New York Yankees News: Happy Opening Day!

It feels like it's been approximately forever since we last saw the Yankees play a meaningful baseball game, but today, CC Sabathia and the Yankees will kick-off their 2012 season against the Tampa Bay Rays and James Shields at 3:10 P.M.

- Joe Pawlikowski at RAB discussed three things that need to go right for the Yankees this season. Those three things are keeping Alex Rodriguez healthy, Hiroki Kuroda adjusting to his move from the NL West to AL East, and David Robertson continuing his success from 2011. What do you think needs to happen for this team to be successful?

- Michael Pineda played catch yesterday with no issues. Larry Rothschild worked with him on his delivery, saying he needed to work on staying more North-South with the plate so that his fastball doesn't cut and drag his velocity down. Hopefully he will continue to progress and get back to healthy Michael Pineda soon.

- Last summer, the Rockies put their ace Ubaldo Jimenez on the trading block, asked for an absurd amount of prospects (Montero, Nova, Banuelos, and Betances) from the Yankees when they inquired, and Brian Cashman intelligently refused the deal. Michael Eder at The Yankee Analysts examines the differences between our current issue with Michael Pineda's shoulder and the problems the Indians are facing with Jimenez. It hurt me to lose Jesus Montero, but if we had to, I'm very thankful it was for Pineda and not Jimenez.

- Newly acquired Chris Stewart is honored to be known as a defensive catcher. This is not his first go-round with the Yankees, so they are clearly enamored enough with what he brings to the table, which is definitely not offensive prowess, to keep bringing him back. That should surprise no one at this point. Should Russell Martin get injured and miss time, though, Francisco Cervelli would become the starting catcher, not Stewart.

- David Phelps became a father and then became a major league baseball player in rapid succession, so I'd say it's been a pretty good month to be him. His emotions were, understandably, all over the place after learning he'd made the Opening Day roster, and lots of his family will be in attendance this weekend in hopes of watching him pitch. It's always fun to see the reaction of guys getting to play professional baseball at the highest level for the first time and I wish Phelps all the luck in staying there.