For Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, debut is striking

On the surface, it was just another spring opener - a sunny Florida day, a college team in the other dugout and a bunch of Yankees eager to shake off the dull repetition of spring drills and get back to playing against guys wearing a different uniform.

Yet with Joba Chamberlain starting and Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes following him to the mound, it was easy to add symbolism to the Yankees' 11-4 victory Friday over the University of South Florida. After all, three significant pieces of the Yanks' present and future, the kind of players who might have been dealt away for a big star in years past, were on display. Continue