NEW YORK -- Joe Girardi is happy to see Jacoby Ellsbury in Yankees pinstripes instead of the uniform of the rival Boston Red Sox. DeAnthony Thomas Jersey . "You are going to make my job a lot easier," the New York manager told his new outfielder. "You no longer are a thorn in my side. You are a flower in our clubhouse, and Im happy to have you." Ellsbury agreed to a $153 million, seven-year contract Dec. 3, and the deal was completed four days later. He was formally introduced Friday at a Yankee Stadium news conference, part of an off-season transformation that has seen New York add Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran while watching Robinson Cano depart. Ellsbury will wear No. 22 with the Yankees, taking over the number of Roger Clemens, another Boston star who moved south to New York. No. 2, Ellsburys uniform with the Red Sox, belongs to Yankees captain Derek Jeter. Ellsbury was No. 23 in college, but thats retired in honour of Don Mattingly. And Ellsbury started his big league career with No. 46, which was worn by Andy Pettitte and isnt being given out any time soon, if at all. "Twenty-two, Ive never worn that number, but 2 is my favourite number, so why not have two of them?" Ellsbury said. A lefty-hitting leadoff man, the 30-year-old led the majors with 52 steals despite a broken foot late this season. He finished with a .298 average, nine homers and 53 RBIs. Ellsbury spent 158 days on the disabled list in 2010 after breaking ribs in a collision with third baseman Adrian Beltre. He was on the DL for 90 days in 2012, when he dislocated his right shoulder when sliding into Rays shortstop Reid Brignac while trying to break up a double-play in Bostons home opener. "I play the game hard. I play the game I feel like the right way," Ellsbury said. "It was just two unfortunate things." He didnt go on the DL this year, when he was limited to 134 games by a broken bone in his right foot that he played on throughout the post-season before it completely healed. "I already made my mind up I would play in the post-season no matter how it felt," he said. "There was a risk -- a foul ball off my foot. ... The reward was worth the risk." New York general manager Brian Cashman thinks the injuries were anomalies. "Theres risk always when you make those type of commitments, but we signed the player because of the projected reward," Cashman said. "Hes a unique talent." Ellsburys arrival was linked to the slow negotiations with All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano, who left for a $240 million, 10-year deal with Seattle. "We have to start moving now," Cashman remembered telling his bosses. "And to move early, you have to step up and separate yourself from the pack." Ellsburys deal calls for salaries of $21,142,857.15 per season and includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout. Ellsbury gets a full no-trade provision and the right to purchase six Legends Suite tickets per year. "Ive seen him get base hits. Ive seen him hit home runs. Ive seen him steal second. Ive seen him steal third," Girardi said. "And I even had the pleasure of watching him steal home off of Andy Pettitte when I was standing right behind him and we were all screaming at Andy. "Ive seen him make great catches that changed the complexion of the scores between the Red Sox and Yankees. And thats why Im so excited to have him in our lineup on a daily basis, because theres so many different ways that he can beat you, whether its with his power, his speed or his glove." After seven seasons with the Red Sox and two World Series titles, Ellsbury took out a full-page ad in Fridays editions of The Boston Globe. "To the fans of New England, teammates and the many friendships made. Thank you!" the ad stated. He wouldnt be surprised if he receives a hostile reception when he returns to Fenway Park next season. "Fans like to boo. Its just kind of fun to boo," he said. But he cherishes his time in Boston. He had dinner Thursday night with former Red Sox teammates Dustin Pedroia and David Ross. "It was seven great years. The fans treated me great," Ellsbury said. "The guys in the clubhouse, those are relationships that Ill have for the rest of my life regardless of what uniform Im in or the uniform theyre in." NOTES: Wells wore 22 at the end of last season. With Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, Beltran, Alfonso Soriano and Ichiro Suzuki, there appears no room for Wells on the roster unless there is a trade or injury. Chuck Clark Jersey . - A Tuesday funeral is planned in Toronto for 20-year-old Saginaw Spirit forward Terry Trafford. Steve Smith Sr. Jersey . - Chelseas 1-0 win at the Etihad, spoiling Manchester Citys perfect home record continues to be the talking point of the week. http://www.customravensjersey.com/custom-hroniss-grasu-jersey-large-1253d.html .com) - Bayern Munich winger Xherdan Shaqiri is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a thigh injury. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Tony Stewart does not consider the Daytona 500 a disaster, despite the engine problems that spoiled his return to racing from a broken right leg. The three-time NASCAR champion wound up 35th in the season-opening race, but he logged enough laps during Speedweeks that he feels good going into the upcoming stretch of seven consecutive races. Stewart missed the final 15 races last year after breaking his leg in two places during a sprint car crash in Iowa. His first time back in a race car was Feb. 14, the day before he competed -- and was crashed out of -- the exhibition Sprint Unlimited. He also raced in the Budweiser Duel before the 500, giving him 672 miles of racing in three events. Stewart goes to Sundays race at Phoenix International Raceway "a lot more confident than I was before we got to Daytona." "I think having all the races that we ran, and actually getting in a crash, while not a great thing, allowed me to sort of test my leg and it felt good," Stewart said in a Stewart-Haas Racing team release. "There have been some little things that have felt a little different, but for the most part, its felt like an old pair of tennis shoes that youre just comfortable with. I think the whole time in Daytona exceeded my expectations of what I hoped it would be like." But the 500 itself was a letdown for SHR. Stewart had the engine issue and Danica Patrick was involved in a crash and finished 40th. It left only Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, the two newcomers to the organization, in contention for a solid finish and both had difficulties at the endd. Demetrius Williams Jersey. Busch wound up 21st and Harvick was involved in the final accident of the race and finished a team-best 13th. Stewart said Sundays race at Phoenix will be a better indicator of where the team is than Daytona, one of only four restrictor-plate races on the schedule. "Daytona and Talladega have always just been two different forms of racing," Stewart said, referring to the necessary teamwork and drafting. "What happens at Phoenix and the races after that has to be done on your own. You cant help each other at Phoenix. You just have to go race." He likes his chances at Phoenix, where he has one win, eight top-fives and 12 top-10s in 23 career starts. Hes completed all but 14 of 7,257 laps on the 1-mile oval. But PIR is also the place that pushed Stewart into becoming a full-time race car driver in 1993. Still working eight-hour days at $5-an-hour at a machine shop in Columbus, Ind., Stewart headed West to run USAC Silver Crown season-opening Copper World Classic. He qualified second to Davey Hamilton, then led 31 of 50 laps before finishing second to Mike Bliss. Stewart earned $3,500 that day -- a payout that convinced him running the Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget races across the nation that year sounded a lot better than returning to the machine shop. He never looked back, learning how to adapt in every kind of car he drove out of "fear that Im going to have to get a real job if Im not successful. "To think that it all kind of started at Phoenix, I guess you could say its the place where my career came full-circle," he said. ' ' '