Pitcher Hopes to Horne in on the Action

Alan Horne heard all the hype last year, just as all of us Yankees fans did. The guy had a great chance to be the next big thing. The next in line after Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy to have a big impact on the Yankees' rotation. Then Hughes and Kennedy crashed and burned, Chamberlain spent much of the season in the bullpen, and Horne injured his rotator cuff while pitching at Scranton.

Now Horne is headed back to Tampa, he left on Monday, to go at it again. Dustin Kent of the Jackson County Floridian, Horne's native area, spoke with the right-hander about the coming year and last season's disappointment.

About his slight rotator tear:

It was definitely frustrating,” Horne said of his injury problems in 2008. “When you’re as close as I was to pitching in the majors, close to being one of the first guys called up, it’s tough.

“It will be something to drive me to get back to where I was before the injury. The rest will take care of itself.”

“The tear was causing my shoulder to bind up really bad, so he cleaned it up so it would work a little better,” he said. “It feels good so far.”

Horne had the shoulder cleaned up in the off-season and couldn't start his workouts until December, but he's feeling good.

“I feel great so far. I’ve been real pleased with how the rehab’s gone,” he said. “I feel no pain so far. I feel like I’ve got the problem fixed and I can continue to move forward toward my ultimate goal, which is pitching in the big leagues.”

About his disappointing 2008:

“(The injury) was a big struggle for me,” he said. “It wasn’t a huge pain, it was just pretty uncomfortable. My arm wasn’t working like it was supposed to work and it just wasn’t allowing me to extend a long way.

“It took more effort to be able to throw. I was having to work a lot harder to do things I normally do without a problem. Towards the end of the season, my stuff started deteriorating.”

Horne hopes to start throwing off a mound at the beginning of February. Where Horne starts the season remains to be seen, but extended Spring Training in Tampa is the most li