Best-case scenario in NY?

What Johnny Damon told the New York Post last week -- "We're the best team" -- is no different from what he said after the Tigers eliminated the Yankees in four games in the American League Division Series: "The best teams don't always win."

But the Tigers could give Damon a good debate. The Red Sox might also issue a challenge to Damon now that Jonathan Papelbon is the closer again.

But don't dismiss Damon's words as Johnny being Johnny. In fact, the feeling is universal in the Yankee clubhouse. And as spring training winds down, you begin to understand why the confidence is building. But what I've heard in Yankee camp more than any others in Arizona and Florida that I've visited -- with the exception of Atlanta (which missed the playoffs for the first time since 1990) -- is the word "accountability."

The playoff loss to the Tigers was simply not acceptable.

"Last October was tough to swallow," said Yankees catcher Jorge Posada. "But we understand that coming into every year, because of who we are, that we've got to make it to the World Series. That's not pressure. That's not unrealistic. We realize that's the way it's got to be.

"That's the way the owner wants it, and you just have to go out there and put up with everything. We look forward to getting into the playoffs but this team has to keep going. It's been frustrating here the last four, five, or six years."

But $180 million probably doesn't buy what it used to. There are flaws.

Andy Pettitte has been bothered by back spasms, and Chien-Ming Wang will start the season on the disabled list with a hamstring problem. The end of the rotation, with Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano, is unsettling, though Igawa, who was being considered for Scranton, eased concerns with six shutout innings against the Phillies last Tuesday after a poor start. Pavano is at least healthy and throwing well, but needs to be careful with lefthanded hitters. And the issues with Pettitte and Wang are not considered long-term problems.

General manager Brian Cashman is trying to get the team younger, and it doesn't appear that he'll let much get in the way. That's why you see righthanded starter Jeff Karstens getting a long look for a spot in the rotation. That's why you see a solid, young five-man rotation at Scranton, with real prospects including 20-year-old phenom Philip Hughes. That's why when camp breaks, veteran Todd Pratt, who might be best-suited for the backup catcher role, might not make it over young Wil Nieves or Raul Chavez.

The front four in the bullpen -- righthanders Mariano Rivera, Scott Proctor, Kyle Farnsworth, Luis Vizcaino (.163 vs. lefties) -- are solid. And lefty Sean Henn's strong spring training performance could cost a veteran like Mike Myers or Ron Villone a roster spot.

A huge issue is whether Alex Rodriguez can ever be comfortable playing in New York, where the fans are relentless. He could make it better by hitting in the clutch and making fewer errors, or he could make it a lot worse. But Damon and Jason Giambi are committed to making sure Rodriguez can relax and just let his incredible talents flow.

"We've got to do a better job with Alex as far as keeping him loose and putting him in a frame of mind where he's going to really take off," Damon said. "The closer we get to the season here, the more excitement we're starting to feel."

"Sky is the limit for this team," Giambi said. "We can hit and score runs. We have a good rotation, a good bullpen. We have to find a way to get beyond where we were last year and just stay consistent as a lineup."

They added Doug Mientkiewicz to solidify their first base defense, which should reduce A-Rod's errors.

"The '04 Red Sox were a group of special players that I'll always be proud to be part of," Mientkiewicz said. "But when you look at the talent in this room, it's mind-boggling. It's all about staying healthy. If we can, it's going to be special here."

Robinson Cano, most scouts agree, is destined to win a batting title. Posada is amazing in that the older he gets, the better he gets defensively, thanks to the work he does with coach Tony Pena.

"Tony's a veteran baseball man," said Posada. "He sees things a little differently because he played the game a long time. He understands how he was successful and he's taught me techniques about catching that are beneficial to me at this stage of my career. He tweaked some things in my stance with the way I received the ball when a runner was going. All of that stuff."

It could be the same story for the Yankees -- close but no cigar. The Red Sox, who I think are the favorites now, will have a lot to say about that. But for now, when the game is played on paper, Damon isn't far off the mark.

A few questions for Tigers lefthander Kenny Rogers:

You've heard your old buddy Terry Francona is trying to quit chewing tobacco. You once built a spittoon in Texas for him.

KR: "Glad to hear he's trying to quit. He needs to. I'll build him something else. After a couple of guys almost got killed in the dugout slipping on that tobacco juice, I said, all right, I'm not going to get him to stop, but let's try the other route. I went to the grounds crew guys and they gave me all the pieces and I put it together over a period of four innings. It was pretty nice."

Everybody remembers the playoff game. You went 7 2/3 innings in a 6-0 win over the Yankees, a team you'd had a 6.45 ERA against in 35 previous games. In that game and through the playoffs and World Series, you -- a finesse pitcher -- were throwing in the mid-90s. Can you ever do it again?

KR: "I can do it on occasion. I'm not that type of pitcher and I know that. I can't do that for a whole season, and the reason is I wouldn't last. I take a big chance when I try to pitch like that. It's out of my style. So when I take that chance, the hardest part for me is to locate in the spots I'm supposed to be in. If you're off the mark and you're up against a professional hitter, he'll hit that mistake 420 feet as opposed to grounding out to shortstop if I hit that zone."

How much was it adrenaline, or wanting to beat the Yankees after everyone harped on the fact you couldn't?

KR: "In that game, I threw every four-seamer as physically hard as I could. I couldn't have thrown them any harder. But the thing is, I kept my location. I took a chance because I could have been out of the game in the second or third inning. When I came up, I threw 96 m.p.h., but I changed my approach because I've had eight surgeries to my shoulder, elbow, knee, ribs. But on that night I kept that velocity through the whole game."

You're 42. How much longer can you pitch?

KR: "I think I can go on for a while as long as I can do what I'm supposed to do for a team. It's all about what I'm willing to handle physically. It's a tougher grind when you get to this level and this age. I do things that I probably shouldn't do, like diving for balls. I enjoy that part of it. I pay for that. I'll pay for it when I'm out of baseball. For me it's worth the sacrifice. I'm hopeful I have a few more years. I know I do if I want it."

Clement feels he has a strong chance at a comeback

With up to 12 months of rehab after extensive shoulder surgery, Matt Clement is looking forward to returning stronger than ever.

"I can see some of the things I was doing fundamentally wrong over the years to compensate for my shoulder," said the Red Sox righthander. "Over time, your body adapts to your injury, overcompensates.

"I was always going to take the ball and pitch no matter what. The ball would come out a different way or I'd step a different way so it didn't hurt as much. You don't mentally know you're doing it until you sit down and watch it on video."

Clement, who had surgery last September , has already gone from throwing 45 feet to 60 feet. He needs to get up to 120 before he can start throwing off the mound.

"I'm very positive," he said. "I'm hoping to pitch again this year. I haven't missed a day of rehab. I haven't had any setbacks. I was cleared to throw a month before originally thought. I don't know if that means I'll be back a month sooner, but we'll see.

Clement feels as though he has a new shoulder, and it has taken getting used to.

"After that first time when I was throwing with a new shoulder on my body, the feel of it was so different," he said. "But after that, I feel like I did in high school.

"This process has never been a smooth one, but the fact it's starting off feeling good, that's a good sign. I feel content that there isn't anything I could have done better than I have to this point.

"Will that mean I come back? Only God knows that, but I feel good that I'm doing it the right way."

Etc.

Touching the bases
Apropos of nothing: 1. One way Pudge Rodriguez, 35, who is still quick as a cat, remains the game's best catcher? Cycling; 2. A veteran baseball official predicts the big trading deadline deal will be Dontrelle Willis going to the Dodgers for prospects, including Matt Kemp; 3. When the Tigers bring a new pitcher into the game, it's funny to watch Magglio Ordonez mimicking his delivery in the outfield; 4. Who says the Red Sox and Yankees don't get along? Senior advisers Jeremy Kapstein (Boston) and Gene Michael (New York) were having an animated discussion as they sat together behind home plate at a recent Yankees-Reds game; 5. Boy, Sox pitching coach John Farrell works hard.

Nixon feeling empowered
Trot Nixon is starting to drive the ball again after offseason back surgery. "It was something that was there in '04, '05, and '06, and it just started to bother me, and we had to do something about it for my career to go forward," said Nixon, who knows he'll be platooned in right field by the Indians. "If I have some success, maybe it can lead to more ABs." Nixon reiterated about his old team, "I'll miss a lot of those guys, but realized at one point that it was probably not going to happen, so I just wanted a job somewhere. We considered a few places, but I just thought this would be the best opportunity and it's been great here."

A Ray of hope
One way for Haverhill's Carlos Pena to make the Devil Rays is for second baseman Jorge Cantu (on whom they appear to be down) to be dealt to Atlanta, while Ty Wigginton moves back to second base from first. "I think this was the best place for me," said Pena. "I feel like I've been hitting the ball well. I'm a veteran. I'm not just coming up for the first time. We'll see what happens. I'm very optimistic something good will happen and I'll get my opportunity."

Don't know if moving Carl Crawford to leadoff and Rocco Baldelli to the third spot will mean the pennant for the Rays, but one thing is for sure: You sense a lot of frustration from veterans who don't see light at the end of the tunnel. "I don't think talent is the question here," said Baldelli. "We have as much talent as anyone. What we don't have is the experience. We can do a lot of things individually and athletically, but we have to learn how to put it all together. It's not easy to lose. This will be my fifth year. I think it's about time we turn it around."

Indians infield coach Luis Rivera, the old Sox shortstop, has really made an impact on shortstop Jhonny Peralta. "He's been working very hard," reported Rivera. "He's improved his footwork, his throws. He's taken it very seriously." The Indians were so down on Peralta after last season -- when he slumped from .292, 24 homers, and 78 RBIs in 2005 to .257, 13, 68 -- that they were concerned they'd have to find another shortstop. "He understands how important he is," said Rivera. "We need him to be a top player."

Gary Sheffield, who hit a rocketlike home run off Bronson Arroyo last week in Lakeland, has always claimed that he never struck out when playing for Hillsborough High School in Tampa. Based on his major league stats, we tend to believe it. Of players who have hit 450 homers, only Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and Mel Ott struck out less. The man who originally signed Sheffield out of high school? Dan Duquette.

On the Sox farm: Chris Durbin, an outfielder with good skills, retired rather than spend a third season in Double A Portland . . . Over a period of four days last week, 6-foot-4-inch, 227-pound Aaron Bates hit three home runs. Bates, a third-rounder out of North Carolina State in last year's draft, is also a pretty good defensive first baseman . . . There isn't a middle infielder with Hanley Ramirez's tools in the system. But Ryan Khoury, a 12th-rounder in last year's draft out of Utah, has made some nice plays in the hole . . . Daniel Bard might not quite rise as rapidly as Roger Clemens did, but one scout who has watched him cooed, "Everything is just free and easy. He's got a lot of explosion on his fastball." . . . Veteran outfielder Michael Tucker is working out with the Sox minor leaguers in hopes of hooking on at Pawtucket.

An AL scout was going over the Red Sox at a recent Indians-Devil Rays game when he made an observation I totally agree with: "In '04, the Red Sox had a great mix of players right down to the bench. They had a great blueprint. By the second half of the year, they had Dave Roberts and Doug Mientkiewicz they could bring on in the late innings for defense and Roberts could steal a base. Who's gonna replace Manny [Ramírez] in the late innings? Wily Mo Peña and Eric Hinske?" The most often asked question about the Red Sox by baseball people: "Is Dustin Pedroia really going to play second?"

Don Baylor sits home in Palm Springs, Calif., waiting for his next managerial opportunity. "I'd really enjoy getting back into it," said Baylor. "When you have managing experience, I think, each time you learn something and get better. I'd love the opportunity to show that again." Baylor didn't take a coaching job because he doesn't want to be pigeonholed as a hitting coach. He hopes to take advantage of some television opportunities in the interim.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.