Yankees baseball blog

Hughes is no. 5

It's official: Phil Hughes is the Yankes' No. 5 starter.

Joe Girardi made the announcement roughly 90 minutes before the Bombers' game against the Oriloes, ending a six-week competition between Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and three other starters. Girardi met with his coaching staff and front office members on Wednesday to finalize the decision.

"You try to talk about every scenario possible and cover yourself in every scenario," Girardi said. "When we walked out, Phil Hughes was our guy."

The development of Hughes' changeup proved to be the difference-maker, giving the righthander four solid pitches to work with. Continue

Granderson not feeling the pressure

From Jason Giambi to A-Rod, Johnny Damon to Mark Teixeira, the Yankees have watched one star player after another face incredible pressure during their first year in pinstripes.

Curtis Granderson fits the bill as this year's high-profile newcomer, but unlike his predecessors, the All-Star outfielder hasn't felt the same type of burden.

"Since they won the World Series last year, there's a little pressure, but not nearly as much as previous years when guys have been brought in to get them over the hump," Granderson said. "It's more, 'Are you going to be a piece to help keep them there?'" Continue

5th spot not done yet

- The Yankee brass "could talk hours" about the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation and still face a difficult decision, says Joe Girardii. But the manager knows he and other bigwigs must make their choice soon and that there is a ripple effect on how the Bombers' bullpen will be constructed.

Alfredo Aceves may have made the call easier Saturday with his worst start of the spring. Aceves, who had allowed only one run and three baserunners in 10 spring innings entering his outing against the Astros, gave up five runs and five hits in 4-1/3 innings, lifting his spring ERA to 3.77. Continue

Don't worry about Vazquez

Javier Vazquez wasn't quite as crisp in his second start of spring training as he was in his first.

The Yankees' fourth starter allowed two runs and four hits in three innings in yesterday's 5-3 split-squad victory over the Orioles, with Ty Wigginton's two-run homer in the second accounting for the runs.

"I felt OK,'' Vazquez said. "My command wasn't as good as my first time out, but I felt good. My arm feels good.''

Vazquez said he "rushed'' at times and that his secondary pitches were better in his first outing March 8, when he struck out four Phillies in two innings and threw extremely well after allowing Jimmy Rollins' homer on the game's first pitch. Continue

Granderson looking to improve vs lefties

The Granderson Project is in full swing.

Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson took live batting practice off a left-hander on Field 2 yesterday and early in the second round lined a pitch up the middle. That's progress.

Granted the left-handed pitcher was Kei Igawa, but Granderson is in the process of attacking left-handers in a much different way than he has in the past.

His development is one of the huge keys of this spring training. In Johnny Damon, the Yankees had a sure thing at the plate. Granderson is still developing as a hitter. He batted .183 against lefties last season and is a .210 hitter over his career, so something has to change. Only two of his 30 home runs last year came against lefthanders. Continue

Cano can be even better

Batting titles. MVP awards. The Hall of Fame.

Hearing these words associated with a Yankees infielder isn't unusual given the accomplishments of A-Rod and Derek Jeter. Only these phrases aren't being thrown around about either of the superstars on the left side of the Bombers' infield, but rather the man playing second base across from them.

Robinson Cano's first five years in pinstripes have placed him in the conversation when it comes to the game's elite second basemen, but as good as Cano has been, he knows that there's still plenty of room for him to grow. Continue

Battle for 5th spot heats up

Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain added curveballs to their bullpen workouts yesterday at George M. Steinbrenner Field, where the leading candidates for the No. 5 starters' spot were watched closely by coaches, reporters and fans.

Because it was the duo's second bullpen session since camp opened, the fastball/change-up restriction was lifted.

"Usually, your first few (curveballs) you have trouble getting it to the plate," Hughes said. "Today there was some bite, the same as last year."

Hughes says the curveball is the last pitch to be sharpened. Chamberlain says it's his slider. Continue

Posada expecting to catch for A.J.

Four months after being benched for A.J. Burnett's four postseason starts, Jorge Posada says he never took it personally, even if he didn't like it. And now, he says, he can't wait to catch Burnett again.

"I get up when he pitches," Posada said Saturday, referring to his intensity level behind the plate. "My body raises up the way it raised when I caught Roger Clemens, when I caught guys like that. A.J. is that special.

"Last year I really got up when he pitched. You can't be passive back there. His stuff is so good, he's electrifying. It's a real challenge, but it's fun. It's unfortunate what happened last season, but I'm looking forward to catching him again. I really am." Continue

Pitchers and catchers report to camp

Today, it officially begins.

The quest for the Yankees' 28th World Series opens when pitchers and catchers are poked and probed as physicals will be given at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

It's the first step on the Yankees' road to repeating as World Champions. Joe Girardi, who will change his uniform number from 27 to 28 as a constant reminder to his team about its ultimate goal, will meet with the media and then the few questions the Yankees have this spring will start to be answered.

The next step will come tomorrow, when pitchers start throwing to catchers under palm trees and the romantic sound of ball popping mitt moves everybody one step closer to Opening Day and away from a frigid winter in the New York area. Continue