TAMPA, Fla. -- Five things to know about the New York Yankees:
1. The everyday lineup is set, with the possible exception of first base, where veteran Doug Mientkiewicz and Andy Phillips will do battle this spring. The expectation is that Mientkiewicz will be the first baseman and Jason Giambi the designated hitter on most nights. Mientkiewicz is coming off of back surgery but he isn't as out of sorts from that as you might imagine. "Easiest surgery I've ever had," he says. "I didn't even have a stitch when I was finished. Not one stitch." Though he batted .283 with four homers and 43 RBI in 91 games in Kansas City last season, here's an unusual stat: Remove his struggles against the Chicago White Sox from the equation (2-for-25) and he would have batted .301.
2. Closer Mariano Rivera has quieted down after early-camp complaints about the Yankees' refusal to talk about a contract extension with him this spring. Rivera can become a free agent after the season. With Bernie Williams likely gone, Rivera's future uncertain, catcher Jorge Posada's contract up after this season and the possibility that Alex Rodriguez could opt out after this season, there could be some anxious moments in the Yankees clubhouse this summer. Which isn't always a bad thing, in terms of motivation.
3. The road to the title really does go through the Bronx: The Yankees rang up their 15th consecutive winning season in Yankee Stadium last summer (50-31). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that's the longest current home streak of any of the 30 major league clubs and the longest in the majors since Houston compiled 15 consecutive winning seasons in the Astrodome from 1976-90. Yankees nemesis Boston currently is next with nine consecutive winning seasons at home.
4. No question, the biggest key to the spring is keeping the starting pitchers healthy. The projected opening day rotation is Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Kei Igawa and either Carl Pavano or rookie Philip Hughes. You've gotta think Hughes has a real good chance to make the jump from Double-A to the majors, because Pavano -- who hasn't pitched in a big league game since June 2005 -- is more fragile than a carton of eggs. He actually sat out of fielding drills the other day because of "heavy legs." How do the Yankees feel about him so blatantly stealing their money? Even Mussina said the other day that the Yankees want Pavano to go out and "show us he wants to do this."
5. Tough opening of manager Joe Torre's 12th season: He was stricken with a virus the other day, was bedridden, missed a workout and he's still fighting off the effects. But he has this going for him: He's currently navigating the longest uninterrupted tenure of any Yankees manager since Casey Stengel was the skipper for 12 seasons in a row between 1949 and 1960.
