Monday, February 19, 2007 BY ED PRICE Star-Ledger Staff
TAMPA, Fla. -- Carl Pavano missed some of yesterday's Yankees workout, but the party line is that there is no cause for concern with the oft-injured right-hander.
Pavano, his legs sore from running drills the past three days, was allowed to go inside early and skip some drills.
"I just gave him a day off, to rest," pitching coach Ron Guidry said.
"To push it would be stupid," said Pavano, still scheduled to throw a side session today. "(The legs) are just heavy."
Meanwhile, Mariano Rivera cut off his bullpen session three minutes early. But that too was described as no cause for alarm.
Rivera said he was fine, and catcher Wil Nieves and Guidry said independently that Rivera stopped because he felt TOO good.
"He said you can't get better than that," Nieves said. "If you try to get better, you would mess up."
Said Rivera: "I wanted to stop. Simple as that."
Rivera, who has established himself as a Hall of Fame closer with only a cut fastball and occasional sinker, also toyed with a change-up.
"Nasty," Guidry called it.
Rivera said he was "just messing around." Asked if he might incorporate a change-up, he said, "We'll see."
Manager Joe Torre said he would like to get Melky Cabrera, the nominal fourth outfielder, significant playing time by using other outfielders as a DH at times.
"There's going to have to be some flexibility I think," Torre said. "We have to find a way to get Cabrera a number of at-bats."
Tony Pena, the first-base coach and catching instructor, broke out his unusual pop-up drills in yesterday's windy conditions.
"He keeps it fun," Jorge Posada said.
In one drill, three catchers lined up across the home-plate area, and three balls were fired out of a pop-up machine. The catchers had to concentrate on their pop-up and avoid the other players.
Later, one catcher would be given three pop-ups in rapid succession, forcing them to catch one and then quickly find the next one in the sky. A few players were able to go 3-for-3.
"It makes you concentrate, it really does," Ben Davis said.
Torre was back after missing a day with a severe cold but stayed inside during the workout. "Better than yesterday, that's all I can say," Torre said. "I just didn't feel like getting out of bed." ... Hideki Matsui checked in at Legends Field yesterday but declined interview requests. Andy Phillips also arrived.
