Man Your Battle Stations

It's President's Day, which means it's time for the Yankees position players to report to camp. The biggest focus today will be on who isn't there, primarily Bernie Williams. Joe Torre was planing on reach out to Bernie one more time via phone to try to get him to camp. Veterans like Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera want Bernie to be there, but they also understand the business side of things. Posada called Bernie several times over the weekend, but was unable to reach him.

"I got it...I got it..no you, no you"

Andy Phillips. Phillips isn't too concerned though. His wife has recently undergone chemotherapy for a rare cancer caused by a molar pregnancy. It has certainly kept things in perspective for him.

"I've learned a lot in the last year with the kind of stuff I had to deal with my wife," Phillips said. "Things kind of shake out the way they're going to shake out. That's what you've got to hang onto and trust."

The current plan is for Phillips to battle Josh Phelps for the right-handed side of a platoon with Doug Mientkiewicz. That could all change if Bernie Williams was to make the team. In all likelihood it would mean no platoon and the Yankees would carry 5 outfielders.

"I'm looking forward to trying to win a job, no matter what," Phillips said. "That's no different this year than in the past.

"I'm trying not to think about situations and circumstances, because if you do that, more obstacles get in your way", Phillips added. "You just try to go out and play, and hope your performance dictates what happens."

Since he arrived in 2004, Alex Rodriguez has constantly fielded questions about his relationship with Derek Jeter. That status quo has always been a variation on everything is good between us. A-Rod has finally come clean, admitting that the once strong relationship has cooled off quite a bit.

"People start assuming that things are a lot worse than what they are, which they're not. But they're obviously not as great as they used to be. We were like blood brothers," Rodriguez said Monday. "You don't have to go to dinner with a guy four, five times a week to do what you're doing. It's actually much better than all you guys expect, but I just want to let the truth be known."

Things noticeably changed after A-Rod's 2001 Esquire interview when he downplayed Jeter's importance to the Yankee's championship run.

"We were best of friends about 10, 13, 14, years ago, and we still get along well. We have a good working relationship. I cheer very hard for him. He cheers hard for me. And most importantly, we're both trying to win a world championship," Rodriguez said.

In not so many words, A-Rod feels that he and Jeter have simply grown apart. He maybe wishes he and the media could do the same.

"Let's make a contract: You don't ask me about Derek anymore, and I promise I'll stop lying to all you guys," A-Rod told reporters.




"Doug Mientkiewicz autographs a ball...or is he keeping it?"

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