TAMPA – According to Derek Jeter, the pitch that got away from Chien-Ming Wang during batting practice yesterday didn’t come as close to Jeter’s head as it looked.
“It was just high,” said Jeter, who nonetheless put a scare into those watching by bailing out of the batter’s box.
Johnny Damon, who broke a bat on a Wang sinker earlier in the round, offered levity to the situation by striding a few steps in front of the cage and staring at Wang.
“My bats come and go, Jeter is supposed to be here,” Damon said when asked what caused his mock anger.
Wang said the pitch slipped out of his hand.
“That would have been a big deal,” Wang said had he drilled Jeter in the head.
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There will be no TV Friday when the Yankees play the University of South Florida at Legends Field, so Yankee fans won’t be able to see Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes pitch against the Big East school.
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Joe Girardi hasn’t officially said he is taking a dozen pitchers but that’s the way he sounded.
“We play (19) in a row out of the get-go,” Girardi said of a stretch from April 2-20. “We are going to need arms.”
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Mike Mussina went on the Mariano Rivera plan when he opted to throw in the bullpen instead of batting practice from behind a screen.
“I would rather work on stuff,” said Mussina, who will pitch in Wednesday’s intra-squad game. “With live BP you feel like you have to throw strikes.”
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With his hair dangling below his collar, Jason Giambi is making plans to get it clipped to company length.
“I’ll cut it when they tell me to get rid of it,” Giambi said. “That will probably be (today).”
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Hall of Fame guest instructors Reggie Jackson and Yogi Berra are en route. Jackson is expected today and Berra is due Wednesday.
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La Troy Hawkins started sinking his fastball last year when coming back from a health problem and that action was on display yesterday in a batting practice session.
“I thought Hawkins was great,” Joe Girardi said of the veteran right-handed reliever who is expected to be a key part of the bridge from starter to Rivera. “Everything was down. I don’t think you will see 95 or 96 mph, but his arm is still good.”