In one corner of the home clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Vazquez's locker stands between those of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett -- a perennial Cy Young contender on one side, one of the game's more dynamic starters on the other.I wasn't a big fan of the trade at the beginning, mainly because of deep-seated anger for that game 7 nightmare. But any baseball fan knows the Yankees walked away with the better end of the deal so nobody really can complain.
But what most piques Vazquez's interest is the locker a bit further to his left, the one belonging to Pettitte, a five-time World Series champion.
"I've always looked up to Andy from afar," Vazquez said.
An idol, finally, within arm's reach.
...
"It's just the aura of playing with the Yankees, man," Vazquez said. "It's the most important franchise in baseball, maybe in the world. To get to play for a team like that, it's a great feeling."
I'm hoping and expecting that Vazquez will find a new comfort zone in New York this time around and pitch like he did in the first half of '04. Jorge Posada has similar feelings:
"Right now, he's at the peak of his career," catcher Jorge Posada said. "We got a guy that takes a lot of pride in how he pitches. He's been throwing 200 innings for a long time."He's arguably the best no. 4 starter in baseball, and with a lineup like the Yankees he should do just fine.
