Clubhouse leader Jason Giambi talks up Pavano--NY Times

Was amazed to read Giambi bubbling about Pavano. As George Vecsey noted in his NY Times column last year (relevant part posted on this blog 9/21/06) about Giambi: "THE CLUBHOUSE LEADER IN OAKLAND IS REBORN IN THE BRONX." This fact should be recognized amid all the hype about Jeter & Arod--the leader rising from the ashes of that mess, the only one aside from Damon giving that clubhouse some life--is Giambi: From today's Kepner article:

"As for feeling comfortable in the clubhouse, Pavano has said that is not an issue. Giambi, who often playfully teased Pavano in full view of reporters last season, said Pavano would start 2007 with good will from his teammates.

“You’ve got to start clean,” Giambi said. “There’s no reason to dredge up anything from the past. I like Carl a lot, and we get along well.”

• Damon, who was standing beside Giambi, added, “Life’s too short, man.”

Implicit in their acceptance of Pavano, though, is that he will take on the responsibility of being a reliable starter. Damon emphasized that point.

“He better win for us,” Damon said. “That’s why the Yankees signed him, because he was supposed to be good. I think we’ll see it this year.”

INSIDE PITCH (also from Kepner)

• The Yankees improved to 4-0 in exhibition play, with bench players and minor leaguers doing most of the damage the past three games.
• “Once we get our regulars out of the way, we start scoring runs,” Joe Torre said. ...
• Gary Sheffield is scheduled to play Monday when the Detroit Tigers visit Legends Field."

(Sheffield is "scheduled" to play. I wonder if he really did take off his earring as Jim Leyland asked him to. Or would that kill his "fire?") sm Items from NY Times article by Tyler Kepner, 3/5/07 Takes cookies.

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