On the Yankees beat

The last exhibition game of the spring is over. The Yankees tied 3-3 in a game called after nine innings.
Kei Igawa allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. Scott Proctor (0.84 ERA) and Luis Vizcaino (1.50 ERA) each pitched a perfect inning. Mariano Rivera walked his first batter of the spring, but maintained his 0.00 ERA, allowing no hits and striking out two.
Josh Phelps homered. Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada each drove in a run.

It was a very happy bunch of players in the clubhouse today -- guys excited to get back to New York and play games that actually mean something. The exception is guys who found out in the last few days they wouldn't make the team. Even if they expected it (say, Kevin Thompson, Chris Basak, etc.), it's still a tough time to go back to Triple-A while witnessing the excitement of those on the Opening Day roster.

Here is the lineup for today's game, the last exhibition!

Tigers
Ivan Rodriguez C
Placido Polanco 2B
Gary Sheffield DH
Magglio Ordonez RF
Carlos Guillen SS
Sean Casey 1B
Craig Monroe LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Brandon Inge 3B

Mike Maroth P

Yankees
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi DH
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Josh Phelps 1B

Kei Igawa P

Darrell Rasner will be the fifth starter, at least initially.
Brian Bruney got the last bullpen spot.
Ron Villone has not yet told the Yankees if he will go to Triple-A or opt for free agency.

Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina both pitched in minor league games and felt fine. Pettitte will pitch Wednesday and Mussina Thursday.

Darrell Rasner will begin the season as the fifth starter. He said: "I just got the good news."

The Yankees have asked Ron Villone to consider going to Triple-A. Otherwise, he can take his leave and go to free agency. Said Villone: "I've got to make a decision, and I haven't made that yet."

Carl Pavano is excited (wouldn't anyone be?) to start Opening Day. Said Pavano: "That's a pretty good day, right?"
He said he's planning to head over to Himes to watch Andy Pettitte throw now, which is where all of us are headed. There will be no updates on Pettitte (or Mike Mussina), as there is no internet access there. It's outside.

Joe Torre officially announced Carl Pavano as the Opening Day starter, with Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina and Kei Igawa to follow him in the rotation. The fifth starter is likely to be Darrell Rasner, but that is not yet official.

Also, Josh Phelps has made the team at first base over Andy Phillips.
Wil Nieves will be the backup catcher over Todd Pratt.
Sean Henn has made the team, which likely knocks out Ron Villone, though no decision was announced on Villone.

More to come later.

Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano all homered tonight for the Yankees, who are up 6-3 heading into the ninth inning.

No announcement is coming until tomorrow about the Yankees' Opening Day starter. It's certainly Carl Pavano, but that's not official.

Jeff Karstens played catch and Joe Torre hasn't ruled him out from making the Opening Day roster.

Blue Jays lineup
Reed Johnson LF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Vernon Wells CF
Frank Thomas DH
Troy Glaus 3B
Matt Stairs RF
Gregg Zaun C
Aaron Hill 2B
Royce Clayton SS

Scott Downs P

The Yankees have announced that the late Cory Lidle's widow, Melanie, and son, Christopher, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium Monday, Opening Day. Lidle was killed when his private plane crashed into a Manhattan building Oct. 11th. His parents, Doug and Lisa, and twin brother Kevin, will also attend the ceremonies. I'm sure it will be a moving tribute.

Lineup for Yankees for tonight's game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin
Bobby Abreu DH
Derek Jeter SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Josh Phelps 1B
Kevin Reese CF
Kevin Thompson RF

Steven Jackson P

Any slim, slim chance of Darrell Rasner being the Opening Day starter (Joe Torre still hasn't announced Carl Pavano as the starter) has got to be gone now. Rasner gave up seven earned runs on nine hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings.
Ron Villone's chances of making the team have got to be minimal as well. He gave up three earned runs on two hits and a walk in zero innings (three batters faced). His ERA is 14.40.

In good news for Yankees fans, Bobby Abreu continues to whack the ball. He is 2-for-2 with an RBI. He is batting .444.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's presumed successor as the "Boss" of the team, Steve Swindal, may no longer be that. Steinbrenner's spokesman, Howard Rubinstein, said in a release that Steinbrenner's daughter, Jennifer, has filed for divorce from Swindal. Swindal is a general partner with the Yankees and chairman of Yankee Global Enterprises LLC.
Steinbrenner is at Legends Field, but had no comment for reporters.

Also, game . Here is the Astros' lineup
Orlando Palmeiro LF
Mark Loretta 1B
Mike Lamb 3B
Luke Scott RF
Chris Burke CF
Eric Bruntlett 2B
Eric Munson C
Humberto Quintero DH
Tommy Manzella SS
Brian Moehler P

Here's the Yankees' lineup against the Astros tonight. Don't have the Houston lineup yet.

Yanks
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi DH
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Darrell Rasner P

Andy Pettitte is due to throw a bullpen later this afternoon. Jeff Karstens will play light catch tomorrow.

Not a lot of news at this time since the clubhouse hasn't opened yet for the night game against the Astros. Darrell Rasner is pitching. He could cement his spot in the rotation to begin the season, though, to be honest, whether he makes the Opening Day roster or not might not have much to do with his performance. It's likely to be more about Jeff Karstens and how soon the Yankees think he can be ready to contribute to the major league team.

The other story line (in jest) is whether or not Mariano Rivera will allow a baserunner. He's set to pitch tonight, and has a 0.00 ERA this spring. He has allowed four hits (a .133 average) in nine innings.

There's no official decision on the Opening Day starter. Sounds like Torre doesn't want to name anyone too soon in the wake of Wang getting injured. It's almost certainly Carl Pavano though. Torre's said he would be comfortable with that. Jorge Posada liked what he saw from Pavano today (two runs on six hits and a walk in six innings). Plus they really don't have any other options.
Josh Phelps is probably going to make the team. He's hitting .438 and hit another home run today.
Bobby Abreu looks great. He's only played in five games since his spring debut last Tuesday. But he's hitting .375 (6-of-16) with two homers, a double and a triple.

Andy Pettitte worked out and felt fine, the day after his first bullpen session in more than a week-and-a-half. He'll throw another bullpen session tomorrow, and will probably pitch in a minor league game Friday or Saturday.
Jeff Karstens was clearly relieved to have gotten the positive test results on his elbow yesterday. He'll rest today and tomorrow, and possibly play catch Thursday. Given how little time he's missed, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could make the Opening Day roster. As Joe Torre said, "He's further along than Andy would be."
Jorge Posada made this trip though he had been scheduled to be off. He's trying to get more at-bats after missing two days with flulike symptoms and then an allergic reaction to penicillin.

Torre said it will probably be Friday or Saturday when they make final decisions on the roster.

Also, I noticed that a couple of people have commented on Mark Teixeira being a free agent after this season. Mark is not a free agent until after the 2008 season. He is only signed through this year, but is arbitration-eligible again after this season. I know Mark very well from covering the Rangers the whole time he has been in the big leagues, and he's a great guy. I'm sure if he gets to free agency without reupping in Texas, he would be open to considering the Yankees, but you and everyone will have to wait until after '08.

2-0 in the bottom of the 2nd. Bobby Abreu and Josh Phelps both hit solo homers for the Yankees.

Got here just in time. Game's beginning and here's the lineup.

Yankees
Cabrera LF
Cano 2B
Abreu RF
Posada C
Phelps DH
Phillips
1B
Basak SS
Reese CF
Cairo 3B
Pavano P

Twins
Luis Castillo 2B
Jason Kubel LF
Mike Redmond C
Michael Cuddyer RF
Justin Morneauu 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Josh Rabe DH
Jeff Cirillo 3B
Jason Bartlett SS
Boof Bonser P

Won't have a chance to blog for the next few hours. After an hour in the clubhouse, we've got a 2 1/2 hour drive to Fort Myers. Not a lot of regular players making the trip. Big day for Carl Pavano against the Twins, though, since it could lock him in as the Opening Day starter.

The results of the MRI/X-ray on Jeff Karstens are back with good news for him. Nothing appears to be structurally wrong, and he may be back on a mound in a couple days. He is still stiff but it's not considered a major problem. He might even be on the roster for Opening Day.

The Yankees met before the game to talk about the roster. No final decision has been made on the backup first baseman (Josh Phelps or Andy Phillips) or backup catcher (Wil Nieves or Todd Pratt). It seems to be leaning towards Phelps and Nieves, though.

The Yankees beat the Phillies 5-1. Mariano Rivera has yet to allow a run this spring, but he did allow a broken bat single (gasp!!) in an inning this afternoon. He's now allowed a measly four baserunners in nine innings.

Alex Rodriguez hit a 3-run homer in the first inning. Doug Mientkiewicz had a two-run double.

I've seen a couple posts asking for an update on Humberto Sanchez. I talked to him earlier this morning, and he is feeling good, hoping to get into a minor league game sometime soon. He threw a bullpen session today, and is still only being permitted to throw fastballs and changeups.
He says he's basically on a need-to-know basis. They tell him each day what he can do that day. He'll probably remain in Tampa on a rehab assignment for a couple weeks, then perhaps move up to Triple-A.

Also, if anyone has specific things they'd like more of in the blog, I'll try to accomodate all reasonable requests as best I can. Just let me know.

Kei Igawa continues to improve from one outing to the next. He pitched five innings today, allowing one earned run on three hits, two walks and a wild pitch. He struck out four. Igawa threw 87 pitches and 49 strikes.
Both he and Jorge Posada, who was behind the plate, emphasized that the one area Igawa is not yet comfortable is with his changeup. Although that is considered his second-best pitch, he is still working on the feel this spring.
Igawa said through an interpreter: "If I don't throw a good changeup, then my other pitches are not going to be as effective."
Posada said he called the changeup a lot more often than he normally would to help Igawa get extra work on it.

Here's today's Phillies-Yankees lineup.

Phillies
Jimmy Rollins SS
Jayson Werth RF
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Pat Burrell LF
Wes Helms 3B
Aaron Rowand CF
Shane Victorino DH
Rod Barajas C
Zack Segovia P

Yankees
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi DH
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Kei Igawa P

General manager Brian Cashman said a few minutes ago that he remains committed to filling the rotation from within the organization.
"We're going to go with what we've got," Cashman said. "To go outside for a quick fix would not be smart."
Cashman also expressed his confidence in Carl Pavano.

Andy Pettitte threw a much-watched 25-pitch bullpen this morning, his first bullpen session since having back spasms last Monday. Even Joe Torre went to watch.
Torre said: "He looked fine, but we're not going to know anything until tomorrow. ... I don't think he had any limitations. He felt as close to normal as you can feel."
Pettitte said he felt "free and easy."
If Pettitte feels fine tomorrow, then heh will throw another bullpen Wednesday and start a game Friday or Saturday.

Jeff Karstens went for an MRI and X-Ray on his right elbow this morning. The preliminary examination leads the Yankees to think it is not too serious, but they won't know for sure until they get test results back.

Jorge Posada was back with the team and will play. He missed the last two games. He first began suffering from flu-like symptoms, then had an allergic reaction to the penicillin that he was placed on. He had to be taken to the hospital as his throat swelled up and he was having trouble breathing. He said he is feeling close to normal now.

Bobby Abreu had a day off yesterday, when Joe Torre said he plans to keep hitting Abreu third this season. Abreu said this morning, though, that he takes it as a compliment to hit third in this lineup.
"It makes me feel good," Abreu said, though he said anywhere in this lineup is a nice spot to hit.

Chien-Ming Wang (hamstring) said he is feeling better day by day.

Pitching coach Ron Guidry, responding to the injuries to his starting rotation, said: "I think what I'm going to do is not put a No. 1 starter. I'm not putting a No. 1 starter because it's not going good."

Don't expect Roger Clemens to rush to the Yankees' rescue.
Clemens said earlier this month he won't decide whether or not to pitch this year until May. In an email this evening, Clemens's agent, Randy Hendricks reiterated that: "Our time frame will not change. It is the entire point of shortening the season."

Guess my post with the Yankees' lineup earlier didn't go up. Some of these guys are already out of the game, as they're losing 9-3 in the top of the 6th inning to the Tigers, but anyway:

Damon CF
Jeter SS
Giambi 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui LF
Pratt C
Cano 2B
Cabrera RF
Mientkiewicz DH

OK, now Jeff Karstens may be experiencing health problems. He felt stiffness in his right elbow and the Yankees pulled him after two innings. Heh said it was more of a precaution than anything, but did acknowledge that it could be a problem.
"If I'm not 100 percent healthy, I'm not going to be able to help the team anyway," Karstens said.
Karstens was knocked around by the Tigers in his first outing since Chien-Ming Wang's hamstring injury, which seemed to lock up a rotation slot for Karstens. He gave up six earned runs in two innings, allowing six hits and walking two.

Joe Torre said he hopes Andy Pettitte can throw a bullpen session tomorrow (he has been out since Monday due to back spasms). However, they won't allow him on the mound until he feels nothing in his back. Pettitte said this morning he still feels it a little bit.

Torre would not completely rule out the idea of Pettitte pitching Opening Day, but it is a long shot.
"I'm not saying it won't happen, but to me, it's doubtful."

Torre also was encouraged by Wang's comfort level today in the training room and even playing catch. They still expect him to be out until late April with the right hamstring strain.

Jorge Posada came to the ballpark this morning but was sent home. He still has a sore throat from the virus he is fighting, and was placed on antibiotics.

Torre also expects to have Bobby Abreu hit third this season. The way Abreu has looked in his first few games since coming back from the oblique strain is better than the Yankees expected.

Tigers lineup for today
Curtis Granderson CF
Placido Polanco 2B
Craig Monroe LF
Gary Sheffield DH
Magglio Ordonez RF
Sean Casey 1B
Ivan Rodriguez C
Brandon Inge 3B
Omar Infante SS
Jason Grilli P

Oh, almost forgot -- there was another bee incident today! This one was during batting practice, but actually kind of scary. Hundreds of bees were flying around, then they actually got into a honeycomb-type formation on the BP fence set up around second base. There were probably 1,000-2,000 bees there. Some brave groundskeepers slowly rolled the thing off the field. In the 10 minutes or so in the meantime, players, coaches, and everyone else stayed as far back as possible.

Talked to Carl Pavano this morning about him possibly being the Yankees' Opening Day starter. He seemed to sense the humor in that idea, after his legion of injuries, saying, "I don't know if I envisioned that" when thinking about his return to action.
Pavano's last major league start was in June 2005.
He also said, "It's my time to pick up some slack."

Wang's hamstring is already feeling better, and he played catch today. But he's not supposed to be allowed on a mound for another week.
Pettitte is still not surre when he'll be on a mound.
I have to get down on the field now in Lakeland, but I'll have a couple other updates later.

There is a real possibility Carl Pavano might be the Opening Day starter for the Yankees. Joe Torre basically ruled out the possibility of Mike Mussina making that start, as he started today and would have to pitch one time on short rest. He also ruled out Andy Pettitte, as Pettitte has been out since Monday with back spasms and won't be ready to start until Thursday or Friday.
Kei Igawa is highly unlikely to make his first major league start on Opening Day, and that leaves only Pavano or Jeff Karstens, who was not even going to make the rotation until Chien-Ming Wang got hurt.

Here are the lineups for the day. Jorge Posada had been scheduled to catch, and did come in today, but he was scratched with some sort of stomach bug.

Blue Jays
Reed Johnson LF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Vernon Wells CF
Frank Thomas DH
Troy Glaus 3B
Matt Stairs RF
Gregg Zaun C
Aaron Hill 2B
Royce Clayton SS
Victor Zambrano P

Yankees
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi DH
Hideki Matsui LF
Robinson Cano 2B
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Wil Nieves C
Mike Mussina P

Talked to Jeff Karstens, who is likely to slide in the rotation with Wang out. He had not yet heard that Wang was headed to the DL. He said as much as he wants to be in the majors, he would rather Wang be healthy.

Chien-Ming Wang is headed to the disabled list with a Grade 1 hamstring pull (the least severe grade). Terrible news for the Yankees, for whom he was perhaps going to be the Opening Day starter. The target date for him to return is late April.

Wang said, "I'm very, very sad. I hope it will get better and I can go back to New York."

Wang sustained the hamstring pull yesterday while running for conditioning. The Yankees initially called it a cramp, but they must not have believed that. They sent him for an MRI yesterday afternoon. Wang said he felt it pop at the time.

GM Brian Cashman said: "You don't want something like this to happen, but unfortunately, it does happen."

Wang's replacement in the rotation will come from within the team, almost certainly Jeff Karstens. Cashman said they would not look outside and do not need to, that it is a "short-term need."

*Other injury news -- right-hander Jose Veras underwent surgery Thursday to remove bone spurs in his right elbow. He is expected to be out 2-3 months. Veras said he had been pitching with pain for two years.

Anyone need a reminder how fragile a starting rotation can be? Probably not, but Chien-Ming Wang was shut down for today after he "felt something" in his right hamstring while running this morning. They're saying a cramp, though it could be a hamstring strain.
That's not good news, when Andy Pettitte has been out for several days due to back spasms. Although Joe Torre had not yet named an Opening Day starter, evidence seemed to be leaning towards Wang. Now we'll see.
Wang is not being sent for any tests, so they must not think it's too bad.
If people had been told at the start of spring training that two starting pitchers would have health problems in the final two weeks of the spring, everyone would have predicted Pavano would be one. Amazingly, he's healthy though.

We're midway thru the 6th inning here in Bradenton, and the Yankees and Pirates are tied at 1-1. Darrell Rasner gave up only one unearned run in 4 2/3 innings for the Yankees. He allowed seven hits and struck out five. He was replaced by Sean Henn, whoh is getting a chance to further his case to make the team.
Ex-Yankee Shawn Chacon was excellent for the Pirates. He gave up just one hit in three innings, striking out four.
Hideki Matsui, who is batting .356, drove in the only Yankee run so far. Bobby Abreu played right field for the second straight day. He was 1-for-3 with a run scored. His hit was a double to right center field.

If you want additional reassurance on Andy Pettitte, I talked to Brian Cashman a little while ago. He said he wasn't worried because his medical people said there was no reason to worry. Trusting the doctors on medical issues sounds like a smart move to me.

Here are lineups for the day:

Yankees
Johnny Damon CF
Wil Nieves C
Bobby Abreu RF
Hideki Matsui LF
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Chris Basak 3B
Angel Chavez 2B
Miguel Cairo SS
Darrell Rasner P

Pirates
Andrew McCutchen CF
Jack Wilson SS
Ronny Paulino C
Adam LaRoche 1B
Jason Bay LF
Xavier Nady RF
Jose Bautista 3B
Jose Castillo 2B
Shawn Chacon P

This may be the only time Wil Nieves ever bats second for the Yankees, but they'd like him to get some extra at-bats since he missed a few days and they have been trying to check out several catchers. It sounds like Nieves is closing in on the backup catcher's job, though. Torre made it sound like they just want to see him in action more to be sure.

Coming at you from McKechnie Field in Bradenton, where the Yankees are getting ready to play the Pirates.

As noted yesterday, Ron Villone is on shaky ground as far as making the team. Joe Torre said before the game, "You hate to say disappointed when a guy is going out there and giving you everything he has," but added, "After watching yesterday and a couple other outings, it looks like he's trying to create velocity, and it's not there."

The Yankees like Sean Henn, who previously worked as a starter, though it's not absolutely an either/or between Henn and Villone.
"We've never stopped looking at Sean Henn," Torre said.

Torre also said the toughest decision is likely to be which first baseman to take besides Doug Mientkiewicz: Andy Phillips or Josh Phelps. He thinks Phillips is "a touch better" than Phelps defensively. However, if Phelps is way ahead offensively, not just a little, then Phelps will be the guy. This decision will probably go down to the last couple days of spring.

Andy Pettitte played light catch today. No date yet for a bullpen or start. His back is feeling better but not 100%.

OK, not killer bees, but bees nonetheless. Players confirmed that a swarm of maybe 100 bees swirled across the field, causing them to leave the field momentarily in the sixth inning. Jorge Posada was the first to see them, as they moved from first base to shortstop and out to left field. He warned his teammates off, though some were quicker than others to catch on.
When one person asked Derek Jeter where he saw them, he said, "Right by my head."
He didn't seem too non-plussed about it, though some said they were a little freaked out.
Yankees lose 8-7 on a walkoff RBI by the Reds' Edwin Encarnacion.
The Yankees were very pleased by Carl Pavano's outing. He gave up three earned runs on eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings, but they were mainly ground ball hits.

In addition to Bobby Abreu's home run earlier in the game, Alex Rodriguez hit his first home run of the spring and Josh Phelps just homered. Phelps, who came on in the sixth inning to replace Jason Giambi, entered the day batting .435 with a homer and seven RBI.

Strange things are happening here. The players and umpires just scattered off the field with one out in the bottom of the fifth. They all stared towards the left field area. The best guess is that there was a swarm of bees, but that's purely speculation. Play is resuming now. I'll let you know if/when we find out what was going on.

Bobby Abreu, in his first day playing right field and only his second game of the spring, just homered to right field. It was a 3-run homer on the first pitch off Kyle Lohse.
4-0 Yankees.

The game has begun here at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.

Here are the lineups:

Yankees
Melky Cabrera CF
Derek Jeter SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jason Giambi 1B
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Kevin Reese LF
Carl Pavano P

Reds
Ryan Freel CF
Josh Hamilton RF
Brandon Phillips 2B
Adam Dunn LF
Edwin Encarnacion 3B
Javier Valentin 1B
David Ross C
Paul Janish SS
Kyle Lohse P

In spring training when guys have such limited number of at-bats, they and coaches and managers often talk about wanting to see the quality of the at-bats more than the statistics. Melky Cabrera's at-bat to lead off the game was a good indication of that. Cabrera entered the day hitting just .200 (10-of-50), but Joe Torre has said that Cabrera's at-bats are improving. Cabrera grounded out to begin the game, but it was a nine-pitch at-bat that really worked Reds pitcher Kyle Lohse.

Finally online in Sarasota and able to update you:

We talked to Alex Rodriguez briefly this morning to get his response to Brian Cashman saying he doesn't plan to give Alex a contract extension.
Rodriguez said he was not surprised, and "Nothing's changed."
He said there was "nothing to respond" and that "I'm not going to talk about the contract."

As for Andy Pettitte, who had been suffering from back spasms, he is feeling better but is not yet throwing. Said Pettitte: "I feel a lot better, but I forgot how little of a say you have sometimes."
He is likely to get just one more start before the season.

Joe Torre said that Luis Vizcaino is on the team. Said Torre: "He wasn't auditioning, for me."

Mariano Rivera threw back in Tampa and will next pitch in a game Saturday. They don't take him on road trips. With no consecutive home games in the next week, Torre said that if he needs to pitch on back-to-back days, they will have him pitch in one major league game and one minor league game. "The road trip will be on Himes (Road)," Torre said. That's about half a mile from Legends Field.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn't plan to talk about a contract extension for Alex Rodriguez, even though Rodriguez has