Kuzul

There promise to be entertaining positional battles during MLB Spring Training 2012.In particular, much is at stake when a veteran player competes against an up-and-comer for a starting role.Secondary to winning the World Series but above most other things, MLB players are motivated by the possibility of playing everyday.Old-timers often have too much pride to accept reserve roles, while the young guys don't want to pass up opportunities to establish their legitimacy.All the following individuals will appear in the big leagues this season. That's a victory in itself.However, their performances over the next few weeks could dramatically affect their futures in baseball beyond this summer.Begin Slideshow

More than other team sports, baseball grants its players longevity.Being on the wrong side of 35 isn't such an awful thing. I could muster a formidable 25-man roster comprised strictly of MLB players who are of that age or older.Time eventually reduces all athletes, but elite baseball players often sustain their level of play as their hair grays.Veterans of the game adjust to adversity. They continue to contribute even when agility, bat speed and arm strength deserts them.It is a sport unintentionally engineered to preserve its athletes.Begin Slideshow

Although plenty of New York Yankees franchise records will never be broken, there are 10 that their current players are capable of toppling in the next decade.Half of the accomplishments being challenged on this list were career feats, while the remaining five would need to be surpassed in a single game or season.I have chosen to present them from likeliest to most improbable.Begin Slideshow

The New York Yankees are in World Series contention every season, but the organization is constantly dealing with unusual, downright freaky injuries to its key contributors.Just in the past decade, position players and pitchers alike have been lost for extended periods of time due to unexpected ailments.Luckily, the Yankees are always financially capable of filling voids as quickly as they open.However, even if you have no mercy for the team, perhaps you can show some compassion for these individuals.Begin Slideshow

The re-signing of veteran starting pitcher Freddy Garcia may have been the last major transaction for the New York Yankees this offseason.What if it is?  This roster is stacked with All-Stars.Eight Yankees were involved in the 2011 MLB All-Star Game.  A couple didn't play because of injuries, while the others participated in either starting or reserve roles.In 2012, New York will have at least seven representatives.Begin Slideshow