ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When Kerry Wood was traded to the Yankees Saturday, he thought about Oscar Acosta.
He was joining the same organization where his late pitching coach with the Cubs worked from 1996 to 1998 and again from 2004 until he was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic in 2006 at 49.
“I was thinking about that,” Wood said yesterday. “He had a very big influence on me, on and off the field.”
Acosta met Wood when he was a minor league pitching coach in the Cubs’ organization. He was the Cubs’ big league pitching coach in 2000-01.
During those years Woods developed a relationship with Acosta’s family that remains.
Because of his direct approach to teaching and handling pitchers, Acosta wasn’t for everybody. Yet, those who embraced the no-nonsense approach adored him.
Acosta was the Rangers’ pitching coach in 2002. From 2004 until he died, Acosta managed the Yankees’ team in the Gulf Coast League and served as the Latin America coordinator. He led Tampa team to GCL titles in 2004 and 2005.
***
In a perfect world manager Joe Girardi would have preferred Alex Rodriguez not getting off the bench yesterday when the manager didn’t have his cleanup hitter in the lineup.
Citing a need for a day off instead of the mounting pressure of hitting his 600th homer, Girardi started Ramiro Pena at third and used Robinson Cano in the fourth spot.
Yet, with the Yankees trailing 3-0, a runner on first and two outs in the seventh, Girardi sent Rodriguez to hit for Austin Kearns against James Shields. At 3-2, Rodriguez was called out on a pitch that was described by a Yankee as “four balls inside.”
“I felt he needed a blow but that wasn’t going to keep me from using him. I was trying to get a two-run homer,” Girardi said.
Rodriguez hasn’t homered since July 22. Beginning tonight he gets a chance to hit the milestone homer at home where the Yankees play the next seven games.
“I have been getting a lot of good pitches to hit (and not hitting them),” Rodriguez said.
Since hitting 599, Rodriguez is 9-for-38 (.237) and has one hit in 13 at-bats.
“I will be fine,” Rodriguez said of the lack of homers. “When one comes you sometime hit four or five in a week.”
Girardi said since it was against the Rays, who were two games behind the AL East-leading Yankees, it was hard to sit Rodriguez.
“It was a tough decision, but it’s not Sept. 28,” Girardi said before the 3-0 loss. “We have 58 games left.”
***
How close are Andy Pettitte and Lance Berkman?
So tight that when their families aren’t in the New York area in the coming weeks the former Astros teammates will live in Pettitte’s house.
“Not when his family is here but after they leave he will stay with me,” Pettitte said. “I will be alone, too.”
***
Pettitte threw 25 pitches yesterday in what was described as a half bullpen session. Pettitte is on the disabled list with a left groin problem.
“If I try to run full strength I feel it a little bit but as far as side to side and lateral, I don’t feel anything at all,” said Pettitte, who survived a slip on the artificial turf.
According to Girardi, it’s too early to tell when Pettitte will progress past throwing bullpen sessions. He will throw another one tomorrow or Wednesday.
