Posada catches Hughes, faces Joba, is happy with both

TAMPA, Fla. - Jorge Posada caught one of the big names in the competition for the Yankees' fifth rotation spot and batted against the other Friday.

His evaluation? "Joba looked good; Phil looks good," he said.

Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain both threw live batting practice. Hughes went first and, with Posada catching, threw 31 pitches to Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano and Jesus Montero. Chamberlain threw 33 pitches, with Francisco Cervelli catching, to Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher, Jamie Hoffman and Posada.

But although Posada wouldn't get into the middle of the No. 1 story line of Yankees spring training, especially without a game having been played, he did say that once those games start, it will be imperative to perform.

"They gotta show us early, they have to," Posada said. "Competitions like that, they have to show us from the get-go."

Although manager Joe Girardi has downplayed these early throwing sessions, Chamberlain and Hughes have not. After being paired for their first bullpen sessions a week ago Friday, both talked about making good initial impressions. Intellectually, they know the job isn't going to be decided based on a live BP session in February, but neither wants to take any chances.

"Joe said we're not competing, but what I do today is going to dictate what I do tomorrow and in April and hopefully down the road," Chamberlain said. "I knew from Day 1, it was going to be a competition. Whether Joe said we're fighting for it or not, we truly are from Day 1."

Said Hughes: "I definitely agree. I don't think you can have too many lapses with so much on the line. It's not like you have three months of spring training. Once March 1 rolls around and those games start coming, you have four, five outings and you need to start showing something. Out of those few outings you have, how many can you not afford to be on your game?"

Girardi again stressed that he's not going to begin any significant assessments until the games begin, but he endorsed the pitchers' frame of mind. "They're trying to throw well and open people's eyes," he said.

And work on their repertoires while doing so.

Chamberlain said he was pleased with how he pitched inside Friday. "Last year, I wasn't very good throwing inside. I had balls coming back in over the middle of the plate," he said. "So that was something I wanted to work on."

Chamberlain also threw quite a few changeups, the pitch Hughes is trying to master in spring training after trying, he said, "about 29 different changeup grips in the last year and a half . . . It's something I'm constantly tweaking. I just went back to a straight-up circle change. I feel like I have a good feel for it; it's just a matter of consistently throwing it for strikes and it feeling comfortable rolling off the fingers."

Notes & quotes: Pitching coach Dave Eiland said CC Sabathia will throw batting practice Saturday, followed by A.J. Burnett on Monday, Andy Pettitte on Tuesday and Javier Vazquez on Wednesday . . . Chan Ho Park took his physical Thursday but is not yet in camp . . . Like last year, when the team had a pool tournament the day before the exhibition opener, Girardi said the Yankees will have some kind of outing Tuesday.