2008 Spring Training Thread

[browntown653]

TWINS 7, YANKEES 5
at Tampa, Fla.
Wednesday, March 5

Twins at the plate: Delmon Young blasted a long solo homer in the second inning off the black batter's eye beyond the 408-foot mark in center field. Garrett Jones slugged a two-run homer in the fifth inning off the party deck in right field, his first of the spring. Alexi Casilla singled to tie the game at 4 in the seventh, and with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, Alejandro Machado broke the tie with a two-run double down the right-field line.

Yankees at the plate: Robinson Cano and Wilson Betemit smacked back-to-back doubles to center field in the second inning to drive home New York's first run. Melky Cabrera and Bobby Abreu also had run-scoring hits in the frame, and Cano drove home Jason Giambi with the Yankees' fourth run in the third inning. Cano finished the day 3-for-3, raising his Grapefruit League batting average to .700. Shelley Duncan hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to increase his Grapefruit League RBI total to nine.

Twins on the mound: Kevin Slowey allowed three runs in the second inning and five hits in his 41-pitch, 28-strike outing, walking two and striking out three while throwing a wild pitch. Minnesota's Minor League Pitcher of the Year for 2007, Slowey has allowed six runs and nine hits in two Grapefruit League appearances. Julio DePaula allowed a run on two hits in the third inning.

Yankees on the mound: Ian Kennedy allowed one run -- the Young home run -- on two hits in two innings, throwing 33 pitches (19 strikes) in his first effort against big league competition this spring. Lefty Heath Phillips retired the side in his inning of work, but Joba Chamberlain served up a long two-run homer to Jones in the fifth, the only run-scoring blemish on his two innings. Jonathan Albaladejo struck out one in a scoreless sixth but surrendered the tying run in the seventh. Edwar Ramirez got the final out of the seventh inning but surrendered three runs in the eighth to give the Twins the lead for good.

Up next: The Twins will host the Orioles at 1:05 p.m. ET on Thursday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla. Outfielder Craig Monroe could make his first game appearance in a week after being sidelined with a strained muscle in his lower left leg. Right-hander Livan Hernandez will get the start for the Twins as he faces off against Orioles right-hander Daniel Cabrera.

The Yankees will hit the road on Thursday to meet the Reds in Sarasota, Fla. Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang will make his second start of the spring, matching up with right-hander Aaron Harang. Darrell Rasner, Kyle Farnsworth, Sean Henn, Chris Britton and Jose Veras will also pitch for New York. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m

Wow, Joba giving up a home run...don't see that every day.
Good to see Cano hitting the ball well, and Shelley Duncan has been quite the power source so far.

[browntown653]

REDS 12, YANKEES 8
at Sarasota, Fla.
Thursday, March 6

Yankees at the plate: Johnny Damon went 2-for-3 with two doubles against Reds starter Aaron Harang. Bobby Abreu's homer to left-center field off Matt Maloney put New York on the scoreboard in the seventh inning. Greg Porter hit a grand slam off Alexander Smit in the eighth inning.

Reds at the plate: It was a six-RBI game for Edwin Encarnacion on Thursday. In the Reds' six-run first inning, Encarnacion hit a two-run single. In the fourth, he hit a grand slam to right-center field for a 10-0 Reds lead. Cincinnati sent 11 men to the plate in the first, with its first five batters reaching base and scoring. Adam Dunn hit an RBI single, while Andy Green hit an RBI double and Norris Hopper added an RBI single.

Yankees on the mound: Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang was roughed up for six earned runs, six hits and two walks, before being pulled after only two-thirds of an inning. Scott Patterson took over and worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Kyle Farnsworth walked one and struck out one in his one scoreless inning.

Reds on the mound: Harang started and pitched three scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out two. Francisco Cordero hurled one scoreless inning with two strikeouts. David Weathers was smooth with an eight-pitch scoreless inning.

Grapefruit League records: Reds 5-4, Yankees 3-2.

Up next: The Reds will play two split-squad games vs. the Pirates on Friday. The first game is at 1:05 p.m. ET in Sarasota, with Johnny Cueto starting, and the nightcap is set for 7:05 p.m. ET in Bradenton, Fla., with Bronson Arroyo on the mound.

The Yankees will host the Astros on Friday at Legends Field at 1:15 p.m. ET. Andy Pettitte will make the start, and Mariano Rivera is slated to make his first appearance for New York.

- No idea who Greg Porter is.
- A Mariano sighting soon!
- Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come for Wang...Spring Training or not, that's a brutal start.

[browntown653]

ASTROS 9, YANKEES 5
at Tampa, Fla.
Friday, March 7

Astros at the plate: Victor Diaz blasted an 0-1 offering from starter Andy Pettitte out of the park to put the Astros up 2-0 in the first inning. Houston would strike twice more in the fifth, on a groundout from Jose Cruz Jr. and a single off the bat of Hunter Pence. Lance Niekro scurried home on a fielder's choice for the Astros' seventh run.

Yankees at the plate: Alex Rodriguez's sore shoulder didn't hold the designated hitter back from drilling a double to left for the first hit of the game in the second inning. Jason Lane and Brett Gardner also doubled in the frame to tie the game at 2. Gardner added a leadoff triple in the fifth to finish perfect (2-for-2) at the plate. Wilson Betemit smacked his second homer of the year in the sixth inning to tie the game at 5.

Astros on the mound: Starter Shawn Chacon kept his former team grounded in his first inning of work, but he surrendered three doubles in the second inning, which, combined with a follow-up single, allowed the Yankees to score twice. Righty Chris Sampson relieved Chacon in the fourth and scattered five hits over the next three innings, allowing three earned runs and fanning two to hit the showers with a no-decision.

Yankees on the mound: Steven White took the loss after he allowed three runs (two earned) over the sixth and seventh innings, walked two and fanned one. Mariano Rivera worked an inning for the first time this spring and did it with pizzazz. The closer retired the side on just eight pitches in the third inning, which included a first-pitch groundout sandwiched between two punch outs. In his second start, Pettitte sat the Astros down in order in the first frame, but he hit Geoff Blum with a pitch to start the second and served up a homer to Diaz two pitches later to dig himself a hole. Pettitte earned a no-decision, and he was hooked in favor of Edwar Ramirez after he reached his pitch count midway through the second.

Grapefruit League records: Astros 4-6, Yankees 3-3.

Up next: The Yankees remain at Legends Field, where they'll face the Rays in a Saturday matchup at 1:15 p.m. ET. Right-hander Mike Mussina (0-0, 18.00 ERA) is scheduled to toe the bump for New York, and Tampa Bay will counter with righty Matt Garza (0-0, 10.80).

- Bit of a rough start for Pettitte, he'll get back on track I'm sure.
- SHAWN CHACON!
- I don't know why it took this long to get Mariano to pitch his first inning of the spring, but he sounds like he was very impressive. One thing I didn't like about Torre was he underused Mo while overusing everyone else early in the year, and he wasn't sharp. Hopefully Girardi will get him some more work early on.

[browntown653]

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alex Rodriguez walked through the Yankees' clubhouse with a heat pack on his right throwing shoulder on Friday morning, not a good omen for the day's game ahead.

Not much later, it was revealed the Yankees third baseman would only be the designated hitter in New York's game against Houston because of right shoulder discomfort.

Rodriguez said he's hampered "just a little bit" by the shoulder, but only when he throws. He was able to participate in all of the pregame drills that didn't involve a throwing motion.

"I certainly wouldn't miss a game during the regular season or have to DH," Rodriguez said. "But I think right now, it's just being smart."

Rodriguez said he probably would rest the shoulder for a couple of days, but he would continue to DH if that remained an option.

Catcher Jorge Posada was also a late scratch from Friday's game as well after he felt discomfort in a lateral muscle while throwing on Monday. Posada, too, feels no pain when hitting, but he will rest the muscle until Monday. He's listed as day-to-day.

Not worried.

[ljshorty89]

Still not quite at the Mets level, but like I always say, better March 7 than April 7...

[BronxBomberz]

Yankees-Rays starting right now.

[BronxBomberz]

1-0 Rays after a Gomes HR

[nyjunc]

Hughes had a rough day yeterday but the other day Mussina threw 5 perfect innings and that's back to back quality outings.

[Dry1313]

The Official Site of The New York Yankees: News: Minor League Report: Cody Ransom

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- He was Billy Crystal's locker neighbor for a day, enduring a persistent media crush and even yielding his uniform number to help the actor feel like more of a big leaguer.
Crystal's Yankees tenure may have ended after one at-bat, but Cody Ransom is still in camp. What's more, he appears to be building momentum toward winning a spot on the Opening Day roster.

A non-roster invitee who played last year in the Astros system, the 32-year-old started again on Thursday, taking Derek Jeter's usual spot at shortstop for a game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. In his first at-bat, Ransom did nothing to hurt his cause, drilling a run-scoring double down the left-field line off right-hander Kane Davis.

The Yankees aren't completely certain they'll carry an additional utility man, but if the final days of camp convince them that one would be useful, Ransom appears to be at the head of the pack.

"I've been impressed with his ability to play so many different positions," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He has good at-bats and anywhere we've put him in defensively, he's done a good job. He's made some really good plays, too. I'm not just talking routine plays."

Ransom has had a smattering of big league experience, first appearing with the 2001 Giants as a September call-up. A .236 hitter in 133 Major League games, Ransom spent most of last year at Triple-A Round Rock, but made it into 19 games with the Astros last September, batting .229 (8-for-35) before signing with the Yankees as a free agent in November.

Complicating Ransom's chances at winning a spot on the roster is the presence of Wilson Betemit, whom the Yankees like for his youth (24) and ability to play all four infield positions. Despite Betemit's all-but-assured spot on the roster, Ransom has received more than an extended look, playing all around the infield and also left field.

"I've just gone out and tried to be myself, and played the way I know I can," Ransom said. "Defense has always been what I've been able to do. I don't know if that's intrigued them or not. You can always use versatility as a utility guy. I can catch it if it's hit to me, and I don't really care where I play."

At least one of Ransom's competitors, veteran Chris Woodward, fears that he may have lost some ground by missing time with a tight right hamstring. Woodward still has yet to return to action, though he was scheduled to play in a Minor League game on Thursday.

Meanwhile, fellow non-roster invitee Nick Green had something of a relationship with Girardi coming in as a former National Leaguer, but it is Ransom -- a virtual unknown coming in -- that has drawn the manager's attention.



News and features:
• Kennedy, Joba on target as Yanks top Jays
• Ransom stating his case for Yankees
• Homers sour Hughes' night against Pirates
• Joba to start season in Yankees bullpen
• Hughes 'close' despite recent struggles
• Gardner returned to Yankees from Padres
Multimedia:
• Va. Tech galleries: Pregame | Game action
• Yankees visit Va. Tech 400K
• Billy Crystal's at-bat 400K
• Crystal photo gallery
• Yanks-Rays incident 400K
• Billy Crystal Dons Pinstripes 400K
Spring Training info:
• MLB.com coverage | Schedule | Ballpark | Tickets

The Yankees have a number of ways they could go in the last week of camp, directions which would ticket Ransom for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Corner infielder Morgan Ensberg plus outfielders Jason Lane and Brett Gardner are not out of the running for roster spots, and Girardi believes the Yankees' decision could go down to the last two Spring Training games in Miami.

"The roster will shape out here fairly quickly," Girardi said. "We're just trying to give everyone a fair look and make an evaluation on what will help this team the most. We've talked about possibly going a couple of different directions. Now we're down to 10 [days]. We'll make that decision."

Regardless of how the final roster shakes out, Ransom said that this has been one of his most memorable Spring Trainings. Not only did Crystal compensate him for borrowing his No. 60 for an afternoon -- Ransom, wearing No. 67 that day, homered -- but he was also included on the Yankees' travel roster to Virginia Tech and has been able to chat with legends like Yogi Berra and Goose Gossage.

"I've had a lot of fun," Ransom said. "It's a great team and a great organization. I'm enjoying myself. Performance-wise, I think I've done OK. We've got a week left and we'll see what happens."

Plenty down below: Joba Chamberlain may be the new model for converting a Minor League starter into a big league reliever, but it's a process the Yankees are continuing to fine-tune. After Chamberlain dominated and Ross Ohlendorf also found success last year, there may be future candidates looming at the high levels of the farm system.

Girardi said that some of the Yankees' first cuts of Spring Training, like Dan McCutchen, Mark Melancon and Steven White, showed the promise to re-join the club later in the season.

"I've seen a lot of those kids, that I think even though they're not here now, they can pitch up here," Girardi said. "All the kids that we sent down in the first wave, I still believe that they can have an impact at some point this year."

Speed thrills: Playing against the Pirates on Wednesday in Bradenton, Fla., Brett Gardner perfectly placed a bunt up the third-base line, rushing catcher Ryan Doumit and forcing a wild throw to sail down the right-field line.

Regardless of whether he makes the Opening Day roster -- and he is still in the mix -- the Yankees believe the 24-year-old Gardner has shown enough this spring to prove he can help them as soon as 2008.

"He brings a speed dimension that I like to call a pest dimension to the game," Girardi said. "Pitchers can never relax when he's on base, and infielders can never relax when he's up at the plate. He plays very good defense, he plays hard, and we like him."

With Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera and Bobby Abreu guaranteed to be in the Yankees' outfield, there may be no room at the inn for Gardner, who could benefit more from playing every day in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre than by riding the bench in New York. Girardi said he has encouraged Gardner along those lines, telling him to keep his head up and wait for his chance.

"I think he's got a chance to be a really good big league player," Girardi said. "It's like the pitching staff here, obviously, we can only take so many when we leave [Florida]. If you don't go with us when we break camp, you need to be ready at all times, because you never know when that call is going to come."

On the pine: Andrew Brackman continues to progress through his rehab from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, but he will not pitch in 2008. ... Humberto Sanchez is scheduled to throw off a mound on March 28, the first time since surgery. Francisco Cervelli will miss at least the first six weeks of the season after suffering a broken right wrist in a March 8 home-plate collision against the Rays.

First-rounders: Eric Duncan (2003) was reassigned to Minor League camp early because of the Yankees' glut of first basemen. ... Phil Hughes (2004) is a lock to be in the starting rotation. ... C.J. Henry (2005) is back in the Yankees' Minor League system after being dealt in the Abreu trade. The club believes that Henry can rebound after correcting vision problems that hampered him with Philadelphia. ... Chamberlain (2006) will be in the Yankees' setup mix. ... Ian Kennedy (2006) will be in New York's rotation. He allowed one run on six hits in 4 1/3 innings vs. Toronto on Thursday.

The Yankees have eight players on their spring roster who were originally selected in the first round or compensation rounds of the Draft. The others are Damon (Royals, 1992), Derek Jeter (1992), Mike Mussina (Orioles, 1990), Alex Rodriguez (Mariners, 1993) and Billy Traber (Mets, 2000). Bullpen coach Mike Harkey and third-base coach Bobby Meacham were also first-round picks.

They said it: "It's kind of a test here in Spring Training. You come off the bench in the sixth or seventh innings and even if you're not starting, you have to stay ready. For a guy like me, I can come off the bench and help in the field or on the bases with my speed. That's part of what I have to do to help the team win." -- Gardner

Great read...Ransom has looked great this spring...but I'd hate to lose Woodward too. I'm glad we have a stockpile of good bench players. This is a predicament I'm sure we'd a'll love to be in.

[BronxBomberz]

Yankees lost to the Indians yesterday.

[browntown653]

Ransom has looked real impressive in what I've seen out of him.