Sabathia: Core Four will keep Yankees on their toes

TAMPA, Fla. - CC Sabathia boiled down the reasons why complacency won't overtake the defending World Series champions in 2010 to one.

Or maybe it's four.

"I go back to Mo and Jete and that Core Four," Sabathia said Tuesday, referencing Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada. "Those guys stay hungry after five rings and they come in and they're excited to get to the ballpark every day and they want to play every day. It kind of rubs off on the whole team and we definitely look to those guys for leadership, and we'll look for them this year to lead us again."

Sabathia, of course, became a leader in his own right last season, starting in spring training when he began taking different groups of teammates to Orlando Magic games, something he plans to do again.

"I got some tickets, so we'll see," he said. "Whoever wants to go, I'm ready."

After signing his huge free-agent contract before last season, Sabathia proved ready to handle New York, though not immediately.

He got off to a 1-3 start but quickly recovered and finished 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA. He went 8-6 with a 3.86 ERA in the first half, then breezed - or at least gave the appearance of breezing - in the second half, going 11-2 with a 2.74 ERA. His ability to start on three days' rest in the postseason proved crucial in the Yankees winning title No. 27.

"It was crazy, just from the day I signed and the whole year," Sabathia said of his reflections of 2009. "I struggled a little bit in the first half, was just trying to get adjusted. To be able to come out and win the World Series in the first year of the new stadium and my first year as a Yankee . . . It was definitely a great year."

The lefthander expects to see a great year out of one of his new teammates, Curtis Granderson, whom he knows from their time together in the AL Central when Sabathia pitched for the Indians and the outfielder played for the Tigers.

"Hopefully, he'll hit like 50 home runs in our stadium," Sabathia said with a laugh. "He was always a tough out for me - just getting up there and battling and trying to get on base and help the team win. And him getting on base and being able to steal bags is definitely a threat.''

Sabathia said he altered his offseason throwing program to account for pitching into November, a first in his career.

He said he started long tossing in December, playing catch Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, a slightly lighter workload from past offseasons. He also cut down his bullpen sessions.

"Usually, I threw four or five bullpens before I come to spring, so I just threw two this year," said Sabathia, who will throw another one Wednesday.

But the 6-7, 290-pound lefty said he has no worries. "I'll be ready," he said.

Notes & quotes: Sabathia is friends with LeBron James from his days in Cleveland and he said his recruitment of the Cavs' star, likely to be a free agent in July and at the top of the Knicks' wish list, would begin in earnest when basketball season ends. "In the summertime," Sabathia said with a smile. "I'm sure he'll be up here in the summer and come to a couple games, so it'll start then." . . . Infielders Brandon Laird and Jorge Vazquez and righthanded pitchers D.J. Mitchell, Dustin Moseley and Ryan Pope were invited to spring training, raising the number of non-roster players to 25 . . . Jeter, Granderson, Ramiro Peña, Brett Gardner, Eduardo Nuñez and Francisco Cervelli all took batting practice.