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Sweeny Says: Seeing A Simulated Yankees Game

By Sweeny Murti
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So this is what a simulated game looks like. CC Sabathia and Bartolo Colon both threw to minor league hitters at Steinbrenner Field, a 10am start time, game over in barely over an hour. There are coaches watching from right behind the mound. There is no umpire--the catcher gets to call the balls and strikes himself. And the game moves pretty quickly.

Its hard for guys who have pitched in front of 50,000 to pitch in front of a dozen people at 10am, but that's what these guys did today.

"Its a little tough, but you have to get ready and just try to do your work," Sabathia said. "I felt good today and the hitters took it serious."

"I prepared well mentally," Colon said through Tony Pena, who interpreted. "Whenever you go out there and pitch, in your mind you pitch and think the stadium is packed."

WATCH VIDEO OF AUSTIN ROMINE HITTING AGAINST COLON AND SABATHIA IN TUESDAY MORNING'S SIMULATED GAME

Bartolo Colon:

C.C. Sabathia

Sabathia finished with 6.1 simulated innings (82 pitches) allowing 2 hits, 1 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Colon threw 6 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and 7 strikeouts.

Colon continues to get swings and misses (12 strikeouts in 9 full innings of regular exhibition games). And he has continued to impress Joe Girardi.

"His slider was good today," Girardi said. "We know that he has a great fastball and great change-up, but that (slider) was one pitch he didn't throw a lot of back in the day. But he threw some really good ones."

**There remains some concern about Joba Chamberlain, although how much we still don't know. The Yankees sent him for MRI on the rib cage/oblique injury that has kept him out of a game for a couple days now, his last outing coming last Friday. But with guys fighting for spots on this staff, any injury could greatly affect the makeup of the roster for Opening Day.

**Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances will not make the major league team this spring, but both pitchers have been impressive and are scheduled for at least one more appearance in major league camp this Saturday. The Yankees still have 51 players in camp heading into the final two weeks of spring games.

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