YANKEE NOTES
So far, so good. That’s the way Joe Torre described radiation treatments he hopes are the final stage of his battle against prostate cancer.
“Knock on wood, hopefully I can continue to feel the way I am feeling until this thing is over,” said Torre, who expects to be finished with the five-times-a-week treatments before the new year.
Torre said he hasn’t experienced any serious side effects.
“I don’t feel any different other than being a little tired. As far as feeling good, I am still working out four to five days a week. I hope it continues.”
Torre, who had the prostate surgery last March, is taking a realistic approach to the treatments.
“You don’t know what it’s going to do to you long range,” said Torre, whose weight of 212 hasn’t fluctuated more than two pounds either way since March. “What helps you, sometimes hurts you down the road, but I can’t be worried about that. I trust my doctors.”
Yankees’ search for a second catcher is strictly one to be Jorge Posada’s backup; not one to push the switch-hitter for playing time.
“Jorge is going to get the every-day situation,” Torre said on the day the Yankees said so long to free agent Joe Girardi when they didn’t offer the veteran catcher arbitration. “I don’t know who our backup is going to be. I anticipate we will have a few people in spring training and make a decision there. Jorge will be the catcher and hopefully that will keep him from [pressing].”
With the Yankees leaning toward bringing several non-roster catchers to spring training to battle for the backup job, Joe Oliver isn’t expected to get in on that action since the veteran would rather sign with a team that isn’t holding auditions.
At one time the Yankees were interested trading for Devil Rays’ Mike DiFelice, but that has cooled.
Yanks also didn’t offer arbitration to free agent infielder Luis Sojo.
Yanks announced re-signing lefty reliever Allen Watson to a two-year deal worth $3 million. And while you never say never with the Yankees, they are out of the Arthur Rhodes sweepstakes. The lefty reliever is expected to re-sign with the Orioles.
Yankee tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Stadium. Several players are expected to be on hand to greet fans buying tickets.