News from Camp: Cash says Yanks to hold pitching prospects in minors until after they've been successfully injured

Continuing the tradition of Christian Parker, Alan Horne and hordes of other pinstriped coulda-beens, the Yankees vowed yesterday to hold back "Killer B" prospects Dellin Betances, Manny Bannuelos and Andrew Brackman until they have properly wasted their youth in the minors.

"They're just too valuable," a Yankee coach said. "If they blow out an elbow up here, we lose our jobs. The hope is that they go to Scranton, visit the Anthracite Museum and throw their shoulders into mush. That way, nobody gets blamed."

The Yankees have turned to Bartolo Colon and Freddie Garcia, until the youth movement passes into exploratory surgery. If necessary, they'll trade for a Joe Blanton.

Among coaches these days, nerves are frayed like the tendons in Damaso Garcia's wrist. Brackman and Betances have already undergone surgery once.

"Both of their injuries happened in the minors," the Yankee coach said. "It was great. Nobody got blamed."

Brackman is 25, so a setback could see him breaking into the majors, while pushing 30.

"If that happened, it would be awful for him," the coach said. "Good for us, though. Nobody gets blamed."

Why such caution? Three years ago, Joba Chamberlain hurt his shoulder pitching for the Yankees, at age 22. He's never been the same. The fact that he nearly pitched the Yankees to a World Series in 2007, and his stuff was clearly MLB ready, didn't matter. He was hurt while a Yankee, and the coaches have been blamed ever since.

Bannuelos is awaiting his first arm injury. As a result, no coach wants to be on the same field with him.

"We're keep far away," the coach said. "He's a career-killing time bomb. If he would get hurt now, you know, try to lift an SUV or eat 50 lightbulbs, we could trade him for a Joe Blanton. Nobody would get blamed."