Almost three months after he was a finalist for the Yankees' managerial job, Don Mattingly has asked the Dodgers to scale back his responsibilities as a member of Joe Torre's new coaching staff in Los Angeles.

Mattingly was supposed to be the Dodgers' hitting coach this year, but he was replaced yesterday by Mike Easler. Instead, Mattingly is going to serve as what the Dodgers called a "major league special assignment coach."

Andy Pettitte is said by friends to be upset with Roger Clemens because of Clemens' aggressive defense to the charges leveled against him in the Mitchell Report. Most of all, Pettitte didn't care for Clemens' public airing of his taped phone call with accuser Brian McNamee, which accomplished little.

Among its many unexpected consequences, the Mitchell Report has magnified just how different Clemens and Pettitte are. And with the two men set to share a table at Capitol Hill's Rayburn Hall next month, it's as good a time as any to point out that this supposed mentor-protege's relationship has been overblown by the media -- with this space as guilty as anyone else.

"They were never as close as they were made out to be," a friend of both said on the condition of anonymity. "They just sort of went along with it in the media, because it was a good story."

After undergoing Tommy John surgery on April 17, 2007, what had been a promising season for one of the newest top prospects in the Yankees organization suddenly became a long, hot summer of rehab.
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Despite feeling strong and in shape, the 6-foot-6 right-hander discovered that he was unable to completely straighten his arm.

"It didn't hurt to throw, but my extension wasn't where it was supposed to be," explained Sanchez, who underwent more X-rays with famed doctor Dr. James Andrews to figure out the cause of the problem. "They showed that I had some bone spurs in my elbow that had calcified. It happens in maybe one out of 400 cases, but for some reason in mostly Hispanic guys, though they don't know why."

Knowing that it could cause future problems, Sanchez and his doctor decided to go back into surgery to clean out the spurs, setting his progress back another couple of weeks.
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When visiting his mom in New York, he's watched the new Yankee Stadium rise next to the current park. It fills him with mixed emotions. "The stadium was old and I'm all for change," he said. "The new stadium is absolutely state-of-the-art. I was just in awe at how beautiful everything was." Sanchez knows what the next months hold for him -- throwing constantly and getting into shape. The latter, Sanchez admits, is something he has historically not been too keen on.
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When camp convenes next month, expect Sanchez to be about a month or so behind the other pitchers reporting. It is hoped that by March he'll be able to throw off a mound. Ideally he would finish Spring Training by remaining in Tampa for a rehab stint with the Yankees' Class A Advanced Florida State League team.
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"My goal is just to be 100 percent by the end of April, a year out from the surgery," he said. "My dream goal would be to be in New York by the All-Star break, but a lot of things come into it -- if they need someone there [and] my performance at that point."

Leyritz, initially charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage after the crash, will now face an additional manslaughter charge, according to a Fort Lauderdale Police Department news release.

Results of the tests show that the 44-year-old Leyritz had a blood-alcohol levels of 0.14 at 6:10 a.m. and 0.13 at 7:12 a.m. on Dec. 28, the day his 2006 Ford Expedition crashed at an intersection and collided with the car of Fredia Ann Veitch. The legal limit for Florida drivers is 0.08.

Other non-roster invitees with big league experience include infielder Bernie Castro, right-hander Daniel Giese, left-hander Heath Phillips, infielder Cody Ransom, right-hander Scott Strickland and left-hander Billy Traber.

The Yankees also invited the following players: right-handers Alan Horne, Steven Jackson, Daniel McCutchen and Mark Melancon; catchers Kyle Anson, Jason Brown, Jesus Montero, P.J. Pilittere and Austin Romine; infielders Eric Duncan and Marcos Vechionacci; and outfielders Brett Gardner, Justin Christian, Colin Curtis, Austin Jackson, Greg Porter and Jose Tabata.

"With all the history and tradition, it's pretty much everybody's dream to wear the pinstripes and be part of the Yankees organization," Hawkins said by telephone. "I'm looking forward to it. It's funny. I'm excited about it, but my family and friends -- they're ecstatic about it.

"Now they're all Yankees fans. With the Yankees, you either love them or hate them. I like being a part of that whole aura."