It’s been what, three weeks since pitchers and catchers started reporting to camps in Florida and Arizona?

And while I’m not following it all that closely yet one thing is conspicuously absent this spring: Things are awfully quiet with the New York Yankees.

This year around this time news of Alex Rodriguez’ past positive steroid test came to light.

Around that time there was also news of the hip injury that cost A-Rod’s the first month of his season, though it also got him out of the spotlight for awhile.

There was a constant buzz through the offseason about how Joe Girardi would do replacing Joe Torre as manager.

Throughout the offseason there was plenty of coverage of the Yankees’ maneuverings through free agency, which amounted to about a half-billion in guaranteed salaries for CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira during a time when most other teams in the league were pinching pennies.

And the media firestorm carried into the season as the team opened its new ballpark – to a lot of empty seats due to high prices and the nation’s economic struggles.

I guess such a media frenzy is to be expected in the Big Apple. The business-like bunch buckled down, stayed focused and broke a decade-long World Series drought, beating the Phillies in November.

So what would happen if the team had nothing to focus on all spring except playing baseball? With a few minor exceptions (A-Rod and Cameron Diaz now?) it looks like we’re about to find out. The most conspicuous stories from Yankees camp so far seems to be the lack of conspicuous stories so far.

Brian Cashman, according to MLB.com, appears hesitant to talk about just how quiet it’s been, perhaps out of fear that by acknowledging it he’ll stir something up. but so far it’s awfully, awfully quiet.

Sure, there’s debate about whether Joba Chamberlain should be a starter or a reliever.

There are position battles. Brett Gardner and Randy Winn are fighting for playing time in the outfield and nobody knows for sure yet who the team’s fifth starter will be, though behind the combination of Sabathia, Burnett, Javier Vazquez and Andy Pettitte it’s not like it matters a lot.

And there is curiosity about how and where Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson will fit into the lineup.

But those are baseball questions. They don’t involve performance enhancing drugs or finances or ticket sales or any of the other spectacles that have surrounded this team off and on over recent years.

This intrigues me a little bit. Look at how dominant this manufactured (and heavily store bought) machine was in fighting through distractions last year. With a full month-and-change to focus on nothing but preparing for the baseball season do the Yankees gel and become even more powerful than they have been?

Or is the publicity and controversy rising up in the tabloids and giving the Yankees reason to rise up in an “us against the world” mentality part of what feeds the Bronx Bombers?

If it is, this spring could be a good thing for the rest of Major League Baseball. Because right now it’s just too quiet.