Notes: Wang on pace to pitch opener

Notes: Wang on pace to pitch opener

Another solid outing has righty looking good for Opening Day

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Yankees have not officially decided on their Opening Day starter, but Chien-Ming Wang continues to appear as likely a choice as any.

Wang was efficient in a five-inning performance Friday against the Houston Astros, allowing one run and four hits in the Yankees' 4-3 loss.

The right-hander said he was especially pleased with his changeup and slider, and he had good command for most of the effort -- Wang threw 46 of his 61 pitches for strikes, with just a momentary blip in the second inning when he left fastballs up on doubles to Carlos Lee and Luke Scott.

"Every time, better and better," Wang said.

One season after tying Minnesota's Johan Santana for the American League lead in victories, Wang is generally regarded as the Yankees' ace and the likeliest candidate to lock heads with Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir on April 2.

Through four Grapefruit League appearances -- including the Yankees' Grapefruit League opener on March 1 against Minnesota -- Wang has compiled a 2.54 ERA, allowing four runs and 12 hits in 14 innings.

"He's getting there," manager Joe Torre said. "He's not all the way there yet. He's not as sharp as he's going to be, but he's not having any problems."

Of importance is Wang's improving slider, which Torre said has come a long way from his debut season in 2005. It made a great leap last year and has been a focal point of Wang's sessions in Spring Training, making him more likely to tap it from his arsenal in a tight spot during the regular season.

"If you have the pitches, the more comfort you have with them, the more likely you are to use them," Torre said.

Torre said that the team has not yet set any plans for the season opener, with Wang, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina in the running for the assignment.

"We just want to make sure these guys get through their next start or two," Torre said. "The most important thing for me is that, any one of the three of them that you decide, the other two of them won't take exception."

Bobby swings: Bobby Abreu (strained right oblique) took 55 swings in an indoor cage at Legends Field on Friday, The Associated Press reported.

Torre said that he hadn't heard any updates from the Yankees' camp during their game in Kissimmee, Fla., which the manager took to be a good sign. No news is good news, he reasoned.

"All systems were go today," Torre said. "He had a pretty good look on his face this morning."

Without any further setbacks, Torre suggested that Abreu could make his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday at Sarasota against the Cincinnati Reds, the day following New York's lone off-day of the spring.

That would give Abreu 10 exhibition games to round into shape for his projected Opening Day assignment at Yankee Stadium, which Torre said was realistic. Abreu was injured while taking batting practice in Tampa on Feb. 26.

No liftoff: Roger Clemens kept his fastball and splitter in his back pocket on Friday, instead tossing lob batting practice to his children on Field 4 of the Astros' Spring Training complex.

Clemens also kept to himself and did not speak to reporters, 10 days after he made an appearance at Legends Field to watch good friend Pettitte pitch.

Torre said he did not intend to seek out Clemens for another informal chat, but said that he believed Clemens already knows whether or not he intends to pitch in 2007.

Clemens and his representatives have continually maintained that if Clemens decides to play this year, it would only be for the Yankees, Astros or Red Sox.

"Just knowing Roger the way I do, in the event he decides to play again, he's certainly going to be ready to do it," Torre said. "That's part of his lifestyle. ... I think Roger has it all figured out anyway."

Bernie a topic: In discussing the talents of outfielder Bronson Sardinha -- who is batting .345 this spring after an 0-for-4 collar Friday -- Torre couldn't help but mention Bernie Williams' name.

The 23-year-old Sardinha has made great strides after working with hitting coach Kevin Long last season at Triple-A Columbus, and Torre said he was one of the biggest surprises of camp.

That said, Torre would prefer a more veteran presence as a fifth outfielder, if the Yankees intended to carry one. That prompted the manager to bring up Williams, reiterating that "Bernie at least had a chance to be a part of this ballclub, coming off the bench."

Torre said that his two recruitment calls to Williams, urging him to consider accepting the Yankees' standing non-roster invitation to Spring Training, went unreturned. Torre said that he would be surprised if Williams latched on with another team in 2007, but also handicapped the 38-year-old outfielder's chances on reappearing with the Yankees.

"I think it would be a very, very long shot," Torre said. "Spring Training would have been important for him and for us, too, just to try to put things together."

This and that: Torre said right-hander Darrell Rasner will pitch in a Triple-A game on Saturday. ... Right-handers Chris Britton and Scott Proctor will pitch in Minor League games at the Himes Field complex on Saturday.

Coming up: The Yankees travel to Clearwater, Fla. to see the Phillies on Saturday, facing off at 1:05 p.m. ET. Pettitte is scheduled to start for New York, with left-hander Jamie Moyer going for Philadelphia.

Right-hander Carl Pavano is scheduled to pitch four innings after Pettitte pitches the first five, which will be Pavano's second time facing the Phillies in Clearwater this spring. Philadelphia plans to use left-hander Matt Smith, right-hander Geoff Geary and right-hander Ryan Madson in relief.

Notes: Wang has work yet to do

Notes: Wang has work yet to do

Despite perfect stat line, righty admits to being rusty

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

TAMPA, Fla. -- Chien-Ming Wang's results through two innings of Grapefruit League work -- six up, six down, five ground-ball outs -- made it look like he is in midseason form.

But his stuff isn't there yet, according to Wang. After whisking through his allotment of Minnesota Twins on Thursday, Wang said his bowling ball-like sinker is still catching a bit too much of the zone, a point he'll need to rectify.

"He spoils you so much with how efficient he is," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "If he misses by a little bit, he feels that he's not right."

Wang, 27, spread the wealth in the Yankees' Spring Training opener, inducing grounders to Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano in the first inning.

He had two more bounceouts in the second inning before Jason Kubel lofted a harmless fly ball to left field, ending Wang's 19-pitch, 10-strike effort. He might not have been completely satisfied, but his Yankees teammates will take those results any day of the week.

"If he pitched a complete game, it'd probably be a couple of strikeouts, 22 ground balls and a couple of popups," Alex Rodriguez said. "It's awesome. It keeps everybody involved.

"You know that when you're driving to the game that day, you're probably going to get six, seven, eight ground balls. That's exciting."

Still, Wang felt his pitches were "too high" and his arm slot was "too wide." Catcher Jorge Posada agreed, saying that the results were good for the first time out, but provided Wang with a base upon which to improve.

"He looked good, but from my standpoint, he wasn't down in the zone like usual," Posada said. "He got the ground balls and that's all you can ask for. He should be a little lower. It's normal [for] the first time out there."

A walk on the wild side: Top pitching prospect Phil Hughes admitted his first Spring Training appearance at Legends Field "wasn't great," but said there were positives to take from the experience.

First, Hughes -- who hasn't struggled with much adversity through his brief, successful professional career -- has an item to kick around as motivation for next time.

Hughes walked two Twins in 1 1/3 innings and also threw a wild pitch, keeping Posada busy blocking overthrown pitches behind the plate.

"That's not something that I like to do or want to do," the 20-year-old Hughes said. "I think it's kind of good that I have something in my mind that I can work on, instead of getting six outs [easily]."

Hughes admitted to being "a little bit anxious" in his first appearance this year, taking over pitching duties in the third inning after Wang retired all six Minnesota batters he faced.

"That can be expected," Hughes said. "It was good to get back out there and actually see some guys."

Before yielding to reliever T.J. Beam with one out in the fourth, Hughes was satisfied to at least leave on a high note, striking out last year's American League MVP, Justin Morneau.

"He struck out a pretty good hitter to say goodbye," Torre said.

Phillips leaves club: First baseman Andy Phillips has been granted a leave of absence from the club. The Yankees said that Phillips' mother was involved in a "serious car accident" on Wednesday in Alabama, and that Phillips has been granted as much time as he needs to attend to the situation.

He has been in communication with the club, calling left-hander Andy Pettitte early on Thursday to update his status.

"We all hope and pray everything will be OK," Torre said.

No second thoughts: Hideki Matsui's consecutive games streak ended last May after he attempted a diving catch in left field at Yankee Stadium, breaking his left wrist.

With that memory in mind, the Yankees could be excused if they'd gasped a little bit when Matsui ran full speed toward the left-field corner in the third inning on Thursday, hunting down a Nick Punto fly ball.

Bearing in on a railing, Matsui snagged the drive. He later joked, "The wrist is not broken," and said he had never given his aggressive pursuit a second thought.

"I've never really thought about the injury," Matsui said. "Today, too, it never really passed my mind."

No problems: Wearing a tight wrap on his left foot, Carl Pavano threw a bullpen session on Thursday and reported that he was "pleasantly surprised" by his touch and feel.

The right-hander -- who sustained a bruise last week when he was hit by an Alberto Gonzalez line drive in batting practice -- is now cleared to make a scheduled start on Sunday in Clearwater against the Phillies.

"I'm excited for it," Pavano said. "Can't wait."

This and that: Pitching coach Ron Guidry has still not decided if closer Mariano Rivera will make his spring debut on Monday or Wednesday. Rivera is, as usual, not traveling to Yankees road games. ... Pitching prospect Ross Ohlendorf showed "real good sink" in a scoreless two-inning relief stint, Torre said. ... Luis Vizcaino, Mike Myers and Jose Veras each fired scoreless innings for New York.

Quotable: "Just to look good with the shirt off. [So] the wife still digs me. Stuff like that. You've got to keep your sexiness at all times." -- Johnny Damon, on why he constructed a gymnasium at his Orlando, Fla., home

Coming up: The Yankees head to St. Petersburg on Friday to play their first road game of the spring, a 1:05 p.m. ET affair with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Pettitte will be on the mound for New York, making his first Grapefruit League appearance for the Yankees since 2003.

Mailbag: Will Wang get the nod?

Mailbag: Will Wang get the nod?

Beat reporter Bryan Hoch answers Yankees fans' questions

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

It's been another intriguing week at Yankees camp, with pitchers throwing batting practice to hitters and most everyone looking solid. The team has even survived its first Carl Pavano injury scare, and most everyone seems to be looking forward to the beginning of exhibition games. Let's get to this week's questions.

Who is the likely Opening Day starter, and what will the rotation look like? I think Chien-Ming Wang deserves to be the Opening Day starter considering his achievements last season.
-- Ben H., Livingston, N.J.

I agree with you. If he makes it through the Grapefruit League season healthy, and there's no reason to believe he won't, I'd project Wang as the Opening Day starter for April 2 against the Devil Rays.

The Yankees haven't confirmed that yet, as they've got the entire exhibition schedule to handle first. It's generally being assumed that Wang is the 2007 ace. He'd be followed by Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano, possibly, but not necessarily in that order.

I keep hearing about Humberto Sanchez and Philip Hughes, but I never hear anything about Ross Ohlendorf. Will he have an impact on the 2007 Yankees, or will it be a little longer? Also, how are his numbers in the Minors?
-- Daniel G., Ithaca, N.Y.

It'll probably be a little bit longer for Ohlendorf, a big right-hander acquired from Arizona in the Randy Johnson trade. Ohlendorf pitched just one game at the Triple-A level last season and he's a pretty safe bet to open the year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

I don't know if I'd rule out a call-up later in the year, but he'd likely be behind Hughes and Sanchez on that chart. He was 10-8 with a 3.29 ERA in 27 starts last year at Double-A Tennessee, walking 29 and striking out 125 in 177 2/3 innings.

Why is the media making a big deal out of this Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter situation? Why was this even reported on? Really, there has got to be something to report other than that. I would like to know, does anyone agree with me?
-- T.J. H., Bismarck, N.D.

T.J., I'd venture to say that there are plenty of people who agree with you. For years now, though, people have been questioning the relationship between the two players -- most seem to believe it dated back to a 2001 Esquire magazine article in which Rodriguez, then with the Texas Rangers, claimed that Jeter was a No. 2 hitter who never had to lead his team.

When Rodriguez reported to Spring Training last week and held court in the Yankees dugout, one of the first questions asked was from a television reporter who inquired, point blank, about the state of his friendship with Jeter.

Rodriguez could have insisted again that things were fine and that they were "great friends" -- as he did in January at a Manhattan book signing -- but instead decided to come clean and admit the truth.

No, Jeter and Rodriguez are not as close as they used to be, but by all accounts, they're fine in the clubhouse. It's not as though they root against each other or ignore each other. They joke at the batting cage and speak on the field, and we have to assume that it's not just a show -- keeping up appearances in such a fashion would be far too distracting from the actual tasks at hand.

The A-Rod/Jeter soap opera, as far as things went in the clubhouse, turned out to be a two-day blip at camp. Jeter had left the complex by the time Rodriguez made his comments, and when Jeter said the next day that he would not address this situation anymore, that pretty much finished the stories off. I know plenty of readers -- and some of the reporters, too -- have been happy to move on to more important baseball-related issues.

What kind of role do you see Melky Cabrera having this year? He obviously won't start, but will he get any playing time at all, or will it take another injury?
-- Matt R., Annandale, N.J.

The Yankees are going to do their best to get Cabrera as many at-bats as possible. Manager Joe Torre met with Cabrera last week at Legends Field and told him that even though he's heading into the spring as a backup outfielder, the team wants him to consider himself an everyday player.

Hideki Matsui no longer has a consecutive-games streak to worry about, and Torre will want to rest both Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu to keep them fresh. Someone recently suggested to Torre that Cabrera could see as many as three games a week in the outfield, but Torre wasn't ready to confirm that just yet.

If the Yankees would prefer that Bernie Williams retire, is there consideration being given to "sweetening the pot" by retiring his No. 51 out in Monument Park? He surely deserves it.
-- William F., Schoharie, N.Y.

The Yankees' intention was never to force Williams into retirement -- he is a free agent and can sign with any team he chooses. Of course, Williams has limited his choices to just one team, and is apparently waiting to see if anything guaranteed will open up with the Yankees.

Just to get off topic for a second, a lot of fans continue to write in with potential ways that Williams could be carried on the roster. General manager Brian Cashman has been pretty adamant that Williams does not fit into the organization's vision of transitioning to younger players. It has become clear that the Yankees are not looking for ways to keep Williams for 2007.

It seems that on this late date, if anything was going to happen with Williams, it would have happened already. We've also stopped waiting for Williams to walk through the doors at Legends Field -- as Cashman said, "If he wanted to be here, he'd be here." To answer your question, though, I'd bank on seeing a Bernie Williams Day at Yankee Stadium someday, but I can't tell you when it'll be.

What has happened with J. Brent Cox? I had heard he might become "the closer of the future." I heard he did well in the Minors, but I've heard little about him this spring.
-- Bob M., Fountain Valley, Calif.

Cox broke his pitching hand in an altercation, agent Randy Hendricks confirmed in January. Cox is expected to be ready to pitch when the Minor League season begins in April, but the incident cost him an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Cashman has said that the Yankees would have brought Cox to Legends Field this spring, but not with him unable to pitch.

What do you think of Kevin Thompson's chances of making the team, assuming he has a good spring and Andy Phillips or Josh Phelps struggle?
-- Bob K., Bradford, N.H.

I don't think the way for Thompson to make the team would be via Phillips or Phelps struggling, but he deserves to get a good look nevertheless.

Thompson isn't likely to break Spring Training with the Yankees -- especially if they're only carrying four outfielders -- but he seems to be the kind of player who fits right into the idea of making the Yankees younger, more athletic and flexible. He did hit .300 in a 19-game stint last year, and I'd suspect you haven't seen the last of him around the Bronx.