01:00 AM EST on Saturday, December 17, 2005

Ron Villone went to his first game at Yankee Stadium in 1976, when New York was starting a run of four A.L. pennants and two World Series titles in a six-season span.

He remembers watching Ron Guidry pitch and Don Mattingly hit. Now Guidry is his new pitching coach after the Yankees acquired him from the Florida Marlins yesterday for minor league pitcher Ben Julianel.

"It was a great stage to play on," Villone said. "The Yankees were the best team. You always wanted to be a part of it. I guess today I get to live that dream a little bit."

He grew up in Edgewater, N.J., and lives now in Upper Saddle River, a short drive to the ballpark. The 35-year-old left-hander was a combined 2-3 with a 2.45 E.R.A. in 79 games last season for the Seattle Mariners and the Marlins, who acquired him at the July 31 trade deadline.

His joins a bullpen that includes two other new pitchers, right-hander Kyle Farnsworth and left-hander Mike Myers, and includes holdover right-handers Tanyon Sturtze and Aaron Small. Al Leiter could return as a third left-hander.

"It starts to form something we're very comfortable with," said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who had tried to sign Villone last winter and acquire him from Seattle last summer. "He's versatile. He can spot start, he can long relieve, he can situational lefty. He has the ability to do all of those without complaint, and that's attractive."

Villone, part of the Marlins' exodus, is joining his 10th major league team following stints with Seattle, San Diego, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Colorado. Houston, Pittsburgh and Florida. He is owed $2 million next season in the second year of a $4.2 million, two-year contract.

ROUNDUP

ROYALS REGROUPING: The Royals agreed yesterday to one-year contracts with second baseman Mark Grudzielanek and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. The Royals also agreed to an $8 million, two-year deal with pitcher Scott Elarton and finalized their agreement with backup catcher Paul Bako. Mientkiewicz, a former Gold Glove first baseman best known for taking the ball from the final out of Boston's World Series win in 2004, gets a $1.85 million deal with $700,000 in performance bonuses based on games and plate appearances. Grudzielanek's contract calls for a $4 million salary next season. If he has 500 plate appearances, he gets a $3 million player option for 2007.

PHILS INK FULTZ: Aaron Fultz and the Philadelphia Phillies avoided arbitration yesterday by agreeing to a $1.2 million, one-year contract. Fultz went 4-0 with a 2.24 E.R.A. in 62 games with the Phillies last year. He held opponents to a .186 batting average and 5.85 hits/9.0 innings, both fourth-lowest among N.L. relievers. Fultz is 18-11 with a 4.34 E.R.A. in 348 games for San Francisco (2000-02), Texas (2003), Minnesota (2004) and Philadelphia (2005).

NO CLASSIC FOR A-ROD: Alex Rodriguez told the New York Yankees he won't play in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, just two days after saying he was leaning toward being on the Dominican Republic's team. "He called me yesterday," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said yesterday. Baseball officials said at last week's winter meetings that Rodriguez, who last month won his second A.L. MVP award, had agreed to play in tournament but had not decided whether he wanted to play for the United States or the Dominican Republic. The third baseman was born in New York but his parents are Dominican. "When faced with the decision to choose between my country, the United States of America, and my Dominican heritage, I decided I will not dishonor either," Rodriguez was quoted as saying in yesterday's editions of the New York Post.

TRIBE SIGNS PAIR: The Cleveland Indians agreed yesterdy to minor league contracts with catcher Tim Laker and right-hander Ben Howard. The 36-year-old Laker was the Indians' backup catcher in 2003 and 2004. He played in one game for Tampa Bay last April and spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Durham where he hit .226 with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs in 89 games. Howard, 26, spent last season at Triple-A Albuquerque in the Florida Marlins system where he went 6-3 with a 4.63 E.R.A. in 54 games, striking out 87 in 83 2/3 innings. Howard played in 40 games with San Diego and Florida from 2002-2004, going 2-5 with a 5.20 E.R.A.