BY JIM BAUMBACH
STAFF CORRESPONDENT

June 18, 2004

PHOENIX - Brad Halsey isn't kidding himself. The 23-year-old lefthander will make his major-league debut tomorrow for the Yankees, and he acknowledged yesterday that he's already feeling his share of nervous energy. But he also realizes that's normal.

"I almost wish it was today to get on with it," Halsey said in a telephone interview as his flight from Rochester to Los Angeles was being delayed. "But when you're pitching for the first time on a new level, I don't think the nerves ever go away. As soon as you get that first out, it becomes easier to handle, but it doesn't go away."

Halsey knows the feeling. After he helped the University of Texas win the 2002 College World Series, the Yankees drafted him in the eighth round and he has quickly advanced through the minors.

Halsey has performed well on each level, but this season he has come into his own for Triple-A Columbus, allowing only one run in his last 29 1/3 innings. With Kevin Brown on the disabled list, it was an easy decision to promote Halsey.

The official word reached him Wednesday when Columbus manager Bucky Dent pulled him aside, but Halsey knew what was coming. "One of the equipment guys from Tampa called the day before for my uniform sizes," Halsey said, "so I had a good idea."

In his last seven starts, Halsey has gone 5-1 with an 0.86 ERA, allowing only 36 hits and 10 walks in 47 1/3 innings.

Halsey credits his recent success to returning the split-fingered fastball to his repertoire. He said he stopped throwing the splitter last year because he wanted to develop a changeup to go along with his slider, thought to be his best pitch, and his fastball, which tops out at 90 miles per hour. Columbus pitching coach Neil Allen suggested last month that it was time to start throwing the splitter again.

"By taking away that pitch, it really allowed me to develop confidence in my changeup," he said. "Now that I've started throwing my split again, I really feel like I have enough confidence in both of those pitches to throw them at any time."
Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.