With the temperature at 36 degrees for the Yankees’ home opener, the goal for all was to stay warm.
So when Robin Ventura returned to the dugout after hitting his two-run homer off Joe Mays in the fourth inning of what became the Bombers’ 7-3 victory, he wasn’t looking for high fives.
No, he was rewarded with something greater.
A hot water bottle, handed to him by his buddy Todd Zeile.
Ventura deserved the heat after launching a Mays delivery into the first deck in right field.
While Hideki Matsui earned the back page with his grand slam, it was Ventura who got the Yankees’ win over the Twins started with his two-run jack that brought home Matsui ahead of him.
The past two seasons, the book on Ventura has been simple – the first half of the season was very strong, but the second half was poor.
Last year, Ventura hit 19 home runs in the first three months, while just nine in the final three.
His average tumbled from .256 in the first three months to .238 in the second three. In his final season with the Mets, 2001, Ventura followed a similar script.
So maybe it was a good thing Ventura started the season only medium-hot instead of red hot. Yesterday, Ventura smashed his third home run. He is batting .286 (6-for-21).
The Yankees had some hesitancy about bringing back Ventura because of his consecutive poor second halves.
However, with third-base prospect Drew Henson clearly not ready down in the minors and no other attractive and affordable major-league third basemen available, the Yankees’ only choice was to have Ventura return to the team. He came at a discounted rate of $5 million.
At 35, Ventura gives the Yankees the bridge to Henson or perhaps Erick Almonte, if Almonte plays well enough in Derek Jeter’s place at shortstop. Ventura understands his role. He is content to play this year and see how he does before deciding on his future.
Yankee manager Joe Torre spoke last year about giving Ventura rest to preserve him for the second half. Torre lived up to his bargain, starting Ventura in 130 games, a reasonably low number.
This year, with Zeile on the squad, Ventura’s starts could diminish further in an effort to keep him ready the whole season.
As for now, Ventura is not hot, but warm.
The Yankees want to keep him that way the whole season.
