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While union chief Don Fehr has opposed blood testing of Major League Baseball players for steroids and substances like HGH, one of the sports biggest stars disagrees.

Jeter

"You can test for whatever you want to test for," New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter told Bloomberg News. "We get pricked by needles anyway in spring training, so we have a lot of blood work to begin with."

Jeter, an eight time All-Star, also went on to say that blood testing for banned substances isn't an invasion of privacy.

Several players, including Jeter's current and former Yankee teammates Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens, were named in the Mitchell report as having used HGH. Pettitte admitted his use while Clemens vehemently denied taking any performance enhancing substance.

"[The problem] has gotten so much attention now, I think it would probably silence a lot of people that were critical of guys ... so I wouldn't mind it," Jeter told The New York Daily News on Sunday. "I can only comment on myself; I don't know about other people. I don't like needles very much, but I wouldn't mind it."

Yankees player union representative Mike Mussina said blood testing could help clean up the public's perception of baseball.

"I'm not saying I would ever be in favor of it, but if we did do it, that would be the only way the general public would finally believe that baseball is completely clean," Mussina told the newspaper. "But I don't know if it will ever come to that."

Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, who is no stranger to the steroids controversy, said a decision on blood testing needs to come from the players union, not individual players.

"I'm up for whatever they want to do. I don't really care," Giambi told The Daily News.

Jeter had another opinion on baseball matters on Sunday.

He would like to play in the World Baseball Classic again next year.

The 2009 WBC will have the same 16-team field that competed in the inaugural tournament in March 2006.

"I'd like to. I enjoyed it," Jeter said Sunday after the New York Yankees' workout.

The tournament, organized by Major League Baseball and the players' association, last week invited the eight teams that failed to advance past the first round two years ago: Australia, Canada, China, Italy, the Netherlands, Panama, South Africa and Taiwan.

Last April, organizers invited the eight teams that made it to the second round: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, the United States and Venezuela.

Several other prominent Yankees are undecided about participating. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who played in the 2006 event, said his focus is on the upcoming season.

"First things first," Rodriguez said. "I haven't given it one thought."

Notes
Hideki Matsui, who had surgery on his right knee last November, said he is pleased with how the knee has responded so far. Matsui isn't sure when he'll play his first exhibition game, but still expects to be ready for opening day. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi has been impressed by RHP LaTroy Hawkins, who could wind up working in the seventh and eighth innings. ... RHP Humberto Sanchez (elbow ligament replacement surgery) is set to start throwing off a bullpen mound in three weeks. He could start pitching in minor league games in mid-May.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.