By Vincent Mercogliano

Spring time is approaching, and for Yankee fans it could not have come soon enough. After another disappointing exit from the playoffs, many are eager to see the Bronx Bombers take the field again for their final year in Yankee Stadium. Two weeks into spring training one thing is for sure: there is no shortage of storylines for these 2008 New York Yankees.

The fallout from the Mitchell Report, which named current Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte as a steroid user, dominated the early portion of Yankee camp. Many worry that this could be a lingering distraction, but Pettitte has admitted his mistake and is generally very well-liked by fans in New York. It’s just a matter of him maintaining his focus on the mound, of which he has proved capable.

Now, the team’s hope is that focus can return to the field where they are surrounded by both question marks, as well as the promise of a new youth movement.

But perhaps the most noticeable difference between this Yankee spring training and those in recent memory is the missing presence of former manager Joe Torre. In his place now sits Joe Girardi, a former Yankee who played for Torre.

Girardi is much younger than Torre, and widely considered to be more exuberant and rough around the edges than the former four-time world champion manager.

While Torre was considered to be a well-liked player’s manager, Girardi focuses more on preparation and conditioning. And he has let his team know this from the get-go.

“As soon as Girardi was hired, everyone in the organization knew spring was going to be more intense,” said veteran pitcher Mike Mussina.

All reports from the Yankees’ camp have echoed those sentiments. The team has had to do more conditioning, specifically more running, than any of Torre’s teams ever had to do, and perhaps for good reason. The team has developed the habit of starting off the season slowly and having to dig themselves out of a hole in order to make the playoffs.

Girardi made a point to reach out to players in the offseason, letting them know he expected them to show up in top performing condition to avoid the injury bug that hampered the team last season.

Those words seem to have gotten the message across, especially to veterans who feel they have something to prove.

How well-prepared certain players are will go a long way in helping the team’s new manager decide on how to divide playing time. There are essentially three players vying for the two spots in left field and at designated hitter. Girardi has made it clear he expects outfielder Johnny Damon to be the offensive catalyst at the top of the order, which would indicate he will see the most time in left field. Damon has apparently responded to Girardi by showing up in better shape than last year, when he was hindered by nagging injuries.

That leaves Hideki Matsui as the likely DH, with first baseman Jason Giambi apparently the odd man out unless he can prove to Girardi that he can handle significant playing time at first base. Giambi, much like Damon, has shown up to spring training in great shape.

“This is the best I’ve felt in a really long time,” said Giambi. “I love to play first, and one of the big things Joe told me when we talked this offseason was, ‘I really need you to be ready to play first base.”

And then there’s Joba. Girardi has an ace up his sleeve and a variety of different ways to play his hand. The organization has indicated early that they plan to begin the season with their blue-chip prospect Joba Chamberlain as their set-up man out of the bullpen. The plan is to limit the increase on his overall inning total. Yankee brass has suggested that Chamberlain only pitch 30 innings more than his total from last year, which would give him about 140 innings to work with this season. An average starter will accumulate around 200 innings per year, if healthy. The idea is that if they use him out of the bullpen for the first couple months of the season, they can deploy him as a starter sometime over the summer without overusing his young arm.

The debate has raged since the end of last season regarding how Chamberlain should be used this season. He has always been a starter, and has a repertoire of four pitches, which are all considered potentially major league-worthy, highlighted by his slider.

“He’s going to become a four-pitch pitcher and there aren’t too many guys around like that,” said pitching coach Dave Eiland. “The ones that are, are at the top of the rotation.”

All indications from the organization seem to view Chamberlain as a starter in their long-term plans, but his effectiveness as a reliever last season has caused some to question that decision. Joba posted a 0.38 earned run average in 19 appearances while striking out 34 batters in 24 innings pitched. To put it simply, he allowed one earned run all season. Many feel his arrival in the bullpen to solidify the set-up role in front of closer Mariano Rivera played a large role in propelling the Yankees to the playoffs. Another concern is that if Chamberlain is used as a starter, who will fill his void in the 8th inning?

“With the kind of stuff he has, I think he would be a lot better for us as a reliever,” said catcher Jorge Posada.

The Joba Saga will be an interesting story to follow as the season goes on, and it will be Girardi who is ultimately judged for the progress of his young stud. Chamberlain, though, is not the only young pitcher drawing attention at Yankee spring training. Young arms Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy will be relied on heavily to fill voids in the rotation.

Yes, this is an exciting time for Yankee fans, and if nothing else, this season promises to be an remarkably intriguing one.