CHICAGO – Alex Rodriguez not only knows Andrew Brackman, he has seen the Yankees’ first-round pick pitch.
While visiting his neighbor, Ramon Corona, a second baseman at North Carolina State in 2005, Rodriguez went to the indoor mound and watched Brackman, a 6-foot-10 right-hander, throw. Before the Yankees’ 10-3 victory over the White Sox last night, Rodriguez found out the team had taken Brackman with the 30th pick and said he was stoked.
“I am pumped about this guy,” Rodriguez said. “I thought the Yankees would never have a chance to get this guy. I thought he was going to go in the top three [picks].”
When Brackman shut it down late in the season to guard against arm trouble there were whispers his elbow was damaged. That may have scared clubs away from Brackman, who also played basketball for the Wolfpack.
“I hadn’t thrown this many innings [78] because of basketball season. The condition of my arm is fine,” Brackman said. “We shut it down so something serious didn’t happen.”
Brackman is represented by Scott Boras. He said yesterday even though he lasted until the final pick of the first round, he was better off than the 29 players in front of him.
“I know I have it better than the others because it’s the Yankees,” said Brackman, who spent the day fishing instead of glued to the television, where the MLB draft was shown for the first time ever.
Brackman went 6-4 with a 3.81 ERA in 13 games for the Wolfpack.
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Joe Torre had no comment about a published report that had George Steinbrenner instructing Brian Cashman to scold Torre about him saying Rodriguez was “inappropriate” when he used his mouth to distract Toronto infielders last week on a popup.
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Andy Pettitte will have company with him in the bullpen tonight when he warms up for a start against the Pirates. Just to make sure his back spasms don’t kick up, Sean Henn will be on hand if needed.
“We don’t expect a problem,” Torre said of Pettitte, who was forced out of his last start in Boston Sunday night.
Torre finally talked to Doug Mientkiewicz yesterday and reported Mientkiewicz’s head and neck are fine, that the only thing holding him back is the broken wrist bone.
“The whole issue is his wrist,” Torre said of Mientkiewicz, who was injured Saturday in Boston.
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According to Torre, Jason Giambi will be at the Stadium tonight. Giambi, who is on the DL with a torn tendon on the bottom of his left foot, will be grilled about commissioner Bud Selig telling Giambi he wants him to cooperate with George Mitchell‘s investigation in to steroid use.
