OAKLAND, Calif. -- After Bartolo Colon went 0-4 with a 5.37 ERA in his final 10 starts with the Yankees in 2011, there probably weren't too many people disappointed that the club did not re-sign the 38-year-old pitcher for 2012.

But Colon, now 39, has proved that he still has something left in that ample tank of his. When he takes the mound for the Oakland A's today against the
Yankees -- and old friend CC Sabathia -- Colon will bring a 3.88 ERA with him.

"We saw him do it last year for us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's got tremendous command. I'm not surprised."

Girardi and Sabathia said they figured Colon's trouble down the stretch in 2011 was not so much because of his age, but because he had missed the previous
season with an injury and pitched through winter ball to try to earn a big league job.

"If you add up all those innings of winter ball and the season, you would expect somebody to get tired at the end," Sabathia said. "He just had too many innings toward the end."

Sabathia has taken a special interest in Colon. They were teammate when Sabathia first broke into the majors with Cleveland and again when Sabathia was an ace and Colon a reclamation project in New York.

"He pitched great in Cleveland when I was there," Sabathia said. "He definitely showed me how to go out and work. It's fun to see him doing what he's doing."

So the Question of the day is: should the Yankees have re-signed Colon? The A's signed him for a mere $2 million. The Yankees re-signed Freddy Garcia to a $4
million deal. Garcia has a 5.37 ERA.

Coming soon: I'll be back for the finale of the four-game series, when Sabathia (10-3, 3.27) and Colon (6-8, 3.88) face off at 4:05 p.m.