New York Yankees news and notes from the past couple of days

Andy Pettitte showed up in camp on Monday.  he is only sta ing a couple of days this time and no will not be coming out of retirement. He will be back with his family on Wednesday and stated that he is enjoying it and had no itch to go back to training and getting ready for the season this winter.  He stated as a competitor you will always miss it but he is happy with being home and spending more time with his family.  As far as Derek Jeter goes he said he was surprised but not surprised.  He said that they talked a lot about it last year and he knew Derek was different then in years past.  He said that he and Mo knew but just didn't know when it would be. 

Brian McCann is the new catcher so he hasn't seen Ivan Nova be great and also have his down times in the last couple of years.  He didn't see hit  have to go to AAA and then come back and dominate with a 2.78 ERA in the second half of last season.  What he has seen is what is happening so far in spring training.  Nova threw 36 pitches on Monday and 31 of them were strikes.  It was his second spring start. "When you've got good stuff, you can pund the zone all day long and you can go right at hitters."  McCann said.  "It doesn't matter.  He changes eye levels.  He does so many good things.  Today's outing was beyond impressive."  Those are very nice words from an all-star catcher who has seen his share of good pitching in Atlanta. 

Nova said that he has set some goals for this year but wouldn't exactly reveal them.  He did say this though "I don't want to be going back and forth every time.  I just want to be a pitcher that the team can trust every five days.  I just want to do my job every five days.  That's one of the goals that I really want, that I want to be consistent.  I think I can do that and be really good.  My body feels good, so I'll just wait until the season and prove what I can do." 

He also discussed winning a championship.  If he continues doing what he is doing it will help towards that. 

He is a number four starter and maybe number three if they break up the two Japanese pitchers.  He has the

potential to be a top of the rotation type guy though.

The Yankees play a night game Tuesday night in Tampa.  Derek Jeter will DH in that game instead of making

the long trip to Port Charlotte to face the Rays on Wednesday.  Mark Teixeira took live BP on Monday, he will

take more on Tuesday.  He will rest on Wednesday and then get in a game on Thursday.  Alfonso Soriano is

also expected to make his debut on Thursday. 

David Robertson made his spring debut on Monday.  There is no way to predict a save in spring and even if

you saved him for the ninth inning he would be facing all minor leaguers anyway.  He hit the first batter that

he faced and then got a double play and a fly ball out.  He stated it was ok.  "I got three outs, I can't complain

about that.  I didn't walk anybody.  I accidentally hit the first batter on my second pitch.  it was a decent

outing.  I felt like my velocity was good.  I was behind everything.  I pulled maybe five or six pitches that I

shouldn't have out of the zone.  That was really it."  He will get a lot of scrutiny because he is becoming the

closer following the iconic MO.  It wouldn't be a job that I would want but he has been on the team for a

while and has been a great set-up man.  He deserves the chance.  I don't think we will really know about him

until a couple of months into the season, I would bet on him being fine though. 

Nova only needed 36 pitches in three innings so eh went to the bullpen after the game to get up to 45

pitches.  In his first start 35 pitches wasn't enough to get through two innings.  He showed great

improvement and that is what you look for. 

Joe Namath was in camp today and the players seemed to enjoy it.  Namath seemed to really relish it

as well. He threw out the first pitch dressed in all Yankees gear.  He talked a lot about Jeter.  He said

he played baseball in high school but back then he wasn't allowed to play two sports at Alabama in

college. 

Steve Donahue knows him from being an interim trainedr with the Jets when Namath played.  When

Robertson was a freshman at Alabama he had a class with Namath's daughter Jessica who was also at

the game.  They did some catching up.  Brett Gardner is hitting 429 in the early going.  Francisco

Cervelli is hitting 571 in the early going.