"We still have about a month-and-a-half until Opening Day. I should be feeling fine by then."-
- Brian Bruney has lost almost 20 lbs, and says part of the reason is because of new Yankee manager Joe Girardi. "I'm just in all-around better shape. ... I've never really pitched in good physical shape before. I've always been kind of average. I knew going in that Joe (Girardi) was kind of a stickler for that, so that was one reason, but mostly I just wanted to do it for myself."
Hopefully this somehow helps him throw strikes, it probably won't though.
- Joba Chamberlain cares about one thing, and one thing only, winning. When asked about if he was concerned with his role this was his response: "You know what, I'm not at all, because it's about winning (World Series title) No. 27. I'm just a little part, it's not about me."
Good answer. He also spoke about his plans to incorporate his changeup this season. "It's the best pitch l've thrown all winter, to be honest with you. I think it will be a very important pitch for me."
- Mike Mussina discussed the "big three", steroids, and what teammate Andy Pettitte is going to have to deal with:
About the kids: “I think they believe in these kids. They believe they’ve got a good group. You build a successful franchise and a successful team with young players who can perform. If you have young pitchers who can perform, you’re in a real good place. With Joba, Hughes and Kennedy, they’ve got three guys they think they can build around.
“When Jeter’s not around anymore, when Andy’s not around, I’m not around, Mariano’s not around, Posada’s not around, these are the guys that are going to be playing for the Yankees and doing the same things that this group has been able to do for the past 12-13 years.”
About Pettitte: “However it happens, he has to be able to go out there and pitch,” Mussina said of Pettitte. “He has to find a way to deal with it. I don’t think he will be able to do his job properly if he has to answer questions all season long.”
“It’s going to be everywhere," Mussina said of the taunting that will roar out of ballpark seats. “I watched (Jason) Giambi go through it a couple of years ago.
"It’s going to be hard and it’s going to be difficult. Hopefully, he can find a way to play through it and perform well."
"Do I think he can deal with it? Sure I think he can deal with it. But until you're actually put in the situation and have to deal with it, you really really don't know. We'll just have to move forward and see how it plays out."
About the steroids and the Mitchell Report: "It's a choice (users) made," he said today. "I feel better about myself because I competed against them and have succeeded. ... To play in the same era with what's been happening and still be able to play this long ... I'm pretty lucky and I feel pretty good about it."
"This is as big an off-the-field thing as I've seen in a while, and it doesn't look like it's going to end any time soon. ... We all know it was in the game, we all know it was part of the game and everybody says there were steroids in baseball. But when the names actually get put alongside it, in whatever way, whether they were true or untrue, it makes it a little more solid, I guess."
- Chien-Ming Wang's arbitration hearing was held today in Tampa. Depending on who wins, Wang will either make $4 million or $4.6 million for the 2008 season.
- The Yankees announced that Legends Field will be renamed George M. Steinbrenner Field. This had been talked about recently, but the Yankees made the official announcement today.
“I am humbled and flattered to have this outstanding and totally unexpected honor conferred on me. I extend my thanks to the Tampa City Council and to the Hillsborough County Commissioners for passing resolutions suggesting and recommending the change. I also thank my family for supporting the renaming of the stadium and for everything they have done for so many years that helped bring about this great day,” George Steinbrenner said in a statement today.
2 Comments:
I look at the conditioning improvement of Bruney as a huge plus. If infact being in "all-around" better shape helps him, which it should, he could become an important piece to a bullpen that seems to be formulating into something powerful.
It definitely can't hurt, but will it make Bruney a better pitcher? He needs to get back to what he was doing towards the end of the 2006 season - throwing strikes.
I agree that there is a lot of potential for the bullpen to be very strong.
The Yankees have so many potential candidates for the pen, and enough talent, that you would hope something sticks.
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