YANKS: Pavano is Ready

Pavano has not pitched for the Yankees since last Spring Training and has a lot to prove. The time is now.

Pavano takes the mound today for the Yankees and sadly we won't get to see it on TV. However, I will be listening closely to those, hopefully, two innings that Pavano pitches on the blogs (particularly Pete Abrahams). If Pavano can run a decent performance, avoiding injury, there will be some positive talk about the Yankee rotation. Wang and Pettitte looked sharp and, although Mussina gave up the long ball, his comments afterward were encouraging. Kei Igawa also avoided any damage his first time out.

In other news, Ken Davidoff today said, "The Red Sox and Phillies both carry potentially elite starting rotations. The Yankees and Mets both ... don't." (source)

You can understand why he would think that the Mets' starting rotation is not "potentially elite" but it's hard to see why he can't put the Yankees' starting rotation on the same level as the Red Sox and Phillies.

The Yankees have a 2nd place Cy Young in Wang, a proven winner in Pettitte (who shines in the big spot), a still-consistent Mussina who is a great number 3, a Japanese pitcher with a lifetime 3-something ERA, and a healthy Pavano that has potential to go out and be good again, knock on wood. Did I mention that the Yankees' 6th pitcher is Phil Hughes, who is being compared to Roger Clemens?

The Red Sox have an overweight 40-year-old with a bad personality and a 4-something ERA as their ace, a pitcher who gave up 36 homeruns with a high ERA last season in Beckett, a Japanese pitcher who STILL has not pitched against Major Leaguers, another 40-year-old in Wakefield, and a potentially good starter in Papelbon who might not be in his spot for long with Piniero giving up four runs an inning.

I have never liked Ken Davidoff as he consistently comes across as biased against the Yankees. Despite being one of Newsday's main Yankee writers, he rarely has anything nice to say. With an improved farm system, the ridding of Sheffield and Johnson, and the addition of Pettitte, he is running out of bashing space.