Yanks looking at --SCOTT PROCTOR TO START

'In need of starting pitching and facing an expensive and thin market this winter, the Yankees are considering moving Scott Proctor from the bullpen to the rotation.

"I think we'll look at it," manager Joe Torre said yesterday' at a promotion for his Safe at Home Foundation to combat domestic violence.

Torre said "it's unfair to everybody involved" for the Yankees to count on both Randy Johnson (back surgery) and Carl Pavano (elbow, ribs) for the Opening-Day rotation. With Chien-Ming Wang and now Mike Mussina back, that leaves a need for at least two starters, assuming at least one of the Johnson-Pavano tandem can start.

• Proctor, who turns 30 in January, this year led the American League with 83 relief appearances, going 6-4 with a 3.52 ERA. But he was a starter for most of his minor-league career. He has one big-league start, a spot start in August 2005 in which he allowed three runs in five innings and got a no-decision.

The Yankees slotted Proctor for their Triple-A rotation when spring training opened in February (2006) but spring injuries allowed him to make the team as a long reliever, and he worked his way into a key set-up role.

• "We feel that as a starter, he can utilize all his stuff," Torre said. "Where as a reliever, you really are limited in what pitches you throw. You're not allowed to throw your full complement of pitches." "

Story from The Staten Island Advance by Ed Price, 11/15/06--Thanks to them for reporting. I haven't seen or heard a word about this anywhere else!

• P.S. I HOPE PROCTOR HAS THAT "CLICKING NOISE" HE HEARD IN HIS SHOULDER/ARM IN SEPTEMBER CHECKED OUT AGAIN. (He's had it checked once, but it's good to have a 2nd opinion when you hear noises....) sm

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