NEW YORK -- The Yankees' rookies left for Tampa in style on Monday, their street clothes confiscated as they were forced to dress as characters from "The Wizard of Oz" for the club's final road trip of the year. Joba Chamberlain was the big hit as the Cowardly Lion, Ian Kennedy was Dorothy, Shelley Duncan embraced his role as the Scarecrow and Phil Hughes served as the Tin Man.

"This is a very glorious moment for me," Duncan said. "It is what it is. I was meant to be the Scarecrow. You go with it, you deal with it and you don't think about it, because what can I think with? I'm a Scarecrow with a mission."

"Put 'em up, put 'em up," Chamberlain yelled, shadow-boxing anyone who walked near.

Chase Wright (Glinda, the Good Witch of the East) had to fend off the Lion from asking for his/her phone number. Edwar Ramirez fit into his Wicked Witch of the West costume a little too well. Bit players included Kei Igawa (flying monkey) and his translator, Yumi Watanabe (talking tree); Tyler Clippard, Matt DeSalvo and Alberto Gonzalez (lollipop munchkins); Bronson Sardinha and Ross Ohlendorf (guards); and strength coach Dana Cavalea (the mayor of Emerald City).

"It couldn't have come at a better time right now, just to give us something to chuckle at and get back to playing games," Mientkiewicz said. "Some guys dress better the way we've dressed them now."