YANKEE NOTES
MINNEAPOLIS – The elastic wrap Tom Gordon wore on his right arm after two solid innings of relief last night set off a red flag. And Gordon’s answers when asked what was going on didn’t seem like it was routine.
“It will be all right,” Gordon said. “Tomorrow [today] we will see.”
Since Gordon was in street clothes and wearing the wrap, there was an indication something was wrong with the wing.
Any problem with Gordon’s valuable right arm would present the Yankees with a major problem since he is throwing the ball better than he has all season. In his last 17 outings he has allowed three runs.
He retired six of the seven batters he faced in last night’s 4-3 win in the eighth and ninth innings and posted his first win in four decisions.
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It won’t help Derek Jeter climb out of an extended slump. Or Alex Rodriguez play a better third base.
However, in light of the six-game losing streak that finally ended last night, George Steinbrenner has tightened the belt on employees in The Bronx and Tampa.
Employees received a memo late this week instructing them to be at their desks by 9 a.m. every day.
The “No More Straggling” edict is directly related to the Yankees losing streak.
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Yankees are sending out signals they could select St. John’s closer Craig Hansen with the 17th pick in the first round of Tuesday’s draft.
If Hansen is still available he will be taken by the Bombers. However, Baseball America has the right-hander listed as the No. 10 prospect in the country. The Yankees haven’t picked this high since selecting Jeter with the sixth pick in the 1992 draft.
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Joe Torre isn’t afraid of juggling his lineup. During the six-game slide the Yankees were on last night Torre had six different cards and he went 7-for-7 when Rey Sanchez started at short for the ill Derek Jeter.
“I have always done it,” Torre said of the juggling act. “A lot of times you don’t have an option because certain guys aren’t three, four or five hitters. On this club there are a lot of guys who can do that.”
Torre says he hasn’t received negative feedback.
“I have never had any lineup problems as far as guys hitting certain places,” Torre said.
