"He said, 'They'll still have the problem of getting to Mariano (Rivera) in the ninth inning,"' Bruney recalls.

"I take that personally. I'll show him. See what he's saying mid-year when you're rolling. I want the eighth inning."

Reynolds, reached by telephone Saturday night, says he has nothing against Bruney. He just believes the Yankees should put Joba Chamberlain back in the bullpen.

"If they do that, they would have Bruney, Chamberlain, (Jose) Veras, (Damaso) Marte," Reynolds says. "You'd be making it a six-inning game for 162 games. Book them into the World Series."

Bruney, who turns 27 on Tuesday, might help the Yankees get there even if Chamberlain remains in the starting rotation.