Eight days until New York Yankees pitchers and catchers toil in Tampa. It can't come soon enough. The sounds of Summer wash away the tedious tenor of Winter. What a relief.The magic of '09 won't be replicated. It's never that easy. Matsui, Damon, Molina and Melky fade to black. A list of fresh faces assume the position. Granderson brings speed, power, defense and strikeouts to a dubious outfield mix. Swisher, Gardner and Winn will bob in and out of Girardi's lineup. An All Star-laden infield forms a formidable foundation. A quality bench is required for a long-in-the-tooth lineup. Can Cervelli and crew cut it?
Someone once said that baseball is 90% pitching. The 2010 New York Yankees have the deep depth that a vast payroll provides. The big man sets the tone. CC should stand for consistently consistent. Burnett, Pettitte and Vazquez will take their turns. A remnant of the departed youth movement rounds out an intriguing rotation. Should Joba ever make the heralded transition from fireballing reliever to savant starter, the Yanks will be locked and loaded.
In the pen, the Great Rivera continues to baffle Father time. Sooner or later the epic, sweet game closing ride will end. Until then Mo continues to spoil us. Hughes, Robertson and Aceves will set the table for the maestro. Girardi will mix and match. Success is on deck. Spring training starts in eight days. It can't come soon enough.
PHOTO














