Hank: Yanks are one of the top teams in the AL

The Quote Machine sounded very confident today when asked how he felt about this Yankee team.

(From Ed Price of The Star Ledger)

"I think we're one of the top three teams, probably, in the American League. And the American League is the toughest. And we've got as good a chance as anybody to win it this year. It doesn't mean were going to, but we're certainly going to give it a try.

"Detroit's tough, Boston's tough, Cleveland's tough. Anaheim may be tough. The American League is tough right now."

When asked specifically about the Red Sox he said, "They're the champions. So our guys have got to prove they can beat them. We did well against them last year during the regular season (10-8). Didn't get a shot at them in the playoffs. So we'll see what happens this year."

Them be fightin' words! We're coming for you Boston!

About Joba, Hughes and Kennedy aka "the big three": "With them, we're not just looking at this year, we're looking at the next 10 years. ... It's going to be strong for the next 10 years. But I'd still like to win this year.

"They're all kids, they're all rookies, but they're going to keep getting better and better and better. And hopefully, by the end of this season, by September, and October, these guys will be firing on all cylinders. Their innings will be built up, and they'll be ready to go."

On the steroid problem and the Mitchell Report: "To whatever extent there was a steroid or HGH problem, it was equal among all the teams," Steinbrenner said. "And I think Mitchell made that pretty clear. So we were just better than everybody else. That's the bottom line.

"You can't tell me the other teams, including the Red Sox and everybody else, didn't have the same number of players doing it. Of course they did. To whatever extent that was. We were just better."

Jon Harper of the Daily News had some more.

On the Johan Santana non-deal: "Hopefully, that's not a move we should have made that I'm going to be (ticked off) about."

"With Santana, we'd be the favorites right now."

Then there was this about Joba

...make no mistake, Boss Hank has high expectations for the young guns. Never mind Chien-Ming Wang or Andy Pettitte; Steinbrenner made it clear he is counting on Chamberlain to be the Yankees' answer to Santana and Josh Beckett.

"I think by the end of the season we could have that in Chamberlain," said Steinbrenner.

Just give the kid a little MORE pressure Hank. Great job!

Mark Feinsand, also of the NY Daily News, had some more quotes from Hank.

This time he was discussing Andy Pettitte, and how he feels Andy will deal with all of the steroid/HGH controversy,"I don't know him that well, but I know he's a tough kid. I think he'll handle it fine," Steinbrenner told the Daily News. "Hopefully he'll have a good year. I still expect what I expected from him before. I'm sure he does, too."

He also had more to say about Joba: "I don't think any of us see him as a setup guy for the entire season," Steinbrenner said. "He has so much potential that he should be either a starter or a closer - and we already have a closer.

"He's got too many good pitches to be a career reliever. When you've got that kind of fastball, you can do anything. But he's also got the curveball, slider and changeup; that's not your typical reliever. There is nothing more valuable than a great starting pitcher."

Can't disagree there.