.

"I told him that this was an intrasquad game; it's not like you're trying to make the club here with this game, so go out, have a little fun and get your work done," Guidry said. "Concentrate on getting ahead of guys, because you can make a lot better pitches when you're ahead in the count than when you're behind. And that's what he did." Continue

Abreu: I'll be ready for opener

Bobby Abreu's strained right oblique muscle isn't connected to the nerve center that controls attitude. While GM Brian Cashman called the injury "significant" Monday, predicted Abreu would miss three weeks of spring training and couldn't guarantee the right fielder would be ready by Opening Day, Abreu didn't have a millimeter of doubt that he would be ready for the April 2 opener against the Twins at Yankee Stadium.

"It will take a couple of weeks," a calm Abreu said with ear buds in yesterday morning in the Legends Field clubhouse. "I don't worry about (being ready for Opening Day). It was painful, but it will be better." Continue

Derek, Mickey and the Prez

As President Bush smiled and waved from the stands and Mickey Mantle looked on from the dugout, Derek Jeter swung his bat. Talk about pressure. The game never happened, of course. It was just someone's idea of a visual gag - pulled off in a recent Topps baseball card through digital manipulation.

"We saw it in the final proof and we could have axed it," Topps spokesman Clay Luraschi told The Associated Press yesterday. "But we decided to let it run, we wanted to print it. We thought it was hilarious." The card will be changed when Topps issues a complete set at midseason, Luraschi said. Jeter said he had not seen the card. "I don't know anything about it," he said after the Yankees' workout yesterday in Tampa. "I can't tell you anything." Continue

Wang early favorite for Opening Day start

Joe Torre declined to name his starting pitcher for Opening Day, but based on the rotation the manager unveiled for the exhibition season, there's a good chance that Chien-Ming Wang will get the call on April 2 against the Devil Rays at the Stadium.

Wang will start Thursday's exhibition opener against the Twins, while Andy Pettitte will make his spring debut Friday in St. Petersburg against the Devil Rays. Mike Mussina starts Saturday, followed by Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa. "There's too far to go," Torre said when asked if the spring rotation was a sign of things to come. "You can put those first three guys in a hat." Continue

Fighting through the pain just part of being Damon

He was being serious when he said it, serious and somewhat sheepish, but there was more than a touch of irony sprinkled amid the words Johnny Damon used through his smile. "I wish we could all be made of steel," Damon said yesterday, a few minutes after walking off the Legends Field complex following a good morning's work. "I wish it was an easy thing to simply be able to put your head down and tough through things."

He was talking about his personal life, about the reasons he left the Yankees for a couple of days this weekend to go back to Orlando, to tend to some "personal business," he declined to name. It has been a full offseason for Damon. He became a father for the third time. His own father has battled health issues. Damon insisted yesterday that both were fine, wouldn't say if either was responsible for his absence. Continue

Pavano is only bruised

The MRI of Carl Pavano's left foot showed only a bone bruise, and the injury-plagued righthander was surprisingly upbeat and honest yesterday regarding his outlook.

"I feel like this is the first time I could say I'm just going to pick up where I left off," Pavano said. "In the past, it's just been, you know, positive words. I don't know how committed I was. But I'm definitely committed now. I feel good."Pavano was scratched from the Yankees' intrasquad game today, but he is expected to throw on the side, which will mark his first pitching session since being drilled by a liner in batting practice Saturday. Continue

Abreu out at least 2 weeks

One bad swing, one winced facial expression, and the next thing the Yankees knew they were shutting down their rightfielder with no definitive return date. Bobby Abreu strained his right oblique muscle during batting practice today, marking the first significant injury suffered by a Yankees player so far during spring training.All that manager Joe Torre could say for certain after today's workout was that Abreu would not be allowed to do any baseball-related activities for roughly the next two weeks.

Once Abreu told the team about his discomfort they cut short his workout and immediately sent him to a local hospital for more tests, hoping to get a handle on the extent of his injury.With five weeks still remaining until Opening Day, Torre seemed confident that Abreu will have enough time to recover. But oblique strains, like hamstrings, tend to take a little while. Continue

Wang's dial is set on low

The absolute last thing you ever will hear in the Yankees' clubhouse is someone yelling at Chien-Ming Wang, saying, "Hey, keep it down!"That takes in his pitching, because keeping it down goes without saying for the man with the devastating sinker. Mostly it refers to the fact that he is the club's Least Voluble Player. He minds his own business, smiles easily and razzes teammates after they razz him. For the most part, though, he is seen and not heard.

As pitching coach Ron Guidry said, "You wouldn't know he was there unless you spoke to him." You wouldn't know Wang was on the Yankees if he weren't the only one who won a postseason game for them last year, if he didn't tie for the most wins in the major leagues in 2006, if he weren't one of the best starters in baseball. Continue

More tests on bad foot for Pavano

Carl Pavano is questionable for tomorrow's intrasquad game, as the Yankees await results of X-rays and an MRI exam on his sore left foot. Pavano was hit by a line drive on Saturday during batting practice, the latest incident in his run of bad luck since joining the Yankees. He finished his session after being hit, but the foot stiffened up as the night went on, prompting the team to send him to St. Joseph's Hospital for tests. Continue

Damon to return today

Johnny Damon is expected to rejoin the Yankees today at Legends Field. With the Yankees' permission, Damon missed workouts Saturday and Sunday for personal reasons. It's not believed to have anything to do with infant daughter Devon Rose, who was born in early January.

"He will be here in a day or so,'' Joe Torre said of his center fielder and leadoff hitter who is using spring training to shed pounds after he reported heavier than the Yankees wanted him. Damon said he was five pounds over the 212 limit, with most of it in his belly. Continue

Rivera: 'There's too much between the teams'

You can cross one team off of Mariano Rivera's wish list if he leaves the Yankees after this season.The Yankees' legendary closer told The New York Times that he won't sign with the Bronx Bombers' archrivals, the Boston Red Sox.

"I respect the players and I respect the organization, but we've had so much happen between us. I don't think I could do it," Rivera told The Times. Rivera said the rivalry between the two teams is too fierce for him to think about switching sides. Continue

A-Rod has new buddy system

When Gary Sheffield was on the verge of being traded to Detroit last November, he warned that if he was shipped out of town, Alex Rodriguez would lose his only sounding board in what was an otherwise cold clubhouse. "He might as well get ready," Sheffield said. "There's nobody." Exit Sheffield, enter Doug Mientkiewicz? The Yankees' signing of the first baseman may have come at the perfect time for Rodriguez, who played baseball and football with Mientkiewicz at Westminster High School in South Florida.

Rodriguez's status in the clubhouse has been dissected time and again, most recently this past week, when his declining relationship with Derek Jeter dominated the headlines. A Sports Illustrated cover story last September dubbed A-Rod "The Lonely Yankee," bringing more attention to his reputation as a man without a team behind him. Continue

Pavano plunked by line drive

As the line drive shot back toward the mound, everybody at Legends Field let out an audible gasp. It wasn't just the fans who let their fears be heard when Carl Pavano was drilled on the left foot yesterday, but also Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, whose initial reaction was simply, "Uh-oh."

Pavano, who hasn't pitched in a big-league game since June 2005, shook off the pain, threw one test pitch to make sure he was okay, then resumed his batting-practice session by throwing about 30 more pitches. "He seems to be a heat-seeking missile. Thankfully at this point, all appears well," Cashman said. "You just wait and see if he's going to have any ill effects, mechanically. He got stung pretty good there." Continue

Time piece

Andy Pettitte wishes he could describe it better, wishes he could let you know exactly what it's like to listen through his ears when the noise begins to rise, when the people start to chant his name, when the emotion - raw, plaintive, eternal - begins to resound.

"There really aren't words that do it justice," Pettitte said yesterday, shaking his head, peeling a familiar No. 46 jersey from his back after a hard morning's work. "I've been trying to find those words for 12 years, because it's such an incredible feeling. Everyone should know what that feels like." Continue

Damon gets personal leave

The Yankees have given Johnny Damon permission to leave spring training to deal with a personal issue, and the team does not expect him back for at least a few days. The Yankees refused to specify why Damon left, saying only that he spoke with manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman after their workout Friday. "I think it's going to be some time, a few days or so," Torre said. Continue

Enter Spring Sandman

Mariano Rivera pumped one fastball after another to Yankees hitters yesterday, taking part in the annual tradition of live batting practice. A few of those hitters even took swings, while others chose to let Rivera's pitches slam into the catcher's mitt. Johnny Damon joked after the workout that he was glad he didn't have to face Rivera for real any more, having traded in his Red Sox uniform last year for pinstripes.

While Boston and the rest of the league will have to deal with Rivera again this season, the reality is that he is 37 years old, entering his 11th season as the Yankees' closer. Considering the short life span of most closers throughout the game, the question has to be asked: How much longer can Rivera keep this up? Continue

Melky a regular backup

Melky Cabrera made quite a splash last season, showing his stuff as a replacement for an injured Hideki Matsui. Cabrera's role this season may be as the Yankees' fourth outfielder, but Joe Torre met with the youngster yesterday to let him know that there are bigger plans for the 22-year-old.

"We still want his mentality to be as a regular player, not as just a backup," Torre said. "We'd like to think we can keep everybody strong before they get tired." Continue

Stress releif

Scott Proctor's 83 appearances for the Yankees a year ago topped the American League. He took the ball even though his right arm sounded like a bag of gravel when raised. His locker this spring at Legends Field is between Andy Pettitte and Carl Pavano, so Proctor has arrived on Pitchers' Row after spending the previous camps on the other side of the room with the long shots. His fastball pushes speed guns toward triple digits and his breaking stuff can be filthy. So why hasn't Proctor yet looked for a New York-area apartment in which to spend the summer? Continue

Unlike Sheff, no stirring for Abreu

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. Continue

New Poll

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Hughes da man

The Yankees can't play the media card ever again concerning Philip Hughes. No longer is he a product of the hype machine. As of yesterday, every story concerning the right-hander will start with glowing observations from Jason Giambi and Todd Pratt.

The two veterans with a combined 24 years of big-league experience compared the 20-year-old to Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, this after one batting practice session against Hughes at Legends Field. "We could have used him last year," said Giambi, who didn't get a fair ball out of the cage against Hughes. "He looks like a young Rocket." Continue

Bernie's final at bat?

Bernie Williams' mother is praying he can handle being rejected by the Yankees and accept that he likely has played his last game in pinstripes. "He understands the situation," Rufina Williams told the Daily News yesterday from her home outside San Juan. "I'm just praying he will be at peace with it."

The spring training standoff between the Yankees and their longtime star apparently came to an end this week, with Williams' agent declaring that the popular veteran would not report to camp if he had to play his way onto the roster. Continue

A-Rod back on defensive fo 07

Ask any casual observer about Alex Rodriguez's 2006 season and he likely will tell you that A-Rod had a bad year. But many, including Yankee third base coach Larry Bowa, won't point to A-Rod's offensive numbers. They'll say it's Rodriguez's defense that was cause for concern.

Known as a perfectionist, A-Rod saw his error total skyrocket from 12 to 24, matching a career high set in 1997 as a shortstop. To put Rodriguez's defensive struggles in perspective, he committed just 25 combined errors during his first two years at third base. Continue

Andy reaches for pride

If you believe the Yankees have been missing a certain toughness, resolve, killer instinct, whatever you want to call it, the last few Octobers, you have to love the idea of Andy Pettitte being back in pinstripes.

Pettitte's Yankee past is proof enough that he can help as this team looks to get back to a World Series for the first time since he left after the 2003 season. And to listen to him talk yesterday about the agony of pitching through elbow problems in Houston was a further reminder of the level of commitment he brings. Continue

Lou never near Yank comeback

Sweet Lou in Cubbie blue is a smiling man. Piniella is far from the Tampa tantrums that fill springtime back pages, and after his second day overseeing the Chicago Cubs' full-squad workouts he showed no hint of regret. "This is my last job," he said yesterday, waxing optimistic about the first $100 million club he has ever managed.

For a dizzying 48 hours last fall while Joe Torre's fate was under debate, Piniella read and heard that the Yankees might be making a pitch to bring him back to the Bronx. But even if Brian Cashman had not talked George Steinbrenner out of firing Torre, Piniella says he would not have returned to the Bronx. Continue

Crowded house

Bernie Williams was jobless even before deciding upon unemployment. The token the Yankees had offered - and Williams rejected - was a chance to be the fifth outfielder, a role that exists kind of like Big Foot, more in vivid imagination than reality.

Fifth outfielders? The Yanks are going to have difficulty finding at-bats for fourth outfielder Melky Cabrera even as Joe Torre calls doing so "a priority." For now, Torre has the bonhomie of the four veterans whose playing time would have to be curtailed to start Cabrera. But it is February, when spirits are good and this is all only theory. Let's see how Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi react come April when lineup cards are posted without their names. Continue

Yanks to Cano: Encore!

A year ago, the Yankees had no idea what to expect from Robinson Cano. They knew he had the talent to produce an All-Star-caliber season, but he reported overweight, leading some teammates to question his commitment. One year later, those questions no longer are asked - not only because of his stellar second season, in which he hit .342 with 57 extra-base hits, but also because of the shape he's in.

Third-base coach Larry Bowa made Cano his pet project last season and continued to do so throughout the offseason. Bowa called Cano multiple times, reminding him to work out so he wouldn't report to camp "heavy," as he did last year. Continue

Damon looks to drive in clutch

Johnny Damon breezed into camp yesterday, a welcome change from the contretemps that have swirled around the Yanks since spring training opened last week.

But Damon had some serious points to make, particularly about what he thought of his first season in pinstripes and the healing of the broken bone in his right foot and his left shoulder. While Damon called his first year as a Yank "a blessing," he also said he wanted to do more. "Last year, I tried to do everything I possibly could, but sometimes I didn't come through," Damon said. "Hopefully this year, I can be a little more relaxed and put up better numbers." Continue

Jeter drops the ball as captain

These have not been questions about his relationship with Jessica Biel or Mariah Carey or whatever starlet of the moment Derek Jeter was romancing. When it comes to that, Jeter is right. His off-the-field associations have nothing to do with on-the-field results. Thus, he has decided to make them off-limits and I totally respect him for that.

But this was not about Page Six. This was about E-6, error on Jeter for malfeasance as a leader. His relationship with Alex Rodriguez has mattered because Rodriguez matters so much to the success of the Yankees, and A-Rod has cared deeply about Jeter's approval. Rodriguez attempted to recast the bond between the two and, perhaps, the power dynamics Monday when he admitted that their association had dwindled from "blood brothers" to "a working relationship." It was, perhaps, a liberating moment for Rodriguez, a chance to stop having to act as if something existed that does not any more. Continue

Bernie's not coming

The Bernie Williams watch came to an end yesterday, as his agent confirmed that the outfielder would not be accepting the Yankees' offer to come to spring training on a non-guaranteed, minor-league contract.

"Bernie told me he had talked with Joe (Torre). Other than the invite, there wasn't any information that led him to believe he would be a member of the team," Scott Boras told the Associated Press yesterday. "He's continuing to work out, will wait to see if their position changes." Continue

Jeter's take: So what?

Derek Jeter this morning insisted his relationship with Alex Rodriguez is just fine in the workplace -- but he vehemently declined to discuss their friendship off the field.

"How would I characterize it?" Jeter said, repeating a question about their current relationship. "I would characterize it as it doesn't make a difference. I think that's the biggest thing."Has our relationship changed? I've had a lot of relationships change over the years. But what we do away from the field, how much time we spend together really makes no difference when we're playing." Continue

At last, A-Rod can just go out and play

Alex Rodriguez streamlined his body by dropping 12 pounds this offseason in attempts to regain his full agility. Yet the most important weight shedding began yesterday when A-Rod initiated the process of dumping all the baggage that has oppressed him as a Yankee. In what very likely is his final Yankee season, A-Rod's exit strategy is clear: Try to remove the clutter. Try to make the 2007 season about baseball and baseball only. Because if it is just about skill, then the results favor the most talented player, who just happens to wear No. 13 for the Yankees.

Will he succeed? That is dubious. Rodriguez has simply betrayed too much insecurity and too little capacity to limit his fertile brain to just on-field endeavors. He did, after all, plug the bestseller status of his recently released children's book. Continue

Giambi to take it slow with wrist

The surgeon who operated on Jason Giambi's left wrist in October recently advised him to take it slow in the beginning of spring training, Giambi said yesterday. Giambi, who had surgery to repair a torn ligament, said he visited Dr. Andrew Weiland a few weeks ago and was cleared for practice swinging. He expects to stick with that for a while. "He wants me to start slow to make sure there are no setbacks," Giambi said.

He met with Joe Torre yesterday and informed him of his plans, and said Torre is fine with it. Torre also told Giambi how the Yankees plan to use him this season, without ruling out first base. Continue

Clock ticking on Bernie invitation

Brian Cashman hasn't rescinded his invitation to Bernie Williams to come to camp on a minor-league contract, but the GM said yesterday that he doesn't expect to see the outfielder at Legends Field this spring.

Cashman hadn't heard directly from Williams or his agent, Scott Boras, regarding the nonroster invite. Based on what he has read and heard in various reports during the past couple of weeks, he doesn't believe Williams will accept the deal and report to Tampa, where the Yankees begin full-squad workouts today. Continue

A-Rod says he's not as close with Jeter as he was

On the first day of his fourth season with the New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez finally acknowledged his relationship with Derek Jeter has cooled. After insisting for three years that they remained close, Rodriguez said it was "important" to him to publicly confirm what others have said since he joined the team.

"People start assuming that things are a lot worse than what they are, which they're not. But they're obviously not as great as they used to be. We were like blood brothers," Rodriguez said Monday. "You don't have to go to dinner with a guy four, five times a week to do what you're doing. It's actually much better than all you guys expect, but I just want to let the truth be known." Continue

A-Rod can get it write

Alex Rodriguez makes his seasonal spring debut at Legends Field today, officially beginning his fourth season in pinstripes. A-Rod has been out promoting his new children's book for the past couple of weeks, but as of today, it's back to baseball for the two-time American League MVP.

After another disappointing October, Rodriguez comes to camp ready to continue his quest for a championship. Despite averaging 39 home runs and 119 RBI in his first three years with the Yankees, A-Rod has been considered a disappointment in New York due to his poor postseason performances. Continue

Rivera felt too good to continue

When Mariano Rivera took elongated breaks to talk with catcher Wil Nieves during a 10-minute bullpen session, flags started to rise. When Rivera walked off three minutes before then those flags went to the top of the pole. Was Rivera hurt? Did the strained muscle near the right elbow that sidelined him for three weeks last year return? Groin? Hip?

Nope. According to manager Joe Torre, pitching coach Ron Guidry, Nieves and Rivera, the future Hall of Fame closer and the most indispensable Yankee felt too good. "He was feeling so good that after 20 or so pitches he didn't want to push it," said Nieves, the leading candidate to back up Jorge Posada. "The fastball and change-up was good. He was very happy." Continue

It's tough to say goodbye

Reporting day for position players quietly passed yesterday without any sign of Bernie Williams, who still is struggling with his decision. Like many Yankees coaches and players, Don Mattingly left a voice mail for Williams last week that - not surprisingly - has not been returned. Nevertheless, Mattingly has a pretty good sense of Williams' thought process.

When Mattingly stopped playing at age 34 after the 1995 season, he said his decision was easy because of his bad back and his strong desire to return home to be a full-time family man. But it still took him another year to retire, to know for sure he wanted to stop. Continue

Bombers' hidden ace

When Chien-Ming Wang flew home to Taiwan for a two-month stay during the offseason, hundreds of fans were waiting at the airport. When he pulled up outside his parents' home, more fans were standing outside. Autograph seekers dogged Wang's every step when he tried to go out, which meant he needed bodyguards. "Too crazy," Wang said. "It was a mess. I couldn't go anywhere."

But when Taiwan's biggest baseball star arrived at Yankee camp last week, there was little fanfare. In any other camp, the appearance of an ace would be big news, but it wasn't for Wang, who tied for the major-league lead in victories last season with 19 and was runner-up to Johan Santana in the American League Cy Young voting. Continue

Man with the golden gun

The most important person - not just player - in the Yankees organization was born 11 days before the Olsen twins. He wears a number, 65, more associated with a football center than the center of attention.

Yet, don't let the number on his back or his not-legal-for-alcohol age of 20 diminish Philip Hughes' worth to the Yankees. He is the Great Right Hope. He is not just their No. 1 prospect, perhaps the No. 1 pitching prospect in baseball. Hughes is No. 1 in magnitude around Legends Field. There is immense pressure for him to fulfill his ace pedigree, because if he doesn't, the Yanks have to wonder where else they will find that commodity moving forward. Continue

Igawa has hill of a day

When Kei Igawa's first pitch on Thursday sailed six feet wide of Jorge Posada, pitching coach Ron Guidry took notice. Guidry watched Igawa struggle to find the plate, throwing several outside pitches. That prompted him to ask the pitcher when he last threw off a mound. "November," Igawa said through his interpreter. Guidry exhaled, breathing a sigh of relief. "You're going to be out of whack," Guidry said yesterday. "I thought I was a pretty good pitcher, but the first time that I threw after three or four months, I'd tell myself, 'I have to fight for a job this year.'" Continue

Pavano gets rebuttal

Mike Mussina said Thursday that Carl Pavano's actions would speak louder than words this spring. Yesterday, Pavano took action by arranging a meeting with his fellow starting pitcher. The peace summit ended with the two men emerging from behind closed doors smiling, a sign that they were ready to put the past behind them.

"I told him where I was coming from and he told me where he was coming from," Mussina said. "We need each other. You can't have division within a team and expect anything to have anything positive happen over the course of the year." Continue

Jeter mum on Pavano

Derek Jeter said he needed to hear from Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano before the Yankees captain commented on the spat between the pitchers that was settled yesterday with a meeting. "Let me talk to them to be fair to those guys," Jeter said. That tack is typical Jeter. He prefers that his words to teammates stay inside the clubhouse.

Asked if Pavano had issues to settle in the clubhouse, Jeter said, "I don't know. How I could know that? He hasn't been here. You can't miss him when he has not been here." Because Jeter is close to Bernie Williams and Roger Clemens, he answered questions about each even though they're not here, either. Continue

Moose not in Carl's corner

Carl Pavano says his cranky body is rehabilitated, but there is additional work required on the pitcher's head and mouth. Two days after Joe Torre said Pavano had a "sizable'' amount of work to do in repairing his clubhouse image and minutes before Mike Mussina said yesterday, "He needs to show a lot of people he wants to pitch for us,'' and, "Not yet, I want to see if he wants to do it,'' when asked if Pavano gets the benefit of the doubt, Pavano foolishly blamed the media for the ill will towards him.

"It's been more hyped up by you guys," Pavano said after joining Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Kei Igawa and Mussina in an eight-minute throwing session on the first day of pitchers and catchers at Legends Field. "It's something you guys had fun with." Continue

Joe makes push for Bern return

Bernie Williams' days in New York may not be over, after all. Not if Joe Torre has anything to say about it, anyway. Torre said yesterday that he had spoken with Williams on Wednesday, making a push for the veteran outfielder to come to camp as a non-roster player. The manager made no promises to Williams, who has played his entire 16-year career with the Yankees, and the two plan to speak again today or tomorrow.

"I've always tried to be up front the best I could with him," said Torre, who received a call from Williams Wednesday after leaving him phone messages last week. "The only thing I stressed to him (Wednesday) was, 'If you want to continue to play, you can't do it if you stay up there. We have to see you.'" Continue

Japanese pitcher is A-Okei

Kei Igawa wasn't nervous yesterday when he took the mound with his fellow starting pitchers in the Legends Field bullpen, though it was hard to tell by watching him throw. "I hadn't been on a mound in three months," Igawa said through an interperter. "I was a little rusty. In Japan, I'm like that too."

The lefthander had a severe lack of command early on in the eight-minute session, but he worked out the kinks after a few minutes. "It looks like he's loose and he doesn't have any trouble letting the ball go," said Joe Torre, who watched Igawa throw in person for the first time. "He seems to be very aggressive. I was pleased with what I saw." Continue

Rivera warns Yanks might have to get in line

Mariano Rivera did his best to put the talk about his contract extension to rest for the spring, saying yesterday that he had no ill will toward the Yankees for wanting to wait until the end of the season to sign him to a new deal.

However, the All-Star closer also said that if the Yankees set him loose on the free-agent market, he would not consider the Bombers the clear front-runners for his services in 2008 and beyond. "Everybody will have the same shot," Rivera said. "The Yankees will not have an advantage. Everybody will have a fair shot." That scenario is more than nine months away. After reading Rivera's comments on Tuesday, Brian Cashman reached out to the closer that night to "take his temperature." Continue

Rare Yankee phenom Hughes is real thing

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. Continue

Andy feels home again

There are more gray flecks in Andy Pettitte's short hair, but other than that sign of aging, nearly everything seemed the same for the lefty as he got settled at the Yankees' spring training camp yesterday for the first time in four years.

Except for several different faces wearing the same uniform, being back seemed only natural. "It's like 'Groundhog Day,'" Pettitte said. The familiarity actually hit him the night before when he was driving around Tampa with his wife, Laura, feeling like he had never left. Pettitte's first day at Astros spring training, before the 2004 season, was considerably less warm and fuzzy. Continue

Bernie still has it in him

Bernie Williams can't delete last year from his head. If Williams can't forget how good a player he was in 2006, he won't accept the Yankees' minor league invite to spring training. Position players report Sunday with the first full-squad workout Tuesday.

"Bernie believes in the axiom that you should have to perform poorly before you leave the game," agent Scott Boras told The Post yesterday. "He feels he had a very fine year last year. He feels he can make an important contribution to the Yankees." Continue

Lame duck Torre says He'll manage

With New York bracing for its initial winter storm, Joe Torre's endless summer of questions concerning his future opened at Legends Field yesterday. Entering his 12th season skippering George Steinbrenner's high-priced vessel, Torre is a lame-duck manager because his contract expires when the last out of the Yankees' season is recorded. Following a marathon meeting with front-office types, coaches and minor-league administrators that the Boss surfaced for at the end, Torre was asked if he wanted to manage next season. Continue

Torre: A-Rod is A-OK

Joe Torre was watching his daughter play soccer this winter when one of the opposing players approached him and asked about the Yankee manager's decision to drop Alex Rodriguez to eighth in the batting order in the final game of the division series loss to Detroit last October.

While the controversy that buzzed over Torre's lineup machinations may have lasted deep into the offseason, the skipper doesn't believe the switch will linger into spring training, something that A-Rod has said publicly, too. Continue

Cashman to wait with Mo, Posada

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed yesterday that he plans to wait until after the season to negotiate new contracts for Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada.

Both have spent their careers in pinstripes and are entering their walk years, but Cashman said, "Right now I want to concentrate on '07 and worry about '08 at another time."Rivera spoke out Monday about his contract, saying he'd have no problem moving on to another team if the Yankees didn't show him the "respect" he feels he deserves. Cashman said he plans to speak to Rivera soon. Continue

Rivera ready for hardball

Mariano Rivera has long been the image of icy calm on the mound during pressure-packed October moments, so it's difficult to imagine the Yankee closer exhibiting frustration. But Rivera's answers to questions about a possible contract extension in an interview yesterday may have revealed his true feelings about the stagnant talks, despite public professions that he is not upset.

Rivera, who is entering the final year of his contract, brought up for the first time the possibility he might look elsewhere, though he has often talked about pitching in the new Yankee Stadium and going into the Hall of Fame in pinstripes. Continue

Cash using cold logic on hard decisions

Take a look around the room. That is what Mariano Rivera needs to do over the next month. He will notice Andy Pettitte is back and Bernie Williams is gone. The Yankees needed Pettitte, sensed there was still a lot of wins in his left arm and reacted by sizably outbidding the Astros to re-acquire Pettitte. The Yanks do not need Williams. He is now, at best, a spare part on a team without much use for spare parts. The Yanks offered him a token, a minor-league invite, and hoped he would do exactly what he appears to be doing, turn them down. Continue

Joe, without a net

When Joe Torre shows up in Tampa this week, he officially begins the last year of what could be his last contract managing the Yankees. Here is what Brian Cashman, Torre's immediate boss even if he is still an underboss to George Steinbrenner, says about that: "From the day he first became our manager, Joe has handled almost every conceivable situation, both on and off the field. It's why I'm sure he'll handle his own situation as well as he's handled everything else."

Cashman was asked if there are any plans to address Torre's contract situation once the regular season begins. "There are no plans on that," he said yesterday. "I'm going to do the same thing I'm sure Joe is going to do, and what we want our players and coaches to do: Focus on '07. Which is my way of saying we'll worry about '08 when the '07 season is concluded." Continue

Phelps looks to revive first year of promise

Asked independently why Josh Phelps' career has been uneven since he made a power splash in his rookie season with the Blue Jays in 2002, both Phelps and Yankee bigwig Mark Newman uttered the same answer: "It's hard to say," each replied. "If I could put my finger on it, we wouldn't be talking about it," Phelps said after a recent workout at the Yankees' minor-league complex. "When you're a young player, you're flying under the radar. Then everybody makes an adjustment."

The Yankees are the sixth organization since 2004 for the 28-year-old Phelps, who was a Rookie of the Year candidate with Toronto in 2002 after batting .309 and slugging 15 homers in just 265 at-bats. The Blue Jays once envisioned him as a mainstay, but now he is trying to prove he's still a threat. Continue

Future is now

Sexy issues constantly smother the Yankees universe. Big-ticket talent has a way of bringing them with it. However, it's hard to recall a recent spring training in Tampa that will be accentuated by so many important issues, a few that could lead to the end of the Yankees' run of nine straight AL East titles. With pitchers and catchers reporting to Legends Field on Tuesday, here is a look at the five biggest Yankees issues: Continue

Jeter saddened by thought of no Bernie

A day after Bernie Williams indicated that his time in pinstripes is likely over, Yankee captain Derek Jeter sounded disappointed. "It's unfortunate," Jeter said yesterday after a baseball clinic for kids at Legends Field, the Yanks' spring-training home. "You never like to see that aspect. You know what Bernie has meant to the organization.

"I would love to see Bernie come back. It's a decision he has to make. Hopefully, he makes the best decision for him." Jeter has not spoken to the 38-year-old Williams recently and admitted he wasn't privy to inside information about whatever negotiations Williams and his agent have had with the Yankees. Still, the thought of no Williams is "weird," Jeter said earlier in the week. Continue

Case of Bern out

Bernie Williams last night threw a wet blanket on the Yankees' belief he would accept a minor-league contract and an invitation to spring training. Speaking before performing at a benefit concert with Chynna Phillips at Faith Church in New Milford, Conn., Williams said he doesn't envision a 17th season in pinstripes. "It doesn't look like I will get the opportunity to play for that team this year," Williams said of the Yankees. "I'm working out, but the way it looks right now, it looks like I'm not going to play with that team this year." Continue

Farewell to Yankee great

Hank Bauer, the rough-hewn, much-decorated ex-Marine who went on to become an integral player on seven Yankee championship teams from 1949-59 and whose record of hitting in 17 consecutive World Series games still stands, died yesterday of lung cancer in Shawnee Mission, Kan. He was 84.

Throughout his 14-year career, during which he hit .277 with 164 homers, Bauer epitomized grit, hustle and professionalism, although he attained his most enduring notoriety as the central figure in the famous drunken brawl involving six Yankee players and patrons at the Copacabana, on May 16, 1957. Bauer, along with Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Billy Martin and Johnny Kucks, were celebrating Martin's 29th birthday when, according to various reports, members of the party at the table next to them began heckling entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and a fight broke out, with one of the patrons, a delicatessen owner named Edwin Jones, suffering a broken nose. Continue

Hughes corporation grows

The most heralded Yankee prospect since Derek Jeter - and probably the best one since Jeter, too - was running wind sprints in the outfield yesterday with a group of the Yanks' minor-leaguers, finishing up another pre-spring training workout in the warm Florida sun. Phil Hughes is a solidly built, 20-year-old righthander whom the Yanks view as the future centerpiece of their starting rotation. But there is a chance he could figure into the present, too. Hughes has an invitation to big-league spring training for the second straight year, and team executives acknowledge that while they'd prefer he start in the minors, Hughes could pitch his way onto the team in camp.

Hughes, a low-key Californian, grins when asked about the possibility. He has not pitched above Double-A and admitted he was nervous last year when he was searching for his locker at Legends Field amid the Yanks' stable of superstars. Yet he showed the confidence he takes to the mound with him when he replied, "I'm not going to rule anything out. Continue

One more time

While Bernie Williams, Brian Cashman and Scott Boras haven't confirmed Williams will be in the Yankees' camp, speculation was thick in the Tampa air yesterday that the Yankee icon would accept a minor league deal and battle for a roster spot.

The buzz around the Yankees' minor league camp, where Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada were among those working out, was they would see their long-time pal when position players report on Feb. 18. At Legends Field, Williams' locker in the right corner hasn't been assigned to another name. Continue

Jeter mood swing

Even on a European vacation last fall, Derek Jeter couldn't get away from the Yankees' postseason loss to Detroit. A few days after the upstart Tigers put away the Yanks, cementing another disappointing October in the Bronx, Jeter was at a restaurant with a friend during one stop on his six-day, six-city holiday - he couldn't quite remember the city, London, perhaps - when a Tigers fan reminded him that the Yankees lost a series they had controlled.

"You'd think you could escape it in Europe, you know?" Jeter said yesterday while taking a break from a pre-spring training workout on a clear, sunny morning at the Yankees' minor-league complex here. "You get it all the time here, but Europe?" Continue

Kei workout

Kei Igawa is getting an early start to his first spring training with the Yankees. "He looks like he is going to be a real good pitcher," Yankees vice president Billy Connors said yesterday after Igawa's second workout at the Yankees' minor league complex. "He throws a heavy ball. He should be very good." Igawa, who agreed in December to a $20 million, five-year contract, has been throwing on flat ground. The 27-year-old left-hander is scheduled to throw off a mound on Monday. Continue

A-Rod leaving?

In between signing copies of his new children's book and exchanging fist bumps with kids in Yankees gear, Alex Rodriguez yesterday was asked for his thoughts on his contractual clause that allows him to opt out of pinstripes after the 2007 season.

Curiously, he opted to dodge the question. "My situation and my only goal is to win a world championship," he said. "I'm going to take it day-to-day and that's about it."That's not exactly a ringing endorsement for a long-term future in New York. Being that this is a question that won't be going away any time soon, Rodriguez's answer surely will further the notion that this could be his final season here.

If Rodriguez opts out, he'd be walking away from three years worth $72 million remaining on his 10-year, $252-million contract. But considering the megamillions teams paid this past offseason, there is little doubt that a future Hall of Famer still in his prime could land a deal that's worth more than $72 million in total value. Continue

Yanks still top chice for Bernie

Bernie Williams, reportedly invited to Yankee camp as a non-roster invitee, hasn't made up his mind yet, according to agent Scott Boras, adding there still is "deliberation on both sides" regarding a 2007 contract. Boras, who spoke with Williams numerous times last week and again yesterday, said yesterday Williams has standing offers from other clubs if he decides to spurn the Bombers.

So far, the 38-year-old fan favorite has told his agent to focus on the Yanks. "I think it's a situation where, collectively, we're trying to look at this thing a number of different ways," Boras told The Post. "In the end, the Yankees as a family will have to make a decision about Bernie." Williams, who has played parts of 16 seasons with the Yanks, has reportedly been given a standing offer to be a non-roster invitee. He reportedly was leaning toward accepting it. Boras would not confirm the offer. Continue

Jorge: Pact no issue

Jorge Posada is already working out in Tampa, and he said he won't be distracted by a contract issue this season. Posada, who will be in the final year of a six-year, $59 million deal in 2007, told an Associated Press reporter he isn't fixated on his next contract.

"Obviously I have one more year left, and a lot can happen," Posada reportedly said after a pre-spring training workout. "We'll see. It's up to (his agents and the Yankees). That will take care of itself. I'm concentrating on what I have to do. "To tell you the truth, if I keep feeling like I'm feeling right now, I'm going to keep playing. If I don't feel like that, it's time to go." Continue

Pavano: I'll win Bombers back

Carl Pavano's extended absence from the Yankees' clubhouse over the past two years has been something of a running joke among his teammates. One injury would appear just as another had healed, keeping the pitcher on the disabled list and the Yankees on edge, wondering whether they would see him back on a mound in the near - or distant - future. Pavano knows he has something to prove after two lost years, and he knows how important it is for hi