Long Road Back From Surgery Completed, as Brackman Scores Skee-Ball Victory

NEW YORK _ There were times in those 18 months when former first-round pick Andrew Brackman wondered if he would ever roll a Skee-Ball for the New York Yankees.

Days after being selected first by the Bombers in the 2007 Major League draft, the hulking pitcher required Tommy John surgery on his million dollar right arm, which meant he would not pick up a Skee-Ball for nearly two years.

Yesterday, in a half-hour span that revealed the arcade fire that scouts originally saw in Brackman, the youngser's countless hours of rehabiliation -- and prayers -- paid off...

"I'm not gonna lie to you," Brackman said later. "At first, if felt strange being out there again, and I wondered if I could bring it. After the first few balls, I knew I was back. This is the greatest feeling I've had in two years."

Brackman was a star Skee-Baller in college, the kind of raw talent the Yankees were seeking when they shocked the baseball world and selected him first. Many scouts felt his size and length -- 6'11" -- would make it impossible for develop into the type of arcarde-domininating roller the Yankees had in mind.

"I never doubted myself," Brackman said. "But it was hard, being told by doctors, 'Don't go to the arcade. Don't compete.' There were nights when all the guys were out there, flinging hard and hitting 30s and 40s, and all I could do was watch. I knew I could dial-up 50s, but I had to sit in the corner and drink soda.

"When you go through a year of watching and wondering, well, you grow up fast... When I was out there yesterday, I was rolling for every kid who ever tweaked his mouse-hand in a World of Warcraft mastery duel. I was telling myself, 'This is it, Andrew. You're not going to leave any tokens on the table.'"

Brackman recognizes that he won't be in the big camp for long. The Yankees have told him he can expect to start the season at Tampa's Single A Chuck E. Cheese, where the giant animated Hillbilly Bears sing every 20 minutes, motivating him to work on his fundamentals.

They've got a lot of quarters invested in that arm, but the rewards -- the Skee-Ball point currency that someday could pay off in Disney character kewpies, acrylic crystals with inlays depicting the World Trade Center, and laminated portraits of NASCAR drivers -- will be worth it.

"I know I can do it, and Ahmad, the arcade attendant, knows I can do it," Brackman said yesterday, choking back the tears of happiness. "Now, I've just got to convince Joe Girardi."