Burnett trying to adjust delivery

TAMPA, Fla. - Much of A.J. Burnett's 12-year career has been about paradox. He has an ace's arsenal but is only 10 games over .500 (110-100) with an ERA barely under 4.00.

So it only makes sense that one of his goals for the spring has a strange ring to it. The righthander is making a mechanical change without thinking about his mechanics.

"So far we have stopped it [thinking]," Burnett said Wednesday after his spring debut, when he allowed two hits and no runs in two innings of the Yankees' 6-5 victory over the split-squad Astros at Steinbrenner Field. "But stuff's going to creep into your head; you can't eliminate everything. But you have to have confidence in yourself and belief no matter what."

Among the tweaks new pitching coach Larry Rothschild has made is keeping Burnett more in line with the plate on his delivery. In other words, less side-to-side movement with his legs.

"My lower half seems to swing out like a gate," Burnett said earlier this spring. "It's just a matter of keeping that from overswinging.''

Which would give Burnett better command, so when he misses, he won't miss "by a foot and a half," he said Wednesday.

Burnett thought the adjustments worked Wednesday, and manager Joe Girardi noticed. "You could see him going more toward the plate," Girardi said. "He had one that he pulled off a little bit, but not as drastic as before."

Burnett, like most veterans, isn't so worried about results this time of year. But because he's coming off a career-worst year (10-15, 5.26 ERA), there are goals other than making a mechanical tweak.

"Building that confidence up," Burnett said.

A performance like yesterday's, even it was only a first outing of two innings, can help. After a 1-2-3 first, Burnett allowed back-to-back singles to start the second but got a double-play ball.

"I threw a couple curveballs today, and I usually don't do that until my third or fourth start," he said.

"They were loopy, they were good curveballs in the zone but they didn't have that sharp bite. The more comfortable I get working with Larry in doing this . . . It's already helping because I'm not thinking about it out there. And that's the whole point, is not to get carried away with mechanics out there."

For much of his career, the rap on Burnett, 34, is what's going on in his head has been his biggest obstacle to achieving more. And the pitcher always has been the first to agree.

"Taking it pitch by pitch and not questioning every little thing you do out there goes with confidence," Burnett said. "Get the ball back and throw it. Don't worry about, did I swing that time or not? Larry will let me know that. Just go out there and make your pitch."

Although he's said since he reported that 2010 was in the past, Burnett hasn't hid from the impact it had on him, either.

"Anytime you don't get out of the second [inning] for a month, you're going to have confidence problems," he said, a hyperbolic - though not by much - reference to last June, when he went 0-5 with an 11.35 ERA.

"To my credit, I went out there every five days with confidence, but confidence comes with success. But it also comes with understanding how it's done. Right now it's getting your work in and making quality pitches."