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Every Spring Training, every manager in the Major Leagues makes a similar speech. He stands in a clubhouse filled with 63, 73 or maybe even 83 players. He tells them that the goal is to win a title and, get ready for the memorable quote, that the team will need more than 25 players to achieve that goal.

The statement is true. For instance, the 2009 Yankees used 45 players. Every club will endure injuries or have struggling players, so depth is vital during a 162-game season. Still, I always wonder if every player sitting in that clubhouse in February really believes what the managers says and believes that he can have an impact on that upcoming season.

Did the pitcher who was only two years removed from being on an Independent League team believe it? Did the pitcher who had only one forgettable

Sometimes in life, it’s funny how timing can work out and provide opportunities that might not have otherwise been there – and in the last 24 hours, a series of events in the Yankees organization that mirror the movie “Crash” have made that prophecy reality for a handful of prospects.

The synergy started Sunday, when the Yankees placed Eduardo Nunez on the disabled list and recalled Alberto Gonzalez from Triple-A, leaving a spot open on the RailRiders’ roster; to fill it, Scranton added infielder Reegie Corona from Double-A. That might seem unremarkable out of context, but is quite a moment if you know that Corona has been in the Yankees system for almost a decade and has been waiting to return to Scranton for nearly three years.

Corona played 105 games for

NEW YORK -- Andy Pettitte was so disappointed in the way he contributed to the New York Yankees' unsightly 9-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Monday that he said he felt "sick to my stomach." Catcher Austin Romine spoke in a whisper and a half about needing to have better communication with Pettitte so that the pitcher could establish a rhythm. The clubhouse emptied in a few minutes on a forgettable night for the Yankees.

But, hidden beneath the debris of the worst loss of the season, there was one Yankee that didn't consider it a forgettable night. For Vidal Nuno, the ugly defeat was a memorable night because he made his Major League debut and pitched three scoreless innings. Nuno was surely the only Yankee that saved a baseball from the game.

"Never thought I would be here," said Nuno.

Actually,

There was something different about the way Phil Hughes pitched on Tuesday night. He had an edge. Hughes exhibited the body language of a pitcher who expected to win or a pitcher who was weary of having to explain what went wrong. He wanted to make some things go right for the Yankees.

So Hughes was aggressive, throwing his 93-mile per hour fastball to get ahead in counts, and using his slider and his curveball to bury hitters. So Hughes attacked, tossing strike after strike and not relenting when he needed 10 or 11 pitches to finish off one at-bat. So Hughes was resilient, overcoming what could have been a fiasco of a 32-pitch first inning to work seven solid innings.

 It was a night where the Yankees played one of their most rewarding and complete games of the season in defeating

CC Sabathia understood the importance of Sunday's game against the Detroit Tigers, even if it was only the sixth game of the season. The Yankees were wobbly, a team that was still trying to play a reliable brand of baseball, so the Yankees needed Sabathia to be a stabilizer and help guide them to a win. He did.
In a titanic matchup where Justin Verlander was the more celebrated pitcher, Sabathia ended up as the more successful pitcher. Sabathia tossed seven scoreless innings in silencing a talented lineup and powering the Yankees to a 7-0 victory. For the Yankees, a 2-4 record felt a lot better than 1-5, especially because of the significance of Sabathia's performance.

Sabathia's fastball was a bit more robust as he maxed out at 92.5 miles per hour and averaged 90 to 91, but his command was

TAMPA - Ichiro Suzuki was listening to my questions intently. At least that's what I wanted to believe. He nodded over and over as Allen Turner, his translator, told him my questions. He answered them quickly. We were talking about the Yankees' offense and Suzuki seemed engaged with the topic.

An interview with Suzuki can be an interesting experience. He might suddenly mention how he once pitched in a professional game in Japan 17 years ago, which is the curveball he tossed at me. We'll cover that compelling tidbit later, but Suzuki can be intriguing because he is in perpetual motion. He did a lengthy interview while doing a series of stretching experiences on the clubhouse carpet last October.

On this recent morning, Suzuki was sitting in a folding chair. But, as the conversation continued,

TAMPA - Derek Jeter has repeatedly said that playing for the Yankees on Opening Day was an achievable goal following surgery on his left ankle.  But, after Jeter felt some stiffness in the ankle and was removed from Tuesday's starting lineup, general manager Brian Cashman said on Wednesday that Jeter could open the season on the disabled list.

Cashman said Jeter received a cortisone shot in his ankle on Wednesday and won't play for at least a few days. With 12 days left before the season opener against the Red Sox on April 1, Cashman acknowledged that Jeter might run out of time to be fully prepared to play.   

"It's possible he might not be ready," Cashman said.

The Yankees still need to have Jeter play nine innings at shortstop and also play back-to-back games at the

In today’s baseball world, there’s almost no such thing as a “franchise player,” at least if your definition of that term involves someone who spends the entirety of a lengthy career in the same uniform.

When Paul Olden announces the New York Yankees to the capacity crowd at Yankee Stadium on April 1, there will be two of those franchise players wearing pinstripes – and it will be the beginning of the end for the elder of the pair.

Mariano Rivera announced his pending retirement on Saturday, telling the world that his nineteenth season in the Majors will be his last. He’ll be leaving the game with an all-time best 608-plus career saves, but he’ll also leave it with a pair of longevity records; Rivera, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada were the first

TAMPA - Even from about 100 feet away, the man's confident walk looked familiar. Even in a darkened concourse outside the Yankees' clubhouse, it was easy to peek at the man's back and realize exactly who it was. There is style in everything Mariano Rivera does, even when he is walking from the clubhouse to the parking lot.

On this sunny Friday at Steinbrenner Field, Rivera's stroll was interrupted when reporters caught up to him and inquired about the press conference he is having on Saturday. Rivera, the greatest closer of all-time, is expected to announce that he is retiring after the 2013 season. But, naturally, Rivera wasn't ready to disclose that one day early.

"I told you guys that I would talk one day," Rivera said. "Tomorrow is the day."

Tomorrow is the day the Yankees knew would eventually