We won't get fooled again. (Or will we?) Let's enjoy some of last year's frozen Yankee spin

Recently, Joba Chamberlain showed up in Detroit wearing a beard, glasses and telling everybody how great he feels. In other words, he's up to his old tricks.

Well, that's fine. He's Detroit's Joba now. But the B.S. train is pulling into Tampa soon, and this year, Yankee fans ought to think long and hard about the dollops of hope the big YES machine gins up. There are big reasons to feel skeptical about the future of this team. And the best way to consider them is simply to be remembering what the experts said last year.

HEALTHY JOBA EYEING BOUNCE-BACK SEASON 

NEW YORK -- In accepting a couple of humanitarian awards Tuesday night at the Baseball Assistance Team's 24th annual Go to Bat for B.A.T. fundraising dinner at the Marriott Marquis, Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain mentioned "what an honor it is for me to be able to wear this uniform."

Now, as free agency looms next offseason, he has every intention of a big year on the Yankees' staff. He said he is "100 percent healthy" and raring to go next month in Florida for Spring Training. When he gets there, he said, he plans to "hug it out" with newcomer and former Red Sox arch rival Kevin Youkilis in that same uniform.

"I think we're going to be great," Chamberlain told the crowd. "Obviously everyone talks about moves other teams have made. We haven't made many moves, but I'm still gonna take our lineup and what we're putting out there every day. We've got our pitching staff where we want it to be. And guys we've got thrown in. We've had an addition -- I think you guys know who he is. His name's Kevin Youkilis."

"Your buddy, right?" emcee Michael Kay said.

"It's going to be a good addition for us," Chamberlain replied.

"Did you call him?" Kay said.

"I did call him, actually. I left a message, just to welcome him to our side," Chamberlain said. "To tell him that I'm glad he's on our side for once, and to be able to win it on our side. I know it was the holidays and it was busy and stuff, so I'll see him at Spring Training, we'll hug it out and we'll go forward."