IT'S BEEN A TOUGH SPRING

## Another player hurt in the WBC tournament. Mark Teixeira is the latest casualty and he didn't even make it past batting practice. He's gone for up to 10 weeks.

## The Yanks have lost 75% of their starting infield to injuries. One of the answers the Yanks are considering to replace Teixeira at first base is Kevin Youkilis. Youk is also scheduled to play third in A-Rod's absence. I don't believe Cashman has thought this through completely.

## Not only are the players getting hurt, but General Managers are going on the DL, too. First, Brian Cashman injured a leg when he was pushed out of...er, went sky diving. Now, Bob Melvin of the Milwaukee Brewers has been bitten by a scorpion. Other GMs are busy catching the next flight out of Florida.

## Okay, it's just spring training, but the juices are already flowing. In the third inning, Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg hit Phillies Chase Utley in the leg. In the bottom of the inning, Philly's Roy Halladay, who is noted for his control, threw a pitch BEHIND Tyler Moore. Halladay claimed it's spring training and his control was off. Otherwise, I suppose, he would have hit him.
According to Jayson Stark, there is a bit of hard feelings between these two teams:
" This, after all, is a rivalry that's had it all. Cole Hamels drilling Bryce Harper and admitting he'd done it on purpose. … Nationals GM Mike Rizzo getting fined for ripping Hamels publicly. … The Nationals attempting to ban Phillies fans from their ballpark. … Pointed banter ping-ponging back and forth this spring between Jimmy Rollins and his old friend, Jayson Werth. … And, of course, the Nationals supplanting the Phillies as the NL East champs and clear-cut Team to Beat in 2013."
There are 19 regular season games between them this season. This should be fun.

## Assuming Derek Jeter is at shortstop for the first game, the Yanks will begin the season having lost 179 home runs from last season. After Robinson Cano, it appears the Yankees biggest home run threat is Ichiro Suzuki.

***THEY SAID IT***
"If golfing ace Rory McIlroy says he feels below par, is that good or bad?

"  -- RJ Currie
" The contestant that won Miss Congeniality at the Miss Coastal Vancouver pageant pleaded guilty to rioting after the Stanley Cup finals. A pretty good indication hockey fans can be wild: a woman in a Miss Congeniality sash is helping overturn a police car."  -- Brad Dickson
" Confused about this new 'Catholic 7'? Guess it's supposed to be a new NCAA basketball division. Sounds more like the semi-finalists in a reality show about electing the Pope."  -- Janice Hough
"The bloodied sock Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling wore in Game 2 of the 2004 World Series sold for $92,613 at a New York auction. The winning bidder said he will ask Reena Nerbas to help him remove the stain."  -- Cam Hutchinson
" Brian Cashman injures ankle while skydiving; Yankees expected to call up minor-league GM from Scranton."  -- SportsPickle.com
"The National Rifle Association announced it will sponsor its first-ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Race — the NRA 500 — at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13, and it figures to be different. In lieu of a green flag, there'll be a shotgun start."  -- Dwight Perry
"Muscle & Fitness magazine appointed Arnold Schwarzenegger as executive editor: Apparently he was turned down at Good Housekeeping."  -- Jim Barach

"New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman reportedly broke his ankle practicing skydiving. This is when you know a team has to cut back because it’s spent too much on player salaries -- the guy who skydives onto the mound on opening day is the GM."  -- Brad Dickson
"Former Sonics center Robert Swift reportedly left trash, bullet holes and stench in the Sammamish residence from which he was evicted.  Which certainly gives "taking it to the house" a whole new meaning."  -- Dwight Perry

CP-