TAMPA — Much has been made of how CC Sabathia altered the culture of the Yankees’ clubhouse with his outgoing personality and by treating everybody with respect.
So you can imagine the difference Javier Vazquez sees in the room from his first trip through The Bronx in 2004.
Two lockers to Vazquez’s left is Sabathia’s. Six years ago, the irascible Kevin Brown and the darkness that followed him was to Vazquez’s right.
“It’s a better atmosphere from the first time,” Vazquez said yesterday after he worked two innings in his spring debut against the Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field, where he gave up one run, one hit (a leadoff homer to Jimmy Rollins) and fanned four in the Yankees’ 7-5 victory.
Vazquez didn’t go too deep into why the clubhouse feeling was more comfortable, simply saying, “It feels different.”
Of course, it does. The last taste Vazquez had as a Yankee was Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS against the Red Sox, when Brown didn’t make it out of the second inning and Vazquez inherited a bases-loaded situation with the Yankees trailing 2-0. Vazquez gave up a grand slam to Johnny Damon that buried the Yankees and allowed the Red Sox to become the first team in history to escape a 3-0 ditch in a best-of-seven series.
Now, Vazquez returns to a Yankees team that won a World Series last year and has a rotation fronted by Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte.
That doesn’t mean the Yankees have low expectations from the 33-year-old Vazquez. It’s just that when they acquired him from the Expos on Dec. 16, 2003 for Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera and Randy Choate, the Yankees believed they were getting an ace to lead their rotation.
Vazquez didn’t disappoint, going 10-5 during the first half and making the All-Star team. However, the second half was a nightmare and he finished 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA.
Jorge Posada said Vazquez’s father told the catcher his son was hurt that season, something Vazquez never has admitted.
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A neurologist examined catcher Francisco Cervelli yesterday and when the report came back positive, Joe Girardi said there is a chance Cervelli could return Friday.
Cervelli left Saturday’s game with a concussion after being hit in the head with a pitch.
“He will do some physical activity today and we will talk to the doctor,” Girardi said. “I am kind of leaning toward Friday, but we want to see how he is.”
The concussion is Cervelli’s second since suffering one in November when he was hit in the head with a bat.
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Mariano Rivera threw 34 pitches in live batting practice for the first time this spring yesterday.
His spring debut was originally slated for March 17 by pitching coach Dave Eiland, but Girardi said it could be changed to March 16.
“That’s all right; we will figure it out,” Rivera said.
As for the batting practice session in which Rivera faced minor league hitters, it couldn’t have gone better.
“I feel outstanding, delicious; it was great,” said Rivera, one of the few Yankee hurlers to use a screen in front of him while throwing BP. “I prefer being a little bit uncomfortable to be safe.”
Damaso Marte, who will make his spring debut on the same day as Rivera, also threw his first batting practice of the spring.
Chan Ho Park was slated to do likewise but was scratched due to an irritated gluteus muscle suffered while running Sunday.
Park, who said he was fine yesterday, is slated to throw BP today.
“If he doesn’t feel good [today], then it’s something to worry about,” Girardi said.
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The Yankees had yet another look at Cuban shortstop Adeinis Hechavarria last week in the Dominican Republic. His agent, Bart Hernandez, said teams can make offers to Hechavarria because he has been “unblocked,” but MLB hasn’t officially announced it.
Since Boston gave fellow Cuban defector and shortstop Jose Iglesias $8 million, many believe the Yankees will at least match that because some teams who have scouted Hechavarria believe he is the better player.
The Angels also have an interest.
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Nick Johnson returned to the lineup as the DH yesterday and went 0-for-2. He was scratched from a game March 4 due to a stiff lower back, the result of him catching a cleat n the artificial batting practice mat that day. … Bench coach Tony Pena missed his third straight game due to flu-like symptoms that included a fever. … Robinson Cano went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs against the Phillies to raise his average to .778 (7-for-9). … Four Yankee pitchers held the Pirates to one hit in a 6-0 win in Bradenton, Fla..