Phillies ace Cole Hamels pitched in a minor league game yesterday, his first start since experiencing elbow tightness last week.

The World Series MVP threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings against Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguers at Philadelphia's spring training complex in Clearwater, Fla. It was his first appearance in a game since receiving an anti-inflammatory shot in his arm last Tuesday.

"It felt good," Hamels said after his first outing since March 15. "I think it was really just trying to establish feeling each pitch, one at a time, in each inning. And that was kind of the big thing — how I'd feel in between innings. And I felt great."

Hamels allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five of his 13 batters. The left-hander threw 35 of 48 pitches for strikes.

"Performance-wise, we thought he threw OK," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "It was a pretty positive outing."

Hamels is tentatively scheduled to pitch in a Grapefruit League game Sunday against Boston.

If all goes well, Hamels would pitch again a day or two before opening day, meaning he wouldn't be on the mound when the World Series champions open the season April 5 against Atlanta.

Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee has Hamels making his first regular-season start in the Phillies' fourth game, April 10 at Colorado.

OBITUARY

HALL OF FAMER KELL DIES AT 86

George Kell, the Hall of Fame third baseman who edged Ted Williams for the 1949 American League batting title and became a Detroit Tigers broadcaster for nearly 40 years, died yesterday. He was 86.

Jackson's Funeral Home in Newport, Ark., confirmed the death but did not give a cause. The Hall of Fame said he died in his sleep at his home in Swifton. Kell was injured in a car crash in 2004 but was able to walk with a cane about six months later.

Kell outlasted Williams for the 1949 batting crown, hitting .34291 while the Boston Red Sox great finished at .34276. Kell played 15 seasons, hitting more than .300 nine times and compiling a career average of .306. He was a 10-time All-Star.

Kell played from 1943-1957 with the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles.

After he retired, Kell broadcast Tigers games from 1959 to 1996 — every year except 1964.

Kell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983 by the Veterans Committee.

ELSEWHERE

Yankees: The Yankees put individual game tickets on sale for the first season of their new ballpark and said they had sold 170,000 by midday yesterday. Yankees official Lonn Trost said the sale began with full-season equivalents at just under 36,000 for the 52,000-capacity ballpark.

Athletics: Oakland manager Bob Geren has received a one-year contract extension through the 2010 season, with a team option for 2011. Geren is 151-172 in two years as manager.