The LoHud Yankees Blog

Here’s the news you have all been waiting for:

The A-Rod press conference will be tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. The circus will be literally under a tent set up outside Steinbrenner Field.

Jose Molina had PRK eye surgery in October and is happily experiencing spring training without contact lenses.

“It’s great,” he said. “I was always getting dust in my contacts when I was catching or they were moving around. This is going to help me as a player.”

Molina said he is prepared to catch as many games as the Yankees need. “You know me, whatever they want,” he said.

Given the uncertainty with Jorge Posada, Molina could prove to be an important player this season. At worst, you have to figure he catches at least 40 games.

Austin Jackson and Xavier Nady in the house.

The Yankees will be on the field around 10:30 today. Those in the bullpen will include CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Joba Chamberlain.

Back later with some observations and lousy iPhone photos. I wish it had a zoom.

(Yes, I know they’re lousy. I’m not a photographer; I don’t even own a camera. I’m just having some fun as I wander around.)

As we all know by now, there are 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. There are apparently several copies of this list and the names could be revealed at any time.

What exactly would this accomplish?

Sure, Alex Rodriguez would have some company in the court of public scorn. But is anything going to change?

Some of the players on the list were surely in the Mitchell Report. Others are probably retired by now. Some were likely scrubs. This much we know: None will be bigger than Rodriguez.

Those players on the list can’t be suspended. They’ll apologize, take a few lumps and that will be that. The only way it gets dicey is if names like Jeter, Rivera, Pujols, Johnson, Ortiz or Ramirez are on the list. Even then, they’ll apologize and keep playing.

At some point — and maybe we’re already there — it becomes boring. Not one opposing crowd jeered Andy Pettitte last season. I find it hard to believe that by May or June, A-Rod will still be a pariah. People boo him anyway. Even Hank Aaron, the guy who got cheated more than anybody else, can’t get worked up about it. He said a few days ago that it’s fine with him if you consider Barry Bonds the home run king.

So next time I get worked up about this topic, feel free to tell me to take my own advice and shut up. Yeah, sure, baseball screwed up for a long time. Now get me to Opening Day.

A.J. Burnett dominated the Yankees last season. But he swears it wasn’t an audition. Joe Girardi sure was paying attention.

Alex Rodriguez apologized to Selena Roberts for saying she broke into his house. This notebook also has updates on Chien-Ming Wang, Alfredo Aceves, Jorge Posada and Andrew Brackman.

Several people have commented about not being able to participate in live video chats while they are at work. So in the interest of getting more people involved, we’re going to have one at 3 p.m. tomorrow on the holiday.

I’m hoping to do it from Steinbrenner Field. But either way, please head over to our Mogulus Channel at 3 p.m. with your questions.

My fervent hope is that most, if not all, of the questions will be about the team and baseball as opposed to A-Rod and his many issues. But whatever you want to ask, I’ll try and answer.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said yesterday that Cole Hamels would be his Opening Day starter.

So, Joe Girardi, ready to make CC Sabathia’s assignment official?

“I’m not quite ready,” the manager said with a laugh. “But you’re pretty much on the right track.”

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I think that will be it for the blogging today. Thanks to everybody for reading over the weekend. It’s much appreciated.

If anybody needs information on spring training, please check out the Spring Training Travel Guide link over to the right. Yes, the workouts are open and they’re even free. The team usually gets on the field around 10 a.m., although that can change.

You can watch from the stands or around the practice field beyond the right-field corner.

Here’s the manager talking about Chien-Ming Wang, Jorge Posada, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy and some third baseman who did something. I’m sketchy on the details:

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Howard Kurtz of CNN and the Washington Post reported that Alex Rodriguez called Selena Roberts to apologize for falsely claiming on ESPN that she tried to break into his house.

Roberts is here at Steinbrenner Field and confirmed that.

It was a fairly uneventful day here at Big Stein Field. Let’s go to the highlights:

· Chien-Ming Wang threw in the bullpen and felt no pain in his right foot. CMW said his foot felt “tight” when he started throwing off the mound this year but that sensation has gone away. He rides a bike for his conditioning instead of running. He would prefer to run but that will be a few weeks away.

· Andrew Brackman threw in the bullpen as well. No, there was no radar gun. But Jose Molina (who caught him) and the Yankees people who watched were all quite impressed. “Outstanding,” third base coach Rob Thomson said.

I just did a little math. Counting college, Cape Cod League, Team USA and the Hawaii Winter League, Brackman has thrown a grand total of 193 innings since 2005. So don’t expect him in the Bronx any time soon. The good news is that he’s only 23. “I just need to pitch,” he said.

· Joe Girardi mentioned that he wants to carry a long reliever. But it would hurt the development of Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy to use them in such a fashion. “Those guys need innings,” the manager said. Hughes and I had a little talk about it. “The paychecks would be great but that’s not what I need,” he said. “I’m good with pitching in AAA if that is what happens and being ready for when they need me.”

You watch, he’ll get 10-15 starts in the majors this season.

· Jorge Posada went through his throwing program today. Girardi watched part of it and said the ball came out his hands well and “sounded good in the air.”

· When CC Sabathia came into the clubhouse today, he had a parking pass in his back pocket. Apparently the security guards aren’t sure who he is.

· Girardi said he spoke to A-Rod. The third baseman is eager to get started playing baseball.