MLB

ROTATION CLOSE AS FIVE YANKS-KETEERS

TAMPA – Andy Pettitte warmed up early yesterday afternoon and – as has been the case all spring when the Yankees are at home – he was not alone.

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On a suggestion from A.J. Burnett before a Feb. 28 game at Steinbrenner Field, the members of the Yankees’ projected rotation went to watch Joba Chamberlain warm up. And a habit was born.

“We have Five Musketeers,” manager Joe Girardi said.

One for all, all for one.

The fraternity in the Yankees clubhouse has been noticeably stronger this spring, and no place has that been more overt than among this re-shuffled rotation. The five starters have committed to each other in a variety of ways, including going to watch each other’s pre-game warm-ups.

Most days all four non-starters will attend the bullpen session of that day’s starter. Only Chamberlain and CC Sabathia made it yesterday (Chien-Ming Wang continues to battle a cold and Burnett had a family issue), but this has become the in thing and about seven young pitchers, including David Robertson and Phil Coke, stood on the side to offer support. At the conclusion of the warm-up, Pettitte was surrounded by fellow pitchers giving him fist bumps. This is now routine for that day’s starter: fist-bumping unity.

“It means a lot to get those knuckles,” Sabathia said.

It is difficult to measure what fraternity might mean within a rotation. The act of pitching, after all, is mostly a solitary act. But it is clear that big-time weight is on this rotation for a variety of reasons, notably that a quarter of a billion dollars was invested in Sabathia and Burnett to make starting pitching the backbone of the team and without Alex Rodriguez for a while this club is going to need its rotation operating at peak efficiency. So having an internal support system, especially in New York, should be valuable.

“You have to have each other’s back,” Pettitte said. “This is a tough place to play, but if you know everyone is in your corner pulling for you and wants you to be successful, that does help you win. We have to have (this unity) and we are going to have it.”

Pettitte and Wang are the rotation holdovers. Chamberlain, now a full-time starter, brings his Red Bull enthusiasm daily to the group. Sabathia arrived with the reputation as one of the game’s best teammates and has only burnished that image. He has, for example, bought four courtside tickets to six Orlando Magic home games and has been taking a variety of teammates with him. He has become quick pals with Burnett, a mentor to Chamberlain and a guy already unafraid to good-naturedly get on a fellow pitcher he feels has gone astray.

But the surprise of the group has been Burnett. His reputation was as prickly and different. However, he has belied that, so far. He has opened up his boat on nearby Lake Tarpon to teammates for fishing jaunts, and is planning to rent a second boat this week for a full-out bass fishing competition for any Yankee who wants to participate.

As for attending other starters’ bullpen sessions, Burnett said that was a habit ingrained in previous stops with the Marlins and Blue Jays. But around the Yankees this is unique. Girardi went as far as to say, “I have never seen it before.” The idea is for the starters to learn from each other, pick up or share tips, and offer support. Pettitte actually went to Lakeland, Fla., last Wednesday specifically to watch Sabathia, and both thought it fortuitous because Sabathia was beaten up (five runs, 1″ innings) and Pettitte was there to provide perspective and counsel.

The group also has taken to watching games from the top rail of the dugout.

“As a starting pitcher you can leave,” Chamberlain said, “and to look over and see that they have not left that feeling is indescribable.”

What will this mean at Fenway Park or over the long season or should Burnett, in particular, get off to a bad or injured start? We will see. But the feeling among the rotation members is buoyant now: All for one and five for all.

joel.sherman@nypost.com