Jim Souhan: From decimation to rejuvenation: Pavano appreciates his role with Twins

FORT MYERS, FLA. - After 17 years and five organizations, after beating the Yankees in one World Series and being blamed for failing to help the Yankees get to another, after 12 big-league seasons in which he has found himself described as phenom, All-Star, flop, malingerer, workhorse and now leader, Carl Pavano on Sunday began preparing for the unique honor of starting on Opening Day for the Twins.

He pitched two shutout innings in the Twins' 8-4 victory over Boston, allowing only one infield single in the Twins' first spring training game, then used the word "decimation" repeatedly to describe the state of his career just 21/2 years ago.

"It's amazing," he said. "Decimation for four years, then coming back. I'm really honored that the organization and staff feels like I'm the guy they want to lead this team. That's what I work for."

Decimation? "Yeah, decimation," he said.

What word would Pavano choose for his post-Yankees career? "Do we use rejuvenation these days?" he said with a smile. "Rejuvenation. I'll take that."

Almost 17 years ago, the Red Sox chose Pavano in the 13th round of the draft. He was a strapping pitcher from Southington High in Connecticut, an area that follows the Yankees and Sox.

"I hadn't even driven out of Southington yet in my life," he said. "I was a little teary-eyed going to the airport with my parents. That was the first time I had really left home, other than a baseball camp here or there."

Sunday night, he again pitched a meaningless game in Fort Myers, but this one felt symbolic. It marked the first time he has pitched since signing a two-year contract with the Twins this winter, the first time he has pitched since receiving the Opening Day assignment.

He has pitched on one other big-league Opening Day: for the Yankees, in 2007.

"That was kind of by default," he said. "But it was an Opening Day."

Pavano, wearing a huge icepack on his right shoulder, paused to laugh. "We had half our staff out with injuries," he said. "I was the only one standing.

"Could you figure, in New York, I was the only one standing? Who would have thought that?"

Plagued by injuries and dogged by Yankees media and fans -- and sometimes teammates -- because of the perception that he didn't responsibly report or react to his injuries, Pavano became a running joke in the tabloids. The lowlight was a New York Post headline that called him "American Idle."

Can he really laugh about that now?

"Those days are behind me," he said. "I'm looking forward to April.

"I've laughed about it -- with you guys. But I've laughed about it. Some of it is really comical, some of it is really frustrating. But what are you gonna do?"

Pavano has transformed himself from loss leader to clubhouse leader. Sunday, he followed his normal gameday routine, eating his gameday diet and drinking extra water, even though he knew he would pitch only two innings.

"That definitely drives me," he said. "I can speak for myself; I'm not going to speak for the other guys.

"Our accomplishments in winning the division were met. Our accomplishments in terms of moving farther in the playoffs, deeper than the year before, were not.

"Yeah, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth."